Are your Georgia Bulldogs hosting a top five opponent with a prolific offense and looking not to get blown out of their own building in the first quarter? Then you could probably use a drink. I can help you with that.
Georgia’s struggles in the early going followed by heroic second half comebacks have been exhilarating, but exhausting. In Alabama the Dawgs have already run into one opponent to whom they could not spot a big first half lead and then catch up. In Ole Miss, many Bulldog fans feel they have found
another.
That may well be true. But I have some suspicions about the Rebs. Sure, Lane Kiffin has a reputation as a fearsome play caller. And he’s got a history of putting up points against Kirby Smart’s defenses, including as recently as last season in Oxford. If you feel a sense of foreboding heading into this game, you could certainly be forgiven.
But, and hear me out, what if this Ole Miss team isn’t quite what it’s cracked up to be? Ole Miss is undefeated and ranked #4 in the nation. They boast the #5 ranked offense in the nation. But take a deeper look at the Rebels’ six wins. In addition to last week’s 24-21 squeaker against Washington State, Ole Miss has beaten Kentucky 30-23, Arkansas 41-35, and LSU 24-19. Winning big over Georgia State and Tulane just ain’t gonna wash those SEC close calls out of my mind.
This Ole Miss team is 12th in the SEC in total defense and 14th in rushing defense. The “Landshark” defense gave up 172 yards on the ground to Kentucky and an eye-popping 221 yards rushing to Arkansas. All of which says to me that they’re begging for the Georgia Bulldogs to run the dang ball and keep Trinidad Chambless and the Rebel offense off the field.
I have a fleeting suspicion that this Ole Miss team may not be all its lofty ranking implies. It may be, dare I even say it, a bit overrated.
And I can think of only one beverage to enjoy while watching an overrated Ole Miss get the comeuppance it has coming in Athens.
A Landshark lager.
It’s an “island lager”, which I’m not sure is a real thing. Of course it’s the brainchild of Margaritaville Brewing, founded by native Mississippian and Southern Miss alum Jimmy Buffett, himself notoriously overrated as a musician (albeit underrated as a shrewd businessman).And it is overrated as a libation.
It is Corona for people too cheap to actually buy Corona. I don’t know if there is a Purgatory. And I don’t know if they have elevators there if there is a Purgatory. And I don’t know if the elevators in Purgatory play Muzak versions of John Tesh songs. But I’m pretty sure that if you’re in purgatory and you get stuck in an elevator listening to Muzak versions of John Tesh songs for all eternity one of your fellow poor souls would offer you a Landshark, the neither fish nor foul of overrated American beers. The Ole Miss of American beers.
Go ‘Dawgs!!!
