Clearly, the college football season is far too long.
At least it was where Mississippi State and Ole Miss were concerned.
The heady days of October and November, when the Bulldogs and Rebels combined to win their first 16 games and become the darlings of the college football world, are preserved now only in fond memories and copies of Sports Illustrated magazine, which featured the two teams on its Oct. 13 cover when the Rebels and Bulldogs shared the No. 3 spot in the rankings.
It didn’t last.
After beating Texas A&M on the road to improve to 7-0, the Rebels lost four of their final six games. Likewise, after streaking to 9-0 and occupying the top spot in the polls for five weeks, the Bulldogs came crashing back down to earth, losing three of their last four.
Both teams suffered humiliating losses on New Year’s Eve — the Rebels endured their worst bowl defeat ever in a 42-3 loss to Texas Christian in the Peach Bowl while State had no answers for Georgia Tech’s triple-option attack, falling 49-34 in the Orange Bowl.
Both teams will take a serious tumble when the final polls are released and while both should remain in the Top 25, that’s little consolation for seasons that started with such promise.
The sting of defeat makes it difficult to truly appreciate the accomplishments of the season. Yet in many respects, both teams have much to be proud of.
Ole Miss beat Alabama for the first time in 10 years on a magnificent October afternoon in Oxford and also claimed a decisive win in the Egg Bowl, always a priority in the state. In three years as head coach, Hugh Freeze has guided the Rebels to seven-, eight- and nine-win seasons and three bowl games.
State, meanwhile, picked up its first 10-win regular season in school history, gained its first No. 1 ranking in an unprecedented rise from unranked to No. 1, and earned three straight wins over Top 10-ranked teams, something that hadn’t been achieved in college football in more than 50 years.
Both teams were in the national championship conversation at the mid-point of the season, which should serve to emphasize one significant point: Becoming relevant is one thing; staying relevant is an altogether different matter.
Both teams have holes to fill, of course, and there is no guarantee that either team can match the success it had in 2014 next season. Should either team find itself in such elite company again, they can draw on what they learned this season.
So, while State and Ole Miss, didn’t finish strong, they did combine for 19 wins against formidable schedules.
Both the Bulldogs and Rebels have much to be proud of.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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