Atlanta’s Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 begins a new era in the national spotlight with one of the best postseason matchups: No. 6 TCU vs. No. 9 Ole Miss.
The Chick-Fil-A-sponsored game will join the traditional major bowls as part of big-time college football’s new national championship system. As part of the playoffs rotation, the Peach Bowl will first host a national championship semifinals game in 2016.
This year, the Peach along with the Orange, Fiesta and Cotton bowls are hosts for teams that had standout seasons but didn’t make the playoff. TCU was among favorites to make the four-team championship field, but the co-Big 12 champion lost out to Ohio State in the final selection. Mississippi appeared headed for the playoffs after early season wins over Alabama and Texas A&M, but then lost a couple of games before recovering against in-state rival Mississsippi State.
The Peach Bowl’s rise represents one of the Atlanta business community’s major successes. After struggling for years, the bowl changed direction when the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce took it over in 1986. Another major step occurred when the game moved to the Georgia Dome in 1992. The Peach Bowl will head to the new Falcons stadium when it opens in 2017.
Chick Fil A started its sponsorship in 1996, and the game was exclusively named for the fast-food corporation beginning in 2006. Now, the Peach Bowl name has returned.
After years as ESPN’s prime-time New Year’s Eve showcase, the Peach Bowl this year shifts to a 12:30 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 31, followed by the Fiesta Bowl between No. 20 Boise State and No. 10 Arizona at 4 p.m., and the Orange Bowl between No. 7 Mississippi State and No. 12 Georgia Tech at 8 p.m. The “host” games continue with the Cotton Bowl between No. 8 Michigan St. and No. 5 Baylor at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 1.
The championship playoffs begin with the Rose Bowl between No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Florida St. at 5 p.m. Jan. 1, followed by the Sugar Bowl between No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Ohio St. at 8:30 p.m. The championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, begins at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 12. ESPN will broadcast all games.
Along with the early kickoff, the Peach Bowl’s annual parade will begin at 8 a.m. Dec. 31. Those who decide not to make such an early trip downtown can watch on TV, as former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow makes his debut as a full-game color analyst. While Tebow is likely disappointed at not making the NFL, there’s little risk of a concussion in the broadcast booth.
An 18th straight sellout is expected, although Forbes recently reported that the average ticket price has risen to $238.62, a 326 percent increase over last year. Ole Miss this week reported that it had sold 17,000 tickets to the game.The Rebels have reason to like Atlanta: They began the season Aug. 28 with a win over Boise St. at the Georgia Dome. TCU fans, upset with the Horned Frogs’ exclusion from the playoffs despite an 11-1 showing, probably won’t match Ole Miss’ enthusiasm.
TCU features one of the nation’s most high-powered offenses, led by junior quarterback Trevone Boykin, who finished fourth in Heisman Trophy balloting. TCU coach Gary Patterson won the Eddie Robinson Award as coach of the year.
Ole Miss counters with its “land shark” defense, including defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, an Atlanta-area native. Quarterback Bo Wallace, while erratic at times, can make big plays. Coach Hugh Freeze parlayed the Rebels’ strong showing into a new contract that will pay him $4.3 million a year through 2018.
That kind of money was unheard of back in 1948, when Ole Miss beat TCU in Memphis’ Delta Bowl, which lasted only two years. Overall, the teams have met six times, with the Rebels holding a 5-1 edge. Ole Miss coaching legend Johnny Vaught was a TCU alum, according to the Rebels’ Hotty Toddy web site.
The game was always a great experience, drawing local fans as well as those of the teams playing. As one who’s enjoyed a number of Peach Bowls at the Dome, I hope the game keeps that hometown flavor as it enters the college football stratosphere.
