Ole Miss Rebels No. 12 in preseason coaches poll

Published 6:04 am Friday, August 5, 2016

Ole Miss came in at No. 12 in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll released Thursday.

The Rebels, who finished 10-3 last season and are coming off back-to-back New Year’s Six bowl appearances, garnered 792 points in votes cast by a panel of 64 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches. Ole Miss is the fourth-highest ranked team from the Southeastern Conference behind No. 10 Tennessee, No. 6 LSU and Alabama, which tops the poll after winning the national championship.

National runner-up Clemson, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 4 Florida State and No. 5 Ohio State round out the top 5. Ole Miss opens the season against the Seminoles, the runner-up in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Atlantic Division last season, in primetime on Labor Day in Orlando, Florida.

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Ole Miss, which was pegged by media members to finish third in the SEC’s Western Division this season, came in second in the division last year and won the Sugar Bowl for the first time since 1970. Quarterback Chad Kelly is back for his senior season after setting the school’s single-season record for total offense a year ago, but the Rebels have to replace first-round draft picks Laquon Treadwell, Robert Nkemdiche and Laremy Tunsil.

The Associated Press preseason top 25 will be released Aug. 21. Ole Miss opens fall camp Monday.