No one picked either Ole Miss or Miami to be in the final four of the playoffs before the 2025 season began. Yet, here we are. Two teams that have crafted their own stories through hardships, proving naysayers wrong at every step. But only one goes through and has a chance at the national title. Former Heisman winner Mark Ingram II has his pick for the Fiesta Bowl.

“This [Rebels defense, they’ve been giving up a lot of points all year long,” he said in the December 5 episode of The Triple Option podcast. “So, I think that is the difference in this game. Yes, Ole Miss, they could play great on offense. But defensively, I feel like that’s their Achilles heel. And that’s where Carson Beck and this offense will be able to capitalize and take advantage.

And I think that’ll essentially be the difference in this game. Miami has a championship-caliber defense. Ole Miss does not have a championship defense.”

Miami’s defensive line is easily one of the best in the country, and in fact, is the one unit that brought down the defending champions, Ohio State. The Hurricanes are giving up only 285.1 yards per game and will meet their strength in Ole Miss and its ultra-electric offense. Trinidad Chambliss is the better quarterback in this matchup. But he is not the one who will have the easier defense to face. Carson Beck has cruised past safely this long but can now take advantage of a defense that’s been weak all season.

Ole Miss ranks 26th in pass blocking, which means Beck and the receivers will face some pressure. Miami needs to establish a rushing attack strong enough to dismantle the Ole Miss defense, as this is where it has been struggling. The Rebels rank 65th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game with 140.67 yards. They’ve also allowed multiple rushing touchdowns in six games this season.

Miami doesn’t have runners as prolific as Ole Miss’. But Mark Fletcher Jr., CharMar Brown, and Girard Pringle Jr. will still be a threat. The Hurricanes’ O-line gave up 10 tackles for loss and 4 sacks in the playoffs. However, the Rebels’ defense struggles to get to the QB, bringing in only 2.07 sacks per game. Miami is also stronger in third-down offense, which is another area of concern for the Rebels’ defense.

On the other hand, if you look at the Miami defense, they are coming off wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State. The Aggies had a mobile quarterback in Marcel Reed, and he didn’t get going against the Canes. The same happened with Julian Sayin. Is Chambliss different than both? In some aspects, yes. But Miami has figured it out all season long, and this will be another challenge they’ll cherish.

Michael Irvin urged the Miami offense to play a bigger role

Miami’s alumni have watched Mario Cristobal always reach the precipice of true success before it all goes away. This time, UM has higher stakes entering this high-octane clash. The defense will show up, as it has been. The responsibility now shifts to the Hurricane offense to perform similarly. Miami icon Michael Irvin emphasized this as a key factor that will make the difference.

“I think Miami and Ole Miss, this is going to put Miami in a quiz place or a testing place, where they have to make sure they get that offense going,” he said on his channel on January 3.

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“Ole Miss is going to give us a tough one right now because Ole Miss is going to score some points, and we’re going, Miami’s going to have to score some points.”

Miami has to match Ole Miss’s pace to keep the battle ongoing. Chambliss has been unstoppable all season, while Carson Beck hasn’t. This offense has seen some lows but went down with a close fight when it did. This is the game where Miami has to roll out its best offense and try to match up with what Ole Miss does with its trump card.

Georgia nearly pulled it off against Ole Miss, taking advantage of a weak defense. The Bulldogs were physical, but offensive mistakes and bad strategy gave Ole Miss the win. The same team gashed the Rebels’ defense for 43 points in the regular season and was able to put 34 points against it in the quarterfinals. Ole Miss is an explosive team, but it can be outsmarted with a balanced show of power from Miami.