The College Football Playoff meeting between Tulane and Ole Miss isn’t the first time the teams have met each other in 2025.
The Green Wave visited Oxford in September. It was an ugly loss. Will things be different in the first round of the playoff?
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No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss (3:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Tulane (11-2) earned its playoff spot by winning the American Conference, though it was blown out 45-10 by Ole Miss in Week 4. Tulane’s only other loss was another blowout at UTSA. Since then, the Green Wave has five straight wins.
Ole Miss (11-1) is making its first playoff appearance in program history despite losing head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU shortly after the regular season ended. His replacement is defensive coordinator Pete Golding while multiple offensive assistants who followed Kiffin to LSU will coach Ole Miss for the duration of the Rebels’ playoff run.
This game will feature two unlikely quarterback stories. Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff is the toast of New Orleans in his first season with the team after his ugly exit from BYU. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss is also a transfer. He arrived in Oxford from Division II Ferris State and took over as the team’s starter following Austin Simmons’ ankle injury in Week 2.
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The question is if Tulane be more competitive this time around. Tulane had just 282 yards on 78 plays in September as Ole Miss ran 69 plays for 548 yards.
Follow along below as the Yahoo Sports crew breaks down all of the action. Here’s how to watch Miami vs. Texas A&M and the rest of the College Football Playoff games.
Live22 updatesSat, December 20, 2025 at 12:19 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Nick Bromberg
Yes, Austin Simmons fumbled at the end of the first half, but he was 2-of-2 passing. Combine that with Trinidad Chambliss’ 13-of-16 performance, and the two QBs have thrown for 192 yards.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 2:19 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Ole Miss has the edge in total yardage, but not by a ton:
Stats
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 2:09 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Mississippi is in control, but a couple injuries to key players and a turnover in the final minute of the half have kept Tulane within reach.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 2:05 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Harvey Dyson knocked the ball out of Austin Simmons’ hand and Tulane falls on it at its own 15. Massive turnover for the Green Wave when Ole Miss was knocking on the door for another score.
Nick Bromberg
It could easily be 24-3 … instead Tulane is going to get away with just a 14-point halftime deficit after that fumble recovery.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 2:02 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Now it’s the the Ole Miss QB who appears to hurt himself on a scramble. He walked off the field on his own. Backup QB Austin Simmons enters the game.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 1:59 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
The star Ole Miss RB appeared to be favoring his left arm/shoulder area after he was tackled. He comes off the field and goes to the tent.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 1:56 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Ole Miss DE Princewill Umanmielen is involved in his second sack of the day to end Tulane’s drive quickly. The Rebels will get the ball back on the other side of the 2-minute warning.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 1:49 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Lucas Carneiro hits a 42-yard kick to get the Rebels back up by two TDs.
Ole Miss 17, Tulane 3
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 1:45 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
This has been a more methodical drive for the Rebels, but they have it inside the Tulane and are threatening to add to the lead.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 1:40 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
After a furious start, both defenses have locked in and we’ve traded a few punts back-and-forth in the 2nd quarter.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 1:22 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Patrick Durkin gets Tulane on the board with a 39-yard field goal.
Ole Miss 14, Tulane 3
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 1:18 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
The Green Wave forced a Ole Miss three and out, then immediately ripped off a 57-yard pass play to Shazz Preston. Tulane is in the red zone to start the 2nd quarter.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 1:10 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Tulane goes for it on 4th and 2 at the Ole Miss 47, but Jake Retzlaff’s pass falls incomplete. Ole Miss takes over.
Both of Tulane’s drives have advanced well into Ole Miss territory but resulted in no points.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 12:58 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
It’s another quick, easy scoring drive for the Rebels, this time capped off by QB Trinidad Chambliss’ 4-yard keeper. Couldn’t ask for a better start for Mississippi.
Ole Miss 14, Tulane 0
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 12:52 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Jaylon Braxton picks off Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff to end a promising drive for the Green Wave. Tulane was near the red zone before the turnover.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 12:43 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Wow, that was fast. The Rebels go 75 yards on 3 plays to open the game, and RB Kewan Lacy runs 20 yards right up the middle to the house.
Ole Miss 7, Tulane 0
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 12:41 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
Ole Miss receives the opening kick of this CFP matchup vs. Tulane.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 12:33 PM PST
Yahoo Sports Staff
As we approach kickoff in Oxford, Ole Miss fans are still clearly bitter about the way coach Lane Kiffing left to take the LSU job a few weeks ago.
Nick Bromberg
As Pete Golding coaches his first game in charge at Ole Miss, Jon Sumrall could be working his last at Tulane before heading to Florida.
Sumrall has been balancing two jobs in the buildup to the postseason and he’s got to figure out how his team can be more competitive this time around. Tulane had just 282 yards on 78 plays in September as Ole Miss ran 69 plays for 548 yards.
Tulane’s key is simple. They have to be better at the line of scrimmage to have a chance. While Lacy rushed for 68 yards, Chambliss rushed 14 times for 112 yards and the Rebels had 42 carries for 241 yards. If Tulane is getting blown off the ball, it’s hard to see how this game plays out any different.