Ole Miss couldn’t have asked for a better bowl assignment.

The No. 12 Rebels (9-3) will enjoy a relatively short trip to New Orleans for an 8:30 PM ET New Year’s Day date with No. 16 Oklahoma State (10-2) at the Sugar Bowl.

It’s a convenient, fun-filled location for Rebels fans. And a matchup against a team that finished with two losses after entertaining national championship hopes most of the season.

It’s an opportunity for the Rebels to redeem themselves against a Big 12 team. They were embarrassed in a 42-3 loss to Texas Christian in last season’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

The Rebels, who have a chance to win 10 games for the second time in history, were close to getting a chance for direct revenge. TCU is higher ranked than Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys won the head-to-head matchup of the teams — the Big 12 tiebreaker for the Sugar Bowl assignment.

Ole Miss will take the SEC’s spot in New Orleans because conference champion Alabama was selected for the College Football Playoff. The Rebels, who dealt the Crimson Tide its only loss, were chosen over East Division champion Florida, which beat the Rebels 38-10 before losing QB Will Grier.

The Rebels have the premier passing game in the SEC. Transfer Chad Kelly has thrown for 3,740 yards and 27 touchdowns, completing 65.2 percent of his passes.

Laquon Treadwell has 1,082 yards and 8 TDs on 76 catches. Three other Ole Miss targets have more than 500 yards in receptions.

The Rebels have other stars as well. Offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche join Treadwell as possible first-round NFL Draft choices this spring.

But Ole Miss won’t have DB Tony Conner or DE Fadol Brown, scheduled for postseason surgery.

Ole Miss is an impressive 23-13 in bowl games. Last season’s loss broke the Rebels’ six-game postseason winning streak.

Oklahoma State threw for 4,288 yards and 34 TDs behind quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and J.W. Walsh. James Washington caught 52 passes for 1,077 yards and 10 TDs.