There was a time that the Crimson Tide hated playing the Ole Miss Rebels. After decades of utter domination, former Rebels coach Hugh Freeze and his ragtag team of assistants assembled a difficult to beat squad that managed to do what no one else has done in the Saban era of Alabama football: they beat the Tide in consecutive years.
While the explosive offense led by a gunslinging quarterback lit the fuse and launched the fireworks, the Ole Miss defense likewise gave Alabama fits. With a wonky 4-2-5 constant nickel that featured small, fast, athletic linebackers and girthy anchors up front with an elite secondary, the Rebels used what many perceived as weakness to their advantage against the hulking Crimson Tide.