ESPN College Football

OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss’ football program is stuck in the wilderness -- a scary place, filled with a plethora of overgrown obstacles.

When coach Hugh Freeze arrived last December, he says the jungle was as thick as ever and it didn’t look like his new team was ready to cut its way out.

That was until Freeze offered a solution: his “Journey.” He told players that he didn’t know how long it would take for them to make it out or find some sort of salvation, but if they followed him, they’d find the light.

“The reasonable expectation for us in Year 1 is for us to compete passionately for this university for 60 minutes,” Freeze said. “And whatever that scoreboard says at the end of that 60 minutes we’ll have to live with.”

The Rebels will have to plod through this quagmire, but Freeze insists patience is the key to turning around a program that is less than three years removed from a second straight Cotton Bowl victory.

“It’s well-documented that we don’t have the talent level that people in the SEC West have right now at a lot of spots, at least not the depth,” Freeze said. “That’s not fixed overnight.”

And it’s just one of the handful of problems Freeze is looking to fix, as he replaces Houston Nutt, who was once heralded as Ole Miss' greatest hire. Academic and discipline issues are also on the agenda. As Freeze puts it, he has “a few mountains to climb” before he can shape things up, but since the journey began in December, progress has been made.

Freeze said probably 65-70 percent of the players have bought in, which might be a conservative number. It’s better than what he expected, considering the trust issues and players being set in their old ways of doing “what they’ve wanted to do for themselves for so long.”

“They think they like it the way they had it, even though, if they’re intelligent enough, they look at the results,” he said. “You’re will is something that’s hard to change once you get set.”

Freeze put the Rebels’ abysmal 6-18 two-year record and 14 straight SEC losses front and center as motivation, he made academics more of a priority, looked to adjust Ole Miss’ lenient drug policy, and created accountability groups.

Everything has helped, but the accountability groups really took off.

They were created to show players how much their actions affected everyone. Miss class? Your group runs at 5 a.m. Miss tutoring? Group run; 5 a.m. Late for anything? Welcome the sun with some running.

Rising junior linebacker Mike Marry said his group never ran – he made sure of it – but he saw other groups running as much as five times during a two-week span. The running cut down as the spring went on and there was hardly any toward the end.

“That’s what I like about him,” Marry said of Freeze, “he doesn’t let little things slide.

“The last coaches, they let certain things slide. Certain things were small, but eventually they start building up and turn into big things and people started feeling like they could get away with more and more things. Since he’s not letting little things slide, you’re seeing the team come together closer and closer and there are fewer problems.”

Freeze said eliminating off-field trouble is top priority. That’s why he’s so nervous about leaving his players in their own hands during the true offseason. Progress was made, but he worries guys will fall back on old habits when less supervised.

To ease his mind, Freeze turns to recruiting. With Ole Miss so thin at defensive tackle, offensive line, running back and safety, and needing walk-ons to fill three full teams in practice (on both sides), Freeze is stacking recruiting on recruiting.

He had some early success in his first class, grabbing three Under Armour All-Americans – DT Issac Gross, DE Channing Ware and DB Trae Elston -- and two junior college All-Americans – QB Bo Wallace and OT Pierce Burton – and his roll has continued with nine commitments in hand for 2013.

Recruiting at Ole Miss has hardly ever been easy with schools like Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia in such close proximity, but Freeze believes he’ll make it work. And he’ll do it by going after the top prospects, not by getting lax and offering whomever to fill space.

“We can make it easy in recruiting, now, and I think that’s what’s happened,” he said.

“I know you can recruit here. I’ve been here before when we did it and when we had 20 kids drafted in the NFL in those three classes that we brought in.

“Is it easy? No, but it is doable.”

Fixing Ole Miss is also doable, he said. It’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of time, but it requires patience. Freeze’s mantra is “Winning the day,” not winning the week.

“The one thing that we have that’s constant and equal [to opponents] is time,” Freeze said. “So, what are we doing to prepare for that end goal -- whatever that is -- today?

“We’re a fragile state of mind right now and when you start talking about things that are so far out there, I don’t think that will be beneficial to us. Let’s just talk about today.”

Freeze might be preaching about today, but you can sense the confidence growing inside players, especially wide receiver Donte Moncrief, who took things a step further.

“Everybody keeps putting us under the radar, but once we learn this offense and the defense keeps playing like it’s playing, we’re going to shock a lot of teams,” he said.

What a journey that’d be.

Ole Miss quarterback Barry Brunetti has seen a lot of change during his two years as a college quarterback.

He's seen two different campuses -- after starting his career at West Virginia -- and attempted to learn his third different offense under his third different offensive coordinator this spring.

As much as things have changed for the rising junior, one thing has stayed constant: Brunetti has had a fight on his hands each step of the way.

"I've been competing since ninth grade for a spot, so it kind of comes natural to me," Brunetti said. "It's nothing new to me. It's something I do every day. It comes natural."

Brunetti lost out to favorite Geno Smith at WVU back in 2010, and after carrying the starting torch at the beginning of last season at his new school, he quickly lost it before the season opener even ended and watched as Randall Mackey and Zack Stoudt took over for most of the year.

Sitting behind Smith wasn't a surprise, but Brunetti was blindsided by his sudden fall in 2011. Former coach Houston Nutt even said during the season that he wished he had redshirted Brunetti, who played in just four games and threw for 144 yards on 19 of 35 passing.

The benching crushed Brunetti, but he still doesn't know the reasoning behind the move by Nutt and then offensive coordinator David Lee.

"I wish I could tell you, but I can't," Brunetti said.

"I try not to dread on last year. I try not to think about it."

So as Brunetti's second spring at Ole Miss ends, he's yet again in a fight, but this time he's more comfortable with where he stands because Ole Miss’ offense has now morphed into the spread. Once he got the terminology down, Brunetti said he grasped the offense quickly, because it was very similar to what he ran at West Virginia and high school.

"I'm very comfortable now," he said. "This is back to what I do."

Brunetti led the competition last spring, but heads into the summer tied with junior college transfer Bo Wallace. Wallace had the edge early in the competition, because he knew the offense after being with new coach Hugh Freeze at Arkansas State. That lead quickly shrank as Brunetti took more reps.

Brunetti said he operates best in the spread because he prefers the quick routes and throws, and loves to use his feet. He passed for just 62 yards, while running for 109 in Ole Miss’ spring game, but offensive coordinator Dan Werner said Brunetti made tremendous progress this spring.

"This is suited for him," Werner said. "He has a quick release, he has quick feet, and that's what we try to do is get rid if the ball quick. Also, he runs the ball well, and we want to be able to use his abilities there, too."

Werner made sure the battle between Brunetti and Wallace, who threw for 240 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the spring game, was intense. Once it became clear that they were the front-runners the reps evened out -- each one just as important as the other.

Every snap taken and every question Werner asked contributed to Werner's thoughts on which was the right quarterback.

He left spring without a clear answer.

Brunetti wants to be the answer. As he looks to reinvent himself and his career, Brunetti also wants to help reinvent Ole Miss. The program has been on a free fall for two years, resulting in six wins and 14 straight conference losses.

Brunetti hopes to turn that around.

"I've been in college for two years, man, and I'm itching to be a starter for a season," he said. "I really want people to see what I can do, and what I can do with this team, because we have great young talent.

"I really want to win this job. I think about it every day before I go to sleep."

There's no question that there are more than a few issues surrounding Ole Miss' football team.

Hugh Freeze inherited a team that is lacking depth in key areas, is still searching for playmakers, and hasn't won an SEC game in its pst 14 tries.

But if Ole Miss is going to make any immediate progress on the football field, things need to get cleaned up off the field.

Suspensions and dismissals rocked Ole Miss' team last fall, showing an obvious lack of discipline while former coach Houston Nutt was in charge.

When Freeze was introduced to his new team back in December, he made it crystal clear to players that certain things from the past wouldn't be tolerated, and that the attitude around Ole Miss' program was going to change.

Fast-forward to April, and quarterback Barry Brunetti says he's seen a dramatic difference in the way players conduct themselves with Freeze's no-nonsense persona front and center.

"I can just see it in the guys' eyes every day," Brunetti said. "They're ready to come to practice every day, and they're ready to work every day."

Brunetti said Freeze has made improving discipline throughout the entire team priority No. 1 this spring. Sure, learning new schemes and finding the right pieces here and there are important, but Brunetti said this team won't go anywhere without getting away from its troubled past.

"We need to be more disciplined than we were last year, because we have the talent. We have talent just as good as anybody in the SEC," Brunetti said. "I see it every day. I work out with these guys every day, and I know we can go get it.

"I know we can turn it around. We just have to learn to be more disciplined."

That means not getting carried away around the bar scene. That means not getting dismissed for continuing to violate team rules. That means not having starters suspended, especially before the season finale against your rival.

Brunetti said players who have made past mistakes have been forgiven, and the team is trying to forget, but he also said that it's time to make sure silly gaffes from the past don't creep back up.

"At the same time, we have to stop that, and that comes with discipline," Brunetti said. "I really believe that when Coach Freeze came in, a lot of it stopped, and a lot of it has decreased dramatically. Guys are doing very well who were struggling last year.

"To change, you have to change yourself, and that's what Coach Freeze is saying every time he sees us."

There’s not a lot to remember fondly about Ole Miss’ football season a year ago.

Really, make that the past two seasons.

Junior cornerback Charles Sawyer chooses to look at it differently. That’s because he has no interest, period, in looking into his rear-view mirror.

The Rebels open spring practice on Friday afternoon, and just about everything is new -- from the head coach, to the coordinators, to a more demanding approach that Sawyer says was a long time coming.

“It’s a new start, a clean slate,” Sawyer said. “You can already tell that everything’s going to be more demanding around here. There’s just more focus, more protecting the team.

“The coaches send us text messages throughout the day reminding us to always protect the team and do the right things. It’s just a different atmosphere, and we needed that. When you go into that locker room, everybody’s focused and everybody’s ready to work.”

Sawyer is quick to point out that he’s not bashing Houston Nutt and the Rebels’ previous regime.

Rather, he’s embracing first-year coach Hugh Freeze and the imprint that Freeze is trying to place on a program that has lost 14 consecutive SEC games and experienced a rash of player suspensions and dismissals over the past two years, not to mention some crippling injuries.

“It starts at the top and transfers down to the players,” Sawyer said. “There are a lot of rules, and if you don’t go by them, you’re not going to be a part of this program. Players see that and want to be a part of it. If they don’t, they leave and we keep on moving forward.”

Sawyer was diplomatic when asked if that same mentality existed under the previous coaching staff.

“It started fading away through all the adversities that we had,” Sawyer said. “That’s not an excuse. It’s just that I think we had it and then sort of lost it.”

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Sawyer has already demonstrated that he’s a team-first player and a player that performs regardless of what’s going on around him.

He came to Ole Miss from Miami, Fla., as a cornerback, but shifted over to safety last season because there was a pressing need there. Then when Marcus Temple was injured, Sawyer went back to cornerback and generally played wherever the Rebels needed him.

He played well, too, and enters the 2012 season as one of the more underrated defenders in the SEC. Because of Ole Miss’ struggles, Sawyer simply didn’t get the recognition that he deserved.

His 70 total tackles ranked him second on the team behind linebacker Mike Marry. Sawyer also intercepted four passes and returned one 96 yards for a touchdown in the opener against BYU.

Go back and look at how many defensive backs in the SEC last season racked up 70 or more tackles and intercepted at least four passes.

Morris Claiborne didn’t do it. Neither did Mark Barron, Tyrann Mathieu, Stephon Gilmore, Bacarri Rambo or Casey Hayward.

“My role on this team hasn’t changed,” Sawyer said. “I’m going to lead by example and make the plays I can make. I want to be a team player, and wherever they need me to play, I’ll play.

“Whatever I did last year, I have to multiply that by 10.”

And while others may dwell on the Rebels’ drought in the SEC, Sawyer is confident that better days are ahead. The last time he or any of his Ole Miss teammates tasted victory in an SEC contest was Oct. 2, 2010. The Rebels beat Kentucky 42-35 that day.

Since then it’s been a string of 14 straight losses, and 11 of those by 13 points or more.

“It hasn’t been easy, but what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger,” Sawyer said. “For me, it’s been motivation to get back out there, because none of us want to go through that again.”

Sawyer said Freeze’s message to the team has been one of unity and belief in one another.

“He tells us to play and not worry about making mistakes,” Sawyer said. “He wants us to compete and give it our all, and at the end of the day, whatever happens happens.

“We’re going to fight for each other this season. That’s something I can promise you.”

Texas A&M added a familiar face to its staff Tuesday by hiring former Aggie defensive lineman Terry Price (1986-89) to coach Texas A&M's defensive line.

Price isn't just familiar with Texas A&M but he's very familiar with the SEC. Price returns to College Station, Texas, after spending 16 years as an assistant coach in the SEC.

After brief stints with Texas A&M and Western Kentucky in the early 90s, Price joined Tommy Tuberville's staff at Ole Miss, where he coached the Rebels' defensive line from 1995-98. He then left with Tuberville to Auburn, where he coached from 1999-2008. In 2009, Price returned to Oxford, Miss., and joined former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt's staff until Nutt was fired in 2011.

He then temporarily reunited with Tuberville at Texas Tech in December of 2011, before accepting an offer from new Aggie coach Kevin Sumlin.

"I am extremely pleased to name Terry Price as our defensive line coach," Sumlin said. "He is an Aggie, an SEC coaching veteran, a terrific recruiter and an even better person."

Price's defensive lines are known for having a very aggressive style with a point of putting continuous pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The 2005 Auburn defensive line was tied for first in the SEC in sacks (38) and also recorded an 11-sack performance in the 28-18 win over Alabama.

With Price's history inside the SEC, he'll be a very welcomed addition to Sumlin's coaching staff. Sumlin has said he wants to get bigger, stronger and mentally tougher on the defense line, and what better way than to hire someone with vast experience coaching SEC defensive linemen?

To improve in an area that is so important in the SEC, Sumlin went out and got someone who knows exactly what it takes to be successful up front in this league.

Even in the fiercely competitive SEC, it’s good to spread a little love.

OK, maybe just once a year. And that one day is today … Valentine’s Day.

So just as we did a year ago, we’re going to set aside all the bitter rivalries, feuds and finger-pointing for a day and hand out some very deserving Valentine’s Day cards.

Sit back and enjoy.

Dear …

Alabama coach Nick Saban,

Your football program is without peer right now, and I mean anywhere in college football. A lot of people were shocked when they heard that Alabama was paying you $32 million over eight years – a financial package that has since been sweetened. I’d say it’s been money well spent when you look at the Crimson Tide’s trophy case over the last few years. Everybody wonders what your secret is. Here’s one: Great football players who are also high-character kids in the mold of Trent Richardson, Barrett Jones, William Vlachos, Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw.

Former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt,

Hated to see you go out like that. But regardless of what anybody says, average coaches don’t make it 14 years in this league at two different places. The same goes for your defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix. Both of you are better coaches than the last two seasons would suggest. There’s an entire body of work out there that says so.

South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore,

Can’t wait to see you back on the field, and here’s hoping you’re as good as new. Your sense of team, combined with your incredible work ethic and awesome athletic ability, make you the kind of player coaches and fans dream about.

Arkansas running back Knile Davis,

Probably should have sent you and Marcus the same card. We’re all keeping our fingers crossed that you’re healthy again. Your unbreakable will to keep coming back from so many injuries is an inspiration to all of us, and we're eager to see the version of you run the ball again that we saw in 2010 when you led all SEC running backs in rushing.

LSU coach Les Miles,

I’m not one of those who writes off what you and your team did for the first 13 games this past season simply because of that one forgettable night in New Orleans. It was a remarkable run against a killer schedule. But do everybody on the Bayou a favor and trash that offensive game plan from the BCS national championship game.

Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray,

Your arm strength and ability to make all of the throws is unquestioned. You’re equally fearless in the pocket. But now it’s time to become a true quarterback and raise the level of play of all the guys around you. The great quarterbacks take it upon themselves to lead their entire team, and they do so as much off the field as they do on the field.

Arkansas receiver/punt returner Joe Adams,

Do you really have eyes in the back of your head? We’re still dying to know how you broke all of those tackles (somewhere around eight) on that 60-yard punt return for a touchdown against Tennessee? It’s as good a punt return as I’ve ever seen.

Vanderbilt defensive end Tim Fugger,

There are a lot of underrated players in this league, but you were right there at or near the top this season. You were invaluable to that Vanderbilt defense with your 13.5 tackles for loss, including eight sacks, and three forced fumbles. It wasn’t just your numbers that set you apart, but the way you played the game with precision, passion and grit on every snap.

Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan,

We’re not supposed to have favorites in our business. But how can you not pull for a guy like Trevathan? Kentucky coach Joker Phillips used to joke that he found Trevathan up under a rock down in Florida during the recruiting process. Well, Trevathan turned out to be a rock, racking up nearly 300 total tackles during his last two seasons and playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played no matter what the scoreboard said. We'll miss you, Danny.

Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham,

The entire Bulldog Nation thanks you for bringing a mental toughness to that defense (and to the program) that was lacking at times in past seasons. Your defense was the backbone in Georgia’s turnaround and 10-game winning streak this season, and even though your fire might have burned a little too brightly a couple of times, it’s exactly what the Bulldogs needed.

Former Auburn running back Michael Dyer,

Not even the great Bo Jackson rushed for 1,000 yards each of his first two seasons on the Plains. It was a joy to watch you play. Just wished it didn’t end on such a sour note.

Former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain,

Congrats on the new gig at Colorado State. You were destined to be a head coach, and I’ll make sure everybody remembers that they did play a little offense at Alabama this past season, too. In fact, your Tide offense was the only one in the SEC to average more than 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing per game. That’s saying something when you consider the level of defense played in the SEC.

Florida coach Will Muschamp,

You made some tough decisions in Year 1, notably sending star cornerback Janoris Jenkins packing following his second drug arrest. You’ve also got your coaching staff more to your liking, and your players understand unequivocally now what you expect from them. The 2012 version of the Gators will more closely reflect you as a football coach, and I’d be surprised if the results weren’t markedly better.

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen,

I really like the way you’ve helped yourself with junior college talent. I also like the way your 2012 schedule looks through the middle of October. With five home games and two very winnable road dates, a 6-1 or even 7-0 start is very possible. I’m not trying to jinx you, Dan, but maybe Year No. 4 in Starkville is going to be that magical season everyone was predicting this past year. The bottom line is that you’ve led the Bulldogs to back-to-back winning seasons, and the last time that happened was 10 years ago.

We’ve updated our career records for SEC head coaches from this past season against FBS teams that finished the season with a winning record, which is always one of the best gauges for coaching success.

Obviously, there are exceptions. In some cases, a coach may just be starting out, and there are also situations where he’s come from a smaller school and taken his lumps.

Generally, though, it’s a pretty good measurement of how a coach has fared over the course of his career.

LSU’s Les Miles made a big jump this season by finishing 9-1 against teams with winning records in 2011.

Houston Nutt, who was fired as Ole Miss’ coach, won 36 games during his career against FBS teams that finished the season with a winning record, but he lost 69 to leave his winning percentage at .343.

This week marked a special time in Hugh Freeze’s life.

And it had nothing to do with player evaluations, recruiting or clocking 40 times.

This was the first time Ole Miss’ new head coach actually got to see what organization looked like in his office. Gone were the boxes that littered his floors and the loose papers that cluttered his desk.

There is some sort of balance in his workspace, but there are still voice mails and emails that haven’t been returned. It’s not that he’s dismissed them; he just hasn’t had time to respond.

“I really don’t have everything in order yet,” Freeze said.

Yet, he’s happy to see some sort of sanity return. Since Freeze was announced as Ole Miss’ 37th head coach on Dec. 5, he’s had one team meeting and a whole lot of recruiting on his mind.

Freeze, who returns to Ole Miss after spending three years on Ed Orgeron’s staff, has barely moved into Danny Nutt’s (Houston Nutt’s brother) old house because he had to build relationships with committed and uncommitted prospects with less than two months until national signing day. And he had to do so at a program that had endured two straight seasons in the SEC’s cellar, winning just six games and dropping 14 straight league games, including three straight to archrival Mississippi State.

Ole Miss’ longer winter break also meant that he only had one official visit weekend in which students would be on campus -- the final one.

“As you know, Oxford is a different place when the kids are here,” Freeze said.

It is, and Freeze worried that prospects wouldn’t be able to really digest the Ole Miss experience without them.

But on national signing day, Freeze finished off his class of 18 with a pretty successful turnout. Freeze signed a solid defensive foundation in four-star defensive linemen Issac Gross, Channing Ward and safety Trae Elston.

Though Freeze suffered tough losses, including local star Jeremy Liggins, who signed with LSU, he saved six initial scholarships that can be counted back next year and he thinks he signed “quality kids who really want to be at Ole Miss.”

Now, he has to make sure he has those players on his current roster. Freeze isn’t pointing fingers, but he knows that discipline is an issue at Ole Miss. The mindset isn’t toxic, but it isn’t great.

Freeze is well aware of the off-field incidents and the questionable heart this team showed on the field last season. Therefore, he’s calling for an overhaul. Things will change mentally and physically for these players.

“It is requiring them to get out of their comfort zone and change what they’re used to,” Freeze said.

Freeze’s situation at Ole Miss is similar to the one he had at Arkansas State. During his one season as ASU’s head coach last year, he had players who had never had a winning season. Expunging the losing attitudes was step 1.

Step 2 was developing the talent at a faster, more efficient rate. Freeze created a well-disciplined team that won the Sun Belt after getting 10 wins for the first time since 1986. Freeze earned Sun Belt Coach of the Year, while 13 of his players earned all-league honors.

Can that overnight success be duplicated in Oxford? Freeze isn’t expecting such a dramatic turnaround, but he does anticipate immediate improvement. He won’t settle for mediocrity. He didn’t return just for Ajax Diner’s veggies smothered in bacon and grease or the flawlessly battered catfish at Taylor Grocery.

He came home to win ball games and change the culture of Ole Miss football. He knows the offensive line wasn’t recruited for a more “power-type offense” and that youth ran the 2011 team.

But he also knows that he has the pieces in place to run his high-octane, spread offense. There are dual-threat quarterbacks galore, including Bo Wallace, who at one time was an ASU signee, and the Rebels have quality speed at the skill positions.

Freeze doesn’t view Ole Miss’ program as bleak, and while the Rebels spent 2011 at the bottom of the SEC pile, with time, Freeze believes he can get this program to rebound.

“I do believe with all my heart that we’ll get back to being competitive and hopefully we’ll do it sooner rather than later, but I’ve got to preach to myself patience,” he said. “I’m not a very patient guy, but I’ve got to be patient with these guys. Hopefully, there’s a large percentage of the team that wants to change the way things are and we can get them to buy in. Hopefully, the ones who are on the fence can buy in with us.”

Still, inconsistency has thrived at Ole Miss. There’s the idea that Freeze isn’t experienced enough. There’s the fact that the Rebels haven’t been to the SEC championship game and have won 10 games just once since 1971.

The Rebels have ways to go before they'll really compete in the SEC, but Freeze hopes he can shake the stigma that it's preposterous to win at Ole Miss.

“I embrace that. I don’t run from it and we acknowledge it,” he said. “I obviously think it can be done or I would have taken one of those other jobs that I had. I do think it’s going to take all of our efforts and us being of one mind, one accord on the same page with our fan base and our staff, and us changing the way we think of ourselves.

“It’ll take time.”

Now that national signing day is behind us, we'll continue our look back at each position in the SEC. Today, we're ranking the league's running back units:

1. Alabama: Not only did Alabama lead the SEC in rushing (214.5 yards per game) but Alabama's running game led the league with an average of 5.1 yards per carry against SEC teams. Alabama also had the Doak Walker Award winner in Trent Richardson. Projected as a top-10 pick in April's NFL draft, Richardson finished the season with 1,679 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. Backups Eddie Lacy and Jalston Fowler combined for 1,059 yards and 11 touchdowns.

2. LSU: The Tigers used a stable of running backs throughout the year and led the SEC with 200.9 rushing yards per conference game. Michael Ford and Spencer Ware each eclipsed the 700-yard mark, while Kenny Hilliard and Alfred Blue combined for 875 yards. LSU's four regular running backs combined for 30 touchdowns. For 13 games, LSU made its mark on offense by wearing teams out with its running game.

3. Auburn: This group of Tigers might not have gotten a ton of offensive praise this season, but Auburn probably had the best running back duo behind Alabama in Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb. Dyer was the only back other than Richardson to average more than 100 yards rushing against SEC opponents (101.1) and he was second in the league with 1,242 yards. McCalebb put up 641 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

4. South Carolina: The Gamecocks would have been higher on this list if not for the unfortunate season-ending injury Marcus Lattimore suffered in the middle of the year. Lattimore led the SEC in rushing after six games, but was injured a week later, ending the year with 818 yards and 10 touchdowns. Former redshirt candidate Brandon Wilds was a pleasant surprise as he rushed for 486 yards, including gaining 100-plus yards in three of his last five games.

5. Georgia: Like LSU, the Bulldogs used a stable of running backs to get through the season. Freshman Isaiah Crowell led the group and started the season off well, but his play dipped during the second part of the season, as injuries took hold. He was named the SEC's freshman of the year by the Associated Press and gained 850 yards with five touchdowns. Injuries affected Georgia's entire backfield, but the Bulldogs still ranked fifth in the league averaging 169.8 yards in SEC games.

6. Vanderbilt: The Commodores didn't have great depth at running back, but did have an absolute stud in the starting lineup. Zac Stacy came out of nowhere in 2011 to rank third in the SEC with 1,193 yards and second with 14 touchdowns. Freshman Jerron Seymour added 268 yards and five touchdowns.

7. Florida: The Gators had two of the fastest running backs in the country in their backfield in Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. Both excelled in space and both ranked in the top 10 in rushing during conference play, as they each averaged more than 59 yards a game and combined for 872 yards. They combined for 1,430 yards, but didn't create a power running game as Florida ranked eighth in the league in rushing.

8. Mississippi State: Vick Ballard had a tremendous season for Bulldogs, rushing for 1,189 and 10 touchdowns in 2011. But the Bulldogs scored just seven rushing touchdowns in SEC play and averaged 131.1 yards per SEC game, ranking ninth in the league. LaDarius Perkins was second on the team with 422 yards and Mississippi State averaged just 3.4 yards per carry against conference teams.

9. Arkansas: The Razorbacks took a major hit when Knile Davis missed the season with an ankle injury. There was depth, but it took a while before Dennis Johnson finally emerged as Arkansas' top back. He finished the season with just 670 yards and three touchdowns. Ronnie Wingo Jr. was second with 458 yards and three scores, as Arkansas ranked ninth overall in rushing in the SEC and seventh in conference play. As a whole, inconsistency plagued Arkansas' backfield.

10. Ole Miss: Houston Nutt prided himself on running the ball, but Ole Miss failed to do it well in 2011. Brandon Bolden's ankle injury at the beginning of the season didn't help. Speedster Jeff Scott received the bulk of the carries, but never really provided a consistent spark and bruiser Enrique Davis was a no-show for most of the year. The Rebels were 10th in the SEC in rushing and their running backs scored just three rushing touchdowns against SEC opponents.

11. Tennessee: If not for Tauren Poole, the Vols would have been dead last on our list. Tennessee was awful running the ball, but Poole gained 693 rushing yards and five touchdowns. However, Tennessee ranked 116th nationally in rushing and last in the SEC, averaging 90.1 yards per game and averaged just 63.5 against conference opponents. Tennessee running backs scored just 11 rushing touchdowns.

12. Kentucky: As a whole, the Wildcats' numbers were better than Tennessee's. They were 11th in the league in rushing and averaged nearly 40 more rushing yards in conference games, but injuries ravaged this group. Freshmen Josh Clemons looked like he might have a solid season before a knee injury cost him the second half of the season. Raymond Sanders was supposed to be the guy, but played just six games. CoShik Williams ended up being Kentucky's leading rusher, with 486 yards.

As we take another look at the 2011 season, we'll check out the top 10 moments from the SEC's year.

It's not as easy as it looks, but someone has to do it.

I'm sure we'll think of a couple more as the days go by, but here are our top 10 moments from 2011 in reverse order:

10. Houston Nutt's dismissal: Ole Miss said goodbye to its head coach after Nutt was fired toward the end of the season. After back-to-back nine-win seasons that ended with Cotton Bowl victories, Nutt was fired after two dismal seasons in Oxford. He coached the entire season, but ended his tenure with 14 straight losses to SEC opponents.

9. Kentucky's last stand: There wasn't much for the Wildcats to be proud of in 2011, but Kentucky's 10-7 win over Tennessee was truly memorable. It snapped a 26-game losing streak to the Vols (dating back to when Joker Phillips played at Kentucky) and eliminated Tennessee from postseason play.

8. Georgia clinching the East: After starting the season 0-2, Georgia won 10 straight, but its ninth win meant the most. Georgia's 19-10 win over Kentucky on Nov. 19 clinched the SEC Eastern Division and sent the Bulldogs back to the SEC championship for the first time since 2005.

7. Vandy's bowl bid: Coach James Franklin promised change at Vanderbilt and he got it in his first year. The Commodores reeled off six wins and their 41-7 win over Wake Forest on the last weekend of the regular season sent Vandy bowling for the first time since 2008.

6. Richardson's run: Trent Richardson's Heisman moment came on a run and a move for the ages. Before he could finish off his eventual 76-yard touchdown run in the third quarter against Ole Miss, he had to embarrass defender Senquez Golson by cutting back and then immediately forward, leaving the rookie stumbling to the turf just before the end zone.

5. Adams' return: No plays were as exciting to watch in the SEC -- and probably nationally -- than Joe Adams' amazing punt return against Tennessee. Adams was scintillating, as he reversed field 10 yards and shook off five tackles before darting down the right sideline for what stood as a 60-yard touchdown return.

4. South Carolina's 11th win: Last year, the Gamecocks made history when they made it to their first SEC championship game. In 2011, South Carolina won 11 games in a season for the first time when the Gamecocks routed Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. It also ended a streak of three straight bowl losses.

3. Reid's interception: When you think back at the 2011 season, Eric Reid's interception against Alabama at LSU's own 1-yard line has to be one of the first images you see. With the Tide running a trick play involving a pass from receiver Marquis Maze to tight end Michael Williams, Reid out-muscled Williams for the ball in midair. The play propelled LSU on its magical run and sent Alabama home with what seemed like a season-changing loss.

2. LSU's magical run ends: LSU was a win away from entering the "best ever" conversation, with eight wins over ranked teams, but LSU ran into a freight train named Alabama in the hated rematch in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game. LSU's offense fell flat as the Tide ran over the Tigers 21-0 in their own backyard of New Orleans.

1. Alabama hoists the crystal football ... again: The state of Alabama clearly owns college football at the moment. Alabama's 21-0 win over LSU in the national championship gave the state three straight crystal footballs and was the second for the Crimson Tide in three years. Nick Saban admitted that this championship (his third) was the sweetest and you could tell because he actually smiled afterward and took his Gatorade bath like a true champ.

Now that the national championship has been decided, here’s a look at the final SEC power rankings for the 2011 season:

1. Alabama (12-1): There will always be a group of fans who insist that Alabama should have never even been in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game. But the system worked for the Crimson Tide this season, and they took full advantage. You’ll search long and hard to find a better defense. Nobody scored more than 14 points against Alabama’s defense all season. And while there might be some debate about whether Alabama deserved a rematch, there’s no debate about who was the better team on Monday in the Big Easy.

2. LSU (13-1): Everything had gone right for LSU until Monday night. The Tigers went belly-up offensively against an Alabama defense that was overwhelming. Lasting impressions are what people remember, and the disappointment in the Superdome will resonate for a long time. But it was still a great season on the Bayou. The Tigers beat eight nationally ranked teams, including three top-5 teams. It just so happened that they had to go through Alabama a second time, and that’s what got them.

3. Arkansas (11-2): The Hogs might have been overshadowed by Alabama and LSU, but they had their second straight outstanding season under Bobby Petrino. They won 11 games for the first time since 1977 with a pair of victories over top-10 teams, including Kansas State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. It’s a senior class they will remember fondly in the Ozarks.

4. South Carolina (11-2): Think the Head Ball Coach is having fun in the twilight of his career? He was almost giddy following South Carolina’s 30-13 victory over Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. It was the Gamecocks’ first 11-win season in school history, and they did it despite some adversity. Star running back Marcus Lattimore missed the last half of the season after injuring his knee.

5. Georgia (10-4): The finish was not what the Bulldogs were hoping for, getting blown out in the SEC championship game by LSU and then faltering in the Outback Bowl against Michigan State. Nonetheless, to win 10 straight games after opening the season 0-2 and even making it to the SEC championship game speaks for itself. Mark Richt, his staff and the seniors on this team did a great job of keeping the faith.

6. Auburn (8-5): The Tigers lost so much from their 2010 national championship team that nobody expected them to be in the title chase again. Still, the drop-off on offense and defense was probably steeper than anybody expected. Winning the bowl game and getting to eight wins helped ease the pain of being blown out late in the season by LSU, Georgia and Alabama.

7. Florida (7-6): There wasn’t a lot to celebrate in Will Muschamp’s inaugural season in Gainesville. The Gators didn’t beat anybody of note, were painful to watch on offense for the second straight season and finished with six losses for the first time since 1987. They were still able to carve out a winning season thanks to their victory over Ohio State in the Gator Bowl, and Muschamp should be better able to put his stamp on the program in Year 2.

8. Mississippi State (7-6): The expectations were dizzying for the Bulldogs coming off their 9-4 finish in 2010, and while they didn’t make any noise in the Western Division race, they did make a second straight bowl appearance for the first time in more than a decade. The downer for the Bulldogs was that they went a second consecutive season with only one Western Division win -- Ole Miss.

9. Vanderbilt (6-7): James Franklin made an immediate impact in his first season at Vanderbilt. He took a program that had won just two games in each of its previous two seasons and guided it to only its fifth bowl game in school history. The Commodores were solid on defense all season and improved dramatically on offense. They didn’t play one of their better games in losing to Cincinnati in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

10. Kentucky (5-7): It was a struggle all season offensively for the Wildcats, who had hoped to lean on their offensive line. But that never happened, which was only made worse by a lack of production at quarterback. First-year coordinator Rick Minter did improve the defense, and the Wildcats kept the season from being a total loss by winning over Tennessee and snapping a 26-game losing streak to the Vols.

11. Tennessee (5-7): If you’re looking for hot seats, Derek Dooley’s figures to be mighty toasty if the Vols don’t make considerable strides next season. The 2011 season went from mediocre to bad after Kentucky beat Tennessee 10-7 in the regular-season finale with a receiver playing quarterback. There seemed to be a disconnect that developed between Dooley and his team that he needs to fix this offseason.

12. Ole Miss (2-10): The Houston Nutt tenure at Ole Miss came to a disappointing end this season. Nutt was fired toward the end of the season, and the Rebels went on to lose their 14^th straight SEC game before it was all over. Ole Miss does have some promising young players in the program, but new coach Hugh Freeze will have his work cut out in the big, bad Western Division.

No college football season ever turns out exactly the way you thought it would.

There are always surprises -- good and bad.

I’ll tackle my biggest surprises in the SEC’s Western Division this season, and Edward will unveil his biggest surprises in the Eastern Division later today.

We’ll do it by teams:

ALABAMA

Struggles in the kicking game: It wasn’t all bad. Marquis Maze was one of the top kickoff and punt returners in the SEC, but Alabama was ninth in the SEC in net punting and 11^th in kickoff coverage. What’s more, the Crimson Tide missed 11 field goals this season. And while nobody in Tuscaloosa needs to be reminded, four of those misses came in the LSU game.

Anthony Steen: The 6-foot-3, 303-pound sophomore was one of the Crimson Tide’s most pleasant surprises in the preseason, and he wound up starting nine games at right guard. He was a big part of Alabama’s bruising running game, which topped the SEC with an average of 219.8 yards per game.

ARKANSAS

Defensive turnover: This was supposed to be Arkansas’ best defense under Bobby Petrino. The Hogs had depth and experience, but wound up ninth in the SEC in total defense and gave up 28 or more points in six games. Petrino fired defensive coordinator Willy Robinson and brought in Paul Haynes from Ohio State as the Hogs’ new defensive coordinator.

Greg Childs: After tearing the patella tendon in his right knee during the 2010 season, Childs never returned to his All-SEC form. He just wasn’t the same physically this season and finished with 16 catches in 10 games and no touchdowns.

AUBURN

Defensive decline: Everybody on the Plains expected some drop-off on defense after losing so many veteran players from the national championship team. But the Tigers were torched for more than 1,600 total yards in their first three games in a sign of things to come. They wound up giving up 29.3 points per game and 405.8 yards per game, and defensive coordinator Ted Roof left for the UCF defensive coordinator’s job when the regular season ended.

Gus Malzahn leaving for Arkansas State: Most in and around the Auburn program had a feeling that Malzahn was poised to leave for a head job. After all, he turned down $3 million per year at Vanderbilt last year. But nobody would have guessed that he would leave for the Arkansas State head job.

LSU

No quarterback controversy: With the way LSU’s quarterback situation has played out, it’s a minor miracle there hasn’t been a quarterback controversy. But, then, it’s been that kind of season for the Tigers. Still, you can’t help but wonder what Jarrett Lee’s true thoughts are right now.

The Honey Badger: It was obvious from Tyrann Mathieu’s freshman season that he was a very good football player. But who knew he would blossom into one of the best all-around players in the country this season? He scored four touchdowns and didn’t play a snap on offense.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

No signature wins: After the Bulldogs racked up nine wins in 2010, the expectations in Starkville were off the charts. In retrospect, maybe too much was expected. Either way, Mississippi State lost all five of its games to nationally ranked foes and only beat one Western Division opponent (Ole Miss).

Cameron Lawrence: In his first season as a starter, Lawrence collected 114 total tackles to rank third in the SEC. Everybody was wondering coming into the season what the Bulldogs were going to do at linebacker after losing all three starters. Lawrence, who played quarterback in high school, stepped right in and anchored a unit that was solid all season.

OLE MISS

Houston Nutt’s ouster: Nutt had been the ultimate survivor in the SEC, and when his back was to the wall, he usually produced some of his best results. It wasn’t to be this season, though, as the Rebels saw their SEC losing streak reach 14 straight games. Following the loss to Kentucky on Nov. 5, the university announced that Nutt wouldn’t be back next season.

Quick trigger for Brunetti: One of the more puzzling things about the season for Ole Miss was how Barry Brunetti could win the starting quarterback job during the preseason, then get benched in the opener and never really be heard from again until the very end of the season.

We kick off our season report cards today with the Ole Miss Rebels, one of three SEC teams that didn't qualify for a bowl game. Instead of the postseason, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Tennessee get summer school.

OFFENSE: F

Nothing went as planned for Ole Miss offensively this season. The Rebels had hoped to lean on their offensive line and pound away in the running game, but senior running back Brandon Bolden broke his foot in the opener. An even bigger problem was the quarterback position. Barry Brunetti opened the season as the starter and was replaced in the first game by Zack Stoudt, who was more of a pocket passer. Then it was Randall Mackey, who showed a few flashes before he was suspended at the end of the season. The three quarterbacks combined to throw nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, and the Rebels averaged just 16.1 points per game. It was even worse in the eight SEC games, as Ole Miss averaged just 11.6 points per game. The bright spots were true freshmen receivers Donte Moncrief and Nickolas Brassell. Moncrief led the team with 31 catches, including four touchdowns, while Brassell was second with 24 catches, including two touchdowns. There's some young talent returning, but the bottom line is that Ole Miss was held to a single offensive touchdown (or less) in six of its eight SEC games this season. In this league, that's a 2-10 season waiting to happen.

DEFENSE: D

Losing top linebacker and team leader D.T. Shackelford in the spring to a knee injury was a killer for the Rebels. Not only did it hurt them on defense, but it was a huge blow in the locker room. More injuries followed during the season, and defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix was left with a frighteningly young and inexperienced defense. The Rebels simply wore down after starting the season with an excellent defensive effort against BYU in a bitter 14-13 loss at home. Ole Miss finished last in the SEC in scoring defense and total defense. The Rebels gave up an average of 32.1 points per game, but were hung out to dry more times than not by an offense that couldn't score points and couldn't move the ball. Most of the Rebels' best players on defense were their youngest players. Sophomore cornerback Charles Sawyer had a team-leading four interceptions and was second on the team with 70 tackles. True freshman linebacker Serderius Bryant was an SEC all-freshman selection and tied for fourth with 61 tackles. Redshirt freshman linebacker Ralph Williams and true freshman linebacker C.J. Johnson also played key roles. Where the Rebels really struggled was up front. They had an SEC-low 13 sacks and simply couldn't stop anybody from running the ball, finishing 111th nationally in rushing defense and giving up 224.9 yards per game on the ground.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

If not for the kicking game, it could have been even worse for the Rebels. They had two different players return punts for touchdowns (Jeff Scott and Brassell) and finished second in the league in kickoff coverage. What's more, they didn't give up a touchdown on a kickoff return or punt return. Punter Tyler Campbell is lucky his leg didn't fall off during the season. He punted it 72 times, but averaged 43.6 yards per kick and had 28 downed inside the 20. Place-kicker Bryson Rose was 9-of-11 on field goals. One of his two misses was from 52 yards.

COACHING: F

In 14 seasons as a head coach in the SEC, Houston Nutt has certainly had his share of success. It's fair to say, though, that he won't look back on either of his final two seasons with much fondness. The Ole Miss program hit bottom this season, and Nutt was fired two days after the loss to Kentucky on Nov. 5. While Nutt deserves credit for leading the Rebels to back-to-back nine-win seasons and Cotton Bowl victories his first two years on the job, he simply didn't recruit well enough and had too many misses on the recruiting trail those first couple of years to make it long term in Oxford. Several player suspensions only made it worse this season, and the Rebels weren't a very disciplined team. They were 11th in the league in penalty yards and 11th in turnover margin. Hugh Freeze takes over an Ole Miss program that has lost 14 straight SEC games. He does inherit some promising young talent, but the climb in the Western Division will be a steep one.

OLE MISS

Record: 2-10, 0-8 SEC

The 2011 season looked like it was going to start with such promise for Ole Miss.

The Rebels led 13-0 over BYU in the early minutes of the fourth quarter in the season opener. They were playing great defense and had Vaught-Hemingway Stadium rocking. But the bottom fell out in the fourth quarter, and BYU came storming back to win 14-13.

It was a microcosm of the entire season for Ole Miss, which hit rock bottom. The Rebels limped to a 2-10 finish, their worst record since 1946, and saw their SEC losing streak reach 14 consecutive games dating back to the 2010 season.

Following the 30-13 loss to Kentucky on Nov. 5, coach Houston Nutt was fired, although he was allowed to finish out the season. The Rebels never won again, scoring a total of 13 points in their final three games.

It was offensive nightmare for the Rebels all season. They played three different quarterbacks and finished with nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Top running back Brandon Bolden broke his foot in the opener. He was able to return later in season, but the senior captain was one of four players suspended for the Alabama game.

There were multiple suspensions throughout the year, and the Rebels ended the season on a seven-game losing streak.

Defensively, Ole Miss showed signs of improvement early on, but was decimated by key injuries. It actually started in the spring when top linebacker D.T. Shackelford tore his ACL and was lost for the season. The Rebels sorely missed his productivity and leadership.

Offensive MVP: Receiver Donte Moncrief. There’s some young talent returning next season, and Moncrief is right there at the top of the list. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound freshman led the Rebels with 31 receptions, and he was also the team leader with four touchdown catches. Already mature beyond his years, Moncrief’s best days are ahead of him.

Defensive MVP: Cornerback Charles Sawyer. Even though he was just a sophomore, Sawyer was forced to take on a leadership role for the Rebels on defense and turned in a solid season all the way around. He finished second on the team with 70 total tackles and also had a team-leading four interceptions.

Turning point: The season-opening loss to BYU was disappointing, but the 30-7 loss to Vanderbilt two weeks later was the beginning of the end for Nutt. The Rebels were thoroughly outplayed and outcoached and were never the same again.

What’s next: Earlier this week, Ole Miss announced Hugh Freeze as Nutt’s successor. Freeze spent this season as the head coach at Arkansas State and guided the Red Wolves to a 10-2 record and Sun Belt Conference championship. He’s a native of Senatobia, Miss., and worked as an assistant on the Ole Miss staff from 2005-07. He has his work cut out, particularly in the rigorous Western Division. But his most pressing task is catching up with archrival Mississippi State, which has won three consecutive Egg Bowls.

Arkansas State's Hugh Freeze has agreed to become Ole Miss' next head coach, a source familiar with the coaching search told The Associated Press.

A formal announcement is expected later today.

The 42-year-old Freeze led Arkansas State to a 10-2 record and the 2011 Sun Belt Conference championship in his first season as a head coach at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

The Mississippi native was an assistant coach under former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron from 2005-07 and coached receivers, tight ends and served as the recruiting coordinator.

Freeze first received recognition as the head coach at Briarcrest High School in Memphis, Tenn., where he had a 99-23 record and won two state championships from 1995 to 2004 and also coached former Ole Miss offensive lineman Michael Oher, who was featured in the best-selling book and movie "The Blind Side."

Freeze replaces Houston Nutt, who was fired earlier in the year. Nutt was at Ole Miss for four seasons, but the Rebels are coming off their worst year in school history, after going 2-10 and are currently riding a 14-game losing streak to SEC opponents.