Three Key Areas of Improvement For Ole Miss Football During Bye Week

The Ole Miss Rebels have suffered a couple of disappointing losses in the early portions of their conference schedule, and their College Football Playoff chances have taken a hit as a result.

Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2 SEC) dropped its SEC opener against Kentucky, and after picking up a road win over South Carolina, the Rebels suffered a heartbreaking loss to the LSU Tigers last week in overtime. Although there is a lot of football to be played between now and December, Ole Miss likely needs to win out in order to have a decent shot at reaching the CFP field.

The Rebels are in the midst of a bye week as they prepare to host the Oklahoma Sooners on Oct. 26, and it comes at a critical juncture of the campaign. With that in mind, here are three areas of improvement for Ole Miss to focus on this week before continuing its conference slate.

1. Get Healthy

Ole Miss has suffered a load of injuries in recent weeks, especially up front on both sides of the ball. The Rebels have had to shuffle their offensive line with injuries to Jeremy James and Jayden Williams, and edge rusher Princely Umanmielen has also been hampered since the Kentucky game.

To top it off, wide receiver Tre Harris has left back-to-back games early with separate ailments, and the Ole Miss offense takes a noticeable hit in productivity when he isn't on the field. Getting healthy should be priority No. 1 for the Rebels this week because it impacts the other points on this list.

2. Work Out the Kinks on Offense

Essentially all Lane Kiffin-led teams have been known for their offensive prowess, and while Ole Miss has weapons galore on that side of the ball, that has not equaled scoring production in SEC play.

The Rebels are averaging a mere 23 points per game through its first three conference contests, and it's obvious that something isn't working. Part of that blame can likely be placed on a shuffled offensive line and the off-and-on absence of Tre Harris, but there are tons of weapons on offense who should be able to pick up the slack when he's off the field.

Whether it's game plan, scheme, injuries, or all the above, this week needs to be spent addressing some of these key issues.

3. More Bentley?

Speaking of utilizing offensive weapons, Saturday's game against LSU should, in the very least, earn more opportunities for running back Ulysses Bentley IV. I'm not going to be one who harps every day about players who do and don't get playing time because, after all, SEC coaches get paid millions of dollars to make these decisions, and I do not.

However, if you're going to ride the hot hand, Bentley proved on Saturday that he deserves more chances in this offense. Leading the team in rushing yards by going over the century mark is as good a case as any that he is currently being underutilized.

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