Products You May Like
Ole Miss football is 5-1 to start the season, but that record has not come without controversy. The Rebels have been accused of faking injuries during games, and it seems to have gotten serious enough that multiple SEC coaches commented on it.
Here is a dive into the Ole Miss controversy ahead of the Rebels matchup against LSU on Saturday Night.
NCAAF HQ: Live NCAAF scores | Updated NCAAF standings | Full NCAAF schedule
Ole Miss fake injuries, explained
Ole Miss is accused of faking injuries while on defense in games to try and slow down opponents’ offenses. The issue came to a head last week, when Ole Miss defeated South Carolina 27-3. Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer appeared to hint at players on the Rebels defense getting injured after big plays.
“It’s fascinating to me to see how many injuries occur for them after the opposing offense makes a first down or makes a big play,” Beamer said, via ESPN. ”The timing on some of the injuries — it’s a really bad look for college football.”
On Friday, Ole Miss released a statement on the matter, saying they are speaking with the conference about how to handle the issue.
“Feigned injuries has become a notable topic in college football, and we realize our program has been part of that discussion,” the statement said. “We have been in communication with the National Coordinator for Football Officiating and provided relevant medical information for his review to answer questions about recent injuries.”
The Rebels may not be the first team to be accused of faking injuries, but right now they are the face of the issue in college football.
Nick Saban on fake injuries
On College GameDay Saturday morning, Nick Saban addressed fake injuries and explained how they are an issue in College Football. The former Alabama coach detailed how temas prefer players going down on the field while injured instead of asking them to run off the field between games.
“This is the integrity of the game. And there’s no player that flops in a game that doesn’t get a signal from the coach to do it — to slow the game down,” Saban said. “I think until there is some penalty for doing it, and I know it’s a very sensitive subject for an official to make a determination about is a player injured or not, but there should be a flop rule.”
Nick Saban sounds off on the fake injury epidemic:
“This is the integrity of the game. And there’s no player that flops in a game that doesn’t get a signal from the coach to do it — to slow the game down.” pic.twitter.com/aMUtlwqlgf
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 12, 2024
Ole Miss will be under a harsh spotlight on Saturday night, when the Rebels travel to LSU for a huge game between top SEC teams.