Orange Bowl 2014: Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech Schedule, Early Predictions

The Orange Bowl has long been one of college football's most coveted postseason venues, and that trend continues with the introduction of the College Football Playoff. This contest won't yield a national champion this year, but it will feature two of the nation's best teams as one of the New Year's Six games.

We received quite a show when the Orange Bowl last took place, on Jan. 3, as Ohio State's Braxton Miller and Clemson's Tajh Boyd lit up the scoreboard, combining for 10 total touchdowns in a 40-35 victory for the Tigers.

So, which two teams will face off in this prestigious bowl game? College GameDay tweeted the answer:

With the prolific offenses of Mississippi State and Georgia Tech set to compete, expectations are high once again. Here's a look at the contest's complete viewing information to ensure not a moment of excitement is missed.

Viewing Information

When: Wednesday, Dec. 31

Where: Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Channel: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Preview and Prediction

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Mississippi State is coming off a devastating 31-17 loss to Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. That defeat ended the Bulldogs' hopes of participating in the inaugural College Football Playoff, forcing the team to enter bowl season surrounded by uncertainty. Well, a trip to the Orange Bowl isn't a bad consolation prize.

Although, the Bulldogs' berth in this contest came as a bit of a surprise after jumping Michigan State in the rankings, via Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports:

Quarterback Dak Prescott has been Mississippi State's catalyst this season, passing for 2,996 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and adding 939 rushing yards and 13 scores. He's even reeled in two receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown, making him an all-around weapon.

Prescott is complemented nicely by running back Josh Robinson. The junior ball-carrier runs with a punishing style, and he's racked up 1,128 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry along the way.

The duo of Prescott and Robinson led the Bulldogs to rank 20th in the nation in rushing offense. They'll have plenty of chances for success against a Georgia Tech defense that ranks 69th in the nation against the run and allowed 23 rushing touchdowns this season.

Georgia Tech's triple-option is one of the most feared attacks in college football. Quarterback Justin Thomas makes extremely smart, quick decisions, putting his offense in great position to gain chunks of yardage at a time. Thomas combines with senior running back Zach Laskey to form the nation's third-ranked run defense.

Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, they aren't much of a passing team, ranking 122nd in the nation due to a limited number of attempts per game. Mississippi State's greatest weakness is its 122nd-ranked secondary that allows an average of 285.2 yards per game through the air. 

While the Yellow Jackets can put up some points, their defense has been inconsistent throughout the season, allowing more than 30 points to three unranked teams in Georgia Southern, Duke and North Carolina. That's not a good sign when they are slated to face a very well-rounded Mississippi State offense.

If Prescott and Co. get out to a big lead, Georgia Tech will be forced to rely on the pass. Even against a porous Bulldogs secondary, the Yellow Jackets are at a disadvantage with a quarterback who has completed only 89 passes this season. The advantage on both sides of the ball goes to Mississippi State.  

Prediction: Mississippi State 42, Georgia Tech 28

All team statistics and rankings courtesy of NCAA.com and current as of December 7.