Ole Miss Football

Historic signing day for Ole Miss could be ‘program changer’

February 6, 2013 by Terry Davis Leave a Comment

Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze (Photo by Justin Ford)

The unlikely post season bowl appearance is continuing to bring success to the Ole Miss Rebels football program. National signing day 2013 will go down in history as one of the best recruiting classes of all time to sign a national letter of intent (NIT) with the Rebels.

The major recruiting services rank Ole Miss at No. 2 (247Sports), No. 5 (ESPN), No. 6 (MaxPreps), No. 7 (Rivals) and No. 9 (Scout). These ranking are fluid and will not be finalized until all NIT are received by the institutions.

“I think today has the possibility of being a program changer,” Hugh Freeze said. “Obviously, it’s all on paper right now. We’ll start having to manage expectations now. We’ll still be in the second year of our journey together, but I do think we took a huge step forward today on that journey toward being where we all want to be, and that’s competing for an SEC West championship. We’re thrilled with today.”

Ole Miss reeled in the nation’s No. 1 defensive end in Robert Nkemdiche,, the country’s No. 1 offensive tackle in Laremy Tunsil (Lake City, Fla.), the No. 1 wide receiver in Laquon Treadwell (Crete, Ill.) and the No. 2 safety in Tony Conner (Batesville, Miss.). That quartet highlights a class that includes 16 players rated 4 stars or better by the various recruiting services.

The Rebels pulled in prospects from eight states, including Mississippi (eight), Georgia (six), Tennessee (four), Alabama (three), Texas (three), Florida (two), Illinois (one) and Louisiana (one).

Nkemdiche will join his older brother, sophomore linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche, on the Rebel roster. Denzel earned All-SEC honors as a redshirt-freshman in 2012 while leading Ole Miss to a turnaround 7-6 season and a victory in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Robert Nkemdiche could become the best player ever in the history of Ole Miss football.

Tunsil is regarded as the third-best overall prospect in the country by 247Sports.com, Treadwell is rated the nation’s fifth-best player by Rivals.com, and Conner is ranked 24th by MaxPreps and ESPN.com. Other signees among the nation’s top 150 include OL Austin Golson (Prattville, Ala.), RB Kailo Moore (Rosedale, Miss.) and RB Mark Dodson (Memphis, Tenn.). The Rebels also signed Marcus Robinson, LB, Herbert Moore, DT, and Jordan Wilkins RB all are from Memphis.

“Derrick Jones may be one of the hidden gems of this class,” Freeze said. “The guy’s a phenomenal athlete. I’ve seen him play basketball. He plays above the rim. I think he can play a lot of places for us from safety to receiver.”

The Rebels received 22 high school signatures on Wednesday to go with three junior college players and three high schoolers that had already signed. One of those junior college recruits, DT Lavon Hooks (Atlanta, Ga.), is rated by 247Sports.com as the top overall JUCO prospect in the country.

Managing expectation will be tough considering Alabama, Florida and LSU also grabbed some impressive recruits in this year’s signing class. If the Rebels are able to combine the talented new additions with the experience they obtained last year, Ole Miss could be playing in a bowl game played on New Year’s Day.

Terry Davis is a regular contributor for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

TAM Rankings: Vanderbilt holds off Ole Miss to be crowned best of 2012 season

January 10, 2013 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

College football is official over, and there is a new champion in the TAM rankings. Vanderbilt has dethroned last year’s champion (Arkansas), and now sits alone at the top. The Commodores also finished the year ranked No. 23 in the AP poll, serving as the only TAM team to finish the year ranked. Arkansas State received some votes in the AP and USA Today polls after their win against Kent State in the Godaddy.com Bowl. Yet their stellar season, and victory over a top 25 opponent in their bowl game, was not enough for them to jump Ole Miss, who had a remarkable season as well. The Rebels bowl win over Pitt was their first since 2009 and capped off a great first year for head coach Hugh Freeze. Mississippi State culminated a disappointing second half of their season (the Bulldogs went 2-5 in their last seven games after starting the year 7-0)with an equally disappointing performance in the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl. It was a great year for the TAM teams, who posted a 3-1 record in bowl games this year, and provided fans with memorable moments throughout the season. Next season cannot come fast enough for the TAM teams, and it should be every bit as good as this year.

The Mid-South is full of fans with allegiances to different area college football programs. Which FBS program in the three states surrounding the Memphis area is the best? To help end some arguments and start others, every week MemphiSport ranks all the college football teams in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. We call it the TAM Rankings.

1. Vanderbilt (9-4): Last week No. 2
Last Game: W 38-24 vs. N.C.State @ Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Best Win: 41-18 Tennessee @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 48-3 vs. Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 2 (Ole Miss and Tennessee)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

2. Ole Miss (7-6): Last week No. 3
Last Game: W 38-17 vs. Pitt @ BBVA Compass Bowl
Best Win: 41-24 vs. Mississippi State @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Worst Loss: 66-31 Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 2 (Arkansas and Mississippi State)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Vanderbilt)

Arkansas State (10-3): Last week No. 4
Last Game: W 17-13 vs. Kent State @ GODADDY.com Bowl
Best Win: 17-13 vs. Kent State @ GODADDY.com Bowl
Worst Loss: 26-13 vs. Western Kentucky @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

4. Mississippi State (8-5): Last week No. 2
Last Game: L 34-20 vs. Northwestern @ TAXSLAYER.com Gator Bowl
Best Win: 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: 38-13 Texas A&M @ Davis Wade Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 3 (Tennessee, MTSU, and Arkansas)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Ole Miss)

5. MTSU (8-4): Last week No. 5
Last Game: W 24-21 vs. Troy @ Floyd Stadium
Best Win: 49-28 vs. Georgia Tech @ Bobby Dodd Stadium
Worst Loss: 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Mississippi State)

6. Tennessee (5-7): Last week No. 6
Last Game: W 37-17 vs. Kentucky @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: 41-18 vs. Vanderbilt @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (Mississippi State and Vanderbilt)

7. Memphis (4-8): Last week No. 7
Last Game: W 42-24 vs. So. Miss @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Best Win: 46-9 vs. UAB @ Legion Field
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Southern Mississippi)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (Arkansas State and MTSU)

8. Arkansas (4-8): Last week No. 8
Last Game: L 20-13 vs. LSU @ Razorback Stadium
Best Win: 24-7 vs. Auburn @ Jordan-Hare Stadium
Worst Loss: 52-0 vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (Ole Miss and Mississippi State)

9. Southern Mississippi (0-12): Last week No. 9
Last Game: L 42-24 Memphis @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 40-14 Boise State @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

2012 SEC Bowl Preview

December 14, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

It is believed by most analysts and fans that SEC football has been, and is currently, the premiere conference in the nation. The combination of size and speed combined with the tactical masterminds of coaches like Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, and Les Miles make it difficult for one to argue otherwise. After all, the last 6 National Champions hail from the SEC. With bowl season upon us the SEC has again sent at least one member to the national championship game and another member to a BCS bowl in what is becoming a yearly ritual. It is a very difficult bowl slate for the conference this year due in large part to the fact that all nine of the teams the SEC faces come from the other AQ conferences (three from the Big 10, two from the ACC, two from the Big East, one from the Big 12, and Notre Dame). There is no surprise that the conference has nine teams selected to represent in bowls this season. Yet, it is surprising (at least to me) that teams from the SEC are favored in all nine of their matchups. Surely the mighty conference will not be 9-0 at the end of the bowl season (last year the SEC went 5-2 with one of those bowl losses coming to another SEC team). The question is which games will SEC teams come up short in during this year’s bowl campaign? Listed below are the bowls, with their participants, the spread, a brief description, and whether or not the SEC team will cover their spread.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt -6 1/2
James Franklin has led the Commodores to back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time ever. They are looking to send seniors like Zac Stacy out with a win, and avoid a loss like the one they suffered to Cincinnati in last year’s AutoZone Liberty Bowl. North Carolina State comes into the game with one of the best secondaries in the nation and must find a way to contain the combination of Jordan Rodgers and Jordan Matthews if they are going to be able to win. In the end Vanderbilt gets the first bowl win of the Franklin era and covers the spread too.

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Clemson vs. LSU
LSU -4
The organizers of the Chick-fil-A Bowl should really considered renaming this the Lord of the Tigers Bowl. If LSU is going to win they will have to go through one of the most prolific offenses in the country. Clemson ranks ninth nationally in total offense and sixth in scoring and are led by star QB Tajh Boyd. He is one of the most dynamic football players in the nation, and it will be fun to see what tricks Miles, AKA the“Mad Hatter”, will pull out to contain Boyd’s explosiveness. It will be a battle of strength on strength however, as LSU has one of the best defenses in the nation and is 8th nationally in total defense. There is a 100 percent chance that the Tigers will win this game. It just will not be LSU as the Clemson offense will prove too much and they pull off the upset.

TAXSLAYER.com Gator Bowl
Northwestern vs. Mississippi State
Mississippi State -2
This is the closet spread out of all of the SEC bowl games this year and for good reason. While the Bulldogs started off red-hot winning seven straight games, they went 0-3 against ranked teams, and managed to win just one game in their last five, including a loss to arch rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. Northwestern is entering this contest with one of the best rushing attacks in the nation, averaging 230.9 yards rushing per game. The Bulldogs have struggled defending the run this year and in their last game allowed the Rebels to rack up 233 yards on the ground. Mississippi State has not beaten a good team all year and Northwestern is a good team. State loses in a close game and therefore does not cover the spread.

Outback Bowl
Michigan vs. South Carolina
S. Carolina -5
These are two of the best defenses in the nation with Michigan 11th in total defense and 16th in scoring D, while South Carolina is 12th in total D and 13th in scoring D respectively. The matchup everybody wants to see is Jadeveon Clowney versus Denard Robinson. Shoelace is one of the fast players in all of college football and is 14th in the nation in rushing yards. On the other hand, Clowney is a true beast off the edge and one of the main reasons why the Gamecocks rank fifth in the nation in sacks. He is also more than capable of containing the elusive Robinson. The Wolverines will be without their tailback Fitzgerald Toussaint so expect Devin Gardner to play quarterback and Robinson to be the primary tailback. This should be a low scoring game as neither team allows more than 21 points per game. Three of the Wolverines four losses are to the top three teams in the AP poll (Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Alabama), and Michigan is more than capable of pulling off the upset. South Carolina loses in a hard-fought contest and fails to cover the spread.

Capital One Bowl
Nebraska vs. Georgia
Georgia -10
Yet another intriguing matchup and it is the third SEC vs. Big Ten matchup of the bowl season. Both teams are division winners and both are coming off of losses in their individual conference championship games. Georgia lost a close contest to Alabama, while Nebraska was demolished in stunning fashion by Wisconsin. Georgia appears to have advantages all over the field, but the one area of concern for Mark Richt and Georgia has to be their rushing defense. The Bulldogs are allowing 177.7 yards per contest, including 350 yards on the ground to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Nebraska, led by Taylor Martinez, brings in the number eight rushing attack in the nation which might give the Bulldog defense some issues. There is a strong chance that this will be Aaron Murray’s last game in a Georgia uniform and in the end he will prove too much for a struggling Cornhusker defense. Georgia wins big and covers the spread with ease.

AllState Sugar Bowl
Louisville vs. Florida
Florida -14
This is the largest spread of this year’s bowl season for the SEC and for good reason. Even though the Big East is 4-2 in their last six BCS bowl games, Louisville should be underdogs thanks to their struggles late in the season. They dropped two of their final three games of the regular season and just recently climbed back into the BCS poll. On the other hand, Florida was one game away from a perfect regular season, a trip to the SEC Championship, and a chance to play for a BCS National Championship. Louisville should not be underestimated though, as they bring in the best red zone offense in the nation. Florida will be the best defense the Cardinals have faced all year so quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is going to have to put together a stellar game and limit turnovers, which is easier said than done against this Gators defense. The Gators are fifth in the nation in turnover margin, and have 19 interceptions on the year. The two touchdown spread seems right given the circumstances and the talent gap between the two teams.

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M
Texas A&M -4 1/2
Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and the Aggies will renew an old Big 12 conference rivalry when they take on the Sooners in the Cotton Bowl. It is a rivalry that Aggies fans probably looked forward to never playing again as A&M has only won two games in their last ten meetings against Oklahoma. All of the attention will be on Johnny football, as it should be, but do not forget about the quarterback on the other side of the field. Landry Jones is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and is more than capable of putting up big numbers of his own. Oklahoma has the number five passing attack in the nation thanks to Jones and is every bit as potent on offense as Manziel and the Aggies. Defensively both teams have their issues, but in the end expect Oklahoma to get the win in what is sure to be a shoot out and an exciting game.

BBVA Compass Bowl
Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss
Ole Miss -3 1/2
In his first season as head coach, Hugh Freeze has the Rebels bowling. Ole Miss is coming off of an emotional win against hated rival Mississippi State and is looking to carry that momentum into their matchup with the Panthers. Pitt has allowed just one touchdown in their last 10 quarters and is led on the defensive side of the ball by stand out defensive back Jason Hendricks. Bo Wallace and Dante Moncrief will have to find a way to exploit a secondary that has only allowed 12 touchdown passes all season. Freeze’s boys certainly have their hands full, but it is nothing that they cannot handle and they should cover the spread with ease.

Discover BCS National Championship
Notre Dame vs. Alabama
Alabama -9 1/2
For the seventh straight year, a SEC team is in the BCS Championship Game. Saban is looking for his third national title since taking over as the head coach for the Crimson Tide. Notre Dame is no slouch though, and if you like defense this is going to be the best game on the bowl schedule. The Irish are number one in the nation in scoring D while Alabama is second. Both teams rank near the top in every defensive statistical category and points will be hard to come by, especially in the red zone. Alabama and Notre Dame allowed a combined 11 red zone rushing touchdowns all season (9 for the Crimson Tide and two for Notre Dame) and are in the top three defenses in the nation when it comes to red zone defense. Manti T’eo and the Fighting Irish defense will have their hands full trying to contain the dynamic duo of Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon. Both of the Alabama tailbacks have over 1,000 yards rushing this year, and are more than capable of exploding for a big game at the same time (ask Richt about them). With two stellar defenses on the field it is highly unlikely either team jumps out to a comfortable lead. Alabama wins, but does not cover the spread.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from different college football games throughout the Mid-South.

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Filed Under: SEC, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: Alabama Crimson Tide Football, AllState Sugar Bowl, AT&T Cotton Bowl, BBVA Compass Bowl, Capital One Bowl, Chick-fil-A Bowl, Clemson football, Denard Robinson, Devin Gardner, Discover BCS National Championship, Eddie Lacy, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Florida football, Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Georgia football, Hugh Freeze, Jadeveon Clowney, Johnny Manziel, Jordan Matthews, Jordan Rodgers, Landry Jones, Les Miles, Louisville football, LSU football, Manti t'eo, Michigan football, Mississippi State football, Nebraska, Nebraska football, North Carolina State football, Northwestern football, Notre Dame football, Oklahoma football, Ole Miss Football, Outback Bowl, Pittsburgh football, SEC football bowls 2012, South Carolina football, Tajh Boyd, TAXSLAYER.com Gator Bowl, Taylor Martinez, Texas A&M football, TJ Yeldon, Vanderbilt football

Week 13 TAM Rankings: New No. 1 thanks to Ole Miss defeating Mississippi State

November 29, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

There is a new number one TAM team this week for the fourth time this season, and nobody saw this coming at the start of the year. Vanderbilt now sits alone at the top of the TAM rankings thanks to an impressive 8-4 record and a win by Ole Miss over former No. 1 Mississippi State. The Bulldogs drop one spot after their embarrassing loss to the arch rival Rebels, who jump both Sun Belt teams to secure No. 3 in the rankings. Speaking of the Sun Belt Conference, MTSU and Arkansas State square off on Saturday to determine the conference champion. Tennessee started a new win streak against Kentucky to end the year with a win. Memphis also ended their year on a good note with their third straight win. Arkansas finished one of the most disappointing seasons in TAM history with a hard-fought loss to LSU, while Southern Mississippi could not find a way to muster up any wins on the year.

1. Vanderbilt (8-4): Last week No. 2
Last Game: W 55-21 vs. Wake Forest @ Groves Stadium
Next Game:
Best Win: 41-18 Tennessee @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 48-3 Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 2 (Ole Miss and Tennessee)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

2. Mississippi State (8-4): Last week No. 1
Last Game: L 41-24 vs. Ole Miss @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Next Game:
Best Win: 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: 38-13 Texas A&M @ Davis Wade Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 3 (Tennessee, MTSU, and Arkansas)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Ole Miss)

3. Ole Miss (6-6): Last week No. 5
Last Game: W 41-24 vs. Mississippi State @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Next Game:
Best Win: 41-24 vs. Mississippi State @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Worst Loss: 66-31 Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 2 (Arkansas and Mississippi State)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Vanderbilt)

4. Arkansas State (8-3): Last week No. 3
Last Game: W 41-34 vs. Troy @ Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium
Next Game: vs. MTSU @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Best Win: 45-23 vs. Louisiana-Monroe @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-13 vs. Western Kentucky @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

5. MTSU (8-3): Last week No. 4
Last Game: W 24-21 vs. Troy @ Floyd Stadium
Next Game: vs. Arkansas State @ Liberty Bank
Best Win: 49-28 vs. Georgia Tech @ Bobby Dodd Stadium
Worst Loss: 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Mississippi State)

6. Tennessee (5-7): Last week No. 6
Last Game: W 37-17 vs. Kentucky @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game:
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: 41-18 vs. Vanderbilt @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (MississippiState and Vanderbilt)

7. Memphis (4-8): Last week No. 8
Last Game: W 42-24 vs. So. Miss @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Next Game:
Best Win: 46-9 vs. UAB @ Legion Field
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Southern Mississippi)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (Arkansas State and MTSU)

8. Arkansas (4-8): Last week No. 6
Last Game: L 20-13 vs. LSU @ Razorback Stadium
Next Game:
Best Win: 24-7 vs. Auburn @ Jordan-Hare Stadium
Worst Loss: 52-0 vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (Ole Miss and Mississippi State)

9. Southern Mississippi (0-12): Last week No. 9
Last Game: L 42-24 Memphis @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Next Game:
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 40-14 Boise State @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

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Week 12 TAM Rankings: Vanderbilt is challenging Mississippi State for No. 1

November 22, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

This week was full of big wins, crushing losses, and a coaching change for the TAM teams. Mississippi State remained perfect against TAM teams after defeating Arkansas in convincing fashion. The Rebels are the only thing that stands between the Bulldogs and an undefeated TAM record. Ole Miss needs to beat Mississippi State to become bowl eligible, so there is a lot on the line for this year’s Egg Bowl. Vanderbilt beat Tennessee so bad that the Vols decided to fire their coach. If Vanderbilt beats Wake Forest, and Mississippi State loses, the Commodores will end the year as the No. 1 TAM team. Arkansas State has a late bye week to get ready for their Sun Belt showdown against MTSU, and if the Blue Raiders beat Troy on Saturday, these two TAM teams will be playing in a defacto conference championship game. Memphis is on a two game win streak after pummeling UAB, and the Tigers have a chance to finish with a winning conference record. All they have to do is beat the winless Golden Eagles in this year’s Black and Blue Bowl.

1. Mississippi State (8-3): Last week No. 1
Last Game: W 45-14 Arkansas @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. Ole Miss @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Best Win: 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: 38-13 Texas A&M @ Davis Wade Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 3 (Tennessee, MTSU, and Arkansas)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

2. Vanderbilt (7-4): Last week No. 2
Last Game: W 41-18 Tennessee @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Next Game: vs Wake Forest @ Groves Stadium
Best Win: 41-18 Tennessee @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 48-3 Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 2 (Ole Miss and Tennessee)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

3. Arkansas State (8-3): Last week No. 3
Last Game: W 41-34 vs. Troy @ Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium
Next Game: vs. MTSU @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Best Win: 45-23 vs. Louisiana-Monroe @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-13 vs. Western Kentucky @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

4. MTSU (7-3): Last week No. 4
Last Game: W 20-12 vs. South Alabama @ Ladd-Pebbles Stadium
Next Game: vs. Arkansas State @ Liberty Bank
Best Win: 49-28 vs. Georgia Tech @ Bobby Dodd Stadium
Worst Loss: 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Mississippi State)

5. Ole Miss (5-6): Last week No. 5
Last Game: L 41-35 vs. LSU @ Tiger Stadium
Next Game: vs. Mississippi State @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Best Win: 30-27 vs. Arkansas @ Razorback Stadium
Worst Loss: 66-31 Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Arkansas)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Vanderbilt)

T6. Tennessee (4-7): Last week No. 6
Last Game: L 41-18 vs. Vanderbilt @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Next Game: vs. Kentucky @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: 41-18 vs. Vanderbilt @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (Mississippi State and Vanderbilt)

T6. Arkansas (4-7): Last week No. 7
Last Game: L 45-14 vs. Mississippi State @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. LSU @ Razorback Stadium
Best Win: 24-7 vs. Auburn @ Jordan-Hare Stadium
Worst Loss: 52-0 vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Ole Miss)

8. Memphis (3-8): Last week No. 8
Last Game: W 46-9 vs. UAB @ Legion Field
Next Game: vs. Southern Mississippi @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Best Win: 46-9 vs. UAB @ Legion Field
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (Arkansas State and MTSU)

9. Southern Mississippi (0-11): Last week No. 9
Last Game: L 34-33 UTEP @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Next Game: vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 40-14 Boise State @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

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Week 11 TAM Rankings: Three TAM teams still trying to become bowl eligible

November 15, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Bowl season is almost here and four TAM teams are now bowl eligible after last week’s games. Mississippi State is bowl eligible and remains No. 1 in the rankings despite their third consecutive loss by 20 points or more. They hope to stop their losing streak when they play a desperate Razorbacks team fighting for bowl eligibility. Vanderbilt is going to consecutive bowls for the first time in the school’s history thanks to their one point win over Ole Miss. The Rebels loss dropped them two spots in the rankings, and now they have to win one of their last two games (LSU and Mississippi State) to be bowl eligible in Hugh Freeze’s first season as head coach. Arkansas State and MTSU are headed for an end of the year Sun Belt showdown to decide the conference champion, while Tennessee needs to win out to become bowl eligible. The only bowl Memphis and Southern Mississippi can go to this season is the “Black and Blue Bowl”. Southern Mississippi still has not won a game all season and Memphis is just 2-10. So the “Black and Blue Bowl” should change its name to the “Toilet Bowl” because it may decide who is the worst team in college football.

1. Mississippi State (7-3): Last week No. 1
Last Game: L 37-17 vs. LSU @ Tiger Stadium
Next Game: vs. Arkansas @ Davis Wade Stadium
Best Win: 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: 38-13 Texas A&M @ Davis Wade Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 2 (Tennessee and MTSU)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

2. Vanderbilt (6-4): Last week No. 2
Last Game:  W 27-26 vs. Ole Miss @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Next Game:  vs. Tennessee @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Best Win:  27-26 vs. Ole Miss @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Worst Loss: 48-3 Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Ole Miss)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

3.  Arkansas State (7-3): Last week No. 4
Last Game:  W 45-23 vs. Louisiana-Monroe @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Next Game: vs. Troy @ Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium
Best Win:  45-23 vs. Louisiana-Monroe @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Worst Loss:  26-13 vs. Western Kentucky @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

4.  MTSU (6-3): Last week No. 5
Last Game:  W 34-29 vs. Western Kentucky @ Smith Stadium
Next Game: vs. South Alabama @ Ladd-Pebbles Stadium
Best Win: 49-28 vs. Georgia Tech @ Bobby Dodd Stadium
Worst Loss:  27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Mississippi State)

5. Ole Miss (5-5): Last week No. 2
Last Game: L 27-26 vs. Vanderbilt @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Next Game: vs. LSU @ Tiger Stadium
Best Win: 30-27 vs. Arkansas @ Razorback Stadium
Worst Loss: 66-31 Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Arkansas)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Vanderbilt)

6. Tennessee (4-6): Last week No. 6
Last Game: L vs. Missouri @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game: vs. Vanderbilt @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: L 37-20 Florida @ Neyland Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Mississippi State)

7. Arkansas (4-6): Last week No. 7
Last Game: 38-20 vs. South Carolina @ Williams-Brice Stadium
Next Game: vs. Mississippi State @ Davis Wade Stadium
Best Win: 24-7 vs. Auburn @ Jordan-Hare Stadium
Worst Loss: 52-0 vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Ole Miss)

8. Memphis (2-8): Last week No. 8
Last Game: W 37-23 vs. Tulane @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Next Game: vs. UAB @ Legion Field
Best Win: 37-23 vs. Tulane @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (Arkansas State and MTSU)

9. Southern Mississippi (0-10): Last week No. 9
Last Game:  L 34-6 vs. SMU @ Gerald Ford Stadium
Next Game: UTEP @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Best Win:  N/A
Worst Loss:  40-14 Boise State @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

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Week 10 TAM Rankings: Season is coming to an end for TAM teams

November 8, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

The college football season is coming to an end, and with only three games left in the regular season our TAM teams continue to be tested. Even though Mississippi State got off to a TAM team best 7-0 mark (and rocked some nice all white uniforms this week), they are beginning to fall back to reality suffering losses in consecutive weeks. To make matters worse, the Bulldogs have to travel to Tiger Stadium to take on an upset LSU team fresh of a heartbreaking loss to Alabama. It is fitting that the two teams tied for second in the rankings face off this week when Vanderbilt takes on Ole Miss. Both teams are a win shy of bowl eligibility, so expect a heavily contested game. Arkansas State finds themselves in the driver’s seat for a second Sun Belt Championship thanks to a Louisiana-Monroe loss on Saturday. All the Red Wolves have to do is win out and they will be champions, but in doing so they will have to beat the Warhawks this week. Sun Belt rival and fellow TAM team member MTSU would love to see a Red Wolves win because that would mean a potential end of the year show down between Arkansas State and the Blue Raiders for the conference title. Tennessee and Arkansas continue to disappoint us all as both teams struggled to get wins against lesser competition on Saturday. Memphis and Southern Mississippi continue to loss and are on pace to make the “Black and Blue Bowl” one of the worst in decades.

1. Mississippi State (7-2): Last week No. 1
Last Game: L 38-13 Texas A&M @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. LSU @ Tiger Stadium
Best Win: 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: 38-13 Texas A&M @ Davis Wade Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 2 (Tennessee and MTSU)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

T2. Ole Miss (5-4): Last week No. 2
Last Game: L 37-10 Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Next Game: vs. Vanderbilt @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Best Win: 30-27 vs. Arkansas @ Razorback Stadium
Worst Loss: 66-31 Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Arkansas)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

T2. Vanderbilt (5-4): Last week No. 3
Last Game: W 40-0 vs. Kentucky @ Commonwealth Stadium
Next Game: vs. Ole Miss @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Best Win: 40-0 vs. Kentucky @ Commonwealth Stadium
Worst Loss: 48-3 Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

4. Arkansas State (6-3): Last week No. 4
Last Game: W 37-19 North Texas @ Mean Green Stadium
Next Game: vs. Louisiana-Monroe @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Best Win: 33-28 vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-13 vs. Western Kentucky @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

5. MTSU (6-3): Last week No. 5
Last Game: W 34-29 vs. Western Kentucky @ Smith Stadium
Next Game: vs. South Alabama @ Ladd-Pebbles Stadium
Best Win: 49-28 vs. Georgia Tech @ Bobby Dodd Stadium
Worst Loss: 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (MississippiState)

6. Tennessee (4-5): Last week No. 6
Last Game: W 55-48 vs. Troy @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game: vs. Missouri @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: L 37-20 Florida @ Neyland Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (MississippiState)

7. Arkansas (4-5): Last week No. 7
Last Game: W 19-15 Tulsa @ Razorback Stadium
Next Game: vs. South Carolina @ Williams-Brice Stadium
Best Win: 24-7 vs. Auburn @ Jordan-Hare Stadium
Worst Loss: 52-0 vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

8. Memphis (1-8): Last week No. 8
Last Game: L 38-28 vs. Marshall @ Edwards Stadium
Next Game: vs. Tulane @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Best Win: 14-10 vs. Rice @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (ArkansasState and MTSU)

9. Southern Mississippi (0-9): Last week No. 9
Last Game: L 27-19 UAB @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Next Game: vs. SMU @ Gerald Ford Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 40-14 Boise State @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

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Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: Arkansas State football, football, Memphis Football, Mississippi State football, MTSU football, Ole Miss Football, Southern Miss football, Tennessee football, Vanderbilt football

Week 9 TAM Rankings: Bulldogs stay No. 1 despite loss

November 1, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Welcome to our special Halloween edition of the TAM rankings where the scariest thing you can be is a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Alabama is 4-0 against our TAM teams so far this season winning by an average margin of 33.25 points. Mississippi State found out just how good Alabama is this year on Saturday as the Crimson Tide almost shut them out, and held the Bulldogs to a season low seven points. However, the loss did not affect Mississippi State in our rankings and the Bulldogs remain the best TAM team. Ole Miss avoided a scare of their own and pulled of a great last second win against fellow TAM team Arkansas to solidify them as the No. 2 team in the rankings. The Rebels are just one win away from bowl eligibility. Vanderbilt has won three of their last four games, and should get another win this week when they take on Kentucky. MTSU and Arkansas State both won last week to keep their Sun Belt Championship hopes alive. Tennessee gave the Gamecocks a good fright, but could not quite pull of the upset against South Carolina, and Derek Dooley’s seat continues to get hotter everyday. There is nothing terrifying about the bottom two teams in the rankings, except their records. Southern Mississippi is dangerously close to going winless on the year thanks to their 44-17 beat down at the hands of Rice. While Memphis continued their losing ways this week and now have a 1-7 record after a loss to SMU. The Tigers join the Golden Eagles as the first two teams in the TAM rankings so far to become bowl ineligible

1. Mississippi State (7-1): Last week No. 1
Last Game: L 38-7 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Next Game: vs. Texas A&M @ Davis Wade Stadium
Best Win: 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: 38-7 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 2 (Tennessee and MTSU)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

2. Ole Miss (5-3): Last week No. 2
Last Game: W 30-27 vs. Arkansas @ Razorback Stadium
Next Game: vs. Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Best Win: 30-27 vs. Arkansas @ Razorback Stadium
Worst Loss: L 66-31 Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

3. Vanderbilt (4-4): Last week No. 3
Last Game: W 49-7 vs. UMASS @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Next Game: vs. Kentucky @ Commonwealth Stadium
Best Win: W 58-0 Presbyterian @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 48-3 Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

4. Arkansas State (5-3): Last week No. 4
Last Game: W 50-27 Louisiana Lafayette @ Cajun Field
Next Game: vs. North Texas @ Mean Green Stadium
Best Win: 33-28 vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-13 vs. Western Kentucky @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

5. MTSU (5-3): Last week No. 7
Last Game: W 38-21 vs. North Texas @ Floyd Stadium
Next Game: vs. Western Kentucky @ Smith Stadium
Best Win: 49-28 vs. Georgia Tech @ Bobby Dodd Stadium
Worst Loss: 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (MississippiState)

6. Tennessee (3-5): Last week No. 6
Last Game: L 38-35 vs. South Carolina @ Williams-Brice Stadium
Next Game: vs. Troy @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: L 37-20 Florida @ Neyland Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (MississippiState)

7. Arkansas (3-5): Last week No. 5
Last Game: L 30-27 vs. Ole Miss @ Razorback Stadium
Next Game: vs. Tulsa @ Razorback Stadium
Best Win: 24-7 vs. Auburn @ Jordan-Hare Stadium
Worst Loss: 52-0 vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

8. Memphis (1-7): Last week No. 8
Last Game: L 44-13 vs. SMU @ Gerald Ford Stadium
Next Game: vs. Marshall @ Edwards Stadium
Best Win: 14-10 vs. Rice @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (ArkansasState and MTSU)

9. Southern Mississippi (0-8): Last week No. 9
Last Game: L 44-17 Rice @ Rice Stadium
Next Game: vs. UAB @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 40-14 Boise State @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

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Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: Arkansas football, Arkansas State football, Memphis Football, Mississippi State football, MTSU football, Ole Miss Football, Southern Miss football, Tennessee football, Vanderbilt football

Arkansas fighting for bowl eligibility after 30-27 loss to Ole Miss

October 27, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

If you would have said that the Arkansas Razorbacks would be fighting for bowl eligibility before the start of the season people would have looked at you like you were crazy. Yet, thanks to a 30-27 loss in Little Rock to Ole Miss, that is exactly where the Razorbacks find themselves.

“We held them to three field goals but that was one too many,” John L. Smith said after his team’s crushing defeat. The Razorbacks lost on a last second field goal thanks to a perfectly executed two-minute drill drive by the Rebels who improved to 5-3 on the season, and are just one game away from being bowl eligible. Ole Miss was 2-10 last season, and their turn around is nothing short of remarkable.

Just as remarkable is the Razorbacks turn around. They started the season with SEC West Championship aspirations and were even ranked in the top ten nationally (and No. 1 in the TAM rankings). It is hard to believe that these same Razorbacks now stand a chance of not reaching bowl eligibility.

“It is going to be hard. Life is hard. We are going to battle… gain more confidence, more confidence more work, more work more confidence, and continue that cycle,” explained Coach Smith. Hard is an understatement as the three of the next four Arkansas opponents are ranked in the top 15 in the BCS standings. Arkansas is now 3-5 and needs to win three more games to become bowl eligible.

However, Coach Smith remains positive even with the difficult task ahead of them, “They have, to this point, shown great character and great class. They have done everything we asked, they continue to battle, and they will continue to do the same. They are not going to start pointing fingers or any of that stuff.”

The game changed in the second quarter when Charles Sawyer blocked a Razorbacks punt and returned the ball all the way to the Arkansas 22 yard line. All it took was four plays for the Rebels to gain the lead on a Barry Brunetti one yard touchdown run, a lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the game. “When you get a punt blocked there is a 90 percent chance you are going to lose. I take that very personal. So if there is anybody to blame it is me,” Coach Smith said.

That blocked punt is not the only thing Razorbacks fans are blaming on Smith. He is also shouldering the blame for this disappointing season. The disappointment started with an unforgivable loss in the second week of the season to Louisiana Monroe. Since then the Razorbacks have struggled to find the consistency needed to win games.

Clearly Smith is not Bobby Petrino, but nobody thought Arkansas would need to win three of their final four games just to make bowl eligibility. “We had a chance,” Smith said. “We just have to make a couple more plays and maybe we get there.”

Hopefully Arkansas can find a way to make “a couple more plays” in their next four games. Otherwise, this season will go down as one of the most disappointing seasons in Razorback history.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from different college football games throughout the Mid-South.

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Filed Under: Football, SEC, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: Arkansas football, Bobby Petrino, John L. Smith, Ole Miss Football, SEC Football

Week 8 TAM Football Rankings: No. 1 stays the same but everyone else moves

October 25, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

There is a lot of movement in the rankings this week thanks to some impressive wins and equally impressive losses. A 42 point victory over fellow TAM team MTSU cemented Mississippi State as the best TAM team so far this season. Ole Miss moved up without having to play anybody, and the Rebels face a Razorbacks squad who is also coming off of a bye week. Arkansas seems to have regrouped after their four game losing streak, but will need to keep winning if they want to make it to bowl eligibility. Three of their last five games are against top 15 competition. Vanderbilt is up a spot from last week after beating a struggling Auburn team, while Arkansas State moves up three spots and prepares for a tough in conference game against Louisiana Lafayette. Tennessee dropped four spots because of another embarrassing loss under Coach Dooley. The Vols followed up their disappointing loss to Mississippi State with an embarassing 31 point loss to Alabama. Speaking of embarrassing losses, MTSU could only muster three points against Mississippi State. Memphis lost another home game, but still has a chance to get to bowl eligibility. Southern Mississippi, on the other hand, is winless and at 0-7 the Golden Eagles have no chance to make a bowl this season.

1. Mississippi State (7-0): Last week No. 1
Last Game: W 45-3 MTSU @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Best Win: 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: N/A
Wins Against TAM Teams: 2 (Tennessee and MTSU)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

2. Ole Miss (4-3): Last week No. 3
Last Game: W 41-20 Auburn @ Vaught–Hemmingway Stadium
Next Game: vs. Arkansas @ Razorback Stadium
Best Win: 41-20 Auburn @ Vaught–Hemmingway Stadium
Worst Loss: L 66-31 Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

3. Vanderbilt (3-4): Last week No. 5
Last Game: W 17-13 vs. Auburn @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Next Game: vs. UMASS @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Best Win: W 58-0 Presbyterian @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 48-3 Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

4. Arkansas State (4-3): Last week No. 7
Last Game: W 36-29 vs. South Alabama @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Next Game: vs. Louisiana Lafayette @ Cajun Field
Best Win: 33-28 vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-13 vs. Western Kentucky @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

5. Arkansas (3-4): Last week No. 6
Last Game: W 49-7 vs. Kentucky @ Razorback Stadium
Next Game: vs. Ole Miss @ Vaught–Hemmingway Stadium
Best Win: 24-7 vs. Auburn @ Jordan-Hare Stadium
Worst Loss: 52-0 vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A

6. Tennessee (3-4): Last week No. 2
Last Game: L 44-13 vs. Alabama @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game: vs. South Carolina @ Williams-Brice Stadium
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: L 37-20 Florida @ Neyland Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Mississippi State)

7. MTSU (4-3): Last week No. 4
Last Game: L 45-3 vs. Mississippi State @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. North Texas @ Floyd Stadium
Best Win: 49-28 vs. Georgia Tech @ Bobby Dodd Stadium
Worst Loss: 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAM Teams: 1 (Mississippi State)

8. Memphis (1-6): Last week No. 8
Last Game: L 35-17 vs. UCF @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Next Game: vs. SMU @ Gerald Ford Stadium
Best Win: 14-10 vs. Rice @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: 2 (Arkansas State and MTSU)

9. Southern Mississippi (0-7): Last week No. 9
Last Game: L 59-24 vs. Marshall @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Next Game: vs. Rice @ Rice Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 40-14 Boise State @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Wins Against TAM Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAM Teams: N/A