NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — A spot in the national championship game will be on the line when Georgia and Ole Miss meet in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Caesars Superdome on New Year’s Day. The Bulldogs (12-1) and Rebels (12-1), who faced off just over two months ago in the regular season, will rekindle their rivalry with vastly higher stakes Thursday. Georgia edged Ole Miss 43-35 in Athens on Oct. 18, a game that ultimately decided the SEC East division. Both teams enter with identical records and potent offenses, but national statistical models project a lower-scoring affair, favoring Georgia 28-19. Oddsmakers, however, list Ole Miss as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 55.5, indicating expectations for a tighter contest. The Rebels are powered by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who is coming off a dominant performance in a 41-10 win over Tulane on Dec. 20. Chambliss passed for 282 yards and two touchdowns and added 36 rushing yards and another score. His dual-threat capability will be central to Ole Miss’s attack against a formidable Georgia defense. The Bulldogs counter with their own efficient offense, led by quarterback Gunner Stockton. In Georgia’s most recent game, a 28-7 SEC championship victory over Alabama on Dec. 6, Stockton accounted for three touchdowns. The Bulldogs’ defense, which held the Crimson Tide to a single score, will be tasked with containing Chambliss and a Rebel offense averaging over 34 points per game. This marks the first CFP appearance for Ole Miss under coach Lane Kiffin. Georgia, under coach Kirby Smart, is making its fourth playoff appearance in six seasons, seeking its third national title in that span. The winner will advance to the national championship game on Jan. 12 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. EST, with television coverage on ESPN.