SEC national championship game drought continues as Ole Miss falls to Miami in Fiesta Bowl CFP semifinal
No SEC team has participated in a national title game since Georgia won its second straight national title in 2022
•
1 min read
No. 10 Miami beat No. 6 Ole Miss 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl to reach the College Football Playoff National Championship. With the Rebels' loss in an all-time classic, the SEC has now failed to qualify a team for the title game for the third straight season.
The SEC dominated college football for the better part of this century as an SEC team reached the national championship game every year between 2015 and 2022. At one point, the league won 13 out of 17 championships, headlined by a dominant run of seven straight from 2006-12. Ironically, the one before was won by Texas -- now an SEC member.
However, the three-year drought is the longest for the league since 1999-2002. As the SEC has faltered, the Big Ten has risen. The league won consecutive national titles in 2023-24 for the first time since 1965-66. A Big Ten team is guaranteed to reach the title game again after No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon face off in the Peach Bowl, with the winner headed to the title game against Miami.
Five SEC teams earned a trip to the College Football Playoff in 2025, but Ole Miss was the only one to even reach the final four teams. They joined two Big Ten teams (Indiana, Oregon) and an ACC foe (Miami). The SEC's only playoff win against another conference came against Tulane.
The Rebels put together a valiant effort, overcoming an early deficit to take a late fourth quarter lead behind quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. However, the Rebels bounced back with a game-winning drive, orchestrated by former SEC quarterback Carson Beck, who scored the go-ahead touchdown with only 18 seconds remaining.
Miami is the first Cinderella of the expanded CFP, rising from the 10-seed all the way to the national title game. The Hurricanes were the last team into the field after they controversially rose ahead of Notre Dame. The Hurricanes are set to play the title game in their home stadium on Jan. 19.
The Hurricanes are hoping to win their first national title as members of the ACC since joining the league in 2003. The ACC has not won a national title since 2018.
