FOOTBALL: Predictions anyone?

I rarely go out and pick upsets, and I’m not picking one this week, though I can see some matchups here that favor the Rebels when they travel to face No. 2 Alabama Saturday.

Bryant-Denny Stadium has been the site of many a beatdown for Ole Miss, which has won only once there.

This is in fact that 20^th anniversary of the Rebels’ 22-12 win in 1988.

Alabama has been very impressive in its 6-0 start, but I’d venture to say that Clemson was a tad overrated, and Georgia, while a very good team, might not have been quite as strong as previously believed.

Alabama can be had. Nick Saban is no doubt preaching that same message right now. The fact that Alabama can be had, however, doesn’t mean that it will be had. Right now the Tide, the SEC’s lone unbeaten, has the best chance to reach the BCS championship game.

What the Tide has shown this year is that it has gotten up for big games. Bama’s matchup next week at Tennessee has more tradition and TV appeal, but I’d venture to say that except for the Nov. 8 trip to LSU, Saturday’s game against Ole Miss is the most difficult test left for the Tide.

So will Alabama be up for a big game just cruise on through as it did against Kentucky?

Surely Ole Miss’ 31-30 upset at No. 4 Florida will have the Tide a little more intense.

The fact that the Rebels won’t sneak up on the Tide will be inconsequential of the Rebels can just hold on to the football.

Ole Miss has shown it can play with anyone on its schedule and can defeat anyone on its schedule if it holds on to the football. Yes, yes, the Rebels would likely be 6-0 right now if they’d have won the turnover battle at Wake Forest and at home against Vanderbilt and South Carolina. That’s water under the bridge now, and all the Rebels can do try to find at least three wins in their last six games to reach bowl eligibility for the first time in five years.

It remains to be seen if the Rebels have solved, or at least improved, their turnover troubles.

There are, however, some matchups that favor Ole Miss.

Alabama is a physical running team, and Ole Miss has a physical defensive line that has played the run very well this year.

Alabama has given up very few rushing yards, and Ole Miss will need to find a way to run the ball to help set up its passing game. As good as the Tide has been against the run, it has been average against the pass, ranking 10^th in the SEC in passing yards allowed.

Ole Miss has been very successful in the passing game. Jevan Snead has made better decisions the last two weeks and is still learning. He has shown an ability to maintain his composure in the pocket and wait for his receiver to come open.

Alabama, meanwhile, hasn’t pressured the passer as much as some other teams.

There are matchups that work against the Rebels too. Any quarterback with average accuracy is a bad matchup against a suspect secondary. Alabama senior John Parker Wilson is playing much more effectively than last year and has a big-time play-making receiver in freshman Julio Jones.

It is a must that Ole Miss’ defensive line find a way to get past an experienced Tide offensive line and disrupt Wilson.

This is a game the Rebels can win.

It’s just not one I think they will.

Alabama 22, Ole Miss 20.

— PA