Philadelphia, PA -- (Sports Network) - 2007 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Ole Miss program clearly hit rock bottom in 2007, finishing with a 3-9 overall record, including losses in all eight of its SEC contests. After beating Memphis by two points in the opener, the Rebels suffered four consecutive defeats, and while they did play Florida tough, the other three losses during that stretch all came by wide margins. Then, after shutting out Louisiana Tech by a 24-0 final, Ole Miss was downed in succession by Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn. A narrow win over Northwestern State halted the slide, but the regular season was rounded out with setbacks against LSU and Mississippi State.

There were changes at the top during the offseason, as Houston Nutt steps in as the new head coach of the program. Nutt jumped ship from Arkansas, where it was obvious that his rather long and successful tenure needed to end for the satisfaction of both parties.

2008 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: Nutt will pin his hopes on the arm and legs of quarterback Jevan Snead, a transfer from the University of Texas. Snead has all of the physical skills to succeed, as he can make all of the throws and also uses his quick feet to both avoid the rush and pick up yardage. Despite the talent, Snead is not battle-tested, so it remains to be seen how he responds when the defenders that he is facing are not wearing Ole Miss jerseys.

Fortunately, he will be protected by four returning starters along the offensive line and has a strong collection of receivers to throw to. Shay Hodge may be the best of the bunch, as he is coming off a sophomore campaign that saw him make 43 catches for 593 yards and six touchdowns. Mike Wallace and Dexter McCluster are also strong performers who will get plenty of opportunities to shine.

Cordera Eason and a collection of talented freshmen will lead the ground attack, hoping to take some pressure off Snead. The Rebels finished 104th nationally in scoring a year ago and 91st in total offense. It would certainly be surprising if improvement wasn't made to those numbers. The fact is that the only proven commodity on the offensive side of the ball is lineman Michael Oher.

"We want him to be a little bit more dominant, a little bit more physical," says Coach Nutt of Oher. "But he has everything. He has all the tools, has the attitude."

DEFENSE: The biggest problem for the Ole Miss defense a year ago was its inability to stop the run. The Rebels ranked 101st nationally, allowing 199.1 ypg on the ground. With seven returning starters back on the defensive side of the ball, improvement seems only logical. There is a wealth of talent along the defensive line, and tackle Peria Jerry leads the charge after garnering All-SEC honors in 2007. Greg Hardy is another player to watch, as he racked up 10 sacks in only 10 games as a sophomore. If Hardy can stay focused on football, which is a major goal of Nutt and his staff, the standout defensive end could very well lead the SEC in sacks this season.

Among the linebackers, Ashlee Palmer posted 89 tackles as a junior and is looked upon as a leader. A playmaking linebacker, Palmer had three interceptions in addition to the tackles in 2007. In the defensive backfield, Jamarca Sanford has been a mainstay at strong safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS: While Justin Sparks did not have a tremendous average on his punts last season, he has proven capable of putting a great deal of hang time on the ball and also pinning the opposition inside the 20-yard line. He is back in the fold and figures to be a strength. As for the kicking duties, Joshua Shene regressed a bit as a sophomore after a strong freshman campaign, but he is certainly experienced and should be able to hold his own in 2008. Wallace and McCluster will likely double as kick and punt returners and are both capable of big plays.

OUTLOOK: After the winless SEC campaign in 2007, expectations are fairly low in Oxford. That is good news for Nutt and his staff, as they can build the program back up without the pressure of "win now" cries from the fans. This team will certainly win more than three games and will not be shut out in the league season, but any more than six wins would be extremely surprising.

"You know, to go in with no expectations or low expectations to me doesn't do much for me," says Nutt. "I mean, you want to set that level high." It is good to have high expectations, but they are unreachable at this point.