Ole Miss Football: Rebels must fight for relevancy in SEC West in 2018

An unexpected solid season came the way of Ole Miss football in 2017, and the same could happen again with the right lineup of circumstances in 2018.

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Ole Miss football somehow pulled off a pretty good 2017 campaign given the circumstances for the program and coaching staff. In an ever difficult SEC West last season, the Rebels pulled out key conference victories over the Vanderbilt Commodores, Kentucky Wildcats and Mississippi State Bulldogs.

It’s crazy that Ole Miss usually fared better with the former JUCO transfer Jordan Ta’amu under center instead of Michigan Wolverines transfer Shea Patterson. Losing out the starting job in combination with the repercussions of the NCAA investigation caused Patterson to transfer out to Michigan.

However, Ta’amu earned his way to the starting job by season’s end. He enters the 2018 campaign as a potential top quarterback in the SEC. The entire Ole Miss offense should surround Ta’amu with some top-level talent that includes a stout offensive line and one of the best receiving corps in the nation.

Ole Miss has a few NFL level talents, and projected first-round picks, on both sides of the ball. Talent is not a huge issue for the Rebels in 2018. It’s making the most out of a roster that’s not too deep in a division where it’s extraordinarily tough to compete.

Here’s the 2018 preview on both sides of the ball for the Ole Miss Rebels, as well as the overall outlook given the schedule on tap.