The Ole Miss Rebels and Miami Hurricanes will somewhat shockingly face off in the College Football Playoff semifinal in a battle between two extremely different football teams.

The drama surrounding the Ole Miss football program and Lane Kiffin’s departure has been deafening, but Pete Golding and his team have shut out all the noise. The Rebels have overcome every obstacle by combining elite, explosive offensive play from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss with bend-don’t-break defense. Mario Cristobal has made sure that his Miami team has also put their heads down, ignoring all the College Football Playoff selection committee noise (getting in over Notre Dame). They’ve maintained top tier defensive play and perhaps the most ferocious pass rush in football with Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor destroying teams off the edge.

Who wins this epic semifinal matchup between two rising college football powers? Media members from A to Z Sports who cover both teams decided to weigh in, predicting a winner. The picks are in. Enjoy!

Ole Miss 29, Miami 23

The Ole Miss Rebels offense has proven too much for anyone to stop this season since Trinidad Chambliss truly settled in as the undisputed starter at quarterback. Even in their one loss to Georgia, the Rebels still scored 35 points. The loss of Lane Kiffin as head coach has meant absolutely nothing to the Rebels’ offensive success. If anything, it’s energized and emboldened them to reach even higher heights, averaging 40 points per game in the playoff. Miami’s defense is tough, but they have zero offense to speak of at all. Carson Beck is a good game manager at quarterback, but he’s fallen apart in close games this year, throwing six interceptions in Miami’s two losses. If Ole Miss can dictate the pace of this game with their high-powered aerial attack, and they can do just enough on the ground with star running back Kewan Lacy, then the Rebels are heading to the National Championship. This stays close because Ole Miss’ improving defense still leaks a few times, but Miami can’t keep up. Rebels 29. Hurricanes 23. – Travis May, A to Z Sports CFB & NFL Draft Managing Editor

Miami 27, Ole Miss 24

This is an interesting matchup of contrasting, yet effective styles. The Hurricanes have been a blunt force object on offense and a wave of physicality on defense. Meanwhile, the Rebels have been explosive on offense and clutch enough when they’ve had to be on defense. Trinidad Chambliss presents a number of problems offensively. He gets rid of the ball quickly, and he’s shifty in the pocket and can avoid pressure while keeping his eyes down the field. If Ole Miss can play with pace, keep moving the sticks, and gas Miami’s defense some, they can move the ball on the Hurricanes better than anyone has in months. However, I think the Hurricanes will do to the Rebels what they did to the Buckeyes — control the game with their physicality and put together grinding, sustained drives. That’ll keep their defense fresh to deal with Ole Miss’s quick pace while keeping the Rebels’ offense on the sideline for the majority of the game. It’s a close one again, but Miami finds a way to get back home for the National Championship game. – Craig Smith, A to Z Sports Tennessee

Miami 23, Ole Miss 20

Ole Miss is having an almost unbelievable run since head coach Lane Kiffin kicked the team to the curb in favor of the LSU Tigers. With quarterback Trinidad Chambliss making big plays every game, this team is always going to have a punchers chance. That’s especially true if they can get star running back Kewan Lacy going early on. The difference in the game, however, is the Miami defense. Led by a stellar defensive line, I don’t expect the Rebels offense to have enough juice to get it to shootout range. Instead, the Hurricanes control the pace and lead on running back Mark Fletcher. If they can keep it a lower scoring game, Miami has a chance to punch their ticket to the National Championship. – Ryan Roberts, A to Z Sports Notre Dame

Ole Miss 21, Miami 17

Ole Miss may have the best offense remaining in the College Football Playoff. They definitely have the better offense than Miami does, and they’re one of the few teams that have been good on offense in every game of the playoff so far. The Ole Miss defense has been playing well enough at times this season to be able to give Miami problems. The only real issue that scares me for Ole Miss is how well their offensive line holds up against Miami’s defensive line. If they can hold Miami at bay there, the game will be all Ole Miss. If Miami can make this a rock fight again, they win. Give me Ole Miss in this one. – Justin Churchill, A to Z Sports Oklahoma

Miami 28, Ole Miss 24

Ole Miss has the chance to be the story of college football with a win over the Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl. What the team has done amid their coaching change is no small feat, and the Rebels are playing with house money ahead of the semifinal. However, before these playoffs ever kicked off, the greatest coach in the history of the sport warned everyone about the Miami Hurricanes. All they have done is beat Texas A&M on the road and take down the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, so far. Miami is now one game away from a home National Championship game. The more analytical view, however, is that Miami has the more experienced head coach and quarterback, plus the better set of trench talents, all of which are key factors in who wins playoff games. I believe the momentum is on the side of the Canes, and they win a close one in Arizona. – Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Alabama

Final Score Predictions for Ole Miss vs. Miami

The A to Z Sports staff is completely torn on this matchup, more so than they have been all season long in any other predictions piece. On average, the staff has this game picked as a completely even contest at 24 points apiece — a true coin flip among our staff who cover both teams and the entire sport nationally. It’s clearly going to come down to two things. One, can Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss overcome the Miami pass rush led by Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor? Two, can Carson Beck and the Miami offense do enough to keep with the Rebels high-flying offense that’s likely going to find a way to score anyway? This one could be a fun mix between a slobber-knocker in the trenches and an explosive-play-fest on the perimeter as the two drastically different styles of team face off in this College Football Playoff semifinal.

We’ll be back with more Ole Miss Rebels and Miami Hurricanes coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!