Ole Miss Rebels Vs Alabama Crimson Tide: Landshark’s Gonna Need A Bigger Fin

For the second time since 1848 when the University of Mississippi was established, the school may be changing its mascot.  Colonel Reb was the original sideline mascot but was retired and replaced by a black bear.  Now, the student body will determine whether the bear goes by the wayside as well.  In 2010 the bear was chosen in a three-way tie with the landshark as the runner-up.  Ole Miss lore tells us the landshark is based on a “fins up” hand motion started by late Rebels middle linebacker Tony Fein.

Swapping out the mascot isn’t the only change at the school. Gone is starting QB Chad Kelly. Gone is Head Coach Hugh Freeze. Gone is defensive mastermind Dave Wommack. Gone is the Rebel swagger. 

Freeze was unceremoniously fired on the heels of a scandal involving calls to an escort service, violating his responsibility legislation and lack of institutional control.  The Rebels also face a self-imposed post-season ban and scholarship reductions as they await a final decision from the NCAA on several very serious infractions that have rocked the athletic department.  Talk about falling on hard times; every game this season means absolutely nothing.

You’ll pardon me as I bask in the glow of their calamity.  It's still hard to shake the memories of the recent history of the series. You see, on a September night in Tuscaloosa in 2015, Ole Miss became just the second team (following LSU in 2010 and 2011) to beat the Crimson Tide in consecutive years under Coach Saban.  In the 120-year history of the series, the Rebels had never taken two straight.  That game was Bama’s only loss of its national championship run that year.

The Ole Miss team will board a bus for the three-hour ride to Tuscaloosa dreaming of those back-to-back victories knowing there’s not a snowflake’s chance in hell of whipping the SEC West juggernaut. And Bama, well Bama will carry the nightmare of those two meetings with them on the field of play.  There will be no landshark taunts by Ole Miss.  The Rebs can save that crap for another team and another time.

ROLL TIDE ROLL!