Lane Kiffin Staying at Ole Miss; What's Next for the Rebels?
OXFORD, Miss. -- Reports indicated on Saturday morning that head coach Lane Kiffin is remaining with the Ole Miss Rebels after rumors swirled over the last few weeks regarding his name being tied to the job opening with the Auburn Tigers.
Now that it appears Kiffin will be remaining in Oxford, what's next? The focus in recent days has not been on the actual football played by the Rebels but, instead, on the future of its head coach. That set of distractions could have been a factor in Ole Miss finishing the season 1-4 after starting the year 7-0 (although, notably, the Rebels' schedule did toughen late in the season as well).
Usually, a bowl game for an 8-4 team is usually fairly inconsequential. For SEC programs, that likely puts you in the ReliaQuest Bowl, Music City Bowl or another mid-tier game after a respectable but not elite season.
Bowl games, regardless of the level, hold some form of meaning every season. They are a reward for players, even if they aren't in the College Football Playoff. It is undeniable, however, that the Liberty Bowl and the Sugar Bowl hold different levels of meaning for a program, but even though the New Year's Six is not in the cards for the Rebels, this is a big game for Lane Kiffin and his team.
Regardless of where the Rebels end up bowling, after dropping three-straight games in the SEC West to conclude the regular season, it's important for Ole Miss to try and establish some positive momentum heading into the offseason.
Again, most of the talk in recent weeks has been about Lane Kiffin's name being tied to a job opening with an SEC West rival, not the actual football on the field. Now that he is remaining in Oxford, this "mid-tier" bowl game has a chance to refocus the fan base and country on what Kiffin is working to build at Ole Miss. A win, and the repairing process has begun.
It's important to remember that in a year where Ole Miss lost so much talent to graduation and the NFL Draft, 8-4 at the beginning of the season would have likely been taken by Rebel fans. How the team reached the 8-4 mark, however, has soured some of the mood in Oxford, especially with the coaching rumors flying towards the end of the season.
If Ole Miss goes to Tampa for the ReliaQuest (formerly Outback) Bowl, Nashville for the Music City Bowl or any other location, this game holds a little extra meaning for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels as they look to recapture some positive momentum before National Signing Day.
You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.
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