1. I don’t want to get on a soapbox, but …

The sideshow to the main event has been fun, Ole Miss. Time to show if it’s finally more than that.

Time to show if 8 wins in 9 games this season can move 1 critical step further on Saturday at Georgia. All the good that has unfolded under coach Lane Kiffin since 2020 is nice.

Nice doesn’t make a statement.

Beating the 2-time defending national champions does.

“To go 8-1 is pretty cool,” Kiffin said last weekend, after a 3rd straight win over Texas A&M. “We’re 19-2 in our last 21 games (in Oxford), went undefeated in the home schedule this year. Lot of cool memories here this year.”

Now it’s time to make some memories on the road. It’s time show just how far Ole Miss has come since Kiffin took the job in 2020 and changed nearly everything about it.

This isn’t the same Ole Miss, the only school from the original SEC West Division lineup that hasn’t played in the league championship game.

It’s time to prove this isn’t the same Ole Miss that had pockets of success with David Cutcliffe and Houston Nutt and Hugh Freeze before it all ended badly.

Kiffin has dramatically changed the roster every offseason, most recently the past 2 seasons with massive turnover of those leaving for the transfer portal, and those arriving.

He has added elite transfers (more on that later), and raised the level of high school recruiting. He has developed a petulant and wayward quarterback (Matt Corral) into the SEC elite, and has taken a castoff 5-star from USC (Jaxson Dart) and turned him into the same.

He calls out players for the good and bad — because that’s what competition is all about. He tied a school record and won 10 games in 2021, and had a chance at a school-record 11 before Corral was injured in a Sugar Bowl loss to Baylor.

The Rebels dropped to 8 wins last season, and Kiffin brought in 2 quarterbacks to compete with Dart for the starting job — because Dart didn’t play well down the stretch when Ole Miss lost its last 4, and because, well, no one’s job is ever safe.

You don’t get free passes, the old coach taught him growing up. So don’t expect it.

Ole Miss can’t line up and trade blows with a more talented Georgia team. It can’t expect to go in to Athens and get breaks or multiple turnovers or any other — ahem — help.

But it has a hot quarterback and a receiver (Tre Harris) who can win any play, the SEC’s best running back (Quinshon Judkins), and a hot play-caller (OC Charlie Weis Jr.) — and they just hung 38 on an elite Texas A&M defense that gave up 26 to Alabama and 20 to Tennessee. So yeah, time to roll it out and see what happens.

Late in the Texas A&M win, after Ole Miss scored to make it 38-35 but left 1:40 on the clock, Dart came to the sideline after Judkins’ 1-yard score and told Kiffin they scored too early. Texas A&M was coming right back.

“They’re going to make the kick,” Dart told Kiffin.

“I’m like, ‘Can you be positive?’” Kiffin said. “Finally, after the game, he said, all right, he’ll stop being negative.”

Time to prove this isn’t the same Ole Miss.

2. Building and rebuilding

Kiffin understood from the jump that Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Florida and Texas A&M all have inherent advantages in the high school recruiting game.

How do you combat it? You recruit and develop from the transfer portal as well as anyone this side of Mike Norvell at Florida State.

His colleagues in the coaching community scoffed 2 years ago when Kiffin said the quiet part out loud, admitting that recruiting quarterbacks from the transfer portal might be a safer bet than recruiting high school quarterbacks.

They laughed when he gutted his roster and brought in 20 players before the 2022 season, then laughed more when he brought in 23 more. Then everyone started doing it.

Those transfers — 16 of the 22 starters in the Texas A&M game — are the foundation of a team streaking into the 2nd week of November with a ton of momentum.

Dart is from the portal, so are the top 3 receivers and tight end, and the left side of the offensive line. So are 9 of the 11 starters on defense.

But here’s the key: Anyone can fill from the portal, which by its nature, is a grab bag of the unknown and unloved. It’s about scouting and extending relationships from high school recruiting misses and smartly adding talent that can help.

Not bodies that fill a need.

Case in point: WR Tre Harris. He had 105 catches and 17 TDs the previous 2 seasons at Louisiana Tech, but was largely overlooked by many heavy hitters in Power 5. Oklahoma was interested, but late. Texas A&M had a spot, but the roster was loaded at the position.

Kiffin made Harris a top priority, and got a commitment in late December. Harris has missed 2 games with injuries, and has been dinged in a couple of others — and still has 38 catches for 7 TDs, and is averaging 17.9 yards per catch.

The entire receiving corps is a similar story of finding gems amid the unknown. Dayton Wade was injured and played sparingly at WKU, and Jordan Watkins showed flashes at Louisville but couldn’t develop in an offense that struggled to throw the ball.

Jared Ivey and JJ Pegues and Stephon Wynn Jr. have helped give Ole Miss a legit SEC defensive front. There’s nothing random about it; it’s scouting and development — just like high school recruiting.

“It’s a lot of work and a lot of scouting, not unlike high school recruiting,” Kiffin said this summer. “But you’ve got guys who have been in college for a couple of years, and you kind of know what you’re getting. Why not embrace it?”

3. The moment is now, The Epilogue

It’s easy to begin the conversation of now is the time for Ole Miss with the idea that Georgia is vulnerable.

It’s not the same Georgia defense. The Dawgs don’t play with the same hunger week to week. And Georgia is missing its most important players on both sides of the ball (TE Brock Bowers, MLB Jamon-Dumas Johnson).

Frankly, the whole “vulnerable” thing is overrated. Georgia is as talented and dangerous as anyone in the nation, and is turning toward the homestretch with heightened awareness — like it did the past 2 championship seasons.

If Ole Miss is going to make a statement, it has to happen by going and taking it. By stressing the Georgia defense like it hasn’t been all season.

Missouri did enough last weekend for more than 50 minutes, and was driving to take a lead in the 4th quarter at Sanford Stadium. Missouri, while talented, doesn’t have the offense of Ole Miss.

The Tigers, however, are better defensively — and were able to slow down the Georgia offense enough to give its offense a chance in the 4th quarter. If Ole Miss beats Georgia, it’s more than likely going to look a whole lot like the LSU and Texas A&M wins.

Score big early, score late.

It’s time the sideshow becomes the main event in the SEC. Can Ole Miss deliver and become more than a sideshow?

4. The evolution of Milton

He’s not Hendon Hooker or McKenzie Milton or Dillon Gabriel or any other quarterback who has thrived in Josh Heupel’s Blur Ball offense.

But Joe Milton III has become as critical to the success of the offense as any of Heupel’s previous quarterbacks — with a unique twist.

Milton has become a power runner.

The Vols are dangerous Saturday at Missouri because Milton 3 weeks ago changed the Vols’ offense with the addition of the QB power run game.

The Vols used specific QB power run plays 2 weeks ago in a loss to Alabama, then again in a win at Kentucky. After a glorified practice game win over UConn, expect the Vols to return to more QB power from Milton.

He had 25 carries for 85 yards (including sack losses) against Alabama and Kentucky, and the changeup made the Tennessee offense more unpredictable. It’s not that the Vols aren’t getting production from RBs Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson, it’s that Milton changes the way defenses have to play Tennessee.

It forces defenses to commit more to stopping the run, which allows for more big play opportunities in the passing game. The deep throws where Milton excels — where no throw is out of his range.

“It helps settle him into the game,” Tennessee OC Joey Halzle said last week. “Get a couple of carries, feel like you’re in the flow of the game. He’s seeing defenses really well now.”

In the 3 games Tennessee has used QB power runs, Milton is completing 75% of his passes with 5 TDs and 0 INTs.

In 6 other games, he has completed 61.5% of his passes with 10 TDs and 4 INTs.

5. The Weekly 5

Five picks against the spread.

  • Ole Miss at Georgia (-11.5)
  • Alabama (-10.5) at Kentucky
  • Tennessee at Missouri (-1.5)
  • Florida at LSU (-13)
  • Auburn (+2.5) at Arkansas

Last week: 4-1.

Season: 29-21.

6. Your tape is your resume

An NFL scout analyzes a draft-eligible SEC player. This week: Alabama CB Malachi Moore.

“He’s very similar to Brian Branch (in last year’s draft). He plays corner and nickel, but he doesn’t run well enough to play on the outside here. That’s not his position. He could develop into a safety, but he’s more than likely a nickel (cornerback). I love his football aptitude, and the way he plays the game. He’ll jump routes because of preparation and knowledge of the player. His game is short explosion speed, knowledge and breaking on the ball. He’s not going to be an elite player, but he’ll be a solid pro for years.”

7. Powered Up

This week’s Power Poll, and 1 big thing.

1. Georgia: This team will not hurt itself offensively with turnovers or bad penalties. That leaves the defense, growing each week, as the last question with games against 2 of the SEC’s top 4 scoring offenses on deck.

2. Alabama: It’s time to embrace QB Jalen Milroe as a thrower. Since the loss to Texas, Milroe has completed 66% of his passes, is averaging 10.6 yards per attempt, and has 15 TDs (7 rush) and 4 TOs (1 fumble).

3. Ole Miss: The improvement on defense has been marginal. In conference games, Ole Miss is giving up 26 ppg, down from 31.3 in 2022.

4. LSU: If Jayden Daniels (head injury) can’t play against Florida, it’s a different offense. As much as the staff hyped the spring practice and summer camp competition between Daniels and backup Garrett Nussmeier, there’s a significant drop-off.

5. Missouri: There’s too much good out there for Missouri — specifically, making a statement this week against a Tennessee team that moved into the elite of the conference last season and still has a remote chance to reach the SEC Championship Game.

6. Tennessee: Week by week, the defense plays faster, smarter and harder. Vols have gone from giving up 405.3 yards per game in 2022 to 319.6 this season. From 92nd in the nation in 2022 to 21st this season.

7. Texas A&M: How much different would this team be with QB Conner Weigman playing? A hidden problem for 2023: Weigman isn’t getting reps. He has just 7 career starts.

8. Kentucky: A positive sign for November: QB Devin Leary has strung together 2 straight solid games, and the passing game is growing. It may not matter against Alabama — but it absolutely will against South Carolina and Louisville to finish the season.

9. Auburn: Tigers are winning games they should (Mississippi State, Vanderbilt) by protecting the ball, and playing smart offensively. Two more to go (at Arkansas, New Mexico State) before the Iron Bowl.

10. Arkansas: You better believe the 3 remaining games — all at home (Auburn, FIU, Missouri) — are winnable. What better way to come home than with momentum from a huge win on the road?

11. Florida: The defense has gotten progressively worse each week of the season, and now looks a lot like the previous 3 years. Arkansas, with a new OC of 5 days, ran 78 plays, had 481 yards (6.2 yards per play) and converted 8-of-18 3rd-down opportunities (44%).

12. Mississippi State: The shoulder injury to QB Will Rogers has skewed the 2nd half of the season. The Bulldogs have scored 23 points in 3 games since, and may not score at Texas A&M this week.

13. South Carolina: But for a late pick-6, a disastrous season could’ve gotten much worse. Beat Vanderbilt on Saturday, and give yourself a chance to reach 6 wins and bowl eligibility with home wins over Kentucky and Clemson.

14. Vanderbilt: It doesn’t matter who plays quarterback. You’re not winning SEC games when opponents are converting 46% of 3rd downs and you’ve given up 154 plays of 10+ yards (15.4 per game).

8. Ask and you shall receive

Matt: Will we see any coach fired after this season? I look at every school, and I’m not sure I can see anyone finding a new coach. — Vernon Conner, Virginia Beach.

Vernon:

We’re not done with November games. As simple as that sounds, it could get much worse for a few coaches in tenuous situations.

All of this must be seen through the expanded SEC, beginning in 2024. When Texas and Oklahoma arrive, divisions are eliminated and suddenly, 3rd place in the East or West doesn’t look so appealing. Suddenly, when you’re staring at a single division format, there’s a visual element to what you’re chasing — and how far away you are.

What does that simple element do to impatient boosters and university presidents? Look at the aforementioned Power Poll. If you’re the bottom 5 in a 16-team league — again, add Texas and Oklahoma to the mix — how much longer do you wait before making a move?

If you asked me today whom do I think will be fired at the end of the season, I’d say no one. I truly believe Vanderbilt is good with Clark Lea, and the idea that improved facilities will help the buildout to get to 6 wins and bowl eligibility (because that’s the goal, despite Lea’s “national championship” mentality).

Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State and South Carolina would be foolish to fire coaches at this point. But if Florida loses out to LSU, Missouri and Florida State — and looks unprepared and poorly coached in the process — then what?

If Mississippi State doesn’t beat Southern Miss and loses the Egg Bowl by a wide margin, then what? Panic comes in different forms, and more than anything, usually with a group of boosters who can’t take more of what they’re seeing and offer to buy out a coach.

It’s then up to respective university presidents to make a decision: stay the course and hold off the wolf, or move toward change. I can assure you, it’s not a money decision at this level of the game. Even at Texas A&M, where Jimbo Fisher is owed nearly $80 million if fired.

It’s philosophical and apathetical decisions. Do you believe in what your coach is building, and at what point does fan apathy (see: empty seats in a stadium) become a tipping point?

9. Numbers

2.11. Georgia is on pace to have its worst pass rush since 2018, when it averaged 1.71 sacks per game. The Dawgs are averaging 2.11 sacks per game, a number that would be the 2nd-worst average under coach Kirby Smart.

While Smart, like most coaches, proclaims a pass rush is as much about affecting the quarterback as it is getting sacks, that number still sticks out.

Georgia is not as disruptive off the edge as it was the previous 2 national championship seasons, but it still turns up the pressure in critical moments — and specifically in the last 2 weeks.

The game-turning, 4th quarter interception of Missouri QB Brady Cook was a direct reflection on the Georgia pass rush. The Dawgs will need more this week against a dangerous Ole Miss passing game.

10. Quote to note

Florida coach Billy Napier: “When you lose games, there’s going to be criticism. It comes with the territory. I understand it. I’ve grown up in this profession. We knew this was going to be a challenge, and we’re right in the middle of it.”