It's time for Edition 239 of The Mailbag, presented by HillCo Insurance.
I asked for questions. You delivered. So here we go...
From wgrames16: A lot of people that know the program are saying that this team is more talented than 2021’s team. That being said, what do you see as the main differences between the two teams? I know it may be too early to tell, but what do your eyes and observations tell you?
It's a very talented team, and I guess one could argue it's a deeper roster this fall than the one in 2021. Obviously, Matt Corral was special that season. We've not seen that level of play from Jaxson Dart, but he could be on the verge of a breakout. That team had Sam Williams as part of a fairly deep group of pass-rushers. This team will have to prove it can get to the quarterback consistently.
I've said this for a while now, but I think this team could be special. I just think the margin for error -- due to schedule and a very solid SEC West -- is razor thin.
From olemiss902: If you set the over under at 6 years what would your bet be on whether the power conferences break away from the NCAA and establish their own governance?
Under.
I really don't have anything to add to that. It just feels inevitable.
From Kylethehoss: Do you think during the Alabama game either school will beat the other team by 30 or do you think their is a mutual respect between Lane and Nick? Nick ends every press conference now smiling. What do you think that means?
No, I think that's a close game this fall. I don't think the final score will have anything to do with respect.
As for Saban's smiling, I don't know. The man is in his element and after last season, he has his team's attention and the reports out of Tuscaloosa indicate this will be a very physical Tide team.
From Ldweidma: Golding's plan is more personel based vs. Coverage as he has noted. Our depth at LB is obviously not great and Coleman could create some interesting scenarios (or potentially glaring issues). With it being a feel out period in camp, what are you seeing most from a schematics POV? To me it still spells a similar scheme or mentality Partridge put on.
They appear to be running a 4-2-5 defense. I don't understand the nuances of football to do a deep-dive on schematics. I'd get a lot wrong and lose what little credibility I have. It looks like they're trying to find their best linebacker combinations, knowing that all of the guys have their limitations and the best one (Perkins) is having to take a major step up in terms of thinking, processing and reacting.
From DeuceMccluster22: 1. You are Lane Kiffin, you are told you can bring back one Ole Miss player from either side of the ball to play on the 2023 team from the last 15 years (I say 15 bc that’s how long youve been here covering the team) who are u picking and why?2. Have u watched the Manziel show on Netflix yet? If so what were your thoughts? I gathered from that he grew up in a home w/ very little discipline and his parents never told him No and they were the parents called into a school and it was never little Johnnys ( no pun ) fault. I say all that bc they blamed Sumlin for a lot of his behavior.3. When Nutt was fired in 2011, did u know that was his last coaching Gig or did u think he’d eventually resurface somewhere?
1. Laremy Tunsil (I did think about AJ Brown) and Robert Nkemdiche (disruptive defensive linemen are just so hard to find).
2. Yes, I watched it. It was well-done. Things just came to him too fast and his support system failed him. I'm glad he appears to have found some peace. Mental health is precious and as his disappeared, he spiraled.
3. I figured he was done. Any athletics director would want an explanation for that 2011 team. Any AD would do a deep dive into that group and say, "Nope." That's likely what has happened.
From Tb1999: Has Isaac Ukwu been practicing?
To my knowledge, yes.
From Usp94: After every football game, there’s always talk about this guy or that guy was the best player on the field. If you were a coach and you could pick which single position on your team would be the best player in the field, which position would it be? To me, it’s running back.
Quarterback. Did you watch the Ole Miss-Alabama game last season. Take Bryce Young off that field and replace him with damn near anyone else and Ole Miss wins. He was special.
From Levi275: Rank them.. bagels, english muffins, biscuits, toast, and croissants.
Man, that's a lot of carbohydrates. Of that grouping, I'm not sure I've had anything other than toast in years. But I'll try:
1. Biscuits (unless they're dry)
2. Croissants
3. Bagels
4. English muffins
5. Toast
From chattreb: I thought that your analysis of the Rebel Rags settlement was spot on. Two questions. First, I agree that Terry had a large mountain to climb to prove that the NCAA willfully and knowingly distorted evidence to hurt his business, but if any jury in the world could have come to that conclusion, don’t you think that one made up from a pool of Lafayette County residents would be the one? Second, since the settlement was reached at the 11th hour and 59th minute, would it be reasonable to assume that Terry did well with the amount?
Two things happened, in my opinion:
1. The NCAA simply couldn't afford for all those witnesses to take the stand and provide a written, recorded record. Too dangerous for their credibility and future.
2. Warren was going to have to prove that the NCAA basically knowingly lied and pushed forward anyway. That was going to be tough.
So a settlement made sense. I would assume Warren was satisfied. Otherwise, he'd have pushed forward.
From jchmcl09: I have thought for some time that schools from some of these far flung and lesser conferences should join regional consortiums for non-revenue sports.For example, a school like Memphis could play Arkansas State, UALR, Middle Tennessee, UAB, USM, Western Ky, and so on. These schools would all be bus rides away. Any of these teams would still be eligible for NCAA postseason play if they are good enough.The Big Ten West Coast schools could play volleyball games against San Diego State or Fresno State. Conversely, Rutgers could play Uconn and Temple in soccer. Some conferences could hold conference tournaments at one location if they can make the money work.Schools could join up with nearby ones all over the country. Football and basketball would still be played within the confines of the respective conferences.What do you think?
It makes sense, and it might very well be the future, but that's get convoluted quickly.
From MilneW: @Neal McCready , you are such a talented communicator with your written and verbal words! Your realism and straight up transparency is very refreshing, especiallyThese days. Having said that, what really makes you laugh?
Thank you for the kind words. I like shows like The Office or Parks and Rec. I can watch those on a loop if I need a laugh. I'm a lot more laid back than people think I am.
From hays3: Variety is the spice of life. Or so they say.1. Top Gun or Top Gun Maverick and why?2. You can only have one and a lifetime ban on the other; OKC or the Cubs (I believe those are your teams. If not please insert the appropriate replacement)?3. If you could have dinner with one deceased person (famous or not) from each of the following who would it be and what one question would you ask them; sports, actor, musician, US Politician, foreign dignitary, perceived humanitarian.
1. Top Gun (probably sentimental reasons)
2. I guess I'd ban the Thunder, even though the NBA is more fun for me. The Cubs are sort of how I have marked time over the years, if that makes sense. They're part of my life rhythm.
3. I'm horrible at these.
Lou Gehrig, Marilyn Monroe, Prince, Richard Nixon (so many questions), Winston Churchill and I can't think of a humanitarian at this moment. I don't know that I'd have one question. I assume if we were sitting at dinner, I'd have time for multiple questions.
From FuzzyHuddleston: What do you tell your children about the death of America? I’m not taking America circa 1840 leading up to the first civil war. This seems different. Darker. Point of no return tribalism
I try to be more optimistic than that with my children. I tell them that opportunity for excellence has never been greater. As the overall standards lower, at least in my opinion, those who combine work ethic with people skills, creativity and grit are going to push to the top.
I do agree that there's a darkness and a tribalism in our country today that I don't think will ever go away. That said, I still tell my kids this country is a miracle and a land of boundless opportunity. You just have to work for it.
From nyc-tup: With all the conference realignment talk, when do you expect to see ULM join the Ivy League?
It's criminal it hasn't happened already. Thank you for appreciating greatness and elite academic prowess when you see it.
From dawsonreb: I turned 40 this year and I’m starting to feel and look my age. I see on Twitter all of these pictures of Juice Kiffin and he seems look even younger this year than last year! What is Juice’s diet that makes him look so young, because he doesn’t seem to age at all!
I can't speak to Juice's diet but I feel safe in saying the pup doesn't experience much stress and thinks quite highly of himself. A stress-free life is a step toward the Fountain of Youth.
From Mr.Rebel.IAM4062: From what you’ve learned through your experiences in the field of sports journalism, what advice would you give your 22 year old self after graduating?
This is kind of a two-part answer. First and foremost, I'd tell 22-year-old me to go to law school and have a more conventional career/life that would have allowed me to have a lot more weekends with my family. Had I insisted on staying in journalism, I would've been much more aggressive with moving early in my career. I just had no confidence. An example: I was at the Oxford Eagle, doing pretty well, and the Ole Miss beat the C-L opened up. I didn't apply. I didn't think I'd even be considered. One day, the sports editor there told me he was surprised I didn't apply (this was after they'd made a hire). I was stunned. I just didn't see myself as worthy of that post.
From M.O.B.Rebel: I see MBB added Alabama State to the schedule. Is the schedule finalized yet (Temple etc)? Also, what's the latest on Cisse and Murray? TIA
To my knowledge, the schedule isn't finalized and I've heard nothing new on waivers.
From NorthTampaRebel: Let's say a form of revenue sharing in football only happens in the next 5 years. What do you think the impact on a college town like Oxford would be? How would the town change with numerous athletic department positions being reduced or eliminated?
Personally, I think it would be devastating for many here. Ole Miss athletics profoundly impacts Oxford and that goes well beyond football and basketball. A lot of people would lose jobs. A lot of young people would lose opportunities. I'm just not sure everyone in my field, the people pushing for significant change, fully understand what that change would bring.
From BigJuice10: Which is the worst month of the year, August or February?
Great question. I think it's February, though we do get the Super Bowl in February. I don't hate the cold like others do, so August is right up there for me.
From robert90: What is your guess on how the Ole Miss OL will perform this year compared to last year? In my opinion the inability of the OL to pass block really hampered the Ole Miss offense last year. The two tackles really struggled in pass protection. Does another year of experience and a new OL coach make a big improvement this season?
I feel it will be better. There's more continuity, more experience, but your concern about pass-protection on the edges is legitimate.
From AgentWillis: Do we think this "chemistry" narrative is a little bit of a smoke screen? I say this bc NFL teams rebuild rosters every year. They all seem to mesh seemingly well. Guys in general can build rapport and friendship MUCH quicker than women. Not a sexist statement, just saying it's a well known phenomenon. Do we worry about chemistry as much as we're being told, or is this just a facade Kiffin is putting on to deflect any bad misfortune or deflect on the dreadful end to last season?
No, I think chemistry is real. I think it's valuable. There's a reason so many guys talk about it. Kiffin has acknowledged this isn't the ideal way to build a program and that's because of chemistry and buy-in. I get what you're saying, but it's a real concern as the season approaches.
From Arsqldba: What is one question you wish you could ask Lane at a press conference, but you just can't?
How much do you hate us and which one of us do you hate the most?
From WichitaReb: A lot of preseason hype on Judkins and it seems to be rightfully so. I know you always say your not a football expert but you have done this for a long time and have watched a lot of guys so I think you could have a solid opinion here. What do you think the ceiling is for Jaxson Dart? Could he be the best QB in the SEC by the end of the year? Would you be shocked if at the end of the season there were more postseason accolades for Dart rather than Judkins? Thank you again for your coverage. Have a good day
I think Dart has the ability to be an All-SEC quarterback. There are other really good quarterbacks in the league -- Rattler, Jefferson, Daniels, among others -- but I think Dart's ceiling is very high.
But yes, if Dart has more postseason accolades than Judkins, I would assume Judkins got hurt.
From rbhankins: I was wondering if you have any thoughts or observations you’d be willing to share about the Michael Oher situation. (Edited to add: I haven’t had an opportunity to listen to podcasts since the news broke, so forgive me if you’ve already discussed it there.)
Not really. I've pretty much covered my very limited thoughts on the podcast.
From MgoldReb10: I've been working out for the last 6 months without much noticeable differences in my weight. The goal is to cut around 30lbs and I've recently began intermittent fasting (16hrs) into my routine. As someone who enjoys a few adult beverages like myself, how do you maneuver the fast while enjoying a few drinks and still getting the benefits of the fast??
Since I've really increased my running over the last few months, I've fasted less. I typically have a protein bar around 10:30 or 11, a very light lunch and then eat a normal dinner. Even when I was fasting, I still enjoyed a beverage or two. I just had those during the eating window and counted those calories and made sure I burned them the next day. If you increase your exercise and watch caloric intake, you can have a drink. It's all about calories in and calories out. The fasting, at least in my opinion, really helps you limit the intake.
From Champ87: Any word on Hudson Wolfe? I’ve heard good things with Prieskorn and if Wolfe could get healthy that would help with TE depth. Also, last year Judkins basically came out of nowhere. If you could pick one person to do that this year who would it be?
He was out there in a regular jersey on Monday. He's available, or so it appears. At some point, someone -- maybe me -- will ask Kiffin about him. He's just had a lot of injury bad luck in his career.
