I will say this,if the Republicans, with the majority they now have, cannot change the Senate rules at or before a new Congress conveins, they may as well pack up and go home.
You can bet your a$$ if the Democrats, with the majority the Republicans now have, wanted to change the rules, they would get changed.
As I have said before and take no pride in saying again, Janet Reno has more ba77s than all the Republican Senators, excepting the ones newly elcted, combined. Sad, Sad,and Tragic.
There is no way to change the rules if a majority of the Senators don't want to do so, no matter what procedural tricks or tactics are tried. It doesn't matter if there are 100 Republican Senators; if 51 say no rules change, then there is no rule change no matter who is Majority Leader.