It’s been just over nine months since Chad Kelly hoisted the Sugar Bowl trophy towards the rafters of the Superdome. A lot has changed since then. In February, Hugh Freeze landed the best on-paper recruiting class in program history. In May, the NFL Draft claimed the three best members of the legendary 2013 class. Four months prior, the NCAA sent Ole Miss a letter alleging serious infractions, setting off a media firestorm that’s raged continuously through the long offseason.
Taking down No. 4 FSU would not only provide emotional reprieve from the withering scandal, but could be pivotal for maintaining any playoff hopes harbored in Oxford.