I think Ole Miss played their Bowl game against Miss St.
Its tough to gauge motivation. Will TCU be out to prove that they are amongst the best in the country? Does Ole Miss muster up the same intensity they had against Miss St? Is this a let down spot? Does the erratic Bo Wallace turn the ball over?
I think TCU plays an inspired game with a chip on their shoulder and wins this by 2 scores. Wallace throws at least 2 picks.
Its tough to gauge motivation. Will TCU be out to prove that they are amongst the best in the country? Does Ole Miss muster up the same intensity they had against Miss St? Is this a let down spot? Does the erratic Bo Wallace turn the ball over?
I think TCU plays an inspired game with a chip on their shoulder and wins this by 2 scores. Wallace throws at least 2 picks.
Losing Treadwell was big. The guy is a monster. But he has been out since Auburn so hopefully Rebs have learned to live without him by now. But no question his loss hurts Ole Miss.
Sanders was very reliable. Never dropped a pass and always caught some balls. He got injured early in the Egg Bowl vs MSU and Rebs played well after he left.
Technically, youre right that the Rebs are without their two best "receivers" but Rebs second biggest weapon all year (behind Treadwell) has been Engram. He is a small TE (hybrid slot type TE) and has been a mismatch for most all year because he runs a lot of posts up the middle and can burn any LB. He pretty much single-handedly beat MSU. TCU runs a 4-2-5 and unlike most 4-2-5 defenses, the 5th DB really is a DB. In comparison, Ole Miss runs a 4-2-5 but our 5th DB is really more of a LB that helps on run support. TCU's 5th DB will probably be tasked with Engram so a slightly better matchup for TCU than Engram usually being guarded by a LB. That will be a key matchup today. Ole Miss HAS to have a big day from Engram.
As far as Morris (OG) being out, I wouldn't call him a standout. He's a starter so not trying to downplay his absence but he seems to have never recovered from a knee injury last year. He will be replace by Rod Taylor who most expect to start next year and beat out Morris. It still hurts from a depth standpoint particularly if there happens to be another OL injury in the game. Rebs can't afford an injury to their LT Tunsil. New should be ok without Morris though.
Biggest mismatch today should be Ole Miss defensive line vs TCU offensive line. Of course, TCU is hoping to neutralize that by getting the ball out of Boykin's hands within a couple seconds every pass play which they do effectively. If Ole Miss corners can buy some time, the DL will have a chance at a big day.
Just my two cents.
