5 Dark Horse Teams that Could be the Next Colorado in 2017

Sep 10, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Kalen Ballage (7) runs into the end zone to score a touchdown against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the fourth quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Kalen Ballage (7) runs into the end zone to score a touchdown against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the fourth quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 12, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Shea Patterson (20) attempts a pass during the first quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Shea Patterson (20) attempts a pass during the first quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

No team gave Alabama more fits in 2016 than Ole Miss. The Rebels were the only team to keep within single digits of the Crimson Tide during the regular season and remain the last program to knock off Nick Saban. No team played a tougher schedule than Ole Miss in 2016, as Hugh Freeze’s squad faced four Top 25 and ten bowl-eligible teams over the course of the year. While Alabama will undoubtedly remain the favorite in the SEC West next year, Ole Miss makes a compelling case for its status as a dark horse candidate to push the Tide in the division in 2017.

When veteran quarterback Chad Kelly went down in November with a torn ACL, it forced Freeze to burn a redshirt and throw true freshman Shea Patterson into the fire. The youngster responded with a mixed effort, as he led the Rebels to an upset of Texas A&M before losing the last two games of the year to Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. But on a team that featured the third-greenest offensive line in the SEC in 2016, this year’s deficiency could be a place of abundant depth in 2017. Patterson will get a full offseason to prepare, while the rest of the team will be much more experienced thanks to the growing pains of this past year.