Lane Kiffin might be one of my favorite follows on Twitter. He continues to troll fan bases and is not afraid to speak his mind on a public forum which could result in backlash. Kiffin is the subject of today’s 99 Things. Kiffin is currently the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels who are coming off an 10-3 season. He is entering his third season as the coach of the Rebels and he is starting to build expectations with the fan base. The Rebels are not expected to win the SEC but they have a talented core of players to make noise in the conference.
Kiffin worked to replace his star quarterback Matt Corral by looking into the transfer portal. He was able to obtain a commitment from former USC quarterback Jaxson Dart. Dart is a former MaxPreps National Player of the Year. He played in six games in his only season for USC throwing for 1353 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Dart is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Rebels this season. Kiffin will need Dart to step up and have similar success to Corral in order for the Rebels to be contenders in the SEC.
Many experts believe Kiffin is one of the best offensive minds in college football. He helped turn the Ole Miss offense around in just one season. The season before Kiffin arrived the Rebels’ scoring offense ranked 82nd in the country averaging 26.6 points per game. In his first season the scoring offense rose from 82nd to 14th where they averaged 39.2 points per game. Kiffin’s second season saw the Rebels take a slight step back only averaging 33.7 points per game which was still good for 24th in the country.
Twitter can be one of the best recruiting tools for a coach. Kiffin utilizes technology to the fullest and is not afraid to troll opposing fan bases. He especially loves to have fun with Tennessee. If you do not remember, Kiffin left the Volunteers after just one season which results in riots on the campus. Sometimes he is subtle, sometimes he is more direct. Every college football fan should give Kiffin a follow even if you are not an Ole Miss fan. He is not afraid to stir up drama with other fanbases and as an outsider, it is quite enjoyable.
One question for Kiffin’s offense in 2022 will be about his offensive coordinator. Jeff Lebby was his coordinator the past two seasons but he left for the same position at Oklahoma. Kiffin hired Charlie Weis Jr to be his next offensive coordinator. Weis Jr comes from USF where his offenses ranked as the third worst offense in the American Athletic Conference in both of his seasons. Weis Jr and Kiffin worked together at Alabama and Florida Atlantic so they are familiar with each other’s styles. A focus for Ole Miss will be the ability to have a high power offense which Weis Jr will be responsible for maintaining.
The 2022 schedule for Ole Miss is favorable. Their nonconference matchups include Troy, Georgia Tech, Tulsa and Central Arkansas. The Rebels will likely be 4-0 entering SEC play. The Rebels have Alabama, Mississippi State, Auburn and Kentucky at home with trips planned to Texas A&M, Arkansas, LSU and Vanderbilt. Kiffin and Ole Miss are likely in line for at least eight wins but could reach as high as 10 wins. Ole Miss had their first ever 10 win season last year, can they repeat the feat in 2022?
