McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by GameChanger Patch Co.
1. Ole Miss’ football season has been over for some 11 days now, and still, it doesn’t feel like most fans have completely moved on from 2022 just yet.
That’s not a criticism — I’ll lightly delve into some of that in Thought No. 2 — but more an observation. I don’t get involved in message board conversations much anymore, and I’m not exactly the man about town, but when I do observe or interact, there’s a consistency that emerges. Simply put, the final month-plus of the 2022 season was difficult to understand, comprehend and file away.
Why and how did a team that started 7-0 end up 8-5? Was it lack of talent, lack of depth, a chemistry issue or some combination thereof? Was Lane Kiffin’s flirtation with Auburn a distraction or was that more of a media narrative?
More importantly, what can realistically be taken from 2022 moving forward. Was the second half a mere hiccup or was it a sign of things to come?
All of those questions are legitimate as we move into 2023. In mid-October, it seemed Ole Miss was moving closer to the elite class in college football. By the end of December, that was no longer the case.
Why? That’s always the question — why? Answering why, of course, is very difficult, certainly on a fan forum populated by the most hard-core of fans.
2. Which leads me to Thought No. 2. Maybe this is just me, but I’ve been struck lately how there are two sort of extreme views of the Ole Miss program. One is incredibly negative. It’s very angry. It’s pissed at Kiffin for letting the Auburn thing go on so long and seemingly distract the team — and the coach himself — from the task at hand, costing the Rebels a bowl game in Florida and forcing them to play on a weird Wednesday night in Houston.
Then there’s the Pollyanna crowd. Any sign of criticism, no matter how legitimate, and they attack. There were no chemistry issues, they say. The Auburn flirtation was a media creation, they say. If only the media had asked the right questions, accepted Kiffin’s answers at face value and moved on, that whole saga could’ve been avoided. Officiating cost the Rebels in Fayetteville and again five days later in the Egg Bowl loss to Mississippi State. Everything is fine. There’s nothing to see. Disperse calmly and we’ll see you in September.
In my opinion, which won’t buy you a cup of coffee, both extremes are wrong. The truth, as is almost always the case, is somewhere in the middle. My opinion is the Rebels feasted on a soft early schedule, got exposed a bit on defense during that stretch and then had the bill come due in late October. The Kentucky game could’ve gone the other way. If we’re being honest, so could the Texas A&M game.
Kiffin gets emotional about Alabama, and the loss to the Crimson Tide deflated him. The Auburn drama wasn’t dictated by the media. National football writers didn’t create the Kiffin-Auburn flirtation. It was real and it no doubt distracted a program that already had real chemistry issues.
The Arkansas game got away early and Kiffin’s ego wouldn’t let him wave the white flag. Instead, he chased points, and in the process of turning 42-6 into 42-27, he wore out his team. They didn’t have much “juice” on Thanksgiving night, and it showed in a 24-22 loss.
December, per multiple sources, had a “fall camp feel” to it. Some fans will like hearing that. However, Kiffin’s team certainly didn’t look like the one happy to be in NRG Stadium on Dec. 28, and the Rebels got spanked by a mediocre — albeit hot — Texas Tech team.
So where’s the program today, here in early January 2023? I think it’s at a crossroads. It’s still a strong program, one that has a roster positioned to be a playoff contender when the field expands to 12 in 2024. However, there’s no sense in denying the chemistry issues. Multiple sources, from players to players’ parents to program insiders, all talk about chemistry issues. Kiffin likes to make recruiting all about NIL, but it’s bigger than just money. It’s also about relationships and personal connections, and he simply has to improve in those areas if he’s going to join the Nick Saban/Kirby Smart/Brian Kelly realm of SEC coaches. Get as mad as you’d like at that statement, but it’s gospel fact.
The 2023 schedule is brutal. Ole Miss trades a home game versus Tulsa for a trip to Tulane and a home game versus Kentucky for a trip to Georgia. The Rebels also have to travel to Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State. Vanderbilt is a home game. In other words, Ole Miss could be better in 2023 than it was in 2022 and it not show up in the win-loss column.
Ole Miss won’t be a playoff team in 2023. I think that’s more than a safe prediction. The Rebels aren’t going to be one of the two best teams in the SEC, but the next 12 months can absolutely be used to prepare for a playoff run in 2024.
Or the final couple of months of 2022 can turn into a deterioration of sorts and kill all the momentum the program built during Kiffin’s first 2 1/2 years on the job. Personally, I think it’s his choice.
3. Speaking of, Ole Miss’ transfer portal activity, as we predicted it would, really ramped up over the past week.
The Rebels had at least six transfer portal targets on campus this weekend; at least one remains at Ole Miss as of this writing. We’ve covered it in the daily threads and will continue to.
Interestingly, I was speaking to a contact inside the program who said transfer portal official visits, for the most part, are shorter and far more business-like than the official visits conducted by high school prospects.
Transfer portal players have been through recruiting before and — again, for the most part — just want to get to business. They want to discuss playing time, fit and the like. They’re much less interested in the party scene and whatnot.
The portal recruiting will likely go strong for another two weeks, at least, and then ramp back up again in late April/early May. Ole Miss is looking to add a quarterback, at least one more wide receiver, a tight end, offensive linemen, an edge rusher and a linebacker, at a minimum.
4. Cornerbacks coach Sam Carter left for Purdue late last week, and it just feels the changes won’t stop there.
No, I don’t have any details and won’t even try to guess, but you know the saying about smoke and fire and all of that. It seems to possibly apply to Ole Miss here in early January.
One thing I’ll be watching is the NFL, especially now that the regular season is over. There’s at least one Ole Miss assistant who could draw NFL interest, per a source.
I’m also watching Alabama. Most believe Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will leave Tuscaloosa and return to the NFL, likely to the New England Patriots. With one coordinator leaving, would Nick Saban push for a clean sweep? Saban holds his defensive coordinator, Pete Golding, in high regard, but people in Alabama believe if Golding were to be courted elsewhere, Saban might not fight his departure, especially if he felt he could land the services of former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
I don’t mean for that to sound cryptic, but this will be a week to at least pay attention to the rumor mill, what with the NFCA convention beginning in Charlotte and with a flurry of NFL openings to occur, likely starting on Monday.
That might impact Ole Miss. Then again, it might not. It’s just something to watch.
5. One thing is certain: Georgia and TCU will meet Monday night in Los Angeles for the national championship.
The Bulldogs, going for their second straight national title, are 12.5-point favorites. I asked Chase Parham, Jeffrey Wright and Brian Rippee for their predictions. Rippee is apparently protesting.
My prediction:
Georgia 37, TCU 21
Here's Jeffrey's:
I’m going to go down this year refusing to learn a lesson. When I hear three-out-of-four people tell me that this line is too big, I have to pause. Ohio State played their best game in two years against Georgia, and the Bulldogs still prevailed. TCU surprisingly controlled both sides of the line, but Michigan still threw two pick-sixes and got zero points from both the two and the half yard line. I’m going to treat the title game as I would treat the second weekend of the NCAA tournament following an opening weekend of upsets. WRIGHT’S PICK: GEORGIA 41, TCU 20
Parham: TCU has been in stupid games all season, playing seven one-possession games and is one of the better success stories for a team in a long time. The Horned Frogs get the chance to cement what is already a hell of a story. The issue is that Georgia is just too much of a bully and has already had its scare. I'm hoping I'm wrong, but it feels like a suffocation. Parham's Pick: Georgia 37, TCU 20
6. The NFL playoffs begin on Saturday.
Here are my sure-to-go-comically wrong predictions for how things will play out. By the way, we’ll have Neal’s Picks, presented by Service Specialists, returning this week.
NFC:
Wildcard Round:
San Francisco over Seattle, Minnesota over New York Giants, Dallas over Tampa Bay
Divisional Round:
San Francisco over Minnesota, Philadelphia over Dallas
NFC Championship Game:
San Francisco over Philadelphia
AFC
Wildcard Round:
Los Angeles Chargers over Jacksonville, Buffalo over Miami, Cincinnati over Baltimore
Divisional Round: Kansas City over Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo over Cincinnati
AFC Championship Game: Kansas City over Buffalo
Super Bowl LVII: San Francisco over Kansas City
7. Ole Miss lost a 10-point decision at Mississippi State Saturday afternoon, dropping the Rebels to 8-7 overall and 0-3 in the SEC.
We can dissect what’s wrong with this team — lack of scoring — for hours on end. We can interpret Kermit Davis’ comments about toughness or lack thereof — I still think it’s a lack of scoring, but my coaching resume stops at a poor job coaching an Oxford Park Commission team — and debate what they really mean. We can search the remainder of the schedule and wonder if maybe a really difficult start is to blame — though a lack of scoring seems like a much better spot to begin — for the Rebels’ woeful league mark so far.
What I do feel comfortable addressing is a vocal minority view that basketball shouldn’t really matter, that any resources that go to basketball should go to football or baseball instead.
That’s just insane. A school like Ole Miss — hell, any Power-5 school, really — shouldn’t wave the proverbial white towel on any major sport. However, if a school is going to punt a sport, it can’t be men’s basketball. The notion is absurd.
After football, basketball is the sport that can best serve as a front door to a university. It’s exciting for students. It’s just two hours. It’s indoors. Ole Miss built the Pavilion and it should be electric on game day. It’s my opinion, based on my experience, that a winning product would pack the arena and make it fun for Ole Miss fans.
It has nothing to do with baseball. There’s no reason baseball should detract from basketball or vice-versa. Again, the idea that resources that could go to basketball should go to baseball is preposterous.
That’s all. I’d have to dig into a thesaurus to go further. I’ve made my point. Ole Miss should be competitive in basketball. Period. There’s still time left in this season to make that happen, but the grains of sand are running out.
Before the season, there was a tournament-or-bust narrative that wasn’t exactly shot down by anyone. For Ole Miss to make the tournament, it must, realistically, win at least 11 SEC games. In other words, the Rebels probably have to go — at worst — 11-4 the rest of the way.
I’m not betting on that. If you are, God bless your optimism. We’re not far from being forced to turn attention to the program’s future, not the remainder of this season. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting close.
Ole Miss plays host to Auburn on Tuesday and Georgia Saturday before spending next week on the road at South Carolina and Arkansas.
8. It’s time for my weekly ranking of the SEC, complete with NET rankings in parentheses:
Alabama (6) — The Tide absolutely rolled Kentucky Saturday in Tuscaloosa
Tennessee (2) — The Volunteers are just a veteran, gritty club.
There’s already a drop-off here, which might not be a great sign for the league.
Auburn (33) — The Tigers don’t have the star power they had last season with Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler, but Bruce Pearl’s team is dangerous.
Arkansas (16) — The Hogs are killing themselves on the free throw line, something a beat-up team can’t afford.
Missouri (32) — Man, the Tigers are fun to watch. Dennis Gates has done a superb job so far.
Mississippi State (40) — Chris Janz’s team is talented, especially on the defensive end of the floor.
Kentucky (44) — The heat is about to get turned up on John Calipari.
Another drop comes here.
Texas A&M (82) — The Aggies had a hot week and they’re too talented to stay down for long.
Florida (70) — The Gators got a big win over former coach Mike White Saturday, but the home loss to the Aggies earlier in the week was a blow.
LSU (89) — Matt McMahon’s club is cooling off a little, but the Tigers are better than most believed they would be in Year 1 under a new coach.
Vanderbilt (116) — The Commodores gave Missouri all the Tigers wanted Saturday in CoMo.
Georgia (120) -- The Bulldogs have looked competent under first-year coach Mike White, something UGA never saw during the Tom Crean era.
Ole Miss (96) — Can the Rebels find some scoring soon?
South Carolina (264) — The Gamecocks just aren’t very talented at all.
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 168 — The Little One’s Smash Cake.
I don’t know what to write here because this past year has flown by so fast. It has been filled with ups and downs, laughs and cries and unforgettable moments. The term that Alice and I have used many times over is “happily exhausted.”
This recipe is for anyone with a new person in the world making their first lap around the sun. The recipe is straight forward and the tidbits are going to be something different…because they are for my son.
Tidbit #1: Being a chef, I have cooked his food numerous upon numerous times and Alice will always ask me, how is it? My response is always the same, needs salt. Because of course babies don’t need/should eat salt.
Tidbit #2: I continue to try to keep his posture correct while he is eating and push “using the spoon to eat” as much as possible. Yet, the best dinners, lunches, or breakfasts have been when he is covered with food. He is just happy which makes me even happier.
Tidbit #3: If I cook something that he doesn’t like, I have learned to get over it. I have never had anyone throw their plate on the floor because the food wasn’t up to their liking. He is my fiercest critique or maybe he was mad or not hungry. I’ll go with not hungry.
Tidbit #4: My son has a natural clock when it comes to eating. If it is past 6 p.m. and he is not seated in his high chair, he will be in the kitchen near the stove. True story.
Things you will need:
1 Little person
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 25 minutes
Resting time - 30 minutes
Utensils needed:
Work surface and chef’s knife
2 Mini baking round pans (mini)
2 Mixing bowls
Whisk
Rubber Spatula
Scissors and parchment paper
Measuring cups
Oven
Ingredients needed:
3 Tbsp peanut butter
6 Tbsp applesauce
1 Egg
3 Tbsp butter (softened)
1 Banana
2/3 cup flour
1/3 Cup cereal flour (oatmeal)
2 Tsp baking soda
1/3 cup water
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Cup cream cheese
1 Cup flavored yogurt (blueberry, raspberry)
1 Tsp vanilla extract
Mise en Plac
Step 1: Turn your oven to 350°F and then butter and flour your baking moles with the parchment paper on the bottom.
Step 2: Add the peanut butter, applesauce, egg, and butter to the mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth and then add in chunks of smashed banana.
Step 3: In the other mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients. Whisk. Combined the wet ingredients with the dry and then finally add in the water and vanilla extract at the end. Pour into your moods and bake for 15-25 minutes. Use the toothpick trick.
Final
Step 4: Once the cakes have come out of the oven, let them cook for 5 minutes in the pan before removing them. Add in the rest of the ingredients for the frosting and mix until combined. Spread on top of each layer to make a 2-layer smash cake. Add some fruit if you would like and there you go.
Extra - You can make this cake a day ahead and it keeps in the fridge very well.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit, Bonne Année!
10. We’ll have coverage of Ole Miss basketball, recruiting and whatever else may come up here on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me — and hopefully, to you — for your reading pleasure:
SEC’s Greg Sankey calls for ending early signing period: ‘We have to change December’
Sources - Sean McVay's future as Los Angeles Rams coach in limbo
How the Bengals focused on mental health ‘oasis’ to endure an emotional week
The 20-Year-Old Star at the Center of the U.S. Soccer Scandal
Who's next at Texas? John Calipari, Rodney Terry lead a star-studded list
The Challenge Moses Moody’s Father Gave Eric Musselman
Why Drinkwitz wanted an OC and why he picked Kirby Moore
Scarbinsky: Goodnight, Liz Slive. Rest in peace, and please say hello to Mike
NFL draft order: Bears land No. 1 overall pick, Texans to pick second
Sources close to Jim Harbaugh believe it’s a ‘done deal’ if he gets NFL offer - The Athletic
Kravitz: Sorry, Broncos, the Colts have the least attractive head coach vacancy in the NFL
LeBron on the Lakers' roster plans: 'Y'all know what the f--- should be happening'
A tale of two divergent rebuilds (for now): The state of the Rockets and Jazz
2023 NBA Predictions for the Finals, Trade Demands, Wembanyama, and More
Rosenthal: Dodgers' decision to cut ties with Trevor Bauer shouldn’t have been difficult at all
Trevor Bauer decision: What's next for the pitcher and Dodgers? - Los Angeles Times - latimes.com
How the Cubs, with Tucker Barnhart, are set up for the post-Willson Contreras era
El Paso clears migrant camps ahead of Biden's first border visit
Online sleuths claim Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger attended victims' vigil - nypost.com
For The Love Of All That Is Holy, Stop Backing Into Parking Spaces
These Frozen French Fries Are a Chef Obsession
How some couples succeed, and many more fail, after getting 'Married at First Sight' - nypost.com
By Mikaela Shiffrin I Want to Remember Everything by Mikaela Shiffrin - The Players' Tribune