 The bowl appearance was the program's first since 1992, and the Rebels earned a final national ranking of No.22 in both polls.The revitalized Ole Miss program continued in its success in 1998, but suffered a setback after the Egg Bowl when Tuberville, despite repeated assurances that he would not leave and even going so far as to say, "They'll have to take me out of here in a pine box" agreed 2 days later to become the head coach at SEC West rival Auburn University.