By: Jimmie McDowell
Another great college football season will soon be here and it can not come to soon for America's fans who will flock to the arenas despite the terrible economy gripping the nation.Florida is the defending national champion and will be the pre-season favorite to pick up all the marbles as once again with Tim Tebow, the king sized field general, seeking his second Heisman Trophy. Texas' Colt McCoy, one play away from an undefeated season, is back for his final season and will have the Longhorns in the national title race once again.
Last year's Heisman winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma also returns and like Teebow will seek to be a second time Heisman winner matching Ohio State's legendary Archie Griffin's spectacular accomplishment. A dark horse will be Ole Miss' junior super star Jevan Snead, who decesioned Teebow last year, handling Florida it's only defeat.A Mississippi bumper sticker reads.
Ole Miss 31 National Champions 30.Ole Miss suffered a shocking loss in All-America defensive end candidate.
Kevin Hardy who reinjured his foot in a six a.m. car wreck which could have cost him his life Flanker Dexter McCluster was also bruised in the accident, which came when a car pulled out of a side road and banged in to the Hardy vehicle.Hardy made a nati0nali name for himself in the shocking defeat of Florida in The Swamp with his great performance against Teebow. Hardy could miss a couple of the early season games because of his injury.Everyone is pointing out that Ole Miss has to play South Carolina and Vanderbilt on the road. The game they seem to forget is the season opener with the University of Memphis, which has a half dozen or so redshirts from other schools eligible to play this year. It will also be the last game of the current contract between these old rivals and the Tigers will be sky high for the visiting Rebels.
With Teebow, Bradford and McCoy graduating Snead could be the leading contender for the Heisman in 2010 if he come back for his final year. He is eiigible for the draft because he was a transfer from Texas where he played behind McCoy. It would be ironic if Snead and McCoy crossed swords in a bowl game this year.
On another note this is the 50th anniversary of LSU's Billy Cannon winning the Heisman. I saw that Halloween night game as a Mississippi Sports Editor-Columnist in Jackson and it was the greatest run I ever saw. All-America QB Jake Gibbs punted the ball for Ole Miss and Cannon had been instructed by Coach Paul DIetzel to not try and return the kick if it was past the 15-yard line.Cannon did not call for a fair catch and Ole Miss defenders relaxed so as not to get a penalty if they belted the LSU star. The ball took an odd bounce directly into Cannon's hands and he was off to the races, 89 yards to the Red and Blue end zone. Ole Miss had a 3-0 lead on Robert Khayat's field goal and Coach Johnny Vaught sat on that score, punting several times on third down having so much confidence in his great defense.
Ole Miss nearly won the game after all, driving to the Tiger one yard line. Dietzel replaced his defensive team, the Chinese Bandits with his best players and Cannon, Johnny Robinson and Max Fugler made the game saving tackle after a reserve Ole Miss player blocked the wrong way.As it turned out LSU lost 14-13 to Tennessee in Knoxville as defending national champions and unbeaten Syracuse took over the number one spot in the ranking. Hoping Syracuse might lose its bowl galme LSU had to play the next highest ranked team in a bowl game to repeat as national champions. It turned out to be Ole Miss.
JohnnyVaught let his team loose and the Rebels routed the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl, 21-0, holding Cannon to minus yardage for the game.
Larry Grantham, who went on to play for the New York Jets for over a decade was particularly tough on Cannon as was linebacker Dewey (Quail) Partridge.
This season Ole Miss plays Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee in Oxford after testing South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Mempis , and Auburn on the road.
The Texas-Oklahoma battle featuring Bradford and McCoy should be sensational. Last year after the Heisman dinner Florida battered Oklahoma with Teebow shading Bradford for the national title.
Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Mississippi had their big summer rallies in Jackson in mid-July. State fans are excited with new coach Dan Mullen taking over for Sylvester Croom refering to Ole Miss as that team up North as Woody Hayes used to do in discussing Michigan. Mullen was a big reason why Florida had such a good team as offensive coordinator.
Southern Miss Coach Larry Fedora has Golden Eagle fans dreaming of better things after the strong finish last year including a New Orleans bowl victory. Southern has added the University of Virginia to its schedule with the Cavaliers visiting Hattiesburg for the first time.This fall marks USM's 99th birthday. Even bigger things are expected in Southern's centennial year in 2010.
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