The Ole Miss Rebels are Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl champions, and they have secured 11 wins in a single season for the first time in school history after taking down the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday.
During the trophy presentation after the game, it would be easy to reflect on a historic season and breathe a sigh of relief following an emotional game. That happened, sure, but Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has other things in mind, and he made sure to let those in attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium know it.
"This is pretty cool, and we're just getting started," Kiffin said. "This was a big-time game on a big-time stage against a great opponent and great program. It took everybody today. I thought our players played amazing. Our coaches did a great job, and, by far, our fans showed up today."
With so much talent off of this year's roster returning for 2024 (and adding one of the top transfer portal classes in the country), it's hard not to be optimistic about the future in Oxford. This season was wildly successful for the Rebels, but if anything, it should serve as a springboard into next year.
While the Southeastern Conference is expanding to 16 teams in 2024 with the addition of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners, the College Football Playoff is also set to expand to 12 teams, a field that would have included Ole Miss this year, had this format already been in place.
Kiffin and his staff called a masterful game on Saturday, and they knew they had to pull out some stops to take down a stout Penn State team led by a formidable defense. The head coach, however, didn't take the credit. Instead, he gave it to his assistants and players.
"That's not me," Kiffin said. "That's our coaching staff putting together a great game plan, making some clutch calls, but it always comes down to the players. We trust our players. We're very aggressive how we call games in all areas, and our players showed up today, and our players made the plays.
"To do something that's never been done before, to get to 11 wins in such a great program with so many great players who have come before us and played here, for this group to come together for one common theme of being great, I'm just honored and blessed to coach these guys."
This year marked history for Ole Miss, but if Lane Kiffin has anything to say about it, the history will continue in 2024 and beyond, and this Peach Bowl win could be the catalyst that starts it all.
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