Take That, Lane Kiffin

Now that was a football game.

I watched Ole Miss beat Georgia on Saturday with my daughter, who is in her second year at Ole Miss, at a watch party at a downtown Chicago sports bar, Theory.

After losing to Georgia earlier this season for the Rebs’ only defeat of the season, the Bulldogs were an imposing foe.

As you probably know by now, the game seesawed back and forth. Ole Miss got two field goals in the first quarter. Georgia rolled to three TDs in the second quarter and led at halftime by 21-21.

We were thinking that Ole Miss was keeping the game respectable.

Shockingly, Ole Miss ran up a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, but there were nine minutes left. It was enough time to tie the game, and Georgia did just that, kicking a chip-shot field goal with 56 second remaining.

Rebel QB Trinidad Chambliss, who’d been pulling off astonishing Caleb Williams-like scrambles and passes in the second half, had one more lightning bolt left. He threw a 40-yard bomb to De’Zhaun Stribling to put Ole Miss in field goal range. Kicker Lucas Carniero calmly split the uprights, putting Ole Miss ahead with six seconds left.

The crowd at the bar went nuts.

Those last six seconds seemed to take forever. Georgia decided to try to run back the kick and threw a lateral that went out of the end zone for a safety. It appeared the clock had hit zero. Confetti flew. The stage for the trophy presentation was rolled out. But somehow, the officials decided there was still time remaining, so the field was cleared and Georgia kicked off. They recovered the ball. Again, the clock seemed to run out and the post-game equipment moved onto the field, but it was returned to the sideline for one last play. After a half-dozen laterals and a penalty flag, the game was really, truly over.

The game was filled with crazy passes by both Chambliss and Georgia QB Gunner Stockon and hard hits that weakened the Bulldogs secondary.

But I’d like to think the big difference between the regular season outcome and a playoff victory was coaching. Congratulations to Pete Golding and his red Sharpie. And take that, Lane Kiffin for abandoning your team. (Of course, Kiffin isn’t too sad. He got paid $500,000 because Ole Miss has won two playoff games.)

Now bring on Miami. Hotty Toddy.

BEAR DOWN

We had another rollercoaster ride on Sunday, but the results didn’t leave us smiling.

In their final regular season game, the Bears should have wanted to steamroll the out-of-the-playoffs Lions. Instead, it was the Bears who looked like they needed a vacation. The offense kept misfiring, and the defense couldn’t stop the Lions from piling yards during loooong drives. But giving up 16 points through three quarters was a lot better than the 52 points the Bears surrendered in Detroit during the second game of the season.

Then the Bears and QB Caleb Williams found their late-game magic, scoring two touchdowns and adding two two-point plays to tie the game in the fourth quarter. When Kevin Byard picked off a tipped pass with more than two minutes left, another comeback win seemed all but assured.

But it wasn’t to be. The offense fizzled. Coach Ben Johnson opted to punt. The Lions got the ball and irresistibly moved into field goal range, scoring the game winner as the clock expired.

Because the Eagles lost to Washington, the Bears backed into getting the second seed in the playoffs. They’ll start by playing the damned cheeseheads at Soldier Field Saturday night.

They’ll have to play better. I’m counting on it.