The Ole Miss Rebels did something Saturday night that many people never thought possible.

Ole Miss defeated the No. 2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide for the second year in a row with a 43-37 win in front of 101,821 fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Nick Saban was 9-1 in revenge games when he was playing a team that had defeated him in the previous year. Who could ever forget the win last year that put Ole Miss in the national spotlight? Many fans stormed the field after that victory and the goalposts not only came down, but also were paraded around the Oxford Square.

Ole Miss fans who have watched Southeastern Conference football for so many years are used to seeing Ole Miss come close in games like Saturday night, but end up losing.

The Rebels needed a little luck from the “football gods” and for once, Ole Miss got the bounce that was needed. Quincy Adeboyejo caught a deflected pass off of two Alabama defenders and Rebel receiver Laquon Treadwell and scored on a 66-yard pass play that will forever be a part of Ole Miss history.

Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze has put Ole Miss football on the radar of the entire nation. Most Ole Miss fans can only remember the glory days of the late 1960s under head coach Johnny Vaught.

The economy of Oxford, from restaurants, real estate and retail, is tied directly to how the Ole Miss football team does. Anyone that was at the Fresno State game and noticed the crowd understands that an Ole Miss football ticket has become a hot commodity. With the remaining home schedule including games with Vanderbilt, New Mexico State, Texas A&M, Arkansas and LSU, tickets will be scarce.

It is a long season for the Rebels, who don’t get an open date until the weekend of Nov. 14. Everyone is circling the LSU game on Nov. 21 in Oxford as a game that could have national playoff contentions. Any true Ole Miss fan knows that we are still Ole Miss and have to play our best every week to compete.

Ole Miss is tied for third with TCU in the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week, jumping 12 spots. Once again, Ole Miss is the talk of the country. Let’s get behind this team and make this a year to remember.

Hotty Toddy.