Over the course of the next several weeks, the SoBros Network crew will be going team-by-team through the SEC, previewing the upcoming American tackle football season. Up next, the 2019 Ole Miss preview!
2019 Ole Miss Preview
After serving a bowl suspension the last two seasons, the Ole Miss Rebels are officially back in the hunt. The bad news? There was an awful lot of turnover on offense, and the defense is….well, it’s still the Ole Miss defense. Head coach Matt Luke brought in new coordinators on both sides of the ball. Esteemed longtime head coach Rich Rodriguez comes in to call the offense, while fired Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre comes in as defensive coordinator. This braintrust has a lot on its plate.
The offense is going to be a huge question mark. It was the strength of the team in 2018, as the Rebels were 9th in the country in total offense (averaging 510.5 yards per game). The 2019 squad is far more inexperienced heading into the season than the 2018 squad was. Luke named redshirt freshman Matt Corral as #TheGuy back in the spring, and he sure looks like a promising quarterback prospect.
RB Scottie Phillips is one of only three returning starters on offense. He could crack 1,000 yards this season. The Rebels will need a big season out of him if they’re going to contend. While this receiving corps has the same kind of potential as the last one, all of those guys will be missed. The question marks are only compounded by the fact that the offensive line will have three new starters. If Rich-Rod sticks around long-term, he could have this offense humming in a couple of years. I just don’t see it happening in 2019.
The defense has been abysmal the last couple of years – namely, allowing 483.5 yards per game and finishing 121st in total defense in all of college football in 2018. First order of business for MacIntyre was to install the 3-4. That’s rarely an easy transition, but in this case, perhaps it’s best that most of last year’s starters are gone. Benito Jones could be an All-SEC type of defensive lineman. Qaadir Shepard could be a force in the new system. But, there’s not a lot of depth on this unit.
Ole Miss fans should consider 2019 a rebuilding season.
2019 Rebels Schedule
8/31 @ Memphis – Just don’t think you can expect the Rebs defense to jell enough in one game to hang with that Tigers offense on the road.
9/7 vs. Arkansas – Believe it or not, I’m actually high on Chad Morris at Arkansas long-term. I think this is a game the Razorbacks could steal, but having it at home is definitely an advantage for Ole Miss.
9/14 vs. SE Louisiana – One of two locks for this season – the Rebs start the season 2-1.
9/21 vs. California – The Bears have a really good defense (lest we forget that memorable Cheez-It Bowl against TCU). They might just be good enough to stall Ole Miss, but having to travel across the country to Oxford has me leaning Rebels.
9/28 @ Alabama – Bo Wallace or Chad Kelly ain’t walkin’ through that door. N O P E.
10/5 vs. Vanderbilt – I like the ‘Dores in this match-up. They have the play-makers to score on this Rebels defense, and they play well enough on defense to slow down the Ole Miss offense.
10/12 @ Missouri – The Tigers are a legitimate SEC East contender in 2019. I just don’t see Ole Miss going on the road and winning this one.
10/19 vs. Texas A&M – It should be a big year for the Aggies. They always seem to drop some inexplicable games in October, so you never know – but in August, I’m going with Jimbo Fisher.
11/2 @ Auburn – I like the Tigers a lot this year. I think they’re a real dark horse. They should have one of the best defenses in all of college football. They shut down the Rebels.
11/9 vs. New Mexico State – One of just two of what I would consider lock wins for this Ole Miss team.
11/16 vs. LSU – At least they get this game at home, and hey – maybe they catch the Tigers beat up after playing Alabama and some magic happens. I’m not counting on it. I feel like I’ve typed ‘this should be a special season in Baton Rouge’ a million times, but I’ll hark back to it again.
11/28 @ Mississippi State – The historic Egg Bowl. The Bulldogs rocked ’em in Oxford last season. I don’t expect the Starkville trip to go any differently in 2019.
Prediction
The Rebels have been competitive throughout their postseason suspension. Unfortunately, I think 2019 brings with it a huge step back for this program as it tries to rebuild.
If MacIntyre and Rodriguez stick around as assistants, we could be talking about a contender here in a couple of seasons. I just don’t think Rebels fans should get their hopes up for 2019 (sorry, Brent). The way this schedule shapes up, I think we’re looking at a 4-8 team.
OTHER 2019 SEC SEASON PREVIEWS
Alabama Crimson Tide
Arkansas Razorbacks
Auburn Tigers
Florida Gators
Georgia Bulldogs
Kentucky Wildcats
LSU Tigers
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Missouri Tigers
Ole Miss Rebels
South Carolina Gamecocks
Tennessee Volunteers
Texas A&M Aggies
Vanderbilt Commodores
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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