New Year’s Day marks the end of the holiday break as the College Football Playoff kicks back into gear with quarterfinal Bowl games.
Two of the sport's most revved-up fanbases are driving the hype for what’s become the weekend’s most anticipated kickoff between Ole Miss and Georgia.
Coming off a fresh 41-10 blowout over Tulane, Ole Miss looks all set to take down the heavy favorites, Georgia, to bring home the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are the industry favorite to hold off the Rebels to finally win the Sugar Bowl this year, after losing to Notre Dame in their previous appearance.
The driving force behind the favoritism around Georgia is simply not their improved roster, it is also Kirby Smart pulling off a roller coaster 43-35 win over Ole Miss in the regular season.
How to watch Ole Miss vs. Georgia
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 1st, 2026
- Time: 8:00 pm ET
- Venue: Caesar's Superdome (New Orleans, Louisiana)
- How to watch (TV): ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+, Youtube TV, Fubo, Hulu+,
- Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Inside report brings Ole Miss's biggest threat to Georgia to light
Ole Miss vs. Georgia Odds
Spread: Ole Miss +6.5 (-104) | Georgia -6.5 (-118)
Moneyline: Ole Miss +202| Georgia -250
Over/Under: 56.5 (-110)
Vegas is piling up on the Bulldogs to pull this one off, but it would take just a couple of drives going exactly the way they want for Ole Miss to flip the script.
Odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook as of Dec. 30.
Sugar Bowl Broadcast team
ESPN is rolling out its 'heavy-hitters' for the Sugar Bowl, with Sean McDonough calling play-by-play and Greg McElroy as the color commentator from the box.
Whereas the fan favorites Molly McGrath and Laura Rutledge will be handling the sidelines.
Weather forecast
Forecasters predict a crisp evening in the Big Easy, followed by a cool, clear night.
The evening kickoff could start with a 54-degree temperature high, dropping to 49 degrees, and accompanied by light, chilly breezes as the night progresses.
That said, fans will have the Superdome advantage once they enter, with the temperature remaining steady 72°F.
Perhaps, all the adrenaline coursing through the crowd in the Superdome will leave the atmosphere electric by the fourth quarter.
Kirby Smart's praise for Ole Miss QB sounds more like a warning to his own locker room
Regular season record
Both Ole Miss and Georgia enter the grudge match with an identical 12-1 record, each of their losses against an SEC team.
Georgia suffered their only heartbreak this season against Alabama in the regular season. But the first-round of College Football Playoff gave them exactly the revenge they needed, as they crushed the Crimson Tide out of the CFP race with a 28-7 win.
This matchup will be Ole Miss's chance to get that revenge of regular season loss, against Georgia, the only team that won a regular season game against them. Their previous 41-10 win over Tulane in the first-round should be enough confidence to dismantle Georgia as the heavy underdogs.
Ole Miss vs. Georgia Series history
Following the way things turned out in October when the two previously met, Georgia will remain a hot opponent for the Rebels' fans until they get their revenge.
The Bulldogs lead the 35-13-1 head-to-head, but lately, Ole Miss has been pushing back.
Ole Miss came out swinging against the Bulldogs in the 2024 regular season clash on Nov. 9 in Oxford, with a thumping 28-14 victory.
Ole Miss even won the time they two met for the first time in 1940.
Although the Rebels lost their shot at making a winning streak against UGA, the least they would do is make sure Georgia doesn't make one against them.