Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby and Ole Miss’s Lane Kiffin break down their week 5 college football matchups

We are entering week five of the college football season and teams around the country are starting to separate themselves into categories of contenders, pretenders, and those that should start look ahead towards next season.

The No. 6 ranked Ole Miss Rebels find themselves, in the eyes of most college football experts, in the driver seat of their own destiny and clearly a contender for a college football playoff spot. The Rebels find themselves 4-0 through the first four weeks of the season behind the play of quarterback Jaxon Dart and the electrifying Rebel defense. In their week four matchup against Georgia Southern, Dart was 22-31 for 382 yards and four touchdowns. Despite the Rebel defense allowing their first touchdown of the entire season, Ole Miss went on to win 52-13.

The difficulty takes a step up this week as Lane Kiffin and the Rebels welcome the Kentucky Wildcats to Oxford. The Ole Miss head coach spoke on what makes the Wildcats a challenge for the sixth ranked team in the country.

“They very much look like an NFL defense,” Kiffin said. “From a size standpoint, from coverages and techniques. So, that is why a lot of people struggle against them. These guys are really good and when they are motivated to play they play really good.”

Remember when I said some teams in the country should start looking towards next season? I won’t say the Mississippi State Bulldogs should do that just yet, but with injuries building up. the lack of success early in the season, and the fact that their week five matchup has them heading on the road to face the No. 1 team in the country – that time may be sooner rather than later.

The Bulldogs are coming off a home loss to the Florida gators in week four. Not only did MSU lose the game, they lost their starting quarterback to a season-ending shoulder injury. Now eyeing down Texas, the No. 1 team in the country, for the week five matchup. MSU’s head coach Jeff Lebby says his players have a decision to make.

“When we wake up tomorrow morning the sun is going to come up, we are going to have breath in our body and we are going to be thankful for the opportunity and understand that we are going to do everything we can to fix it,” Lebby said.” That is the message. There is a decision to be made. There will be great belief, great energy, and great confidence in how the guys are getting coached every single day as we are for games into this thing. That is a guarantee. I think our guys will respond.”