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Penn State football and Ole Miss football are in similar boats as they get ready to square off in the Peach Bowl on Saturday. Both the Nittany Lions and the Rebels were near the top of their conference standings this season, but they fell just short of the conference title game. Both Penn State and Ole Miss have been in this position for a few years now, and they are trying to get over that hump. They are both hungry to pick up win number 11 and end the season on a high note.
When and where is the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl?
Penn State football will take on Ole Miss football on Saturday, December 30th at 12 p.m. ET. The game will be at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
How to watch Penn State vs. Ole Miss
ESPN will be broadcasting the game, but you can also watch it using fuboTV.
Date: Saturday, Dec. 30 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia
TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Odds: Penn State -4.5 | O/U 49.5
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl storylines
The Peach Bowl between Penn State and Ole Miss should be a good one. This is a matchup between two very similar teams from two of the best conferences in the country. This is a New Year's Six bowl game, so it's one of the top bowls in the country, and the winner of this game will enter the offseason with momentum. Let's take a look at some notable Penn State news in terms of players opting out.
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In any non-CFP bowl game, opt outs play a major role. The Peach Bowl is a great bowl game, but for players going to the NFL, it could be in their best interest to sit out and not risk getting injured. Winning this game would be great, but at the end of the day, it doesn't really mean that much.
Penn State is looking pretty good in the opt out department. Quarterback Drew Allar will be back next year, so he will be playing. Star tight end Theo Johnson decided that he will play one final game for the Nittany Lions before departing. Adisa Isaac is also going to the NFL, but he will be playing. There are some opt outs, for example Chop Robinson will not be playing in the game, but for the most part, Penn State is in good shape.
One part of the Peach Bowl to pay attention to is the Penn State football defense. The Nittany lions have had one of the best defenses in the country all season long, but after the regular season ended, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz took the head coaching job at Duke. The Nittany Lions will not have him for the Peach Bowl.
This seems like it would be an advantage for Ole Miss football, but Lane Kiffin actually noted that it could make things difficult for their offense. The Rebels don't know what Penn State is going to throw at them now that Diaz is gone, so that creates a challenge in terms of preparation.
Peach Bowl history
The Peach Bowl is one of the best bowl games in college football, and the reason is that it is a New Year's Six game. New Year's Six games are known as the marquee bowl games, and they currently rotate as College Football Playoff semifinal games. When the format goes to 12 teams next season, they will be part of the playoff each season. The other games are the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl.
In 1968, the first ever Peach Bowl game was played, and it has been played every year since then. The bowl game was briefly called the Chick-Fil-A bowl from 2006-2013, but the Peach Bowl name came back when the game became part of the College Football Playoff rotation.
This is Penn State's first time in the Peach Bowl, and it is the third ever appearance for Ole Miss.
