OXFORD, Miss. -- A big chunk of Mississippi stars power from last season is gone, off to the NFL after helping push the program into the upper tier of the Southeastern Conference.But the Rebels who remain are pretty good, too.And thats exactly the reason Ole Miss feels it can be even better than last season, when the team won 10 games and took home the Sugar Bowl trophy for the first time since 1970.But players and coaches say there is plenty more to prove for a program that hasnt won a Southeastern Conference title since 1963.We could talk a long time on that one, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. I assure you theres motivation.The Rebels do have one legitimate star still on the roster. Senior quarterback Chad Kelly is viewed as a long-shot Heisman Trophy candidate after throwing for more than 4,000 yards and running for 500 more in his first season as the teams starter.But Ole Miss must replace standouts like offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, receiver Laquon Treadwell and defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, who were all selected in the first round of the NFL draft in April.Freeze is confident in the internal replacements.Freshman left tackle Greg Little was one of the nations top recruits last season -- though he may not start right away. Receivers Damoreea Stringfellow and Quincy Adeboyejo, along with tight end Evan Engram, are back after being important parts of last years passing game. And veteran defensive linemen like Fadol Brown, Marquis Haynes and D.J. Jones -- along with the arrival of touted freshman Benito Jones -- could make the Rebels even deeper at that spot this season.Ole Miss needs to be ready right away. The Rebels have a brutal September schedule that starts with a neutral site game against Florida State on Sept. 5 in Orlando. There are also back-to-back home games against Alabama and Georgia later in the month.Ive never been on a staff that faced a September quite like what were facing, Freeze said. Its not hard to motivate our kids. They understand whats in front of them, so thats a positive.Here are a few things to watch for the Rebels this season:KEEP MOVING UP: Freeze is in his fifth season has improved the program by one win each season. The Rebels had a 7-6 record in 2012 before eight wins in 13, nine wins in 14 and finally 10 last season. Considering the Rebels difficult schedule, 11 wins in 2016 would be quite a feat.PATTERSON IN WAITING: Kelly will run the show at quarterback this season, but the Rebels hope his eventual replacement will be just as good. Freshman Shea Patterson was one of the nations top quarterback recruits and both Freeze and Kelly have raved about his quick release and ability to learn the playbook.NCAA DISTRACTION: Ole Miss might be good on the field, but a four-year NCAA investigation into the athletic program, including football, continues to fester. Freeze and the players say the investigation wont be a distraction but its certainly something to watch if big news happens in the case during mid-season.CONNERS BACK: The Ole Miss defense is welcoming the return of senior safety Tony Conner, who missed a big chunk of last season because of a knee injury. Conner had 69 tackles, which ranked second on the team, as a sophomore in 2014.TRYING FOR BALANCE: Ole Miss was one of the nations elite passing teams last season, but sometimes struggled to run the ball. The Rebels hope a combo of veterans like Jordan Wilkins and Akeem Judd can help the team improve after averaging 183 yards on the ground last season, which ranked 7th in the SEC.KEY GAMES: If Ole Miss can get past its difficult September schedule, there are still a lot of tough games, including back-to-back road trips to Arkansas and LSU in October. And, of course, theres always the Egg Bowl against rival Mississippi State on Nov. 26.PREDICTION: Ole Miss is good, but the schedule is nasty and its hard to see a scenario where the Rebels are able to roll through September unscathed. Look for Ole Miss to win a few big games and lose a few, too, putting them in the middle of the pack in the SECs Western Division.SEASON OPENER: A neutral site game against Florida State in Orlando on Sept. 5.-----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP-----AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.orgCheap College Jerseys .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. Cheap NCAA Jerseys China . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. http://www.wholesalencaajerseys.info/ . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No. Wholesale College Jerseys . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. College Jerseys Authentic . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks.NEW YORK -- Major League Baseballs average attendance dropped 1.1 percent this season but still was the sports 11th-highest.The 30 teams combined to draw 73,159,044 fans and average 30,169, the commissioners office said Tuesday. That was down from last years total of 73.76 million and average of 30,517. The average was the lowest since 30,138 in 2010.The record total of 79.5 million and average of 32,785 were set in 2007, before the Great Recession.The National League West champion Los Angeles Dodgers led in home attendance at 3.7 million, followed in the NL by St. Louis (3.44 million), San Francisco (3.dddddddddddd37 million) and the Chicago Cubs (3.23 million).Toronto topped the American League at 3.39 million, followed by the New York Yankees (3.06 million) and Los Angeles Angels (3.02 million).Tampa Bay had the lowest home attendance at 1.29 million, and Oakland was 29th at 1.52 million. Cleveland was 28th at 1.59 million despite winning the AL Central for the first time since 2007.Miami drew an NL-low 1.71 million. ' ' '