Fiesta Bowl 2026 Factors That Will Decide Miami vs. Ole Miss Semifinal Bracket Game

No one expected the Miami Hurricanes and Ole Miss Rebels to both be in the Fiesta Bowl.

Miami was the last team that got into the College Football Playoff field. It reeled off wins over the Texas A&M Aggies and Ohio State Buckeyes thanks to a tremendous defense and a strong rushing attack.

Ole Miss overpowered the Tulane Green Wave in the opening round and then won a shootout with the Georgia Bulldogs on New Years' Day.

The pair of CFB Playoff semifinalists won't change much with their respective approaches in order to book a spot in the National Championship.

Mark Fletcher's Continued Effectiveness in Miami Ground Game

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Mark Fletcher has arguably been the best overall player through two playoff rounds.

The Miami running back opened the playoff run with a 172-yard performance against Texas A&M. He then produced 90 rushing yards against Ohio State's top-rated defense.

Fletcher's individual matchup with the Ole Miss front seven in the Fiesta Bowl is easier than the previous two showdowns with A&M and Ohio State.

OIe Miss allowed Georgia to run for 124 yards in the Sugar Bowl and even Tulane ran for 115 yards on the Rebels in the first round.

Another effective outing from Fletcher would allow Miami to keep up with Ole Miss' high-scoring offense and take some pressure off Carson Beck, who hasn't been forced to make a ton of big throws in the last two games.

Ole Miss' Diversified Passing Game

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Trinidad Chambliss has had no problems spreading the ball around in the Ole Miss passing attack.

On New Years' Day, Harrison Wallace and De'Zhaun Stribling each had 100-yard games. Wallace led the Rebels in receptions and receiving yards and scored a touchdown.

Against Tulane, Deuce Alexander took over the starring role with seven catches for 87 yards.

The diversification in targets between Wallace, Stribling, Alexander and the depth pieces will be vital for Ole Miss' continued playoff success.

Miami can't hone in on a single receiver to take them away and slow down the Ole Miss offense.

Any of one of Ole Miss' top three targets could take advantage of the Miami secondary that wasn't perfect on New Years' Eve. Jeremiah Smith did have 157 receiving yards on seven catches.

There could be even more importance on the Ole Miss passing game on January 8 if Miami tries to slow down the Kewan Lacy-led rushing attack. Miami limited Ohio State to 45 rushing yards.