Vassallo: Why Ole Miss Hopes Vegas Is Right

Photo by Joshua McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics

Oddly, the Mirage has both Ole Miss and Arkansas favored this weekend by the exact number of points: 5 1/2.

This caught my attention as I’m always looking ahead to Ole Miss’ future foes.

Not only do we need a victory over Texas A&M Saturday, we also need Auburn to taste defeat. Just a few weeks ago when Florida defeated Tennessee the week before our game, I knew the newly-found momentum for the Gators would be problematic for the Rebels. It was.

I have been concerned about the Auburn game for many months, but was somewhat relieved yesterday when I found the game will kick off at 11 a.m. I have been told by former Ole Miss coaches that the earlier a road game is, the better it plays out for the visiting team.

Let’s hope this works in our favor. Auburn has been the most perplexing team in the league thus far. Picked to win the West by some, they have struggled all year. Last week their road win over the Kentucky Wildcats righted the ship somewhat, but the Tigers are still not where they were expected.

Currently in the SEC Power Rankings Auburn is tied for ninth place with a Power Ranking of 73 which is 27 points below league leading Alabama. Their 4-2 record reflects Kentucky as the major win with losses to Mississippi State (at home) and to LSU in Baton Rouge. They nearly lost to Jacksonville State at home before winning in overtime. Following the Arkansas and Ole Miss games, they still must face A&M away and Georgia and Alabama at home. They also have a home game with Idaho sandwiched in between the latter two SEC contests.

Traveling to Auburn in recent years has not been kind to the Rebs. Over the last ten outings Ole Miss is 2-8 being out scored on an average 28 to 16. The home of the twelfth man (sarcasm still permeates from last year) is not an easy place to prevail. Maybe on this Halloween morn in 2015, just maybe, the Rebs can leave the Plains with a full bag of treats.

It might depend, however, on how many tricks we can bring to the meeting. I wonder if Vegas ever gives odds on Halloween stash?

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.