The College Football Clusterfuck - Fiesta Bowl Preview

First of all, defeating Georgia still feels historic. Usually it is Georgia that will win games like that, and then go on to play for the title. This year, that team is Ole Miss. It feels unreal. If Ole Miss can defeat Georgia, it can defeat any team in college football. That much is clear to me.

College football is a mess. It has been pretty insane to be a lifelong fan of the team at the epicenter of the madness. The transfer portal opened today, and it has been interesting to see all the players looking for a new team, especially the Ole Miss former starter and current backup, Austin Simmons. I don’t think Ole Miss would be where it is without the play of Trinidad Chambliss, and I don’t think Simmons is nearly as good as Chambliss, so it isn’t at all suprising that he wants to leave and look for a better opportunity. What confuses me is why is the portal is opening now at all, when there’s still football to play. It feels like everything is geared toward next season already, so the games are almost like a sideshow. I hate it.

Add to that how Kiffin left Ole Miss in a lurch. This makes me despise Lane Kiffin all the more, because he could have kept Ole Miss rock solid, and it feels like a mess that is operating on inertia. That’s not a great way to put it, because I can say that the Ole Miss team played with some heart against Georgia on New Year’s Day, something that was rarely seen under Kiffin. That’s already a noticeable difference. So, I like Pete Golding, and I think he was the best choice Ole Miss had available in those circumstances. Everything about Golding screams position coach, and everything about Kiffin screamed head coach. Whatever it is, that head coach charisma and habit of being, Golding hasn’t developed that yet. He’s clearly an Xs and Os guy, and he will talk pretty in-depth about football, something Kiffin never did. I’m not crazy about his cursing during his media appearances, though. I don’t find it offensive, just crass and unprofessional. Football should be geared toward a family ethic, something suitable for children. I know when I was a kid I would have found it shocking if Billy Brewer has cursed in his press conferences. I wish Golding would get a touch more polish on his act.

The test is going to be how Golding handles the new offense when all of that staff is in place. Right now, pretty much the entire offensive staff is going to LSU, so all of that is going to change at Ole Miss when the season is finished. Think about how messed up that is, that next season LSU is going to have the exact offensive scheme that Ole Miss is running right now. Golding is going to need to figure out a way to keep some continuity, because it is going to suck pretty hard when LSU comes in to Vaught-Hemingway next year and beats us with our own offense, which I can see coming from a mile away. I’m getting way down the road. I’m just saying all of these are problems caused by the villianous Lane Kiffin and his unceremonious departure.

Ole Miss vs. Miami

Miami is one of those teams I just hate for no reason, and I always have. More than anything I think it could be the colors, orange and green. Just terrible.

In terms of the matchup, Miami just defeated an Ohio State team by pushing them around with its beefy defensive line. That seems to be the team’s biggest strength. Likewise, on offense, Miami wants to run the ball to set up the pass, so this is a team geared to generate wins from good line play. That’s what football is all about, clearly.

Ole Miss has enjoyed excellent play out of its offensive line all season long, and it’s been a lot of fun to watch. Only last season, the group was subpar enough to warrant the use of a denfensive end for carries in short-yardage scenarios, which I hated. Every time Ole Miss needed a yard or two, it would send out that huge defensive lineman. This year, it uses its regular back, Kewan Lacy, with great success. The line has also given Chambliss a stable pocket, with especially good blocking out of the running back position, namely Lacy and Diggs. On defense, the Ole Miss starters are outstanding, capable of stopping the run and frustrating receivers. The depth is where things could be improved.

I don’t think the Miami defensive line is going to have its way with Ole Miss like it did with Ohio State, for a couple of reasons. The offensive line is solid and has faced similar defensive personnel all season, and Chambliss has the ability to improvise his way out of sacks when that pocket breaks down. This Ole Miss offensive is built to hand a defense like Miami. I think four touchdowns will win this game for Ole Miss.

The Miami offense is what troubles me the most, the screwball variable in this game. I think stopping the run is going to be key to the victory, but what worries me is Carson Beck’s experience. He has the ability to make those key passes that sustains drives. If the Ole Miss defense can limit the rushing attack and frustrate Beck, it can win.

This will be the first time Ole Miss has appeared in the Fiesta Bowl. This will be the fourth time Ole Miss has faced Miami, holding a 2-1 advantage in the series.

HOTTY TODDY!