TCU Makes Statement by Blowing out Ole Miss in Peach Bowl

((ht: espn.com))

Shhh...quiet. Don't tell Texas Christian they aren't playing in the College Bowl Playoff this year. If their Peach Bowl game performance is an indicator...they may be in said playoff next year.

TCU ran out to a 28-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 42-3 rout of alleged SEC West power Ole Miss. And really, the game wasn't that close.

Ole Miss could scratch out only 129 yards of total offense including a total of 9 yards running the ball. Rebel QB Bo Wallace wasn't much better throwing for 109 yards and 3 interceptions.

As for the Horned Frogs, 3 TD passes by Trevonne Boykin were more than enough as TCU finishes the season 12-1. Ole Miss finished 9-4.

Your highlights from ESPN.com:

Ole Miss Signee Chad Kelly Arrested in Buffalo (Updated with Video)

((ht: buffalonews.com))

Chad Kelly has some issues that need to be dealt with before he should be allowed to play college football.

The oft-travelled 20-year old Kelly, nephew of former Buffalo Bills QB Jim Kelly was arrested early Sunday morning in Buffalo after a skirmish at a local bar.

Chad Kelly recently (Wednesday) signed a scholarship offer with Ole Miss after a successful 2014 season at East Mississippi Junior College, winning the NJCAA title. Kelly was there in large part because in early 2014, he was kicked off the Clemson roster after arguing with coaches during the teams spring game.

And according to several reports, Kelly had issues in High School as well.

His latest incident came after he refused to leave a downtown Buffalo restaurant and bar sometime after 3 a.m Sunday morning. Reports say he punched a bouncer in the face. A 21-year old friend of Kelly's who had already been tossed from the place was trying to go back in when the melee ensued.

According to the Buffalo News, Kelly told the bouncer; "I'm going to go to my car and get my AK-47 and spray this place".

Kelly then left Encore when police stopped him down the street. He reportedly threw punches when officers tried putting him in a squad car.

Kelly is facing multiple charges.

Read more from the Buffalo News RIGHT HERE

No word yet from Ole Miss on what they'll do with Kelly, but it will be interesting to see how they handle it.

The Rebels are looking to replace graduating starter Bo Wallace and with Kelly's credentials in Junior College, he certainly would have a shot at the job. However he also appears to have some issues. How those issues are dealt with now becomes the question.

Updated: There's now video of the brawl outside Encore. While Kelly's lawyer is quick to say that the audio clears his client, said audio is very hard to hear outside someone yelling "Chill dude". This probably will not help as much as the lawyer thinks--

Morning Wrap: Hugh Freeze Agrees To Ole Miss Contract Extension

((ht: espn.com))

If you are asking yourself why are we posting a story on a college football coach getting a contract extension, then you aren't paying attention to the Coaching Carousel season.

Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze got his extension Tuesday morning. Complete with a pay bump--up to $4 million a year per reports.

And it's newsworthy because several blogs/outlets reported that he was the leader for the University of Florida open coaching job.

Those reports were obviously incorrect.

Freeze has gotten results each year with the Rebels, this year the team has been in the Top 10 most of the season and just beat arch rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, knocking the Bulldogs out of playoff contention.

Freeze announced the contract on Twitter:

Very blessed to be at THE University of Miss & work for and with great people and fans! REBELNATION, say it with me, I AM AN OLE MISS REBEL
— Hugh Freeze (@CoachHughFreeze) December 2, 2014

His boss, Athletic Director Ross Bjork confirmed it:

Proud that we have @CoachHughFreeze leading our program & young men for a long time to come. Agreement is in place & future is bright!
— Ross Bjork (@RossBjorkAD) December 2, 2014

Rivarly Week Primer: Mississippi St With Epic Egg Bowl Hype Video

((ht: hailstate))

This may be the best of the bunch.

The production team at Mississippi State has been outstanding this season, producing some quality work. Often mixing old footage with new and utilizing a good mix of music and natural sound.

And this video is no exception, it's tremendous.

HailState provides the pre game hype video for this years Egg Bowl. At least from the Bulldogs side. The game is being played in Oxford at Ole Miss, so this may...or may not show during the game.

So we'll show you here. Well done guys...

FBI Investigating Threat To The Grove

((HT: University of Mississippi))

Here's the note from the school in its entirety:

A handwritten note threatening damage to trees and shrubs in the Grove at the University of Mississippi and signed "Hail State/Go to Hell TSUN" was turned over to the Jackson office of the FBI today (Nov. 26) by UM Police Chief Calvin Sellers.

The note, which arrived on campus late Tuesday (Nov. 25), said:

"What's going to happen to ya'll on the field Saturday Aint nothing compared to what's going to happen on your beautiful campus. You won't be one of the most pretty campus's Next year. A lot of shrubs and trees are going to die; especially in the grove. Can't stop us" (signed) "Hail State Go to Hell TSUN."

Law enforcement authorities are taking the threat seriously and are encouraging fans to report suspicious behavior, Sellers said. In addition, he said, law enforcement resources have been added to address fan safety inside and outside the stadium.

"This longtime football rivalry has separated families and friends for generations, but while it's spirited, our attention has been focused mostly on the football field," Sellers said. "We encourage everyone to remember that this is a game, after all, not a time for hate. We are hopeful that passions have not escalated to the point that someone is prepared to do damage to a landmark for which all Mississippians take great pride."

Just what the Ess-E-Cee needs on another rivalry weekend...

Another round of this...
((HT: Paul Finebaum Radio Network))


It's under investigation...

BUZZER BEATER: Cedrick Bowen Slam At 0,1 In OT Defeats Ole Miss

Charleston Southern's Cedrick Bowen has the honor with the first buzzer beater of the college
basketball season and it was a damn good one.




With that Charleston Southern defeated Ole Miss in overtime 66-65.  Bowen would finish with 12 points.

Here's Bowen's reaction after the game. (Thanks WCSC-TV Charleston, S.C.)


Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports
The last time Charleston Southern defeated an SEC school was back in 1986 when CSU defeated South Carolina 85-81.

Morning Wrap: Auburn Escapes Ole Miss in Crazy Finish

It's not often a football game is clinched with a fumble recovery in the end zone. But that's exactly what happened Saturday night at the end of the Auburn-Ole Miss game won by the Tigers 35-31.

Auburn's Cassanova McKenzie came out of a pile with a ball fumbled by Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell as Treadwell was trying to score with about 2-minutes left in the game. Treadwell had broken several tackles and was about to score what may have been the game winner when he fumbled with about 1:30 left in the game. Replay confirmed the call on the field that he fumbled and McKenzie's recovery gave Auburn the ball on the 20.

He (Treadwell) also got hurt on the play, breaking his leg.

Auburn could not run out the clock though. Ole Miss got the ball back at midfield with 49 seconds left in the game.

Rebels QB Bo Wallace who had fumbled the ball earlier in the 4th quarter, tried in vain to rally his team, but 3 straight incomplete passes and a busted play on 4th down, ended the game.

The win, in a game that could almost be considered an SEC West playoff knockout game, moved Auburn to 7-1, 4-1 in the SEC. The Tigers still have games left with Georgia (which looks more winnable today) and Alabama.  Ole Miss dropped their 2nd straight SEC game and is likely out of playoff consideration.

Your highlights from the folks at ESPN:

Morning Roundup: LSU Takes Down Ole Miss in Bizarre Finish

Usually it's LSU that ends up with the bizarre and strange Les Miles-ish type finish. But not on Saturday night.

#24 LSU upset #3 Ole Miss after one of the strangest finishes this season.

The Tigers were up by 3, 10-7 with less than 2 minutes to go when Ole Miss got the ball. All Rebel QB Bo Wallace had to do was get the ball downfield far enough to get at least a field goal to get the tie and put the game in overtime.

And Wallace moved his team down the field, albeit with the help bad pass interference penalty against LSU. He got them close enough for a potential 42-yard kick to tie the game.

That's when the chaos ensued.

Ole Miss couldn't decide what to do with :09 left and got a delay of game penalty, which backed up the kick 5 yards.

Still makable for most SEC kickers. Gary Wunderlich, the kicker is fairly accurate, but not with a big leg. His long on the season 46.

Instead, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze decided to run another play, it was 3rd down. Wallace dropped back with instructions to either throw a quick hitter to get closer for Wunderlich or throw the ball into the stands.

Wallace tried to throw it to a double covered receiver in the end zone.

It was intercepted. Game over, LSU wins.

Perhaps the only offensive highlight of the game--Leonard Fournette ran for 113 yards for LSU, who also turned the ball over 4 times.

The win moves the Tigers to 7-2 overall, 3-2 in the SEC. Ole Miss drops to 7-1, 4-1 in the SEC.

Your highlights from ESPN:

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Well, last weekend sure was interesting...



More interesting than a Gomer Pyle clip, that's for sure...

Yeah, you might say there were a few "Upset" games last week in College Football and, well, you wouldn't be wrong.

If nothing else, the past week of College Football action proves that the alleged "committee" that is going to pick the 4 playoff teams, has a tough task ahead of them because quite honestly, there are a lot of really good teams, but not really any great ones...



What wasn't so awesome last week--our picks. Yeah, sure, we went 9-5 moving us to 56-10 on the season, which, well...actually is pretty awesome, but we hate to admit we missed 5 games. Though we did pick Mississippi State to beat Texas A&M...and we were right.

So with that in mind, this weeks poll looks almost nothing like last weeks. Yay! Easily the game of the week coming up is Auburn and Mississippi State. That, should be fun to watch.

With that in mind, in the words of the immortal Casey Kasem, let's get "On With the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 5-0. Yeah, we know. They haven't been amazing this season. And we aren't sold that this is your best team in all the land. But they are defending champs.

Tell 'em Naitch--



And he's right because there is a good chance the Noles run the table. (This Week: at Syracuse, Our Pick: FSU 45, Cuse 31)

2) Auburn 5-0. Is this your best team in all the land? Maybe. But, they also have the misfortune of playing in the SEC West which IS the best division in all the land. And unfortunately, they have a large part of that schedule left. Time to step it up. (This Week: at Miss St., Our Pick: Auburn 28, Miss St. 23)

3) Mississippi St. 5-0. Yes, a Mississippi team at #3. And it's not the one that beat 'Bama. It's the better one that beat LSU and Texas A&M. Yes, they've been one of the best stories in College Football this year. But with one of College Football's worst pass defenses can they keep it up? We don't think so. (This Week: See above)

4) Ole Miss 5-0. I know. 2 Mississippi teams in the top 4. Go figure. We're pretty sure this is a sign of the Zombie Apocalypse. But this is a very good team that beat Alabama. A VERY GOOD defensive team. They may be the Mississippi team that survives or not. (This Week: at Texas A&M, Our Pick: Ole Miss 27, Aggies 21)

5) Baylor 5-0. We don't love the Bears as much as some other pollsters do. But they're undefeated in the the Big 9 (12), so they get top billing. They've lit up scoreboards and the defense has done well, but they really haven't played anyone of note either. That changes now. (This Week: vs. TCU, Our Pick: TCU 31, Baylor 30 UPSET ALERT!!)

6) TCU 4-0. This is probably your best team in the Big 9(12). They played extremely well against Oklahoma. It wasn't a total shock the Horned Frogs won. And we think Gary Patterson is and has been one of CFB's best coaches for a long time. (This Week: see Above)

7) Notre Dame 5-0. Another good, but we aren't sure if they are great team. Yes, we know, they beat Stanford, which is great for them. But really, outside of that, we haven't been impressed. But the schedule is VERY favorable. We may see them again in the playoff whether they are worthy or not. (This Week: vs. North Carolina, Our Pick: Notre Dame 37, UNC 17) 

8) Alabama 4-1. Our first 1 loss team. We haven't been on the bandwagon this year, because while very good, this mixed marriage of Saban and Kiffykins has question marks attached. Though admittedly, Kiffy's offense has been pretty good. They are still better than most. Period. (This Week: at Arkansas, Our Pick: Bama 34, Arkansas 21)

9) Arizona 5-0. Yes folks, that Rich Rod guy can coach. This isn't a flashy or crazy good team, but they are winning. They figured out how to beat Oregon...at Oregon. Not easy. The schedule gets a bit easier and it IS possible they run the table, though the #112 ranked pass defense needs to improve. (This Week: vs. USC, Our Pick: Arizona 41, USC 37)

10) Oklahoma 4-1. Let's see, Sooner coach Bob Stoops has been mouthing about the SEC. And he's been talking up his conference. And then his team goes and gets beat by a good not great TCU. Sound familiar? But they are Oklahoma so they get pollster love. (This Week: vs. Texas, Our Pick: Oklahoma 37, Texas 21)

11) Michigan St. 4-1. Is Sparty the best of the B1G? Maybe. Are the Spartans a playoff team? We aren't convinced. They've been very good against crappy competition, they got beat by an ok Oregon team and pushed by a decent Nebraska. No challenges ahead until they play Ohio State. (This Week: at Purdue, Our Pick: Sparty 43, Purdue 10)

12) Georgia 4-1. Yeah, sure, we're playing semi-homer here. But any team with Todd Gurley has a chance to win no matter who they play. Sure, I have a better arm than the QB and despite a questionable defense, Huston Mason may be what keeps the 'Dawgs from a title shot. (This Week: at Missouri, Our Pick: Gurley Men 37, Mizzou 31)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



**ED NOTE**---Congrats to the Miami (OH) Redhawks for winning their first game after 31 straight losses. And they came back from a 41-14 deficit to do it. Impressive boys. You have escaped the island. Now win a few and stay off it....

5) Kent State 0-5. They've come close, but thus far, no, they haven't been able to beat anyone. The Golden Flashes can't run the ball, but otherwise they aren't embarrassingly bad. And with a game vs. UMass approaching, they may bet off the schnide. (This Week: vs. UMass, Our Pick: Kent St. 38, UMass 28)

4) Idaho 0-5. Yup, the Vandals managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when they threw an interception late in their loss to Texas State while driving for a potential game winning score. But that is par as they say. (This Week: heh-heh at Ga.Southern, Our Pick: Ga. Southern 47, Idaho 14)

3) Troy 0-5. Poor Larry Blankney. He's retiring after leading the Trojans to huge success over the past 25-years. And then this years version ends up being a stinker. They had a chance last week to beat La.Monroe, but lost on a late Field Goal. (This Week: vs. New Mexico St., Our Pick: NM State 37, Troy 33)

2) SMU 0-5. The good news...the Ponies scored double figures vs. East Carolina, tallying 24 points. The bad--they gave up 45 and still lost badly. Props to them for doubling their point production for the year. (This Week: BYE)

1) UMass 0-5. Oh boy. They've had two chances to win and blown both of them. How do you get a 41-14 lead over Miami (OH) and lose 42-41? That is really, really hard to do. Yet they did it and will remain at the bottom until they can prove something...anything to us. (This Week: see #5)

Because we said so:

Bama Fan Blindsided By Local Cop In Oxford

((HT: f_s_brown's Instagram))

Not to be confused with Saban's police force taking down someone who was stupid enough to approach over the weekend...

The Oxford, Mississippi police didn't take too kindly to Alabama fan that wanted to throw something onto the field in protest either...

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Oxford PD - 1 Alabama Fan - 0 This guy had been throwing things at fans leaving the field. #hottytoddy #beatalabama #oxfordpd #takedown #fightclub #collegegameday #espn @creevesbrown @liltaybrown @pigeontoedninja @austin_gunter770 @a_brown52

View on Instagram

So, it looks like, by the end of the weekend it was: Cops 2, Idiots 0

Boom! Dumb Ole Miss Fan Downed by Saban's Security

((ht: saturdaydownsouth.com))

There's a reason that most college football coaches have a security team that follows them off the field during games.

That point was made very clear this past Saturday after Ole Miss beat Alabama and the drunken Ole Miss fan base stormed the field.

An overdressed Ole Miss dork made the mistake of running towards Alabama coach Nick Saban. Who just happened to have 2 troopers surrounding him.

The result.

Well, the Ole Miss student didn't win...

ICYMI: The Dirty Dozen Gets Scrambled

((HT: ESPN/SEC on CBS/Fox Sports/Northwestern Football)

Did you ever have one of those days where absolutely everything you thought was an absolute lock came crashing down around your ankles and left you in such a state that your pants wouldn't fit anymore...???

Let's face it... all hell broke loose at the top of the rankings (whether you choose to look at Brother Phil's Dozen or some other source) and sent it all in the blender for the foreseeable future...

Examples...

Starting in Oxford... it was proven once again that Alabama has SERIOUS special teams issues in their loss to Ole Miss where Bo Wallace would keep the football and stash it someplace after the game was over as he tried to escape the throng that stormed the field.
Oklahoma decided that a road game against TCU in their new digs was a great idea... It wasn't...and plays like this one Gary Patterson pulled out of the back of the playbook help. What kind of flaws do USC have...??? There seems to be the one glaring one right now... Late game focus... it came into play as Arizona State came from behind to surprise them Some would think that Miss State's win over Texas A&M was an upset... The HQ doesn't think so as their suspect defense was exposed and Dak Prescott went off in a 48-31 win But here's one last one for you to think about as we head to Sunday... Northwestern hosted Wisconsin and they weren't good hosts- beating the Badgers 20-14 in a bit of a mucker it looks like...

Ole Miss Running Back Jaylen Walton Almost Has His Face Mask Ripped Completely Off

Vanderbilt's Nigel Bowden grabbed the face mask of Ole Miss running back Jaylen Walton and almost tore it completely off Walton's helmet.

Ole Miss Hits Walk Off HR on Intentional Walk Pitch

Yeah, we know, the headline for this story doesn't make much sense, but how do you explain something so bizarre?

Ole Miss beat Auburn 7-5 in a 13 inning SEC Baseball game. And they won on a walk-off Home Run.

The reason that homer is noteworthy?

Auburn's pitcher was trying to intentionally walk Ole Miss slugger Austin Anderson with a runner already on second, to set up at double play.

However ball one was a little too close to the middle of the plate. Anderson swung, the ball disappeared into the night and the Rebels began celebrating one heck of an unlikely win...

Your highlight of the day starts at about the 3:30 mark in this video from Ole Miss Sports:

Chip Towers Takes A Charge

((HT: Baron Miller))

We show this because no sportswriters were harmed in the making of this highlight...

Last night... SEC Championship quarters... Ole Miss and Georgia...
3.9 left in regulation and Ole Miss guard Martavious Newby chases a loose ball...


Sadly, though, Towers drew no free throws off that...

Oh, Georgia won 75-73

Nkemdiches In Deep Doo Doo In Oxford

((HT: Jackson Clarion Ledger/Kellenberger))

The recruitment of Grayson (GA) High DE Robert Nkemdiche was one of those southern soap operas only National Signing Day could hold- was he going to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, or Ole Miss...???

There was the picture from the summer camp with his friends where they were all wearing Clemson jerseys. But, not so fast...

Robert's older brother, Denzel, was already at Ole Miss and Mama Nkemdiche wasn't about to let Robert out of some kind of supervision- thus, the declaration of Ole Miss over Alabama and Clemson in the end.

Flash forward ahead a little bit...

Denzel turned 21 over the weekend and was a little rowdy about it. He was charged with disorderly conduct (failure to comply with a police officer) and disturbing the peace. Denzel and Serderius Bryant have been suspended pending results from the partying...

But, now in the Kellenberger article, it is alleged that both Nkemdiches were involved in an on-campus fight only 11 days after Robert signed to play in Oxford. At a fraternity house, an unrelated fight happened and the fraternity asked everyone to leave the house. After the defendant in the case, Matthew Baird, his girlfriend and friend were in the process of leaving it is alleged that Denzel, Robert, and five other (currently identified as) John Doe's came from behind and beat Baird unconscious.

The suit says Baird's friend jumped on top of him to shield him, but the beating continued- injuring the friend as well.

From Kellenberger:

A 911 call was made, but the defendants are alleged to have left before law enforcement arrived. The plaintiff was unconscious on the scene for 12-15 minutes and his body began to convulse in a seizure. He was treated for multiple injuries, include a closed head injury.

Baird is seeking $1 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages, based on the alleged battery, emotional distress and loss of future earnings.

“When this alleged incident occurred, the proper authorities investigated the matter and could find no evidence of wrong-doing related to Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche or any other members of our football program,” Ole Miss AD Ross Bjork said in a statement. “This is a personal matter for them and we will support Denzel and Robert while they defend themselves in this civil case.”

The larger question the HQ has is can the plaintiff prove that the police were notified and didn't follow through on a charge...

That's the rub in all of this to us...

Here's a feature on Denzel run by the folks in Bristol...
((HT: ESPNU))


More when we know more, but OSG sources close to the situation on campus say that coaches are ruing the day that the younger Nkemdiche came to The Grove as he has been bad news ever since showing up...

And this civil suit may be case in point...

BUZZER BEATER: Releford Buries Ole Miss Snapping Alabama's 4-Game Losing Streak

((HT: SEC on ESPN))

This was a bad loss for Ole Miss and Andy Kennedy...

Too many times in the last ten seconds that the ball was in the hands of Bama's Trevor Releford...
And he closed the deal...


"We were running, and when I caught it back I saw Marshall (Henderson) try to slip the screen so I just crossed back over and took the shot. I took what he gave me.” Releford said.

He [Releford] really carried them down the stretch which is what a senior all-league player does, and he made a big shot.” Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy said.

Releford finished the game with a team high 26 points.

Most importantly Releford's game winner snapped Alabama's four game losing streak.

"It was a lot of relief (for) the players," Releford said. "We've been coming out and practicing hard, and we just needed a win. We deserved it.

"I'm happy for everybody on the team and glad we got the win."

Rick Ray Apologizes For Snap At Henderson

((HT: SEC))

First, let's show you what happens when Ole Miss plays Mississippi State...
It's never very nice, and now it has carried over to basketball...

The HQ thinks there's an expletive in slo-mo here when State coach Rick Ray goes after Marshall Henderson


Whatever was said, Ray has responded to it:

"I responded inappropriately to an Ole Miss player [Saturday] in our game," Ray said in a statement he texted Sunday. "I reached out to [Ole Miss] coach [Andy] Kennedy immediately to apologize and subsequently to the player too. There is no reason for a coach to ever have interaction with an opposing player, ever, regardless of the circumstances. I was more upset with our performance than the player. I was totally at fault."

The season series was, once again, split at home and home...

ICYMI: Navy Wins A Dirty Bowl, Ole Miss Wins An Ugly One.

Admittedly, looking at the Twitter-sphere, the Bell Helicopters Armed Service Bowl seems to be one of the dirtiest games played this bowl season- gouging, poking, cheap shots... all that stuff...

Which means it must have been great television...

And the HQ will admit that the idea of having teams like these make it to a game where, hopefully, they get to turn a little profit is a good thing...

Here's how Navy QB Keenan Reynolds became the fourth player in Division I history to rush for 30 or more touchdowns in a season.
((HT: ESPN))


And, then, the Georgia Tech-Ole Miss game in Nashville was just plain weird in the fourth quarter. Vad Lee surprised the entire planet with a 72-yard TD pass to get the Rebels lead trimmed to 23-17, but with all the momentum in the world as the Yellow Jackets stopped Ole Miss' offense...

This happened...
((HT: ACCDN))


The HQ would LOVE to know who called that last play...

Dirty South Looks At The Music City Bowl

((HT: Dirty South Sports Report))

The HQ would like to welcome and add the resources of the Dirty South Sports Report to our stacks from this moment on...

The reason...???

Well, one of the Dirty Southerners, Jackson Martin, is a protege of the HQ and we're glad to see him grow...

He's a regular...

So, to start, he went after the locals, the Music City Bowl...

Two 7-5 teams coming off disappointing losses to hated in-state rivals doesn’t sound like the setup for an exciting bowl game, but this year’s Music City Bowl might just be a thrilling shootout that keeps us glued to our TVs until the final whistle. Or it might be a lackluster slapfight between two teams just ready for the offseason (and two coaches who are ready to play golf).

Mississippi was dreaming of something greater this year. After an impressive recruiting haul, head coach Hugh Freeze looked to turn those offseason wins into victories on the field. The Rebels won a nailbiter in Nashville on the first night of the season to get things started right, but never put together the string of wins needed to truly contend for the SEC West title. Quarterback “Dr.” Bo Wallace had an up-and-down year that culminated in his fumbling away the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State. That overtime loss to the Bulldogs moved the Ole Miss season from 8-4 and optimistic to 7-5 and wondering what went wrong.

Georgia Tech has been stagnant for three years now. Paul Johnson’s triple-option offense is no longer producing the wins it initially did in the ACC and the Yellow Jackets are once again mediocre, as they have been every year since winning the ACC in 2009. This is a matchup of two even teams, but Ole Miss may have the advantage after getting a month to prepare for the triple-option. Tech doesn’t fare well in bowl games — last year’s Sun Bowl win over USC was the first since 2004 for the Yellow Jackets.

Bias Report
In this section, I’ll tell you who I’m rooting for in each matchup and why. My reasons will range from true fandom to whoever has the best uniform and I want to give you a glimpse of what I like and dislike about every bowl team.

I’m a Georgia fan. I don’t like the Yellow Jackets, and I especially don’t like Paul Johnson. There are two things I like about Georgia Tech:

Calvin Johnson


and Reggie Ball


Hoddy Toddy.

Numbers to know

F/+ Rankings: Tech 31, Ole Miss 34
Spread: Ole Miss -4
Over/Under: 55

Picks

To help you figure out exactly who will win each game, we’ve assembled a panel of experts to pick each game. Our panel features myself, Ben Weinrib of The Knuckleblog, our resident gambling expert Jake Kearns, @turntuptina (who makes NFL picks over at The Knuckleblog occasionally), my dad, and a decision on which mascot would win in a fight.

Jackson Martin: Ole Miss

Ben Weinrib: Ole Miss

James Francis Kearns III: Ole Miss

@turntuptina: Ole Miss

Dad: Georgia Tech

Mascot fight: Ole Miss now uses a black bear as its mascot, which I’m pretty sure is the natural enemy of bees.