Tony’s Take | Home | Birds | Braves | NFL | Super 6 + 1 | Edition 113

By Tony Duckworth, [email protected]

Home.  Novelist Thomas Wolfe once said, “You can’t go home again”.  No one felt that more than LSU’s head football coach Saturday night.  Lane Kiffin bolted for a better job prior to the CFP last season while Ole Miss was in the midst of a quest for a national championship.  The only thing that will convince me that Lane leaving the Grove for the Bayou will be for Kiffin to win the national championship. 

During Kiffin’s six seasons in the ‘Sip, he was the architect of four 10-or-more-win seasons, turning the Rebels into a national power.  For me, outside the occasional alumna who is leading their program (i.e., Kirby at UGA), I felt Kiffin was the best match as the head coach of any program in CFB while at Hotty Toddy.   Regardless of the narrative, Kiffin made strides personally while in Oxford. 

The Ole Miss 32 – 24 win Saturday over LSU did not disappoint.  The Rebels led 17-0 and seemed on the brink of running the Geaux Tigers back to Baton Rouge, but the Fighting Lane battled back to tie at 24 with 11:21 remaining in the 4th quarter.  For a moment, it felt like LSU was going to pull off the improbable after being down three scores in a hostile environment, but the best QB in the nation wouldn’t be denied. 

Former NCAA D-II, yes, Division II, national champion QB and Ole Miss sensation Trinidad Chambliss wouldn’t be denied. The mini-Mahomes capped off 363 passing yards and two passing TD’s with a 14-yard rushing TD, which was the deciding score in Kiffin’s return.  Chambliss and teammates made play after play, and he displayed a Magic Johnson-style smile throughout the night.   

Following the Ole Miss win, the Rebels have the best home record in FBS since 2023 with a 24 – 1 record.  The record doesn’t belong to ‘Bama, UGA, or Ohio State.  Mississippi is a program that traditionally finishes in the bottom half of the conference and owns a 296-312-15 record versus current league member institutions.  Ole Miss’ recent dominance and new expectations were on display when no student stormed the field to celebrate and tear down the goalposts.  Rebels’ head coach Pete Golding was quoted after the game that the program is more than about beating LSU.  With QB Chambliss and a formidable defense, don’t be surprised if the Rebels make a deep run in the CFP again this season. 

P.S.  Given the new 9-game SEC schedule, Kiffin will return home to Oxford again next season. Somehow, the win this season feels like it will be closer to a normal rivalry game next fall.   

Birds.  The Falcons organization is in turmoil due to the challenges they face with the most important position in sports.  Newsflash: Penix isn’t the player to save the season, despite competing in the NFC South. I am not pulling against Penix, but I will take the under that Penix is the future of the franchise.  P.S. Don’t pass judgment on the rookie until he has played at least 4 games this season.  Combine coming off a season-ending injury, new offensive staff, and minimal experience will take a few games for the game to slow down. 

Braves.  ATL has won 19 NL East Division titles since 1995.  To put it in perspective, the Yankees have won 16 and the Dodgers 15 in the same time frame.   

I don’t believe this version of the Braves has a starting rotation built for a postseason run. Atlanta is too reliant on the home run for offensive production, and that recipe isn’t a formula for success in October.  I’m hoping the Braves peak as they enter the postseason and make noise in a march for another World Series title.   

NFL.  The violence of the NFL shouldn’t surprise anyone.  I may be in the minority in supporting the rules designed for player safety.   Regardless of the rules that are in place, superstars and others get injured every game.  Injuries are part of the game. 

When assets like QB’s go down, the entire NFL takes notice.  The QB situation of the Commanders, Falcons, and Giants has the potential to move where multiple teams’ future draft picks land.  While injuries are part of every sport, no team sport is impacted by injuries like American football.  

Super 6 + 1.  #1 TX @ # 14 Tenn | Oklahoma @ #2 UGA | # 4 OLE MISS @ #21 Florida |  #23 Texas A&M @ #10 LSU | #17 Iowa @ # 18 MICHIGAN | #19 Mizzou @ # 24 MISS ST | # 20 Oregon @ #12 USC | Record 10 – 4 

Tony Duckworth is a Macon native and President and CEO of the Albany Area YMCA. Tony worked in intercollegiate athletics for thirty-one years. He served as an NCAA Division II Director of Athletics at three universities after ten years as head men’s basketball coach at two colleges. Email Tony Duckworth at [email protected].