Mississippi to Play Oklahoma State for Cotton Bowl

The Mississippi Rebels posted a regular season record of 8-4 for the second consecutive season. They will play in the Cotton Bowl for the second time in two years as well. They didn't get there this year like they did last year. Mississippi started last year 3-4, and didn't hold a spot in the AP top 25 until Week 13. They were ranked as high as fourth in the nation after getting off to a 2-0 start this year. They went just 6-4 the rest of the way, and finished the regular season outside of the AP top 25. Mississippi's disappointing finish can be explained as a combination of unrealistic expectations and an underachieving football team. Junior quarterback Jevan Snead entered the season as a projected early first round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. However, he has tossed just three more touchdowns than interceptions this year. The Rebels' only road victories came against Memphis and Vanderbilt, who won four games combined this year.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys had a similar season to Mississippi in that they were the fifth ranked team in the nation after winning their first game. They currently hold the 21^st ranking the AP poll after losing three games, one by ten points to Houston, and 27-point losses to Texas and Oklahoma. The Oklahoma loss was the last game of the season, and going into the game, the Cowboys had BCS aspirations. Oklahoma State failed to meet expectations because of problems with two of their three best offensive players. Star junior wideout Dez Bryant was suspended for the season after three games due to NCAA violations. Kendall Hunter rushed for 1,555 yards and 16 touchdowns last year in his sophomore season. Hampered by an ankle injury this year that caused him miss five entire games, Hunter rushed for only 288 yards and one touchdown in the seven games he played in. Senior quarterback Zac Robinson failed to match his stellar sophomore and junior seasons because of these issues.

While both of these teams have failed to fulfill their high early season expectations, one of these teams will finish the season on a high note. The Cowboys and the Rebels each have the talent to make this game fun to watch.

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