I know that Ole Miss was red hot smashing Texas Tech 47-34 at Cotton Bowl. On the other hand, Memphis was crushed by South Florida 41-14 at St. Peterburg Bowl...BUT
Today Ole Miss will face Memphis at Memphis's home court. It's a rivalry game...Ole Miss will be likely to win this game but will not cover -18. I got to go with Memphis +18 at home.
I don't know. Ole Miss believes they can win the Sec and will want to show they can hang with Florida. It probably won't be a 60 point blowout, but I think they cover the 18. On it for 5 units.
Ole Miss covers..................someone explain how Memphis' Home field "advantage" will come into play. I believe they're 8-12 ATS in their last 20 games at home...............................
More than half the crowd at the Liberty Bowl will be rooting for Ole Miss (about an hour drive from Memphis). Ole Miss beat Florida and LSU last year and they are even better this season. Their defensive line will stop the running game, so unless Arkelon Hall can take advantage of his tall and talented WRs, the Tigers will have problems scoring points.
The Tigers D is not very good, either. I see Ole Miss covering, but the big concern is getting backdoor trapped if they let down their guard. Tommy West does not let his Tigers quit, and they rarely do.
I think Ole Miss will score alot more than 27....no disrespect...Memphis has no defense...I think you should thinking Miss scoring in the mid to upper 30's
I like the over a little. 65 points last year was a little lucky with 21 coming in the 4th quarter, but Ole Miss should approach the 41 they put up last year. Question is whether Memphis can score enough. I think if Memphis gets 20, the over will have a good shot because I expect Ole Miss to get 35-37 points.
Here is a little research I've done. I will watch this game and see how well my snooping did.
First: Six return starters on the Offensive side
Second: Eight return staters on the definsive side.
DEFENSE: Starters — DE Marcus Tillman, DE Kentrell Lockett, DT Ted Laurent, DT Lawon Scott, LB Patrick Trahan, LB Jonathan Cornell, LB Allen Walker, CB Marshay Green, CB Cassisus Vaughn, SS Johnny Brown, FS Kendrick Lewis
Hardy makes this unit hum, but he has battled offseason injuries. He missed the spring with a surgery and was involved in a car accident in July. But doctors eventually said he won't have to have surgery on his foot after that accident. He'll lead a defensive line that was one of the best in the nation last year but lost Peria Jerry to the NFL.
Ole Miss returns three starters from its 2008 secondary, including Green, last year's Cotton Bowl MVP.
Consider the numbers: Fifty of the 69 players who lettered on last year's team return. Six offensive starters, including quarterback Jevan Snead, return. And eight defensive starters, including star defensive end Greg Hardy, return.
Snead, a junior, would be a clear first-team All-Southeastern Conference player if not for Florida's Tim Tebow. The Texas transfer passed for 2,762 yards and 26 touchdowns last season. Some of his favorite weapons from last year, receivers Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster, return, giving Ole Miss hope that its offense won't skip a beat despite losing a handful of star players like offensive lineman Michael Oher.
Peria Jerry is gone from UM's defensive front, but the "Landsharks" — that's what they called themselves — remain. Ole Miss figures to be strong in the secondary, too, with Marshay Green, Kendrick Lewis and Cassius Vaughn among the returning players who could be factors.
Memphis:
"We got an opportunity to beat a Top 10 (team)," he told the Commercial Appeal. "We've probably never opened the season beating a Top 10 in the opening game. That's great stuff right there. That's a great opportunity for us."
Things get much, much tougher during the second half of the season with back-to-back games against C-USA East favorites Southern Miss and East Carolina and road tests against Tennessee and West division favorites Houston and Tulsa.
On offense, incumbent quarterback Arkelon Hall still has to fight for his job this summer, but C-USA Newcomer of the Year Curtis Steele (1,223 rushing yards) and record-setting receivers Duke Calhoun and Carlos Singleton should provide plenty of fireworks. The chief concern is an inexperienced offensive line that lost four key seniors.
The top returning players on defense are senior linebacker Greg Jackson (four sacks in 2008), senior strong safety Alton Starr (90 tackles) and junior tackle Justin Thompson. Memphis must improve its pass defense, pass rush and tackling, all problems that were exposed in a 41-14 loss to South Florida in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
"I think this will probably be a more aggressive team than what we've had," West said. "Offensively, we'll be more of what we used to be. I think we'll be able to run the ball better than we have and we'll be able to throw it over your head.
"Defensively, I think we'll be more aggressive. I think we'll be a defense that can swarm the ball. You'll see more people there when we make tackles."
I think this will be a close game.
The spread seems a little high, but could lower it in a teaser.
2 units
Ole Miss is going to take this team to the woodshed. I hope you all piled on the Rebels. I wanted to go high on the Over but Ole Miss would have to cover it on their own because Memphis might get shutout.
Until the last half of the 4th quarter I didn't think Ole Miss would cover for me. Their offense looked terrible and their defense couldn't tackle. They should of had Steele in the backfield for a loss numerous times, yet he managed to turn those runs into 5 yard gains. The score of this game would be very misleading to people who didn't watch it. They win 45-14, but they didn't impress.
Ole Miss @ Memphis 09/06!!!
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