Ole Miss Rebels Projected To Play Penn State Nittany Lions In New Year's Six Bowl
Where will Ole Miss play its final game in 2023? Depending on how the season ends, potentially in a New Year's Six Bowl.
CBS Sports predicts the Rebels will face off against Penn State as an at-large bid for the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. Ole Miss is one of three SEC schools listed to play in either a New Year's Six Bowl or the College Football Playoff.
Alabama was projected to play Oregon in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 29. Georgia, who defeated the Rebels 52-17 last weekend at Sanford Stadium, is projected to run its way back to the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed.
The Bulldogs (10-0, 7-0 SEC) are projected to take on Big 12 winner and No. 4 seed Texas in the Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, La. Michigan and Florida State are also projected to remain undefeated en route to a date with the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Ole Miss and Penn State mirror one another in more ways than one. The Nittany Lions (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten) remain a viable threat to pick up double-digit wins each season but struggle to claim victories over powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan.
Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin
© Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK
Penn State lost both games by nine points or fewer but has handled business against every other opponent, winning seven games by double digits. The Nittany Lions close out the regular season against Rutgers and Michigan State.
The Rebels (8-2, 5-2) battled back against LSU and Texas A&M to secure monumental wins in Oxford and second place in the SEC West. Like the Nittany Lions, Alabama and Georgia were thorns in their side under fourth-year coach Lane Kiffin.
Ole Miss lost 24-10 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. in September before rattling off five consecutive wins. The Rebels close out the regular season against Louisiana-Monroe at home before traveling to Starkville to take on Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.
Penn State likely receives a New Year's Six bid regardless of who wins the Big Ten. Ole Miss could face an uphill battle against Missouri for an at-large bid out of the SEC. The Tigers (8-2, 5-2 SEC) are currently No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings, while the Rebels rank at No. 13.
Ole Miss does hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Missouri thanks to its 55-49 win over LSU in Week 5. Mizzou lost at home to the SEC West Tigers, 49-39, in Week 6. Missouri closes out its season at home against Florida and on the road against Arkansas.
