2013 OLE MISS REBELS - A SURPRISE TEAM IN THE SEC

• Let's start at the very top of this football team with Coach Hugh Freeze.  Coming in last year brand new with the Rebels, after the two prior with Arkansas St, which he had a 20-5 overall record with, I would say Freeze did a pretty dang good job for this team.  What was called by the coach a rebuilding year turned into a winning season, which included a 38-17 Compass Bowl victory over Pittsburgh to cap off last season. One thing about having a solid rebuilding year to be more prone to having a stellar one in the next is playing hard and fighting in games, much like Ole Miss did in '12.  They lost  four games by six points or less, and hung with Alabama until late in the third quarter, which they were up in, but went on to lose 33-14.  They were competitive in the SEC last season if you don't count the 37-10 loss to Georgia, who was really good last year.  So for this year I expect the mighty Rebels to be a team to be reckoned with in college football and strongly compete in the toughest conference.  Looking at their schedule I see them opening up on the road in Vanderbilt, a team they loss 27-26 to last year, with a win, because this is revenge, the Commodores are losing their QB, and the Rebels will be clearly better in my opinion.  For their home opener, I think it's safe to assume they will breeze by SE Missouri St.  Now the next game, in Texas, they aren't looking at such an easy task, and this is somewhat due to the fact Texas blasted them 66-31 last year, and I believe the Longhorns will have themselves a team.  One thing that will help them against their next opponent, the one and only Crimson Tide, is that they do have a bye right before.  I really think they can give Bama a true scare.  I said scare, so please don't confuse that with me saying that they will win.  At Auburn is a win, Texas A& M I see a potential loss, then I really do see them winning vs LSU in the next game.  This is one of those bitter rivalries that the Rebels seem to play their best in usually and it's at home and they were a late return for a TD away from slicing LSU by a point last season.  Then after that it just becomes cake, I think.  Idaho, a bye, then Arkansas, Troy, Missouri at home and at Mississippi St.  I'm projecting 9-3, and I won't be surprised to see 10-2, possibly.  The professional odds makers have their win total going off at 8.5, and they seem to know a decent bit.  Now moving on to the players, I think their QB, Bo Wallace, who came in as a JC transfer, will be much improved in his Junior year in '13. He threw  22 TD's completing 63.9 percent of his passes, but did throw 17 picks.  He was also a dual threat adding 390 yards rushing on 143 carries.  As for RB's, they are getting their top two back with Senior leader Jeff Scott who rushed for 900.  Their top three receivers are back also, who are pretty big guys, including leading receiver Donte Moncrief , who is 6-3 215 lbs and had 66 catches for 979 yards and 10 TD's.  The team is bringing back 10 starters on defense, which wasn't that good last year.  They are bringing in some new defensive lineman, such as top national recruit Denzel Nkemdiche at DE.  This kid could be something.  They also have a JC transfer Lavon Hooks who could be promising as well, along with junior returning sack leader C.J. Johnson.  I will also mention that they have a top 10, and even top 5 recruiting class on most rankings coming in.  I read that the coach says they still a few years away from having the depth they would need to win the SEC, and I can appreciate that, but he did underestimate what they had in the beginning of last year.  So I will go ahead and say that the Ole Miss Rebels are definitely my surprise college football team for 2013, and am predicting at least 9 or 10 wins, so watch out SEC!

2013 NFL SLEEPER - KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

• For the very few real NFL fans that don't know what a sleeper is, it's a team that not many people at all project to do much.  As for the Chiefs in 2013, I know there are some analysts out there that are stating them as their surprise team, also, but they did only win two games in '12.  I can safely assume a lot of NFL experts are willing to give them anywhere from 7 to 9 wins predicted this year.  I'm gonna go ahead and give them 10, so they are definitely my surprise NFL team this year, because I'm also predicting a wildcard.  First off, they have a new coach and QB, and that right there should tell you they will have a completely different look in '13. Both of these guys have proven they can win and make a difference for a football team.  Andy Reid, in my opinion, is an unbelievable coach, and got ran out of Philadelphia for some reasons that were maybe out of his control.  This guy only missed the play-offs about 5 times out of the 13 years he was there as the Eagles head coach.  Now Alex Smith can just flat out play, and maybe he's not the kind of player Colin Kapernick is, according to the 49ers and myself, but this guy wants to win.  He just lost his job last year when he didn't deserve it.  I think that has boiled him up and fueled him and I truly believe he's out to prove himself for his new team, and everybody if that. Smith is also at the peak of his career and playing his best football as of late, because honestly, he doesn't make too many mistakes at all.  I think I am predicting he will have about 24 TD's and 6 INT's in '13.  Last year Matt Cassel had just 6 Td's and 12 INT's.  When your QB plays that bad, not only does it make your offense terrible, but your defense suffers a great deal as well.  This team has weapons.  Let's start with one of the best RB's in the league, Jamaal Charles, who had 1,509 yards rushing last year, averaging 5.3 yards a pop, and scoring 10 TD's.  They still have a good scat type RB in Dexter McCluster.  I believe Dwayne Bowe is in the top 10 for receivers in the NFL, and with a good QB now could break out.  With the addition of Donny Avery from the Colts, and rookie RB Knile Davis from Arkansas, I think this offense will score.  The defense brings back some very solid guys like CB Brandon Flowers, SS Eric Berry, DE Tyson Jackson, and the explosive OLB Tamba Hali.  I think that CB's Dunta Robinson and Sean Smith will add some additional help.  Rookie T Eric Fisher from Central Michigan and DB Sanders Commings from Georgia should be pretty good, in my opinion.  The Chiefs were just bad last season, but this is a year in, year out kind of league, and they did have some poor coaching and Qb play that was down right pathetic, so they really have patched those two issues up.  Looking at their schedule, I just know this team can win 10.  They go on the road week 1 to play Jaksonville, and I think this one will look easy, because it should be.  Then Dallas at home will be tough, but definitely winnable, because we all know Tony Romo and that bozo coach.  I really do think that going on their first road game in Philly will be a win. This could be a big one, because Philly won't be too good and Andy wants more than anything to stick it to those people.  Wouldn't you?  Then the Giants at home will be challenging, as well as at Tennessee, but once again, are winnable.  Oakland at home, then Houston at home, which should be a loss.  Cleveland at home could be a sure win, and at Buffalo as well.  The Chiefs get their bye in week 10, then go to Denver, who should be the division leader, as well as the big cheese of the AFC.  San Diego is next in Arrowhead, then they go to Washington, then to Oakland to play the RAIDERS!  They finish off the season with Indianapolis at home then on the road to play the Chargers.  I definitely see 10-6 happening next season for Kansas City, as well as a wildcard spot in the AFC play-offs.  The professionals in Las Vegas have the Chiefs win total going off at 7.5 and I just think that's sort of low for a team who I believe should have high expectations internally. It's not that unlikely for a 2-14 team to completely turn it around the very next season in the NFL. We have seen it before.