Alabama Football: Game No. 10 preview Ole Miss Rebels

For Alabama Football, trips to Oxford have become a bit more challenging. There was the 23-17 loss to a Hugh Freeze team in 2014. In the three Crimson Tide wins in Oxford since then, only one, in 2018 was a blowout.

Lane Kiffin has energized Ole Miss football and while Kiffin will have a difficult time matching last season’s 10-win total, Kiffin’s teams can score enough points to make games challenging.

Ole Miss will be a rebuilt football team in 2022. The most obvious rebuild is a quarterback replacement for Matt Corral. Many think the ramped-up Ole Miss will slip without Corral. Perhaps so, but the MVP of the Ole Miss offense last season was not Corral. Nor was the MVP the (mostly) play-caller, Jeff Lebby. The MVP was Lane Kiffin and he will be again in 2022.

Whether the QB is USC transfer, Jaxson Dart or the talented, but inexperienced Luke Altmyer, the Ole Miss offense will still sizzle. The offensive line will need to improve its pass protection from last season when Corral took a beating. Western Kentucky, transfer Mason Brooks is expected to bolster the O-line.

Almost as significant as pulling Dart from USC, was adding tight end, Michael Trigg from the same school.

Holes at running back will be filled by a pair of transfers and one of them, Zach Evans should be one of the best backs in the SEC.

Jonathan Mingo returns at wide receiver and he will get help from another senior, Dannis Jackson and transfers, Jaylon Robinson, Jordan Watkins and Malik Heath.

Kiffin’s new offense could have as many as five starters who are new to the Ole Miss program. Whichever QB gets the nod, Kiffin has what he needs at the position and also at running back, wide receiver and tight end.

There are even more transfer additions on the Ole Miss defense. The defense will miss the pass rushing of Sam Williams. The pool of transfers may not provide many immediate starters, beyond Troy Brown at linebacker and Isheem Young at safety. But Ole Miss will have a very experienced defense. Two or three other transfers will be in the two-deep.

Kiffin’s secondary, if the front can apply QB pressure, should be a strength. The major weakness last season was stopping opponent’s rushing attacks. Considerable improvement is needed for Ole Miss to make a run at nine wins. If not, Alabama football running backs and others will feast on them.

By November can an improved Ole Miss threaten Alabama Football?

The Ole Miss schedule could lead to a 5-1 start, but the second half of the season is much more challenging. Ole Miss should be a much better team late in the season, than it will be early, but not enough to challenge the AlabamaCrimson Tide.

An early best guess is a three to four touchdown margin in an Alabama, SEC road victory. But a 30-plus point win would be no shock.