It was odd to be playing regular season college football on Dec. 19, but it’s been an odd season.
The regular season that once seemed like it would never start began to seem like it would never end, but it has. It was a good one for Ole Miss, which now finds itself in a Florida bowl game for the first time in three decades.
The exhale between the regular season and the bowl game has finally arrived, and while it’s shorter than usual there’s still enough time for Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin to consider another oddity.
Like what to do with John Rhys Plumlee.
Athletic and marketable, Plumlee captured the attention of Ole Miss fans – and many around the SEC – as he continually ripped off big runs and became a bright spot in a disappointing season in 2019. He was only a freshman, but he came on to win the job near the middle of the season, and he led the SEC in rushing yards per game. Truly an impressive feat.
The offense changed under Kiffin and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, and Matt Corral won the job, a change that left the Rebels with a dynamic athlete with nothing to do.
The popular call from fans on social media has been to use Plumlee at slot receiver, but position changes for guys who are used to touching the ball every play can be a delicate process.
Had Plumlee, Kiffin and Lebby all thought a move to slot was a wonderful idea, it’s unlikely that Plumlee would have seen much action behind Elijah Moore.
Truth is, Plumlee as a quarterback had opportunities. He didn’t have nearly as many as he had last year, but that’s the difference in being the starter and the backup. Opportunities are fewer, but you have to stand out when they’re there.
Plumlee, this season, didn’t make the splash he did last year. He’s been used as both the regular quarterback and at times a goalline specialist. A 37-yard run against Auburn and a 37-yard touchdown pass in mop-up time at Vanderbilt have been the highlights.
Subtract the Auburn run, and Plumlee has 53 yards on 23 carries. There have been no rushing touchdowns.
Now Moore is gone, and Kiffin the mad scientist has a second chance to consider Plumlee at another position. Don’t be shocked if that happens in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2.
Whether it does or doesn’t, the football season apparently will reach its end with a question that hovered above in the beginning – what do you do with John Rhys Plumlee?
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December 27, 2020 at 01:00PM
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PARRISH ALFORD: Second chance to ponder Plumlee's best fit - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
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