What a time we live in. Am I right?
Ole Miss has surged into the blue -blood zone once again in football. It has been a while since trips to the Independence Bowl made our years.
I digress.
Now it’s all about the College Football Playoffs, mainly getting back there under (sort of) first-year head coach Pete Golding, though he owns a CFP record of two wins and an ever-so-close and some might call controversial loss to Miami.
The Rebels return not one but two.,.count ’em… Heisman Trophy candidates on a single side of the football in quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy. They should feature an offense that is capable of scoring as soon as it reaches plus territory with secret weapon and place kicker Lucas Carneiro on the roster.
Golding rebuilt the defense through the portal. It ought to a fun 2026.
But beware: Don’t expect Ole Miss to get the full respect it has earned from national media pundits. It’s not really going to happen.
Poll voters, right?
Let’s get to business…
NCAA SHENANIGANS
The organization that attempts to govern college athletics is still doing ridiculous things. I was there firsthand to watch the group’s incompetence on display last month in a Calhoun County (Miss.) courtroom.
Bless their hearts. ***
They put on zero witnesses.
They questioned Dr. Ford Dye, who is a renowned ear, nose and throat doctor (he sees my daughter), about his field.
They looked ridiculous playing doctor.
They objected to Ole Miss assistant coach Joe Judge, who used to be the head coach of the New York Giants, being admitted to testify as a football expert.
What?
And finally, in the good ol’ spirit of college athletics in which they claim to lead, the NCAA threw its hands up and left tiny Pittsboro, Miss., before the judge had issued his ruling.
The NCAA had had enough.
It quit.
The judge subsequently issued a show cause to the NCAA. I laughed out loud when I read the terminology of “show cause.” The NCAA has boot-kicked so many programs and coaches with those words over the years.
Now the organization wants the Mississippi State Supreme Court to hear its case on appeal.
The supreme authority in the Magnolia State may or may not agree to hear them out. I have heard, however, that much like the honorable judge in Calhoun County, the deck is stacked with Ole Miss alums. After all, the primary law school in the Magnolia State is only a few miles from my front door and a few hundred yards from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
The should be an extreme and prejudiced homefield advantage here.
Hmmm…
BEARD’S MOVE
It has obviously been a disappointing season for men’s basketball coach Chris Beard. The Rebels own an underwhelming 12-19 record and have only won four games in conference play. They play Texas at 6 p.m. CT Wednesday in the opening round of the SEC Tournament.
Men’s basketball is really the only major program at Ole Miss not in the national conversation to some extent. Without apologies, the fireside chats have turned into dumpster fires.
We all know Beard is a proven and accomplished coach. He is still desirable by many programs.
But another season like this and his sticker price begins to drop tremendously.
There are rumors and rumors of rumors that programs like Kansas State would love to have Beard guide them. The fact is, if he goes 10 games under .500 at Ole Miss again next season, those programs like K-State and others, will turn into mid-major schools offering less and less money.
Beard understands this, we are almost certain.
He has indicated he plans to be in Oxford. Every coach is never interested in a job until he is. Just remember that amidst all the pledges and denials and looks into the future.
We told you we were not going to be fulltime sunshine pumpers at OleMiss365.com. There ya go…