Peach Bowl: Can Ole Miss' defense contain a high-powered TCU offense?

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Ole Miss (9-3) vs. TCU (11-1)

Atlanta, Ga.

Dec. 31, 2014

Ole Miss and TCU weren’t really on the College Football Playoff radar when the season began. And yet here they are, squaring off in the first of six CFP bowl games – the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Ole Miss took a big step forward in year three under Hugh Freeze, finishing the regular season ranked No. 9 following an Egg Bowl win over rival Mississippi State. The Rebels’ 7-0 start included a huge win over Alabama that propelled them as high as No. 3 in the country. The season took a turn with back-to-back losses to LSU and Auburn and a shutout at the hands of Arkansas, but Freeze’s team rebounded and essentially knocked Mississippi State out of the College Football Playoff.

The Rebels’ offense was hot to start the season, but became inconsistent down the stretch, especially after star receiver LaQuon Treadwell went down with an injury in a 35-31 loss to Auburn. With Treadwell out, senior quarterback Bo Wallace threw four interceptions and only two touchdowns in the Rebels’ final three games. Overall, Wallace passed for 3,085 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on the season while also running for five scores.

On the other side of the ball, Ole Miss boasts the top scoring defense in the country that gave up only 13.8 points per game. The Rebels’ D faces a huge challenge against a TCU offense that put up 46.8 points and 332.8 yards per game en route to a 11-1 campaign and narrowly missing out on a playoff spot.

Junior Trevone Boykin transitioned to being a full-time quarterback and thrived. The speedy Boykin threw for 3,714 yards and 30 touchdowns while also running for 642 yards and eight additional scores. After B.J. Catalon was injured, Aaron Green stepped in admirably at running back and finished the regular season with 854 yards and eight touchdowns on just 111 carries (7.7 ypc). Josh Doctson was Boykin’s favorite target and can surpass the 1,000-yard plateau with 42 receiving yards against the Rebels. Kolby Listenbee (38 catches, 709 yards, 3 TDs), Deante’ Gray (34/564/8) and David Porter (36/377/3) also saw plenty of looks from Boykin this season.

The key matchup will be TCU’s deep receiving group against a stout Ole Miss secondary. Senior cornerback Senquez Golson was a consensus first-team All-America selection with nine interceptions while fellow corner Mike Hilton had three picks and led the team with 66 tackles. At safety, Cody Prewitt also earned his share of All-American honors.

They’ll need to turn in another big performance in order to contain TCU’s offense.

ODDS

Ole Miss (-3.5)

FUN FACT

In the first year with Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meacham’s air raid offense, TCU set single-season records for points, passing yards and total offense. The Horned Frogs scored 301 points in 12 games in 2013 (25.1 ppg). Coming into the Peach Bowl, the Horned Frogs have scored 562 points (46.8 ppg).

PREDICTIONS

Graham: TCU was left out of the College Football Playoff — through no fault of its own — but it still has a chance to show it's one of the nation's best programs and that it deserves to be among the elite. If TCU's offense gets clicking early, Ole Miss won't have the firepower to keep up. TCU 34, Ole Miss 21.

Nick: Ole Miss' defense is well-equipped to contain TCU's offense. But TCU's defense should win the matchup with Ole Miss' offense. Will Bo Wallace re-live the nightmare that was his first half in the season-opener at the Georgia Dome? TCU 24, Ole Miss 20.

Sam: TCU definitely feels disrespected after being left out of the College Football Playoff and the Horned Frogs will have a great chance to showcase that they are one of the four best teams in the country against a tough Ole Miss defense. TCU pulls away in the fourth quarter and wins. TCU 38, Ole Miss 24.

For more Ole Miss news, visit RebelGrove.com.

For more TCU news, visit PurpleMenace.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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