Ole Miss football vs. Penn State: Score prediction, scouting report for Peach Bowl
ATLANTA — Since arriving for Peach Bowl week, Ole Miss football defensive coordinator Pete Golding has finally given in to his body's requirement for sleep.
Recruiting obligations have helped fill his calendar. But the uncertainty around the Penn State offense his Rebels (10-2) are tasked with stifling has contributed too.
The Nittany Lions fired their offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich in-season. Co-playcallers Ty Howle and Ja'Juan Seider have served in the interim. And, though Penn State coach James Franklin said his new OC Andy Kotelnicki won't call plays, Golding is expecting him to have some input against the Rebels (10-2) on Saturday (11 a.m., ESPN).
"It's harder as a coordinator, to be honest with you, when they fire their OC for a bowl game," Golding said. "Because, yeah, you're bringing in a new OC, he's not going to bring his whole offense, but they're gonna have wrinkles, I promise you that. Kansas was very successful and they hired him for a reason. So then now you're looking at two different teams. ... It's a lot to prepare for."
The Rebels will encounter a similar dynamic on defense. Penn State coordinator Manny Diaz left to become the next head coach at Duke. Interim playcaller Anthony Poindexter will handle the bowl game, with new coordinator hire Tom Allen standing by.
Who will play for Penn State and Ole Miss? And how much?
Ole Miss will be without edge rusher Cedric Johnson, who had 5.5 sacks and 40 tackles.
The Penn State Peach Bowl opt-out situation is more ambiguous. Probable first-round pick Chop Robinson has announced he won't play, and starting corner Johnny Dixon won't play either, according to a 247Sports report.
Other notable Nittany Lion draft prospects will play, but it's unclear how much. Star tackle Olu Fashanu's situation is one to monitor. Keep an eye on cornerback Kalen King and edge rusher Adisa Isaac, too.
"I’ll probably play the majority of the game,” Isaac told Penn State beat reporters Thursday. “I’ll be playing a good portion. I’ll say the first half for sure. But you know, I might slow down after that."
Can Ole Miss' tempo offense threaten Penn State's superiority in the trenches?
Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. explained this week that the Rebels' fast-paced offense can help mitigate the threat posed by opposing pass rushes.
The Nittany Lions won't have Robinson, but they still qualify as an elite defense when it comes to getting after the quarterback. They led college football with four sacks per game during the regular season. Robinson accounted for four of their 48 total sacks.
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The Rebels will counter with an offensive line that doesn't compare athletically to what Penn State will line up across the ball. They'll be without one of their starting tackles, Micah Pettus, due to injury, too.
"Tempo is always a huge part of what we do in terms of getting the D-line tired, not letting them sub, certain things like that," Weis said. "That's just a big part of who we are each and every week."
The Rebels boast a strong pass rush as well, ranking 16th nationally with 2.83 sacks per game. If they can get to Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who has been sacked just 1.25 times per contest, their odds of forcing him into mistakes improve.
Ole Miss score prediction vs. Penn State
Ole Miss 24, Penn State 20. Interestingly, for a program built on the transfer portal, the Rebels might have the continuity advantage given Penn State's coaching staff turnover. They're more explosive on offense, too, and have the edge at the quarterback position with Jaxson Dart.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football score prediction vs Penn State in 2023 Peach Bowl
