In a storied history that spans 62 games, with the earliest record in 1907 in which Alabama shutout Mississippi 20-0, the two fabled SEC programs will have a date Saturday night in Alabama that favors Ole Miss by 55 percent, according to ESPN FPI’s index.
Regardless of the dynamic season Alabama running back Derrick Henry is posting, the Ole Miss defense, featuring two-touchdown man, Piesman Trophy candidate and defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, will prove a difficult one to puncture if Alabama wishes to re-write history.
What that history is a mere coincidence, but a factoid Ole Miss fans surely won’t mind playing with as Alabama is 0-3 versus schools that begin with the letter “O.”
Oklahoma started that trend in 2013 when Alabama was defeated by the Sooners in the national championship game that year, later followed by losses to Ole Miss and Ohio State in 2014.
The aforementioned stat’s credibility is reversed, however, when the College GameDay bus is in Tuscaloosa, which has made seven appearances and Alabama has pulled away with a win five-of-seven times.
Lee Corso is 16-7 in his headgear picks when picking Alabama
Alabama is 5-2 under Nick Saban with @CollegeGameDay in town
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 19, 2015
Numbers remain on Alabama’s side in terms of the rarity Ole Miss experiences in winning back-to-back contests against Alabama, which hasn’t occurred since 1894.
Ole Miss hasn’t beaten Alabama on road since 1988 and has NEVER won consecutive meetings with the Crimson Tide since series began in 1894
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 19, 2015
If history is anything but truthful and Derrick Henry isn’t bothered by shouldering Alabama’s offense for a majority of the game, Alabama should come out as marginal victors, so that the Tuscaloosa faithful hasn’t something good to cheers about in post-game festivities.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
