Ole Miss Football: Peach Bowl preview vs Penn State

Ole Miss will compete in their third Peach Bowl this Saturday, taking on Penn State in Atlanta, Georgia. What can we expect from one of the best teams from the Big Ten Conference?

The 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will be the first time Ole Miss and Penn State have met in college football.

Penn State come into their first Peach Bowl appearance with a 10-2 record, mirroring how Ole Miss finished their regular season. Just like the Rebels, the Nittany Lions had two losses against the best two teams from their respective conference. Firstly, losing to Ohio State by eight points, then to the Big Ten champions Michigan.

They have played third fiddle to both teams in the Big Ten East for several seasons. However, Penn State are still a dangerous team under head coach James Franklin.

With several talented Nittany Lions heading to the NFL Draft and the transfer portal, a few names will be missing on the roster. The biggest non-participant will be defensive end Chop Robinson. A 2022 transfer from Maryland, Robinson will likely be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Penn State will also be without a handful of second and third-string players who have entered the transfer portal.

Two other first-round draft calibre players who are trending to suit up Saturday are offensive tackle Olu Fashanu and cornerback Kalen King. Both players have been reported to be in team training ahead of the game. They will join tight end Theo Johnson, who has confirmed he will feature on Saturday.

Penn State was a top-25 team in the FBS for rushing offensive rushing yards per game. They averaged 186.7 rush yards per game, the most in the Big Ten. The run game is spearheaded by two talented sophomore running backs, Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton.

Another player who is about to end his second season at Penn State is quarterback Drew Allar. The highly touted 2022 recruit threw 23 touchdowns with just one interception. His pass completion was just above 60% for the season, which will have to improve in the Peach Bowl.

Although Penn State have never played Ole Miss, they have a middle-of-the-road record over other SEC teams. The Rebels are unbeaten against LSU and South Carolina while having winning records over four other SEC teams. They have not faired well against Alabama, with a 5-10 record over the years. Their overall record against SEC teams as of today is 25-24.

It will be a tough match on Saturday for Ole Miss as they look for their second bowl win under Lane Kiffin. A victory would make it 11 wins for the Rebels and the most in a season in program history.