Said win was followed up in short order by fairly impressive, in the Colonel's not so humble opinion, wins over Texas A&M and Tennessee.
As a result, the Colonel's Rebels have occupied the loftiest poll perch in the Colonel's remembrance for two weeks running.
The Colonel has been breathing deeply -- the air at the top is rarefied and rarely inhaled by Rebel Nation.
The perch is precarious.
It's also meaningless until the end of the season.
But, oh how fun at the moment!
At the beginning of the season, Rebel Nation knew they had an improving team, but hopes were tempered by experience and an acute awareness of the combat power of the neighbors in the SEC.
The feeling was Ole Miss' year was coming -- we just didn't think it was this year.
The Colonel is still not sure this is the year.
Look, we obviously caught Alabama looking forward to Arkansas. And, A&M was obviously looking forward to their trip to Tuscaloosa.
While other coaches might have been tempted to overlook the next opponent and allow their teams to look too far ahead, Freeze, Wommack, and company have done an excellent job of keeping the team's focus in the moment.
The problem is the Colonel just ain't an "in the moment" kind of guy. He frets over the future of everything.
Over his morning coffee, the Colonel frets about what's for lunch.
On Mondays, the Colonel frets about what he'll get done by the end of the day on Friday.
In the last week of January, the Colonel frets about whether he'll survive the hated month of February.
The Colonel frets. Period. Wait, what is the Colonel gonna write next?
It's not a fearful fretting, mind you.
When the Colonel frets, he runs countless possible scenarios over in his mind, each as equally capable of outstanding outcomes as they are fraught with disastrous downsides.
When it comes to Ole Miss football, however, it always seems that the potential for disaster far outweighs the chances of success.
So, with the most critical six weeks of the season ahead, and the Colonel's Rebels on the brink of the greatest season in two generations of long-suffering Rebel fans, the Colonel's football fretting is approaching critical mass.
To call the Colonel manic would be a clinical understatement.
One moment he's like all "Whooo hooo! Seven and O, baby! We're gonna play for championships!"
The next he's all, "Woe is me! We gotta go play the Corndogs at night in Tiger Stadium."
Then it gets better. "Wait, our defense could hold the Packers to two field goals. We'll beat LSU."
Then it gets worse. "Wait, what if 'Bama beats State, we lose to Auburn, and there's a three way tie for the West? Oh no, they'll give it to Alabama!"
Has the Colonel mentioned how much he hates Alabama?
And, don't even get the Colonel started on one-loss scenarios and the final four play-off selections...
Okay, Coach. The Colonel will apply what little self-discipline he has left and endeavor to stay in the moment.
Deep breaths.
One game at a time.
BEAT LSU!
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