Bowl previews: New Year’s Six kicks off with three Top 25 showdowns
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 6 TCU
11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Georgia Dome, Atlanta
TV: ESPN
Records: Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3 SEC); TCU (11-1, 8-1 Big 12)
Key points: TCU didn’t have much time to lament dropping from No. 3 in the football playoff poll to No. 6 in the final week; the Horned Frogs had to begin preparations for a tough Ole Miss team that is No. 1 in the country with just 13.8 points allowed a game. TCU has the weapons to challenge the Rebles, starting at quarterback with junior Trevone Boykin, who has thrown for 3,714 yards and 30 touchdowns with just seven interceptions to go with 642 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. Running back Aaron Green has 854 rushing yards with eight scores for the Horned Frogs, who are No. 2 in the nation in scoring at 46.8 points a game. Multiple former local high school players will take the field Wednesday for TCU, including junior receiver Kolby Listenbee (38 catches for 709 yards and three touchdowns), who played at Arlington Bowie. The game could come down to which team can win the turnover battle. The Horned Frogs enter the game No. 2 in the nation in turnovers gained with 36 this year. Ole Miss has 28.
Vizio Fiesta Bowl
No. 20 Boise State vs. No. 10 Arizona
3 p.m. Wednesday, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
TV: ESPN
Records: Boise State (11-2, 7-1 Mountain West); Arizona (10-3, 7-2 Pac-12)
Key points: Boise State had early season losses to Ole Miss and Air Force but won eight straight games to finish this season and win the Mountain West title. The Broncos are playing in a bowl game for a 13th straight year, a streak that includes two thrilling Fiesta Bowl wins — a 17-10 victory against TCU to cap the 2009 season and a 43-42 overtime upset of Oklahoma on Jan. 1, 2007. Arizona survived a brutal conference schedule and played for the Pac-12 title, which ended in a 51-13 Oregon win (the Wildcats had beaten the Ducks earlier in the season). Linebacker Scooby Wright, Arizona’s top defender, has 153 total tackles, an incredible 28 for loss (14 sacks). Junior running back Jay Ajayi, who will leave school for the 2015 NFL draft, leads Boise State with 2,225 all-purpose yards and 29 total touchdowns.
Capital One Orange Bowl
No. 7 Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Georgia Tech
7 p.m. Wednesday, Sun Life Stadium, Miami
TV: ESPN
Records: Mississippi State (10-2, 6-2 SEC); Georgia Tech (10-3, 6-2 ACC)
Key points: Mississippi State entered its final three games undefeated and as the No. 1 team in the country with a chance to make the playoff. But a 1-2 finish, with road losses to Alabama and rival Ole Miss, knocked the Bulldogs out of the final four. Still, Mississippi State could finish with 11 wins for the first time in program history. Junior quarterback Dak Prescott, a Heisman candidate for much of the season, should top 3,000 passing and 1,000 rushing yards Wednesday and has 37 total touchdowns. Unlike the Bulldogs, Georgia Tech is coming off a close loss to No. 3 Florida State in the ACC Championship and a 30-24 overtime win against No. 13 Georgia the week before. The Yellow Jackets are No. 3 in the nation on the ground, averaging 333.6 rushing yards a game, led by quarterback Justin Thomas (1,594 passing yards, 965 rushing yards and 22 total TDs). Mississippi State is playing in the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1941. Georgia Tech, which lost its last Orange Bowl appearance to Iowa in 2009, is 4-0 all-time against the Bulldogs.
This story was originally published December 30, 2014 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Bowl previews: New Year’s Six kicks off with three Top 25 showdowns."