THE BIG 3 by Jason "Gator" Pigott
Ole Miss (9-3)
The Rebels finished off a very successful regular season with a 31-0 win in the Egg Bowl over MSU. Still, the feeling of "what might have been" must be in the heart of players, coaches, and Rebel fans everywhere. Had it not been for a couple of missed field goals against LSU the week before, the Rebels could have been making their first appearance in the SEC Championship Game.
Even after that loss, there was still a glimmer of hope. If Arkansas had upset LSU in the final week of the regular season, the Rebels would still have made it to Atlanta. It didn't happen that way, so now the Rebels will have to settle for a berth in the Cotton Bowl on January 2nd. (Not a bad consolation prize)
Win or lose in Dallas, it was a good year in Oxford.
USM (9-3)
The Golden Eagles are Liberty Bowl bound! Last week they disposed of the East Carolina Pirates 38-21 and by doing so claimed the C-USA crown.
The Eagles will be facing Utah (9-2), the Mountain West Conference Champion, in Memphis on Dec. 31st .
MSU (2-10)
With the Jackie Sherrill era now behind them, MSU made history by hiring Sylvester Croom as it's new head coach. Croom, a long time Green Bay Packers assistant coach, becomes the SEC's first minority coach and because of this, the hire has made national news.
I applaud the move to get Croom not because it was the politically correct thing to do, but because he is the best man for the job at Mississippi State. Earlier the year, Croom interviewed for the head coaching position at his alma mater, Alabama, but lost out to fellow alum Mike Shula.
Although he has never held a head coaching position at any level, Croom's experience will be vital in turning the program around. MSU is still a couple of years away from being contenders in the SEC, but I will be surprised if they aren't more competitive next season.
At his press conference Croom said, "I am the first African-American coach in the SEC, but there ain't but one color that matters here and that color is maroon.''