Roman Harper says Ole Miss is only going forward under Pete Golding
Published:
The Ole Miss dream season met a painful end on Thursday night. Unfortunately, no matter how many people say there should have been a flag on what wound up being the Rebels’ final play of the Fiesta Bowl, they’ll still be at home for this year’s College Football Playoff National Championship.
However, SEC Network’s Roman Harper believes this run should give Ole Miss optimism about what’s to come under Pete Golding.
“I think it’s an exciting time to have Pete Golding,” Harper said on SEC Nation following the Rebels’ game against Miami. “They’re not going backwards. They’re only going forward.”
While Harper did express confidence going into 2026, he acknowledged there’s no guarantee the Rebels return to this stage next year.
“You get to go on this journey. The sad part about it is, you don’t get to just hit the reset button and start all over right here again,” Harper said. “You’ve got to earn it all the way back again. You’ve got to be healthy [and] have a lot of things go your way.”
Ole Miss overcame immense adversity to come a play away from the National Championship game. Lane Kiffin’s dismissal of the school’s ability to win a national championship, though, is a powerful motivator. If the Rebels can harness the desire to prove themselves capable/Kiffin wrong, they may be back sooner than anyone expects.
Ole Miss will begin its 2026 campaign against Louisville in Nashville on Sept. 5.
