Ole Miss headed back to Sugar Bowl, will face Baylor on New Year's Day
For the 10th time in program history, the Ole Miss football team is playing in a Sugar Bowl after the Rebels’ bowl destination was officially announced on Sunday.
Returning to New Orleans for the first time since the 2015 season was expected on Saturday after Alabama defeated Georgia in the SEC Championship, ensuring two SEC teams would make the College Football Playoffs.
That left Ole Miss as the top SEC team not playing in the CFP, earning the Rebels the automatic bid to play for a seventh Sugar Bowl Championship.
“We are taking another big step in our growth toward being a championship program by earning a New Year’s Six berth in the Allstate Sugar Bowl,” said Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin in a statement
“I’m excited for our players to compete in one of the most tradition-rich bowls against a premier program in Baylor. We look forward to representing our university and the Southeastern Conference on this national platform.”
The Rebels (10-2) will take on the Baylor Bears (11-2), who defeated Oklahoma State to win the Big 12 Championship on Saturday. This will be only the second meeting between the two teams, and the first in a bowl game.
Baylor won the previous meeting, a 20-10 victory in Waco, Texas during the 1975 season.
The matchup should be one that is heavily anticipated, pitting Kiffin against Baylor head coach Dave Aranda.
Getting back into position for a berth into a third New Year’s Six bowl in the last eight seasons was aided by the Rebels first 10-win regular season in program history.
The last time the Rebels played in a New Year’s Six bowl was against Oklahoma State in the 2016 Sugar Bowl. Ole Miss defeated the Cowboys 48-20.
“We are honored to play in the Allstate Sugar Bowl and continue our rich bowl tradition in one of the premier postseason destinations,” Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter in a statement. “I’m proud of our student-athletes and coaches for their dedication and hard work, and they are very deserving of this opportunity to compete on the national stage.
This year’s Sugar Bowl will take place on Jan. 1, 2022 and kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN.
