Ole Miss Football: 5 biggest questions facing the Rebels in spring 2018

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OXFORD, MS – SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Matt Luke of the Mississippi Rebels takes the field before a game against the South Alabama Jaguars at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

1. Can Matt Luke turn Ole Miss into a contender?

While Ole Miss is still on a bowl ban — it will be eligible in 2019 — the Rebels need to prove that they’re not the SEC’s punching bag. They finished the 2017 season with a 6-6 record and that was with a new coach and first-year quarterback under center. Can they build on that?

All signs seem to point to yes as the pieces are in place and they just need to continue to progress and build depth at all positions.

Matt Luke did a good enough job in 2017 to earn himself the full-time coaching role and he needs to take that one step further in 2018 and prove that the Rebels, although bowl ineligible, can fight for SEC titles.

A perfect example of a team still proving to be a contender despite not being bowl eligible would be Ohio State in Urban Meyer’s first year. The Buckeyes went undefeated and put the entire conference on notice. While undefeated is a stretch, the Rebels could surely win 8-9 games and set up some momentum heading into 2019.

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round through Pro Days

It all starts with the spring game. Can the Rebels show improvement on both sides of the ball in order to prove themselves as potential contenders in the SEC?

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