If there were any lingering questions regarding the legitimacy of this year’s Ole Miss squad even after its victory over Alabama, those were put to bed Saturday with a lopsided 35-14 victory over the No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies.
The Aggies were never in the game after Ole Miss jumped out to an early 21-0 lead.
The Rebels are loaded with talent at every level with its defense quickly establishing itself as one of the nation’s best. The most impressive aspect of Ole Miss’ victories the past two weeks is how the defense adapted to different different styles from Alabama and Texas A&M.
Alabama is one of the biggest and most physical offenses in college football, whereas Texas A&M’s spread offense is one of the most dynamic. Yet, Ole Miss was able to compete and flourish against both. Why? Because Ole Miss owns top talent along the defensive line and in the secondary. Multiple players at each level have the potential to change the game with one play, whether it’s defensive end Robert Nkemdiche or safety Cody Prewitt. It’s a talented unit that consistently rallies to the football and sticks to their fundamentals.
The “Landsharks” have also proven to be opportunistic, as the College Station Eagle‘s Aubrey Bloom noted.
Here’s a fun stat according to the Ole Miss beat guys: Rebel starting defense has scored as many touchdowns as its given up this season.
— Aubrey Bloom (@aubreybloom) October 12, 2014
The biggest question mark regarding Ole Miss is the team’s senior quarterback, Bo Wallace.
Wallace brings plenty of experience to the offense, but he’s prone to make a mistake or two each game. He refrained from doing so the past two contests. During Saturday’s game, the Rebels’ quarterback completed 13-of-19 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. Wallace also led Ole Miss with 50 rushing yards.
If Wallace can continue to play mistake-free football, Ole Miss may not lose a game this season.
The schedule doesn’t necessarily let up in the coming weeks, though. After hosting the Tennessee Volunteers next weekend, the Rebels will visit Baton Rogue to face the LSU Tigers followed by a meeting with the Auburn Tigers. But with an elite defense, a play-making quarterback and talent at every position, the Rebels possess the necessary ingredients to be the best team in college football this season.