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Talk of Champions: Arkansas week, so will the real Lane Kiffin please stand up?

Ben Garrettby:Ben Garrettabout 17 hours

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Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin (Photo credit: USA Today Images)

No. 19 Ole Miss is headed to Arkansas this week — an historically difficult place to play for the Rebels. But they got back on track with a two-score win over Oklahoma and are favored over the rival Razorbacks. 

So, why the lowered expectations from Lane Kiffin this week? Kiffin said years ago he came to Ole Miss to be great, not good. Well, 6-2 (2-2 SEC) is, objectively, only good, and the Rebels have issues to go along with their wealth of positives. 

“We’re excited about this matchup and going down there,” Kiffin, in his fifth Ole Miss season, said on the SEC teleconference on Wednesday. “Really, really well-coached team. Sign of a great coach that had adversity last year and hot seat and all that and they stayed with him and it’s paying off. 

“They’re explosive on offense and playing great defense. Outside of one game, could be undefeated this year.”

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Forget the excuse-making and bring back the confidence bordering on arrogance.

Ole Miss has bigger fish to fry, including its 11 a.m. CT showdown in Fayetteville on Saturday and broadcast by ESPN.

Time for Kiffin and the Rebels to own their stuff, get after it and and go be great in their last-gasp College Football Playoff push.

“They do a really good job of knowing what they do,” Kiffin said of the improved Arkansas defense. “They don’t do a million things, but they do them really well. They’re coached really well. Coordinator and their whole staff have done a great job.”

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