For the first time in program history, the Penn State Nittany Lions are headed to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl as a part of this season's New Year's Six bowl slate. James Franklin and company will take on Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss in Mercedez-Benz Stadium on December 30th at Noon ET.
Happy Valley Insider takes a look at the initial key storylines on the heels of the announcement.
Add another New Year's Six bowl to the resume:
When Penn State and Ole Miss do battle on December 30th, it will mark the first time the Nittany Lions will have played in one of the premiere postseason bowls in its existence. It will also complete Penn State's quest to play in every New Year's Six bowl game in the program's storied history. The Nittany Lions have won each of the other five bowls, and will look to secure the sixth and final later this month in Atlanta.
James Franklin has also found success getting the Nittany Lions to New Year's Six bowls since he arrived in Happy Valley in 2014. Franklin will look to move his record to 4-1 in such games, currently riding a three-game winning streak, with victories in the Rose Bowl (2022), Cotton Bowl (2019) and Fiesta Bowl (2017) already on his resume. With a win Franklin would also move into the top 50 all-time in bowl wins as a head coach with seven. He currently has all-time time record of 6-5 in bowl games, going 4-4 at Penn State.
Rebels looking for a record season in Oxford:
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has brought loads of success to Oxford since taking over in 2020, securing his second 10 win campaign in four seasons with the Rebels. The program will look to take another step at the expense of Penn State, however. Ole Miss has won 10 games on nine separate occasions, but has never reached 11 wins in a single-season.
That will be the goal against the Nittany Lions late this month.
The Rebels have been ranked inside the AP Top 25 (and College Football Playoff rankings) all season, reaching as high as 10th in the CFP rankings in early November. They suffered a similar fate to the Nittany Lions this year, falling to two of the best teams in the country for their pair of defeats in 2023. Ole Miss has only lost to now top four Alabama and the two-time defending National Champions, Georgia.
Along the way, Kiffin and company secured notable victories over Tulane and LSU, along with bowl-bound teams Texas A&M, Auburn, and Georgia Tech en route to their 10-win season.
How will opt-outs leave the status of rosters?
During the 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Selection Press Conference, Lane Kiffin shared that Ole Miss does not expect any opt-outs for its battle with Penn State. On paper, it looks like Nittany Lions won't have such luck in that department.
A number of Nittany Lions could head off to commence their NFL Draft preparation before Penn State ends its season on December 30th. Two top candidates to do so are star left tackle Olu Fashanu and defensive end Chop Robinson, both of whom are projected to be first round picks next spring. Penn State's other NFL Draft prospects include defensive end Adisa Isaac, cornerback Kalen King, tight end Theo Johnson and linebacker Curtis Jacobs.
Opt-outs have a yearly impact on bowl games in today's college football, and those potential early departures for Penn State may alter the Peach Bowl before it even begins. James Franklin told reporters on Sunday that some of those conversations are still ongoing between the coaching staff, players and their parents, and did not identify anyone that would not be with the team for the bowl game.
Notable Ole Miss Rebels to know:
Jaxson Dart: Quarterback
2023 stats: 2,985 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions on 65.4% passing. 111 rushing attempts, 375 yards and seven touchdowns.
Quinshon Judkins: Running back
2023 stats: 1,052 rushing yards on 237 attempts (4.4 average) with 15 touchdowns (all team-highs). 21 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown.
Tre Harris: Wide receiver
2023 stats: 47 catches, 851 yards (team-high) and eight touchdowns (team-high)
Trey Washington: Defensive back
2023 stats: 75 total tackles (team-high) with two tackles for loss and three interceptions (team-high).
Ashanti Cistrunk: Linebacker
2023 stats: 68 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception.
Jared Ivey: Defensive end
2023 stats: 41 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks (both team-highs).
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