Late-Season Collapse Sets Up Important 2023 Season For Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
This was not the finish that Lane Kiffin had in mind for the 2022 Ole Miss Rebels football season.
After starting the year 7-0, Kiffin and the Rebels did nothing short of collapse in the back half of the schedule, going 1-5 down the stretch and topped off by a blowout loss to Texas Tech in their bowl game on Wednesday night.
To be fair, the second half of Ole Miss' schedule was always going to be daunting, but the close to a once-promising campaign leaves many Rebel fans scratching their heads and hesitant about expectations for another brutal SEC slate in 2023.
It's also impossible to ignore the elephant in the room. The time of drama this coaching cycle has passed with Lane Kiffin, but late in the regular season, there was very real smoke indicating that he could be the next head coach of the Auburn Tigers. Kiffin opted to stay put in Oxford, but the controversy surrounding that time paired with a lackluster finish to the season likely means that he has lost some capital amongst fans.
It's worth noting, however, that if you had offered Ole Miss fans the results Kiffin has put on the field since he was hired, they would have jumped at it. A 10-win season, Sugar Bowl appearance and three-straight bowl trips is clearly growth for a program that was reeling from NCAA sanctions entering this decade.
Now, Kiffin is one of the top-paid coaches in college football. If he wants to live up to that billing, next fall is very important for his tenure. That's easier said than done, however, given that the Rebels have to travel to Tuscaloosa and Athens in conference play next season to face two of the toughest opponents the sport has to offer.
It's certainly possible that Ole Miss comes out of the gates hot next year, but sustaining that success (if it comes) will be paramount for Kiffin, even if he takes a few expected lumps in conference play.
On a brighter note for Rebel fans, quarterback Jaxson Dart improved as the season went along. He is still a very young signal caller, and if he can take another step forward this offseason, Kiffin's offense could be more potent in 2023. Pair that with keeping Quinshon Judkins in Oxford and some prowess on the recruiting trail/transfer portal, and the disappointing end to this season doesn't necessarily spell doom-and-gloom for the next.
Still, the clock is now ticking. How will the Rebels respond when the ball is kicked off in September?
You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.
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