The Cotton Bowl

When Houston Nutt took over as the head coach at Ole Miss, he asked his new team, "How many of you have ever played in a bowl game?"

Not one single player raised his hand. Not one single player on that team had ever been to a bowl game. It was true. The last time Ole Miss had appeared in any bowl game was back when Eli Manning still played there. The SEC considered Ole Miss to be one of the sorry teams of the conference. Nevertheless, Nutt promised his team that if they would work with him, if they would do what he asked them to do, he would get them to a bowl game this year. They believed him. They did what he asked, and he kept his promise.

Once the team became bowl eligible, Nutt kept them motivated by telling them, "The more you win, the warmer it'll be." By the end of regular season play, speculation had the Rebels in the Cotton Bowl.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

When the Bowl selections were announced, speculation proved correct. Ole Miss would indeed be playing in the Cotton Bowl.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

But then, the entire state of Mississippi groaned. Who had decided this? Who had determined that the #20, 8-4, relatively unknown Jevan Snead led Ole Miss Rebels needed to face

Texas Tech

#8

11-1

Graham Harrell

(Photo By Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

in the Cotton Bowl?

It just didn't seem fair. It made one wonder how these matchups were determined. This one certainly favored Texas Tech. Everyone expected them to win. Everyone expected Ole Miss to get absolutely slaughtered in this game. No one expected them to be anything but pathetic against this team who had spent most of the season in the top ten. No one expected

47-34

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

And with that decisive victory over a team which had once been considered a national title contender, with a quarterback who had once been considered a Heisman trophy contender, the Ole Miss Rebels have declared themselves to be sorry no more.

They are a team that must be taken seriously.

Even without Eli Manning.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

.