There have been many commentators (lay and otherwise) who point to Coach O's boneheaded decision to go for it instead of punting at 4th and 1 midfield as the reason Ole Miss lost the game. While I agree it was the wrong decision, I don't think it was the turning point of the game. Yeah, State scored on that possession, but Ole Miss was still up by seven points. State was driving again, but then Ole Miss intercepted the football. One commenter on the ESPN scoreboard site said, "Game over." And it looked like it was for Miss. State. But the reality is that Ole Miss has faded in games all season long.
That fourth and 1 play as really one of those "if you make it you are the hero, if you miss you are the goat" plays. It can be argued that he had every reason to believe if he missed getting the first down that his team could hold Miss. State, they had all game after all. Still not the best decision, but hardly the worst coaching decision ever. I will agree that the games I watched Ole Miss play this season I saw a lot of bad coaching decisions.
Hardly anyone has mentioned the personal foul committed by Corey Actis that pushed the Rebels from the 11-yard line back to the 26. Ole Miss eventually missed the 37 yard field goal. Actis committed a similar foul last week against LSU. To his credit, Coach O pulled Actis from the game. (Isn't Actis a senior? What a bad way to end your college football career).
Honestly, my opinion of Coach O was that seemed to embody a kind of thuggishness that I was glad we didn't have at Miss. State. While I pretty much supported Jackie Sherrill through his career at Miss. State, I eventually fell out with him over the way the program seemed to encourage thuggish behavior. Coach Croom has really bought a sense of class and respect to our program, that even if he hadn't been successful, I was going to support him. True, our players have gotten in trouble. But I think it is safe to say that that conduct is hardly encouraged or glossed over.
And what to make of this? No comment other than I found this picture hilarious.
While googling Coach O, I came across a story about Coach O's first team meeting with the Ole Miss Rebels that is rather old, but I wasn't aware of until now:
"I'm going to walk out of here right now, and when I come back in here, I'm going to have my shirt off, and I want everyone of you motherf*****s to have your shirts off too."
"He walked out and everyone, confused, started taking their shirts off. Sure enough, O walked back in, bigger than alot of the guys on the team, without his shirt on. He started yelling and telling the team that they needed to get loud. He said, "When I point to this side of the room, I want you to say 'Ole Miss.' When I point to this side, I want you to say, 'Wild Boys.'" Standing there with no shirt on with every guy in the room shirtless, started pointing to each side of the room. Half the team would yell, "Ole Miss" while the other would yell "Wild Boys." Apparently it got pretty crazy and guys started flipping chairs, yelling, and throwing cooler acrossthe room while chanting Ole Miss... Wild Boys. "
"He then stopped and said, "One more thing. If any of you motherf*****s thinks you can take me, you come up here and get a piece of me right now." He gave everyone an opportunity to come up and fight him and said, "That's what I thought," and walked out of the room."
Actually, just go to EDSBS and search the archives for Ed Orgeron and you'll come up with gems like this (NSFW). Almost a Chuck Norris meme.
Update: Croomed! I think there is a crisis of leadership at Ole Miss when three weeks ago this was the news:
Khayat said he'll stand by Orgeron, even if it takes six years to turn the program around.
Later Update: LOL.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
