Breaking Down Ole Miss' Ranking in Preseason Coaches Poll
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The USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll was released on Monday, and the Ole Miss Rebels were one of the six teams from the Southeastern Conference to make the cut.
The Rebels secured a spot in the preseason Top 25 for the second year in a row, coming in at No. 24 in the rankings.
On3 released a breakdown after the USA TODAY Coaches Poll came out which examined every SEC team included in the Top 25, determining which programs were overrated, underrated or just right.
This is what On3 had to say about the Rebels being ranked No. 24.
Ole Miss, No. 24 — Overrated
Much like Kentucky, Ole Miss’ preseason ranking is ok in a vacuum, but when compared to other SEC schools that went unranked, the Rebels looks ever-so-slightly overrated. Are they *that* much better than rival Mississippi State, which received just a handful of votes?
Lane Kiffin’s Reinforcement Rebels could certainly finish as a Top 25 team this fall, but they have plenty of chemistry questions to sort out, as well as determining a starting quarterback.
With a breezy early-season schedule, the Rebels should find themselves ranked somewhere in the low teens come October now that they made the initial preseason Top 25. But then can they manage a very tough backloaded slate?
On3 believes the Rebels are rated too high at No. 24.
The Rebels brought in the second-highest rated transfer portal class of 2022, but those 17 transfers need time to build chemistry. Ole Miss experienced a lot of turnover this offseason with star players leaving for the NFL Draft and members of the coaching staff heading for other programs. To top it all off, the Rebels do not have a clear No. 1 at quarterback.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has reloaded his roster effectively, but time will tell if the pieces Kiffin assembled will fit together properly. Kiffin has talked about the 2022 Fall Camp being crucial with so many new faces on the roster.
You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.
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