McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts presented by Harry Alexander

1. Ole Miss has played four games this season, including three against ranked opponents.

Allow me to draw a really elementary conclusion.

This season is going to be decided by turnovers.

One, Ole Miss has already faced the best defense it will see all year (Alabama), and no one’s stopping the Rebels’ passing game except Ole Miss. When the Rebels minimize turnovers like they did on Saturday in their 45-14 rout of Georgia, they’re going to be very difficult to beat.

Why did Ole Miss lose on Labor Day night to Florida State? Turnovers. Why did Ole Miss lose to Alabama eight days ago? Turnovers. Make the turnovers even in both of those games and Ole Miss is likely sitting at 4-0, a major threat to advance to the College Football Playoff.

Ole Miss’ defense has created touchdowns in its last two games, getting a fumble recovery for a touchdown by John Youngblood against Alabama and then an interception returned for a touchdown by Derrick Jones against Georgia. Win the turnover battle going forward _ or just be even in that category _ and this season is going to be special in Oxford.

Chad Kelly’s that good. His receiver corps is diverse and dangerous. The offensive line is getting better and left tackle Greg Little is only going to improve as the season progresses. Bottom line: When Ole Miss doesn’t give the ball away, it produces points in bunches. The Rebels put up 43 against Alabama and stopped at 45 against Georgia.

Protect the football and Ole Miss could go on a serious run. There’s no team left on the Rebels’ schedule they can’t defeat.

2. I have to give Hugh Freeze and his coaching staff a ton of credit. Last week was one of the more impressive coaching jobs I’ve seen.

It would have been tempting for the Rebels to feel sorry for themselves after the 48-43 loss to top-ranked Alabama, one that saw Ole Miss blow a 21-point lead and then run out of time in the fourth quarter. Just 12 days after blowing a 22-point lead against Florida State, with injuries piling up, no one could have been shocked if Ole Miss had lost its edge and been a bit flat against Georgia.

Instead, Freeze delivered the truth to his team immediately after the loss to Alabama. Every play, he said, had to be treasured. A game, he said, can be impacted on any given play. In other words, cut out the mental lapses and Ole Miss could beat anyone. It certainly appeared on Saturday afternoon that the Rebels listened to their coach.

Other observations from Ole Miss 45, Georgia 14:

A. Jaylon Jones and Jalen Julius really stepped up for Ole Miss’ defensive secondary. Those guys are growing up fast.

B. Derrick Jones was once considered an NFL prospect at cornerback. However, Jones’ heart was on offense. Ole Miss is loaded at wide receiver; the Rebels desperately need Jones at corner. He was very good Saturday, and if he can be a contributor there, he can play a big role for this Ole Miss team.

C. Detric Bing-Dukes had seven tackles in his first Ole Miss start. He gives the Rebels some size and athleticism at linebacker, allowing DeMarquis Gates (9 tackles) to play his more natural position.

D. Garrald McDowell had four tackles, a forced fumble and a quarterback sack Saturday. He’s been slower to develop than some of his classmates, but that was a strong sign for the Rebels.

E. Deontay Anderson had four tackles. He’s going to be a star.

F. D’Vaughn Pennamon had six carries for 37 yards and a touchdown on Saturday. I liked what I saw. He gives the Rebels a dimension in the backfield that they lost when Eric Swinney went down with a knee injury in the opener.

G. I wrote in this space a week that A.J. Brown was forcing his way into the rotation. Yep. Four catches for 46 yards against Georgia later, I think he’s about to be a huge part of Ole Miss’ passing attack.

I saw some Georgia bloggers and such, in the midst of some salty butthurt, launch into the accusations about Ole Miss’ “meteoric” rise to football prominence. I’ll be short: This is Freeze’s fifth year. He’s won 7, then 8, then 9 and then 10 games in those first four years. I went to ULM, so advanced math isn’t my cup of tea, but that progress appears to be, I don’t know, kind of incremental more than meteoric. Further, UGA blogosphere, the Bulldogs’ recruiting classes are always ranked higher than Ole Miss’ under Freeze (and everyone else). Just saying.

3. Georgia coach Kirby Smart suffered his first loss as a head coach on Saturday. After the game, at least according to the game book published by Ole Miss’ media relations staff, Smart was asked if he expected Georgia to beat the Rebels. His answer, I thought, was interesting.

“I expected our team to come out and fight and play well,” Smart said “You never believe you are going to play like that. I think that we did not respond well when they had success. Yet every other game so far we have responded. We did not get away with some things defensively that we had in the past. They made the plays down the field when they had to. Let’s give their quarterback credit. We got two sacks. He breaks off of them. One for a touchdown, the other I think he threw for a first down or ran the ball for a first down.

“They made plays when we did not. As far as the culture of the team or expecting it be like that, I don’t even think about that because I don’t think about the past. I am thinking about the future and how we can get this team now ready for the next game. It is disappointing to be in a big game like this and have a let down. We’ve got to put our lids in a better situation to be successful. That is offensive coaches, defensive coaches and me, the head coach. How can our team be successful? We got to figure that out.”

Smart’s opening comments were interesting as well. It’s clear the Bulldogs knew Ole Miss was going to be a serious test, and internally, Saturday’s game was one the UGA staff had pointed to as a chance to take their program to another level.

“Well obviously I am very disappointed in our performance,” Smart said. “I am in charge of the organization, the entire team and the coaching staff. We did not do very good job today. You’ve got to give Ole Miss credit first. They came out ready to play. I thought their quarterback did really well. He had some big plays, hit some big throws and we didn’t make some plays early and it snowballed from there after the pick six. It was tough sledding.

“I thought the kids competed. Once we got behind we didn’t do a good job of trying to get back in it. That is the most disappointed thing. What a tremendous atmosphere to play in and we did not respond the right way, but we will move forward. This team will come back and fight. I can promise you they will show up and give an ‘A’ effort next week. It is frustrating because this is the opportunity we had been looking for. This is obviously the best team we have played and we didn’t perform well.”

4. Backup quarterback Jason Pellerin saw extensive action Saturday, completing two of five passes for 11 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Pellerin also rushed four times for 15 yards, including a 9-yard run in the first half when he came in as the quarterback in the Rebels’ jumbo package. Pellerin talked about his day after the game.

5. Up next for Ole Miss: unbeaten Memphis.

The Tigers have wins over Southeast Missouri State, Kansas and Bowling Green.

Sports56 (WHBQ-Memphis) broadcaster Greg Gaston was at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Saturday morning before heading back to Memphis to see the Tigers blow out Bowling Green that evening. I asked him for his thoughts in advance of Saturday’s showdown in Oxford.

“Memphis and Ole Miss were at the top of their games this past Saturday,” Gaston said. “I was very impressed with both teams. There is no question the Rebels have had this week’s game circled for some time.

“With that said, the Tigers are coming into Oxford very confident, and after last season’s result, far from intimidated.

“The result in Memphis last year took many by surprise, myself included, but the most compelling thing to me was the Tigers’ physicality. Saturday in Oxford will be a lot of fun. I love when these regional rivals get together. Of course, it doesn’t have the importance of a conference game, but it still has significance.

“I think the battle to watch is the Ole Miss defensive front versus the Memphis offensive line. The Tigers have capable runners and a strong-armed newcomer at quarterback, but the Rebels’ defense is a scary proposition.

“I can’t underestimate this Tigers squad, led by exciting first-year head coach Mike Norvell, but I think the Rebels and Chad Kelly will learn from last season and will win this go-round.”

6. Here are my SEC rankings as we turn to October:

1. Alabama – The Tide is rolling, and they’ve already beaten the best team on their schedule.

2. Texas A&M – Major props are due Kevin Sumlin, Noel Mazzone, Trevor Knight and Co. They rolled Arkansas in the fourth quarter Saturday.

3. Tennessee – It pains me to say it, for that fan base is despicable on Twitter, but the Volunteers were awfully impressive in the second half Saturday against Florida.

4. Ole Miss – If the Rebels could have a couple of plays back, they might be No. 1 in the country right now. Of course, that’s not how it works.

5. Florida – The Gators are going to be fine, but they’ll rue Saturday for weeks to come.

6. Arkansas – Just a gut feeling: The Hogs are going to pull off a really big win at some point this season. Austin Allen is one tough son of a gun.

7. Auburn – The Tigers have a great defense and a great kicker. In a watered down SEC (and it is), that might be enough to be respectable.

8. LSU – Tom Herman or Jimbo Fisher? It’s going to be an expensive holiday season in Baton Rouge. Buyouts, buyouts and more buyouts.

9. Georgia – Exposed. Humbled. Now the Bulldogs have to face Tennessee.

10. Missouri – Drew Lock is a solid quarterback and the Tigers are OK on defense. Don’t be shocked if they give LSU a run Saturday.

11. Mississippi State – There are ugly losses coming for the Bulldogs. The end of the season is going to be embarrassing.

12. Kentucky – The Wildcats won at South Carolina amid all sorts of rumors about Mark Stoops’ future in Lexington.

13. Vanderbilt – Give the Commodores credit, I suppose: At this point, an overtime win at Western Kentucky is an accomplishment.

14. South Carolina – Woof.

7. This is probably the first week these look remotely feasible, but it’s still crazy early. Anyway, here are my weekly bowl projections for SEC clubs:

College Football Playoff at Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl – Alabama

Allstate Sugar Bowl – Texas A&M

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl – Tennessee

Outback Bowl – Ole Miss

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl – Arkansas

Taxslayer Bowl – Florida

Autozone Liberty Bowl – Auburn

Advocare V100 Texas Bowl – Missouri

Belk Bowl – Georgia

Birmingham Bowl – No SEC team qualifies

Camping World Independence Bowl – No SEC team qualifies

*Note – Yes, I’m forecasting a losing season for LSU at this point.

8. If I had a top 25 ballot, here’s mine this week:

1. Alabama

2. Houston

3. Louisville

4. Michigan

5. Ohio State

6. Clemson

7. Texas A&M

8. Stanford

9. Tennessee

10. Wisconsin

11. Washington

12. Baylor

13. Miami

14. Florida State

15. Nebraska

16. Ole Miss

17. Utah

18. San Diego State

19. Arkansas

20. Michigan State

21. Florida

22. TCU

23. Texas

24. Georgia

25. Boise State

9. Ole Miss picked up a commitment from Union City, Tenn., guard Parker Stewart on Friday and then entertained Philadelphia-area forward Clifton Moore over the weekend. I saw Stewart in Oxford this summer, and he can really shoot it from the outside. He'll get the green light when its his turn in Oxford, and that was certainly part of the appeal to Stewart when he was making his final decision.

“After seeing other schools and other schools just recruiting me and building relationships with me, I just thought Ole Miss was the best fit for me," Stewart said. "How they play, the system and everyone at Ole Miss, I just felt that was where I wanted to be.

“I think they’ll have a super good season this season, and I think we can be good the whole time I’m there. Coach (Andy Kennedy) has always had success, and also one thing I look at is almost every single year he has either a point guard or shooting guard that’s All-SEC. That’s the position I play, so that’s huge, too.

"(Kennedy) told me he wants to play me at the one and the two. He thinks I can create plays at the one and score at the one, and he thinks I can play the two because I can shoot. That will help me get a whole lot of shots — coming off screens, running the floor and hitting open shots. ...I’m known for shooting the ball. That’s probably my biggest strength, but I can also create plays for others and get everyone involved. And I’ve got pretty good size for my position.”

Stewart chose Ole Miss over Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas State and others.

“I enjoyed the process, but I’m kind of happy it’s over so I can focus on my senior season and try to win a championship," Stewart said.

10. I started playing with this column on Saturday night. I was thinking ahead to next week’s 10 Thoughts as well, thinking I would dedicate a couple of thoughts to Major League Baseball via postseason predictions and awards.

I was thinking about who I would vote for if I had a vote for National League Cy Young. I’m a Cubs fan, and it’s difficult to put that bias aside. I thought about Jon Lester, who has been dominant in the second half of the season. I thought about his Cubs teammate, Kyle Hendricks, who has brought back memories of Greg Maddux this season. I considered Washington’s Max Scherzer, Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw and San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner.

However, my thoughts kept going back to Miami’s Jose Fernandez. I watched a lot of his start Tuesday against Washington, and he was incredible, striking out 12 in eight scoreless innings. This season, he was 16-8 with a 2.86 earned run average. He struck out 253 hitters in 182.1 innings pitched. When he was on, he was magnificent.

Fernandez died early Sunday, one of three victims of a boating accident. He was just 24 years old.

I immediately thought of my friend, Dan Jennings, the former general manager and then manager of the Marlins. Jennings, now holding a spot in the Washington Nationals’ front office, was on the West Coast when he heard the news Sunday morning.

“Outside of Randy Johnson, I thought he was the most competitive person I ever saw on the pitching mound,” Jennings said in an interview with MLB Network Radio Sunday morning. “I loved his zest and his energy for life and the way he treated people. We’re all fortunate to be in and around this game and there are certain lights that shine brighter than others. It’s the way they embrace the game and their position in the game. Jose was that guy.”

Jennings has known Fernandez more than eight years and had developed strong relationships with the pitcher’s family.

“It crushes me,” Jennings said. “We’ve always had a very close relationship. My wife used to joke all the time that we had a fourth son and that was Jose. I loved the kid. I loved everything about him. Being in the dugout with him and watching his interactions with his teammates, he just had a knack of lightening up a room. He made everyone feel good. He was that guy who could break silent moments and lift people up when they were down. He truly was a throwback.”

Here are some other links of interest to me _ and hopefully to you _ for your reading enjoyment:

LSU commitments and recruits gave their reaction to Les Miles' firing Sunday.

Miles was fired, ESPN's Chris Low said, due to his stubbornness on the offensive side of the ball.

When I think of Jose Fernandez, I always think about this story.

Finally recovered from his ACL injury, Utah's Dante Exum is back with fire.

How Kevin Garnett's fire and intensity changed the NBA.

I'm a Hilton whore, but most sportswriters love Marriott more than anything.

Where do things stand in Big 12 expansion talks? Hint: It's never going to happen.

Modern technology unlocks secrets of a damaged Biblical scroll.

Why "natural" farms are taking over the Northeast.

Mike Wise: Penn State doesn't get to determine Joe Paterno's legacy.

Cellphone emergency alerts are outdated.

Football is the way of life for Phil Steele.