4) Mississippi - The Rebels tied Florida State for tackles for a loss in 2008 with 112. Even better, nearly the entire defensive front returns for Ole Miss, including DE Greg Hardy who will once again be in contention for All-American accolades. Despite missing four games recovering from preseason foot surgery, Hardy was able to find his way to the quarterback 8.5 times in 2008. The Rebels return plenty of experience at linebacker and in the secondary to suggest a repeat of last year's stellar defensive performance is on the horizon. Nutt’s boys are also one of seven teams to play two Div-1AA teams in 2009. While the Rebs should be embarrassed for putting together such a pathetic schedule, that shouldn't stop you from sticking them in your starting lineup. Last year we were high on the Rebels’ offense, this year it's the defensive unit's turn.
Tier: D1 Returning Starters: 8 EOS: 1
2009 Projections (per game): 16.2 pts agst, 189.7 pass yards agst, 73.1 rush yards agst, 3.5 sacks, 2.0 turnovers, 0.4 Def TDs