Happy Labor Day.
The football season is a game old, which means it's time for the week of the most dramatic overreactions of the fall.
Ole Miss lost at Memphis, 15-10, and now turns its attention to its Southeastern Conference opener versus Arkansas, which defeated Portland State in less than impressive fashion Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville.
The Rebels and Razorbacks kickoff at 6:30 p.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The game will be televised by the SEC Network. So let's look back, look ahead and more.
1. Matt Corral struggled in his first college start at Memphis. He struggled with his decision-making and his accuracy. Too much of the game was put in his hands and Corral simply couldn't get going until Ole Miss had built a double-digit deficit.
Ole Miss had the ball, down 13-10, at its own 2-yard line late in the game. I was eager to see if Corral could engineer a drive for a game-winning touchdown or a game-tying field goal. The "drive" lasted one play. Memphis took advantage of what appeared to be a missed assignment and sacked Corral in the end zone for a safety. The Tigers then never gave the ball back to Ole Miss, meaning Corral never got a second chance at late heroics.
What did we learn? Not much. Corral's outing served as a reminder _ or at least it should've _ that he's still a very green, very raw college quarterback. He didn't play much last season, certainly not against meaningful competition (sorry, ULM; I love you more than life itself, but it's the truth), and there's a learning curve at this level.
Throw in a really rough day up front and an injury to Braylon Sanders fairly early on and it was a recipe for a tough day at the office.
Corral will get better. He'll get more comfortable in his role and in the offense. That shouldn't be the concern. His accuracy, however, has to improve. Corral floated a few balls Saturday and threw a couple others behind receivers. He had a strong third quarter, and it's something I suspect Rich Rodriguez will try to build on this week as the Rebels prepare for Arkansas.
Freshmen quarterbacks typically have some bad days. Corral had one Saturday. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. I always said I wanted to see how Corral responded to adversity -- to a bad possession, a bad half, a bad game, a blowout loss, etc.
In many ways, that third quarter should be a good sign for Ole Miss fans. Corral couldn't have been worse than he was in the first half and he came out with a strong third-quarter performance. In other words, he responded to adversity well.
He'll be asked to do more of that Saturday night. Arkansas is going to watch the Ole Miss-Memphis film and try to replicate the Tigers' successful formula. Corral will either prove that he's learned from his mistakes or he'll give more ammunition to future opponents.
2. The big story Saturday was Ole Miss' offensive line. The Rebels simply weren't good up front against Memphis. There's no other way to really express it.
It's long been the biggest question mark on the Ole Miss roster heading into this season. Alex Givens, who missed most of fall camp while recovering from back surgery, played a good bit Saturday. It's difficult to imagine how much the Rebels would have struggled had Givens not been able to go.
Michael Howard had his difficulties. So did Royce Newman. I suspect it was a rough film for Jack Bicknell and Rodriguez to watch. As I wrote Saturday, I suspect the Rebels have to at least consider expediting the development plan for freshmen Nick Broeker and Jeremy James, perhaps among others.
Bottom line: The Rebels' first-half performance up front can't be replicated. If it is, even against weak competition, the results will be disastrous. If it happens against an SEC foe, even a subpar Arkansas club, it won't matter how much Corral improves. If the Rebels can't block and can't protect, they won't win.
I'm sure that challenge will be issued this week. Again, Arkansas will look at the Memphis film and try to repeat the Tigers' performance. There won't be a lot of mystery. The Rebels are either going to get better up front, starting Saturday, or the losses are going to pile up.
3. I try not to get on a soapbox here. I try not to tell people how to think. God knows I don't like being told what to or what not to think.
However, I feel as if some common sense is needed, and perhaps my lack of emotional attachment to the situation, combined with my knowledge of some of the inner-workings, qualifies me to dispense a bit of that commodity at this point.
This season, regardless of who is coaching and who is calling plays, was always going to be difficult. Take a look at the 2016 signing class.There's not much left from it, for a number of reasons. Now take a gander at 2017. Those are kids Ole Miss fans should love. They signed during a tumultuous time. Sanctions loomed. Instability ran rampant. Now, put your red and blue glasses down and take a good look. There are about four-ish real contributors from that class.
Do the math. The 2018 class is contributing, but it's young. The 2019 class is a good one, but it's green. This is a young team. The offense, frankly, is frighteningly young. The quarterback has one start under his belt. Take out Braylon Sanders, a real possibility Saturday due to his hamstring injury, and Ole Miss goes into its SEC opener Saturday with one proven wide receiver. One. It has a former quarterback serving as its backup tight end. It has two freshmen running backs behind Scottie Phillips. We've chronicled the offensive line, a unit that appears to be turning to a true freshman (Broeker) while it searches for a fix from the woes in Memphis.
Dues are being paid. The credit card is maxed out. Pick your analogy. I know people want to fire a coach. Here's my retort: Yes, at some point, Matt Luke must win. He knows that. I know that. Hell, everyone knows that. At some point, public confidence might erode to the point in which change has to happen.
I would argue, however, that pinning this only on Luke is not only disingenuous but possibly downright foolish. He's recruiting well. Turning the program upside down in a few months could be dangerous.
Frankly, I don't think that scenario is in play. I could be wrong, but unless there's a chancellor hired in time to handle the athletics director position, I think Luke is going to get more time. Does he deserve it? I'm not into that word.
However, this was always going to be the year the NCAA bill came in and demanded payment. Some tried to tell the fan base a step back was inevitable. Seven wins were always the most this team was capable of, and frankly, that required everything falling Ole Miss' way.
Rebuilds, I've written in this space before, are not fun. They're frustrating, especially when so much of the damage was done by boosters or people now at community colleges, press box hospital beds, Ole Miss' NCAA penalty was absurdly unjust, but the process is done now. The bill must be paid, and the payments have begun.
That sucks. I get it. It's no fun being the laughingstock of the league. I would submit, however, that under the surface, Ole Miss' program is improving. It's quite possible, frankly, another coaching staff will one day benefit from the work Luke and Tyler Siskey and Co. are doing in recruiting. It's certainly possible it will require another staff to take Ole Miss to another level. I don't know; we'll see.
Saturday was a frustrating day for Ole Miss fans. I understand. Frankly, I wasn't all that impressed by the Tigers. It's my opinion youth _ and a shaky offensive line _ cost Ole Miss a win it could have and probably should have claimed. It very likely won't be the last time this fall that happens.
I'm not qualified to play the role of therapist here, so I won't. I do sometimes wonder what people expected and why. This isn't a deep team. It has holes that can only be filled on the recruiting trail. It has talented young players who must be developed. This is a season, in my opinion, that can't be fairly graded until the season is complete.
I'm not arguing Luke is the man for the job. He's yet to prove that. At some point, he has to win, but this season, in my opinion, should be judged on more than just wins and losses.
I know this is too emotional a topic for some to evaluate it rationally. I get it. I was so excited about the Cubs' four-game winning streak Friday afternoon and then despondent when Milwaukee shut out the same Cubs team Saturday and Sunday. Just today, when Kyle Schwarber hit a bases-loaded triple to give the Cubs the lead for good in a win over Seattle, I was back to convincing myself this team can somehow catch the red-hot Cardinals. Even though the rational evaluator in me knows this isn't a team capable of winning a World Series, I can't make myself completely give up.
Fandom is that way. It's what makes sports fun.
That said, this isn't going to be a fun season on the scoreboard for Ole Miss football. It just isn't. Wins are going to be difficult to come by. I would encourage you to watch for development, to judge how hard a team plays, to search for bright spots. Often, as was the case in 2013 and 2014 for the Cubs, that reveals hints of great things to come.
If that doesn't happen, and if there are no signs that produce realistic optimism and hope, change will come. It's a multi-million dollar business. Empty seats and lost ticket revenue will eventually demand another direction, but change for change sake rarely works.
I just think some of the judgments being handed down in the wake of the loss at Memphis are premature and, more importantly, not considering the entirety of the situation.
I'll duck now and prepare to take my beating.
4. Up next: Arkansas.
The Hogs struggled a good bit in a win over Portland State, and our colleagues at HawgBeat.com wrote a lot about it on Saturday afternoon.
5. Here is my weekly ranking of the SEC:
1. Georgia -- The Bulldogs' defense is salty. It's offensive line is the real deal.
2. Alabama -- The Tide doesn't have many weaknesses at all, but I think Dylan Moses' loss will eventually hurt.
3. LSU -- I know it was Georgia Southern, but the Tigers' offense was incredible Saturday night. That might not be a good sign for the rest of the league.
4. Texas A&M -- The Aggies looked really solid in the opener.
5. Auburn -- The Tigers' offense was slow to get started in the win over Oregon, but Auburn's defense is as athletic as advertised.
6. Florida -- The Gators won over Miami, but they looked anything but dominant on either side of the football.
7. Kentucky -- The Wildcats pulled away from a decent Toledo team Saturday. Hey, there's a fall-off after six teams. It's guesswork from here on out.
8. Mississippi State -- Tommy Stevens did some nice things and Kylin Hill was explosive, but the Bulldogs can't be thrilled with their defensive effort in New Orleans.
9. South Carolina -- The Gamecocks had North Carolina beaten, and then they didn't. It's hard to find a path to six wins at this point.
10. Missouri -- Kelly Bryant was pretty good. The rest of the Tigers are going to wonder what went wrong in Laramie for a while.
11. Vanderbilt -- At least the Commodores know they lost to a championship-caliber team.
12. Ole Miss -- The Rebels were much-improved on defense Saturday in a loss at Memphis.
13. Arkansas -- The Hogs won, but they weren't impressive in any area. Portland State had a chance to win late.
14. Tennessee -- The Vols are back.
6. I could never possibly have an Associated Press Top 25 ballot, not with all my uncontrollable biases, but I had one, it would look like this today:
Note: This is written assuming a Notre Dame win over Louisville tonight.
1. Clemson
2. Georgia
3. Alabama
4. Oklahoma
5. Ohio State
6. LSU
7. Utah
8. Texas
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas A&M
11. Washington
12. Iowa
13. Auburn
14. Penn State
15. Washington
16. Wisconsin
17. UCF
18. Florida
19. Michigan State
20. Michigan
21. Stanford
22. Syracuse
23. Boise State
24. Oregon
25. Iowa State
7. Ole Miss soccer improved to 4-1 Sunday with a 3-2 win over Minnesota in two overtime periods. The Rebels defeated Southeast Missouri State, 2-0, late last week, giving coach Matt Mott his 100th win with the Rebels.
Ole Miss plays at Western Kentucky Thursday and at Murray State Sunday before traveling to Dallas on Sept. 12 to face Long Beach State. Ole Miss returns home Sept. 15 against South Alabama.
Mott discussed his team and his career milestone Monday.
8. Ole Miss volleyball fell to 0-3 to open the season over the weekend. The Rebels lost to Rice Friday, to Iowa State Saturday and then to UCF on Sunday. However, coach Steven McRoberts said he saw some real positives during his team's opening weekend, positives he expects to turn into wins down the road, perhaps starting with this weekend.
Ole Miss is in New Orleans this weekend in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Volleyball Classic. The Rebels will face Houston Baptist Friday, Missouri State Saturday and Tulane Sunday.
9. Man can't live on drink alone, so with that in mind, I've added a culinary aspect to 10 Weekend Thoughts. Recently, Mississippi-born, French-trained chef Burton Webb cooked for Chase Parham, myself and our wives. It was delicious. Today, I introduce him to you. The plan is to add a culinary aspect to this content item and to our podcast network as well. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Burton Webb.
Taste of the Place, Lesson 1
When it comes to stories, some people start theirs off at the beginning, some start at the end, and others start in the middle. Let’s do a little bit of all three for this story.
If I were to meet someone along the street and we struck up a friendly conversation, currently that street would be in Paris, France. To start, my name is Burton Webb. I am currently 33 years young because as my grandmother has told me a million times, “that only rocks are old”. I work in a boulangerie which is French for a bakery. At this particular bakery, my colleagues and I make some of the best breads, pastries, cakes, and viennoiseries (which include croissants and Danish pastries) for Paris. I haven’t mentioned it quite yet but France is known to have the best breads and pastries in the world, just an FYI. So the question which is now raised is, “Why is an American in Paris, especially a Mississippian?" Well the answer to that question comes from the beginning of this journey which professionally began nearly 12 years ago.
So every story has its challenges. The fortunate part for me is that the challenges I put in my own way then led me down the road less traveled, and yes, it has made all the difference. I attended the University of Mississippi and after my sophomore year of playing way too many basketball games at the Turner Center, my grades declined. When you are enrolled in pre-med classes and chemistry, your focus needs to be on those things and not trying to play a pickup 5-on-5 basketball game with your friends. If you guessed correctly, the next part of me taking off from school for a year or two, then you are correct.
So I said to myself, I wonder if I can get a job in a restaurant here. I knew a guy, who knew a guy, who knew a guy. In a matter of two weeks, I was working at a restaurant called 208. When it was busy, which was every day it seems, you learned to work, very quickly. I started off in the front of the house bussing tables, bartending, and waiting tables for about six months. When a position opened in the kitchen, I took it. That position was the glorious dishwasher. Yes, at the bottom of the barrel. My thoughts began to change while working there. If I could hurry up and wash the dishes, correctly mind you, then I could watch the chefs cook. In this way, I could learn for the price of just getting paid for one job but technically doing two. I did this back and forth for about four months until John Stokes gave me a chance. He was and still is a relentless chef at his approach for food. His standard pushed me to places of development that I could only have dreamed of. I even went to Alaska with him to cook and yeah it was fun by the way. A lot of sunlight. I mean a lot. Also, I was the first person to miss a flight in the however so many years that the lodge had been opened. That is a different story.
In my mid 20’s, I came back to Oxford to finish what I started -- school. So with my own money and of course a few loans, that challenge that I put in front of me those years prior, I went and finished it. Over the next couple of years my chartered course to learn every aspect of the restaurant business took me through many different establishments and then on to Nashville, TN. From learning the techniques of French and Italian food in the states, I thought it was now time to really do something different. The new challenge that I know put in front of me was leaving everything I knew because I wanted to be better. Where is better you ask, well if you want to learn the best Italian food, it isn’t anywhere in the United States.
So, off I went to Rome! I didn’t know a lick of Italian or never had I been overseas to that point. So I took classes at a school in Roma that would lead me to working in a Michelin Star Restaurant for that year. If you do not know what this type of restaurant is….just understand that they are some of the best restaurants in the world that focus on ingredients, techniques, and service. I had arrived to a whole new level of fine dining that I haven’t seen, tasted, or heard about in the Southern United States. It was unreal. I really don’t know any other word to describe it. Then once my contract was finishing up there, I pondered. What is my next step? I know a place that has the best cheese, breads, and pastries in the world a friend told me. He is from Dijon, France, which is in the south-eastern part of France. So I made a few calls, filed out some paperwork, went to a consulate, was interviewed, fingerprinted, asked if I really was who I said I was, and oh yeah then took a plane from Italy to the U.S. and then to Paris all in the matter of 3 weeks. The challenge continues as one would say.
Now to backtrack, during my 20’s, I learned fine dining in both French and Italian restaurants along with bistros, fast-casual concepts, and mom-and-pop places for those great meals off the beaten path. I am Southern in my roots with a hint of Italian and now French sprinkled in. I do also love to make desserts….I might have worked very close with a few good people in that realm for 3 years as well. I love to cook but I believe I love to just sit around a table with family and friends with food. My grandmother started me in this cooking world when I was 4 years young…again not old…and I have been infatuated with it every sense. With this section of 10 weekend thoughts, I will explore both French and Italian cuisines with that southern influence. The recipes will be seasonal and those can range from whole roasted chicken with potatoes to lemon tart with Italian meringue. I want to assist you in producing great recipes that you can add to your collection and of course for you to make them again and again. Simplicity is the name of the game and freshness is key. So without further ado….let’s go! Or as they say in France, allons-y!
Where to start….where to start….where to start…well I am in France…. Ok, its that time of the year where you don’t know to go outside with either two layers of clothes on with shorts or pants. The Memphis game is over and the periodically heat every year that encompasses that game is dreadful, let's be honest. You probably re-hydrate with a few of the drinks of the weeks made up once you get back home. I guess the question is now, how do we make something that is filling, robust in its flavor, doesn’t take alot of time to make, and is simple? Well I look downward on the map of France and come upon the city of Lyon. Lyon is known as the gastronomical capital of France…not Paris for those of you wondering. If the name of a dish has the city listed in its name, there might be something there to how good it is and just how popular it is as well. The one thing I will say is yes, you will eat salads from now on because of this one. I would like to introduce you to the “Lyonnaise Salad”.
If you respond with Burton….salad….mine would be yes, with bacon, sautéed onions, a fried egg, mustard, and of course some greens. Your next response would probably be, are these those green beans that we fixed to accompany a steak? Well those beans are a play off of this salad back in the States. One could say that its popularity spread into different forms of cooking especially in the South, which is a great thing.
When you do come overseas and make your way to France, stop in Lyon and get this salad. Follow this course up with raclette. If you can ever go to a traditional raclette restaurant, it is just awesome. They use this huge torch to melt this huge wheel of raclette cheese. They then will slide that cheese onto your plate that has all sorts of goodness on it. Do it for me! Please! I believe that you will be forever happy for two weeks straight haha. You can, after your dinner, walk the lovely streets and along the waterfront. Yet my friends and I decided to get on those electric scooters and play tag.
Things you will need:
4 People
An Appetite
30 Minutes to Prepare at Max, this could include eating time.
Equipment -
1 Large mixing bowl
1 Medium Skilet
1 Small Sauce pot
1 Small Whisk
1 Spatula
1 Tablespoon measurement cup
1 Cutting Board or Cutting Surface
1 Chef’s Knife
1 side plate for the cooked eggs
1 Stove Top Eye or a Fire if your in the woods
Ingredients -
-4 Large Eggs, at Room Temperature, so pull the eggs out at the start when you get your Mis En Place ready, more on that in a bit
-8 Strips of Thick Bacon or 12 Strips of Thin Bacon
-Red Onion
-Apple Cider Vinegar or Sherry Vinegar
-Olive Oil
-Dijon Mustard, because its slightly spicy
-1 Bag of Frisee which is preferable or you can have 1 bag of Arugula, It has to be a bitter green, so no Romain lettuce here
-Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Before we begin, I would just like to offer this tip bit which will be the first of many. This new word to your vocabulary is “Mis En Place”. Ok, maybe it’s a phrase. It is French, so its great your learning French and it means “everything in its place”. So whenever you are cooking anything, get everything you need together. Don’t wait to get the eggs, for instance, in this recipe out of the refrigerator just as you’re ready to cook. It slows down the cooking process when you are prepared. Also, I go into just a bit of detail to fully explain each step so that you can recreate this dish and dishes to come!
Step 1: “Mis En Place” all of your things. And for your medium skillet, go ahead and put it on your stove top and turn the eye to medium heat. It needs to heat up for 4 minutes so you’re good. You can’t work with cold pans…its a cooking joke.
Step 2: Now we will chop the red onion into a small dice but we only need about 3 tablespoons. So in my math, it will take right at about half a red onion. Peel it, chop it, and then put it to one side of your cutting board.
Step 3: Stack your bacon 4 strips on top of each other and proceed to slice then in rectangles. I go by the width of my pinky finger. If you like bigger pieces that are almost square like, go for it! Once you have finished slicing all of your bacon, add it to your hot skillet. We will be cooking the bacon until crispy about 8 minutes with flipping!
Step 4: Add your bag of frisee to your mixing bowl and forage through it to make sure there are no wilted pieces.
Step 5: With your bacon at that almost crispy stage, add your diced red onions to the pan. Toss everything together and continue cooking until your bacon is crispy. It is usually 2 minutes. With your spatula, pour everything in the skillet into your sauce pot and put the skillet back on the cooking eye. Yes, that did include the bacon grease.
Step 6: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to your skillet. We will be cooking sunny side up eggs, 2 at a time. If you don’t want to do that, put all 4 in the skillet. When they are ready just cut through them with your spatula like your making an “X”.
Step 7: Add 2 Tbsp of Dijon mustard to your sauce pot along with 3 Tbsp of the apple cider vinegar. Turn your stove top eye to high. You need this mixture to come to a boil. As soon as it does, pull it off the heat and your eggs should be ready now. BTW.
Step 8 (Last Step): Pour the liquid part of the mixture that is in the sauce pot in the mixing bowl with the frisee along with half o the bacon and onions. Toss everything. Portion out on 4 plates the salad and then divide up the rest of the bacon and onions in the sauce pot and put on top of the salad. Now place one sunny side up egg in the centre of each salad and season with a little salt and heavy black pepper on the egg and greens. There you go…you just created a French Classic at home in America!
I hope that you will enjoy this journey that we are about to go on and letting the food tell the story. So with the American in France, Bon Appétit!
10. We'll have coverage this week of Ole Miss' preparations for Saturday's SEC opener against Arkansas, plus recruiting and whatever else might pop up. Until then, here are some links of interest to me _ and hopefully, to you _ for your reading pleasure:
LSU at last has an NFL-caliber offense and QB to match its NFL-caliber defense – The Athletic
Texas vs LSU: Tom Herman, Ed Orgeron and a wild 2016 coaching search | SI.com
How Gus Malzahn got that massive buyout - Banner Society
Michael Dyer *wasn’t* down: the anatomical case - Banner Society
How Ryan Day's past inspired a push to raise awareness about mental health
NFL draft: Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert and suspicion over prospects' book smarts
Where in the World Is Matt Canada—and Why Doesn't He Have a Job?
Hoge: What I Learned From Watching Every Pass Mitch Trubisky Threw In 2018 | WGN Radio - 720 AM
Candid Coaches: What is your No. 1 issue with the NCAA Tournament selection process?
'A really good father': Biscuits pitcher Blake Bivens faces family tragedy with team support
Passan -- Playing 20 Questions with the 2019-20 MLB hot stove season
An inning with Vinny, the Diamondbacks fan who lives in my Twitter mentions – The Athletic
Gone in 3.9 seconds - Where basketball took JamesOn Curry
Why Did James Mattis Resign as Defense Secretary? - The Atlantic
Barking dogs at Chevy Chase dog park divide rich and powerful - The Washington Post
