OXFORD, Miss. — College football loves nothing more than awkward reunions, temporary bosses and games that feel like therapy sessions disguised as kickoffs. Saturday night in Oxford checks every box.
Ole Miss hosts Tulane on Dec. 20, a postseason meeting layered with subplot and side-eye. Lane Kiffin is gone, headed down to LSU. Pete Golding now holds the whistle for the Rebels. Jon Sumrall, meanwhile, is Florida-bound but staying on the sideline to finish what he started with Tulane. Both teams insist the focus is football. Nobody outside the locker rooms believes that for a second.
Vegas sees this clearly: Ole Miss -17.5, total 56.5. Sagarin sees it clearly, too — Ole Miss 10th nationally (88.22), Tulane 45th (74.16). The numbers scream Rebels. The vibe says, “Welcome to December weirdness.”
After a total retool of these programs the past month, nobody truly knows what to expect here and that’s half of the fun.
A Game That Exists Because College Football Is College Football
These teams already met in September. Ole Miss won. Now they do it again, months later, in a completely different emotional climate. History says beating a good team twice is hard. Psychology says doing it after your head coach bolts is harder.
And yet.
Ole Miss enters this game angry, talented and eager to remind everyone that the logo still matters. Tulane enters with nothing to lose and everything to gain — which is usually how Group of Five teams end up making Power Four fans sweat into the third quarter.
Quarterbacks: New Faces, Old Problems
Ole Miss turns to Trinidad Chambliss, who began the season as the backup and now gets the keys in a game loaded with expectations. Chambliss doesn’t need to be spectacular. He needs to be functional, decisive and willing to let the system work. With Ole Miss’ offensive talent, “don’t mess it up” can still produce fireworks.
Tulane counters with Jake Retzlaff, the BYU transfer who brings experience, toughness and just enough unpredictability to keep defensive coordinators honest. Retzlaff isn’t flashy, but he’s comfortable managing games — and bowl games often reward quarterbacks who avoid panic more than those chasing highlights.
The Coaching Dynamic Nobody Wants to Admit Matters (But Does)
Pete Golding has been here before. He understands what it means to steady a program after turbulence. Expect Ole Miss to look structured, aggressive early and eager to hit something. Teams playing with emotional edge often blitz early and ask questions later.
Jon Sumrall, meanwhile, remains one of the most respected coaches in the profession for a reason. He’s Florida-bound, yes, but not mentally checked out. Expect Tulane to be disciplined, prepared and annoyingly resilient — exactly the profile of a team built to cover big numbers.
The Trench Reality
Ole Miss owns the edge up front. That’s not opinion — that’s roster math. The Rebels’ depth and athleticism on both lines create matchup problems Tulane can’t fully solve for four quarters. This is where the game likely flips after halftime.
Tulane will have moments. It will move the ball. It will score. What it won’t do consistently is survive Ole Miss’ second-half tempo when fatigue creeps in and the playbook opens.
Numbers That Shape the Night
- Sagarin: Ole Miss +14.06 on a neutral field, 17.23 at home.
- Vegas: Ole Miss -17.5, total 56.5
- Quarterback context: A rematch of September
- Motivation factor: Ole Miss plays with edge; Tulane plays free
All signs point to the same outcome: competitive early, separation late.
What This Game Really Is
For Ole Miss, this is a palate cleanser. A chance to show the locker room didn’t leave with Lane Kiffin. A chance to play fast, hit hard and remind everyone that Oxford still matters.
For Tulane, it’s a measuring stick — another opportunity to prove the Green Wave belong on the same field, even when the talent gap says otherwise.
Both things can be true at once.
Final Call
Tulane will hang around. It always does. Ole Miss will eventually lean on depth, speed and frustration-fueled urgency.
Prediction: Ole Miss 34, Tulane 20.
The Rebels win. The Green Wave covers. Everyone walks away feeling like the score didn’t quite tell the story — which is exactly how games like this are supposed to feel in December.
And college football, bless it, wouldn’t have it any other way.
Check Out All EasySportz College Football Content Here!
College Football Viewing Guide
