Just two games separate the Miami Hurricanes and Ole Miss Rebels from a national championship. Thursday brings the College Football Playoff semifinal, taking place in Glendale, AZ, for another edition of the Fiesta Bowl. While we have already seen this matchup this season, the stakes are at a completely different level.
Both teams are dealing with some injuries heading into the contest. Monday brought the first injury report, as designated by the College Football Playoff. A few names pop up for Miami and Ole Miss, which you can check out here.
Miami Hurricanes
OUT
LB Malik Bryant
WR Daylyn Upshaw
QUESTIONABLE
DB Damari Brown
DL Cole McConathy II
DL Ahmad Moten Sr.
PROBABLE
Ole Miss Rebels
OUT
CB Cedrick Beavers
LB Raymond Collins
OL John Wayne Oliver
QUESTIONABLE
DL Kam Franklin
PROBABLE
TE Caleb Odom
RB Kewan Lacy
TE Dae’Quan Wright
WR Cayden Lee
CB Dante Core
Ole Miss will walk into State Farm Stadium as arguably the hottest team remaining in the 12-team field. It’s been an unusual circumstance for the Rebels in recent weeks, not letting any of the outside noise affect their play. Pete Golding is now 2-0 in his life as a head coach, taking down Tulane in the first round and Georgia at the quarterfinal stage, winning the Sugar Bowl.
Miami has also played in two CFP games due to an at-large bid. A tougher task was handed to them in the first round, going to Kyle Field to upset Texas A&M. Ohio State was the reward on the other side in Arlington, TX, one Mario Cristobal certainly gave a lot of credit to his defense.
Kickoff from the Fiesta Bowl is scheduled for around 7:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. local time. Neither team has ever gotten this far in the College Football Playoff era. One more win sends them to Hard Rock Stadium for the national championship on Jan. 19.
Josh Pate makes Fiesta Bowl prediction between Miami, Ole Miss
As he normally does, Josh Pate provided a prediction for the upcoming Fiesta Bowl. Unlike the Peach Bowl on Friday, this is the first matchup of the year between Miami and Ole Miss. Pate spent time focusing on the two quarterbacks, ultimately giving the edge to UM.
“I think Miami’s going to win the game,” Pate said. “I think they’re going to win it by seven or more. I am diametrically opposed to the model here. Because what I think is going to happen is a little blend of both worlds for Miami. They are going to have a two-way edge on the line of scrimmage. They are going to get theirs on the ground. Carson Beck is going to have a good decision-making type game. Going to be a really hard-hitting type game.
“But I also don’t think that Trinidad Chambliss — and I’ve just got to go on basic instinct here — I don’t think you’re going to have a copy/paste of the magic we saw last game. If we do, and that’s the way they win this game, just like I said about Georgia, you just tip your cap to them. I think that stuff’s really transcendent. I mean I think that’s generational type stuff for a school. And to get two of those performances in a row? I will be proven wrong by it happening, rather than expecting it to happen. So I’m going to take Miami to win. I’m going to take Miami to cover.”