Ole Miss was the favorite in this year’s Egg Bowl. It would not be their favorite day, however. Apparently, becoming bowl eligible wasn’t enough for the Rebels, but ruining their chances was everything for their rival.
Tailgating has not been done, nor will be done any better than it is done at The Grove. We must have walked through every square foot five times over just to catch glimpses of things we may have missed. Fancy tents, high class fare, chandeliers, candelabras – just top notch.
After getting a taste of the band and seeing the team parade through The Grove on their Walk of Champions toward the stadium, we made our way over to Vaught-Hemingway to catch some early pregame. After hearing an afternoon of Hotty Toddy chants, I was all practiced to give it my best shot in the stadium:
Are you ready?
Hell Yes! Damn right!
Hotty Toddy! Gosh Almighty!
Who the hell are we? Hey!
Flim Flam! Bim! Bam!
Ole Miss by damn!
It’s really a different brand of passion in the South – I love it.
The first quarter was high-flyin’ and point producin’. The 27-20 MSU lead had us anticipating a memorable finish in the second half. It was memorable – for the Bulldogs. They damaged the Rebs with four unanswered touchdowns for a 55-20 final. It went from high-class affair to first-class nightmare. Mississippi State paraded around an emptying Vaught-Hemingway with the coveted Golden Egg trophy, and unexpectedly put themselves into postseason position despite a losing record.
The outcome honestly didn’t matter. Football in the south never disappoints. With the atmosphere that comes with a gameday in Oxford, Ole Miss can never lose.
