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1. Ole Miss wrapped up a special season Thanksgiving night with a 31-21 win at Mississippi State.
The Rebels still have a New Year's Six bowl game to play, and they could finish as high as No. 5 or so in the national polls, but for the most part, the rest of this campaign is a victory tour of sorts.
The Rebels rode an incredible quarterback, a talented set of offensive weapons, two excellent offensive tackles, a plethora of interchangeable interior players, Sam Williams' dramatic improvement, an influx of talent at linebacker and a new defensive scheme to within one win of the College Football Playoff.
Two years removed from abject embarrassment and a coaching change, that's simply remarkable.
There's a tendency in college football -- and in life, for that matter -- to always look to what's next. That's to be expected. However, Ole Miss fans would be advised to take a little time and reflect on a special season and appreciate it.
From rallying around Lane Kiffin's COVID-related absence in the season-opening win to the drama of back-to-back wild wins over Arkansas and Tennessee to the spectacle of a glorious day capped by a dominant win over Texas A&M to going into Starkville and successfully defending the Golden Egg Trophy, this season had a little bit of everything.
There are players on this team -- Matt Corral, Snoop Conner, Jerrion Ealy, Dontario Drummond, Nick Broeker, Sam Williams, Chance Campbell, Mark Robinson, A.J. Finley and Jake Springer come to mind immediately -- who earned special places in the hearts and minds of Ole Miss fans.
"I call it a blended family," Kiffin said Thursday night. "Some have been here six years from the beginning and some have been here one year, and they’ve come from all over the place. We have transfers, walk-ons and everything. It’s really cool to see them pick each other up. Every coach says every year that every team is a family, and that’s not really true, but this is one of those unique years where they really are and they protect each other like that and play for each other like that.
"It really is remarkable what these kids did. They called themselves a band of brothers, and they really are. That’s really special. Again, never had a ten win regular season. Football has been played here a long time and the SEC is as strong as ever. There’s more SEC teams than there used to be, so now it's even harder, so it’s a really special deal."
2. I'm a Heisman Trophy voter. We're threatened with the loss of our ballot if we reveal who we voted for.
Well, I haven't voted yet, and I reserve the right to change my mind, but I can tell you now that something dramatic will have to happen to change the top line of my ballot this year.
Bryce Young can change my mind with a dominant performance Saturday in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia. Young is a special player, a charismatic leader who has shown he can take a team and put it on his shoulders. Without Young's brilliance, Alabama loses not only to Auburn on Saturday but also to Arkansas a week earlier. The Tide has some weaknesses.
Ole Miss' Corral, however, is so much more than the accumulation of his statistics. Yes, he threw for 3,334 yards and 20 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions. Yes, he rushed for 597 yards and 11 more scores, but again, it was more than that.
It's my opinion Corral is the only quarterback in college football who could've led this Ole Miss team to 10-2. Corral overcame injuries to his offensive line, his receiving corps and ultimately, to himself, and just willed his team to win after win after win. It was remarkable stuff, the kind of thing people will be talking about decades from now.
3. While Ole Miss waits to learn its bowl destination, the Rebels' focus turns to recruiting.
This year, that's very much a two-pronged approach. There's recruiting in the traditional sense, and there's the transfer portal. Sources inside the Manning Center have indicated throughout this fall that Ole Miss will go heavy on the transfer portal, and no one has deviated from that message in recent days.
That's what I expect over the next few weeks. I look for Ole Miss to seek a quarterback, a running back, at least one wide receiver, an offensive tackle, at least one defensive end, at least one linebacker and perhaps another safety
The coaching carousel is going to result in some interesting transfer portal additions; bet on that.
Meanwhile, I look for the staff to turn to a very early emphasis on the 2023 class. The Rebels got off to a great start in that regard on Sunday, landing a commitment from Raleigh, Miss., four-star outside linebacker Suntarine Perkins.
Momentum from a spectacular season doesn't typically result in immediate recruiting impact. It does, however, usually translate to early momentum for the next year's class. I suspect we'll see that over the coming months, as Ole Miss uses the New Year's Six bowl bid and -- presumably -- Kiffin's new deal in Oxford to gain momentum on the recruiting trail.
4. It’s time for my weekly ranking of the Southeastern Conference. What a year’s it’s been.
1. Georgia — The Bulldogs appear invincible. I guess we’ll soon find out.
2. Alabama — I think I know what I’m looking at. Credit to the Tide for winning, but the domination is fading.
3. Ole Miss — One can’t help but wonder what could’ve been had some receivers stayed healthy.
4. Kentucky — A 9-3 season in Lexington will earn a man a lifetime contract, but is that what Mark Stoops wants?
5. Arkansas — Kudos to Sam Pittman. He’s changed the culture in Fayetteville in 24 months. It’s obvious in person and on the screen.
6. Texas A&M — Another disappointing November for the Aggies.
7. Tennessee — Josh Heupel and Co. closed strong, setting up another obnoxious offseason from the Vols Are Back crowd.
8. Mississippi State — Watching the Egg Bowl on Thursday, I couldn’t help but wonder if 4-4 in the SEC is the ceiling for the Air Raid.
9. Auburn — Credit to the Tigers. They laid it all on the line in the Iron Bowl. That will be a tough loss to live with.
10. LSU — Yes, the Tigers went 6-6 and fired Ed Orgeron, but that defense figured something out in November. Loads of talent on the roster in Baton Rouge.
11. Missouri — The Tigers held their own against Florida and South Carolina, but Friday’s loss at Arkansas likely served as a sober reminder of just how far Eliah Drinkwitz has to go to become a contender.
12. South Carolina — No, Shane Beamer isn’t Coach of the Year. The notion is silly, but he did a nice job in Year 1.
13. Florida — I can’t help but wonder if the UF job is all it’s cracked up to be.
14. Vanderbilt — The Commodores were the only team that failed to become bowl-eligible. In a league full of relative parity, one can’t help but wonder if getting Vanderbilt back to a responsible level is just impossible.
5. Here are my personal postseason awards in the SEC, for what they're worth (which is absolutely nothing):
Player of the Year:
1. Will Anderson, Jr., LB, Alabama
2. Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
3. Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia
Offensive Player of the Year:
1. Matt Corral,QB, Ole Miss
2. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
3. Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Defensive Player of the Year:
1. Will Anderson, Jr., LB, Alabama
2. Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia
3. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
Jacobs Blocking Trophy:
1. Evan Neal, Alabama
2. Kenyon Green, Texas A&M
3. Darian Kinnard, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year:
1. Jarquez Hunter, RB, Auburn
2. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
3. Maason Smith, DL, LSU
Coach of the Year:
1. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
2. Sam Pittman, Arkansas
3. Kirby Smart, Georgia
6. I don’t have a ballot for All-SEC, but if I did, my ballot would look like this:
(Yes, one could likely criticize a few of these picks, but I’m basing these off what I saw, not what others are telling me to see).
OFFENSE
QB: Matt Corral, Ole Miss
RB: Tyler Badie, Missouri
WR: Treylon Burks, Arkansas
WR: Jameson Williams, Alabama
WR: Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky
TE: Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M
OL: Evan Neal, Alabama
OL: Darian Kinnard, Kentucky
OL: Kenyon Green, Texas A&M
OL: Charles Cross, Mississippi State
OL: Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas
DEFENSE
DL: Jordan Davis, Georgia
DL: DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M
DL: Sam Williams, Ole Miss
LB: Nakobe Dean, Georgia
LB: Will Anderson, Jr., Alabama
LB: Chance Campbell, Ole Miss
LB: Damone Clark, LSU
DB: Jordan Battle, Alabama
DB: A.J. Finley, Ole Miss
DB: Roger McCreary, Auburn
DB Jaylon Foster, South Carolina
SPECIALISTS
P Jake Camarda, Georgia
K Harrison Mevis, Missouri
PR: Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
KR: Velus Jones, Tennessee
7. Here's my stab at the SEC's bowl destinations:
Orange Bowl -- Georgia
Sugar Bowl -- Alabama
Peach Bowl -- Ole Miss
Texas Bowl -- Mississippi State
Citrus Bowl -- Kentucky
Outback Bowl -- Arkansas
Gator Bowl -- Texas A&M
Music City Bowl -- Tennessee
Duke's Mayo Bowl -- South Carolina
Liberty Bowl -- Auburn
Birmingham Bowl -- LSU
Quick Lane Bowl -- Missouri
Cure Bowl -- Florida
8. I'm running out of weeks to fantasize about being an objective enough journalist to be an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Those people are my heroes. Their fierce dedication to agenda-less journalism is the stuff of legends. I'll miss following their work each week.
Anyway, if I happened to have a ballot, mine would look like this today:
1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Oklahoma State
4. Alabama
5. Cincinnati
6. Notre Dame
7. Ole Miss
8. Baylor
9. Ohio State
10. Utah
11. BYU
12. Oregon
13. Michigan State
14. Oklahoma
15. Kentucky
16. Iowa
17. Pittsburgh
18. Arkansas
19. Houston
20. North Carolina State
21. Wake Forest
22. San Diego State
23. Louisiana-Lafayette
24. Texas A&M
25. Appalachian State
8b. I'd like to take this brief opportunity to remind you that coaching searches include several elements, not all of which work together toward the same common goal.
There must be opportunity. In other words, there must be an opening. There must be mutual interest, although that's complicated. One party (say: LSU) could be interested but the other party (say: Lincoln Riley) could be primarily using your opportunity for leverage with his current opportunity or with another opportunity (say: LSU). The leverage play works if and only if you're willing to go to one of the aforementioned opportunity if your leverage play is unsuccessful.
Florida wanted Billy Napier. Napier wanted Florida. That was easy.
Napier, however, wanted to see what LSU would do. LSU believed it had Riley. Florida pushed for a quick commitment. USC played the game stealthily, using friendly media to float Dave Aranda's name, getting a raise at Baylor for Aranda and buying team to steal Riley in the hours following Bedlam.
Miami doesn't have an athletics director in place. Further, they have a divided administration and a divided booster base. Therefore, as of this writing, there's no opportunity. The 'Canes covet Mario Cristobol, but there is a belief among many in the coaching industry that Cristobol would use Miami as leverage for a better deal at Oregon. There is still a very real chance Miami gives Manny Diaz another year while it works out the AD situation and figures out its next move.
Cristobol could also use Miami as leverage to get a quicker deal from LSU. No one really seems to know at this point. I'll throw a name out there that's been whispered a bit -- Notre Dame's Brian Kelly.
Make no mistake; I'm not reporting Kelly is LSU-bound or anything like that. I am saying, however, that's been whispered a bit here and there for a couple of weeks there and there's a growing sense today in Baton Rouge that athletics director Scott Woodward has his man.
I still think the job is Jimbo Fisher's if he wants it. For whatever reason(s), Fisher doesn't appear to want it.
9. Let’s eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 114 — Uncle Vinny’s Meatball Sub.
Whenever you’re wanting a different…well something…to eat after Thanksgiving, this always hits the spot and is easy to prepare.
Tidbit #1: You will need to sauté the onions and garlic in a pan over medium heat with olive oil before adding it to the hamburger meat. After, use the same pan and cook the bacon pieces in it.
Tidbit #2: The best sauce you can make from tomatoes with the most flavor is actually from cherry tomatoes. It is quick and again pops with flavor.
Tidbit #3: You can use a mix of mozzarella and provolone for the sandwich. I find it is the best for the cut of the meatballs.
Things you will need:
4 People
Preparation time - 10 Minutes
Cook time - 20 Minutes
Utensils needed:
Worksurface and chef’s knife
Measuring cups
Box grater
Large mixing bowl
2 Saute pan
Spatula
Side plate
Stovetop and oven
Ingredients needed:
1 lb Ground beef 20%
4 Pieces bacon
2 Boxes cherry tomatoes
1 cup Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1 Cup Provolone cheese (shredded)
1 Onion
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp tarragon
1 Tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Worcheshire sauce
.5 cup bread crumbs
4 Hogie rolls
Mise en Place
Step 1: Start with sautéing the onions and garlic until soft and add into the large mixing bowl. While the pan is still hot, add in the bacon and cook. Pour the grease into the mixing bowl and take the bacon out to place on the side plate. You will then add the cherry tomatoes to the same pan and cover. Let cook for 15 minutes on medium heat.
Step 1.2: In the large mixing bowl, add in the rest of the ingredients minus the cheeses and hoagie rolls. Mix using your hands and then let sit for 5 minutes to marinate the flavors.
Step 2: Take your other saute pan and turn to medium heat. Once hot, add in the meatballs that you have formed from the big ball (about golf ball size). Sear them on nearly all of the sides (yes no sides on a circle) and then place them on the side plate. Repeat until completed.
Final Step
Step 3: Take the meatballs and place them in the now tomato sauce. Toast the bread in the oven (open-faced) with the cheeses. Take from the oven and place on your serving plate. Then add the tomato sauce, followed by some meatballs, and of course the bacon. Serve with chips and you have yourself a great post-Thanksgiving meal.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss basketball, football recruiting, bowl/coaching scuttlebutt and more this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
UGASports - Behind the scenes: How love fuels Jordan Davis' journey at Georgia
No brakes, no breaks: An exhilarating, exhausting NFL Sunday with RedZone's Scott Hanson
Clemson Football: Recruit Antonio Williams gets Tigers offer | The State
Thompson: Klay Thompson has a vulnerable moment after Warriors win – The Athletic
Checking in on Charlie Morton: Injury rehab, his and Braves' future, CBA situation and more
Diego Maradona's heart removed after death
Troy Aikman Credits His Abs to the Pegan Diet and Lifting 4 Days a Week
Waukesha suspect shared social media posts promoting violence against whites
If only Kyle Rittenhouse could ask Biden and media: "Have you no sense of decency?" - John Kass
Five Trump-Russia 'Collusion' Corrections We Need From the Media Now -- Just for Starters
Husband kills wife with venomous snake bite