The first Ole Miss College Football Playoff game looked like what has come to be expected from this Rebels offense with plenty of points and Trinidad Chambliss making plays with his arm and his legs.
What was missing was Lane Kiffin on the sideline wearing a headset and holding a laminated playsheet after he left to become LSU’s coach.
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Georgia football coach Kirby Smart downplayed the impact of the coaching change on the offense ahead of the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl.
“The offensive coordinator and the staff is still all there,” Smart said. “So, I mean, they’re not going to make overhauls or make large changes, right? They got something that really works well. They got a really high-powered, explosive, great wideout, really good tight end, one of the best backs in the country, arguably the quarterback that may be playing the best in the country, in terms of his ability to make throws in all areas.”
Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr and much of Ole Miss’ offensive staff are joining Kiffin in Baton Rouge but still coaching the Rebels for their playoff run. Kiffin on Saturday’s ESPN broadcast of the Texas Bowl between LSU and Houston broadcast likened it to when Smart and assistant Mel Tucker juggled two jobs when they came to Georgia from Alabama at the end of the 2015 season.
“I had zero concern with Charlie Weis calling this game for this one reason,” said new Ole Miss coach Pete Golding .”Charlie Weis could not afford not to call a hell of a game, all right? All he’s heard his whole life: Lane Kiffin’s offense, Lane Kiffin’s offense, Lane Kiffin’s offense. This is his one opportunity for people to realize Charlie, Charlie Weis, calls the offense, just like he’s done all year, and he did a great job of it tonight.”
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Still, for a Sugar Bowl designated press conference on campus for the offense on Sunday, quarterbacks coach Joe Judge answered questions instead of Weis.
How Ole Miss’ offense may be impacted by star running back Kewan Lacy sustaining a shoulder injury in the CFP first-round 41-10 rout of Tulane remains to be seen.
“They’re playing at a really high level offensively, and, I mean, Lane has something to do with that because he helped build it and get them there,” Smart said, “but Charlie’s done a tremendous job calling the plays and doing those things.”
Georgia vs. Ole Miss prediction in Sugar Bowl
Kirby Smart’s 4-0 record in rematches is not something to dismiss. The matchups are largely the same and the teams that played 10 weeks and 5 days ago have grown. Georgia, in particular, is a much better team defensively. Ole Miss gave the Bulldogs all they could handle until the fourth quarter of the first game in a 43-35 Georgia win.
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Georgia had 510 yards of total offense in the first game.
“Man, we just got to go play our best game,” Rebels defensive lineman Will Echoles said. “We got to tackle better. We got to do everything better, you know. The Georgia game, it was — I mean, it was a bad game for the defense, like, I mean, period. We got to play better, and we’re going to play better come January 1st.”
Georgia vs. Ole Miss scouting report in Sugar Bowl
Why Georgia has an advantage: During Georgia’s nine-game winning streak, the Bulldogs are playing complementary football with a defense keeping opponents out of the end zone, an offense playing efficiently and minimizing turnovers and special teams making big plays. There’s no reason to think that formula won’t continue in the CFP. The loss in the Sugar Bowl last year may also provide an extra dose of motivation for those that saw the season end abruptly.
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Why Ole Miss has an advantage: The first-round playoff blowout could have been more than simply an overmatched opponent. It could have been a sign of a team rallying from the chaos of Kiffin’s exit. Golding has kept this team together and he has an offense with playmakers that can stress this Bulldog defense more than most have been able to. Trinidad Chambliss and Gunner Stockton finished in the top 10 of the Heisman voting. If Chambliss is the better quarterback in this game, the Rebels chances of winning go up.
Georgia vs. Ole Miss score prediction
Georgia 34, Ole Miss 21
Four bold predictions for Georgia football vs. Ole Miss
Zachariah Branch will find the end zone
This may not seem like the boldest prediction because the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Branch scored a receiving touchdown in the last two games and three of the last five. The USC transfer had a team-leading 8 catches for 71 yards against the Rebels in the last game in Athens. Branch can be hard to tackle in the open field. Golding said the Rebels had double digit missed tackles on defense in the first game. Branch is fed in the short passing game. He has 586 of his 744 yards after the catch and a team-leading 17 missed tackles forced, per PFF.
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Trinidad Chambliss will shine for the Rebels
Georgia’s defense has been hard to run against. The Bulldogs did a good job corralling Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King in this year’s matchup between the rivals, but the Ole Miss quarterback will put up similar numbers than he did in the first meeting when he rushed for 42 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 carries. He’s coming off rushing for 36 yards and 2 touchdowns against Tulane. Chambliss has 19 touchdown passes to just 3 interceptions this season and only Diego Pavia in the SEC has a better passing efficiency rating.
“I mean, the guy’s elite,” Smart said. “He’s elite the last time we played him. He’s just as elite or more elite now because he’s gotten more experience and more confidence.”
Ellis Robinson will provide sticky coverage
One big reason for Georgia’s defensive surge in the second half of the season is the development of former five-star cornerback Ellis Robinson. The redshirt freshman was called for two pass interference penalties on the same touchdown drive for Ole Miss in the first game. He’s not been called for a penalty again this season, according to PFF data. Robinson has two of his team-leading four interceptions in the last three games. Robinson has given up one catch on six targets over the last three games.
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Mike Bobo will dial up a big play to an under the radar Bulldog
Seldom-used running back Roderick Robinson lined up as a fullback and scored on a 1-yard touchdown in the SEC Championship win over Alabama. The Bulldogs will scheme up a big play to another player who isn’t a focal point of the offense. Look for big tight end Elyiss Williams or freshmen wide receivers Talyn Taylor or Landon Roldan to make a splash play. Or how about Dillon Bell — who threw an incomplete pass this season and had an 18-yard touchdown pass in 2023 — taking a handoff and completing a pass on a gadget play?
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia vs. Ole Miss predictions: What Bulldogs must do to win Sugar Bowl
