Ole Miss: Your thoughts: Pac 10

Recently I wrote a series of blogs on how Ole Miss is perceived in the Big Ten. I had many request from my blog readers to interview fans from the Pac 10. Ask and you shall receive. I've started out with two California Pac 10 teams.


UCLA
Ole Miss recently played UCLA in baseball in both Oxford and LA. The Bruins and the Rebels have never met in football. Oxford and LA are 1,876 miles apart.

(1) What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Ole Miss?

Eli Manning / isn't Ole Miss a big party school?--GoBRUINSfightfightfig

I think of Coach Oregeron. --ezbeach4

The very first thing that comes to mind when I think about Ole Miss are the names Jeremy McGee and Ed Oregeron. McGee was a Bruin who recently transferred to Ole Miss from UCLA and Oregeron used to coach over at Sourthern Cal. After that I guess Eli Manning comes to mind. I remember there was some recent (or maybe not so recent) controversy over the use of the Confederate flag at your school. Otherwise, Ole Miss isn't really on my radar much--CalPolyBruinFan

Eli/Archie Manning--SuperBruinMan

I don't think about Ole Miss. (no offense). I don't know of anybody out here that has ever mentioned Ole Miss from any perspective. The only thing I know about Ole Miss is that "hotty totty" chant, and that there are rebel flags at your football games (I think that's Ole Miss, but it may be a different SEC school).--GoBruinz

I think of Archie Manning and Eli Manning. I think your football coach used to be at So Cal, so I wouldn't expect much in the way of a homje and home contract anytime soon. --Hiero

(2) What are your feelings about Ole Miss?

Not to much, I think they have good looking uniforms. Kind of middle of the pack in terms of the SEC. --GoBRUINSfightfightfig

Forgotten school in the SEC ... and Archie Manning. --ezbeach4

I don't really have strong feelings either way about the University or the program. We don't really compete for the same recruits that often and I don't think the two schools have ever played each other. --CalPolyBruinFan

Feelings about Ole Miss? None really. But I think it's telling that Ole Miss has basically never played a Pac 10 school in football (please correct me if I'm wrong).--GoBruinz

(3) Would you like to play us in football or basketball in the future?

Yes playing an SEC team is always a barometer of how good your program is.--GoBRUINSfightfightfig

Sure. Why not ?--ezbeach4

I wouldn't exactly say that Ole Miss is high on my list of schools to play in either sport.--CalPolyBruinFan

I think of Ed Orgeron and Eli Manning when someone brings up Ole Miss. I'm not crazy about Orgeron and I wouldn't want to play them because there is very little upside for us. Win, and "we were supposed to beat a middle-to-lower pack SEC team". Lose, and "See, I told you the SEC would whoop those West coast pansies". No upside at all and I wouldn't want to give them any more recruiting exposure in LA. No compelling reason to play them in any sport. Never been to Miss at all, but I hold nothing against them.--BradleyBruin

Not really--SuperBruinMan

Sure we'd play Mississippi, UCLA is known for playing anyone anywhere at any time. We played a home & home with 'Bama a couple of years ago. Tennessee is on our scheudle the next two years. The problem, again, is that Ole Miss virtually never mans up outside SEC country. I also have no knowledge of Ole Miss basketball, but again UCLA plays anyone, anywhere at any time. Just don't expect to beat us.--GoBruinz

(4)What do you think about the SEC in general?

Alot of really good football teams. Plus Les Miles and Nick Saban are both morons (but good coaches). --GoBRUINSfightfightfig

Football is a RELIGION and not just a sport. They'll do ANYTHING to get the best athletes in there.--ezbeach4

I think the SEC is one of the toughest (if not the toughest) conferences to play in. There are some very, very good teams there. Now I can't say we've had the most pleasant experiences with fans and coaches from SEC country. Many seem to have a certain arrogance and they look down on other conferences. For whatever reason, the PAC-10 seems to be a favorite target of this group. That being said, Alabama fans have been awesome and I would love to see UCLA schedule another series with that program. --CalPolyBruinFan

It's good at football, but a lot of the fans are really annoying/whiny about it.--SuperBruinMan

The SEC is an excellent football conference, and Florida has been our downfall in the Final Four the last two years. I definitely respect the SEC (although some of their fans are pretty arrogant regarding the SEC, especially vis-a-vis the Pac 10). --GoBruinz

I also agree with GoBruinz that SEC fans tend to be very provincial in their views on sports. While I can name Ole Miss' Heisman Trophy Winner, how many Ole Miss fans can name the Bruins' heisman trophy winner? Sports Illustrated did a piece a month or so ago listing their selection of the top 10 athletes in Bruin history. Funny thing, the Bruins' Hesiman trophy winner and 2 Wooden Award winners didn't make that list. What is even more amusuing, the argument on who should be in and who was left out, no one really argued that those three should be on the list. --Hiero

(5) Have you ever visited Oxford on game day? If yes, what was your experience? If no, what have you heard about our gameday experience?

Never been to Mississippi. I can't recall ever having heard to much about Oxford. --GoBRUINSfightfightfig

No; I'm sure you have fun and it's probably the biggest show in town.--ezbeach4

I have never been to Oxford. England or Mississippi.--CalPolyBruinFan

No, nothing.--SuperBruinMan

I've never even been to the state of Mississippi. I've heard Ole Miss is very preppy and full of frat guys and sorority girls. But I do not know this for sure.--GoBruinz

I really enjoyed my trip down to T'town to watch my Bruins take on the Tide. I expect that I would enjoy a trip down to Oxford. --Hiero

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Stanford:
Ole Miss has never played Stanford in a major spot. Oxford and Palo Alto are 2,153 miles apart.


(1) What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Ole Miss?

James Meredith; also beautiful women-- StanmanMark

James Meredith and the riot over his enrollment . . . Confederate flags . . . Archie Manning.--terry2

Mannings (Eli and Archie). I never heard of this Meredith guy. --ajpaly

(2) What are your feelings about Ole Miss?

I hope they worked out the James Meredith problems by now--StanmanMark

My perception is that it's a traditional southern state university with a nice campus in a nice town.--terry2

Mannings (Eli and Archie). I never heard of this Meredith guy. --ajpaly

(3) Would you like to play us in football or basketball in the future?

It would be big news if Stanford played Mississippi in football. Stanford has never played an SEC school during the regular season. We played Alabama, LSU and Georgia in bowl games and we played Arkansas in 1970 but they were in the Southwest Conference then. Tank Williams, a 2002 graduate of Stanford, an All American and one of the defensive leaders on two of Stanford's most accomplished teams of the last 30 years (1999 and 2001), is from Mississippi (Bay St. Louis). If Stanford could recruit more players of that caliber from the state of Mississippi, you can bet that we would love to play the Rebels in football. --StanmanMark

Stanford has never scheduled a regular-season football game against an SEC school (other than Tulane when it was in the SEC). I don't expect Stanford to schedule an SEC school in football, except perhaps Vanderbilt.--terry2

IMHO, Mississippi women tend to be absolutely gorgeous! That would be great if we played you guys, but only if you bring the girls! --Ingin

I would love for Stanford to play you or any SEC team in the future. The reason Stanford won't in football is that a game against an SEC team would decimate the Stanford squad. We might be able to play one game against an SEC team, but then we wouldn't have any healthy bodies left for the rest of the season. --ajpaly

(4)What do you think about the SEC in general?

love those cheerleaders--StanmanMark

Lots of "football factory" schools.--terry2

Let's be honest here, the SEC is the toughest football conference in the nation. They beat up on each other. It's also a very good baseball conference (LSU won 3 or 4 straight CWS recently) and an underrated basketball conference (Florida the past two years and LSU in Final 4 two years ago). --ajpaly

(5) Have you ever visited Oxford on game day? If yes, what was your experience? If no, what have you heard about our gameday experience?

never been but I hear that the gameday experience involves copious amounts of alcohol; since SEC teams play many games in the evening, this allows more time to get drunk and disorderly before the game. Got to have something to do to divert from the performance on the field (definitely something in common with Stanford).--StanmanMark

No, but I've heard the tailgating is good.--terry2

Never have, but heard great things. I'd like to visit, but not during the hot and humid season. I guess that's why you have a lot of night games.--ajpaly


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