9 days to Camp Rantoul

No. 9: Mississippi

Why I like the Rebels: Quarterback Jevan Snead is one of the best in the SEC. Just ask Steve Spurrier. Seriously, he is very good, though he probably shouldn't be rated ahead of Tim Tebow. Not yet. Snead has two of his top three receivers back and three running backs who gained at least 542 yards. Defensive end Greg Hardy is coming off an 8.5-sack season. There are eight starters back on defense, including leading tackler Kendrick Lewis. It's clear that despite his problems at Arkansas, Houston Nutt can coach. His work at Mississippi in the first season, including an upset win in the Cotton Bowl against Texas Tech, was borderline miraculous. The schedule is pleasant, with the toughest SEC teams (Alabama, LSU) visiting Oxford.

Why I don't: Maybe the Rebels won't play as well from up front. The expectations are great and sometimes that doesn't work for players who aren't used to consistent success.There are three new starters on the offensive line. Maybe that giant recruiting class will overwhelm the returning players. The Rebels play three of their first four games away from home.

To see No. 10, click here

To see No. 11, click here.

To see No. 12, click here.

To see No. 13, click here.

To see No. 14, click here

To see No. 15, click here.

To see No. 16, click here.

To see No. 17, click here.

To see No. 18, click here.

To see No. 19, click here.

To see No. 20, click here.

To see No. 21, click here.

To see No. 22, click here.

To see No, 23, click here.

To see No. 24, click here.

To see No. 25, click here.

To see No. 26, click here.

To see No. 27, click here.

To see No. 28, click here.

To see No. 29, click here

To see No. 30, click here.

 

Comments

IlliniHQ.com embraces discussion of Illini sports. We welcome you to contribute your ideas, opinions and comments, but we ask that you avoid personal attacks, vulgarity and hate speech. we reserve the right to remove any comment at its discretion, and we will block repeat offenders' accounts. To post comments, you must first be a registered user, and your username will appear with any comment you post. Happy posting.

Login or register to post comments

Recent Blog Entries