Ben Garrett of the Ole Miss Spirit (OMSpirit.com) welcomes you inside an all-new edition of Talk of Champions — an Ole Miss podcast powered by RiverLand Roofing.

Text or call RiverLand for all your roofing needs: 662-644-4297. Few, if any, are doing more for Ole Miss football in the NIL (name, image and likeness) space. Visit them online at RiverLandRoofing.com.

Ole Miss is 8-3 (4-3 SEC) on the season following a crushing loss at Florida on Saturday. Results elsewhere in college football have kept the Rebels’ plummeting College Football Playoff hopes at least on life support. 

Anything short of a berth for the Rebels in 2024-25 was always considered a failure.

The primary culprit, assuming Ole Miss is ultimately left out, has been offensive underperformance. Worst of all? Perplexing personnel decisions by fifth-year head coach Lane Kiffin and staff.

None is more egregious than the lack of usage for running back Ulysses Bentley, IV. 

Bentley, IV, entered the year as the highest-graded returning RB in the SEC. Yet, in a playoff-deciding game, Ole Miss’ WR5 — Micah Davis, a offseason transfer from Utah State — received more carries than any other Rebel, regardless of position. He averaged 2.5 yards per carry.

Bentley, IV, had zero carries. Ole Miss has lost two of three games in which Bentley, IV, hasn't gotten a touch. His only extended run was LSU. Bentley, IV, broke off the longest run of Ole Miss’ season (50 yards).

WR/DL accounted for 48.6 percent of the carries at Florida. QB Jaxson Dart had another 40 percent. RBs got 11.4 percent. And remember: Ole Miss was playing the No. 98-ranked run defense, too.

MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. We try in this edition of Talk of Champions.

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