No offense to Matt Luke, but prior to this past July, he wasn’t exactly on the radar to be a head coach in the SEC.

But after former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze left the program when his personal life came unraveled, the Rebels promoted Luke on an interim basis. Up until that point, he’d essentially been a career offensive line coach for the last decade and a half.

This is Luke’s third stop at Mississippi — his alma mater, as both sides of his family have deep roots in Oxford — wrapped around stops at Murray State, Tennessee and Duke. He wasn’t dealt a winning hand, either. Not only did Freeze depart the Rebs in disgrace, but the NCAA has been investigating the school for years and might bring the hammer down soon.

Ole Miss won’t be going to the postseason due to a self-imposed bowl ban, but upsetting Mississippi State on Thursday was a rare cause for celebration.

Additionally, based on the strength of a 6-6 record and getting an unexpected win in the Egg Bowl, Luke has built a case to have the interim tag removed and be named the full-time coach of the Rebels. He’s stated previously that this is his dream job.

Remember, the Bulldogs entered the regular-season finale 8-3 — their only losses were to No. 1 Alabama, No. 6 Auburn and No. 7 Georgia — and 14th in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. They were the highest-ranked three-loss team in America, which is why they were 15-point favorites at home over their bitter in-state rival.

Mississippi played well, don’t get me wrong, but the air was let out of Davis Wade Stadium midway through the first quarter.

While the Rebs weren't lights out on either side of the ball, their receivers made plays and their defense was opportunistic.

MSU quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, one of the most electrifying dual-threat passers in the country, suffered a nasty ankle injury and is done for the year. The only other scholarship QB on the roster was Keytaon Thompson, a true freshman.

Needless to say, the ‘Dogs just weren’t the same offensively. The Rebs intercepted two passes — one from Fitzgerald before he got hurt, then another from Thompson — and also recovered three fumbles. Clearly limited with his arm, Thompson was just 13-of-27 passing for 195 yards and never appeared to be terribly comfortable.

While the Rebs weren’t lights out on either side of the ball, their receivers made plays and their defense was opportunistic.

Field general Jordan Ta’amu (below) made the most of his 10-of-22 performance, connecting for a 77-yard touchdown to A.J. Brown and then a 63-yard TD to D.K. Metcalf. Brown, a Starkville native, was a monster with 6 catches for 167 yards.

Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State did run the ball effectively — Ole Miss came into the contest 13th in the conference in rushing D — with 294 yards on 62 carries, including 121 from Thompson in a relief effort, but it proved to be slippery, as well. Because Thompson was rather limited with his right arm, coach Dan Mullen’s game plan went up in smoke.

Still, there’s no asterisk next to this victory for the Rebels. While they aren’t going to a bowl, they just robbed the Bulldogs of a possible 10-win season.

Even if Bjork wanted to court a big-name coach -- none have really been linked to the opening on the rumor mill -- the uncertainty of the open-ended NCAA investigation makes actually landing one nearly impossible.

Don’t forget, MSU wasn’t the only team forced to take the field with a backup signal caller. Ta’amu began taking shotgun snaps for Mississippi once starter Shea Patterson was lost for the season due to a severe knee injury.

Patterson was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school, but Ta’amu was nothing more than a 3-star transfer from the JUCO ranks. Nevertheless, the Rebs won three of their last four — including another in league play at Kentucky — with Ta’amu at the controls. Unlike Thompson when he took over for Fitzgerald on Thanksgiving night, Ta’amu wasn’t handed a skinnier version of the playbook.

It wouldn’t have been a surprise to see Ole Miss fall apart following the Patterson injury, but Luke managed to right the ship.

Whether he did enough to earn the faith and confidence of athletic director Ross Bjork remains to be seen, although the looming NCAA sanctions may actually work in Luke’s favor. The Rebels aren’t in position to be chasing any titans.

Jim McElwain has already been fired at Florida. Ditto for Butch Jones at Tennessee. While the Gators might be close to bringing in Chip Kelly — a decision on his future could be coming very soon — the Volunteers are on their knees begging for Jon Gruden. UF is surely a Top 10 job in the nation. UT is probably Top 20. Money is burning a hole in deep pockets at both places.

Randy Shannon, currently the interim coach at Florida, isn’t a genuine candidate. Neither is Brady Hoke, who is presently coaching Tennessee.

But like Ed Orgeron at LSU a year ago, Luke’s name is on the list after what was essentially a season-long interview. Also like Orgeron, Luke has local ties and wouldn’t cost nearly as much as a Kelly or a Gruden on the open market.

Even if Bjork wanted to court a big-name coach — none have really been linked to the opening on the rumor mill — the uncertainty of the open-ended NCAA investigation makes actually landing one nearly impossible. Nobody with a legitimate résumé is going to sign a long-term deal with Mississippi until the size and scope of the penalties are official.

Should Bjork decide to pull the trigger, it’s a lot easier sell today than it was yesterday. After all, Luke is now undefeated in the Egg Bowl.