The College Football Playoff resumes Thursday at the Fiesta Bowl. It is perhaps not the semifinal matchup most observers anticipated, but it nevertheless features plenty of intrigue and subplots.
Mississippi finds itself halfway to duplicating the feat of the 1989 Michigan men’s basketball team, winning a national championship after its head coach left for another job. Up next for the Rebels is a date with Miami, fresh off sending the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes packing on its own redemption arc seeking the program’s first football crown since 2001 – and maybe even the opportunity to do it in its home stadium in 11 days.
Here’s a look at the particulars.
Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Mississippi vs. No. 10 Miami (Fla.)
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN in Glendale, Ariz.
Why watch: Rebels QB Trinidad Chambliss, approaching legendary status in Oxford after not even being the starter on opening day, will next face the fierce Miami pass rush led by DEs Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor. His own evasiveness should serve Chambliss well, but he’ll also need help from steady RB Kewan Lacy. WRs Harrison Wallace III and De’Zhaun Stribling lead a deep Ole Miss group of pass catchers who will challenge the equally formidable Miami secondary, featuring DBs Jakobe Thomas and Bryce Fitzgerald. Hurricanes QB Carson Beck is somewhat familiar with Ole Miss, though his last encounter with them when he played for Georgia didn’t go well in a 28-10 road loss in the 2024 season. Several of those Rebels’ defenders are still around, including DL Zxavian Harris and LB T.J. Dottery, but Beck’s unit this year might be better equipped to stretch the field. WR Malachi Toney can be utilized in a variety of ways, and RB Mark Fletcher has been extremely valuable during the ‘Canes’ playoff run. Lucas Carneiro, who delivered three clutch field goals, including a pair from beyond 50 yards in the Sugar Bowl win against Georgia last week, could again give Ole Miss the edge in the kicking game.
Why it could disappoint: It shouldn’t, given the number of nail-biters we’ve already seen involving Ole Miss. But the Miami defense is the one unit that could conceivably turn the game into a romp.