Ole Miss' new test: success

HOOVER, Ala. - The coaches gathered at the Wynfrey Hotel here for SEC Football Media Days know all about expectations.

Some have exceeded them, others have fallen short.

Just last year, the media picked Auburn to win the SEC West. It finished 5-7. In 2005, Tennessee was the pick to win the SEC East. It finished 5-6.

Ole Miss - which could be the media's pick to win the West this year - is this year's team of increased expectations.

And the Rebels are singing the kind of tune you'd expect from a team that went 9-4 one season after posting a 3-9 record and going winless in the conference.

"Last year, the same group of experts picked us towards the bottom," second-year Rebels coach Houston Nutt said. "Same group of experts now picking us towards the top. We tell our team, 'What does that mean? Doesn't mean anything.'"

Except an increased work ethic.

Nutt said Wednesday that his players must translate more expectations into more - and better - work.

"When you have that much attention, you got to have much more work ethic," Nutt said. "You got to work a little harder. You got to play a little harder."

That was certainly the case down the stretch for Ole Miss last season.

Despite losing back-to-back games after handing Florida its only defeat last season, the Rebels ended with six straight wins, including a 47-34 win over No. 8 Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. With quarterback Jevan Snead returning, some preseason rankings even have the Rebels in the top 10.

Snead, for one, likes the way his teammates have responded.

"As far as the team goes, I don't think we're handling it any differently," he said. "People said we weren't going to do well last year. We ignored them and kept working hard. I think this year we're doing the same and working hard. We're going to follow that kind of formula."

Unfortunately for the Rebels, the recent formula with preseason favorites hasn't worked out so well in the SEC. In addition to those disastrous stumbles by Tennessee and Auburn, Georgia faltered a bit when many expected a potential run at the national championship.

Despite winning 10 games last season, many deemed 2008 a disappointment considering the Bulldogs' No. 1 ranking to start the season.

Of course they weren't even picked to win the East - that distinction went to eventual national champion Florida, which will almost assuredly be the pick when votes are announced today.

Ole Miss could be the choice in the West, although LSU and Alabama will likely receive some first place votes. Still, Nutt dismissed the idea that anything short of a trip to Atlanta for the SEC championship game will be a disappointment.

"I wouldn't say that," he said. "For a team that had four previous losing seasons, I wouldn't say that. You just feel like things are getting ready to happen, and we're excited. But I wouldn't say, 'OK, Atlanta or it's really a downer.' I don't believe that."

Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.