Healthy Ole Miss could be scary looking at season in different way

OXFORD, Miss. — If Ole Miss ends up making some noise in the College Football Playoff, just remember Rebels coach Lane Kiffin may have given everybody a warning.

Quit looking at college football the way you have for the last century. If you don’t know how to gauge an NFL team through a season, it would be smart to figure it out. That alone could reduce your stress level going forward.

Like any other sport that has a playoff, that’s the first goal — just have a chance. The only way to do that in college sports is using the first month to figure some things out, win in October and be continuing to improve into November.

Do that, stay healthy and you have a shot to be playing in late December and into January.

That first part is what Ole Miss has once again, getting Tre Harris back on field after missing a month with an injury The first warning for everybody the Rebels face going forward is they didn’t lose a single game in that stretch. They also dominated the No. 3 team in the country.

“It’s been awesome having him back out there,” Kiffin said Wednesday on the SEC Teleconference. “To be fully loaded, our whole offense has been great. It’s been a great feeling to have back the nation’s top receiver.”

It was probably a little bit of a gamble he took with Harris after he sat out the second half of an overtime loss to LSU. That loss had more to do with falling apart in regulation than missing Harris. Their only two losses have come on two plays. Yes, we’re aware the Kentucky game probably shouldn’t have been that close, but those things are going to happen these days.

Considering the way they’ve been improving every week, even national folks are saying they may be the most dangerous team heading into the playoffs. Getting Harris back means they’re all going to be on the field.

“It’s been great to be here this late in the season this healthy,” Kiffin said. “It’s been a really exciting week of practice. This is the healthiest we’ve been really ever. Truly blessed to be in this spot.”

That was the first part of the hint. The second part came a little later about that win over Georgia that most of the national people that claim to be experts were surprised to see. Not so much the win, but the way they physically dominated the Bulldogs.

Kiffin wasn’t that shocked. The haters will call it arrogance. Watching his teams for a number of years it’s just another case of his knowing what his team is capable of doing.

“I fully expected that to happen Saturday, play really well,” he said. “When you get to the two losses, your backs are against the wall and you realize what you have to lose. Championship players and a championship coach and program. That was not surprising at all.”

Now they just have to finish against the Gators on Saturday, then don’t get surprised by Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl the next week.

Kickoff on Saturday is 2:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ABC. Fans statewide can listen to the game on Ole Miss Radio Network.