Orange Bowl 2014: Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech Preview and Predictions

Both No. 7 Mississippi State and No. 12 Georgia Tech started the season unranked. They'll finish their seasons playing in the 2014 Orange Bowl just hours before the new year.

The 10-2 Bulldogs surprised in the final College Football Playoff rankings by leapfrogging Michigan State with both idle in Week 15, which sent the SEC school (instead of the Spartans) to Miami. But it's hard to argue Dan Mullen's squad doesn't deserve the shot. Its only losses this year were to Alabama and Ole Miss.

Georgia Tech—like so many others—nearly pulled off the upset over Florida State, but they failed to defeat the Seminoles in the ACC title game. The Yellow Jackets would probably still be here had they beat the Seminoles, but the close defeat will have them hungrier to start unpeeling those oranges after the game.

Either way, let's break down what you need to know heading into the game.

What: 2014 Capital One Orange Bowl

When: Wednesday, December 31

Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami

Start Time (ET): 8 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Odds (via Odds Shark): Mississippi State -7 (as of Dec. 7)

Orange Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech

Mississippi State's magical 2014 season wasn't lost in the CFP rankings despite two losses in a two-week span, as the Bulldogs head for an Orange Bowl matchup pegging two high-powered offenses.

Dak Prescott may have seen his Heisman campaign fade along with the Bulldogs' championship hopes, but the junior can still seal one of the best seasons in program history. 

The Mississippi State quarterback has already shattered most of the single-season school records, but his biggest tool can be a deceptively powerful running game. With a style similar to a Tim Tebow, he still puts up huge numbers, which David Hale of ESPN.com noted:

Paul Johnson's defense will have its hands full with Prescott and rusher Josh Robinson, but the coach has a pretty nifty offense of his own. And after four straight seasons with seven wins, the Yellow Jackets made a furious charge down the stretch to top Clemson and Georgia before a two-point defeat to the unbeaten Seminoles.

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Their triple-option has been shredding some decent competition as of late, racking up 331 yards on the ground against Florida State and one shy of 400 at Georgia. 

Understandably, Mullen and the Bulldogs hadn't done too much studying of the system they will be quickly refamiliarizing themselves with. But he did catch some of Tech's game Saturday and noted his son's key advice, as the (Northeast Mississippi) Daily Journal's Logan Lowery and the Starkville Daily News' Ben Wait shared:

Georgia Tech's offense is a freight train that the Bulldogs will be hard-pressed to stop, but they can look back to strong performances against Auburn and LSU to trust they can stand up against a physical rushing attack. Top NFL draft prospect and linebacker Benardrick McKinney has been on point as the defensive signal-caller all season, but he'll need to trust his fellow rushers to make the proper reads.

Prescott and Co. will inevitably put up the points against an average Georgia Tech defense, but the offense won't be able to afford the cold spells it is being more accustomed to if the Yellow Jackets pour it on them.

As told by Johnson's lobbying for an eight-team playoff after the ACC title loss, they're not the only team in this matchup that believed in its chances for a national title, and they should be intent on proving it against a top-caliber foe, per SiriusXM:

Prediction

The vaunted triple-option cannot be stopped; it can only be contained. And the Bulldogs are about to do just that.

Mississippi State's incredible depth on the defensive line and McKinney's instincts will force just enough punts to inevitably get Prescott into his groove. The Yellow Jackets won't have an answer for the Bulldogs' rushing attack, and Prescott will test the outside with De'Runnya Wilson enough to keep them honest.

Synjyn Days and Zach Laskey will make it respectable for Georgia Tech late, but the difference between these two teams will be apparent quite early.

Mississippi State 38, Georgia Tech 24