Column: Ole Miss Football Returned to Spotlight in 2021, New Challenges Await

Ole Miss did not end its season with a win in the Sugar Bowl, and now, it heads into an offseason with a lot of questions that remain unanswered.

If you're an Ole Miss fan, odds are that Saturday's Sugar Bowl was a tough watch.

Matt Corral, long in the Heisman conversation in the 2021 season and in many ways the face of this Rebel team, went down in the first quarter with a leg injury. Although his x-rays were negative, his career in an Ole Miss uniform was over in the blink of an eye.

His backup, Luke Altmyer, showed flashes of what made him a coveted quarterback recruit out of Starkville High School (Miss.), but he also showed some early growing pains often experienced by young quarterbacks, especially when they are thrust onto a stage such as a New Year's Six bowl game.

Altmyer made some mistakes, and he made some plays, but ultimately, Corral's injury was likely too much to overcome for Ole Miss.

It was obvious from the get-go that the Rebels had their work cut out for them with Baylor's defense. Corral threw an interception on Ole Miss' second play from scrimmage, and although the Rebel defense got a stop, as it did often on Saturday, the hill was always going to be steep to climb once Corral went down.

Lane Kiffin said following the game that his team did some cool things this season, but they didn't "finish the job" with a Sugar Bowl win. That may be true, but the Rebels made their mark on college football this season and have swiftly risen back into the national consciousness.

In order to stay there, however, it has some questions to answer.

Matt Corral, Jeff Lebby and Jerrion Ealy are all departing after this season along with others. Charlie Weis Jr. is stepping in Lebby's shoes as the new Ole Miss offensive coordinator, but who will replace Corral has yet to be determined. 

Did Luke Altmyer show Kiffin enough on Saturday to make him rethink his treading of the transfer portal? The head coach was largely non-committal on that front, although he did continually emphasize how impressed he was with the true freshman's navigation of a difficult situation. Either way, someone other than Matt Corral will be taking snaps for Ole Miss next season, and that will come with changes under a new offensive coordinator as well.

This season didn't end with a bowl win for Ole Miss, and it will likely always be remembered for Corral's unceremonious exit in the first quarter in New Orleans, but that doesn't negate what happened in 2021. Ole Miss looked different compared to recent memories, ones that were littered with NCAA violations and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in Egg Bowls.

Ole Miss returned to national success this season, but now the question is: can it sustain that? Lane Kiffin walked into a difficult situation when he took the Ole Miss job, and he succeeded in turning the program around.

Now, he has another challenge in front of him.

---

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rebels? Click Here.

Follow The Grove Report On Facebook and Twitter.