After having some time to decompress/rewatch parts of last nights game, I have some thoughts (not that my opinions are worth a shit)…
1.) Last nights result was FAR deeper than this team just being distracted by the Lane stuff all week but it played a role. I think Lane & Co underestimated how much of a distracting factor it would be.
This is not me blaming Lane or creating a scapegoat if he does leave but it was absolutely a distracting factor. Couple that with what last weeks loss to Bama meant for their overall team goals and you get a very distracted team throughout the week that leads to them not playing very sharp come game time. I think Lane was more effected by the Alabama loss than his name swirling around but I think both, equally, distracted the rest of the program. I don’t think either were in the forefront of anyones mind come kickoff but games are won in their preparation and when that preparation throughout the week is effected, it’s going to lead to some of the sloppy play we saw tonight. Monday thru Friday lost this game.
2) “It’s real if you make it real.” Refs are bad, always have been bad, and will continue to be bad. I think the perception that the refs are out to get Ole Miss has permeated beyond just a fan belief. Given the comments Lane has made, both last week and previously in his tenure, the entire narrative that Ole Miss is officiated differently is something that this program believes. When that belief is instilled throughout the program, it leads to tangible responses by everyone involved. When a bad call is made or missed by officiating, it leads to a “here we go again” type response, much like that of a team that is on a losing streak when they start to get behind a game. It’s mental and it’s something we have to overcome. Players & coaches are saying the right things, “control what we can control” but you can see how a bad call or missed call clearly effects the body language of the team. Again, this is not me covering for the officials or blaming Lane and the team, I just think it’s something that we have to handle better moving forward because, from the looks of it, the refs are going to continue to be shit.
3) From the opening kick to the closing whistle, the game felt oddly hopeless. Like a perfect storm of WAOM I’ve seen in a long time.
A. Offensively, it was a struggle to string together any sort of momentum. We would have some good stretches only to have that momentum get completely shut down either by a penalty (phantom or actual) or a self inflicted wound (bad playcall/turnover). I think the overall offensive output was indicative of what we could’ve accomplished on them tonight but it got late early in this one and that was due to how the other side of the ball went for the Rebs.
B. Defensively it just felt like Arkansas could do no wrong. Arkansas seemingly won every 50/50 ball/play, on top of the plays they gashed us. I’m not saying the Defensive staff is without blame because the scheme was bad at times tonight but, even when the scheme was good, we still got beat. I just think tonight was one of those nights were it didn’t matter what Ole Miss did defensively, Arkansas was just better.
4) How the SEC Network handled the entire production of last nights game is something that needs to be questioned, critiqued, and, frankly, punished by ALL media, Commish Sankey, & the SEC offices. The talking points, rumors, speculatory bullshit, and downright disrespectful behavior throughout a majority of that game was unprofessional and unacceptable. You don’t do those things when you are broadcasting a game. Save that shit for your weekly coverage and talking head shows but to do that mid game while you’re literally strolling up and down both sidelines is the most disrespectful thing I’ve ever witnessed. For Jordan Rodgers to be sitting on the Ole Miss bench by players and talk to former Auburn player Cole Cubelic about how Kiffin is going to take the Auburn job and take some of the players with him crosses every line of professionalism there is. I get TV is king but you can’t cross the lines that the SEC Network did last night. Punishment wise, I’m not sure what recourse there is but the crew and network should at the very least issue an apology for how that entire game was handled.
TL/DR:
1) All the distractions throughout the week fed into the bad play on the field.
2) SEC refs are absolute dogshit and something we are going to have to mentally overcome.
3) That was possibly the most WAOM game of all time.
4) Literally and in the most disrespectful way possible fvck the SEC Network production crew and announcers from the game.
1.) Last nights result was FAR deeper than this team just being distracted by the Lane stuff all week but it played a role. I think Lane & Co underestimated how much of a distracting factor it would be.
This is not me blaming Lane or creating a scapegoat if he does leave but it was absolutely a distracting factor. Couple that with what last weeks loss to Bama meant for their overall team goals and you get a very distracted team throughout the week that leads to them not playing very sharp come game time. I think Lane was more effected by the Alabama loss than his name swirling around but I think both, equally, distracted the rest of the program. I don’t think either were in the forefront of anyones mind come kickoff but games are won in their preparation and when that preparation throughout the week is effected, it’s going to lead to some of the sloppy play we saw tonight. Monday thru Friday lost this game.
2) “It’s real if you make it real.” Refs are bad, always have been bad, and will continue to be bad. I think the perception that the refs are out to get Ole Miss has permeated beyond just a fan belief. Given the comments Lane has made, both last week and previously in his tenure, the entire narrative that Ole Miss is officiated differently is something that this program believes. When that belief is instilled throughout the program, it leads to tangible responses by everyone involved. When a bad call is made or missed by officiating, it leads to a “here we go again” type response, much like that of a team that is on a losing streak when they start to get behind a game. It’s mental and it’s something we have to overcome. Players & coaches are saying the right things, “control what we can control” but you can see how a bad call or missed call clearly effects the body language of the team. Again, this is not me covering for the officials or blaming Lane and the team, I just think it’s something that we have to handle better moving forward because, from the looks of it, the refs are going to continue to be shit.
3) From the opening kick to the closing whistle, the game felt oddly hopeless. Like a perfect storm of WAOM I’ve seen in a long time.
A. Offensively, it was a struggle to string together any sort of momentum. We would have some good stretches only to have that momentum get completely shut down either by a penalty (phantom or actual) or a self inflicted wound (bad playcall/turnover). I think the overall offensive output was indicative of what we could’ve accomplished on them tonight but it got late early in this one and that was due to how the other side of the ball went for the Rebs.
B. Defensively it just felt like Arkansas could do no wrong. Arkansas seemingly won every 50/50 ball/play, on top of the plays they gashed us. I’m not saying the Defensive staff is without blame because the scheme was bad at times tonight but, even when the scheme was good, we still got beat. I just think tonight was one of those nights were it didn’t matter what Ole Miss did defensively, Arkansas was just better.
4) How the SEC Network handled the entire production of last nights game is something that needs to be questioned, critiqued, and, frankly, punished by ALL media, Commish Sankey, & the SEC offices. The talking points, rumors, speculatory bullshit, and downright disrespectful behavior throughout a majority of that game was unprofessional and unacceptable. You don’t do those things when you are broadcasting a game. Save that shit for your weekly coverage and talking head shows but to do that mid game while you’re literally strolling up and down both sidelines is the most disrespectful thing I’ve ever witnessed. For Jordan Rodgers to be sitting on the Ole Miss bench by players and talk to former Auburn player Cole Cubelic about how Kiffin is going to take the Auburn job and take some of the players with him crosses every line of professionalism there is. I get TV is king but you can’t cross the lines that the SEC Network did last night. Punishment wise, I’m not sure what recourse there is but the crew and network should at the very least issue an apology for how that entire game was handled.
TL/DR:
1) All the distractions throughout the week fed into the bad play on the field.
2) SEC refs are absolute dogshit and something we are going to have to mentally overcome.
3) That was possibly the most WAOM game of all time.
4) Literally and in the most disrespectful way possible fvck the SEC Network production crew and announcers from the game.
Last edited:
