SEC Notebook: Ole Miss Is Ready for the Ol' Ball Coach

Many are skeptical of Mississippi's No. 4 ranking in the AP Top-25 poll because its wins so far have been against Memphis and Southeastern Louisiana. For trivia buffs, however, the Rebels last reached No. 4 in the rankings on Oct. 12, 1970.

Of course, the country will get a better idea about Ole Miss on Thursday night when it visits the Ol' Ball Coach and South Carolina in its SEC opener on national television.

The Gamecocks and Alabama were the last two teams to beat the Rebels, who are riding their longest win streak in nearly 37 years at eight straight games. (They also have the prestige of being the last team to have beaten defending national champion Florida).

Ole Miss has been counting down the days to this game against the Gamecocks.

"No question about it. You are ready to play a game like this," Rebels head coach Houston Nutt said. "It is going to be a great atmosphere. Our guys are looking forward to it. I know as coaches, we are. I think our players are even more so."

After struggling to a 3-4 start in 2008, Nutt's first year at Ole Miss, the Rebels finally got accustomed to each other and to Nutt's system. After losing to South Carolina 31-24 and Alabama 24-20, they reeled off six straight wins to finish the year, including an impressive Cotton Bowl victory over Texas Tech that got the buzz started about 2009.

The buzz has only increased.

Not only are the Rebels, who breezed through their first two games by a combined score of 97-20, shooting for a 3-0 start for the first time since 1989, they are seeking to snap a five-game skid in SEC openers.

"There is nothing like winning," Nutt said.

"The next game is always the biggest game of the year," Nutt added. "This is the biggest game of the year -- it is the next game and the first conference game. We've got to improve, and our guys know that. Our guys know that we are in for a real battle and everybody has to improve -- special teams, defense and offense. Any set of 11 that we send on the field have to be at their best -- starting with this game here."

For the Gamecocks, this is another chance for coach Steve Spurrier to record that breakthrough win that has been so elusive for him in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina is 1-31 all-time against Top-5 teams.

The Gamecocks' only win came in 1981 at No. 3 North Carolina, they have never beaten a Top-5 team at Williams-Brice Stadium, and, under Spurrier in five seasons, they are just 1-7 against Top-10 opponents and 5-13 against Top-25 foes.

"We're looking to try and pull it together on offense, defense and special teams," Spurrier said. "We haven't done it yet this season, and we hope to Thursday night."

OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
LSU coach Les Miles is searching for more production from its offense in Saturday's game against Mississippi State.

LSU is 12th out of 12 teams in the SEC and 90th nationally with 325.7 yards a game in total offense. The running game is also 10th in the SEC and 48th nationally with 163.7 yards a game. The Tigers did not get more than 100 yards rushing in a 31-3 win over Louisiana-Lafayette last Saturday until deep into the second half.

"I think we're looking for the best recipe in whatever we do, and I don't think we've hit it just yet," Miles said. "I can tell you that I think we are on things and making strides, but I don't know if we've hit our pace just yet, and we're working at it. I think we have good players, and it will be the offensive staff's task to get the ball in the hands of the play makers. I think we're doing that. We're doing it with a little difficulty, but we're doing it.

"The pace quickens as we go to Mississippi State. We have to get better on offense."

TAKING EVERY PRECAUTION
Florida head coach Urban Meyer has voiced his concerns this week about the flu bug hitting the Gators' football team.

All possible precautions are being taken. Florida spokesperson Steve McClain told reporters Sunday that players received a nasal spray vaccine over the weekend, not flu shots. Hand sanitizers are everywhere -- from meeting rooms to the cafeteria and one was even seen sitting on top of a cabinet during Monday's news conference.

Wide receiver David Nelson told the media there are hand-sanitizer bottles in everyone's locker, that players are constantly being told to wash their hands, take showers and drink fluids.

"We knew it was a problem," Nelson said. "There are Purell bottles probably in everybody's locker, everywhere you turn they're telling you to wash your hands, take a shower. We knew there was something going on and a few players were getting sick but we didn't know the extent of it."

ANOTHER OPINION ON TEBOW
Veteran Kentucky coach Rich Brooks has seen his share of great players. If you are wondering what he thinks about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, well, here it is:

"Well, to me, he's just one of the all-time great college football players," Brooks said. "I think at quarterback, he's a hybrid. He's a single-wing, tailback quarterback. And there aren't many guys like that playing anymore, and that's why he's so unique right now. I mean, you just don't find that combination.

"Let's face it, he carried the ball what, 25 times last week against Tennessee? How many quarterbacks are doing that in the country? And he can throw it; he can kill you with his arm, he can kill you with his legs. He is extremely unique. There used to be players like that. I played with one, by the name of Terry Baker. He did not weigh 235 or 240 pounds, but he ran the ball and he threw the ball. He won the Heisman Trophy. Those kinds of players in today's football are very unique at that position."

ENOUGH -- AGAIN
For the second time in five months, SEC commissioner Mike Slive has ordered head coaches Urban Meyer of UF and Lane Kiffin of Tennessee to stop bickering at each other.

Slive admonished the coaches at the SEC Spring Meetings in May after Kiffin falsely accused Meyer of cheating in recruiting and numerous coaches needled each other on various recruiting topics. The pair has been at it again following last Saturday's UF-UT matchup in The Swamp.

Meyer said Sunday he didn't think Tennessee was "going after the win" and had "no urgency" in a 23-13 loss. Kiffin pointed out Monday that Meyer "feels he doesn't need to follow" Slive's warning before taking a jab at Meyer mentioning sick players after the game.

RAIN NOT A CONCERN
Storms have pounded Atlanta and surrounding areas, dropping 15 to 20 inches of rain over three days, causing nine deaths and an estimated $250 million in damage. But fans looking forward to Saturday's games won't have to worry about weather being an issue.

Athens, Ga., home of the University of Georgia Bulldogs, has not been damaged by the storms. The Bulldogs are set to host Arizona State Saturday.

STAYING IN JACKSONVILLE
The University of Georgia's Athletic Association Board of Directors voted to negotiate a six-year extension to keep the annual Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville until 2016, the school announced Wednesday.

The current contract expires in 2010 and Georgia fans had pushed for the game to alternate between Jacksonville and Atlanta.

"An extraordinary amount of study has been done on the various options available and a great deal of input has been gathered," Georgia Athletic Director Damon Evans said in a release. "After all the fact-gathering and evaluation of those factors, I'm convinced that moving forward with discussions on extending the contract in Jacksonville is the appropriate way to go. I'm delighted the Board feels the same way."