AuburnFamilyNews.com: Opponent Q&A - Auburn vs Ole Miss

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Opponent Q&A - Auburn vs Ole Miss


Red Cup Rebellion’s Jim Lohmar answers some of our burning questions!
Auburn’s a three touchdown favorite this weekend over Ole Miss, but the 11 AM kickoff and the Rebels’ extreme passing offense still frighten me as we enter the month of October. So, what of the Rebs? Are they going to pose more of a threat than the Vegas oddsmakers believe? Here to assuage our fears is Red Cup Rebellion’s own Jim Lohmar.
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Ole Miss obviously had a tumultuous offseason, what with the Hugh Freeze situation. Did Matt Luke take over and give the Rebel fanbase confidence, and if so, is he a guy that Ole Miss might look to in the long term?
Matt Luke did not in any way instill confidence in the Rebel fanbase, further, he's probably not the guy moving forward. I don't know how many of you watched the Alabama slaughter, but he looked absolutely lost on Saturday night. AD Ross Bjork is definitely looking elsewhere, which is kinda sad, because Luke is an Ole Miss guy to his shoes.
The Rebels struggled at times against South Alabama and UT-Martin, and then lost two straight on the road to Cal and Alabama. The positives don't really seem to be there at this point, but what has Ole Miss been successful in doing so far this year?
The one thing Ole Miss has succeeded with is the big play. They can rip off 70 yards on you no problem at any moment. That's fun. But they also struggle with the fundamental things, like, say, a running game. Or a defense that works. Actually, there is no defense. Shea Patterson and his big, bad receivers can and will eat up ground against even Alabama, but whether that's sustainable is not a totally agreed-upon topic. We'll move on.
Aside from Shea Patterson improvising with his legs, what can we expect to see from the Ole Miss offense on Saturday?
A lot of throwing. A LOT OF DAMN THROWING. This team can't run to save their lives, especially against a front seven currently residing in the state of Alabama. This team will throw against everyone, to the point that you may scratch your head and wondering if you're even watching an SEC game. At least one half of it. Shea will throw, and he'll throw ... well ... kinda ... perhaps. It depends on which Shea shows up and what the game plan is.
The defense has allowed almost as many yards as they gain each game, and ranks 112th in the country in scoring defense. Auburn's offense has started to come alive in the past couple of weeks since SEC play's begun. What's standing in Auburn's way when they've got the ball?
Absolutely f*#^&@! nothing. Ole Miss' defense is string cheese. Next question.
After four games, what's the reaction from the fanbase and how's the outlook for the rest of the season looking?
Despair? I've written perhaps eight or 100 angsty blogs on how much it sucks to watch Ole Miss football this season -- despite the s%#*house rat that is their offense -- and I still don't know. I like this team. They have personality and they TRY. They're in a way a perfect college football team because of that, much like Rutgers. At least they show up for work. But rooting for them and watching them and pulling for them is VERY DIFFICULT.
Auburn's notoriously been a sleepy team in the 11 AM kickoff slot -- what's your prediction for Saturday?
Auburn 35, Ole Miss 10. There's just no damn way the Rebs stop the run, and the Tigers' defense is as you say improving week to week. Maybe Shea and company can pull out a miracle like at TAMU last season, but the more likely scenario is that Malzahn sits on us and just drives the bus to the final whistle.
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Sounds like the Oxfordians don’t have a whole lot of confidence in their team, and so it’s the perfect time for an upset. Hopefully, we’re not overlooking them and the morning start doesn’t get us down. Kickoff Saturday on SEC Network at 11 AM CST! War Eagle!


from College and Magnolia http://bit.ly/2xiRwOd

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