Jan 07, 2026
3 min read
Trinidad Chambliss needs to bring his running shoes to the Fiesta Bowl
Just writing that title is enough to make you cringe, folks.
Three keys for Ole Miss football to a national championship
Trinidad Chambliss needs to bring his running shoes to the Fiesta Bowl
No. 6 Ole Miss (13-1) is coming off an emotional victory over then-No. 3 Georgia (12-2) in the Sugar Bowl with the game-winning field goal in the final seconds. 10 Miami (12-2) in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl.
The Hurricanes are listed as the field goal favorite by oddsmakers like our good friends at FanDuel Sportsbook.However, this game is pretty close to a toss-up, according to an ESPN analysis that gives Miami a 55.6 percent chance to win.
Just like the Cup did before the quarterfinals, there are three keys for Ole Miss to pull off this win and head to Miami for a shot at a national title.Yes, if you do those three things on Thursday, Pete Goulding and company will go on a winning streak against the Hurricanes.
- Control Chaos: Miami's defense THRIVES off turnovers and causes havoc in the backfield.While Trinidad Chambliss has the tackling ability most recently seen in Georgia's defense, Ole Miss' offensive line will perhaps have its biggest challenge against the Hurricane front seven.This is a team that compiled 46 sacks and 25 turnovers in 14 games, including five sacks and two interceptions against Ohio State and seven sacks and two picks against Texas A&M in the playoffs.The Hurricanes have a lethal combination of speed and aggressive play to tackle and adjust the game.
- Get ahead - The second step builds off of step one, as Miami's savvy defense can push their ears back and get out when they are ahead in games.Ole Miss almost always gets the kickoff, so the initial drive down the field seems to be very important.The Rebels need to score early and pressure QB Carson Beck to perform at a high level, but that could prevent the Hurricanes from selling out with their blitz packages as the game progresses.From where I sit, this is a very difficult opponent to come from behind.
- Lockdown Corners - Beck has 10 interceptions on the season, but six of them have come in losses - to Louisville (4) and SMU (2).This is a very big game quarterback, so this moment does not scare him.He also comes into this game against Ole Miss with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He last played with the Rebels in 2024 at Georgia, where he went 20-of-31 for 186 yards in a 28-10 loss.Pete Golding needs to read some of the back's tendencies, and if those tendencies are exploited and the defense throws the bowl tendency, it looks like an interception or two rockets.nausea.
The CFP semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl are scheduled for Thursday, January 8 at 6:30 pm.CT with the winner facing the winner of Oregon and Indiana in the national championship on January 19. Celebrate the damn ball.
