College football’s semifinal action kicks off Thursday in Glendale, Arizona. Mario Cristobal has the Miami Hurricanes on the precipice of their first national championship appearance in 24 years. Meanwhile, the SEC’s lone remaining representative finds itself in a position it has never been in before. As Last Word offers up its Fiesta Bowl prediction, it will come down to which of the contrasting strengths of these two teams will succeed.<\/p>\n
Just like we all thought, Ole Miss would be the last SEC team standing in the playoffs. Indiana is rightfully getting plenty of attention for the turnaround Curt Cignetti has delivered. The program had only two nine-win seasons \u2014 its highs at the time \u2014 in the 125 seasons before Cignetti arrived. But let’s not overlook the history of futility the Rebels have overcome. Before this year, Ole Miss had only won more than ten games once in their 120-year history, going 11-2 in 2023. Even more so, the program had never won more than nine regular-season games before the arrival of Lane Kiffin. Speaking of the most Kardashian-type figure in the sport, Kiffin’s spurning of Ole Miss Rebels for rival LSU has left defensive coordinator Pete Golding guiding this team through its playoff run.<\/p>\n
While Kiffin’s bona fides as an in\u2011game play caller are warranted, this team has seemingly rallied around the departure of their former head coach. The shift in leadership has sparked a noticeable edge. During the regular season, Ole Miss boasted one of the best offenses in the nation. The Rebels ranked in the top 10 in both total offense and scoring. That balance made them one of the most dangerous units in college football. But in their two playoff games, the offense has hit a new gear.<\/p>\n
Most recently, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss<\/a> put on his Superman cape against Georgia’s defense. If we made a quarterback cocktail of Johnny Manziel<\/a>, Baker Mayfield<\/a>, and Vince Young<\/a>, that is what the Rebels served up to Kirby Smart’s Dawgs as he led them to a thrilling 39-34 Sugar Bowl victory<\/a>. As great as Chambliss and this offense have been, it is going to take their best performance of the season to play for a national championship.<\/p>\n That’s because Ole Miss is facing the best defensive front they have seen all season. Miami has won two playoff games in the exact same fashion. Powered by two All-Americans on the front, Reuben Bain<\/a> and Akheem Mesidor<\/a> have almost single-handedly blown up Texas A&M and Ohio State’s offenses. These two have combined for 7.5 sacks in two Playoff games. But the rest of the defense has found a new gear as well. The Hurricanes\u2019 defense has totaled 12 sacks in those same games. Consistent pressure through the last eight quarters of football has limited those teams to just 14 total points in two games. After grounding a creative playmaker SEC quarterback in the first round, the defense held Ohio State’s running game to just 45 rushing yards and added a defensive touchdown in a 24-14 Cotton Bowl win<\/a>.<\/p>\n With a defense essentially pitching a shutout for two straight games, quarterback Carson Beck<\/a> has not been asked to do much. The Hurricanes have utilized an ultra-conservative offensive approach in their first two playoff games. In addition to a slower tempo on offense, Miami has had a breakout star in running back Mark Fletcher Jr<\/a>. The junior has accumulated 287 all-purpose yards in the two playoff wins.<\/p>\n Fletcher Jr. could continue to find success against a Rebels defense prone to giving up success on the ground as long as Miami stays committed to the running game. There is one major weakness that hasn’t shown up yet. In the playoffs, Beck has done a great job protecting the ball. However, if Beck starts throwing interceptions, the defense might not be able to save them. He threw six interceptions in their two losses this year. In their 12 wins, Miami has only turned it over a combined seven times (fumbles included).<\/p>\nChallenging Miami Fronts<\/h3>\n
Fiesta Bowl Prediction<\/h3>\n