No. 3 Georgia prepares for rematch against No. 6 Ole Miss at Sugar Bowl | Everything to know

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Georgia is set to go head-to-head with a Southeastern Conference rival it defeated in the regular season in a College Football Playoff (CFP) Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

The No. 3 Bulldogs will play the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Ahead of the game, join former UGA quarterback Jake Fromm, ANF Sports Director Baillie Burmaster, and others for ANF Gametime on Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Atlanta News First.

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On Oct. 18, Georgia defeated Ole Miss 43-35 in the regular season. Georgia leads the all-time series 35-13-1, but the teams have never played twice in the same season, according to the university.

Thursday’s game will be a rematch, making it the fourth rematch in Sugar Bowl history.

Entering the CFP on a nine-game winning streak, the Bulldogs are making their fifth CFP appearance, all under head coach Kirby Smart. They are 5-2 in the CFP and won back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.

Georgia’s defense has allowed just two touchdowns, five field goals and forced 39 punts, with five interceptions and nine sacks in its last four games, including three against top 25 teams.

The Sugar Bowl will be Georgia’s first CFP game this season after they earned a first-round bye by winning the SEC championship, defeating Alabama 28-7 on Dec. 6.

Georgia is making its 13th Sugar Bowl appearance, which is tied for the second-most in history, and it is the 97th conference champion to play in the bowl in its 92-year history, according to the committee. Georgia has a 5-7 record in the bowl.

The Bulldogs are making their 64th bowl appearance, with this being the ninth bowl appearance under head coach Kirby Smart, who has posted a 7-2 bowl record during his tenure with the team.

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Ole Miss advanced to the CFP Quarterfinal after defeating No. 11 Tulane 41-10 in a CFP First-Round Game at home in Oxford, Miss., on Dec. 20.

After posting the program’s first-ever 11-win regular season, Ole Miss will make its 11th appearance in the Sugar Bowl, its first since 2021. It ranks fourth all-time in appearances in the game with a 6-4 record.

Thursday’s Sugar Bowl will be the sixth time the game has been part of the CFP since its creation in 2014. It has hosted four CFP semifinals (2014, 2017, 2020, 2023) and a CFP quarterfinal in 2024.

The winner of this year’s game will advance to the CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.

The CFP National Championship will be played on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami.