Several years ago, Ole Miss fans hoped this would be about the time the Rebels played for a football national championship.

It didn’t seem that far-fetched with Ole Miss beating Alabama two consecutive seasons and recruiting big-time players. Why, just two seasons ago the Rebels were ranked in the preseason top 15.

But it has been downhill since then for Ole Miss football, with NCAA probation and some reality checks that perhaps the Rebels are not yet ready for prime time in the national championship game.

That doesn’t mean Ole Miss can’t get there, eventually. Georgia, which plays Alabama in tonight’s game, had not been able to get over the hump for decades after winning a national championship in 1980.

Finally, everything aligned for the Bulldogs. Thus, it can happen to a program that hasn’t been able to get over the proverbial hump. That’s not saying the Ole Miss program is to the level of Georgia’s. Not yet.

Georgia had been close as a contender for many years, consisting winning eight games a year and being in the discussion.

Right now, the discussion about Ole Miss is how quickly the Rebel program can return to consistent competitiveness in the rugged SEC after a two-year bowl ban.

For the moment, Rebel fans will have to watch Alabama and Georgia battle and dream about what could be.