With the Ole Miss Football Program having the third time slot on Thursday at SEC Media Days, Houston Nutt opened up the time speaking about last year's impressive season and how exciting the trip to the Cotton Bowl was. He also made a quick notice to the media that he was not the one who didn't vote for Tim Tebow to first-team All-SEC.

Nutt brought his star quaterback, Jevan Snead, and his Safety, Kendrick Lewis, with his as well to share about Ole Miss's game plan to continue the growth that began last season in Oxford. Big expectations lie ahead for Ole Miss, but oach Nutt thinks they have what it takes to answer those questions the right way.

Head Coach Houston Nutt

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the win over Florida last year, what that did to make your guys understand how important it was and believe, and also you were the only team that beat Florida last year, and the Tebow speech, just that whole how that inspired them?

COACH NUTT: The previous week we got beat by a very good Vanderbilt team. We were really down. Probably as down as we've ever been as a staff and as a team. Going into Gainesville, we knew it was a very, very tough chore. What was amazing about that game, all the players knew it had been 727 days since we won a conference game. That's how the stats, media, the information you put out, that was in their heads. Our guys knew it to the T.

That game gave us confidence. It gave us genuine confidence that we can win. To see a celebrated locker room like that, it was awesome.

The problem was the very next week, we played a good South Carolina team. We were in uncharted waters. We couldn't handle it. It took us really towards the end of October to get going. But once we came together as a team, it really fell back to Florida, that Florida game, as you mentioned, gave us the confidence that we could beat anybody if we have 11 guys doing it the right way, we take care of the ball.

I think Jevan Snead really probably had his worst game right before Florida. But then he comes back. If you fast forward from the first five games, fast forward to the last five games, Jevan Snead was a different quarterback. Why? Because he took care of the ball. He got us out of the wrong play, got us in the right play, distributed the ball to different guys. Just was outstanding.

But that win goes back to Florida. The thing I love about Tim Tebow, a lot of players will say, you know what, after a loss, a big loss, they'll say, I'm going to work as hard as I can, I'm going to do this, make all these promises. What you love about Tim Tebow, not only does he make the promise, he carries it out, and he puts his team on his back. Percy Harvin, I remember there was a couple weeks he wasn't on the field. I have those words, after our game, the words he spoke to the media, I have that on my desk. I read it to my team once. It was awesome. I have an awesome respect for that.

But that game helped us, to answer your question, and we really took off as the year went on and started playing better. We took care of the ball and our defense played awfully well.

Q. This whole Tebow not being the unanimous selection, Jevan got the other vote, do you sense there may be a sort of rivalry between these two guys, Jevan trying to out do Tim?

COACH NUTT: I don't want Jevan to look at it that way. They're both very good. I want Jevan to keep being Jevan. I had a good visit with Eli Manning yesterday. Jevan went to Eli's camp with Archie and Peyton. They watch pros, they watch professionals work. It's their work ethic, how you study the game. You just don't show up for practice. You just don't go through the motions. You really attack and work at your craft. To me, that's what Jevan has done I think in the weight room, film study. Kent Austin has done an excellent job for him.

As far as a rival, we won't get caught up in all that. We have an awesome respect for Tim. Jevan has done some good things. You have to remember, Jevan laid out the previous year. So it took him a while. Those first three or four games, he wanted to be Superman every play. Strong arm quarterbacks think they can throw it anywhere. So it took him about four, five games to really get going. I tell you, he's been very, very good.

Q. How hard was it not to vote for Jevan for you? Secondly, there's a perception, whether it's fair or not, that you have been a better coach when you're not picked to do well than when you are picked to do well, as you are this year. What is your take on that?

COACH NUTT: I think if you go back and look at the times we were picked high, if you go back and look, like every coach that comes through here, the one thing that's on their mind, you hope one thing: you hope your team stays healthy. If you look at the times we were picked high, we had some major injuries, major. Not as an excuse, but part of it. It's a blow.

I can tell you this: I was really nervous when I got the phone call from Greg Hardy and Dexter McCluster getting hit in broad daylight, going through that front tire through that engine, the car catches on fire, and to think how lucky they are to be alive. To think not having those two guys for the season, that's a nightmare because that changes your team. I disagree with that a little bit. But, again, I think if you go back and study it, you'll see some major contributors were not on the field.

We're excited to be in this position. We knew this would happen. If you go towards the end of the year, you win six straight, you go to the AT&T Cotton Bowl, you beat a good team like Texas Tech, there's going to be some attention. Now you got to embrace it, handle it. The way you handle it is going to work.

Q. Obviously, last year you guys come in 0 8 flying under the radar. What is it like coming in this year with all the expectations? Do you like being in all the national polls?

COACH NUTT: I'm excited for our players. I'm excited for them because they're embracing it right, right way. How they go to a 5:30 workout, how they go to school, how they go to study hall, how they're doing things. Our antennas were up as coaches, how they would approach this off season with all the pat on the backs, much different. They're in uncharted waters.

Again, the way they're handling things, I love what they're doing right now. That's why we can't wait to get to camp and get back to work and carry that over, keep that going.

But it is different, a lot different. But we're excited about it.

Q. What is the secret now to beating Florida? What advice would you give other teams playing them this year?

COACH NUTT: I tell you, I have an awesome respect for Coach Meyer, his staff, the athletes that are on the field. It's two things if you want to beat Florida. I don't know if you recall, when we were going to Gainesville, we were about a minus nine, they were a plus nine. They didn't turn the ball over, not one time, until that game. We got three turnovers that game. We didn't turn the ball over. There might have been a tipped pass or something. Might have had one turnover. But we didn't turn the ball over for the most part and we got three turnovers. I think that's key. Win the turnover margin, gives you a chance.

The other thing is, Tim Tebow is going to make plays. Percy Harvin, those guys, Percy's not there any more, but they can say, Next.

They got speed all over the field. They're gonna make plays. Limit those plays. Limit those plays. You got to play great defense. Limit those big plays. Win the turnover margin, gives you a chance to win the game. I think those are the two biggest factors.

Q. What do you think about the conference putting a cap at 28 for the signing limit?

COACH NUTT: 28? Was that because of my number I signed?

You know, again, every year I knew one thing, you got to be at 25. You got to be at 25 by August. So that wasn't going to be a problem for us. We oversigned for a couple of reasons. One, when you live in the state of Mississippi, there's a lot of junior colleges. When we sign student athletes, we knew eight to nine would not make it, definitely would not make it academically. And what that does, when you sign a young man on signing day, it gives them the idea, Hey, I'm in your family, I'm in the Ole Miss family. And I have a go. I got to go graduate at a junior college or prep school, I'm coming back to play for you. There's a lot of incentive there.

So the other thing was the junior college coaches that I'm just trying to get to know in the state of Mississippi, you develop those relationships. There's not a better way to develop a relationship than send a player to their school. And so that was our intention.

We don't sign 39 every year. That wasn't our intention. But the rule, to answer your question, I wish it was at 30. But, hey, the rule's the rule. We'll abide by the rule. We know this: you got to be at 25. Our numbers are going to work out. If anybody wants to know, our numbers are going to be at 25 by the time we start.

Q. How high on the popularity scale was your team's win over LSU last year? You've really had LSU's number the last few years. Talk about that, if you could.

COACH NUTT: It's such a great atmosphere to play in. It's so awesome to pull up to know it's going to be a packed house. There's a lot of passion, a lot of energy. We were on a roll at the time. We were taking care of the ball. Our defense was playing so hard, playing so much better.

So there was a feeling in the dressing room, especially the last six games, Hey, we're gonna win, we're gonna win. And we didn't have that the first six. We were very unsure.

In fact, when we had a bad play, it would always compound with two to three more bad plays. They expected that to happen. So it took us a while to turn that. By the time we hit LSU, we were hitting on all cylinders, feeling very good about ourself, playing together, taking care of the ball, playing at a very, very fast, fast speed of the game. We were playing very fast.

So I was just proud how we just really at all levels. The other thing is special teams. James Shibest did a tremendous job last year of turning really one of the worst teams the previous year in special teams to one of the best. And then Coach Decker does such a great job towards the end of the year in November. Our guys were stronger. I think if you talk to Coach Les Miles, he says we're always in very good condition in November. We keep our strength levels up. So it was good.

Q. You read here all the time about the difference between being the hunter and the hunted. Is there anything to that?

COACH NUTT: Well, it's a fact. It's a fact. Last year, the same group of experts picked us towards the bottom. Same group of experts now picking us towards the top. We tell our team, What does that mean? Doesn't mean anything. You are going to be hunted.

Last year we had an attitude we're fixing to go hunt, we're going to go compete, try to win this game when nobody gives us a chance. So that is a little bit of a factor. You know, right now we're the hunted a little bit. We're a little bit more attention.

So, again, if you ask Urban Meyer, he's picked No. 1 I guess every year. Nick Saban had the good team when he was picked No. 1. The great teams expect to be picked No. 1. That's kind of where we want to get to. You want to get to, Hey, we want to be picked first in our conference. It's an awesome statement.

But what goes with that now? When you have that much attention, you got to have much more work ethic. You got to work a little harder, you got to play a little harder.

To answer your question, I think there's a lot to that

QB Jevan Snead

On rising expectations:
"I think with that ranking comes a lot higher expectations. As far as the team goes I don't think we're handling it any differently. People said we weren't going to do well last year. We ignored them and kept working hard. I think this year we're doing the same and working hard. We're going to follow that same formula and keep doing everything we can to improve."

On the Ole Miss offense:
"I think we're going to be a lot better this year, especially in the first half of the season. Last year was a new system. Just having experience is going to help us. We'll be able to add a lot to the offense."

On the possibility of being the first Ole Miss team to make it to the SEC Championship:
"We really don't talk about being the first team to do it. We're thinking about our team now. We had a great year last year and we having a lot of people returning. I feel like we have a great opportunity this year to do some big things."

On the possibility of winning the Heisman Trophy:
"I try not to put too much into it. When you're a kid you dream of stuff like that. I've had a rocky road getting to where I am. Just to be mentioned with all the great players and for the Heisman is a great honor for me. At the same time, I'm not focused on that. That's not my main goal. My main goal is to do everything I can to improve so I can help my team get some wins."

FS Kendrick Lewis

On rising expectations:
"We need to be unsatisfied. Everyone knows us. To be humble. We know that we have a bull's-eye on our chest. Everyone knows us. We're going to get the publicity. We can't buy into it. To keep doing the things we do to be successful and continue working hard."

On the team's turnaround:
"One of the things that played a major role was our senior leadership. The year we went 0-8 there were a lot of guys going their own way. Our seniors stepped up this past year. They took control of the team. They showed the younger guys the way and what it takes to win. Everyone bought into Coach Nutt and what his staff had to offer."

On the beating Florida last season:
"That was a game that showed us that we could compete with all the other schools in the SEC. If you look at it, we won the Florida game but we came back and lost to Vanderbilt and South Carolina. It was a turning point. It got us closer together as a team like a band of brothers. It brought us closer together. We were able to come together and win. We went down to Arkansas. It was a close, close game but we had to come together to win as a team."

To read the full manuscript from Houston Nutt and his players, visit http://secsports.com/index.php?s=&change_well_id=2&url_article_id=12863.

Rusty Thompson is one of the founders of GatorTailgating.com