For the first time since Lane Kiffin departed Oxford to take the reins at LSU, Ole Miss is stepping into a new era - and doing so on the biggest stage the program has ever seen. Under first-year head coach Pete Golding, the 11-1 Rebels are set to make their College Football Playoff debut, hosting American Athletic Conference champion Tulane at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in a showdown that marks a turning point for both programs.
This is more than just a playoff game - it’s a defining moment for two teams navigating transitions at the top. While Ole Miss will take the field without Kiffin, who’s already moved on to Baton Rouge, Tulane will be led one final time by Jon Sumrall before he heads to Florida.
The Green Wave chose continuity for the postseason, keeping Sumrall on the sideline for one last ride. The Rebels, meanwhile, are already leaning into the Golding era.
The stakes? Nothing less than a trip to the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day and a date with the sport’s current measuring stick: the Georgia Bulldogs.
Let’s talk about Georgia - the team waiting in New Orleans. The No.
3 Bulldogs have become the gold standard in college football under head coach Kirby Smart. Since taking over in Athens, Smart has built a machine.
Georgia rolled to a 12-1 finish this season, capped by a dominant 28-7 win over Alabama in the SEC Championship - their fourth conference title under Smart. That win doubled as a bit of revenge, too, since Alabama handed Georgia its only loss earlier in the year.
Smart’s resume now sits at 117-20, and it’s not just the numbers that impress - it’s the consistency. Georgia has won back-to-back national titles (2021, 2022), three SEC crowns in the last four years (2022, 2024, 2025), and boasts an FBS-best 64-6 record since the start of the 2021 season. That’s not just dominance - it’s dynasty-level stuff.
And this year’s team? It’s as loaded as ever.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton has grown into the role, surrounded by a deep and dynamic group of playmakers. Zachariah Branch, Dillon Bell, Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens, and Oscar Delp - it’s a pick-your-poison offense. And while Georgia’s defense didn’t look like the typical Kirby Smart unit early in the season - especially in the pass rush - they’ve locked in down the stretch, giving up 10 points or fewer in each of their last four games.
There’s a legitimate case to be made that even as the No. 3 seed, Georgia might be the best team in the country. And they’re not just winning - they’re doing it in all three phases, with the kind of balance and depth that separates contenders from champions.
Ole Miss already got a taste of what Georgia brings to the table. The two teams met earlier this year in Athens, where the Bulldogs pulled away late with a 17-point fourth quarter to seal a 43-35 win - the Rebels’ only loss of the season. It was a classic Georgia finish: poised, physical, and relentless when it mattered most.
So now, the path is clear. Saturday’s winner between Tulane and Ole Miss earns a shot at the sport’s modern dynasty.
The Sugar Bowl quarterfinal on New Year’s Day won’t just be another playoff game - it’ll be a measuring stick. Because when you line up across from Georgia, you find out real quick where you stand.
The Bulldogs are waiting. And they don’t wait quietly.