New coach Hugh Freeze faces a massive rebuilding job at Ole Miss. The Rebels went 2-10 last season and have lost 14 straight SEC games. Most have not been close.

Even the most ardent fans know it’s going to be another long season in Oxford. If Ole Miss can be more competitive, even eke out a couple conference wins, the season will be a success.

The offense has shown promise in camp, though Freeze has not named a starting QB between Bo Wallace and Barry Brunetti. Wallace has graded out higher, but is only completing about 50 percent of his passes.

Running backs Randall Mackey, Jeff Scott and a pair of freshmen, I'Tavius Mathers and Jaylen Walton, form a nice rotation. Sophomore wideout Donte Moncrief is a playmaker.

Defensively, however, Ole Miss doesn’t look any better than last year’s team, which gave up an SEC-worst 32.1 points per game. Losing safety Charles Sawyer (70 tackles, 4 INTs last season) to a torn quad early in camp was a particularly cruel blow. He could return early in the season.

Given that backdrop, here are two scenarios that could unfold in 2012.

Best-case scenario: Three of the first four games are winnable -- at home against Central Arkansas and UTEP, and at Tulane -- and the Rebels get all three. Wallace shows off the gifts that made him a JUCO All-American last season when he led East Mississippi to a 12-0 season and national title, setting JUCO records for passing yards (4,604), total yards (4,810) and touchdown passes (53).

Freshman defensive lineman Channing Ward (6-5, 270) makes an immediate impact. After dropping SEC games to Alabama, Texas A&M, Auburn, Arkansas and Georgia, the Rebels bounce back with a home win over Vandy to end a 19-game SEC skid. Ole Miss gets pounded at LSU but ends on an uptick, winning the Egg Bowl for the first time in four years. The 5-7 season defies all expectations.

Worst-case scenario: Ole Miss lost to an FCS opponent just two years ago, and it happens again when Central Arkansas spoils Freeze’s debut. The Rebels squeak out wins over UTEP and Tulane, but get manhandled the rest of the way for another 2-10 finish. Freeze inherited the worst roster in the SEC; coaching and enthusiasm can only compensate so much.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from SEC bloggers Daniel Lewis and Larry Hartstein, follow @CBSSportsSEC.