College Football Playoff: Ole Miss Hosts Tulane in Historic First-Round Matchup
For the first time in program history, Ole Miss is playing in the College Football Playoff - and they’re doing it at home. The sixth-seeded Rebels welcome No. 11 Tulane to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday in a first-round showdown that kicks off a new era of postseason football in Oxford.
A lot has changed since the Rebels last took the field at home. Lane Kiffin is no longer calling the shots - he made the jump to LSU after the regular season - and now it's Pete Golding’s team to lead.
Golding, who served as defensive coordinator under Kiffin, was promoted to head coach and will be on the sidelines for the biggest game in program history. Kiffin, despite his desire to coach in the Playoff, won’t be involved in the postseason run.
Tulane, meanwhile, punched its ticket to the CFP with an American Athletic Conference title win over North Texas. The Green Wave enters Oxford with an 11-2 record and a chance to make a statement on the national stage. Head coach Jon Sumrall will be looking for a much sharper performance than the one his team delivered in the regular season meeting between these two squads - a game that left him saying he hardly recognized his own team.
How to Watch: Ole Miss vs. Tulane
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 20
- Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
- TV: TNT
- Streaming: truTV also carrying the broadcast
- Announcers: Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer in the booth, with Katie George and Quint Kessenich reporting from the sidelines
The Matchup: Rebels vs. Green Wave
Let’s not forget - these two already met earlier this season, and it wasn’t close. Ole Miss rolled to a 45-10 win over Tulane back in September, a game that showcased the Rebels’ offensive firepower and defensive discipline. That performance is part of what propelled Ole Miss to an 11-1 finish and a top-six Playoff seed.
Tulane, on the other hand, has grown since that loss. The Green Wave rebounded to win their conference and will be looking to prove they belong in this expanded playoff format. Sumrall has emphasized that his team is better than what they showed in that early-season loss - and they’ll need to be if they want to hang with a battle-tested SEC squad on the road.
Odds and Predictions
- Spread: Ole Miss favored by 17.5 points
- Over/Under: 56.5
- Money Line: Ole Miss -1000, Tulane +625
The betting markets are leaning heavily toward the Rebels, and it’s not hard to see why. They’ve been dominant at home, and their lone loss came on the road against Georgia in a shootout. With a balanced attack and a defense that’s quietly put together a strong year, Ole Miss has the tools to make a deep run.
That said, don’t expect Tulane to go quietly. After being humbled earlier this season, the Green Wave should come out with something to prove. Still, there’s a lot of ground to make up, and Ole Miss has more than enough firepower to keep control of this one.
What’s Next
The winner of this game advances to the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, where they’ll face No. 3 seed Georgia in New Orleans. That quarterfinal matchup is part of a loaded New Year’s Day slate that also includes the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl.
Here’s a look at the full CFP bracket and schedule:
College Football Playoff Schedule
First Round (On-campus matchups)
- **Friday, Dec.
19**
- No.
9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma - 7 p.m.
CT on ABC
- Saturday, Dec. 20 No. 10 Miami (FL) at No.
7 Texas A&M - 11 a.m. CT on ABC
- No. 11 Tulane at No.
6 Ole Miss - 2:30 p.m. CT on TNT
- No. 12 James Madison at No.
5 Oregon - 6:30 p.m. CT on TNT
Quarterfinals
- **Tuesday, Dec.
31**
- Cotton Bowl (Arlington, TX): No.
2 Ohio State vs. Texas A&M/Miami - 6:30 p.m.
CT on ESPN
- Wednesday, Jan. 1 Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens): No. 4 Texas Tech vs.
Oregon/James Madison - 11 a.m. CT on ESPN
- Rose Bowl (Pasadena): No. 1 Indiana vs.
Alabama/Oklahoma - 3 p.m. CT on ESPN
- Sugar Bowl (New Orleans): No. 3 Georgia vs.
Tulane/Ole Miss - 7 p.m. CT on ESPN
Semifinals
- **Thursday, Jan.
8**
- Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, AZ): Ohio State/Texas A&M/Miami vs.
Georgia/Tulane/Ole Miss - 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
- Friday, Jan. 9 Peach Bowl (Atlanta): Indiana/Alabama/Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech/Oregon/JMU - 6:30 p.m.
CT on ESPN
National Championship
- **Monday, Jan.
19**
- Miami Gardens: Semifinal winners face off - 6:30 p.m.
CT on ESPN
Ole Miss 2025 Season Recap
The Rebels rolled through the regular season with an 11-1 record, picking up key wins over LSU, Oklahoma, and Florida. Their only loss came in Athens in a high-scoring battle with Georgia. Here’s a full look at their 2025 campaign:
- Aug. 30: vs. Georgia State - W 63-7
- Sept. 6: at Kentucky - W 30-23
- Sept. 13: vs.
Arkansas - W 41-35
- Sept. 20: vs.
Tulane - W 45-10
- Sept. 27: vs.
LSU - W 24-19
- Oct.
4: Open
- Oct. 11: vs.
Washington State - W 24-21
- Oct. 18: at Georgia - L 43-35
- Oct. 25: at Oklahoma - W 34-26
- Nov. 1: vs.
South Carolina - W 30-14
- Nov. 8: vs.
The Citadel - W 49-0
- Nov. 15: vs.
Florida - W 34-24
- Nov.
22: Open
- Nov. 28: at Mississippi State - W 38-19
- Dec. 20: vs. Tulane (CFP First Round) - 2:30 p.m.
CT on TNT
- Jan. 1: vs.
Georgia (Sugar Bowl Quarterfinal) - 7 p.m. CT on ESPN
Bottom Line
This is a landmark moment for Ole Miss football - first Playoff appearance, home-field advantage, and a shot at revenge for Tulane. The Rebels have been building toward this all season, and now the lights are on.
Oxford is ready. Let’s see if the Rebels are too.