Ole Miss Vs. Alabama Preview: Mabye Not Boring, Probably Not That Exciting

Mississippi Rebels vs. Alabama Crimson Tide, 9:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

There's one measuring stick that will be interesting to look at tonight. In each of its first four games, including the blowout against Texas, Ole Miss has scored at least 28 points in each of its four games, and 31 points in all but one of those. At 488 yards of total offense per game, the Rebels are the third-most prolific offense in the SEC right now.

The question is probably not whether Alabama can win this game; even Hugh Freeze would have to be wildly optimistic to think the outcome of the game is a question mark. The question is how much ground the Ole Miss offense can gain against the Alabama defense, and how much we can take away from that against both units. If Alabama allows 300, 350 yards against this offense, does it raise any serious questions? If they hold the Rebels to 150, does it add any cachet to the defense's already sterling credentials?

As far as the Alabama offense goes -- they will probably get their points in this game. Ole Miss' defense is not epically bad, but it's not the stuff SEC championships are made of, and that's going to make the Alabama victory all but certain. But Ole Miss might also get a few points in this one, and that would be interesting in its own right.

Alabama 55, Ole Miss 20