Headlines
Vassallo: Ole Miss Football Alive and Well
Picture by Joshua McCoy / @olemisspix (Photo as seen on Facebook / Ole Miss Football)
Monday was a day that the media was allowed to attend spring practice at the Manning Center. From this perspective, several things jumped off the page.
1. The overall morale was incredibly positive. The practice was intense, however, the players were enjoying the competition. It was inspiring to watch and encouraging to think how good this team could actually become.
2. Without naming individual players, it is safe to say that the level of talent is apparent. Size, speed and skill were all clearly visible. I cannot recall in recent memory when this situation existed. Had the uniforms been different, we could just as easily been observing an Alabama, Florida or Ohio State practice.
3. The continuity of the coaching staff is definitely influencing the upgrade of talent and the rise in the polls. It’s reminiscent of the Vaught era when assistant coaches wanted to remain at Ole Miss for lengthy tenures. The environment is now ideal for this.
4. Last but not least, the competition at individual position is raising the bar throughout the team. Players know now that they must perform to receive maximum playing time as there is another player waiting in the wings who is SEC ready.
I know I get accused often of being too much of a cheerleader for Ole Miss football, however, it’s difficult to contain your enthusiasm when you’re seeing this talent pool of excellence. The four quarterbacks were all impressive as this is one position Ole Miss fans will not need to be concerned about for years to come. Ditto for the receivers, running backs and offensive line. The defensive ranks are also hitting on all cylinders with the speed and size visible throughout.
Looking ahead to the 2016 season, I realize that we’re only in the spring, and so many moving parts are in play, but if this group continues to progress, any game on the schedule is winnable.
Let me reemphasize, any game! An opponent that doesn’t take Ole Miss seriously is making a HUGE mistake. Coming off a 10-win season and a Sugar Bowl championship, Ole Miss football is definitely alive and well. The days of trying to figure out which minor bowl we will be headed (if going at all) are long past.
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.
Follow HottyToddy.com on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat @hottytoddynews. Like its Facebook page: If You Love Oxford and Ole Miss…
| Mon, Nov 4 |  | vs Long Island University | W, 90-60 |
| Fri, Nov 8 |  | vs Grambling | W, 66-64 |
| Tue, Nov 12 |  | vs South Alabama | W, 64-54 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Colorado State | W, 84-69 |
| Thu, Nov 21 |  | vs Oral Roberts | L, 100-68 |
| Thu, Nov 28 |  | vs BYU | W, 96-85 OT |
| Fri, Nov 29 |  | vs 13 Purdue | L, 80-78 |
| Tue, Dec 3 |  | @ Louisville | W, 86-63 |
| Sat, Dec 7 |  | vs Lindenwood | W, 86-53 |
| Sat, Dec 14 |  | vs Southern Miss | W, 77-46 |
| Tue, Dec 17 |  | vs Southern | W, 74-61 |
| Sat, Dec 21 |  | vs Queens University | W, 80-62 |
| Sat, Dec 28 |  | @ Memphis | L, 87-70 |
| Sat, Jan 4 |  | vs Georgia | W, 63-51 |
| Wed, Jan 8 |  | @ 23 Arkansas | W, 73-66 |
| Sat, Jan 11 |  | vs LSU | W, 77-65 |
| Tue, Jan 14 |  | @ 5 Alabama | W, 74-64 |
| Sat, Jan 18 |  | @ 17 Mississippi State | L, 81-84 |
| Wed, Jan 22 |  | vs 13 Texas A&M | L, 62-63 |
| Sat, Jan 25 |  | @ Missouri | 5:00 PM SECN |
| Wed, Jan 29 |  | vs Texas | 8:00 PM ESPN2 |
| Sat, Feb 1 |  | vs 2 Auburn | 3:00 PM TBA |
| Tue, Feb 4 |  | vs 10 Kentucky | 6:00 PM ESPN |
| Sat, Feb 8 | | @ LSU | 7:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 12 |  | @ South Carolina | 6:00 PM SECN |
| Sat, Feb 15 | | vs 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Feb 22 |  | @ Vanderbilt | 2:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 26 | | @ 2 Auburn | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 1 |  | vs 12 Oklahoma | 1:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Mar 5 |  | vs 1 Tennessee | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 8 |  | @ 6 Florida | 5:00 PM SECN |
Wheeler Allstar
March 22, 2016 at 3:08 pm
Let it go! don’t hold back!
Elijah Hollowell
March 22, 2016 at 5:44 pm
I agree with everything here except for the offensive line. I think Freeze has neglected that group in recruiting in order to attain elite skill players. While there’s definitely nothing wrong with having great skill players, it is essential to have elite depth in the trenches to win championships in the SEC. Not saying our line is awful; they should be good enough to get us to 10 wins again but I doubt we’ll reach the next level until recruiting offensive linemen (at least more than just one good one a year) becomes first priority.
Andersen
March 22, 2016 at 6:10 pm
Our offensive line is a concern, but Freeze has not neglected recruiting solid big boys. Greg Little, 5 star, #1 OT in 2016. Need I say more…
N B F
March 22, 2016 at 7:52 pm
We will be starting a sophomore and a tru freeman on the O line. They are very good, but experience, or lack of, could be an issue
And although the starters have a chance to be good, injuries and lack of depth are always an issue
That being said, with Chad an the receiviers we have, the O will be very good
Justin
March 22, 2016 at 7:56 pm
Elijah- If you have paid any attention to recruiting the last few years, you would know Freeze has recruited really well on the OL. Guys like Tunsil, Little, Taylor, and Patterson were all 5-stars! Sims and Givens were 4 star recruits.
This years OL should be the best run blocking group that Freeze has had since he got to OM. The interior of the OL will be it’s strength. All the OL needs to find this year is a LT that can get the job done , weather that’s Little, Liggins or Givens.
Elijah Hollowell
March 23, 2016 at 7:06 am
Like I said, our first five should be a solid group. It just doesnt look as if there’s much behind them. You have to have depth in that unit. Who comes in when Greg Little needs a break in the 4th quarter in a tied game against Alabama? Who comes in for Patterson or Taylor? Not trying to bash anyone, these are just serious questions that need answering if we want to win a championship instead of becoming the Georgia of the west.
ICC T20 world cup 2016
March 26, 2016 at 10:50 am
This piece of writing will help the internet visitors for setting up new webpage or even a blog from start to end.