The Grove will be open for tailgating this fall and GameChanger Patch Co. wants to help you prepare.
GameChanger Patches are the only two-patch system available in the market to stop hangovers before they start. The WarmUp Patch is used before or while you drink, and the OverTime patch is used after you’ve been drinking to recover while you sleep. The all-natural ingredients will keep you in the game and ready for your next play.
To get you ready for the Grove, we are running a giveaway until September 8th. All GameChanger patch orders placed online through our website will be entered to win an Officially Licensed Ole Miss branded Yeti Roadie 24 hard sided cooler and a Home Run Bundle of 4 Packs of WarmUp and 4 packs of OverTime. There are also free chances to enter the giveaway including leaving a product review or following us on Instagram. The link is pinned on Rebel Grove or you can access it on GameChanger’s website in the drop down menu.
Try the patches and enter to win at GameChangerPatch.com. Enter Promo Code RebelGrove20 at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Void where prohibited.
1. I've heard people say Lane Kiffin doesn't say much at his press conferences.
I beg to disagree. One simply has to listen for a few nuggets of information here and there.
Kiffin isn't crazy about personnel questions. He doesn't like to discuss depth chart matters. He prefers big-picture topics.
However, most beat writers write about the here and now, and Kiffin knows the media is a conduit to you, the fans.
And over the past few weeks, as Ole Miss has gone through preseason camp and prepared for next Monday's opener versus Louisville in Atlanta, Kiffin has tried to tell you something:
He's worried about depth. He knows he has a talented team. He knows the roster is better. He has raved about quarterback Matt Corral, and Kiffin is a "rat poison" guy. He really likes wide receiver Braylon Sanders, knows he has an extremely talented running back corps and believes the Rebels' defense will be much better this fall.
But Kiffin is worried about depth. After every scrimmage and during most any media availability where he's asked a general question about his team, Kiffin turns almost immediately to depth -- or the lack thereof.
"Maybe after we've been here five or six years, hopefully, we'll have that depth and we're not concerned about that, but we have a lot of issues," Kiffin said Thursday. "It's been well-noted on defense, on the offensive line, tight end injuries, receiver depth. Really, it's the majority of our spots. We're really concerned about the depth and developing that depth so we can play more players. We'll be better over the course of the season if we can do that versus taxing these guys out playing them so much. ...It wears you down. The more we can play, the better we'll be at the end of the year."
I noted in a follow-up question that Kiffin had talked about depth frequently this preseason and I asked if he was more confident now than he was at the beginning of camp.
"I think there's a good amount of that (confidence) on defense," Kiffin said. "We had so many mid-years on defense, including some junior college transfers and things. I feel better about that. We're still a work in progress at some other positions."
I haven't covered Kiffin long, but from what I've observed, he is a straight shooter with the media. He either tells the truth or doesn't answer the question at all. So if he's said all of August that he's worried about depth, I choose to believe him.
You're free to do as you choose, but I'd advise you to do the same. I think this team has a real chance to have a special season, but I know enough to know the road it must navigate to make that happen is narrow and -- in spots -- downright harrowing.
2. I'll ask my good friend, Ryan Brown, about his predictions at some point this week, either on the Oxford Exxon Podcast or on our pre-game show on MPW Digital.
Brown picked Ole Miss to go 10-2 this season and predicted Kiffin will win SEC Coach of the Year honors. It's fast becoming a popular, sexy pick.
And I can see it. If the Rebels could stay healthy and if the defense makes a precipitous jump, Ole Miss can make noise. I love the schedule. A 5-1 start isn't difficult to imagine; only that game at Alabama on Oct. 2 looks all that daunting in the first half of the season.
The second half is far more difficult to navigate, but an emotional win over LSU on Oct. 23, victories over Liberty, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State and a split of games at Auburn and at home against Texas A&M is not an impossible equation to figure out.
3. Of course, that's just part of what Brown and his partners, Jim Dunaway and Lance Taylor, discussed during Brown's prediction Friday.
The first thing Taylor wondered was what job would a 10-2 Ole Miss season catapult Kiffin to. Brown did the same.
Ole Miss fans can get angry or perturbed or whatever, but that's the national perception -- Kiffin will leave as soon as he wins big enough to leave.
For the record, I'm not sure I agree. In fact, with each passing month, my belief that Kiffin just might stay a while grows. Don't get me wrong; I do think there are jobs Kiffin would leave Ole Miss for. However, for Kiffin to land a major blue blood job, he has to win big for a few years in a row.
They mentioned Florida State. It was just podcast fodder. It wasn't necessarily all that serious, but it made me wonder. Would Kiffin leave Ole Miss for Florida State? Is that a better job? A few years ago, sure. But today, given the status of the SEC and the money that's coming with the new TV deal? No, it's not.
Would Kiffin leave for Miami? Maybe, but Manny Diaz isn't just walking away from Coral Gables. UCLA? Obviously, that would mean the beach and his children, and that's impossible to ignore, but is a Pac-12 program going to dish out the $6-plus million annual salary Kiffin would likely require? Maybe. Maybe not.
I'm just not sure it's as automatic as some make it out to be.
4. Ole Miss defensive lineman KD Hill talked to the media on Thursday, reiterating what so many of his defensive mates have said this preseason -- the Rebels have a chip on their shoulders after what happened last year.
5. Ole Miss announced a basketball staff addition on Friday.
From UM Media Relations:
Ole Miss men's basketball head coach Kermit Davis has announced the addition of associate athletics director Bobby Lutz to the program's support staff. Bringing 21 years of head coaching experience that resulted in nearly 400 wins, Lutz joins the Rebels as a special assistant to Davis, directing strategic planning and analytics.
"I have known Bobby for about 30 to 35 years, and we are very excited to have him join Ole Miss Basketball," said Davis. "Bobby has had tremendous success as a head coach, taking teams to multiple NCAA Tournaments. He has been an assistant in the G League, at NC State, and was with Fred (Hoiberg) last year at Nebraska. I think Bobby is going to bring great value to our players, our staff, and I look forward to being with him day to day."
Lutz comes to Oxford after spending the past two seasons as special assistant to head coach Fred Hoiberg at Nebraska. While he also spent time in the professional ranks as an assistant in the NBA G League, Lutz is known for his career in college basketball. In 21 seasons as a head coach, he made 14 postseason appearances. Twelve of those seasons were at his alma mater, Charlotte, where he became the winningest coach in school history.
"I am thrilled to join Coach Davis and his staff at Ole Miss," said Lutz. "I have admired his successful teams for years and look forward to being a small part of this outstanding program. There is no doubt that Oxford is a special place, and the best is yet to come."
Before joining with him at Nebraska, Lutz worked with Hoiberg in the Chicago Bulls organization. He served as an assistant with the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League during the team's inaugural season. The duo also coached Iowa State during the 2010-11 season, Hoiberg as head coach and Lutz as an assistant, helping the Cyclones record their highest win total in five years.
Lutz reunites with Ole Miss assistant coach Levi Watkins as the two worked together at NC State. In five seasons with the Wolfpack (2012-16), including four as associate head coach, Lutz helped guide the team to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths which included two appearances in the Sweet 16. NC State won 108 games during his time in Raleigh, and in 2015, CoachStat.com tabbed him as the best X's and O's assistant coach in the nation. In his career as an assistant coach, spanning 11 seasons, Lutz's teams made eight postseason appearances (six NCAA Tournaments, two NITs).
Spending 12 seasons as the head coach of Charlotte (1999-2010), his alma mater, Lutz became the winningest coach in school history with a 218-158 record. During his tenure, he led the 49ers to eight postseason appearances (five NCAA Tournaments, three NITs). Lutz also guided Charlotte to three Conference USA titles (1999, 2001, 2004), while coaching 10 first team all-conference players. He is the only coach in program history to make consecutive NCAA Tournaments twice over his career, building four top-20 recruiting classes to get the team to the big dance. Five of the program's eight wins over top-10 opponents occurred with Lutz at the helm, including a memorable win over No. 3 Cincinnati in 1999.
The Denver, North Carolina, native was named Conference USA Coach of the Year by ESPN.com and CollegeInsider.com in 2005, the same year he became a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award. In his first season in Charlotte, the Birmingham News tabbed Lutz as the 1999 C-USA Coach of the Year.
Before getting promoted to head coach, Lutz was an assistant coach at Charlotte for three seasons (1996-98) assisting Jeff Mullins for one year and working for Mullins' successor, Melvin Watkins, for two years. The 49ers went 56-35 and made back-to-back NCAA Tournaments when Lutz was an assistant for Watkins.
Prior to returning to his alma mater, Lutz turned NAIA school Pfeiffer (Misenheimer, N.C.) into a national powerhouse as head coach from 1986 to 1995. He tallied a 181-91 record and led the program to six straight NAIA Tournament berths, including a trio of Final Four appearances. Two of the Final Four losses came at the hands of Oklahoma City, a program coached by Ole Miss assistant coach Win Case. Lutz's squad defeated Case and Oklahoma City in 1995 to prevent back-to-back national championship teams for the assistant coach. Lutz had a .785 winning percentage (153-42) from 1990-95, and he developed 10 NAIA All-Americans during his time on the sidelines.
Lutz began his coaching career in 1984 as an assistant coach for Cliff Ellis at Clemson. He spent two seasons with the Tigers.
My thoughts: I always think it's a great sign when a veteran coach brings in another successful coach to be part of his program. Not that anyone worried that Davis' ego is too big -- that's something you'll never hear; he just wants to win -- but it's always interesting to see a veteran coach bring in another set of eyes.
There have been rumblings for months that Ole Miss' offense will look much different this season. Is that lip service? Could be. Who knows? However, adding Lutz to the program might represent evidence that Davis is indeed interesting in updating and diversifying the Rebels' offensive attack.
6. It's been understood that it was a rumor with legs for weeks in Oxford, but late last week, a news outlet finally put proverbial pen to paper.
Running Poles wrote a story late last week that said 13 people connected to the Ole Miss softball program "confirmed to Running Poles that a Title IX investigation has been launched after allegations of assistant coach Katie Rietkovich Browder having an affair with a student-athlete came to light."
From Running Poles:
In a letter obtained by Running Poles that was sent to Athletic Director Keith Carter on July 29, accused head coach Jamie Trachsel of “covering up a sexual misconduct scandal involving two super seniors and a female assistant coach.”
According to the letter, the two seniors were in a relationship and one took screenshots of text messages exchanged between her girlfriend and their assistant coach. She then printed out the screenshots and taped them to the coach’s computer in her office.
The letter goes on to accuse Trachsel of knowing about the affair and bribing the players involved with scholarship money to remain quiet.
Running Poles contacted both Trachsel and Browder before publishing this story. Neither responded.
On July 8 and 9, the two seniors involved in the allegation of the affair announced that they were returning to Ole Miss for their COVID super senior year.
“Based on these new allegations,” the letter continued, “Head Coach Jamie Trachsel has now violated NCAA Bylaw for Unethical Conduct and the Conduct of Athletic Personal Responsibility of the Head Coach.”
In addition to this allegation, a formal complaint that was obtained by Running Poles was sent to the offices of Ole Miss Equal Opportunity and Regulation, Southeastern Conference Compliance and NCAA Academic and Membership Affairs on May 10.
“This is a formal written complaint and grievance against the University of Mississippi Athletic Department and Ole Miss Head Softball Coach Jamie Trachsel for Lack of institutional Control based on NCAA Bylaw 2.1.1 and for failing to protect the student-athlete’s well being based on the NCAA Bylaws 2.2, 2.2.2, and 2.2.4,” stated the letter. “The lack of embracing the Principle of Nondiscrimination in the NCAA Bylaw 2.6 and regarding the disregard for NCAA Bylaws in Article 17 pertaining to the time of required mandated team participation activities, practices and games.”
We heard about this, dug around a bit, and frankly, just kind of let it play out. I've said for a while this is a business venture. Rarely do women's sports move the needle here, and I wasn't going to waste too many proverbial bullets on softball.
There were some interesting nuggets in the story that had nothing to do with alleged affairs or sexual relationships. Running Poles reported that all 13 people from Ole Miss who spoke with Running Poles "remembered vividly the persuasion effort during the Presidential Election when the coaching staff tried to tell the team how to vote in one of the first team meetings.
"According to the complaint, Trachsel first spoke about her past as a Republican and then explained that now she is Democrat, 'So you really want to make sure that you don’t go with the wrong party.'
"Assistant coach Katie Rietkovich told the women on the Zoom call, “If my wife or other people in my family voted for Trump then all they would be doing is hurting me.'"
Politics aside, if there's a worry for Ole Miss, it's optical. As Running Poles wrote, "Months after compliance received the initial complaint, Ole Miss Athletic Director Keith Carter announced a contract extension, that kept (Trachsel) at the maximum four years under Mississippi State law, for the head coach on June 14, 2021."
The story is an interesting read, albeit a rambling one that seems to be part witch hunt. Credit to Running Poles for fleshing the story out. Unless the bribe on Trachsel's part can be proven, it feels like a scandalous nothing burger. If Trachsel did bribe players to stay quiet about an improper relationship, and that can be proven, however, it's quite the mess.
7. By the time the next 10 Weekend Thoughts runs (Sept. 7), everyone in college football will have played a game.
So today, I'll make my final conference predictions, as I think I've covered everyone else. Today, I'll pick the MAC and the SWAC. It's time for football season.
MAC East:
1. Miami
2. Ohio
3. Kent State
4. Buffalo
5. Bowling Green
6. Akron
MAC West:
1. Western Michigan
2. Ball State
3. Toledo
4. Northern Illinois
5. Central Michigan
6. Eastern Michigan
MAC Champ: Miami
SWAC Eastern Division:
1. Florida A&M
2. Alabama A&M
3. Alabama State
4. Jackson State
5. Bethune-Cookman
6. Mississippi Valley State
SWAC Western Division:
1. Alcorn State
2. Grambling
3. Southern
4. Arkansas- Pine Bluff
5. Prairie View A&M
6. Texas Southern
8. My math skills aren't exceptional, so I need to make my remaining NFL predictions this week. I was only off by two weeks. At ULM, counting to eight is not required for degree completion, so I'll still call it a win.
NFC South:
1. Tampa Bay (12-5) -- It's hard to believe the defending champs won't take a step back, what with their 71-year-old quarterback, but I think they're the class of the division.
2. New Orleans (10-7) -- Drew Brees is gone, but I actually am higher on Jameis Winston than I say. I just like watching Chase suffer. I think the Saints are likely a playoff team.
3. Carolina (8-9) -- The Panthers, I'm afraid, are in no-man's land. They're not good enough to make a playoff run, but they're mediocre enough to finish in the middle of the NFL Draft order.
4. Atlanta (5-12) -- The contention window has closed.
NFC East
1. Washington Football Team (9-8) -- The team formerly known as the Redskins (God, I hope no one is hurt too badly by the mention of the name Redskins) could be borderline elite on defense. But counting on Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback is a risky thing.
2. Dallas Cowboys (8-9) -- Conversely, while Dak Prescott returns, the Cowboys' defense should be porous.
3. New York Giants (6-11) -- I like Daniel Jones. I cheer for Daniel Jones. I'm just far from sold on him as an NFL quarterback. The Giants' defense isn't great, either.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (5-12) -- I'm not a big believer in Jalen Hurts either. My goodness at the quarterbacks in this division.
9. It’s time to eat, so here’s our resident Parisian Chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 101 — Saltimbocca.
Of course, going to Italy had a lot of great dishes for the lunchtimes. This was one of those and I remember the restaurant where I ate it and then continued to consume it once a week. So here is to lunch!
Tidbit #1: You will probably be able to find veal at your butcher and not at the supermarket. If they can already flatten it out into the scallop portion, even better.
Tidbit #2: This is a lunchtime dish, so it cooks fast. Go ahead and have some rice ready and you have yourself a meal.
Tidbit #3: Use fresh sage leaves if available, they were not available here in Paris. If you can find “pineapple-sage”, use that for the flavor profile.
Tidbit #4: Once you add in the white wine to deglaze the pan, take the veal scallops out of the pan and place them on your serving plate. After the wine has reduced in the pan by 2/3rds, pour over the top of the scallops.
Things you will need:
3-4 People
Glass of Chardonnay
Preparation time - 3 minutes
Cook time - 6 minutes
Utensils needed:
Worksurface and pairing knife
Toothpicks
Sauté pan
Oven cooktop
Measuring cups
Spoon
Side plate
Tongs
Ingredients needed:
4 Scallops of Veal
4 Pieces parma ham
3 Tbsp Olive oil
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tsp dried sage (10 fresh leaves)
1 cup White wine
Salt and pepper
White or brown rice to accompany
Prepare the veal
Step 1: Place your sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Salt and pepper on both sides of the veal. Then place a piece of the parma ham on top and pierce it with a toothpick to hold onto the veal.
Cooking time
Step 2: Once the butter has melted, add the “veal steaks” parma ham side down. Cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip over and add the sage. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Take out from the pan now using the tongs. Add in the white wine with a pinch of salt and let reduce.
Step 3: Pour the sauce over the “veal steaks” once reduced and then the rice and maybe a side salad and you have yourself a very quick lunch that is absolutely fabulous!
From the Mississippian in Chicago, Bon Appétit!
10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss football, football recruiting and whatever else may come up this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
First, a note and a shout-out to my new friend, Kyle. We met in the laundry room of the Hilton Garden Inn in Jackson, Tenn., on Saturday afternoon. Kyle has terminal cancer. He's going to lose vision in one of his eyes soon and he likely has five or fewer years to live.
His attitude, however, was inspirational. "Seize the day," he said, as he asked about Carson's soccer tournament, noting the uniforms I was washing to ready for Sunday's second day of the tournament. He's planning to travel a lot with his family soon. He and his wife have been married 26 years. They have two children in their very early 20s.
I plan to pray for and cheer for a miracle. God bless you, Kyle. Your strength awed me Saturday and provided perspective, in the event I needed it. Oh, and thanks for the two quarters.
Second, there's no political commentary from me this week in this space. I'm just sad. I watched the ceremony in Dover, Delaware, Sunday just before we left to return home. I just cried. Those were basically babies in those boxes. People in their early 20s with their lives ahead of them -- just gone. I find it all to be agonizingly sad. My thoughts and prayers are with their families, for what little that's worth. I'll leave it at that.
On to the links...
First-round QB update: Jets' Zach Wilson rising; Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars struggling
Nick Saban’s Alabama offense has an ambiguous origin myth and a striking evolution – The Athletic
Smell like a champion: Georgia does away with 'Doo Doo Ice' – The Athletic
Russell Wilson: 'Hand Me The Ball And Let's Get To Work'
Deshaun Watson wants trade to Miami, but will accept Carolina
How the Braves lost Ronald Acuña Jr. and saved their season: Inside Baseball
Are we witnessing the worst Cubs team ... ever?: Chicago Baseball Authority
How Cubs manager David Ross is channeling his frustrations and managing his rebuilding team
Top 50 MLB prospects: Jim Bowden ranks the game’s best in tiers, from future MVPs to everyday guys
The randomness of Klay Thompson: 'It’s impossible to know him and not love him'
Germany drops incidence levels as key COVID yardstick | Reuters
Dr. Fauci corrects prediction on when US may have control over Covid-19
Eating 1 hot dog claims 35 minutes off life, study suggests | Fox News
Family: Gibbs High School graduate among 13 US troops killed in Kabul airport attack | wbir.com
