Ole Miss, Miami meet with high stakes at Fiesta Bowl

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Miami barged into the College Football Playoff like a hurricane, a stifling defense and steady quarterback rekindling the magic of 2001. Mississippi has been excelling since its coach left for another program, an athletic and acrobatic quarterback taking the Rebels to heights not seen since the 1960s. The Fiesta Bowl will be a playoff game like no other, the sixth-seeded Rebels facing the 10th-seeded Hurricanes in the desert, a spot in the national championship game on the line. "Seeing the way things played out just goes to show you that college football has become a lot like the NFL, that on any given day, any given team at any level, if you're not at your very best, you can get beat," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. Miami and Ole Miss were left out of the playoffs a year ago, but got in this year — with a bit of consternation. For the Hurricanes (12-2), the question was whether they should have been in the 12-team field at all. Miami didn't play in the ACC title game, but got the nod over champion Duke based on its resume and CFP rankings. The Hurricanes proved they belong with a pair of impressive wins, shutting down No. 7 Texas A&M 10-3 in the opening round, then pulling off one of the biggest upsets in CFP history by taking down No. 2 Ohio State 24-14. That puts Miami within reach of its first national title since 2001. "The confidence that the coaches have and the players and vice versa has shown up more and more on the field," Cristobal. "I think when that happens, then you feel energy, but really, we haven't strayed from our original blueprint." The Rebels (13-1) have stuck to their game plan despite the uncertainty over coach Lane Kiffin's future and his eventual decision to leave for LSU. Behind what's-he-going-to-do-next quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss closed the regular season with five straight wins, including a decisive win over rival Mississippi State while Kiffin was deciding what to do. Even after their coach left, the Rebels kept charging, blowing out Tulane in the opening round and outlasting No. 3 seed Georgia 39-34 in the CFP quarterfinals. Ole Miss claims one national title recognized by the NCAA, in 1960. "They don't flinch," said Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, the team's defensive coordinator before being elevated upon Kiffin's departure. "There's a grit and toughness about this group to where regardless of the talent level, regardless of what happens... there's not a panic." About that D The addition of former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has been a huge reason for Miami's run. So has its defense. With first-year coordinator Corey Hetherman calling the shots, the Hurricanes went from porous to nearly impenetrable is a very short time. Miami this season gave up its fewest points since the 2001 national championship team, finishing fourth nationally at 13.07 per game. The Hurricanes have been even stingier in the CFP, holding Texas A&M and Ohio State to a combined 17 points. "They got dudes," Chambliss said. "They're a physical, high-motor defense." Coaching questions One of the questions Golding has repeatedly faced is whether the Ole Miss assistant coaches will remain with the team through the playoffs. Several assistants, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., are expected to join Kiffin at LSU, but so far they've stuck around to finish off the Rebels' season. "They have every opportunity, like they have up to this point, to be able to make that decision," Golding said. "Week in and week out, I don't dictate whether they do that or not. They are not employed by me. Up to this point, that's how it's been and that's my expectation."