The Ole Miss Rebels have revitalized their football program under Lane Kiffin — and with the SEC schedule coming soon for the 2024 squad — they look as poised as anyone to make a legitimate run at the College Football Playoff.
On the other side of the SEC is the Auburn Tigers, who are coached by former Ole Miss front man Hugh Freeze.
Freeze was the Ole Miss Rebels head coach from 2012 to 2016 and by the end of his tenure, had put the Rebels on the map in a major way. He led the Rebels to a (9-3) finish in 2014 that led them to an appearance in the 2014 Peach Bowl: their first major bowl appearance since the 1970 Sugar Bowl
In 2015, Freeze continued the upward trajectory of the football program, The rebels finished with their second straight nine-win season, and garnered a berth in the 2016 Sugar Bowl, where they won 48–20 over Oklahoma State. They finished ninth in the AP Poll and 10th in the Coaches’ Poll—their first top-10 finishes in a final poll since 1969.
In 2015, the former Ole Miss Rebels head coach came under fire from the NCAA for multiple serious allegations. An investigation was launched and it was discovered that boosters arranged numerous “impermissible benefits” for players, such as car loans and cash.
Eventually Freeze’s phone — which was issued by the university — was searched and the investigation undercovered multiple conversations between the head coach and escort services.
Under Freeze, the Ole Miss football program committed various recruiting and academic violations that figured in the NCAA’s decision to expunge 27 of Freeze’s wins and ban the team from post-season play for two years.
Freeze resigned from Ole Miss in 2017 after officials discovered that he had used a university cellphone to call escort services at least a dozen times over 33 months.
Former Ole Miss Rebels QB Bo Wallace Unleashes On Former HC Hugh Freeze
On Saturday, the Auburn Tigers — who Freeze now leads as the head coach — were upset by Arkansas.
Freeze played two quarterbacks in the game, and while their final stat lines weren’t bad, the now Auburn coach went out of his way to criticize the team’s poor QB play in his post-game presser.
“I know that there’s people open, and I know that we’re running the football,” Freeze said.. “We’ve got to find a guy that won’t throw it to the other team and we’ve got to find running backs that hold on to it.”
Former Ole Miss Rebels QB Bo Wallace saw Freeze’s comments after Saturday’s game and immediately took to X to unleash on him. He stated that Freeze always throws his players under the bus and never takes the blame himself.
“We’re approaching the point that he’s thrown so many QBs under the bus, that maybe no one wants to play for him?” Wallace said. “His offense helped me tremendously put numbers up when I blew my shoulder out… But why is it someone else’s fault every time there’s a loss ?? … but when there’s a win I watch the press conferences just to count how many times the word “I” is used… appreciate what he did for me, my son wouldn’t be playing for him tho.”
Wallace transferred to Ole Miss in 2012 specifically to play for Freeze. 2012, He was named the Ole Miss Rebels starting quarterback ahead of the 2012 season and led them to a great finish, earning the Music City Bowl MVP to close out the year. Wallace went on to start for the Rebels in 2013 and 2014.
But after Freeze called out the Auburn QBs and specific players on Saturday, Wallace unleashed on his former HC saying all he cares about his money in his pockets.
I probably will be too , I won’t notice tho… all the guy did was break my body in half and I played every game getting a numbing shot just to go get him his money …. Then I graduate and can’t do anything to benefit him ….. and he hasn’t helped me ONE TIME !!! That’s the truth… https://t.co/2D0cIWepHg
— Bo Wallace (@bowallace14) September 22, 2024
“But that dude has never helped me a day in his life…. It was always only about getting a win for him so he could collect his extra 100 racks a win,” Wallace added. “If y’all knew the medications and shots I was taking to get that man his money you wouldn’t believe they would let you walk on a field like that.”
