The University of Mississippi Athletics
Edward Aschoff Previews Ole Miss-Alabama
10/2/2014 | Football, Blog
Ahead of one of the biggest games in school history, I caught up with ESPN.com SEC reporter Edward Aschoff and had him finish the following statements that are on the minds of many Ole Miss fans. Among them, he discussed the impact of "College GameDay," matchups to watch, what Ole Miss has to do to win the game and what a win over Alabama would mean for the program.
Earlier this week, Aschoff wrote how Ole Miss can make a statement against Alabama.รย Check it out.
Austin Miller: The impact of 'College GameDay' will be...รย
Edward Aschoff: huge for the Ole Miss program and the Oxford community. It's crazy to think this will be the very first time GameDay will be in the Grove. It's been a long time coming, but folks in Oxford should be ecstatic. This is a chance for the rest of the country to really see what makes the Grove so special and why it might be the nation's best tailgating venue.
AM: When Ole Miss is on offense, the matchup to watch will be...รย
EA: Bo Wallace against Alabama's pass rush. We all know Wallace has had problems with consistency when the pass rush gets dialed up against him. Alabama didn't get a lot of pressure on Jeff Driskel in the Tide's win over Florida, leaving him plenty of time to make plays. While he didn't take advantage of those opportunities, Wallace can, if he doesn't try to press. That's been an issue for him in the past, and we saw a little of that against Memphis. Wallace has to be patient but also confident when Alabama brings pressure. At the same time, Alabama's secondary has to be ready to tighten its coverage. It has a tough time with these fast-paced offenses, and if Wallace gets into a groove, that could create problems for this younger defense. Without the threat of a true pounding running game, Ole Miss' offense will live and die by Wallace's decisions, as will Alabama's defense.
AM: When Alabama is on offense, the matchup to watch will be...รย
EA: Ole Miss' defensive line vs. Alabama's offensive line. The Tide has done a pretty good job of protecting quarterback Blake Sims this year -- it's only allowed three sacks thus far. I can't wait to see the matchup between Alabama left tackle Cam Robinson and Ole Miss defensive end C.J. Johnson. That should be fantastic TV right there. Also, Robert Nkemdiche facing Arie Kouandjio and Ryan Kelly in the middle should be great too. If the Rebels, who have 28 tackles for loss on the season, can bring more pressure Sims' way, that will go a long way to keeping Alabama's offense honest.
AM: Ole Miss wins if...รย
EA: Wallace keeps his composure and the defense can contain that vicious running game.
AM: Alabama wins if...รย
EA: the running game can make some plays and the defense keeps up with Ole Miss' uptempo offense.
AM: A win for Ole Miss would be...รย
EA: huge for a program that hasn't beaten Alabama since 2003 and has an unpleasant history in games like this. It would thrust the Rebels right into serious playoff conversation and put them right at the top of the SEC West, and probably the SEC in general. It would also be a great momentum builder for the West gauntlet that awaits.รย
AM: A loss for Ole Miss would be...รย
EA: hard to swallow for a team with such lofty expectations. These are the games Ole Miss just doesn't generally win, so many people would chalk it up to the Rebels just not being ready. It certainly wouldn't hurt the Rebels' chances at a big season, but it would put them behind the eight ball when it comes to winning the West, especially with such a tough stretch approaching.
