Following an NCAA investigation that uncovered a slew of violations committed by the Ole Miss athletics department, including many involving the football team, the Rebels issued a list of sanctions they will impose on themselves in the upcoming years:

But, Paul Myerberg of USA Today wonders if the self-imposed penalties will be enough to stave off the wrath of the NCAA. Myerberg thinks a postseason ban could be coming in the near future:

“Lost scholarships may be the start; a postseason ban could follow, and the sanctions may reach Freeze, the architect behind the Rebels’ rise. Even if Freeze remains out of the reach of NCAA sanctions, the case raises a dark cloud over the program’s recent reinvention — and it questions Freeze’s own legacy at a program mired in irrelevance prior to his arrival, just as Art Briles’ dismissal redraws his impact at Baylor.”

In the ultra-competitive SEC, a postseason ban (and the potential loss of recruits it would cause) could set the Rebels back in their quest to become a football powerhouse. Even with the loss of scholarships, the ice could be already getting thin under Freeze’s feet.

No one can deny what Freeze has done for the Rebels since taking over in 2012, but the question now is whether that growth was legitimate or not.

Freeze must not only avoid extra sanctions in order to keep his job — he has to continue challenging for SEC titles while handing out fewer scholarships. A slip back toward mediocrity in 2016 could send the Rebels looking for a new head coach.