Ole Miss achieved a dominant Egg Bowl victory, solidifying their claim for a College Football Playoff berth.,The team’s performance, particularly from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, showcased resilience amidst speculation surrounding coach Lane Kiffin’s future.Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has earned his place in bronze. The Rebels put the College Football Playoff selection committee on notice with a 38-19 shredding of rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, marking the most lopsided outcome of the Kiffin era. As Chambliss promised, the Rebels did not appear distracted, but rather determined.
Coach Lane Kiffin told reporters after the win, “What an awesome day.” Kiffin’s weeks-long flirtations with other jobs did not derail the Rebels’ quest for their first CFP bid. At 11-1, they have earned the right to host a first-round playoff game, regardless of who is coaching them.
Kiffin has done a remarkable job elevating the program, leading to his high demand. However, the notion that the CFP committee should consider deflating the Rebels’ seeding if Kiffin accepts the LSU job is absurd. CFP selection rules allow the committee to adjust a team’s seeding if a coach’s absence is “likely” to affect a team’s playoff performance. If LSU hires Kiffin, the Ole Miss administration must make a choice for the playoff: allow Kiffin to coach the postseason as he prepares to depart for an SEC rival, or appoint an interim coach.
Without concrete data points on how Ole Miss would perform without Kiffin, it’s difficult to justify seeding them lower than No. 7. The team has already overcome injuries, including to starting quarterback Austin Simmons. Chambliss, a Division II transfer, stepped in and supplied 385 yards of total offense in his Egg Bowl debut.
Kiffin expressed, “This gives me so much joy to see them doing something like this.” Ole Miss won five consecutive games under the cloud of speculation about Kiffin’s future. Aside from a fourth-quarter fizzling in a road loss to Georgia, nothing has fazed the Rebels.
The Egg Bowl itself was not without its typical drama. A kerfuffle broke out in the second quarter, and Kiffin criticized Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon for coming onto the field during the scrum. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Kiffin said on ABC, though he later acknowledged that Egg Bowl history is replete with unusual events.
Before the game, Kiffin alleged that bandits broke into the Ole Miss locker room and stole Chambliss’ No. 6 jersey. Despite the commotion, Chambliss, in a replacement uniform, threw for a season-high 359 yards and four touchdowns. “You can’t get a better story than Trinidad,” Kiffin said.
Chambliss, who played in the Division II playoffs just a year ago, has now inspired another playoff team. Amid the crescendo of questions about Kiffin’s future, Chambliss assured everyone to “chill” as the Rebels were prepared. This quarterback is special, and this season is special. No amount of coaching carousel drama should deny this team from hosting a playoff game in Oxford.
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