Daily Texan Top 25: Expectations are up as No. 5 Mississippi looks for first SEC title in 46 years

Remember the big quarterback controversy following the Longhorns’ 2005 nation championship? Mack Brown had the choice between three freshmen in Colt McCoy, Sherrod Harris and Jevan Snead.

After McCoy won the starting job and set records as a freshman quarterback, Snead opted to transfer to Ole Miss and try to earn the starting role for the Rebels.

Snead’s excellent play has almost allowed the fans of Mississippi to forget the name Eli Manning as the Rebels have possibly their best chance to win the SEC for the first time since 1963.

Handing the Florida Gators their only loss on their way to another SEC Championship and national title in 2008, Ole Miss helped let the world know that the Rebels are no longer a pushover in the SEC.

Mississippi brings a six-game winning streak, including a win against Texas Tech in last year’s Cotton Bowl, into this season. But prior to the six consecutive victories, the Rebels had two losses to teams in the bottom half of the conference against South Carolina and Vanderbilt — both in Oxford.

The Rebels lost some talent, including 600 pounds up front belonging to NFL first-round picks Michael Oher at offensive tackle and Peria Jerry at defensive tackle.

But of course, to be fifth in our rankings they have plenty of players returning who are capable of leading this team to an SEC Championship.

In addition to Snead, the offense returns its top playmaker, Dexter McCluster, who Nutt tries to play as a hybrid receiver/tailback.

McCluster has been described as a poor man’s Reggie Bush and as another Darren McFadden in the same Houston Nutt system — except Nutt will probably let Snead do all the passing since McCluster’s only two completed passes last year were interceptions.

Nutt is most excited about his defensive line. The Rebels will bring back defensive ends Greg Hardy and Kentrell Lockett, who will have their hands full against some of the top offenses in the nation.

Also returning is the Rebels leading tackle from last season, Kendrick Lewis, who has become the leader of the defense.

“He’s the one that really took the baton from those four captains,” Nutt said at SEC Media Day. “He took the baton at 5:30 in the morning. You knew the first morning of those workouts who was going to be your leader.”

Prior to the win against Florida last season, the Rebels had not won an SEC game in more than 700 days. Now, all of a sudden, they are getting tons of attention and are hoping not to be the bust of the 2009 season.

But Nutt doesn’t care about what the experts have to say.

“Last year, the same group of experts picked us towards the bottom,” Nutt said. “Same group of experts now picking us towards the top. We tell our team, ‘What does that mean?’ Doesn’t mean anything.”

Team name: Mississippi Rebels
Head coach: Houston Nutt
Conference: SEC
2008 record: 9-4


Key players:

• Dexter McCluster — Senior — WR/ RB
  655 rushing yards, 6.0 yards per carry, 6 rushing touchdowns
  44 receptions, 625 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
  McCluster led the team in rushing yards and receptions last season, making him a rare Reggie Bush-like player. While Snead is the quarterback, the 5-foot-8-inch back will be the most important and most dangerous player on the field, creating openings for Snead.
• Joshua Shene — Senior — K
  17-21 field goals, 52-52 PATs
  In the SEC, there will be close games no matter who’s playing, and having an All-American-caliber kicker gives any team a slight advantage for those last-second chances that could decide the game.

Game to watch: Sept. 26 at South Carolina

The Gamecocks defeated the Rebels last season in Oxford and Jevan Snead has not forgotten. Ole Miss must show that they are for real in the first test of the season which is also their conference opener.

The word on Ole Miss: The people in Oxford, Miss. have something to look forward to this fall as the Rebels have a strong core that many believe is capable of not just competing for the SEC Championship, but also for a national championship. The Rebels avoid matchups with Florida and Georgia this season and have a favorable schedule, if possible, in the SEC.

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