College Football Odyssey started in earnest on Thanksgiving night in 2000 on a rainy night in Oxford Mississippi. That Ole Miss was playing archrival, Mississippi State, added spice but so many other highlights energized us into getting to all the FBS campuses for a game based on that rainy evening in Oxford. The 10-acre tent city that is called The Grove provides a friendly, surreal backdrop to an Ole Miss home game. The magic of the Grove was supplemented by pirouetting cheerleaders on a bandstand, a wonderful small town, the band playing Dixie and some crazy, crazy fight song with “Hotty Toddy” in it.
On Saturday, the Odyssey paid its sixth visit to Ole Miss to see Oklahoma limping to town for the first regular season tilt between the 2 schools. The Sooners offense has been MIA this year due to injuries, disappointing QB play and a sieve of an offensive line. Offensive coordinator, Seth Littrell, paid the ultimate price last week and was replaced by Joe Jon Finley. take a bow, Billy Bob,er, Joe Jon! The change worked as OU’s offense returned from the dead in the first half, garnering 16 first downs, 234 yards and a 14-10 lead at the break.
Coaching is paramount in football as Indiana and Michigan will tell you in 2024 – Indiana happily and Michigan not so much. For one half, take a bow Mr. Finley. The Odyssey was intrigued by how much former 5-star hot shot, Jackson Arnold, ran the ball. We wondered to ourselves if QB’s repeatedly putting themselves in harm’s way would upset their family and the player’s agent in our moneycentric age. Arnold would be credited with 24 carries, although 10 were bogus, due to sacks (primarily in the 4th quarter when OU was playing catchup).
Both the Rebel D and their QB Jaxon Dart, were exceptional in the 2nd half as the Rebels clawed back to win 26-14. Dart was 22 for 30 for 311 yards against the vaunted Sooner D.
The Rebels need to win out to have any shot for the playoff. Going to Fayetteville this week and hosting Georgia on November 9 will be severely testing.
Every time, the Odyssey visits Oxford, we feel we are in heaven. In our quarter century of scouring college campuses, our opinion in 2000 remains unchanged. The Ole Miss experience is unmatched.