The U Is Back..: Miami Closer To Reclaiming Spot, As Ole Miss’ Resilient Journey Finds Its Final Chapter

ATLANTA- Two teams, fighting two different narratives on Thursday night in the CFP semifinals, put on a show that will be talked about for years to come. Now, not only are the Miami Hurricanes headed home, but they will be playing for a national championship. For Ole Miss, an unforgettable season came to an end in Arizona. 

We have discussed the mental fortitude of these two teams for nearly two months, wondering whether Ole Miss could rally after their head coach bolted for a rival school, while Miami fought for their spot back in the relevance of college football lore. 

We questioned when Miami could finally put an exclamation point on the ‘U Is Back’ phrase that is thrown around every time the Hurricanes have a resemblance to a team that could contend for a national title. 

Sitting inside a hotel lobby on Thursday night in Atlanta, surrounded by Indiana fans waiting to watch their team hopefully clinch the second CFP title game spot, many of the folks wearing crimson were cheering on the underdog Rebels. 

"I don't know how I'd react if it was our team, but I imagine I'd be pretty pissed off as well," one Hoosiers' fan mentioned to OutKick. "You feel for those Ole Miss players. But that Miami team looks to be on a mission. Hopefully we get a chance to beat them in their own stadium, god willing."

Hoosiers Set The Tone: Indiana Beats Oregon On Atlanta Interstates, As CFP Semifinal Looms

In the midst of Ole Miss once again putting together a furious fourth quarter rally that looked a lot like what we witnessed last week against Georgia, Miami quarterback Carson Beck did not flinch when given the ball with just over two minutes remaining in the game. 

"We got three minutes for the rest of our lives, no sh-t else matters," Carson Beck said postgame about the moments before the final drive. "Nothing else matters, we got three minutes to go do this thing for everything we've worked for since January. All the adversity we've faced, all comes down to three minutes in the semifinals."

In some ways, you couldn't make this entire saga up, for both teams. For all the talk about the Miami defense being able to finish, dropping four potential interceptions nearly cost them mightily when Trinidad Chambliss connected with Dae’Quan Wright for the touchdown with 3:14 remaining to give the Rebels a lead. 

If you wanted a show, both teams provided the fireworks during a fourth quarter that saw four different lead changes and 25 total points scored. 

There will obviously be plenty of conversations around whether this Miami offense can keep up with the likes of Indiana or Oregon, but we've got ten days until the title game for those discussions. 

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 08: Carson Beck #11 of the Miami Hurricanes scores a touchdown against the Ole Miss Rebels in the fourth quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 08, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona.  (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Thursday night was about two teams trying to write one final chapter before the grand finale. Remember how much we doubted Miami after losing their second game of the season, coming at the hands of SMU? How about the talk of whether Mario Cristobal was a good enough coach to actually turn this Miami football program into a monster again? 

We all watched the CFP committee come up with nauseating ‘talking points’ over a four-week span trying to confirm their thoughts about Notre Dame positioning themselves for a spot in the playoff. Now, none of that matters for at least another ten days. 

The Story Of 2025 Ole Miss Rebels Has Come To An End

As the confetti fell down across the Fiesta Bowl field, Ole Miss players exchanged hugs, while Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy held onto each other as they walked to the locker room. 

A program record thirteen wins on the season, Ole Miss captured the hearts of college football fans for all the wrong reasons for where we are at as a sport. While the Rebels fought their tails off over the entire season, it will be the final two months that are remembered the most. 

"Why Not Us?": Ole Miss Turns Lane Kiffin Saga Into Fuel For Historic College Football Playoff Story

When Lane Kiffin decided he had a better opportunity to win a future national championship at LSU compared to potentially winning one this season at Ole Miss, the narrative around this team changed. The ‘Why Not Us?’ slogan reverberated around campus in Oxford, but most importantly inside the Manning facility on the Rebels campus. 

Trinidad Chambliss’ Ole Miss Future Hinges On NCAA Waiver — New NIL Deal Raises Stakes With Potential Lawsuit

After the month of October came and went, the conversation shifted from what Ole Miss players were doing on the field, to what Lane Kiffin was going to do off of it. For that reason alone, you saw a group of players come together, not only for those who never wavered in belief, but for each other. 

For some, what they accomplished against Georgia would've been enough for a team that dealt with assistant coaches trekking back and forth from Oxford to Baton Rouge, while Lane Kiffin collected bonus checks for what the Rebels had accomplished in their two CFP wins. 

By now, the story has been regurgitated enough, like a rough night on Bourbon Street in the aftermath of Mardi Gras. But, I will say that Ole Miss has just as good of a shot at winning a national championship in 2026 as LSU does under Lane Kiffin, based on what head coach Pete Golding and the Rebels have done in retaining players like Chambliss and Lacy. 

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 08: The Ole Miss Rebels take the field prior to a game against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 08, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona.  (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

In the years ahead? Who knows, as the CFP format is set to change once again, moving to a 16-team format. Did we actually think a No. 10 seed would be playing for a title this season? The landscape is changing, and if teams aren't adapting to the new ways of retention and purchasing talent, you won't be competing on a yearly basis. 

For Ole Miss, battling through the SEC on a yearly basis is tough enough. Just ask teams like Texas A&M and Alabama, or even Georgia and LSU. For the third straight year, there will not be an SEC team competing for a CFP title, which should be the only sign you need to see the ongoing changes. 

But as we look back, in the months ahead, there will be plenty of time to reflect on what transpired in the month leading up to Thanksgiving week. It was on the Sunday that followed the Egg Bowl in which the head coach at Ole Miss decided a fierce rival was the smarter play regarding the future. 

Now, Pete Golding can officially remove the ‘interim’ tag from his title, which he referenced numerous times this postseason. 

Miami Heading Home, Awaiting The Peach Bowl Winner

Tonight in Atlanta, Oregon and Indiana will take to the field inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the right to.play the Hurricanes in their home stadium. 

One thing I think is certain, no matter who wins tonight: Miami had better figure out how not to play like they did for a majority of the second half on offense, or one of these Big Ten teams could have a field day. 

But that's the type of doubt this Miami team has thrived upon over the past three weeks. Two trips to the State of Texas resulted in wins against Texas A&M and Ohio State. 

Then, getting back on a plane and flying to Phoenix to beat Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl is enough proof that this Mario Cristobal team is battle-tested for whatever either team brings to South Florida. 

Thirteen sacks over three games, against offenses that presented plenty of problems for opposing teams over the course of the 2025 season, should be enough proof that the ferocity of this defense is going to lead them in ten days. 

Now, we wait to see if the phrase can finally be used and actually mean something. 

You know what it is, right? The U is Bac…..