Talk of Champions

Latest Episodes:

Bradley Sowell is back because Ole Miss has officially reached peak Lane Kiffin Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

Lane Kiffin could be the next head coach at Auburn. Or at any conceivable moment he could sign the new lucrative contract Ole Miss extended him last week.

No one knows. But it's exactly what Ole Miss (and any other football team, for that matter) signs up for when it goes for the always-absurd and maddening, but never-not-entertaining, Lane Kiffin Experience.

Jon Sokoloff of WCBI News definitively reported Monday evening Kiffin would be stepping down as Ole Miss head coach on Friday and would land on the Plains under new Auburn athletics director John Cohen.

Kiffin directly refuted the report less than an hour later.

So, where does the weeks-long will-he-won't-he with Auburn stand? Exactly where it started as Ole Miss limped out of Arkansas following an ugly Ole Miss loss.

Kiffin could stay. Kiffin could leave. He could end all the speculation in an instant, but he's deflected when asked directly in two press conferences in three days. Rampant speculation has filled the void with no actual news.

Ben Garrett and Bradley Sowell just had to reunite to talk their way through a wild night in Rebel land. Ben has conspiracy brain and Brad has been reeled all the way into the TMZ-level drama.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out MyBookie and use my code TOC for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag
* Check out Quince and use my code TOC for a great deal: https://www.quince.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Daytime Fireworks: Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss aiming for third straight Egg Bowl win Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Ole Miss on Saturday was unable to slow down an Arkansas offense rejuvenated by the return of quarterback KJ Jefferson.

Now the Rebels are having to do some soul-searching on a short week and with in-state rival Mississippi State heading to town for the annual Egg Bowl Thanksgiving night.

Lane Kiffin is aiming to lead Ole Miss to its third straight win in the all-time series, as well as boost the Rebels' postseason resume with bowl season on deck.

Ole Miss rolled to 700 yards of offense in a losing effort, and the Rebels had two rushers (Zach Evans and Quinshon Judkins) go over 200 yards. Actually, Judkins set the single-season Ole Miss record for rushing yards.

The defense, however, left a lot to be desired.

Will the Rebels be able to rebound and slow down the vaunted Air Raid of Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach?

David Brandt and Zach Berry try to figure it all out in this edition of Daytime Fireworks, an Ole Miss podcast in association with the Ole Miss Spirit. Plus, a full breakdown of the Week 13 slate in the SEC, including predictions for other rivalry games around the league.

Franchise Player: Ole Miss ushers in Egg Bowl week with all eyes on Lane Kiffin Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin deflected when asked Saturday about his potential candidacy at Auburn.

His radio silence has only continued a few days later.

To be fair, with school out and Thanksgiving week upon them, Kiffin has adjusted the Rebels’ practice schedule, and his weekly press conference on Monday was pushed to 4 p.m.

But that hasn’t slowed speculation, including from The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, who most recently put Kiffin’s chances of leaving Ole Miss for Auburn at 75 percent.

Ben Garrett and David Johnson have to disagree in the latest edition of Franchise Player, a site-crossover podcast of the Ole Miss Spirit/On3 and Inside the Rebels/247. Plus, they’ve got an early look at the Egg Bowl, which is set for Thanksgiving night at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Here’s a brief exchange from the nearly 40-minute conversation.

Ben: What’s your confidence level now with Lane Kiffin: One being he stays (and) 10 being he leaves?

David: I’m actually down now to about a five and a half.

Ben: Still coin-flip territory for both of us, and that sounds like a cop-out, but that’s genuinely how I feel.

David: It’s a coin toss.

Postgame: If Kiffin leaves for Auburn, it won’t be because of anything Ole Miss didn’t do Nov 20, 2022

Show notes

A week filled with Lane-Kiffin-to-Auburn rumors ended in disaster on Saturday, with Ole Miss getting blown out in Fayetteville for its third loss in its last four games.

Ben Garrett and David Johnson discuss in this postgame edition of Franchise Player, a site-crossover podcast of the Ole Miss Spirit (On3) and Inside the Rebels (247).

If Kiffin does leave for the Plains, it won't be because of anything Ole Miss didn't do.

Hit That Line: Ole Miss heads to Arkansas, a NY6 bowl in its sights Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

Ole Miss on Saturday travels to Arkansas for a battle of wills.

The Rebels are still in contention for a New Year's Six game, while the Razorbacks are fighting for bowl eligibility.

Zach Berry and Co. break down the Week 12 matchup in this edition of Hit That Line, including thoughts on why they think Ole Miss is set up for success, from the run game comparison and Arkansas' struggling defense to quarterback injuries and their impact on a surprisingly close loss to LSU.

Plus, a full deep-dive into the weekend slate ahead, with predictions and much, much more.

Powe Corner: How the Lane-Kiffin-to-Auburn rumors could be impacting the Ole Miss locker room Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

The Lane Kiffin-to-Auburn rumors won’t go away, but Ole Miss still has two games left, and the second 10-win regular season in school history is still very much within reach.

The Rebels (8-2, 4-2 SEC) next travel to Arkansas (5-5, 2-4) Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network, meaning the most-pressing short-term question is whether the outside noise is adversely affecting the locker room in any way.

Fortunately, all-time Ole Miss great Jerrell Powe is here to provide some perspective.

Ole Miss has dealt with plenty of in-season coaching rumors in modern history. Houston Nutt flirted with Kansas, and Hugh Freeze almost left for Florida.

Powe also broke down the upcoming showdown in Fayetteville, which has historically been a house of horrors for Ole Miss, as well as what the university community-wide can do to keep Kiffin in Oxford.

The path to keeping Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss runs through NIL Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

After almost a full week of rumors, one thing's for certain: Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is a leading candidate at Auburn.

No offer has been made, and sources indicate resolution won't come until after the Iron Bowl next week. But the threat of Ole Miss having to replace its most successful (on and off the field) head coach of the modern era is very real.

Unlike previous years, however, Ole Miss isn't at a disadvantage in year-to-year salary or facilities and the like.

The hang-up for Kiffin and Ole Miss is long-term viability and sustainability in the NIL space, as Chuck Rounsaville (Ole Miss Spirit/On3) explains in this edition of Talk of Champions.

Daytime Fireworks: Arkansas is next for Ole Miss, but there's no ignoring the Auburn shadow Nov 15, 2022

Show notes

Ole Miss on Saturday fell short in the fourth quarter against Alabama and suffered its second loss of the season.

Still, Lane Kiffin's program did well for itself despite the loss, showcasing the upward trajectory of the program to over 40-plus recruits in town. A sell-out crowd roared, and outside of a few possessions, Ole Miss played good enough to upset Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

Zach Berry and David Brandt have the full break down in this edition of Daytime Fireworks, as well as general thoughts on the feel of the program heading into a matchup with a reeling Arkansas in Week 11.

And the guys can't ignore the long shadow hanging over Oxford right now: the Auburn head football coaching search.

Why does Kiffin not make sense for the Tigers, and why do Zach and David think he would be foolish to leave Oxford for The Plains? They've got Houston Nutt storytime, too!

Recruiting: Alabama recruit reaction and an Ole Miss early signing day primer Nov 15, 2022

Show notes

Ole Miss didn’t get the on-field results it was looking for against Alabama, but the recruiting results couldn’t have been more encouraging.

The Rebels over the weekend hosted a star-studded group of targets for the next three recruiting cycles (2023, 2024 and 2025), headlined by uncommitted four-star running back Chris Johnson, who appears to be trending in Ole Miss’ direction.

Also in town was Ryan Wingo, a Top 15 wide receiver in 2024. His post-visit comments, where he praised the sell-out Ole Miss crowd, have been a common theme in the early returns from the weekend, as detailed by Ole Miss Spirit recruiting analyst Zach Berry in this edition of Talk of Champions.

‘A good week for us’: Ole Miss basketball is 2-0 with two more games on deck Nov 15, 2022

Show notes

Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis kicks it old school for game-day-eve, opposing-team scouts.

Rather than simply watch the film and break down an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, Davis puts the Rebels through a round of Jeopardy-style trivia, dividing his roster into two teams to to answer pertinent questions about the matchup ahead.

Davis and the Rebels were fresh off a deep-dive into Chattanooga when the fifth-year Ole Miss head coach dialed into the Rebel Yell Hotline Monday night. Ole Miss (2-0, 0-0 SEC) hosts the Mocs (1-1, 0-0 SoCon) Tuesday at a 6:30 p.m. CT.

The game will mark the seventh all-time showdown between Ole Miss and Chattanooga, and the first meeting between the teams since a 90-70 Ole Miss win in Davis’ debut season in 2018.

Ole Miss, following opening-week wins over Alcorn State and FAU, will likely still be without star second-year point guard Daeshun Ruffin. Ruffin missed the final month of last season due to a knee injury, and he’s been recently sidelined with a minor bone bruise and missed the first two games.

“I’m watching Florida Atlantic right now and they’re down two to Florida with about six minutes to go in the first half,” Davis said. “Florida Atlantic is a good team; gonna be an NCAA Tournament team. You look at Alcorn State, that we beat, went to Wichita State and won by nine.

“College basketball is amazing this year. A lot of good teams. We’ve got some work ahead of us for sure, but a good week for us to go 2-0.”

Ole Miss football color analyst Harry Harrison also joined the show to break down all the latest with Lane Kiffin’s program, including a 30-24 loss to Alabama over the weekend.

Davis and Co., meanwhile, will play two games again this week. The Rebels are set to welcome Tennessee-Martin to town Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT.

“We’re offensive rebounding at a really high clip right now,” Davis said. “I thought we moved the ball (and) we got 80 points against a good defensive team (in FAU).

“I thought we played really well in the second half against Alcorn State. I thought we played well when Matt Murrell maybe didn’t have his best game. He play-maked well. A big strength of our team is going to be the depth of our team.”

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected