Ole Miss' Resounding Egg Bowl Win the Epitome of Its Roller-Coaster Season

Even the most turbulent of relationships don't match the affair that the Ole Miss Rebels have had with the college football landscape this fall. Their 38-27 Egg Bowl victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs just encapsulated it. 

There was the 4-0 start that included a Sept. 19 victory over Alabama. The unquestioned highlight of the season will likely prove to be the shiniest bauble in the Christmas tree logjam that is the SEC and every team's bid for a top-tier postseason bowl game. 

A 1-2 stretch followed with losses to both Florida and Memphis. 

Two straight victories, including a statement win on the road against Auburn, seemed to right the ship. Then there was the Arkansas fiasco. 

Now the Rebels are on the cusp of the Sugar Bowl, particularly with Florida's loss to Florida State on Saturday night. Should Alabama defeat the Gators in the SEC Championship Game—they'll undoubtedly be favored—the Sugar Bowl will take the second-rated SEC squad. 

This scenario was highlighted by ESPN's Edward Aschoff: 

It's looking like that's going to be the Rebels. Even though the Gators have the head-to-head advantage over the Rebels, the Ole Miss style of football is far more palatable to the College Football Playoff committee. The 2-0 versus 0-2 finish will likely tip the scales in favor of Ole Miss. 

It seems like forever ago that the Gators actually hung 38 points on the Rebels, as pointed out by Rick Cleveland, the director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame: 

But perhaps no play better encompasses this squad's up-and-down campaign that the 4th-and-25 backwards Hail Mary against Arkansas. 

Even Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said after tonight's Egg Bowl title that, had that play not happened, his team could be Atlanta bound, per Parrish Alford of the Daily Journal: 

Arguably, the only beacon of consistency has been quarterback and Clemson transfer Chad Kelly. With 236 yards through the air against the Bulldogs, he set the school record for most passing yards in a single season. 

One thing is clear, though. Love or hate the Rebels—fans in Oxford have probably felt both this season—the Rebels are likely Sugar Bowl bound, a destination Freeze and Co. believe they are worthy of attending.