An incredible run by the Ole Miss Rebels came to an end on Thursday Night as Trinidad Chambliss' prayer to the endzone fell incomplete to end the Fiesta Bowl. This season has been a rollercoaster for Ole Miss and unless you were a Mississippi State or LSU fan, you likely found yourself rooting for this team to win the National Championship.
The Rebels ran through the regular season, going 11-1, clearly looking like one of the best teams in the Country. Ole Miss was led by the incredible story of Trinidad Chambliss, who joined the team as a backup from Division II Ferris State, and quickly became one of the stars of the sport, stepping in for Austin Simmons, who was injured.
The regular season finale against Mississippi State became the center of the college football world. Lane Kiffin had become the center of Florida and LSU's head coaching search, and he had to come to a decision on Sunday. Despite his team heading to the College Football Playoff, Lane Kiffin decided to take the LSU job leaving his team before the Playoff.
Pete Golding was quickly given the full-time job being tasked with quickly keeping the team from falling apart.
Ole Miss was denied the perfect storybook ending
When Ole Miss got to host a game in the College Football Playoff, it kicked off the Pete Golding Era in spectacular fashion. Beating Tulane wasn't the big win that had everyone believing the team could win it all, but it was a step in the right direction.
Then it looked like Ole Miss had fallen apart in the Quarterfinals as Georgia jumped out to a lead heading into halftime. Then the Rebels came out on fire, playing unbelievable football to end the game as Trinidad Chambliss looked magical against the Georgia defense.
After Ole Miss knocked off Georgia, everyone started to believe that the Rebels could win the National Championship. Everyone envisioned the Disney movie ending with Lane Kiffin watching the program he didn't believe could win it all, hoisting the National Championship Trophy while he watched from his office in Baton Rouge.
Even on Thursday Night when Kewan Lacy broke off his magical touchdown run in the first half, it looked like this team would keep on rolling. Instead, he was injured, becoming a decoy for most of the 3rd quarter before they finally let him truly test himself.
Despite all the struggles for Ole Miss, the magical quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss found a way to give the team the lead late, but the defense ended up letting them down as Miami drove 75 yards to win the game.
This season didn't end the way that Ole Miss hoped, but the players and the coaches who stayed had nothing to be ashamed of. This team had the biggest distraction possible with Lane Kiffin leaving, and despite it all, they went on a run the fanbase will never forget.
The players will all come back to Oxford one day when this team is honored, and for the fanbase, it'll be all about the players. Lane Kiffin's departure will be an afterthought, and all the fans will be applauding the way that the team gave them their most memorable season yet.
While this feels like the end of an era, the good news for Ole Miss is that this could be the new normal in Oxford. Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy both inked new deals to come back to Ole Miss next season, and with that magical duo and the leadership of Pete Golding, the sky will be the limit in 2026.