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!