Ole Miss: The "Spoiler" in the West?

I look at Ole Miss in the SEC West in the same way that I look at South Carolina in the SEC East. I don't see either one of them getting to Atlanta for the conference Championship any time soon, but I can see both of them having a 'say-so' on who does go from their respective divisions. Incidentally, these two teams meet each other on October 4 at Ole Miss. When Houston Nutt arrived in Oxford to take over the reigns of the Rebels, he inherited a team that returns 47 lettermen and 17 starters. So he does have a veteran squad and some talent with which to build around. The cupboard is not bare in the land of the Rebs. In 2007, Mississippi lost to Florida, Alabama, and cross-state rival Mississippi State by a combined total of 12 points. They have to learn how to come through in the clutch. They have to win the close games, and they aren't quite there yet. But they are at the point that if you take them too lightly, they will give you all you can handle on a given Saturday. That could possibly translate into an upset that could cost a contender a shot at the conference crown (just as the Gamecocks cost the Bulldogs last year). There's always a festive atmosphere at the Grove for pregame, but this year Nutt's seasoned Rebels might make the post game festive for a change.