Keaton Thomas wasn’t wearing an Ole Miss uniform when the Rebels beat Georgia in last season’s Sugar Bowl.
He was still at Baylor, watching from home as Ole Miss pulled off a 39-34 victory to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
But he remembers it pretty well.
“I remember that game was a dogfight,” Thomas said after Saturday’s 45-15 win against Auburn. “That’s one of those games you talk to your kids about in the future. Watching it at home, I still think about it today.”
Now Thomas gets an opportunity to make his own moment to tell his kids about one day. And the stakes aren’t all that different.
No. 12 Ole Miss hosts No. 2 Georgia on Saturday night in a game that could ultimately decide whether the Rebels return to the College Football Playoff.
Sure, there are three more regular-season games remaining afterward. But there’s little doubt this is the most important game on Ole Miss’ schedule.
It was always going to be a significant matchup. Georgia is Georgia, and the two programs have developed quite a history over the past few seasons.
Ole Miss beat the Bulldogs 28-10 in Oxford in 2024, Georgia won last season’s regular season game 43-35 before winning the Rebels won the Sugar Bowl rematch last January.
But the circumstances surrounding Saturday’s game have made it considerably more important than anyone could have known when the schedule was released.
At 6-2, Ole Miss doesn’t have much room for another loss.
The Rebels enter the week ranked No. 12 in both major polls, although Tuesday’s initial CFP rankings will provide a better indication of where they stand.
Beat Georgia, and Ole Miss would have a strong argument for inclusion in the 12-team playoff, provided it wins its remaining games against Oklahoma, Wofford and Mississippi State.
That would leave the Rebels at 10-2 with a victory over one of the nation’s best teams.
Lose, and things become considerably more complicated.
A 9-3 Ole Miss team wouldn’t necessarily be eliminated from playoff consideration, particularly given the chaos that has unfolded around college football this season.
But it would need some help from other teams losing games and the selection committee deciding that the Rebels’ overall résumé is good enough.
In other words, Ole Miss has an opportunity Saturday to make its playoff path considerably easier.
Trinidad Chambliss understands what’s at stake.
“There’s a lot of playoff implications and stuff down the line, but we can’t really focus on that,” Chambliss said. “It is a big game, so we know that.”
There’s also the matter of playing Georgia (who is the early favorite in the oddmakers’ opinions) in Oxford rather than Athens.
The Rebels have already demonstrated they can beat the Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the home stadium they’ve won 16 consecutive times at.
Chambliss believes the home crowd can make a difference.
“Our fans bring it every home game,” Chambliss said. “They’re into it on third down. The crowd’s hyped and super loud, making it difficult for that offense.”
Thomas remembers watching Ole Miss beat Georgia in a game that sent the Rebels one step closer to a national championship.
Saturday offers a chance to help put them on a similar path.
And unlike the Sugar Bowl, this time he’ll have an opportunity to do something about the outcome.
