Peach Bowl predictions: Our picks for Penn State vs. Ole Miss
Will Penn State’s top-ranked defense hold back high-powered Ole Miss?
ATLANTA — Penn State and Mississippi meet for the first time ever Saturday, which seems like a ridiculous phrase in 2023, considering the long history of each program.
The stage: the 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
It’s No. 10 Penn State’s top-ranked defense against the high-powered offense of the No. 11 Rebels.
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Neither team will have its complete roster at its disposal because of a mixture of transfer portal departures, NFL opt-outs, and draft prospects who likely will be on snap counts.
It makes predicting the outcome of games like this pretty difficult, but we’re going to try anyway. Here’s how we see Saturday’s Peach Bowl (noon, ESPN) playing out at Mercedes-Benz Stadium:
Jeff Neiburg
Penn State surrendered just 223.2 yards of offense during the regular season, the best in Division I. The closest team to the Nittany Lions was Michigan, at 239.7 yards allowed.
When there’s a game like this, with question marks surrounding how many snaps key players will play, lean on the better defense to figure out a way to win.
Sure, Penn State’s offense and defense are being coached by interim coordinators. But those coaches have been on staff for years. It’s not like they’re trying to figure out new schemes on the fly. There’s enough continuity on James Franklin’s team to give the Nittany Lions a slight edge in what probably will be a pretty close game.
Prediction: Penn State 20, Ole Miss 17
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Seth Engle
Ole Miss and Penn State could both use a win in the Peach Bowl to rev up some momentum ahead of a 2024 season both will enter with College Football Playoff expectations.
The Nittany Lions have defined themselves as one of the nation’s top defenses. But how will they fare without defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, who took the Duke head coaching job, and star defensive end Chop Robinson?
It’s likely Franklin’s program has enough in the tank to pull off a victory against a Rebels defense that doesn’t closely resemble the defenses Penn State struggled against in losses to Ohio State and Michigan.
Prediction: Penn State 27, Ole Miss 21
Zach Allen
The buzz heading into the Peach Bowl was Penn State’s defense against Ole Miss’ offense, and that stereotype will remain true.
The Rebels like to use tempo to wear opposing defenses down and allow less time for substitutions. However, against a high-caliber defense like Penn State’s that only allows 11.42 points per game, Ole Miss won’t be able to find success just by playing fast.
The Nittany Lions will be without starting cornerback Johnny Dixon, which is good news for the Rebels’ wide receivers. Still, Penn State’s defense, coached by interim defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter, will be able to hold Ole Miss’ offense long enough for Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions’ offense to score enough points to prevent a program-record 11th win for the Rebels.
Prediction: Penn State 30, Ole Miss 24