McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by Harry Alexander
1. It's game week.
Effective today, I don't have to write the date (Sept. 26) or use the word "next" when referring to Ole Miss' upcoming game.
Ole Miss entertains Florida Saturday at 11 a.m.
This Saturday.
Barring some sort of a COVID-19 setback, Ole Miss plays Saturday. The year 2020 has been crazy, so that sentence, at least to me, is quite comforting.
I don't know what it'll look like. I don't know what it'll sound like. I don't really know what our coverage will look like. I'm as tired of hearing about "unprecedented times" as the rest of you, but this is the first time in my career that I have no real coverage plan for a team I'm covering six days prior to the opener.
I've kind of lost count, what with several years as a columnist when I wasn't technically on a beat, but I think this is my 22nd year on a beat. It's the only one in which I didn't see a single preseason snap. I've covered Auburn, Ole Miss, the New Orleans Saints and Alabama (as an August fill-in while the newspaper filled the post) as a beat writer during August. I always had a pretty solid clue what was coming for that team when the opening kickoff rolled around.
I don't have that with this Ole Miss team. There's a new coaching coaching staff that didn't have a spring, didn't have a regular preseason and had to deal with a pandemic that led to long absences from practices. That pandemic meant no access for media at all.
So, who knows? I sure don't. We'll start to get an idea on Saturday.
And yes, it feels really nice to say those words.
2. Earlier this preseason, Ole Miss' offensive linemen got hit a bit by COVID-19. It might have been a bit of a blessing in disguise, as the Rebels are feeling good about their depth on front.
"Just this last week, we've gotten a few guys back and the numbers are getting back to what we need them to be," Ole Miss offensive lineman Jeremy James said. "I think we have 10 or 11 guys this year that can play whenever we needed them to."
James said he's been working mainly at right guard this preseason, though he's gotten some work in at right tackle. That versatility, James said, has been a calling card of Ole Miss' offensive line throughout the preseason.
"I think it's more important this year than it has been," James said. "I'm excited about it. I think this group is going to be really special this year. What's kind of cool is each of us could play two, maybe three, positions if we needed to. I just think this is a special group."
3. Jamar Richardson committed to Ole Miss in 2017.
He'll finally make his Rebels debut this weekend.
"I'm just excited to play," Richardson said. "It's been since I committed in 2017. I'm just excited to play. It's still football at the end of the day."
The 5-foot-11, 175 defensive back from Aliceville, Ala., didn't qualify out of high school. Instead, he spent two seasons at Jones County (Miss.) Junior College before signing with Ole Miss in 2019. Richardson had high hopes to play immediately once he arrived at Ole Miss, but that didn't happen. Instead, he redshirted.
"Last year was kind of difficult for me," Richardson said. "Coming out of JUCO, I expected to play but I didn't. It helped me grow as a person."
Richardson said he eventually accepted his fate in 2019, got in the weight room and refined his technique. A year later, Richardson said, he is "thankful" things worked out the way they did. He even gets a bonus of sorts from the craziness of COVID. The NCAA determined earlier this summer players won't use a year of eligibility in 2020 whether they play or not.
"It gave me a year to work my craft and an extra year to play football," Richardson said. "It helped me out. I'm glad I redshirted. Now I get two more years to play if I wanted to. I'm really thankful for that too."
4. When he arrived at Ole Miss three years ago, Tariqious Tisdale was the pup on a veteran defensive line.
Now, Tisdale is one of the few proven elements on the Rebels' defensive front, a group that is widely considered a weakness going into the 2020 season.
"We really just try to keep all the outside noise away," Tisdale said. "We let it go in one ear and out the other and focus on the bigger picture."
Tisdale recorded 33 tackles in 2018 and another 28 last fall. He'll be counted on this fall to be far more productive, all the while providing versatility and leadership up front.
"I've had a very good camp," Tisdale said. "I've been working on my ball get-off, my pass rush, things that could've really helped me the past two seasons."
Tisdale said he's mostly worked at defensive end this preseason, adding he bumps down to defensive tackle on passing downs. Teammates Ryder Anderson and Quentin Bivens are doing the same thing.
"Our whole group as a whole has grown and come a long way from Day One," Tisdale said. "In my eyes, they all bring different attributes to the table."
One huge lift for the defensive line came late during the preseason when Sam Williams was cleared to rejoin the team after charges against him were dismissed. Now, six days before the season begins, Tisdale believes the Rebels' defensive line can be a strength this season.
Sam brings great energy," Tisdale said. "He's a great athlete. Having him back is a huge thing for our defense as a whole. We all know what he brings to the table. ...The more we do up front, the more it helps on the back end."
5. Over the last few weeks, I've taken you around the league with notes and such from Rivals.com. Today, most of the proverbial hay is in the proverbial barn, so here are my predictions for the SEC West:
1. Alabama
2. Auburn
3. LSU
4. Texas A&M
5. Ole Miss
6. Mississippi State
7. Arkansas
6. I've also brought you notes and such from the SEC East over these past few weeks in this space. Today, I'm ready to make my predictions for the other division.
1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Kentucky
4. Tennessee
5. South Carolina
6. Missouri
7. Vanderbilt
7. I could never have an Associated Press Top 25 ballot, now with my level of bias and as evidenced by the fact I included Navy on my list a week ago. So, bullet dodged. However, if I had a ballot, mine would look like this this week:
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida
5. Georgia
6. Notre Dame
7. Miami
8. Auburn
9. Texas
10. LSU
11. Texas A&M
12. UCF
13. North Carolina
14. Kentucky
15. Tennessee
16. BYU
17. Cincinnati
18. Virginia Tech
19. Army
20. Memphis
21. Pittsburgh
22. Louisiana-Lafayette
23. Marshall
24. Oklahoma State
25. SMU
8. One thing is fast becoming apparent: Kermit Davis really likes his team.
Davis talked to the media via Zoom earlier this week, hours after it was announced practices could begin Oct. 14 and games could begin Nov. 25.
Davis very clearly likes this team's grit. He likes its character, its versatility.
"This team reminds me a lot of the work habits that we had with some of our really, really good teams at Middle (Tennessee)," said Davis, who spent 16 seasons in Murfreesboro before being hired at Ole Miss. "I'm not trying to compare talent and all that stuff. I'm just talking about coming to the gym every day with 10 or 11 or a deeper team. The competition is very good at a lot of the spots."
-- Davis continues to praise Oxford native/transfer guard Jarkel Joiner.
"He's been unbelievable," Davis said. "I've been in it a long time and I don't know that I've ever had a guy that is as serious about basketball as he is. His leadership is off the chart. He comes in with that same smile and bounce every single day. I just think it's going to equate to a really good year for Jarkel.
"He and Devontae (Shuler) and KJ (Buffen), those three guys are really taking really good leadership roles with our team."
Davis said Joiner is working at point guard some, freeing Shuler to work more at his natural off-ball position.
-- Davis said Terence Davis' success as a rookie in the NBA -- the Toronto guard was named second-team All-Rookie last week -- has helped the program on the recruiting trail. Terence Davis was in town last week and spent time with the Ole Miss coaching staff.
"We've sold that a bunch," Kermit Davis said.
-- Davis said Rider transfer Dimencio Vaughn arrived in Oxford in August. Vaughn came in "heavy," but Davis said he's lost 10-15 pounds already and is just now getting into full-scale team activities.
"He's tough," Davis said. "He plows right through fatigue in conditioning. Great, great attitude. He's one of the loud voices in the gym. It looks like he can really, really shoot it. He's just trying to get himself in shape as much as he can. He's been terrific. I can't wait to see the full force of him."
-- Davis said Ole Miss has applied for an eligibility waiver for Samford transfer Robert Allen. The NCAA requested more information and that's being processed now. Davis said he hopes to hear word regarding Allen's eligibility in a week to 10 days.
-- Davis continued to praise Austin Crowley and Sammy Hunter. Crowley has changed his body through the summer.
"They're just more mature," Davis said. "They know what to expect. Their attention in the weight room is so much better. Both of those guys have done really good."
-- Davis said Shon Robinson is starting to gain weight after a setback due to tonsil surgery.
-- Luis Rodriguez, who had an injury -plagued year last season, is leading Ole Miss in rebounds during practice work.
"His toughness has stood out," Davis said. "He has no effect at all from either injury. He's full-speed. His weight is good, about 208-210."
9. It's time to eat, and with that in mind, here's Burton Webb with Taste of the Place, Lesson 54 — Chicken Salad Sandwiches.
I really enjoy southern staple. It has such a wide variety of used from on a salad, in a sandwich, fried, and with ritz or saltine crackers. There might be a few more that I am missing. Yet, these are my top ones. Now when it comes to what is actually in the chicken salad, that is a different story entirely.
The only way you can find chicken salad in Paris, is to make it at home. With the football season just right around the corner, let’s get into a little appetizer for you.
Tidbit #1: For me, chunky chicken salad is not the route to go. Once you have boiled the chicken, you have two options. If you prefer a more shredded chicken in your salad, you will need to pull the chicken apart into long pieces as it is still warm after you take it from the water. For the second method, it is slicing the chicken thinly once the chicken has cooled down in the refrigerator for 2 hours after cooking.
Tidbit #2: I like to mix all of my “sauces” in a separate bowl first. Then I will pour this over the chicken, vegetables, herbs, fruits, and pecans.
Tidbit #3: The grapes should always be added as the last step to this recipe. If you add them before this, the colour will bleed into the chicken salad. This will result in a violet/grey colour that may look unappetizing for yourself.
Things you will need:
4-6 People
5 Hours preparation time (cooling down time)
A Glass of sweet tea
Equipment needed:
1 Work surface with a chef’s knife
1 Large cooking pot with lid
1 Pair of tongs
1 Side Plate
2 Medium mixing bowls
1 Rubber Spatula
1 Metal Whisk
1 Fork
Measuring cups of 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 tbsp, and 1 tsp
1 Stove top
1 Oven
1 Baking tray
Ingredients needed:
4 Chicken Breast
1 Cup small chopped pecans
3 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 Cup small diced red onion
1.5 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tsp salt
1 Tsp white pepper
1 Cup mayo
2 Tbsp grain mustard
2 Celery stalks diced small
2 Cups sliced red grapes (seedless)
1 Tbsp Sriracha (optional)
1 Chicken bouillon
2 Garlic cloves
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Package Hawaiian Rolls (24)
2 Tbsp of butter
Sliced pickles (24)
Sliced Swiss cheese (12)
Directions:
Step 1: Add water to the cooking pot with the chicken bouillon, garlic cloves, and 1 pinch of salt. Add your chicken breast. Turn the heat to medium and bring to a soft boil. Continue to cook for 15 minutes. Pull the chicken from the water using your tongs and set on the side plate. Consult “tidbit 1” for your preferred way of using the chicken in the salad.
Step 1.2: Dice all of your vegetables and add to one of the mixing bowls along with the chopped pecans.
Step 1.3: In the other mixing bowl, add the mayo, mustard, oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar. Use the whisk to combine.
Step 2: Add your chicken sliced or pulled to the mixing bowl with the veggies. Use your hands to mix everything together. Add all the contents of the other mixing bowl to this one and make sure to use the rubber spatula to get all of the sauce. Mix with your hands.
Step 3: Add your sliced grapes to the mixing bowl and gently mix with your hands. Taste with the fork and adjust if need be for the salt and pepper. Place in the fridge for 3 hours to let the flavours marinate.
Step 4: Slice the entire package of bread rolls in half. Butter the inside and top of the rolls. Place in the oven and cook at 350 degrees until toasted, around 8 minutes.
Step 5: Assembled the sandwiches with the Swiss cheese on the bottom, followed by the chicken salad, sriracha or tabasco sauce, and the slice of pickle. Then you eat as many as you want haha. Very easy sandwich for you and yours! From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We'll have coverage of game-week, as Ole Miss prepares for Saturday's showdown with Florida, starting with Monday's media opportunity. We'll also be covering Ole Miss recruiting, fall baseball and more. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
Feldman: When is it realistic for the Pac-12 to start playing football?
Here are some initial thoughts on the Big Ten's decision to return to play on Oct. 24.
Inside Joe Davis’ rare college football-to-baseball broadcasting doubleheader – The Athletic
Steelers Players Not Required to Support Antwon Rose Today – OutKick
Theo Epstein would be perfect for Steve Cohen’s Mets: Sherman