Ole Miss walked into Norman and turned a playoff hopeful into a highlight reel.
In a matchup that felt like a College Football Playoff preview, the Rebels flexed their offensive firepower, knocking off Oklahoma in a statement win that could reshape the postseason picture.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Strength dominates strength
Heading into this matchup, Oklahoma ranked No. 3 in scoring defense (9.4 points per game), while Ole Miss ranked ninth in total offense, averaging more than 37 points per game.
Something had to give.
The Rebels dropped 34 points on the Sooners’ vaunted defense in this game. Lane Kiffin’s team scored on their first two possessions of the game and ran twice as many plays in the first quarter (22) as the Sooners (11).
Ole Miss converted on nine of 21 third-down attempts and did not turn the ball over against an Oklahoma defense that has been horrendous at taking the ball away from opponents this season.
Safety Wydett Williams Jr. #16 of the Ole Miss Rebels knocks a pass out of the reach of wide receiver Deion Burks #4 of the Oklahoma Sooners. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
2. Trinidad Chambliss outplays John Mateer in highly-anticipated QB battle
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss entered Saturday’s matchup averaging more than 267 total yards per game, with 221.3 coming through the air. On the other side, Oklahoma QB John Mateer has put up nearly 300 yards of total offense per game, with 261.2 in the passing game.
This game was deemed as one of the most anticipated QB matchups of the week, and in the end, it was Chambliss and the Rebels’ offense that proved not just proficient but resilient.
The former Ferris State standout put together his fourth 300-yard passing performance in eight games and led the Rebels to their first road win against a ranked SEC opponent in the Lane Kiffin era.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss #6 of the Ole Miss Rebels throws against the Oklahoma Sooners. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
3. Oklahoma gets big contributions from its skill-position players, but it wasn’t enough
Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson carried the ball nine times for a game-high 109 yards and two scores, while wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III caught six passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. Both had explosive plays, as Robinson broke off a huge 65-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter, while Sategna hauled in a 76-yard score early in the second quarter.
But despite a pair of explosive performances from Robinson and Sategna, the Sooners’ defense couldn’t hold up their end, giving up 431 yards to the Rebels in the loss.
4. This had the feel of a College Football Playoff play-in game
With six SEC teams entering the day with one loss or fewer, this game was crucial for maintaining a path to the CFP. The SEC could have as many as four teams make the CFP this season, but that fourth team will almost certainly have to be a 10-win program with at least two top-10 wins and two top-10 defeats.
Ole Miss is now 7-1 and has a chance to make the SEC Championship game, while the Sooners now have two losses, one of which came against a Texas team that has yet to look like the preseason No. 1 team in the country it was expected to be.
Oklahoma must now win out to make the CFP, but with four consecutive games against ranked opponents left on the schedule, the Sooners’ strength of record might just be strong enough to earn an invitation with a 10-win season.
4 ½. Ole Miss is good enough to win the national title
The Rebels’ only loss this season came against a Georgia team that still looks like a national title contender — and Ole Miss nearly defeated Kirby Smart’s squad on the road.
Lane Kiffin’s team doesn’t face another ranked opponent the rest of the way, with its toughest remaining test likely coming in the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State. If Alabama and Texas A&M both finish SEC play undefeated, it’s easy to envision Ole Miss not only earning its first College Football Playoff invitation but also mounting a serious run at the national championship.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.
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