Nevertheless, it does capture a niche audience of followers who are extremely passionate about their respective clubs. Anyone who has followed the Elite league will realise that the season is slowly drawing to a close, with just a few months remaining. Some clubs have already played forty games and with that, it’s certainly becoming crunch time for a select few. Looking at the current table, it could be said that there are just three clubs who are vying for that Championship push as leaders Nottingham are joined by Belfast and Sheffield. The latter of three clubs leads 4th place Cardiff by twelve points – meaning that the title charge really is a three horse racing. Bearing this in mind, I’ll now progress to analyse the chances of each club.

Nottingham Panthers

The Panthers have been a strong force in the division throughout the campaign and regularly found themselves plugging away at the top. As it stands, they lead the standings by just two points – meaning that they could lose their top spot should they suffer a defeat in their next clash against the Belfast Giants. Considering the fact that the Giants are actually the side placed two points below them, to say this next game is huge is something of an understatement.

Unfortunately, recent form against some of the big sides hasn’t exactly been favourable. The Panthers were defeated in 5-2 fashion against the Sheffield Steelers in their last outing, while it was only a few weeks ago that the Giants recorded a 5-4 away win.

However, on a more positive note, barring that loss to Sheffield, the Panthers have been on a run that saw them win six consecutive matches. Furthermore, the last time they played the Giants at home was a hugely successful outing, with the team running away 6-1 winners.

Taking the above into account, the next game really could define Nottingham’s season. They’ve looked strong against most of the mediocre teams in the Elite League, but whether or not that will be enough for the Championship is another matter.

Belfast Giants

With just two points separating the Giants from Nottingham, this is a club who certainly have everything to play for as the season draws to a conclusion. However, unlike the Panthers who will have to play high-flying Sheffield very soon, Belfast have clashes against the likes of Coventry and Dundee – two sides situated in the mid-ranges of the Elite League. Considering the fact that the club have won seven of their last eight league matches, which have seemingly come against mediocre sides in the division, you’d have to suggest that they have an excellent chance of catching the leaders up in the next few weeks.

However, once the big games do come around, it is debatable on whether or not the Giants have what it takes to launch a serious title bid. Admittedly, they won the division last year, but they seem to have struggled against top teams. They won their last game against Nottingham, but that is their only victory against top sides through recent months following heavy defeats to Sheffield and the Panthers in a separate game. Still, titles are won over the course of a season and considering Belfast’s consistent nature, they will certainly fancy their chances as they battle for their third Elite League trophy.

Sheffield Steelers

With the Sheffield Steelers situated in 3rd position on fifty six points, they will most certainly have to finish the season in strong fashion if they are to lift their fourth Elite League Title.

It could be said that the Steelers have the perfect opportunity to close the gap in the next few weeks though. After defeating leaders Nottingham in comfortable 5-2 fashion, the club are now set for encounters against the likes of Cardiff, Fife and Hull – all of which can be classed as games that can be won. Following that batch of fixtures, the big games come thick and fast and defining moments will occur when the club take on Nottingham and Belfast in away games. Just one day separates each fixture, meaning that it really is do or die for the Steelers over the 22nd and 23rd of February.

Author Biography

Liam is a fan of sports across the board, with football, tennis and of course hockey being some of his favourites. He also runs his own sports-based website, where he looks to compare betting offers at bonusbetting.org.uk

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Offense

Freeze is looking to shake things up at quarterback this year. Randall Mackey was the starter for six games last season, but he threw for only 1,122 yards and seven touchdowns to five interceptions. Mackey is now moving to wideout and JUCO transfer Bo Wallace, who was the Player of the Year in junior college last year, is expected to take over.

Mississippi really struggled to get the running game going in 2011. They only managed 130 yards/game last year after averaging over 180 yards/game three straight seasons before that. While they may have lost one of the school’s all-time rushing leaders in Brandon Bolden, they do bring back Junior Jeff Scott, who had an excellent year of his own leading the team with 529 yards and six touchdowns. They are also expecting contributions from sophomore Nicholas Parker and true freshman I’Tavius Mathers.

The addition of Mackey only reinforces an already potent receiving corps, making them even more loaded with playmakers on the outside. The top four wide outs from last season will all return, including sophomore Donte Moncrief, who had a team-best 31 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns. This unit has what it takes to even be better than last year, especially if Wallace is as good as advertised.

The lack of experience up front on the offensive line is their biggest concern on the offensive side of the ball. The Rebels have to replace four players who started eight or more games last year. This unit really underwhelmed last season though, so an improvement of any sort will be welcome in 2012.

Defense

The Rebels struggled to stop their opponent from putting up big numbers on them last year. They allowed over 32 points/game and gave up an average of 419 yards/game. They simply couldn’t do anything with the other team running the ball right down their throats. They allowed 225 yards/game on the ground, one of the worst marks in the country.

Some of Ole Miss’ key players suffered from injuries on the defensive line, which is why they had a lot of problems stopping the run. Each of their top three defensive linemen missed significant time due to injuries last year. It’s hard to see this unit getting that much better this season since they are replacing three of their top performing players from last season.

Linebacker is the Rebels’ biggest strength coming into the season as their top six linebackers all return, including their top linebacker from 2010 D.T. Shackelford (torn ACL in spring last year).

The secondary loses starting corner Marcus Temple and free safety Damien Jackson, but return one of the top safeties in the SEC in Charles Sawyer. One thing to note is that both Temple and Jackson were unable to finish their season, allowing freshmen CB Senquez Golson and S Cody Prewitt some very valuable experience. Both started the final four games of the regular season.

SEC Prediction – 7th SEC West

Ole Miss really should improve on last year’s performance, however, when you hit bottom the only place to go is up. Playing in the SEC West, they probably won’t make a huge turnaround this season, but they will be a tougher team to beat. Somewhere between three and five wins seems probable for this team, but, unfortunately, they are destined for another losing season.

Jack Jones provides his expert analysis and picks for Betfirms all season long. Head over there now to read even more about the Rebels in a detailed preview article.