After capping an incredible regular season with an emphatic win over Iowa State to capture a share of the Big 12 title, TCU has clinched a spot in the 2014 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.
The No. 6 Horned Frogs will take on the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels in the sixth meeting between the two programs, the most recent coming 31 years ago in 1983.
The New Year’s Eve matchup will pit one of the nation’s most explosive offenses against an Ole Miss defense that is regarded as the best in the SEC and one of the best in the country.
Ole Miss spent close to seven weeks in the top ten this season and reached as high as No. 3 in the polls in Week 5 after dismantling the now No. 1 team in the country, Alabama.
Much of the Rebels’ successes this season can be attributed to their stout defensive unit affectionately known as the “land sharks” by the Ole Miss faithful.
The leader of the Ole Miss secondary, Senquez Golson leads the SEC and ranks second nationally in interceptions this season, helping him earn a unanimous selection to the All-SEC first team.
Also anchoring the Ole Miss secondary, 2013 first-team All American Cody Prewitt had another outstanding season this year with 60 tackles and two interceptions.
Together, Prewitt and Golson combine to form one of the most fearsome defensive duos in college football.
Facing off against such a talented secondary, Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Trevone Boykin could have trouble connecting with guys like Josh Doctson and Deante Gray downfield.
Luckily for the Frogs, junior running back B.J. Catalon will likely make his return to the starting lineup later this month, just in time to help bolster the TCU running game.
After having missed the last four games of the season, Catalon should finally be ready to return to the team.
Catalon is likely to split carries with leading rusher Aaron Green, who has emerged as one of the premier backs in the Big 12 after a breakout performance against Kansas State earlier this season.
While not the bowl game TCU was looking forward to, this will be the Frogs third major bowl appearance in the last four years. TCU is now the first program in college football history to appear in all 6 of the major college football bowl games.
In a primetime game against one of the premier SEC powerhouses, TCU will be looking to make a statement to the College Football Playoff Committee that they got it wrong.
Look for TCU to add an exclamation point to the end of a remarkable 2014 season.
TCU 38, Ole Miss 13
