Blazingly Bright Future Awaits Ole Miss Following Historic Peach Bowl Win
Entering the season, did any of us anticipate this sort of ending?
Maybe those with “red and blue” glasses thought that the Ole Miss Rebels were destined for greatness, but the general thought was that, while they could be rather good in 2023, the daunting schedule would be too much to overcome in the end. The campaign wasn’t without its fair share of bumps, close calls and adversity, but when you look up on New Year’s Eve, this Ole Miss team made history.
This Rebels team wasn’t perfect. Everyone with eyes can admit that, just as head coach Lane Kiffin has. Lackluster games against the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs are evidence that there is still some work to do if Ole Miss hopes to be in the elite tier of the Southeastern Conference, but even in close games this season, the Rebels managed to pick up wins over the likes of LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M and others.
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There was something about this team that didn’t crumble under pressure, and that was a foreign concept to many Rebel fans before 2023.
If all the cards fall properly this offseason, there’s no reason why 2024 can’t be even more special. Capturing a program-record 11 wins in a single season and a Peach Bowl title is one thing, but with the expansion of the College Football Playoff on the horizon, Lane Kiffin’s eyes are on bigger goals, namely a national championship.
Talk is already swirling about where the Rebels will begin next season in the AP Top 25. If you listen to national pundits, most of them believe it’s a realistic possibility that Ole Miss cracks the preseason top five next fall, and with all the returning talent (and incoming transfer talent) in Oxford, it’s hard to argue against that.
Either way, a lot of this hinges on the decisions of quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Quinshon Judkins. It seems unlikely that either player would depart unless something NIL-related dictates otherwise, but until it’s stated publicly, this thought will hang over the fan base.
The Rebels have every reason to be happy entering the New Year, however. Picking up 11 wins and a New Year’s Six bowl victory has established a base line for the expectations in 2024, and that is reaching the College Football Playoff. In early September, it would have been difficult to believe that Ole Miss would be in this position, but here it is.
Lane Kiffin’s Rebels are a legitimate contender on a national scale, and the future is blazingly bright in Oxford.
