Episode Details

Everybody says Ole Miss lost the Fiesta Bowl because Miami held the ball for 41 minutes. That's the symptom. Here's the disease.

Steven Willis is joined by Tom Vanderford, the Mayor of Corinth — three weeks out from Ole Miss and Louisville in Nashville, and less than two weeks from the first college football games of the season.

IN THIS EPISODE:

🩹 The correction. Ole Miss lost that game on a missed tackle and a busted coverage in the secondary. The possession numbers are real — but they're a consequence. That front seven was very good; the defensive backs let them down, which meant the front seven spent the night covering for the back end instead of playing its normal run defense. So Miami ran it. Ole Miss masked that problem all year and got within one play of the national championship game. In January it stopped being maskable — and that's exactly why the offseason went the way it did.

🧮 2026 vs. 2024, room by room. Quarterback: advantage 2026. Running back: advantage 2026. Offensive line: wash. Tight end: advantage 2026. Wide receiver: advantage 2024 — there's no Tre Harris on this roster. Defensive line: wash. Linebacker: advantage 2026, and it isn't close. Secondary: wash. Special teams: advantage 2026. Six of nine.

💸 The secondary they bought. Last year meant a Division II product at a discount and a 5-10, 180-pound safety — good players who performed admirably, but with a ceiling. This year: Edwin Joseph (Florida State starter), Joenel Aguero (Georgia starter), Jay Crawford (Auburn starter), Sharif Denson (Florida, six starts). Every one a Power 4 starter.

⚠️ The third slip-up game. Only three SEC teams scheduled a week one they could actually lose — and Ole Miss might have the toughest non-conference opener in the league. Isaac Brown, the Petrino tree, and why Louisville belongs alongside Florida and Auburn on the watch list.

Plus: why the recruiting model is high school on the lines and the portal at receiver, Randall Joyner about to get paid, and the 6-2, 215 receiver Ole Miss doesn't have yet.

🚨 THE OLE MISS HUB DROPS IN ABOUT A WEEK.

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Ole Miss, Ole Miss Rebels, Ole Miss Football, Ole Miss Fall Camp, Ole Miss News, Ole Miss Rumors, Louisville Cardinals, SEC Football, College Football, Pete Golding, Jackson Dart, Keiwan Lacy, Isaac Brown, Jontay Cook, Shareef Denson, Edwin Josephs, Jay Crawford, Lukas Haase, Caleb Odom, Samari Reed, Quinshon Judkins, Trey Harris, Randall Joyner, NCAA Football, Transfer Portal

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Chat with Corinth's Mayor about Football

03:44 Discussing Louisville vs Ole Miss game

06:46 Ole Miss football recruiting changes

11:35 Comfortable Ole Miss team apparel

14:22 Discussing player performance and potential

19:40 Predicting sports with Kalshi app

21:04 Introducing Odoo for business integration

24:04 Comparing team positions over years

27:20 Subscribe to Locked On Ole Miss

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