CFB Blitz: Takeaways from epic Miami-Ole Miss clash

College Football Blitz recaps the most important developments from the College Football Playoff semifinal games and examines their significance moving forward.

Beck delivers in the moment

It was 361 days ago that Carson Beck announced he was withdrawing from the NFL draft and transferring from Georgia to Miami. The price tag was a reported $3.2 million - second only to Duke's Darian Mensah among quarterbacks. Beck's been steady, but unspectacular, thus far in the Hurricanes' season, but the game-winning drive against Ole Miss was proof the money was well spent by Miami.

Down by three with 3:13 to play, Beck took the Canes 75 yards in 15 plays before delivering an all-time Miami moment to send the team back to the national title game for the first time since 2003.

Beck was clutch with a laser over the middle to convert a crucial 3rd-and-10 on Ole Miss' 35-yard line. That kept the drive going with the potential of a game-winning touchdown instead of a tying field goal - a critical situation considering Trinidad Chambliss had spent the 4th quarter lighting up the Miami defense. Another 11-yard completion to set up 1st-and-goal, and all that was left was Beck's walk-in touchdown.

Look, it's neither pretty nor comfortable most of the time with Beck. He spent a large part of the contest giving Miami fans heart palpations with numerous near-interceptions. A lot of his work is done on quick outs or screen passes to avoid throwing into coverage down the field. That can limit the passing attack, but when Malachi Toney is one of your receivers, a 3-yard pass can become a 36-yard touchdown real quick.

But, when Beck was needed the most, he stepped up and played like the extremely experienced player he is. An unflappable face in the biggest situation of the season was exactly what Mario Cristobal - not exactly the calmest man on the sideline - needed in the moment. Beck gave him that and sent the Canes home to play for a long-awaited national title.

You can't shake this Ole Miss team

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson made the catchphrase "It doesn't matter!" famous during his legendary wrestling career. While he played his college football for Miami, it's Ole Miss' attitude during its playoff run that can best be described by those words.

We won't re-litigate Lane Kiffin's choice to leave for a conference rival before the playoff and take a number of assistants with him. Sure, he loaned a number of those coaches back, but they have been pulling double duty flying back and forth between Baton Rouge and Oxford the past week. That left Pete Golding in a position he'd never been before - head football coach. Yep, a reminder that Golding's first game as the boss came in the playoffs.

"It doesn't matter."

How about a 21-12 half-time deficit to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl - a team that had already beat you once this season?

"It doesn't matter."

A large portion of Thursday's game evolved into a "Boys vs. Men" type of match, with Miami imposing its will throughout. The Hurricanes had run the ball 41 different times through three quarters, while the Rebels had executed a total of just 37 plays. The time of possession looked like someone was fudging the math - an absurd 33:50 to 11:10 advantage for Miami.

"It doesn't matter."

An electric fourth quarter from both teams gave us an incredible show - and once again Ole Miss rose to the occasion thanks to Chambliss. With star running back Kewan Lacy hobbled, the D-II transfer recaptured the superhero role we've grown accustomed to. Chambliss led an 86-yard field goal drive, and then answered a Miami touchdown in style, taking Ole Miss 75 yards down the field for a go-ahead touchdown.

Surely, Miami's go-ahead touchdown with just 18 seconds to play was enough to finish the job and end the season for even the most resilient group in the country, right?

It almost doesn't matter.

Chambliss somehow drove the Rebels into Hail Mary range in 18 seconds for one final prayer at a victory. While it ultimately fell short, not one person out there will hold Ole Miss in anything but the highest regard for its incredible run.

This may have been the team that Kiffin built, but the attitude shown by the Rebels throughout the playoff was a unique brand that shows the page is officially turned to the Golding era.

Miami tried so hard to lose this game

For all the success Mario Cristobal has had in his coaching career - both with Miami and beyond - he still has a lingering reputation for dropping games his team really had no business losing. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, if you will.

It looked like that was once again happening in the Fiesta Bowl for very large stretches, with television cutaways to incredibly-stressed Miami fans coming fast and furious. It was certainly a shock coming off the heels of a virtually flawless performance against Ohio State last week.

The second half was a penalty and mistake-filled 30 minutes of football, that will now be long in the rearview after the dramatic win. Well, after you read this, of course.

The first thing that puzzled in the second half was one of the most inexplicable flea-flicker plays we've seen. Miami was moving the ball at will down the field to begin the half, reaching the Ole Miss 34-yard line after a 19-yard bruising run. One would think another running play over the tired and bruised Rebels defense would be the call. Nope! How about a flea-flicker that turned into a disastrous intentional grounding penalty leading to a missed field goal.

The next drive featured another crucial penalty that took a 3rd-and-3 into a 3rd-and-8 and forced a passing attempt to convert deep in Ole Miss territory. The result: a tipped pass that ended with an interception. Two very successful drives to open the second half that resulted in a total of zero points.

Two crucial 15-yard penalties - one for targeting and one for a late hit - helped sustain the next Ole Miss drive that eventually led to a touchdown. The targeting one seemed questionable, but there was no doubt on the late hit. Those were two of ten penalties on the night for a whopping 74 yards for Miami.

It didn't bite them on Thursday, but a return to the mistake-free football we saw versus Ohio State will be needed to win the national title.