By Skeeter Smith
There was a ton of excitement in Oxford when Kiffin was hired in 2020. He vaulted the program to relevance in year 2 of his tenure, winning 10 games and landing a New Year’s Six bowl. Last year, the Rebels started the season on fire, winning their first seven games of the year. However, things came crashing down quickly as they would go on to lose 6 out of the last 7 games to end the year, leaving a sour taste in many fans’ mouths.
Heading into the 2023 season, Ole Miss found itself with a clean slate and another shot at establishing itself as a premier SEC team. The Rebels faced a golden opportunity this past Saturday when they ventured into Tuscaloosa to face the Alabama Crimson Tide. Lane Kiffin, yearning to defeat his former mentor, Nick Saban, had what appeared to be his best shot yet to finally take down the Tide.
Plagued with quarterback issues and consecutive disastrous offensive showings, the Crimson Tide were in wounded animal mode, creating a prime opportunity for Kiffin and the Rebels to make a statement. Initially, the Rebs went up 7-3 to start the game, but from there, everything went south. That early score would turn out to be the Rebels’ lone touchdown of the game as they would eventually fall to Alabama 24-10, leaving fans wondering if they’ve already seen the best from Lane Kiffin.
Winning in the SEC isn’t easy, which is why you have to capitalize on your chances against teams when you get them, something Kiffin has struggled to do so far. While beating Bama isn’t the ultimate objective for Kiffin, it still would have marked a significant step forward for the program’s trajectory. Instead, the Rebels once again look to be a middle-of-the-pack SEC team in year four of Kiffin’s tenure.
Now Kiffin’s job isn’t in jeopardy nor is he even close to being on the hot seat, but the truth is that he has a history of falling flat in big games, and Saturday was no different. During his time at Ole Miss, Kiffin is 3-7 against teams that finish in the top 25; over his entire head coaching career, he’s 4-23.
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The reality is that Lane will never reach his desired heights as a head coach unless his on-field talent improves to match his competition. No one doubts Kiffin’s genius in offensive play calling, but it counts for naught if the team is outmatched across the board, as was evident on Saturday. Even in a season where Alabama appeared to be down, the Rebels seemed to be a step behind.
In his four years at Ole Miss, he has yet to secure a top-10 recruiting class according to the four major recruiting sites. He’s attempted to bridge the talent gap via the transfer portal, but this has its limitations as many of the entrants of the portal are players who struggled for playing time at their previous schools. If Kiffin wants to reach title contention, he has to be better on the recruiting trail.
Ole Miss gets another big opportunity this weekend as they host the 13th-ranked LSU Tigers in a must-win game to remain in contention for the SEC West. The pressure is on Lane Kiffin and the Rebels to secure what could be a huge win for this season.
