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The Peach Bowl has historically pitted the ACC against the SEC, providing such a matchup every year since 1993. This season, the Peach Bowl has been elevated into the “New Year’s Six” rotation of major bowl games. Atlanta will host a national semifinal game in its bowl once every three years, and in non-semifinal years like 2014, the Peach Bowl matchup will be set by the College Football Playoff Committee. This year’s contest may be the biggest iteration yet, featuring Big 12 co-champion No. 6 TCU and No. 9 Ole Miss out of the SEC, only the second Peach Bowl ever between top 10 teams – No. 10 LSU drubbed No. 9 Miami 40-3 in 2005.
TCU head coach Gary Patterson had a serious contender for the College Football Playoff, and his team may fight both apathy and complacency in what will undoubtedly be considered a letdown for his players. In the other corner, Hugh Freeze leads an Ole Miss team that capped an excellent 9-3 season with an Egg Bowl win over No. 7 Mississippi State. The Rebels have won 10 of their last 11 bowl games, and should not be taken lightly by the high-powered Horned Frogs.
TCU vs. Ole Miss will be billed as a classic matchup of offense vs. defense. Led by QB Trevone Boykin, the Horned Frogs boast a prolific offense that ranks second in the nation in points per game (46.8). How will the unstoppable force handle the immovable object that is the stingy Rebels’ defense? Ole Miss had the top scoring defense in all of college football, limiting opponents to just 13.8 points per game. If the underdog Rebels have a chance to upset mighty TCU, they need the scoring to remain in the teens or 20s.
Most of the hype for this game will revolve around those two nationally elite units in this game, but it may be won or lost with the matchup between the Rebel offense and the Horned Frog defense. Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace has been inconsistent his entire career, but has also been a major playmaker in many of the Rebels’ big wins. Since losing top WR Laquon Treadwell, Wallace struggled against Arkansas and Mississippi State, completing under 50 percent of his passes and throwing three interceptions without a TD pass. “Dr. Bo” will need a strong showing against a perplexing TCU defense. The Horned Frogs have acquitted themselves quite well against overmatched opponents, but there are enough albatross performances to question how strong the unit is.
On paper, TCU is the clear favorite and holds an advantage when either team holds the ball. Ole Miss needs to create a sloppy game. The Rebels must win the turnover battle and possess the ball effectively enough to keep the dynamic Boykin off the field. A solid offensive game with some big plays on defense and in the kicking game could be enough to spring the upset, but TCU probably has too much firepower to let Ole Miss hang around in the fourth quarter. One last x-factor that should be to the Rebels’ advantage is the crowd. Located within SEC country and just 330 miles of campus, the Ole Miss faithful should travel very well to Atlanta.
Prediction: TCU 30 – Ole Miss 20
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