College Football Playoff: Mark Ingram makes pick for Sugar Bowl between Georgia, Ole Miss

The Ole Miss Rebels and Georgia Bulldogs are set to meet for a rematch in the Sugar Bowl. That game, which is doubling as a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, is expected to be one of the most exciting of the bowl season.

Going into the game, Ole Miss looks completely different from how it did in the first meeting back in October. Head coach Lane Kiffin has moved on, and in his place, defensive coordinator Pete Golding was promoted to head coach. Georgia, meanwhile, has been rapidly improving since that game, becoming one of the best teams in the country.

With that in mind, Mark Ingram broke down the game on The Triple Option. There, he shared that he has high expectations for Georgia in the CFP and is picking the Bulldogs to win the Sugar Bowl.

“I think Pete Golding has done a great job of just kind of weathering the storm that Lane Kiffin left behind,” Ingram said. “Just kind of calming everything down. They came out, they played sharp. Obviously, it was against a Tulane who they had beat 45-10 earlier in the season, but they played sharp. Trinidad Chambliss, he looked like he was on point. Kewan Lacy, their running back, we know they can throw the football. But, defensively, I saw Tulane able to move the ball on them a little bit.”

Despite all that’s good about Ole Miss, there is just as much good about Georgia. In fact, the Bulldogs have positioned themselves to be Ingram’s national championship favorite.

“I saw that as a little bit concerning,” Ingram said. “Especially when you have Georgia coming to town. Gunner Stockton, he’s playing really efficient, making good decisions. Nate Frazier, the way they run the football. Zachariah Branch, the explosiveness on the outside. Now, defensively, they are playing some of the best football in the entire country right now. They’re playing tough, they’re playing physical, they’re getting turnovers, they’re being dominant on both sides of the line of scrimmage. I think Georgia, right now, probably is my favorite to win the national championship and I feel like they’re gonna cover this.”

The regular season loss to Georgia ended up mattering a lot to Ole Miss. It would cost the Rebels a chance to play in the SEC Championship Game. That, in turn, likely cost them a chance to earn a first round bye in the CFP. There, Ole Miss struggled at times with the run, bringing up a major concern for Ingram. The Georgia rushing offense vs. the Ole Miss rushing defense.

This season, Georgia’s rushing offense is 31st nationally, averaging 186.62 yards per game. Meanwhile, Ole Miss is 68th nationally in rushing defense, giving up 147.77 yards per game.

“The line was 7.5, they won 43-35 earlier this year. I feel like they’re a better football team right now,” Ingram said. “And we’ve seen Ole Miss, they played Tulane, but they still have some trouble on the defensive side stopping the run, and that’s what Georgia’s great at doing. Running the football. So, you said it’s 7.5? I like them to cover that number in that matchup and I think Georgia is poised to continue to make a run for a national title this year.”

Kickoff in the Sugar Bowl is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST on New Year’s Day. The winner will advance to the CFP semifinal to take on Miami.