The program Florida Gators fans wanted to get their new head coach from is set to take on the program the Gators actually got their head coach from, as Ole Miss is set to take on Tulane in round one of the College Football Playoffs. New Florida coach Jon Sumrall will take the Green Wave into Oxford as massive underdogs and will be looking to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season.
But given the chaos at Ole Miss compared to the relative stability of Tulane heading into this game, does Sumrall have a shot, given that Tulane was blown out the first time these two teams played?
Jon Sumrall leads Tulane against Ole Miss
Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|
Ole Miss -17.5 | 57.5 | Ole Miss -1000 |
Sometimes a blowout can happen that isn’t reflective of how the game actually went. The first meeting between Ole Miss and Tulane was not one of those occasions as the Rebels had their will against the Green Wave and scored on all five of their possessions in the first half (two TDs, three FGs) and eight out of ten total possessions.
Given that Sumrall is supposed to be the defensive mind of the Green Wave, that wasn’t a good look.
But there is one teeny-tiny X-factor for Ole Miss this time around:
Lane Kiffin isn’t on the sidelines.
After opting for LSU ahead of Florida, Kiffin wanted to stick around and coach the playoffs and was told no. And if early bowl games are any indication (USF and Memphis), teams that don’t have their head coach still around tend to look lifeless.
Of course, given this is a playoff game compared to a bowl game, Ole Miss hasn’t had a wave of opt-outs and should still have a massive talent advantage over the Green Wave.
For Florida fans watching this game, trying to decipher anything scheme-related will be a futile exercise, but if this game gets close, the thing to watch will be how much Sumrall “goes for the win” compared to “play if safe.”
Because we have a sneaking feeling that if Tulane can get a couple of stops early and doesn’t have Kiffin to conjure something up, the mood in Oxford could get tight. But the knock on Sumrall is that he tends to play it safe in the second half.