Why Ole Miss did so well in recruiting

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If Ole Miss is cheating, how did they not flip Chris Jones? And how did they lose two late commitments to an Auburn program that racked up as many national signees on signing day as Ole Miss did? And how do the Tigers escape criticism after an 0-8 record in the SEC last year, a head coach on the job two months, and only a couple of years removed from the Cam Newton recruiting saga? Auburn committed more 4-star and 5-star players on the final weekend than Ole Miss did in what was an abbreviated recruiting year for their staff, and Ole Miss is the school on trial?

The question is can Ole Miss, or Mississippi State, compete for championships in the SEC? I would label this as primary evidence. LSU picked up one outright SEC championship from 1970-2001. That might not be 50 years of no titles, but 30 years with one championship is still a big number. The previous 11 years before Nick Saban rode in to the rescue saw the Tigers win four or fewer games five times. The Tigers won five games or less in eight of those eleven seasons. Does that mean they were destined for eternal irrelevance in the world of college football?

One right hire can completely change the future fortunes of a program, as LSU found out when they brought in a somewhat questionable Michigan State head coach. The same could happen in Oxford, MS, and quite possibly already has.

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