If college football fans were searching for a December surprise from Ole Miss, Pete Golding shut down that idea with the force of a man who has already seen enough chaos for one month.
Golding said he expects the full Rebel roster available for Saturday’s College Football Playoff game. The message landed with the clarity of a coach who is not in the mood for drama.
The Rebs have spent the last two weeks navigating a coaching transition and the usual postseason noise, but Golding apparently decided the team had met its quota of twists. The roster is staying put and the Rebels are practicing like it is mid-season instead of portal-season.
Golding explained that the game represents a chance to compete for a championship and not some mid-December tourism trip. He said the players earned this moment and that the team built bonds no one wanted to break right before a CFP appearance.
If there was any doubt about his expectations, Golding cleared it away with the kind of energy that suggested he had answered this question more than once already.
He said players who did not want to play in a playoff game did not belong in his locker room. The statement came without drama, which somehow made it even funnier. It was the tone of a man who had no interest in babysitting during the most important week of the season.
Ole Miss kept every player on board ahead of the playoff. Golding said he anticipated that outcome because the chance to compete for a championship is rare. He reminded anyone listening that this is not the Gator Bowl or another memory-foam bowl trip with corporate swag and a mid-morning kickoff. This is the playoff and he expects the Rebels to treat it that way.
The players appeared to agree and the week in Oxford looked surprisingly normal for December. Practices stayed steady and the locker room stayed quiet. For a program that lost its head coach on Nov. 30, the Rebels handled the moment with a sense of calm that would make some playoff veterans jealous.
Rebs stay intact while other teams scramble
December in college football usually looks like a yard sale. Golding’s roster looks more like a neatly organized store display where nothing has been touched.
Portal season has taken down plenty of teams, yet Ole Miss somehow kept everything on the shelf.
Golding said no player showed interest in stepping away early. Maybe the chance to fight for a national title helped.
Maybe the team’s chemistry played a role. Maybe the players simply prefer playing meaningful football instead of filling out paperwork in the compliance office.
Whatever the reason, the Rebels benefited.
The winter transfer window arrives on Jan. 2, which usually means rosters melt like snow on warm pavement. Golding said the Rebels avoided that and he credited the maturity inside the locker room.
His approach helped steady the group as well. He kept practices simple and direct, which probably saved everyone from migraine-level confusion during the coaching change.
The result is a rare December roster that actually resembles the one from November. Golding said he trusted his team to stay committed and the players validated that belief.
At this point he seems more surprised at the national panic about opt-outs than anything happening inside his own building.
Rebels ready for Tulane rematch
Ole Miss will host Tulane in the CFP first round at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
The Rebs already put together a convincing win over Tulane in September with a 45-10 result, but Golding gave no indication he planned on reliving the glory of three months ago.
He said the focus stayed on preparation and commitment. The players followed that lead and worked through the week as a complete roster.
Golding said they understood the opportunity in front of them and that they earned their shot to compete.
The Rebs finished the regular season 11-1 and secured their first Playoff appearance. The campus reacted with excitement, but the team did not let the noise move inside the building.
Golding said the group kept the week simple and grounded. When the interim coach speaks with that matter-of-fact tone, it is usually a sign everyone knows what is expected.
The Rebels closed their practice sessions looking steady and loose.
Golding said the team’s bond shaped how they approached the week and he believed the players stayed ready from the moment preparations began.
The Rebs now move toward Saturday with the same lineup they had all year. In December, that is about as shocking as anything in the College Football Playoff.
Key takeaways
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Ole Miss expects its full roster available for the CFP game against Tulane
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The Rebels avoided opt-outs and early transfer movement during December
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Pete Golding called the matchup a championship opportunity and not a routine bowl trip
