Alabama vs Ole Miss: In 3 Years, Rivalry Has Changed

A rivalry known for its domination by Alabama has recently become one of, if not the premier game in the SEC. Ole Miss and Alabama renew their rivalry this Saturday.

September 28, 2013. The clock strikes zero. Alabama defeats Ole Miss, 25-0, securing their 10th straight win in the series. Little did the college football world know that it would be the Crimson Tide’s last win in the series as of present day.

With the eve of the 2016 edition of the matchup between Ole Miss and Alabama set for this weekend, I wanted to take a look at just how a rivalry changed.

Before Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace led a game winning drive in Oxford in 2014, and Senquez Golson made the game saving interception, it had been 11 years since Ole Miss had defeated Alabama (2003), back when Eli Manning was still the quarterback of the Rebels. Then Chad Kelly and the Rebels went on the road and did the unthinkable, upsetting the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. With back to back wins in the series and the relativity of the Ole Miss football program, this matchup has become one to watch.

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What changed? Ole Miss changed. In December 2011, Hugh Freeze was hired as Head Coach of Ole Miss, after the dismissal of Houston Nutt. Freeze installed a program that has consistently elevated its play since his arrival. Winning 7 games in 2012, 8 games in 2013, 9 in 2014 and 10 in 2015. The real change of course and direction for the program came with the 2013 recruiting class that Freeze and staff put together. The additions of players such as Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell, Laremy Tunsil and others provided the on-field talent that Ole Miss had been lacking in recent years. These were players rated in the top 25 in the country. Players that teams like Alabama coveted and were used to getting.

This game was once a sure win for Alabama. Now you have reports of the Alabama weight room being filled with pictures of Ole Miss players to hype the team. This game clearly means more to the Crimson Tide or they wouldn’t go through all of the trouble to get their players hyped up, as if wanting revenge for two straight losses should require any more motivation.

The motivation for Ole Miss is clear, to make up for the loss to Florida State and to prove that the program can lead the SEC West. If you want to win the division, you have to beat Alabama. Ole Miss has proven it can beat Alabama, yet is still doubted even with the game in Oxford and with a more experienced quarterback. Sure there are problems on the defensive side of the ball for the Rebels. Alabama is also not without their faults.

Before this season, the game of the year in the SEC, at least since 2009, has been the matchup of Alabama and LSU. In 2011 the game was even called “the game of the century.” As of right now, the game between Ole Miss and Alabama seems to have replaced that, mostly because the matchup has been more competitive.

Alabama has long dominated this rivalry. The current head to head record between the teams is 48-11-2. Ole Miss had never even defeated the Crimson Tide twice in a row until the 2015 victory. Now the Rebels will go for three straight this Saturday in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. For what its worth, Nick Saban has never lost to the same team three years in a row while with the Crimson Tide.

This rivalry isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Alabama certainly isn’t going anywhere. Ole Miss still has quality players and continues to recruit at a high level. The Rebels 2017 class already has commitments from players that the Crimson Tide are and will continue to heavily recruit. The win streak for Ole Miss might end this week, it might end in 2 years. Regardless, this has become a game that is worthy of its audiences’ attention. It is a game that can define the season for both teams and can lead to one or the other winning the SEC West, the entire SEC and a bid for the college football playoff.

Next: SEC Power Rankings Week 2

Will it be three straight wins for Ole Miss? Or will the Alabama Crimson Tide finally have revenge? Enjoy the game Rebel and Crimson Tide fans (and general college football audiences) it should be one to remember.