Finally, we’re back to football, with preseason camp starting at Ole Miss on Wednesday.

The offseason has been tumultuous for Ole Miss, with head coach Hugh Freeze resigning abruptly, the ongoing NCAA investigation and rules violations, a lawsuit from a former coach, and recent arrests of two players for shoplifting and suspension of another player for breaking team rules.

But there are reasons for optimism. Primarily, it’s Ole Miss football and that’s a culture on our beautiful campus that we enjoy. We get to come together and cheer on the Rebels and show support for the team (and the place) that we so love.

Also, you can’t help but pull for these players, like quarterback Shea Patterson.

“You can’t be a baby about it, you’ve got to grow up,” Patterson said. “You still do your job. This is a job and it affects people’s lives. I think everyone has a mindset of working hard.”

In other words, if this feels hard for fans imagine being a player recruited into the House that Hugh built, only to find it is a bit of a mess and he’s no longer home. But football players learn from all the clichés, like the one about when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

So Patterson and company plan to get going, giving there all. And that’s something to get excited about, since they will don our beloved red and blue and give the Rebel Nation something to rally around.