The SEC West is going to be an open division this season, with three or four teams looking to seriously compete for a spot in Atlanta this winter. Ole Miss will be considered one of those, especially after the work head coach Lane Kiffin has done through the transfer portal. Last season’s 10-win team may be gone but Oxford will be buzzing for the Rebels this fall.

 After the Grove Bowl took place, Kiffin was asked about expectations, especially from the fanbase, heading into the 2022 season. He said it’s hard to control what they think before calling out preseason polls formed by the media. Kiffin will not put any stock into where his team ranks heading into the season opener on Sept. 3 and preaches that everything about this year’s Ole Miss team is new.

 “I mean, I can’t control the fanbase,” Kiffin said. “Every season is new. Last season has nothing to do with this season. Just like the previous one didn’t have to do with that. We always have to start over. It’s why preseason rankings, any of that stuff, doesn’t mean anything. Everything is brand new. We got a lot of work to do with so many new people.”

 After reaching the likes of 10 wins and the Sugar Bowl last season, Kiffin will want those memories thrown away — at least when talking about the 2022 season. The Rebels will surely be ranked highly in the AP poll to begin the season but the head coach is not buying into it. He wants results on the field first.

 Ole Miss will be looking to compete with Arkansas, LSU, and Texas A&M this year, hoping to be a surprise division winner this season. Especially with division favorite Alabama coming to play at Vaught Hemingway Stadium, no matter what Kiffin says, expectations, or at least excitement levels, from the fans are going to remain high.