If they have the ball with the game on the line, it's appointment television. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has been the best story in college football after transferring from Division II Ferris State to the SEC. On a night that will be etched in Oxford history, a 32-24 win over No. 7 LSU, Chambliss staked his case as the best player in college football.
Emotions were high with former coach Lane Kiffin the building, even as the No. 8 Rebels built a 24-7 lead in the third quarter. Chambliss's lone miscue of the game, an interception while getting hit, cost Ole Miss handsomely. The visiting Tigers rattled off 17 unanswered points, headlined by a rare missed kick from Ole Miss All-American Lucas Carneiro.
Debates rage about whether momentum is a real factor in sports. Regardless, history is littered with teams crumbling under the massive weight of expectation in those spots. Strikingly, Heisman finalist Julian Sayin of Ohio State faltered under those exact same circumstances against No. 5 Texas, finding himself unable to stem the tide after a missed field goal led to a blown 20-point lead in Austin.
But there's a difference. Ole Miss has Trinidad Chambliss. And while the stadium held its breath, Chambliss rose to the occasion.
After Ole Miss tied the game at 24-24, Chambliss connected with Horatio Fields for a 22-yard bomb into LSU territory and hit dinkers down the field. His 14-yard connection with Deuce Alexander got the Rebels into the red zone. The deciding play wasn't fireworks but instead sleight of hand.
Chambliss pulled a handoff and raced past star LSU safety Ty Benefield to the corner of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. Ole Miss stopped LSU on fourth down to ice the game, and the first plank of Chambliss's Heisman platform was laid. "Hotty f****ing totty," the normally polished Chambliss yelled during his postgame interview with a grin.
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