Steve Sarkisian joins Lane Kiffin in criticism of Rebels: 'Take basket weaving, and you can get an Ole Miss degree'

On Tuesday morning, USA Today college football writer Matt Hayes released an interview with Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. In the article, Sarkisian ran down the problems with the NCAA but, for some reason, specifically attacked Ole Miss, insulting its academic standards.

In Hayes’ interview, the Texas head coach went “scorched Earth” on the NCAA, calling out how it handles issues, the lack of punishments and how bad an idea expanding the College Football Playoff is.

Sarkisian then brought up one of his harshest criticisms in the interview — a pointed shot at the University of Mississippi:

“At Texas, we will only take 50% of a player’s academic credit hours. You may be a semester from graduating, but you’re going all the way back to 50% if you play here and want a degree.

But at Ole Miss, they can take you. All you have to do is take basket weaving, and you can get an Ole Miss degree.”

Now, it doesn’t appear that Ole Miss offers an actual course in basket weaving. Sarkisian's comment rather implies that the Longhorns have higher academic standards than the Rebels and other programs, highlighting one of the many “inequities” in the sport.

Sarkisian also discussed the tampering allegations against Ole Miss brought by Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. Swinney accused the Rebels of contacting former Clemson linebacker Luke Ferrelli, alleging that the program sent him a photo of a million-dollar check while actively enrolled at Clemson, not in the transfer portal. Ferrelli is, of course, now at Ole Miss.