Peach Buzz: Challenge Awaits

ATLANTA – Both No. 11 Ole Miss and No. 10 Penn State will face unique challenges on Saturday when they meet for the 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Penn State brings the No. 1 defense in the nation to Atlanta and will put its defensive resume on the line against an uptempo SEC offense, one the Nittany Lions said is unlike any they have seen this season.

For Ole Miss, the Rebels will have to take down a blueblood program to earn a program-record 11th win and show that they'll be a force to be reckoned with when the College Football Playoff expands next season.

"Penn State and Coach Franklin, they've been doing this for a long time," Kiffin said. "I think I read something where they are the only team that could win all of them, all the New Year's Six bowls. We're kind of new to this. That's a big challenge."

The biggest challenge in beating the Nittany Lions: finding a way to score on the No. 1 total defense in college football. PSU will do so with a new defensive and offensive coordinators. But while on the surface that looks to be an advantage for the Rebels, the analytical Kiffin doesn't see it that way.

"The first assumption is, oh, that's great for the opponent because the coordinator is not there, but it's also complicated because play callers have tendencies," Kiffin said. "So we don't know really what to expect. We know it's a major challenge of phenomenal players and a really good scheme. I don't think the coach matters as a play caller. Under Coach Franklin, the defense plays really hard regardless of who the coordinator is. They have a special thing over there with the way that they play and the style that they play. So this is a huge challenge."

Defense is certainly the identity of the Penn State football team, but the Ole Miss defense isn't taking the Nittany Lion offense lightly. Led by the No. 1 QB in the 2022 high school class, Drew Allar, and a talented two-headed rushing attack, Penn State will present challenges on both sides of the ball.

"I think he does a phenomenal job of taking care of the ball, first off, and commanding the offense, getting the ball in the right place," Kiffin said of Allar. "When it is not there, breaks it down, does a great job of vertical scrambling and making plays and moving the sticks. So those guys are always challenging because they're going to win a lot of games by the style that they play."

While the styles of play and program building philosophies have differed vastly, the roads Ole Miss and Penn State have taken to Atlanta have been similar. Both sit at 10-2, and their losses are to perhaps the four most talented teams in college football: Georgia and Alabama for Ole Miss and Michigan and Ohio State for Penn State.

"I think that it's been a really exciting season for us, probably some similarities with two losses to two of the elite teams in college football. For us to be in a position in our program, having never won 11 games is really amazing for these players," Kiffin said.

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN. Check out our fan info and game preview to get ready for gameday.

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Don't miss any of the action in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in 2024. Fans interested in 2024 football tickets can join our ticket interest list to be the first to know when tickets are available, and to enter the Party in the Sip Sweepstakes. One lucky winner will receive a VIP package for the home opener on August 31. The VIP package includes a premium tailgate experience, participation in the Walk of Champions, two sideline passes, and two field suite tickets.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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