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Despite being the higher seed, the #6 Ole Miss Rebels are underdogs to the #10 Miami Hurricanes tonight in the Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal. Mississippi are not huge underdogs, at +3.5, but they are not favorites, despite having just knocked off #3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl CFP Quarterfinal.
One potential explanation is the perceived disparity between the two teams in quality of talent. Miami is loaded with future NFL talent. They even have a player who could potentially be the first non-Quarterback selected in April, in edge rusher Ruben Bain. The Hurricanes also have a potential top 15 pick in OT Francis Mauigoa.
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Their other edge rusher, Akheem Mesidor, is a day two prospect.
As for the Rebels, they have no representation on our latest big board, which has just over 100 names on it. The same is true for CBS Sports' big board, which goes 150 deep. At NFL Mock Draft Database, the highest rated Ole Miss player is DT Zxavian Harris, at #149.
Pro Football Focus has him at #184, the second highest Rebel, behind quarterback Trinidad Chambliss at #84. Chambliss' NFL Draft stock is very much a wild card, and difficult to project. PFF also has WR De'Zhaun Stribling at #227.
In other words, it is quite likely that nobody from Ole Miss will hear their name called until day three of the draft. Yet here they are, semifinalists and underdogs by only a field goal and change to make the national championship game. It's a credit to what their coaching staff did this season.
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No wonder the media remains so strongly focused on Lane Kiffin, he assembled a team that knows how to win. More importantly, credit Kiffin's replacement, Defensive Coordinator elevated to head man Pete Golding, for keeping it going once he bolted for LSU.
This team is plain and simple overachieving, because this staff knows how to get the best out of them.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: #6 Ole Miss Rebels are a greatly overachieving bunch
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