It’s been a chaotic time for the Ole Miss Rebels’ football program. The team missed the postseason a year ago after a disappointing 5-7 campaign and already knows it won’t be going bowling this year after self-imposed sanctions.
Furthermore, the team has a new coach after the unexpected departure of Hugh Freeze. The Rebels will aim to put all of that behind them in the regular season opener against the South Alabama Jaguars.
Ole Miss is a heavy favorite but any hiccups due to all the uncertainty this offseason could allow South Alabama to cover. This will be an interesting matchup to see how the Rebels respond after so much upheaval.
This contest in Week 1 of the regular season will go down Saturday, September 2, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium.
NCAA Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
South Alabama +23.5
Ole Miss -23.5
Over/Under 57.5
Odds Analysis
The Rebels have the home field advantage but even so, the majority of bettors believe South Alabama will cover this spread, with 72 percent of the early money coming in on the Jaguars. The scoring total is pretty middle-of-the-pack when it comes to college football games, but the bettors have shown a clear preference as 81.8 percent of the action has jumped on the “over” in this matchup.
A Controversy and a New Coach
After another controversy-filled offseason, the Ole Miss Rebels will start 2017 on shaky footing again. Mississippi issued a self-imposed postseason ban upon the team this season after an investigation revealed a laundry list of NCAA violations including illegal contact with recruits and several instance of players receiving university or booster funds as well.
What’s more, Freeze was forced to resign after it was discovered his university-issued cell phone had dialed an escort service. Interim coach Matt Luke, who worked as an assistant at Ole Miss since 2012, will start the season at the helm, and it remains to be seen how he will do taking over such a giant program with huge expectations.
Player To Watch
Shea Patterson -- The Ole Miss sophomore quarterback is the undisputed starter this season and he certainly has a lot on his plate. Never mind the aforementioned controversy surrounding this program, the young player faces some of the toughest defenses in the country in Alabama and LSU in the team’s tough SEC conference play.
Patterson was supposed to redshirt last year, but when Chad Kelly tore his ACL late in the season, the freshman became the team’s best option and their new starting quarterback. He started the final three games of the season for the Rebels, going 1-2 in that span and throwing for 880 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions.
Patterson was highly recruited out of high school, choosing Ole Miss from a long list of offers that also included Alabama and Michigan. He should get some good experience under his belt and should excel in this one.
Free ATS Pick
Ole Miss has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late, and want to turn the focus back to football. The Rebels know they won’t be going to a bowl game, but the hope is that they can at least play well in the regular season.
Ole Miss always has NFL prospects on the roster, so for them this is still an important year. South Alabama stunned Mississippi State last season in its season opener and also knocked off No. 24 San Diego State, so it’s no pushover.
However, this is a tough environment to play in and Ole Miss should be able to take control. The Rebels may not have the focus all year to put together a stellar season, but should get this win, although the Jaguars will cover.
College Football Odds: Ole Miss 37, South Alabama 20
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