Nick Saban Reveals Advice Given to Pete Golding Ahead of Ole Miss Football vs. Tulane

No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 SEC) will square off against the Tulane Green Wave on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in the program's College Football Playoff debut.

In what will be a sold out crowd in Oxford, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding will take the sidelines as the new shot-caller of the Rebels for the first time following Lane Kiffin's departure on Nov. 30.

For Golding, it's business as usual with Ole Miss looking to chip away to defeat the Green Wave for the second time this season in the Magnolia State.

“I think we owe this to the team, to the fans, to the university to have blinders on right now. I know what it takes to win football games," Golding said this week.

"I know what it takes to be successful on defense and it’s hard work and you got to do it better than anybody else and you got to be willing to do things that they’re not. I think when you start getting caught up in moments and start taking pictures and do all that, you’re focus is on the wrong thing.”

But Golding has received advice from college football icon Nick Saban prior to Saturday's kickoff.

The new decision-maker of the Rebels has developed a tight-knit relationship with Saban after being on his staff years ago - now making his head coaching debut where the stakes couldn't be higher.

“I think the best thing for this team is to get back on the field and play,” Saban said on College GameDay. “And I think one question you have is, yeah, they got the offensive coaches back, but how focused are they going to be on what they need to do?

"I think they will do a good job in that regard. And then Pete Golding, you know, first time head coach, when I was a first time head coach like at Michigan State, when you run out the tunnel, you think everybody is looking at you and judging you.

“Pete’s been texting me, and I say, ‘Pete, just focus on what you got to do to coach your team, focus on what’s happening on the field. That’s going to be the most important thing for you, to help your players be successful and for your team to play well and then get judged after that. Don’t worry about what people are thinking.’”

Ole Miss and Tulane will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with both programs making their College Football Playoff debuts.

More Ole Miss News:

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ESPN Predicts Outcome of Ole Miss Football vs. Tulane Green Wave in CFP Showdown

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