Updated Ole Miss vs. Penn State odds: Peach Bowl point spread
On Saturday, Ole Miss and Penn State will go head-to-head in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. According to FanDuel, the Nittany Lions are 4.5-point favorites in the matchup. The over/under for the meeting is set at 48.5 points.
How to watch Ole Miss vs. Penn State
Time: Noon ET — Dec. 30
Channel: ESPN, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, GA
Ole Miss will enter the Peach Bowl riding high after winning 10 games in the regular season. The only two losses for the Rebels came against Alabama and Georgia, though the latter game wasn’t particularly competitive.
While Ole Miss has no shortage of talent, it will be without senior defensive end Cedric Johnson on Saturday. After declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft, Johnson opted to not play in the bowl game. Johnson was pivotal upfront for the Rebels this season, tallying 40 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hurries.
Johnson is the only Rebel choosing not to play in the Peach Bowl. Quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Quinshon Judkins will play for Ole Miss. The Rebels will need all the offensive firepower they can muster.
The Nittany Lions are ready for a challenge
Penn State boasted the No. 1 defense in the country during the regular season, allowing only 223.2 yards per game. For reference, Michigan gave up the second-most yards per outing and allowed 16 more yards than the Nittany Lions.
Michigan might not have all its key pieces in the matchup. Defensive end Chop Robinson opted out of the bowl game. He is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He isn’t the only Nittany Lion eyeing the big leagues.
Offensive tackle Olu Fashanu has declared for the draft and did travel to Atlanta, but his status for the game is still unknown. Moreover, cornerbacks Kalen King and Johnny Dixon’s statuses are unknown for the game.
Penn State co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter knows Ole Miss will be a challenge for his team no matter how many stars decide to play.
“The first challenge is the tempo. You see it sometimes, but we haven’t really seen it on a consistent basis like throughout the game like they do,” he said.
“I think the depth at receiver, the production at the receiver spot that they have and the players that they have. They have three guys on the field that’s all over 700 yards. I don’t know if we have played a team with that kind of production, maybe Ohio State.”
The two programs have no previous matchups with one another. Thus, the Peach Bowl will make history. The two teams will square off at noon ET on Dec. 30. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.