Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl 2014: Ole Miss vs. TCU TV Info, Spread, Time and More
A pair of former serious College Football Playoff contenders meet in Atlanta Wednesday for the 2014 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl as the Ole Miss Rebels take on the TCU Horned Frogs.
The Rebels and senior quarterback Bo Wallace are on the hunt to prove that three losses in five games to end the season is not how the globe should remember the roster.
All quarterback Trevone Boykin and the Horned Frogs want to do is send a message that the CFP committee got it wrong by punishing them for the Big 12's lack of a conference title game.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Those in charge of the bowls know what they are doing, though. Two teams with proverbial chips on their shoulders also happen to present opposing strengths, which births a war of wills observers will not want to miss Wednesday.
Something to Prove
TCU has every right to be upset.
The Horned Frogs took down Iowa State 55-3 to end the season, meaning the lone loss on the year was a 61-58 road affair against Baylor.
They still dropped from third to sixth in the rankings and missed the CFP.
Despite the slight, nothing short of positivity comes from the program.
"We feel like this is a playoff game," coach Gary Patterson said, per STATS LLC (via ESPN.com). "Ole Miss was as high as third in the nation, they play at a very high level."
It sure feels that way when one looks at how the TCU offense compares to the Ole Miss defense:
The Ole Miss defense experienced hiccups in losses to Auburn and Arkansas, but overall, the unit was downright dominant. The team took down Alabama 23-17 as Tide quarterback Blake Sims threw for 228 yards and a pick. It also took down Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl and held quarterback Dak Prescott to just 282 yards and a score.
On the flip side, TCU scored 30 or more points in all 12 games this year. Boykin and Co. scored 37 points on Oklahoma, 48 on Texas and 41 on Kansas State, to name a few.
There is much more at stake for the Horned Frogs than meets the eye, though. A win over an SEC opponent is great, as is arguable proof that the team should have been in the CFP. Grantland's Matt Hinton breaks it down:
"And if that number happens to come attached to a bowl win over a top-ranked, blue-chip SEC defense, then the Frogs will be very much in the running to open the season at no. 1, and Boykin will come in at or near the top of every Heisman short list. All we need to see first is just how high that ceiling goes outside of the shootout-friendly confines of the Big 12.
"
Both sides will need to leave comfort zones to spoil the other's plans.
Uncharted Territory
For Ole Miss, one man comes to mind when thinking about the challenge Boykin presents.
Johnny Manziel.
Defensive end C.J. Johnson explains the similarities, per Hugh Kellenberger of The Clarion-Ledger: "Johnny will sit in the pocket more than Trevone Boykin; he likes to get out of the pocket a little bit. They do a lot more with him in the run game than A&M did with Johnny. A lot of empty personnel. The way they run the football is kinda the same, but the way they do it in the offense is different."
It is not an understatement to suggest that Boykin is the biggest test Ole Miss will have faced all year. The junior completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 3,714 yards and 30 touchdowns, but he also ran for 642 yards and eight scores.
The respect is mutual, though.
As Austin Miller of OleMissSports.com captures, Boykin sounds as if he has yet to encounter a defense quite like the Rebels:
With plenty of prep time, which side wins the battle of strengths is quite difficult to discern.
Boykin can hurt teams in a number of ways, but Ole Miss already has strong performances against players, such as Prescott, on the resume.
It is almost as if those in charge wanted to create the best matchup possible.
When: Wednesday, December 31, 12:30 p.m. ET
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Television: ESPN
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 56.5
- Spread: TCU (-3.5)
Team Injury Reports
| Anthony Alford | S | 10/01/2014 | has left the team | Out | personal |
| Matt Brown | TE | 09/08/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | leg |
| Carlos Davis | CB | 08/15/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | knee |
| Collins Moore | WR | 10/22/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| Aaron Morris | G | 12/26/2014 | will miss the Peach Bowl Wednesday against TCU | Out | knee |
| Denzel Nkemdiche | LB | 10/27/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | ankle |
| Vince Sanders | WR | 12/26/2014 | will miss the Peach Bowl Wednesday against TCU | Out | knee |
| Tee Shepard | CB | 08/15/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | toe |
| Laquon Treadwell | WR | 11/02/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | fibula/ankle |
| B.J. Catalon | RB | 12/25/2014 | will miss the Peach Bowl Wednesday against Ole Miss | Out | shoulder |
| Devonte Fields | DE | 08/07/2014 | was dismissed from the team | Out | disciplinary |
| Matt Joeckel | QB | 10/27/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | leg |
| Kolby Listenbee | WR | 12/25/2014 | is questionable for the Peach Bowl Wednesday against Ole Miss | Questionable | concussion |
| Shaun Nixon | RB | 08/14/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
Injury reports per The Sports Network, via USA Today.
Prediction
In a tight contest such as this, it is only right to defer to the men under center.
Boykin is one of the nation's most electric players. Wallace, while good, has thrown 11 picks on the year and showed in a 30-0 loss to Arkansas with his two interceptions that he can drag the team down with poor play.
After all, it is not like TCU struggles on the defensive side of things. An 18th ranking nationally after a schedule in the Big 12 is quite the accomplishment, so look for the more complete team with a better player under center to pull out the victory.
Prediction: TCU 28, Ole Miss 24
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
