The post-spring power rankings are in, and CBS Sports' doesn't make sense.
CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello released his post-spring power rankings, and Ole Miss was ranked at No. 13 overall. The Rebels' ranking was not a problem; it was the team that he ranked 4 spots above the Rebels: the LSU Tigers.
Marcello's reasoning behind his confidence in LSU isn't Kiffin; it's the offensive line he has put together, and because its pass protection appears solid. Ole Miss returns the best QB in Trinidad Chambliss and the best RB in Kewan Lacy. The rest of the remaining offensive line is coming together perfectly under Golding.
LSU over Ole Miss?
"Lane Kiffin might be trying to temper fan expectations in Year 1, but we're not. The offensive line has come together quickly, and pass protection appears solid. Keeping defensive coordinator Blake Baker on staff was a huge win, and we're expecting a big jump. When Arizona State quarterback transfer Sam Leavitt returns from injury in August, we'll get a better read on how potent Kiffin's always-explosive offense will really be this fall, but the pieces are clearly already in place with a load of elite transfers, including many from his run at Ole Miss," Marcello writes about LSU.
Now, the primary reason why critics are holding back on the Rebels is because Golding's inexperience with head coaching. That's a fair point, but so is the fact that Golding is coming off a CFP-semifinal appearance while Kiffin has never been the head coach who even made it to CFP.
"The Pete Golding era began in December, culminating in a CFP win and a thriller against Miami in the semifinals. Now he faces a rebuilding project at several key positions, including receiver and linebacker. The Rebels pulled the nation's No. 2 transfer class -- one spot behind Kiffin at LSU -- and return superstar quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy. No offseason win was bigger than a local judge granting Chambliss a sixth year of eligibility in February," Marcello writes of Ole Miss.
In various other post-spring rankings, Ole Miss clearly has the upper hand over LSU.
All that said, we can debate about rankings all we want, but the real progress will show when the Tigers head to the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Sep. 16.
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