They were walking in High Cotton....

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree didn’t want to be there, at all. Quarterback Graham Harrell was still fuming over the recent Heisman snub. Center Stephen Hamby was looking to throw haymakers to the face because, well, he likes to punch people and has the personal fouls to prove it. Head coach Mike Leach continued to relay the Ole Miss Rebels were much better than records indicate. Did I say pirate collection? Arr matey. All of the above are apart of the dysfunctional family we call the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

As you can imagine the well oiled machine, which earlier in the season defeated the top-ranked Texas Longhorns 39-33, looked anything but in the ATT Cotton Bowl this past Friday. Ask anyone and you are sure to receive the mirrored response, the Rebels had quite a bit to do with that.

On the final day the classic will be played at Fair Park, the Rebels outlasted the Red Raiders for the victory 47-34. Ole Miss scored practically every way imaginable. Had Marshay Green not stepped out of bounds, you could have added a punt return to the list of scores. This day belonged to Ole Miss and it was abundantly clear who the better team was.

As the score would indicate, the final game in historic Cotton Bowl Stadium was chock full of records. Many were made in the finale and look to hold true for years to come. The most glaring statistic you ask?
• Most Points, 81 (Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34)
Not to be forgotten, not one member on each team deserved the victory any more than the seniors on the Mississippi sideline. Marred with lackluster seasons the previous three years, 2008 will be the salve for the wound. It just so happened to come at the hands of the 8-ranked Red Raiders. Head coach Houston Nutt was not oblivious to this in the least. “This game was for the seniors. The hard work and effort they gave, no one is more deserving,” Nutt said. Truth be told, this could not have been accomplished without Houston Nutt roaming the sidelines. Any coach who can aid in supplying nine wins after inheriting a team with three wins in 2007 is a miracle worker.
To say the Rebels are back would be a bit premature. The recent recruiting season will aid in the efforts to reclaim a winning tradition. As many know, this Rebel team is loaded with juniors and will be seniors next fall. Recruiting should see an encouraging bump following the bowl win to set up for the 2009 season, a season top-heavy with SEC contenders at home. Next season should be fun for Ole Miss, one that could be remembered for the ages.
Houston Nutt was hired to reclaim glory in Oxford. He came in with a plan, implemented it and won. The question remains, can he continue the dominance with a bulls eye on his back? With the 2008 season being the foundation, you can only believe he can.