We continue to hand out grades to SEC teams for their 2014 seasons. It's time to check out the Ole Miss Rebels, who coach Hugh Freeze didn't think would be in bowl talks until Year 3. Well, for the third straight year, Freeze directed his Rebels to a bowl, and though this season didn't come close to ending the way the first two did, there is no question Ole Miss had its most successful year of the Freeze era in 2014.

Offense: Overall, Ole Miss was pretty much a middle-of-the-pack offensive team. Quarterback Bo Wallace was again a very enigmatic player, but he did break a handful of Ole Miss records. He threw for 3,194 yards with 22 touchdowns, but also had 19 turnovers. The Rebels averaged 405 yards per game in SEC play, but really struggled to have a consistent running game, ranking 10^th in the SEC in rushing (143.4 yards per game versus league opponents) and averaged 25.3 points per game in conference play. The offense lost a lot of steam after star receiver Laquon Treadwell was lost for the season in November, scoring just three points in their last two losses. Grade: C

Defense: For most of the season, the Rebels owned one of the nation’s most intimidating defenses. The Rebels owned the nation’s top scoring defense (16 points per game) and tied for first nationally, allowing 24 touchdowns. Ole Miss allowed 359 yards in SEC play, but led the SEC with 32 takeaways. Ole Miss had a very talented defensive line, and one of the nation’s best cornerbacks in Senquez Golson, who defended 18 passes and led the SEC with a school record-tying 10 interceptions. Grade: A

Special teams: When it came to returning kicks, the Rebels weren’t great. Ole Miss ranked 13^th in the SEC in kickoff return average (19.7) and 12^th in punt returns (6.4). But the return team was pretty decent at defending kicks, not allowing a touchdown or a return longer than 65 yards. The Rebels approached field goals by committee and went just 9-for-16 kicking, including 2-for-6 on attempts of 40-plus yards. Punter Will Gleeson averaged 42.9 yards per punt and pinned 24 kicks inside the 20-yard line. Grade: C-

Coaching: Freeze wasn’t expecting such a fast start at Ole Miss, but he got it. He and his coaches did a great job wading through lofty expectations and directed this team to a No. 3 ranking and a win against Alabama. Honestly, the best coaching job this team did was with the defense. It completely transformed into one of the nation’s best. The Rebels suffered some tough losses this season, and were completely out-everythinged against TCU and Arkansas, but overall, the coaching was pretty solid from top to bottom. Grade: B

Overall: The Rebels had their best start in decades (7-0), but finished 2-4. They were in the thick of the SEC Western Division race until the last few weeks of the regular season, and were right on the cusp of the College Football Playoff, but losing Treadwell really handcuffed the offense. The losses were harsh. Getting shut out by 30 at Arkansas was embarrassing, and TCU’s 42-3 bowl romp was traumatizing, but that 31-17 win against Mississippi State to knock the Bulldogs out of the SEC and playoff race helped ease that pain. This team entered the season with loftier expectations and delivered for the most part, considering the injuries and depth issues. Grade: B