In the current landscape of college football, few programs have leveraged the name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities quite like Ole Miss.

For many years prior to the legality of compensating players, Ole Miss often attracted scrutiny from rival fans and caught the attention of NCAA watchdogs whenever they secured a major recruit. This was the reality for less prominent programs—those that aren’t Alabama, Ohio State, or USC.

Fast forward to today, and NIL has changed the game, allowing Ole Miss, under Lane Kiffin, to thrive. While specific figures are unclear, The Grove Collective is recognized as one of the most effectively managed organizations in the country, generating significant funds to help Kiffin attract top talent.

“I cannot say how much they’re investing, but they’re on par with Ohio State and Texas,” remarked former coaches Steve Spurrier on Pat Dooley’s podcast. Hunter Yurachek, athletic director for Arkansas, expressed concern that Ole Miss presently boasts 5,000 contributors to its collective, compared to the 1,000 from the Razorbacks.

The crux of the situation is that Ole Miss is wholly committed to NIL as its strategy for ascending in the sport, recognizing it as the only viable route to compete at a high level. Last year saw the Rebels finish with an impressive 11-2 record and a Peach Bowl victory. This year, after enhancing their roster even further, they began the season ranked No. 6 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. With speculation about Kiffin considering the Florida job, many are debating whether he should remain in Oxford due to the favorable situation he has built there.

NIL has fundamentally transformed how the Ole Miss program is perceived.

However, on Saturday, the Rebels suffered a surprising 20-17 loss at home against Kentucky. While this defeat does not necessarily derail their season—and they still have chances to re-enter the College Football Playoff race against teams like Georgia and LSU—it is Kiffin’s first significant setback in the NIL era against a team they were expected to defeat.

The psychological impact of this loss will be noteworthy.

Ole Miss has emphasized the importance of fan contributions towards its collective to keep pace with elite programs like Alabama and Georgia. The fan base has largely responded well.

But now, just when they were looking for a playoff berth, they stumble against … Kentucky?

Will this disappointment spur fans to increase their donations and enable Kiffin to recruit more players? Or will the fanbase’s enthusiasm wane if they realize that simply spending money isn’t enough to assemble a championship-level team?

This dilemma places Ole Miss at the top of the Misery Index, a weekly evaluation of the most frustrated fan bases.

FOUR MORE IN DISARRAY

Baylor: Being a considerate individual and an exceptional football strategist doesn’t count for much when the results aren’t there. Dave Aranda embodies both qualities, but he’s currently in a precarious position after suffering a 34-28 defeat to BYU, leaving the Bears with a 2-3 record. Just recently, they experienced a distressing loss to Colorado, surrendering a dominant lead that culminated in an overtime loss. This time, despite recovering from an early 21-0 deficit to narrow the gap, they faltered with an interception in the final minute of a game they had a chance to win.

Since winning the Big 12 title in 2021, Aranda’s record stands at a disappointing 11-19, and it will be difficult for athletic director Mack Rhoades to advocate for his continuity if this marks a third consecutive losing season. While Baylor doesn’t need to be dominant annually to satisfy its supporters, there are greater expectations given the resources available for improvement.

Despite Aranda’s defensive legacy and his strong reputation within the industry, his calm demeanor may be a disadvantage among fans wanting to see passionate leadership in light of the current struggles.

Virginia Tech: Luck does not equate to victories. A loss is still a loss, and it stings even more when it feels undeserved. For a brief moment on Friday, Hokies supporters believed quarterback Kyron Drones had thrown a 30-yard touchdown pass to snatch a win against favored Miami, only to see the moment overturned by a controversial replay ruling that marked the pass incomplete. Miami managed to win, 38-34, sparking cries of bias among Virginia Tech fans as the Hurricanes aspire for the playoffs while the Hokies do not. However, blame should be directed towards coach Brent Pry for his poor timeout management during the decisive drive, which left his offense with insufficient time. Presently, the experience-heavy Hokies stand as one of the biggest disappointments in the nation with a 2-3 record.

The Blazers experienced a turnaround by hiring Bill Clark, a dedicated coach who had spent 20 years leading Alabama high school teams and enjoyed a successful single season at Jacksonville State.

However, after Clark retired in 2021 due to health complications, athletics director Mark Ingram took a different approach in the 2022 season by bringing on former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer. While Dilfer gained notoriety from his time at ESPN, his coaching background was limited to a four-year stint leading a private school in Nashville.

This move seemed like UAB trying to ride the wave of publicity generated by Deion Sanders at Colorado, which left many scratching their heads. UAB, having enjoyed five consecutive winning seasons under Clark and one under Bryant Vincent, is a desirable position for many seasoned coaches.

Yet, following a 41-18 defeat to Navy in front of sparse fans, Dilfer’s record stands at 5-11 at UAB, with two victories against FCS teams.

Things took a turn for the worse when during a postgame press conference, Dilfer invited his players to sit with him and made a remark about the number of reporters present, stating, “it’s not like this is freaking Alabama.” Clark’s success was rooted in treating UAB as a significant program, while Dilfer’s approach feels dismissive, suggesting UAB is lucky to have him on board.

Florida State: This will be the final appearance of the Seminoles, currently viewed as the most disappointing team in the country, in this ranking. Moving forward, fans can only accept the unfortunate reality of how poorly Florida State’s management has navigated the past nine months, from roster turnover to setting expectations and game-day decision making. Despite fans’ early awareness that this season was doomed, a humiliating 42-16 defeat by new ACC rival SMU highlights the situation’s depth.

While quarterback issues are not the only concern at Florida State, they are the most pressing. DJ Uiagalelei, who has moved through Clemson, Oregon State, and now the Seminoles, has not performed as expected. He completed just 12 of 30 passes for 222 yards and tossed three interceptions against SMU, mirroring his unsatisfactory performance throughout the season.

Once a highly sought five-star recruit, Uiagalelei’s lack of mobility, pocket awareness, and overall precision became evident even before arriving at Florida State. It raises the question of why coach Mike Norvell chose to gamble the 2024 season on a quarterback who hasn’t shown he can meet expectations.

This situation serves as a cautionary tale regarding the transfer portal and NIL dynamics, illustrating how quickly a program can decline by opting for a quick fix at a critical position without careful consideration.

At 1-4, the current state of the Seminoles is worse than anyone could have anticipated, to the point that Norvell might need to reassess his recruiting and roster approach to avoid a looming hot seat.

MISERABLE BUT NOT MISERABLE ENOUGH

Auburn: If the Auburn program wasn’t already struggling after firing two coaches within the last five years—spending $21.7 million on Gus Malzahn and $15.3 million on Bryan Harsin—one might observe the notoriously fickle Auburn boosters gearing up for yet another buyout. Hugh Freeze has not just let fans down with an 8-10 record but has done so with significantly poor quarterback performance, the worst he’s ever dealt with. After a 27-21 defeat to Oklahoma, marked by Payton Thorne’s pick-six with four minutes left, Auburn fans can despair at the prospect of a turnaround this year.

North Carolina: While attention typically focuses on head coach Mack Brown following North Carolina’s recent struggles, defensive coordinator Geoff Collins also deserves discussion. Despite a failed tenure at Georgia Tech, Collins was previously effective under coaches like Dan Mullen and Jim McElwain. Now, back in a coordinator role at Chapel Hill, his performance has been disappointing. Following a game where they surrendered 70 points to James Madison, the Tar Heels allowed 21 consecutive points to rival Duke after leading 20-0. Collins, once known for his Waffle House coffee cup, may find his role increasingly challenging.

Washington: Any enthusiasm around the Huskies joining the Big Ten has nothing to do with the prospect of trips to Rutgers. Fans now face the tough reality of witnessing the team’s decline from a national championship contender nine months ago to a 21-18 loss against Rutgers. Meanwhile, former coach Kalen DeBoer is busy leading Alabama to a victory over Georgia in his first significant SEC challenge, leaving fans contemplating which situation is more painful.

New Mexico State: Although not frequently in the national spotlight, the Aggies have made headlines for the wrong reasons. Last year, quarterback Diego Pavia was caught on camera allegedly urinating on the rival New Mexico’s practice field. This time, it’s offensive coordinator Tyler Wright facing suspension after reports revealed over 150 of his old social media posts contained slurs and offensive language from his college days. These posts are not merely inappropriate jokes but deeply disturbing and hateful, adding to the embarrassment of a 1-4 team that was already struggling under Wright.

Kent State: Since Sean Lewis departed for the offensive coordinator role at Colorado (and now head coach at San Diego State), the Golden Flashes have managed just one victory in 17 attempts—against Central Connecticut last season. This marks them as the worst program in the FBS, as they suffered a 52-33 defeat to Eastern Michigan. Against four FBS teams this season, Kent State has an alarming deficit of 234-57. They might be on track to become the first team in history to finish consecutive seasons in the MAC without a win.