The Early Buzz: Ole Miss Football vs. Miami Hurricanes in College Football Playoff

OXFORD, Miss – No. 6 Ole Miss (13-1, 7-1 SEC) looks to secure a spot in the national championship this Thursday as head coach Pete Golding and the Rebels will take on the No. 10 seed Miami in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff, at State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona.

The Hurricanes enter Thursday's matchup coming off of a 24-14 victory over the No. 2 seed Ohio State last Wednesday. Thursday's matchup will mark just the fourth all-time meeting between the two storied programs with the last coming in 1951, a 20-7 victory for the Hurricanes.

Miami leads the all time series over the Rebels with a record of 2-1-0. Check it out below, as well as information on where to watch the game.

How to Watch: Ole Miss vs. Miami

Date: Thursday, Jan 8, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: Glendale, Arizona
Site: State Farm Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com

Hurricane Scouting Report

The Hurricanes rode a four game win streak to end the 2025 regular season highlighted by a win over No. 22 Pittsburgh at the time. Miami propelled their way to their first College Football Playoff appearance because of their head-to-head victory in week one of the regular season over No. 6 Notre Dame.

Thus far in the playoffs, the Hurricanes have endured arguably the hardest run out of any remaining team, defeating No. 7 seed Texas A&M in the first round on the road and then took down the defending national champion, No. 2 seed Ohio State, in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl.The Hurricanes are a veteran group, lead by Georgia transfer quarterback Carson Beck and have been battle tested throughout the season.

The Rebels faced Beck in the 2024 season, a game in which the Rebels defense dominated, only forcing a turnover and only allowing Beck to throw for just 186 yards. The Ole Miss defense will look to replicate that performance come Thursday in order to punch their spot in their first national championship appearance since 1960, and their first appearance in the AP Poll era.

Three Players to Watch: Ole Miss

Trinidad Chambliss - Chambliss continued his stellar play we have seen all season during the quarterfinal matchup against the Bulldogs, throwing for a season-high 363 yards through the air. Look for the quarterback to try and replicate his performance in this matchup.

Harrison Wallace III - The transfer wide receiver from Penn State is coming off of a game where he recorded a career high 156 yards on nine receptions. Wallace is averaging 80.4 yards over his last five games and will look to continue to be a key piece of the Rebels offense moving forward.

Will Echoles - Echoles stepped up big in the Rebels victory over the Bulldogs last Thursday, recording five tackles including 2.0 tackles for loss. The sophomore is the x-factor on the Rebels defensive line and has a nose for the football, recording two pass deflections in the last matchup as well.

Three Players to Watch: Miami Hurricanes

Carson Beck - The Georgia transfer quarterback shined in his biggest win of his college career last Wednesday in his victory over the Buckeyes, completing 73 percent of his passes. While his numbers are slightly down from last season Beck is an experienced quarterback who the Rebels defense must be well prepared for.

Mark Fletcher Jr. - Fletcher is a running back capable of a big game any given day. In his first two playoff games, the junior running back has totaled 260 yards on the ground. The Rebels defense must limit Fletcher Jr.'s ability to get out in space in order to secure a victory.

Akheem Mesidor - The senior defensive lineman leads the way for the front four of the Hurricanes defense, recording a team-high 10.5 sacks on the year. In his last matchup against the Buckeyes Mesidor recorded five total tackles, two of which were sacks. The Ole Miss offensive line must win the line of scrimmage against this talented Miami defense.

More Ole Miss News:

Lane Kiffin Reacts to New Offensive Coordinator Being Hired By Ole Miss Football

Ole Miss Football QB Trinidad Chambliss Wins Major Award Amid Breakout Season

SEC Rival Emerging as Favorite to Land Ole Miss Football Quarterback Austin Simmons

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.