What I like about Ole Miss

I can’t shake this positivity. The creamy jalapeno sauce at Chuy’s wasn’t the spiciest thing there, and I just can’t stop seeing good things everywhere. So, I’m going to tell you what I like about Ole Miss.

Ole Miss made a dramatic improvement when it fired an oaf and hired a real coach. What I like about Ole Miss is Houston Nutt. He is one of the best coaches in the conference, and he has worked in difficult places to win—Arkansas and now Mississippi. While both Arkansas and Ole Miss are good schools, they have challenges that schools like LSU and Florida don’t face. Nutt can navigate these challenges and win football games.

I like that Ole Miss has won the Cotton Bowl in back-to-back seasons. Nutt made a big difference in the team’s performance and expectations. He is good for the program over in Oxford.

I like the Ole Miss defensive line. The Rebels have some good defensive ends and tackles. When you have a good line then you can have hopes of slowing down the run and getting some pressure on the opposing quarterback. Everyone is talking about Kentrell Lockett and Jerrell Powe and there is a reason for that.

What I like about Ole Miss is the Dave Rader hire. I know that will shock many Alabama Crimson Tide fans, but Rader might be a good fit at Ole Miss. Rader did a good job when Ray Perkins was at Alabama, and the offensive problems under Mike Shula was a product of Shula’s pathetic leadership and not Rader. Rader brings significant experience to the staff and is a loyal subordinate. Loyalty is the most important trait for a person on a staff; it allows the entire group to function at its highest efficiency. Without loyalty, there cannot be trust.

What I like about the 2010 Ole Miss Rebels is that the offense will be more conservative. Without Jevan Snead slinging the ball around (and often to defensive backs) the Rebels would have won one or two more games. Turnovers are always big, but they were very big for last year’s Rebels.