Fresh off its first College Football Playoff victory in program history, Ole Miss heads into a Sugar Bowl matchup against Georgia with momentum back on its side. The second-round matchup gives the Rebels an opportunity to advance to the semifinals while avenging their only loss of the year. Before the teams meet on the field, we will make our Ole Miss-Georgia College Football Playoff predictions.
Many questioned Ole Miss' ceiling in the College Football Playoffs after its school record 11-win season got wiped out by the ensuing Lane Kiffin drama. The Rebels not only lost their head coach, but the majority of their staff are now pulling double duty as they prepare to transition to LSU after the season concludes.
Ole Miss showed no signs of adversity in round one with a 41-10 thrashing of Tulane. However, the Green Wave were also dealing with coaching drama, with Jon Sumrall flying back and forth between Gainesville and New Orleans after accepting the vacant position at Florida.
There will be none of those concerns with Georgia and Kirby Smart, who has quickly become one of the most respected head coaches in college football. Smart has arguably been the Bulldogs' biggest asset in 2025 as the catalyst behind the team's five comeback victories en route to a 12-1 season and another SEC championship.
Smart has now had a month to prepare for Ole Miss, against whom Georgia already owns a win. The Bulldogs' 43-35 win over the Rebels in Athens was one of their signature second-half comeback victories on the year.
Two months later, the teams meet again under vastly different circumstances. Only one team can advance to the Fiesta Bowl and face either Miami or Ohio State.
*Watch college football games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)*
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss totals 5 TDs
The Georgia defense has improved throughout the season, but it is still susceptible through the air. The Bulldogs kept Ty Simpson under pressure to limit his effectiveness in the SEC Championship game, but teams have had success against them in the passing game all year.
Kirby Smart's defense boasts impressive season-long numbers, but Georgia has struggled against above-average passing attacks all season. Only three Power Four quarterbacks — DJ Lagway, Jackson Arnold and Kamario Taylor — failed to reach at least 225 passing yards against them. Lagway and Arnold led two of the least-efficient passing offenses in the SEC, while Taylor faced the Bulldogs in his first career start.
If Ole Miss is going to have any success, it will be because of Chambliss. The Ferris State alum enters the Sugar Bowl with at least 280 passing yards in four consecutive games, and over 300 yards in four of his last six. Chambliss' biggest strength is his ability to protect the ball, throwing just three interceptions in his 11 starts.
The last time these teams met, Chambliss was effective through the air, completing 19 of his 36 passes for 263 yards and one touchdown. He was even more efficient as a runner, tallying 42 rushing yards and two touchdowns while avoiding taking a single sack.
While Georgia kept Simpson on his toes, it has struggled to generate consistent pressure all year. The veteran Chambliss is one of the trickiest quarterbacks to corral and enters the rematch with 11 total touchdowns in his last four games. He played the best of his career at Ferris State in the FCS Playoffs and looks to be in similar form hunting for a title at the next level.
De'Zhaun Stribling, Harrison Wallace III rip off 50-yards TDs
Chambliss is not the best deep-ball passer in the College Football Playoffs, but Ole Miss needs to open up its passing attack against Georgia. The Bulldogs' secondary has been burned deep in practically every game it has struggled in thus far, giving the Rebels' fast-paced attack an exploitable opportunity.
Ole Miss' offense is not predicated on a singular dominant pass-catcher, but rather spread out across the board. Senior Harrison Wallace III leads the team with 738 receiving yards, while two other receivers — De'Zhaun Stribling and Deuce Alexander — are both over 600 yards on the year.
The last time these teams met, Stribling burned star cornerback Daylen Everette to take a short catch down the far sideline for a 75-yard touchdown. The fifth-year senior nearly broke a few others for big plays, while Chambliss hit Deuce Alexander and Winston Watkins for a pair of other chunk plays.
Georgia's defense relies on a lot of aggressive man-to-man coverage schemes, which have come back to bite them on multiple occasions. The Bulldogs are disciplined up front but beatable on the outside and down the field. Expect offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. to have a few more tricks up his sleeve, much like he did in the Rebels' last rematch against Tulane.
Stribling has come on strong late in the year, while Wallace has been the big-play threat all season. Both players are bound to have success against a Georgia defense that has struggled against speed all year.
With star running back Kewan Lacy banged up heading into the Sugar Bowl, Ole Miss desperately needs its other playmakers to step up. This matchup is the best the Rebels' pass-catching corps will face for the remainder of the College Football Playoffs.
Ole Miss shuts down Gunner Stockton
Georgia loves to get its run game going more than anything, which has not made Gunner Stockton work too hard in 2025. The 21-year-old was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, but his 2,691 passing yards were just ninth in the SEC.
Stockton enters the game with fewer than 200 passing yards in his last three games. He was not asked to do much against Charlotte or Alabama, but Stockton managed just 70 passing yards against a Georgia Tech defense that ranked in the bottom half of the ACC.
While Ole Miss is not often lauded for its defense, its 192.1 passing yards per game allowed in the regular season ranked 16th in the Power Four. Although they just allowed 306 passing yards to Jake Retzlaff, he was only one of three quarterbacks to surpass 250 yards against the Rebels all year. Retzlaff was held to a season-low 56 passing yards in his first game against Pete Golding's defense.
Stockton was another one of the three quarterbacks to have resounding success against Ole Miss, throwing for 289 passing yards against the Rebels in October. That performance was the second-best of his career, only bested by a 304-yard game against Tennessee in Week 3.
It was not evident against Tulane, but Ole Miss has a newfound defensive focus with Golding taking over for Kiffin. Expect Golding to throw in a few new looks for Stockton as Georgia attempts to get its run game going early.
