Ole Miss bracing for a better Tulane team in College Football Playoff opener

At first glance, Tulane's visit to Ole Miss for a first-round College Football Playoff game looks like a mismatch of a rematch. Circumstances have changed, however, since the Rebels routed the Green Wave, 45-10, back on Sept. 20. The 11th-seeded Green Wave (11-2) have evolved into a more cohesive squad and are coming off an American Conference title victory that propelled Tulane into the CFP for the first time. "This season is not over yet, and we don't plan for it to be over soon," Tulane linebacker Sam Howard said. "Everyone is doing their job so we can be in the best position to win this game." The Rebels (11-1) are in the midst of a coaching transition following the untimely departure of Lane Kiffin for rival LSU. When these teams last played, Ole Miss coach Pete Golding was the Rebels' defensive coordinator. A couple days after Mississippi beat Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, Golding was promoted to head coach while Kiffin was on a plane to Baton Rouge. When asked about the high-stakes rematch with Tulane, Golding suggested that "it's two completely different teams." "At this point we're playing a conference champion. You know, a team that beat the ACC champion (Duke) and a team that's playing at a really high level, that's really well coached," Golding said. "The offense is really jelling." Golding complimented the pay of Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff — a BYU transfer — who has accounted for 30 touchdowns (14 passing and 16 running). He mentioned the recent emergence of Tulane running back Jamauri McClure, who did not play in the first meeting but has averaged 6.8 yards per carry during the past four games. And Golding also noted that Tulane left tackle Derrick Graham, a Texas A&M transfer who missed the first meeting, is back in the lineup. "So, we know we got our hands full," Golding said. But so does Tulane, which allowed dynamic Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss to pass for 307 yards and run for 112 in Week 4. Odds makers have listed the Rebels — also making their CFP debut — as more than two-touchdown favorites. Tulane football has had many lean years, including a 2-10 season 2021. Only since then has it become one of the nation's best teams outside of the power conferences. Tulane's stunning Cotton Bowl victory over Southern California at the end of the 2022 season has been the highlight of the Wave's resurgence. A victory at Ole Miss arguably would top that. "We didn't come this far just to get a participation trophy," Tulane defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato said. "We know at the end of this game we are going to be a part of history, one way or the other." Double duty Golding and Tulane coach Jon Sumrall both commented on how little sleep they've gotten lately — albeit for different reasons. Sumrall is working two jobs, having been hired to coach Florida next season, but also having been permitted — unlike Kiffin — to finish out the postseason with the Green Wave. "At times, it's been really hard," Sumrall said. Not only has Golding been preparing for his game as a head coach during the high-stakes CFP, but also has had to work on player retention and filling vacancies on the offensive staff created by Kiffin's departure. While offensive assistants who've committed to follow Kiffin to LSU have been permitted to return to Ole Miss during the playoff, Golding has been trying to hire 2026 assistants as quickly as possible so players could have certainty about next season's staff before deciding whether to transfer. Golding, 41, said his past couple weeks have been characterized by "probably the least amount of sleep" he's gotten since a trip to Las Vegas in 2007, when he was in his early 20s. Golding added that he hasn't even had time to reflect on the personal significance of his sudden promotion. "When you start getting caught up in moments and start taking pictures and do all that, your focus is on the wrong thing," Golding said. Not 'chasing ghosts' The Rebels ranked third nationally in the top-tier Football Bowl Subdivision in yards (498.1 per game) and 11th in scoring (37.3 per game) this season. While Golding and Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss might manage games differently from how Kiffin would, Tulane's defense is expecting the Rebels' offensive scheme and deployment of personnel to remain largely unchanged. "We're not going to chase ghosts," Gasparato said. "I don't think they are going to add a bunch of different schemes and plays." Ground game Each team will be confident in its ability to run the football. Both field formidable running backs and running QBs. Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy has rushed for 1,279 yards and set an school record with 20 TDs this season. Chambliss, meanwhile, rushed for 470 yards and six TDs Retzlaff is Tulane's leading rusher with 610 yards, partly because the Green Wave rotated through a number of running backs before settling recently on McClure, who has 456 yards rushing on 68 carries — almost all of that in the past four games. "Jamauri's such a talented athlete," Sumrall said. "There's always been that flash, like ... this guy's got a chance to be really good, but the consistency was not there. He's invested in his preparation and his craft and become a more serious-minded guy." Lacy ran for two TDs against Tulane in September but was held to 68 yards, his fourth-lowest rushing total this season. "They're still a physical, good team," Lacy said. "I just have to have the right mindset this time around — go out there and be dominant."