2023 Peach Bowl Preview: Ole Miss vs. Penn State،
The Big Ten and SEC will only get stronger next season when the whole college football realignment takes shape, so think of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl as a New Year's Six Bowl preliminary for the 2024 season between two teams looking to break into the championship. conflicts in their respective conferences.
For James Franklin and Penn State, it's a chance to win 11 games for the second straight season. This would be the fifth time in the last eight seasons that the Nittany Lions have won 11 games. Granted, Penn State fans aren't thrilled with the 2-8 record against Michigan and Ohio State over the last five seasons, but winning 11 games (as a member of the Big Ten) is never anything something to take for granted.
For Ole Miss, a victory would give the Rebels their first 11-win season in school history. Lane Kiffin has guided Ole Miss to 10 regular season wins in two of the last three years. Knocking out a top-10 Penn State team in a New Year's Six bowl game would only solidify the work Kiffin has done to make Ole Miss nationally relevant.
No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Penn State
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
When: Saturday, December 30, noon ET
Or: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
How to watch: ESPN and the ESPN app
Opening line: Penn State -3.5
Key player: QB Jaxson Dart
When Ole Miss went out in the offseason and brought in transfer quarterbacks Spencer Sanders from Oklahoma State and Walker Howard from LSU, questions arose about the strength of Dart's grip on the starting quarterback job . He answered those questions pretty quickly as he continued his first season at Ole Miss after leaving USC with a 2023 season that easily ranked him among the top quarterbacks in the SEC. Dart finished 11th nationally with a passer rating of 161.8 and joined LSU's Jayden Daniels as only two SEC quarterbacks with more than 2,900 passing yards and more than 300 rushing yards.
X Factor: RB Quinshon Judkins
After leading the SEC as a freshman, Judkins' production declined this season. But after a slow start, he came into play in the second half of the season and eclipsed the 1,000 rushing yard mark for the second straight season. He rushed for over 100 yards in five of his final eight games to finish with 1,052 yards and 15 touchdowns. He gives the Rebels the kind of go-to running back who can wear down a defense and make it think twice before paying too much attention to Ole Miss' passing game.
How Ole Miss wins: Balance, balance and balance on offense
Penn State is talented, fast and physical on defense. The Nittany Lions have held nine of their 12 opponents to 15 points or fewer. The Rebels need to be able to mix things up on offense, and with Judkins playing his best football, that should make it more difficult for the Nittany Lions to charge the pass. Dart's ability to run and scramble should also pay off in this matchup. Penn State is third nationally in rushing defense and allows just 2.16 yards per carry. The Rebels can't be predictable on offense, which they never really are under Kiffin, and will need to make big plays and win the turnover battle. — Chris Low
Key player: RB Nicholas Singleton
Singleton, a sophomore who finished 57th overall in the 2022 ESPN 300, recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of the season (118 yards) in a 42-0 win over Michigan State on the 24th. november. Singleton (702 rushing yards and eight touchdowns) and fellow sophomore Kaytron Allen (851 rushing yards and six touchdowns) provided a dynamic one-two punch for an offense that averaged 186.7 rushing yards per game (24th in the country). And Singleton and the Nittany Lions offensive line — led by potential first-round pick Olumuyiwa Fashanu — should be ready to take on an Ole Miss defense that has given up 151.9 rushing yards per game (67th nationally) and was nicked by Georgia. to the tune of 300 yards during a 52-17 rout in Athens on November 11.
X Factor: QB Drew Allar
Allar entered the program with great fanfare (No. 51 overall in the 2022 ESPN 300) and had big shoes to fill as Sean Clifford eventually moved on. Allar (2,336 passing yards and 23 touchdowns) took good care of the football, throwing just one interception. Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich was fired a day after losing to Michigan because the passing game (204.3 YPG; 91st in the FBS) hadn't produced enough all season. Allar hasn't thrown for more than 300 yards since the season opener against West Virginia. The Nittany Lions need to collectively find more explosive plays through the air. There could be chances for Allar, receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith and tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren as Mississippi's defense gives up 220 passing yards per game (60th nationally).
How Penn State wins: Limit Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins
Manny Diaz's defense leads the country in total defense (223.3 YPG) and is third in rushing defense (69.7 YPG). These good numbers allowed Penn State to control the line of scrimmage for most of the season. Blake Corum's 145-yard day on Nov. 11 in Michigan's 24-15 win was really the only exception where the Nittany Lions defense really struggled at the point of attack. Judkins (1,052 yards and 15 touchdowns) followed up his tremendous freshman campaign with another strong year, leading the SEC in rushing scores for a second straight season. Not allowing Judkins to consistently work his way into the second level of the defense and putting more responsibility on Jaxson Dart's shoulders could be paramount. — Blake Baumgartner
