What a week it’s been if you’re an Ole Miss Rebel. A dominating win over Georgia. Being ranked 11th in this week’s College Football Playoff committee’s rankings, which would be enough to get them in the playoff. And then, getting a flip from former Alabama five-star commit Caleb Cunningham. Right now, everything seems to be going the Rebels’ way. But one question remains. Is Ole Miss a contender or a pretender?
In short, no one knows. At times, they’ve looked like they could beat anyone. And at other points, you’d be hesitant to assume they could beat plenty of high school state champions. Week by week, the question simply becomes which Rebel team is going to show up.
The Georgia Win
Saturday’s win over Georgia was huge for a variety of reasons if you’re a Rebel fan. First off, it kept them alive for the College Football Playoff. Every game is a must-win the rest of the way, and they played like it. Secondly, it came in dominating fashion. Apart from the first five minutes of the game, Ole Miss simply outplayed Georgia in every facet of the game. They were faster. They were bigger and more physical. And the coaching and the scheme looked better than what Georgia had to offer.
The third reason is one that’s gone under the radar. However, it could be the most important, as you look toward the future. It showed that Lane Kiffin could win a big game. While he’s known as a social media troll and offensive guru, his resume lacked a signature win. Many people were questioning whether he had the ability and the mindset to ever get that win. Now, with the victory over the Bulldogs, that question no longer exists.
There’s also the fact that, depending on what happens the rest of the way, it could go down as the most influential win in school history.
Two Head-Scratching Losses Looming Large
The problem, however, is that not everything in Oxford has been happy and joyful this season. While they’ve looked dominant lately, they also have two inexplicable losses from earlier in the season.
The first of which was a conference-opening home loss to Kentucky. In past years, a loss to the Wildcats would be respectable. This year, there’s nothing respectable about a loss to the ‘Cats. Sitting at 3-6 on the year, there’s a good chance Kentucky ends the season with only one SEC win. That win was the victory in Oxford. For a team arguing that they’re deserving of a playoff berth, much less being a national championship contender, those types of losses can’t happen.
Then there’s the LSU loss. This loss doesn’t hit quite as hard, apart from the fact that it came to a rival. It’s to a Tiger team that is still ranked. It also came at night in one of the toughest places to play in the country. Then there’s the fact that most people would tell you Ole Miss won that game in every way, except on the scoreboard. In no uncertain terms, the Rebels found unique ways to squander numerous opportunities to win that one. And while moral victories don’t count, at least it’s there if you’re into that sort of thing.
Needless to say, while winning out would likely get them into the Playoff if they were to miss out, they know exactly where to look as to why. It’s in the mirror.
Injuries A Cause For Concern
While it didn’t affect them in the win over Georgia, it would be irresponsible not to discuss the injury problems the Rebels are currently facing. This is especially true if the question is whether Ole Miss is a contender or not.
Tre Harris, the SEC’s leading receiver, hasn’t played in a month. They’re also missing the top two running backs on the depth chart in Henry Parrish Jr and Matt Jones. Caden Prieskorn, the Rebels starting tight end, has also been hampered by an injury lately, which has limited his playing time. And just for good measure, quarterback Jaxson Dart missed time against Georgia after injuring his ankle. While he ultimately returned to the game and played well, it should certainly be something to keep an eye on.
And that’s just on the offensive side of the ball. They’re also facing a few injuries on the defensive side, as well. To assuredly say that Ole Miss is a contender, there needs to be far more clarity on injury concerns in Oxford.
Answering the Question: Contender or Pretender
With where they find themselves currently, the Rebels certainly appear to be a legitimate contender. They’ve played well over the past three weeks, even with injuries being a problem, and they also have a favorable schedule to close out the season. One last bye week this weekend is followed by a trip to Gainesville to take on 4-5 Florida, then returning to Oxford to take on 2-8 Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.
On paper, those should both be relatively easy wins. But Gainesville is never an easy place to win, and regardless of talent or record, the Egg Bowl is always an exciting matchup. If they can win out, and get healthier, this is an Ole Miss team that has the potential to make a deep run in the Playoffs.
However, as the Kentucky debacle proved, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to these Rebels.
