The Mailbag, pres. by Whitney McNutt/Tommy Morgan Inc Realtors: Edition 149
It's time for The Mailbag, presented by Whitney McNutt of Tommy Morgan Inc. Realtors, Edition 149.
I asked for your questions. You delivered. So here we go...
From huntingrebel2001: Herbstreit said at least 4 times in the Louisville game that “Lebby does all the play calling”. What % of the playcalls do you think are Lebby’s vs Kiffin’s in a given game?
Pretty consistently, I've heard Lebby calls almost all of the plays. Kiffin, I'm told, is amazing at spotting something in real time and providing an adjustment to the game plan. I've heard there were a couple of times in 2020 when Kiffin took over the play-calling and it led to some friction.
From Boring Old Guy: What should we read into the fact that the transfer QB didn’t get any snaps on Saturday? I assumed that he transferred because he thought he had an opportunity to get snaps in these situations. It seems odd to me that we took him and then didn’t give him any playing time in that scenario. Thoughts?
Either he's simply not ready yet or they're not wanting to put him on film just yet. I honestly don't know.
From theangus2k: If given the chance to sit down and have a 30 minute conversation with any past president(living or not) who would it be? What would you want to ask him? I’d have a hard time not choosing Lincoln.
It would be Lincoln or Washington. Lincoln's life was simply fascinating, as was his presidency. He entered the final year of his first term firmly believing he had lost. I don't know what I'd ask. I guess I'd want to talk to him about those dark days when he believed the Confederacy would likely win. I suspect we'd talk about his wife and his children. I don't know.
That said, I find Washington fascinating. I always have. I've read so much on him. I wonder if he'd look at where the country is today and still think it was worth it.
Frankly, after listening to a very good podcast (BlindSpot, The Road to 9/11), I'd want to talk to Clinton. On nine occasions, the White House knew where bin Laden was didn't take the shot. They were worried, supposedly, that they would take out some Saudi princes in the process, but they knew bin Laden was really, really bad news and the FBI and CIA agreed he needed to be taken out. Clinton passed. Then the transition from Clinton to Bush was shortened and harried and the Bush people were incredibly naive about the threat when they took office in January 2001.
From AJforPres: Who wins in a head to head matchup now: 2015 Kelly/Nkemdiche/Tunsil/Treadwell/Golson, etc vs. 2021 Corral/Drummond/Campbell/etc?
I'd definitely bet on 2015 over this year's team, at least as of right now. That club didn't have many flaws. That was peak Freeze, and he'd built a pretty solid roster at that point. I don't think Kiffin is there yet. This team isn't as deep as that one was.
From petervenkman: You’ve mentioned many times that there is a real lack of quality quarterback play in college. Do you have an opinion on why that might be?
It's an incredibly difficult position to play. Look at how many NFL teams have mediocre quarterback play. You have to be smart. You have to understand the game. You have to have great feet, a quick release. You have to be fundamentally sound. It's just incredibly difficult.
From AJforPres: A year ago, after about a year of struggling through infertility, my wife and I welcomed our first son into the world. At the time, I asked yourself and Chase for new dad advice. Today, what advice do you have for year 1-2 parents?
Enjoy it. These are the easy days. There's not a ton of stress raising a 1- 2-year-old. They eat. They sleep. They play.
Parenting is tougher when they get older. People hurt them. Weaknesses get exposed. There are peer pressures and insecurities and things happen to your children that you can't control. You hurt for them.
We have three beautiful children and they're all unique. They don't remind me of each other very much. Different things motivate them. They have strengths and they have different challenges.
Parenting is work. But I'll tell you this: It's the most rewarding aspect of my life, and it's not close. I'm far happier for a child's successes than I ever have been for my own.
My suggestion, however, is always the same. Build as strong a bond as you can. Build trust. The day comes when that trust is tested, but if you've built enough of a bond, it holds.
From RebelSandman: This is getting way ahead of ourselves, but there’s a belief Lane will leave for a “bigger school/brand” within the next few years based on expected results here.What’s the odds that, instead of going to a “big brand” school where he has to recruit and manage teenagers, he tries to make the NFL jump again instead? What he does offensively now is perfect for it, and players seem to love him as a coach now. To somewhere like the Bengals, Dolphins, or even 49ers? Somewhere with a young, talented QB.
Here's the truth: I don't know Lane Kiffin well enough to answer that with any degree of authority. I could see how a coach his age with his skill set would be attracted to the NFL. There's no recruiting. There's none of the booster bullshit. There's just ball, and I suspect Kiffin likes that.
But I don't know him enough to know whether he's truly motivated to build something longterm at Ole Miss, jump to an established "brand" such as LSU or Florida or head to the next level.
From LaneTrain: If Tyrrell Pigrome plays in 4 or fewer games in 2021, can he come back in 2022? If so, I assume that is the reason Altmeyer took the 1 snap against Louisville, and why Altmeyer/Dent/Plumlee came in for mop-up duty in game 2?Or, is it just that the snaps taken by backup QBs so far have been meaningless, and Kiffin didn't want to stir the pot with guys who had been in the program longer?
Unless my math is just wrong, this is it for him, one way or the other. He played in '16, redshirted '17, played in '18 and '19. Last year didn't count because of COVID, but he doesn't have a redshirt year to play, so I don't see how he plays in '22.
From youngreb3: we've had no kickoffs go into the endzone so far. a fried of mine complained about it, but i said i thing it may be on purpose. we were tackling AP mostly inside the 20 on kickoffs. is that the strategy this year? kick it high and tackle them further back than the 25?
It could be. I'll watch that this weekend. That might be something to ask about. I'd think you'd want to kick it through the end zone and not risk a return if you could.
From walnutreb: If I told you the Podcast Gods came down and said "Hey Neal, I know you're racking your head trying to decide if Bud is real or not, we have an idea."They proceed to tell you, we will drop you off wherever Bud was making that call from, you can ask him whatever you like, see if it's somebody you know etc..Only stipulation is, they will not in anyway protect you if things go sideways. You taking it?
Hell no. I assume it was a troll. It was entertaining at midnight on a Saturday after a 37-point Ole Miss win, but I don't care enough to risk, well, anything.
From walnutreb: Why does W. Bush get a pass?He started a war that he seemingly had no intentions of ever ending, his economic policies were questionable at best, on paper he wasn't a great president from either side of the aisle. Add on his wild side from his youth that doesn't get talked about.Is he one of those guys who kind of gets a pass because you definitely want to have a beer with him? Or am I missing something.He seemed more symbolic than anything, he had very strong emotional moments, but not really any substance.
It's interesting because he was elected because America was tired of Clinton and Gore is a really unlikable guy. He ran on a very domestic agenda and then 9-11 happened. I don't hold his youth against him, and I don't think he drinks at all anymore, but I think he gets a "pass" because he's a likable guy who -- more and more -- looks like a moderate. There's no such thing as a perfect presidency, by the way. The buck stops at the White House, of course, but pinning the financial crisis of 2008 on Bush and Bush alone, the way some try, feels disingenuous.
From North Tampa Rebel: You speak about head coaches being a fit at schools sometimes mattering and sometime not. All things being equal, who is the best fit at each of these schools:1) OM2) State3) Arky4) Bama5) Auburn6) LSU
That's a really difficult question. I mean, obviously, Saban is the perfect fit at Alabama. I don't know much about Mississippi State. I've never really spent any time there. I think they'd love a tried and true Mississippian, as they really cling to the in-state stuff, best I can tell. Who is that? I have no idea. Will Hall?
I've long thought Kiffin would be a great fit for Ole Miss, but is he the only fit? No way. Sam Pittman appears to be a great fit at Arkansas, at least at this point. Why is that? He embraces the state the way they want to be embraced, I suppose?
I'm butchering this question. My answer is I just don't know. You know a fit when you see it. I long thought Jimbo Fisher would be a great fit for LSU, so Bjork was smart to lock him up when he did.
Finally, and this won't be popular, there's not a lot of differences between those programs. Expectations are higher at some places. There are more tools at some places. Some places have different kinds of boosters. Etc. But at the end of the day, it's football, and you're either a coach who can build a winner or you aren't.
From kylethehoss: Do you ever cook any wild game? Deer, Turkey, Quail?
No, I'm not a hunter, and I'm not a big fan of wild game, if I'm being honest.
From mbeaudre: -Premise: You’ve occasionally commented on the podcast the decline of MLB popularity with kids.-Buy or Sell this hypothesis: The decline and disappearance of the baseball card market has made MLB stars much less popular. -My rationale: growing up as a kid in 80s Detroit, I knew who all the stars were for my team over time because I collected their cards and traded them with friends. The stats to learn were even in the back. I knew the other teams’ stars because their cards were “worth more” to trade. They were in my back pocket often (like the cell is today, except they only served one purpose). No baseball cards, with the trading, bragging, envy, etc., that came with them, no reason to know MLB stars.
That's certainly an interesting theory, and it's one I can't just shoot down. I collected MLB and NFL cards. I knew all the players. My friends did, too. It's just a different world now. I just think there are more options now and baseball on television is a really slow game.
I have a theory about baseball, but it's controversial and it would rankle a lot of people, so I'll keep it to myself. Maybe one day...
From DgreenReb: I asked the question a while ago about the car ride with Freeze, Forde or Wolken. Here is a better one You have to take a 3 person road trip with 1 person from the office out of Mike Scott, Dwight and Andy with one person from Breaking Bad out of Walt, Jessie and Gus. Which combo are you going with? You’re driving.
I'll go with Dwight and Gus. I actually think they would create a set of rules that would keep the car pretty quiet and calm and civilized. Michael and Andy would never shut the F up. Walt just seems to have trouble pop up everywhere he goes and Jessie is an erratic human being.
From ozzy2378: A fiver hour plane ride in the middle seat between two “overly plump” people eating banana sandwiches on Spirit Airlines (back of the plane) from Miami to Seattle or a scenic train ride from Chicago to California on the California Zephyr while sharing a room (must spend half the time with them) with Hugh Freeze and the crazy National sportswriter from Gannett (can’t remember his name)? Why?
Give me the train ride. Freeze and Wolken would spend so much time trying to win The Who's-the-smartest game that they'd forget I was there. They'd hate each other so much that I'd have a modicum of control. I'd be able to put in my headphones and read a book in relative peace.
From RebCJ: For contents sake:In a scenario where the SEC is certain to get two playoff births, who gets the second spot?11-2 SEC East Champion Georgia (stumbles in confrence play, loses SECG)11-1 Ole Miss (Only loss is to Bama in Tuscaloosa)
In that scenario, Ole Miss would get it. Georgia's second loss would be a killer. An interesting scenario would be 13-0 Alabama, 12-1 Georgia (losing in the title game to Alabama) and 11-1 Ole Miss (losing at Alabama).
Let's make this clear, however: Ole Miss is losing more than one game. The Rebels are good, but I don't think they're there yet.
From rebelpsychologist: Would you mind speculating as to where Ed Orgeron would be if OM never hired him? It seems to me the Athletic admin, instead of doing a quality coaching search, just went with the opposite personality from David Cutcliffe who was a good coach but low energy/ not emotional on the sideline. Conversely the administration did the exact same thing when getting Houston Nutt, the opposite of Orgeron but also not necessarily a fit for OM. Playing the personality game doesn't seem to be a great way to look for a Coach.
Orgeron would likely be doing what he does best -- coaching defensive linemen and recruiting. He'd be highly paid at a major program. I just don't think he's truly wired to be a head coach, but I'll give him credit -- he has 2019 and no one can ever take it away. Ole Miss people give Robert Khayat a pass on the Orgeron hire but Khayat is an Ole Miss guy, a Mississippian through and through, etc. That hire was inexcusable.
From Floridareb10: Your LSUs AD, who’s on your shortlist for head coach and who would you ultimately hire?
I'd make Fisher say no. I'd probably quietly kick the tires on Kiffin, though I'm not sure that's a great fit for either party. I'd call James Franklin. I'd make sure Joe Brady wasn't interested. I'd find out if Dan Mullen was truly unhappy at Florida. I'd go from there. I'd want someone with SEC experience and with the ability to handle media and boosters. It's a great job, but it's a complex job.
From Rye Whiskey: I am struggling with grading the coaches in the SEC but can't seem to come up with a good system. My friends here on Rebelgrove said that another podcast uses a color system to rank players. Could you color grade the coaches in the SEC?
Oh, no, my friend. Only a genius could pull that off. You'd have to memorize rosters first. I mean, the LSU coach would be a blue coach. I know that. Saban would be a platinum blue coach, but after that, it's just too complicated. I'd have to call my friends Nick and Bill every day and ask for their guidance. I'd also have to call my friends in the leagues across the country -- you know, the ones who aren't tied up with all the rumored realignment that "journalists" are making up out of thin air.
From Levi275: Should college football adjust its clock rules to match the NFL? Should they require 2 feet down to constitute a catch instead of 1? Lastly, should the RPO rules be stricter to help college defenses?
No. The college game isn't as precise as the pro game. I like the differences.
From SaladThunder: While there is some great momentum, do we really know if this team is good? When is our first official test?
My honest opinion: Oct. 9 vs. Arkansas. I think Ole Miss beats Tulane easily and loses by 14-17 at Alabama. And that's the script, if we're being honest. After that, we start to find out who and what this Ole Miss team is. Arkansas presents some challenges, but it's a game Ole Miss wins if it's as improved as I think it is. Alabama is a free shot. Arkansas is not. From that point forward, this team is on the clock.
From Mhales5: In your weekly SEC and hypothetical-because-you-can’t-be-trusted-with-an-AP-ballot rankings, how do you navigate the tension between your journalistic integrity and (I’m guessing) the temptation to hype up Ole Miss to maximize revenues from the website and podcast? Not questioning said integrity, and maybe it’s more my WAOM talking, but you seem to have more confidence in this team than I do at this early stage of the season.
I harbor no temptation to hype up Ole Miss. I know people think that, but I really don't. I cover Ole Miss. I've covered very good Ole Miss teams and I've covered very bad Ole Miss teams. I just write what I think. I've watched a lot of college football so far, and to me, Ole Miss passes the eye test in a way most teams don't.
That said, as I just mentioned in a previous answer, I'm eager to see what this team really is. I want to see this team play Arkansas, LSU and Auburn. We'll know everything then.
From BAUER1: They're not doing it this year, so when do you think they'll go to the 12 team CFP?
I would guess it happens by the 2024 season. It's a necessity and, deep down, everyone wants it. They just don't want ESPN to have total control. The non-SEC leagues want FOX to have some playoff broadcast rights, and that's likely what's going to happen.
