Ole Miss vs Georgia Free Pick, CFB Free Picks, CFB Predictions 1/1/26
- J.A. Cavalier
- Jan 1
- 4 min read
OLE MISS vs. GEORGIA (UGA -6.5, 55.5)
CFB ODDS, CFB PREDICTIONS, CFB PREVIEWS
REBELS @ BULLDOGS 1/1/26
In its first College Football Playoff rematch of a regular-season game, Ole Miss performed admirably. However, when the No. 6 Rebels play No. 3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl tonight in New Orleans in the CFP quarterfinals, the circumstances are drastically different.
In a first-round match on December 20 in Oxford, Mississippi, Ole Miss (12-1), which had beaten Tulane 45-10 on September 20, easily defeated the No. 11 Green Wave 41-10. However, the Rebels are aiming for a different result this time around as they play the Bulldogs (12-1).
In Athens, Georgia defeated Ole Miss 43-35 on October 18, but in the more than nine weeks since then, a number of noteworthy events have occurred. When Lane Kiffin left to take a position as head coach at LSU at the end of the regular season, Pete Golding was elevated from defensive coordinator to head coach at Ole Miss.
In that first meeting with Georgia, the Bulldogs never punted. In the fourth quarter, Ole Miss was outscored 17-0 despite leading 35-26. For the game, the Rebels were also outgained 510-351.
"I think the biggest thing versus these guys is you've got to contest every play," Golding stated. "We can't give them free things, whether it's a lack of communication, whether it's a missed tackle."
This bunch is led by Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who rushed for 42 yards and two scores in the first match and passed for 263 yards and a touchdown.
However, given that Ole Miss only managed 88 yards on the ground in the first game, Golding stated that the Rebels will need to run the ball more effectively overall. Despite just having 31 yards in the first encounter, Kewan Lacy, who has 1,366 rushing yards for the season and a school record 21 rushing touchdowns, did score twice. After suffering a shoulder injury in the third quarter, Lacy left the game against Tulane. Ole Miss is optimistic that he will be able to start on Thursday.
In anticipation of the rematch, Georgia coach Kirby Smart declared the first game to be pointless.
"I don't think either team is exactly the same," Smart stated. "Both teams have made some progress. There will also be new creases on everyone. You spend this time doing that.
Ole Miss has won six straight games since the loss. After losing to Alabama 24-21 at home on September 27, the Bulldogs have won nine straight games.
"We didn't really get tested until the road game at Tennessee (a 44-41 win in the third game of the season)," Smart stated. "And then as the season evolved and we're playing high-level opponents, we were stopping the run pretty well, and we were running the ball pretty well."
Gunner Stockton, a dangerous dual-threat quarterback for Georgia, ran for 59 yards and a touchdown in the first encounter and completed 26 of 31 throws for 289 yards and four touchdowns.
In the fourth quarter against the Rebels, Ole Miss did not score. Smart is happy with how his defense has changed during the season. Since defeating Ole Miss, the Bulldogs have only given up 70 points in six games.
A loss to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl twelve months ago marked Stockton's first career start and fueled the quarterback's passion throughout the offseason. He said that he doesn't handle defeat well when he arrived in New Orleans for the playoff game.
Mike Bobo, the offensive coordinator for Georgia, remarked, "I know he's got a bad taste in his mouth about our first opportunity in the playoffs last year," regarding his quarterback. "I know it was his first start, but he wants to go out, like our whole football team, and play well in this game and give ourselves a chance to win a ball game."
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TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS OVER 284.5 PASSING + RUSHING YARDS
Chambliss has been outstanding all season long. He has gone Over this prop in 9 of 13 games this season. That includes the last four straight in which he’s totaled at least 311 passing and rushing yards. Chambliss threw for 263 yards and ran for 42 more in the regular season meeting against Georgia. Then, he followed that up with a 368-yard performance against Oklahoma, another elite defense like Georgia’s.
