SEC Football: Best and Worst-Case Scenario for Every Team in 2015

Aug 28, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze gets a victory dunk by his players following their win over the Boise State Broncos in the 2014 Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome. The Rebels defeated the Broncos 35-13. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports

Yep, you read that right. Ole Miss can win the national championship in 2015. When you stop laughing, I’ll tell you why:

The Rebels have as much high-end talent as any team in the nation, including Alabama and Ohio State. Ole Miss has arguably the nation’s best defensive tackle in Robert Nkemdiche, as well as its most dynamic safety in Tony Conner. Those two are not just candidates to earn All-American honors and be selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, they also headline a unit that led the nation in scoring defense (16.0 points per game) last season.

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On offense, the Rebels have the nation’s best wide receiver in Laquon Treadwell, who is also expected to be a first round pick. Laremy Tunsil is the best left tackle in America and is likely to be selected in the top three overall in the NFL Draft, and Evan Engram is perhaps the most athletic tight end in the country and another candidate to be selected high in the draft.

Talent is the single most important thing that separates national title contenders from the rest of the pack, and with five players that can make a case to be the best in the nation at their respective positions, Ole Miss has as much talent as anybody. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg – the Rebels have landed three consecutive recruiting classes ranked among the top 15 in the country, so the roster is deep across the board.

The defense should be elite once again, and the offense should be much improved. New quarterback Chad Kelly is actually more talented than Bo Wallace, the running back rotation should be deeper with Akeem Judd and Jordan Wilkins spelling leading returning rusher Jaylen Walton, and the Rebels have the most experienced offensive line in the SEC (120 career starts).

Ole Miss’ Best-Case Scenario: The Rebels pick up where they left off in 2014 and complete a dream season

Next: Worst-Case Scenario: Ole Miss