Orange Bowl 2014: TV Info, Odds, Predictions for Mississippi State-Georgia Tech

Just add Mississippi State to Georgia Tech's tab. 

The Yellow Jackets are preparing for the Bulldogs and the 2014 Orange Bowl in what will be their fourth straight game against a ranked foe and third consecutive game against a Top 10 opponent. Georgia Tech knocked off Clemson and Georgia but lost a heartbreaker in the ACC Championship Game to Florida State.

This season's Orange Bowl is a fascinating matchup because both teams were unranked at the start of the season. However, Mississippi State climbed all the way to No. 1 while Georgia Tech reached its conference title game and almost knocked off the defending champs when it got there.

Here is a look at the essential information for the showdown.

Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech

Date: Dec. 31

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN 

Odds: Mississippi State -7.5 (via Odds Shark, as of Tuesday at 11:30 p.m. ET)

Preview/Prediction

As with any bowl that isn't directly tied to a potential national championship, the motivation factor has to be considered.

Mississippi State was potentially one win away from reaching the College Football Playoff but lost to Ole Miss in the season finale. Georgia Tech is also certainly dealing with some disappointment after losing to Florida State in ACC Championship Game, but it was never a real threat to reach the Top Four.

A selection committee bowl has always been the ceiling for the Yellow Jackets. 

Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com discussed Mississippi State's potential motivation heading into the Orange Bowl:

"

As we saw throughout the season, Mississippi State's psyche does make a difference. It did in the run-up to being ranked No. 1, and it did on the downslide out of the playoff picture. So which team will show up in the bowl game? Will it be the one full of two-star recruits doing everything it can to prove itself? Or will it be the team that thinks it should be in a bigger, better game? That's up to coach Dan Mullen and the rest of the staff to decide. After losing so badly to Ole Miss, there should be a sense of wanting to show that they are better than that. But that was the case entering the Egg Bowl too.

"

The first thing Mississippi State will have to worry about in this matchup is Georgia Tech's unique triple-option offense. The Bulldogs have not faced a similar system all season, and it is impossible to completely prepare for Georgia Tech's precision, misdirection and speed.

The Yellow Jackets were No. 3 in the country with 333.6 rushing yards per game this year and found the end zone on the ground 41 times.

Quarterback Justin Thomas led the team with 965 rushing yards while Zach Laskey added 788 rushing yards of its own. Synjyn Days and Charles Perkins are also formidable threats on the ground.

What's more, Georgia Tech didn't just rack up those numbers against weak competition. It finished with 331 rushing yards against Florida State and 399 against Georgia.

Mississippi State's front seven is the strength of its defense, though. It allowed a measly 11 rushing touchdowns all season and gave up 3.7 yards per carry on the year, per cfbstats.com. The Bulldogs have the strength to stuff the middle against the option and the speed to funnel outside plays back to the inside.

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

The problem is, that defensive production came against mostly traditional rushing attacks in the SEC, and Georgia Tech's triple-option style has given stout defensive fronts fits all year (see the Florida State and Georgia games).

Mississippi State will counter with quarterback Dak Prescott, who wowed Bulldogs fans with 24 passing touchdowns, 13 rushing touchdowns and 327.9 yards of total offense per game.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson is aware of Prescott's presence already, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, via ABCNews.com:

"Everybody knows about Dak Prescott and what he's done," Johnson said. "I know that they were ranked No. 1 in the country for about three or four weeks there. Tremendous team, some outstanding individual players and a lot of respect for what they've done there."

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Prescott was the main reason the Bulldogs finished 15th in the nation in points per game at 37.2 although they struggled in three of their last four SEC games. Mississippi State finished with 17 points against Ole Miss, 20 against Alabama and 17 against Arkansas. Georgia Tech's defense is vulnerable, though, and finished 52nd in the country in points allowed per game.

Prescott and running back Josh Robinson should get the running game going and give the Bulldogs an early lead. Mississippi State was 20th in the nation in rushing yards per game, and Georgia Tech allowed 5.1 yards per carry this season.

That early lead will be a problem for the Yellow Jackets because they are not built to come from behind with the passing game, especially now that leading receiver DeAndre Smelter is out with a torn ACL.

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

What's more, this game will fly by with two of the nation's best rushing attacks going at it, which will keep the clock running. Mississippi State's early lead and the ability of Prescott and Robinson to keep the ball away from Georgia Tech's dominant rushing offense will be the key to the game.

The Yellow Jackets will have to rely on the passing attack down the stretch, and Mississippi State's defense will come through with a final stop. 

Prediction: Mississippi State 31, Georgia Tech 28

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