You can feel it.

The annual buzz that always kicks into overdrive as August winds down and football season goes from being a wishful thought to an impending reality.

Every year when Ole Miss football rolls around, it’s not uncommon for the community to suddenly be wrapped in the kind of hopefulness a child feels on Christmas Eve.

Of course, it’s easy to be excited when the Rebels are predicted to be among the top teams in the SEC. But we’d argue that even during down years when the team was lucky to get six wins, the anticipation for a new season was still as prevalent.

Part of it is the standard sports fan mentality of maybe, just maybe, this could be the Rebels’ year.

The other part is largely tied to the university’s best and boldest tradition: tailgating in the Grove.

It’s obviously a fantastic time for students who show up and show out in their Sunday best. But for the rest of us – alumni, fans and Oxford residents who just want to be a part of something that seems to get bigger every year – it’s a time for the community to reunite with friends and family and share a handful of Saturdays beneath those storied oaks.

We know there are plenty of Oxonians who would rather undergo a root canal than try to navigate the town on game day.

But if you have a chance, or a change of heart, we hope you take the opportunity to make it to a game and take part in one of Oxford’s most cherished traditions.