Adele’s 2012 smash hit Rolling in the Deep represented a commercial breakthrough for the now-global superstar. The song topped the charts in 12 countries. It sold over 8.7 million copies nationally, making it the best-selling digital song by a female artist in the US.The song was reportedly Adele’s reaction to being told that “my life was going to be boring and lonely… and I wrote it as sort of a f*** you.”

The chorus goes as follows:

We could have had it all,

Rolling in the deep,

You had my heart and soul,

And you played it to the beat.

For almost six full seasons, Lane Kiffin had the “heart and soul” of a fanbase that finally thought it had a seat at the table. He was the king of Oxford, Mississippi. He won football games at an alarming rate and pushed a once-lowly program into the national spotlight. 

After months of speculation that felt like years of waiting for the axe to drop, Kiffin left Ole Miss on the eve of the school’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance for SEC rival LSU. The move was unprecedented and was seen as a Benedict Arnold-ing of epic proportions. 

Now, eight months removed from the ultimate betrayal, the Rebels are both trying to move forward and leave Kiffin behind. Pete Golding has taken the reins, and Trinidad Chambliss, the Division II prodigy who Kiffin molded into a star, remains to lead the charge. The Rebels are now out to prove that the magic wasn’t tied to a single man, but to years of meticulous program-building. 

But as they chase a repeat of last year’s run, one existential question looms large over The Grove. 

What is Ole Miss without Lane Kiffin? 

One of the looming offseason subplots surrounding Ole Miss was whether Kiffin would poach some of the best players from the Rebels’ roster. Kiffin likely tried to lure the likes of Chambliss and Kewan Lacy to Baton Rouge, but was ultimately unsuccessful. That means the pairing is back in Oxford and should once again be the focal point of an ultra-exciting offense. 

Chambliss had a breakout campaign last season, highlighted by his incredible College Football Playoff quarterfinal showing against Georgia. That night, his performance was a cauldron of witchcraft and a Johnny Football cocaine-circus ball. He finished the game 30-of-46 with 362 yards and two touchdowns, and at one point completed 13 straight passes. It was one of the best performances from a quarterback we’ve seen in the sport in quite some time. 

If Chambliss is the lightning, Lacy is the thunder. Lacy plays with a rare blend of speed and power, which makes him absolutely box-office. Last season, he was arguably the best back in college football, tallying over 1,500 yards and 24 touchdowns. If those two can have a repeat of their seasons, Ole Miss should be a force to be reckoned with on the offensive side of the ball. 

While Ole Miss retained the services of their two most dynamic players, the Rebels did lose some key pieces to the portal. Starter-turned-backup quarterback Austin Simmons and reliable pass-catcher Cayden Lee are off to Missouri. Star defensive end Princewell Umanmielen, interior offensive lineman Devin Harper, and promising wideout Winston Watkins Jr. all left Oxford for Baton Rouge. 

At the same time, Golding and company did a nice job of attracting key pieces to the Ole Miss project. The Rebels secured the services of highly touted linebacker Luke Ferrelli, Michigan’s Brady Prieskorn, and multiple offensive linemen from other SEC schools. 

The combination of returning talent and promising newcomers should position the Rebels to compete at a high level again in 2026.

One thing that’s difficult to quantify right now is how Golding will handle the full-time transition to head coach. During the Rebels’ CFP run last season, Golding had no time to think. He was working with a makeshift staff and all of Kiffin’s former players. All things considered, he did a great job.

Now? He’s tasked with being the guy who replaces the guy. 

With Golding at the helm, the Rebels’ defense should be in good hands. Ole Miss had a Top-20 group last season, according to Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings. The signs point to that unit being good again, even with Golding handling the day-to-day responsibilities as a head coach. The offense might be a different story. 

Yes, having Chambliss and Lacy back should go a long way in helping keep this unit steady this fall. But all of Ole Miss’s offensive success in the last six seasons was rightfully credited to Kiffin. Under his tutelage, Jaxson Dart and Chambliss became household names. He was the architect behind all those 40- and 50-point outings. He was the straw that stirred the Rebels’ drink on the offensive side of the ball. Now, Kiffin and former OC Charlie Weis Jr. are in Baton Rouge, and it’s new OC John David Baker’s turn to pull the strings. It’ll be interesting to see how Baker puts his own spin on this offense moving forward.

In the end, Kiffin walked away from Oxford and did exactly as the song said:
“See how I’ll leave with every piece of you.”

The swagger, the portal blueprint, and the national relevance he spent years building went with him in a career-defining move to Baton Rouge. Now, Golding and the Rebel holdovers are out to prove that the magic wasn’t defined by one man, but by something that comes from the players Kiffin assembled. 

In Kiffin’s wake, he leaves behind a locker room with nothing to lose, a fanbase eager to prove him wrong, and a state that welcomed him as its own. 

Now, Golding and the Rebels have the opportunity to deliver a final, triumphant response to the man who thought he took it all: “Don’t underestimate the things that I will do.” 

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We opened our three-part 2026 Big Ten preview by zooming out before diving into the individual team breakdowns. The conference has produced the last three national champions, enters the season with another wave of major coaching and coordinator changes, and features a surprising number of familiar quarterbacks.

We sorted all 18 Big Ten teams into contender tiers and asked whether Ohio State, Oregon and defending national champion Indiana have separated from the field. Is USC talented enough to overcome its schedule and lingering defensive questions? Could Penn State, Michigan, Washington or Iowa emerge as the conference’s fourth College Football Playoff team? And how much faith should we place in new systems, new play callers and transfer quarterbacks across the league?

We also worked through the crowded middle of the conference, where favorable schedules, volatile quarterbacks and major rebuilds make almost every projection feel negotiable. Plus: Sweet Lady Schedule, the Big Ten’s overarching theme of faith, Bob Chesney’s elite hairline, a renewed commitment to the Minnesota Support Zoom, and a fun announcement about the show's place in the college football media sphere.

We dropped Part 2 of our Big Ten Preview early this morning and took a more detailed look at Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, Washington, Iowa, Nebraska Wisconsin, Rutgers, Purdue.

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