Almost Football time!!!

Well we are back, and just in time, as football season draws a little bit closer. I for one am excited about the upcoming season. We have little to zero expectations going into this season and that suites me just fine. Maybe we can make some noise this year and win a game or two that we aren't supposed to. I'm not betting on it but I certainly hope that is the case. The rebs will field a young and somewhat inexperienced team in several key positions, and once again, we will breaking in a new QB. My only hope is that from the start our seemingly hyped O-line can pave the way for Bolden to churn out yards, first downs, and touchdowns while the new signal caller is getting acclimated to scrambling for his life. The D is, as always, gonna be the key. We need an increased performance from our secondary, as well as our young front seven to grow up in a hurry. To start it off against BYU sounds like a game we win, but don't get ahead of yourself. BYU is no slouch. They are no Jacksonville State, who we lost to in OT and basically put a sour taste in the mouth for the rest of the year. Rebs gotta set the tone early against the Mormons and continue to take it to them all game. Hopefully the heat will be a factor, as the BYU is not accustomed to the sweltering heat in this region of the country. I think we got a legit shot at being 3-1 in September and it would be just outstanding to split October. A tough roadtrip out West to Fresno and three conference games will not be an easy hill to climb. I have already penciled in Bama a loss, but maybe we beat Auburn? We always play them tough on the road and of course Arkansas at home is huge due to the past coaching relationship with Nutt.

So lets say hypothetically, we are 5-3 rolling into November and we start with KY and La Tech.... not pushovers, but at this point in the season, maybe we've found a little groove and we steal em both and we get to bowl eligible with two to play. That would delite many, including myself and it would be great to win at least one of the two between LSU and the hated State, but I don't foresee that happening. However, with that being said, we'll probably beat State because they are supposed to be good this year and as we all know, we are supposed to suck.

I could live with a winning season and have something to build on going into the next year and the recruiting season. I mean, we did throw together a pretty solid recruiting class following a 4-8 season... so the sky is the limit here. But in all seriousness, I think we are a .500 ballclub at best and obviously I haven't seen a snap yet. I'm gonna set my expectations as that so maybe the pain won't be as bad if we lay an egg all year and are terrible. It all stems the years of pain that a Rebel fan encounters. If you aren't one, you don't know. Well you have an idea if you are a State fan, you've been there as well. State fans should be on there knees every night praying the Dan Mullens doesn't leave for greener pastures elsewhere. The guy has done a terrific job with that program and now it times to see what kind of job Nutt can really do with his players. We got spoiled with back-to-back Cotton Bowl triumphs in the front end of the Nutt regime using Orgeron players. Guy couldn't coach, but he could recruit. So, as I said earlier, the tome has got to be set against BYU. Here is the schedule. Print it out, whatever. I looked forward to this rant to continue.

2011 SCHEDULE

09/03/11 -vs. BYU- Oxford, Miss.-3:45 p.m. CT

09/10/11 -vs. Southern Illinois Oxford, Miss.5:00 p.m. CT

09/17/11-at Vanderbilt * Nashville, Tenn.-11:21 a.m. CT

09/24/11-vs. Georgia *Oxford, Miss.-TBA

10/01/11 at Fresno State -Fresno, Calif. -8:15 p.m. CT

10/15/11 vs. Alabama *Oxford, Miss. -TBA

10/22/11 -vs. Arkansas *Oxford, Miss. -TBA

10/29/11 -at Auburn *Auburn, Ala. -TBA

11/05/11 -at Kentucky *Lexington, Ky. -TBA

11/12/11 -vs. Louisiana Tech (HC) -Oxford, Miss. -TBA

11/19/11 -vs. LSU *Oxford, Miss. -TBA

11/26/11 -at Mississippi State