Houston, We Have A Problem
Posted on September 20, 2010 by Jacob Bunn
As Coty Blanchard connected with Calvin Middleton to complete a successful two point conversion for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks that sealed a 49-48 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels from the SEC on September 4th, fans in Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium expressed signs of serious disgust. A similar sentiment was felt this past weekend when Vanderbilt, the undoubted bottom dweller in the conference right now, came into Oxford and handed the Rebels their second loss of the year by two touchdowns. Shocked Ole Miss fans are wondering how this season got so ugly so quick.
After the debacle in week one, the proverbial finger was being pointed at everyone from the athletic director to the water boy. Now that the dust has settled and the Rebels have been embarrassed yet again, I think most Ole Miss fans know where their frustration needs to be aimed.
Houston Nutt had a conference record of 42-38 when he took over the head coaching position at Ole Miss. For some reason, he has always been thought of as one of the premiere coaches in the league. I do not understand this perception. He has been a head coach in the SEC for thirteen years and has not won a conference championship or sniffed the BCS. Nor has he ever won more than ten games in a single season for that matter. So, why should anyone be surprised at the continued mediocrity? With that being said, I don’t think anyone saw this disastrous start to the 2010 season coming. Did he read How to Get Put on the Hot Seat Quickly for Dummies?
As far as the team is concerned, 2010 is going to be a long season. It is bad when an SEC team cannot get CSS to show its games. If they cannot beat a Division I FCS team or even Vanderbilt, how in the world are they going to stay on the field with the likes of Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, and Auburn? Some have suggested that the Rebels will knock off a team later in the year that they are not supposed to beat. Okay, my only question, though, is how? Jeremiah Masoli, who was pronounced to be the savior of this team before the season started, has fallen well short of impressive. With the laptop he stole while at Oregon, he needs to Google how not to continuously throw pick sixes. I also think the Rebels should play the remainder of their games at an alternate location. After hosting two embarrassing losses, Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium has the same effect right now as a cemetery.
One positive thing for Nutt is the fact that the media, for the most part, has not been on his case. For that, he may want to mail Mark Richt a bouquet of flowers. Before long, though, Nutt’s future will become a story because Ole Miss is going to continue to lose.
The fan base is losing favor for Houston Nutt at a rapid pace, but they know that there are few, if any, acceptable alternatives. So, if you are an Ole Miss fan, you might want to grab a cold drink, a hotdog, and an AED and enjoy the rest of the season.
Ole Miss, a team that always seems competitive in the SEC, has quickly become a laughing stock. And, with four USA Today top fourteen teams in its same division, things will not be getting better anytime soon for the Rebels. In the first paragraph, I stated that Vanderbilt is the current bottom dweller in the SEC. Well, that may have been true last Friday. As for right now, however, there is a new sheriff in town. But Ole Miss should look on the bright side, if Masoli gets the offense back on track, they may come closer than two touchdowns to Mississippi State this year.
Contact Jacob Bunn at Jacob@bunnsports.com
