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Mississippi becomes epicenter of college football

By WTOP Staff

DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Former Mississippi State quarterback Matt Wyatt and his wife sometimes find time to talk a little football over breakfast while hustling around their house in Tupelo, Mississippi, getting the family ready for another day.

His wife, Annabeth, is an Ole Miss graduate, so by this point in the season one of them is usually complaining.

This week, he said, it’s been all smiles.

There’s talk of victories and huge crowds. Of national rankings and national exposure. Even crazy things were popping out of their mouths — like Southeastern Conference championships.

The Magnolia State’s getting a little giddy with a special weekend on the horizon.

No. 12 Mississippi State (4-0, 1-0 SEC) hosts No. 6 Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0) in the first game of a memorable doubleheader. The showdown will be followed with No. 11 Mississippi (4-0, 1-0) entertaining No. 3 Alabama (4-0, 1-0), giving the state an all-day showcase to prove its teams are capable of hanging with the nation’s best.

“This just doesn’t happen every day in Mississippi,” Wyatt said, later adding. “It’s cool and it’s a huge deal — a great moment for the state.”

It’s the first time since 1958 the two Mississippi schools have been ranked this high at the same time. Ole Miss hadn’t started the season with a 4-0 record since 1970.

Yes, think about it: Mississippi will be the epicenter of college football this Saturday.

And the rest of the country will be paying attention.

ESPN’s College Gameday show is coming to Mississippi for the first time — setting up shop in Oxford’s famed tailgating area called the Grove — and Mississippi State’s early game will have plenty of national exposure as well.

Ole Miss-Alabama tickets are in particularly high demand, with the cheapest going for $215 on StubHub as of Thursday morning. Tailgating space will also be a premium in Oxford because the College Gameday stage will take up some prime real estate in the middle of campus.

In Starkville, there were already tents set up on Tuesday afternoon in the Junction, which is the main tailgating area on Mississippi State’s campus.

“It’s going to be wild,” Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche said. “Ole Miss has a great fan base. That’s one reason I came here. Rebel Nation is going to be rocking and we’re going to be locked in ready to go. I can’t wait.”

Mississippi’s SEC football programs have taken a similar path to Saturday’s showdowns. Mississippi State hired Dan Mullen in 2008 and Ole Miss countered with Hugh Freeze in 2011, giving both schools young, confident coaches who have improved recruiting and most importantly — results.

In the process, they’ve created a phenomenon in Mississippi: Two good programs at the same time.

It’s not uncommon for one of the teams to be ranked. But the last time both were in the Top 25 was the final poll of 1999, when Mississippi State was 13th and Ole Miss was 22nd.

And the last time they were both ranked this high was Sept. 29, 1958 — that’s when Ole Miss was No. 6 and Mississippi State was No. 11, according to STATS.

Even 66-year-old former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has a hard time remembering back that far. Barbour was Mississippi’s governor from 2004 to 2012 and earned his law degree from Ole Miss in 1973. He’s also had a “soft spot” in his heart for Mississippi State since the school has a scholarship named for him.

He said he’ll be watching Saturday from his home in Yazoo City, Mississippi, and rooting for Mississippi State in the morning and Ole Miss in the afternoon.

“This has to be the biggest weekend of football for both schools I can remember,” Barbour said. “If I could find a helicopter to get me to both games, I might do it, but even a former governor can’t pull that one off.”

Like most state rivalries, the Ole Miss-Mississippi State version — the Egg Bowl — can get intense. But even many die-hards from both sides will say the statewide success is fun.

Former Ole Miss running back Deuce McAllister, a Morton, Mississippi, native who also played eight seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, will be making the trip from New Orleans to Oxford this weekend.

“It puts us on the map,” McAllister said. “From the pregame shows to the big matchups, it makes you be proud to be a part of the state. It helps everyone.”

Beyond all the excitement are the games, and both Mississippi State and Ole Miss will be underdogs in their respective matchups.

So in addition to getting their teams ready, Mullen and Freeze have spent the week pumping up their respective fan bases.

“For our fans and our student body, we want to give them a team that has an opportunity to compete for a championship,” Mullen said. “We are in that position and we certainly need their help. You’re not gonna get it done with just the guys on the field.”

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Associated Press writer Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, contributed to this story.

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Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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