Ole Miss is looking to take the next step toward a College Football Playoff national championship when it faces Georgia in their quarterfinal matchup at the Sugar Bowl, and they are borrowing transportation from an organization that knows something about winning championships.

The New England Patriots let the Rebels use their team plane ahead of Thursday’s Sugar Bowl in New Orleans:

While it might seem like an unusual development at first glance, there are some connections between the Patriots and Ole Miss.

Charlie Weis Jr. is serving as the Rebels’ offensive coordinator before joining Lane Kiffin at LSU, while Joe Judge is the team’s quarterbacks coach. Weiss’ father was the offensive coordinator for the Patriots from 2000 through 2004, while Judge was on the AFC East team’s staff from 2012 through 2019 and again in 2022 and 2023.

Weis Sr. and Judge each won three Super Bowls with New England.

It should be noted the Patriots ranked just 31st of 32 teams in the team travel category of the 2025 NFL Players Association report card with the plane listed as an area of concern.

“Players want an upgraded team plane,” the report card read. “The current plane is too small, there is no Wi-Fi available, and there are seats with ashtrays in the armrests. Players specifically responded that ‘our plane is the worst thing—size, space, safety’—and ‘it is not conducive to preparedness for athletic performance.'”

Ole Miss is arriving at the Sugar Bowl with plenty of momentum on the field after a 41-10 blowout victory over Tulane in the CFP opening round. Even without Kiffin on the sidelines as the head coach, the Rebels seized immediate control and cruised as Trinidad Chambliss threw for 282 yards, ran for 36 and accounted for three touchdowns.

That performance earned a date with Georgia, which is the only team that defeated Ole Miss this season in a 43-35 offensive shootout in October.

The Rebels proved they can move the ball and score against the Bulldogs, but their defense will need a better performance if they are going to win the rematch with a spot in the semifinals waiting.

A trip to the semifinals would also mean a longer trip, as the Sugar Bowl winner will head to the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona to face the winner of the game between Ohio State and Miami in the next round.