The Ole Miss Rebels reminded college football of what scoring touchdowns look like directly following an offense-less first round game between Miami and Texas A&M. Unfortunately for the Tulane Green Wave, the offensive explosion came at their expense, 41-10. Now the Rebels have their sights on challenging the Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.
Georgia locked in their first round bye by winning the SEC title. And they're familiar with their quarterfinal opponent: They already beat the Rebels 43-35 in October. Will the Sugar Bowl produce a different result? Here's what you need to know about both teams in five minutes.
Ole Miss vs. Georgia Preview
- Ole Miss vs. Georgia game info
- No. 3 Georgia team info, notable wins/losses
- No. 6 Ole Miss team info, notable wins/losses
- Get to know the Ole Miss and Georgia quarterbacks
- Key players to watch in the Sugar Bowl
- Ole Miss vs. Georgia stat comparison
- Ole Miss vs. Georgia score prediction
Ole Miss vs. Georgia game info
OLE MISS VS. GEORGIA | GAME INFO |
|---|---|
Date | Thurs., Jan. 1 |
Time | 8 p.m. ET |
Location | New Orleans, LA |
Channel | ESPN |
Odds | Georgia -6.5 |
No. 3 Georgia team info, notable wins/losses
- Record: 12-1 (7-1 in SEC)
- Head coach: Kirby Smart
- Strength of schedule: 20th
- Best win: 28-7 over Alabama (SEC title game)
- Worst loss: 24-21 vs. Alabama
No. 6 Ole Miss team info, notable wins/losses
- Record: 11-1 (7-1 in SEC)
- Head coach: Pete Golding (Interim — Lane Kiffin hired by LSU)
- Strength of schedule: 40th
- Notable win: 34-26 at Oklahoma
- Notable loss: 43-35 at Georgia
Get to know the Ole Miss and Georgia quarterbacks
Georgia QB Gunner Stockton
Stockton forced out Carson Beck at Georgia, so he came into the season with high expectations — did the Bulldogs pick the right QB? It seems they did. He threw 23 touchdowns and ran for eight more with 442 yards on the ground in total. All the while he protected the football, only through five interceptions.
- Personality: Chip on the shoulder
- Arm Talent: Throwing on the run
- X-Factor: Turning chaos into conversions
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss
Chambliss wasn't supposed to be in this position. A national title-winner in DII, he transferred to Ole Miss and started the season behind Austin Simmons before an injury thrust him into action. Most CFB fans didn't know his name. Now they do after emerging as one of the best QBs in the SEC (and in the playoff) with 3,016 yards, 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He rushed for 470 yards and six TDs as well.
- Personality: High energy
- Arm Talent: Vertical aggressiveness
- X-Factor: Threat to extend the play
Key players to watch in the Sugar Bowl
Georgia WR Zachariah Branch
The speedster Branch is the danger man in Georgia's offense. He led the team with 744 receiving yards. Letting him get into the open field is dangerous, he was fourth nationally with 586 yards after catch while forcing 17 missed tackles.
Georgia LB CJ Allen
CJ Allen made his first starts for Georgia as a true freshman and he's become the leader of the defense as a junior. He leads the Bulldogs in tackles and tackles for loss — though UGA needs someone else to step up there. The All-American is as good a run defender as there is out there, which is good news for Kirby Smart considering next up they've got...
Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy
Lacy's 20 touchdowns this year were second in college football. A true workhorse, he's averaging 21.5 carries per game, racking up 1,279 yards along the way. An impressive 858 of those yards came after contact.
Ole Miss EDGE Kam Franklin
Franklin's pass rushing stats aren't standout. He only has 3.5 sacks on the season, but that doesn't do his pass rush impact justice. The sophomore had 29 QB hurries, ranking fourth in the SEC
Ole Miss vs. Georgia stat comparison
Georgia's offense vs. Ole Miss's defense
GEORGIA OFF | STAT | OLE MISS DEF |
|---|---|---|
33rd | Scoring | 24th |
44th | Yards | 33rd |
74th | Passing | 20th |
33rd | Rushing | 69th |
27th | Sacks | 63rd |
19th | Turnovers | 111th |
Ole Miss's offense vs. Georgia's defense
OLE MISS OFF | STAT | GEORGIA DEF |
|---|---|---|
11th | Scoring | 11th |
2nd | Yards | 12th |
3rd | Passing | 48th |
30th | Rushing | 5th |
21st | Sacks | 108th |
19th | Turnovers | 102nd |
Ole Miss vs. Georgia score prediction
CFB Graphs gives Georgia a 55.9 percent win probability over Ole Miss. Essentially, these are pretty evenly matched teams. The Bulldogs rank 19th in offensive success rate and 31st on the defensive side of the ball. The Rebels are 15th and 35th. Both have relatively young quarterbacks leading the way, but only one has a proven winner coaching them. Having Kirby Smart on the sideline alone is enough of an advantage to give UGA the nod over Ole Miss and interim head coach Pete Golding.
Prediction: Georgia 27, Ole Miss 24