But don't be confused into thinking Ole Miss was very good on offense. They were somewhere between average and good on a per play basis and scored only 2.23 points per possession despite their success in the red zone and on third downs.
The defense was very good but not elite. Their opponent-adjusted EPA per rush was 12th best in the country, and they were 3rd best nationally by sacks on passing downs. This allowed them to keep opponents' drives fairly short - 5.5 plays per possession - ideal for their up-tempo style on offense.
Projection:
Ole Miss did a really good job of getting after the quarterback in 2012, and in 2013 they'll have another Nkemdiche, supposedly a better Nkemdiche, to help with that. Quarterback Bo Wallace is coming off surgery, but he'll have all the major pieces back on offense in 2013. Ole Miss was close to an A&M-style breakout in 2012; they could/should have won games against Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and LSU. They get another shot in 2013 against another scheduling gauntlet.
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