Talk of Champions

A week filled with Lane-Kiffin-to-Auburn rumors ended in disaster on Saturday, with Ole Miss getting blown out in Fayetteville for its third loss in its last four games. Ben Garrett and David Johnson discuss in this postgame edition of Franchise Player, a site-crossover podcast of the Ole Miss Spirit (On3) and Inside the Rebels (247). If Kiffin does leave for the Plains, it won't be because of...

Ole Miss on Saturday travels to Arkansas for a battle of wills. The Rebels are still in contention for a New Year's Six game, while the Razorbacks are fighting for bowl eligibility. Zach Berry and Co. break down the Week 12 matchup in this edition of Hit That Line, including thoughts on why they think Ole Miss is set up for success, from the run game comparison and Arkansas' struggling def...

The Lane Kiffin-to-Auburn rumors won’t go away, but Ole Miss still has two games left, and the second 10-win regular season in school history is still very much within reach. The Rebels (8-2, 4-2 SEC) next travel to Arkansas (5-5, 2-4) Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network, meaning the most-pressing short-term question is whether the outside noise is adversely affecting the locker room in any wa...

After almost a full week of rumors, one thing's for certain: Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is a leading candidate at Auburn. No offer has been made, and sources indicate resolution won't come until after the Iron Bowl next week. But the threat of Ole Miss having to replace its most successful (on and off the field) head coach of the modern era is very real. Unlike previous years, however...

Ole Miss on Saturday fell short in the fourth quarter against Alabama and suffered its second loss of the season. Still, Lane Kiffin's program did well for itself despite the loss, showcasing the upward trajectory of the program to over 40-plus recruits in town. A sell-out crowd roared, and outside of a few possessions, Ole Miss played good enough to upset Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. Zach...

Ole Miss didn’t get the on-field results it was looking for against Alabama, but the recruiting results couldn’t have been more encouraging.  The Rebels over the weekend hosted a star-studded group of targets for the next three recruiting cycles (2023, 2024 and 2025), headlined by uncommitted four-star running back Chris Johnson, who appears to be trending in Ole Miss’ direction. Also in town was...

Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis kicks it old school for game-day-eve, opposing-team scouts. Rather than simply watch the film and break down an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, Davis puts the Rebels through a round of Jeopardy-style trivia, dividing his roster into two teams to to answer pertinent questions about the matchup ahead. Davis and the Rebels were fresh off a deep-dive into Chattano...

If internet rumblings are to be believed, the smoke surrounding Lane Kiffin and Auburn is nearing a fire. What we do actually know, though? If nothing else, as the Ole Miss Spirit was hearing on Monday, Kiffin is certainly a leading candidate. Auburn appears focused on four: Kiffin, Hugh Freeze, Matt Rhule and Joe Whitt, Jr. Ben Garrett and David Johnson try to separate fact from fiction in this e...

Ole Miss football is so close to being an elite team. The Rebels (8-2, 4-2 SEC) lost to Alabama (7-2, 5-2) on Saturday. Bryce Young is really good. Why Ole Miss didn’t run Quinshon Judkins on its final plays remains a mystery. LSU clinched the SEC West with a win over Arkansas and the Ole Miss loss, meaning the Rebels blew their latest best shot at the program’s first-ever trip to the SEC title ga...

Ole Miss baseball on Wednesday signed the No. 6 recruiting class in the country. The Rebels — who all this week have been celebrating the program’s first-ever national championship won in June — signed 19 high school recruits, including five ranked in the Top 100 nationally by Perfect Game. Among them is Oxford products Cooper Pratt, an infielder, and Campbell Smithwick, a catcher. They’re also tw...

No. 11 Ole Miss hosts No. 9 Alabama in what should be a picture-perfect fall day in Oxford, Miss., for the biggest game of the season for Lane Kiffin's Rebels on Saturday. Ole Miss is coming off a bye, while the Crimson Tide is licking its wounds after an overtime loss to LSU. Sure, it's Alabama and big, bad Nick Saban, but this is the first time in 12 years an Alabama team has two losses...

Jordan Watkins received a hero’s welcome in his return to Louisville over the weekend.  No, not the college he left in the offseason to join Ole Miss football. He was back at his old high school, Butler (Ky.) Traditional, for its playoff showdown with Bullitt East. The Bears, unfortunately, had their season come to an end, but Watkins, throughout, was swarmed by countless kids and other hometown w...

Jerrell Powe, an all-time Rebel football great, will never be able to bring himself to pick against Ole Miss. But even Powe recognizes the challenge the Rebels face on Saturday, when they host Alabama at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS. While the Crimson Tide isn’t the same dominant force it’s been for almost two decades, Bryce Young and Co. aren’t a great matchup for Ole Miss. The Rebels have struggled with...

The pressure is on for Alabama this week, and Ole Miss is fresh off a bye.  Something's gotta give. Zach Berry (Ole Miss Spirit/On3) and David Brandt (Associated Press) have the full breakdown in this edition of Daytime Fireworks, including their thoughts on a unique matchup of Ole Miss’ potent rushing attack against an Alabama team in search of answers following an overtime loss on the road t...

Four-star 2023 safety and Ole Miss priority target Jamel Johnson de-committed from Texas on Monday. Johnson — who’s ranked as the No. 294 player in the country, as well as the No. 28 safety — could be a pick-up opportunity for the Rebels, as Ole Miss Spirit recruiting analyst Zach Berry explains in this edition of Talk of Champions. “He’s close with Braxton Myers, Ole Miss cornerback commitment fr...

Alabama week has arrived for Ole Miss football. The Rebels will host the Crimson Tide Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS. Chuck Rounsaville and Co. have a full breakdown and preview in this edition of the Rebel Yell Hotline, including drop-ins by Alabama insider Rodney Orr and Harry Harrison of the Ole Miss Radio Network. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great...

So much for a 2014 Ole Miss-Alabama redux. The Crimson Tide over the weekend lost at LSU, meaning the stakes have changed when Alabama rolls into Oxford on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS. LSU controls the SEC West and holds the tiebreaker over Ole Miss. Even if the Rebels win out, they could still fall short of reaching the SEC title game in Atlanta, Ga., for the first time in pr...

Ole Miss held steady in the most-recent round of On3 team recruiting rankings. The Rebels have 13 commitments in a class with a blue-chip percentage of 77 percent. They were ranked No. 20 on Friday, and all but three of their pledges are four-star prospects. Among the headliners is Suntarine Perkins, the nation’s No. 3 linebacker and the No. 1 player in Mississippi in 2023. Not far behind is Ayden...

Ole Miss might not have a game to play on Saturday, but head coach Lane Kiffin and staff aren’t taking any time off. The Rebels all weekend are spreading out and hitting the recruiting trail, including stops for Kiffin in Texas and Arizona. Ben Garrett and Zach Berry break down the full visit schedule in this recruiting-filled edition of Talk of Champions. Plus, they speculate on the early visit l...

The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels (8-1, 4-1 SEC) are not on the field this week. That's not stopping the Hit That Line crew from recapping last week's win over Texas A&M and quickly jumping into Week 10 in college football. There are some big games on the slate, including a Game of the Year candidate in No. 1 Tennessee at No. 3 Georgia. Zach Berry (Ole Miss Spirit/On3) and Co. also break down...

JJ Pegues wasn’t surprised when he heard earlier this week Auburn had moved on from head coach Bryan Harsin. “Not at all,” he said. Pegues was one of 28 total transfers Ole Miss added in the offseason.  Twenty-four, including Pegues, came from the NCAA Transfer Portal, in a class ranked as high as No. 2 in the country. Pegues, an Oxford native, jumped at the opportunity to leave a messy situation...

The defending national champion Ole Miss baseball team played a 12-inning exhibition game against UAB on Sunday. Long-time Rebel hitting coach Mike Clement wasn’t all that thrilled with the results. To be fair, his only responsibility is the Ole Miss hitters, and Clement said the Rebels “pitched it really well.” Sophomore ace and projected Friday starter Hunter Elliott was one of four pitchers wit...

So much for an uneventful Ole Miss football bye week. Auburn on Monday fired head coach Bryan Harsin. Predictably, Lane Kiffin quickly emerged as a potential replacement in the over-the-top fallout. However, as Chuck Rounsaville, The Godfather of Rebel football coverage, explains in this edition of Talk of Champions, there’s no need to panic … yet. “I’m not seriously worried about it, to be honest...

No. 10 Ole Miss hits the bye at 8-1 on the season following a 31-28 win at Texas A&M on Saturday. The Rebels have chance to not only play spoiler, but take control of the SEC West against Alabama in two weeks. But there's plenty of time between now and then, and the off-week just got much more interesting after Auburn decided to finally move on from head coach Bryan Harsin. The Tigers rece...

Jordan Watkins and the 8-1 Ole Miss football team are well-aware of what lies ahead of them. They’re off this week. But should Alabama beat LSU on Saturday, in a week’s time, they would host the Crimson Tide for a 2014-like atmosphere turned up to 11. First place in the SEC West. Pole position for the SEC title game and College Football Playoff. All on the line. “We’ve just got to block out the no...