Two ranked teams face off in the Chick-fil-A bowl, with one exceeding expectations and one falling below them. The Duke Blue Devils and Texas A&M Aggies will play in Atlanta, with television coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl: Streaming, TV schedule, preview for Duke vs. Texas A&M
The game will kickoff at 8 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve.
Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Duke started the year 0-2 in conference play, and it looked to be another long football season until the Blue Devils rattled off eight straight victories to end the regular season, defeating Coastal challengers Virginia Tech, Miami and North Carolina to capture the division crown. They struggled in the ACC Championship Game against national title favorite Florida State, losing to the Seminoles, 45-7.
Texas A&M began the year as a top-10 team, defeating Rice and Sam Houston State going into their matchup against Alabama. The Aggies fell in a tight one, 49-42, but won their next three games to set up another tough matchup with Auburn. A&M lost in a close one again, 45-41, before winning three straight and losing its final two tough contests: 34-10 to LSU and 28-21 to Missouri.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Texas A&M is ranked No. 21, while Duke is ranked No. 24. The Aggies went 8-4 in the regular season, with a 4-4 record in SEC play good for fourth in the West. The Blue Devils sport a 10-3 record, winning the Coastal with a 6-2 mark in ACC play. This is the first matchup between the two schools.
Vegas: Texas A&M is a 12-point favorite. The over/under is 73.5 points.
Weather: Dome
Three names to know
Brandon Connette. Duke utilizes two quarterbacks, and Connette is the bruiser. He's an incredible short-yardage threat who is also an able passer.
Johnny Manziel. The 2012 Heisman winner wasn’t able to take home the award in his sophomore campaign with the Ags, but he’s undoubtedly one of the most dangerous playmakers in the country.
Mike Evans. Much of Manziel’s success came through Evans, who is averaging more than 20 yards per catch on 65 receptions -- by far the most catches for any of the 11 players averaging that many yards per catch.
Two things at stake
Duke is looking to prove it belongs in this game after allegedly needing ACC commissioner John Swofford to campaign for the Blue Devils to get here.
This could be Johnny Manziel's final collegiate game, and Texas A&M will be looking to take full advantage of its star quarterback for the last time.
How to witness
TV: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Online streaming: WatchESPN.
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Stadium: Georgia Dome (capacity: 71,228)
Tickets: Find available seats here.
Last year’s score: Clemson 25, LSU 24
Last year’s attendance: 68,027
Last year’s TV rating: With 8.56 million viewers, last year’s game was the most-viewed non-BCS bowl game on ESPN
Last year’s payout for each school: $3.55 million
Team with the most all-time appearances: Clemson (8)
Team with the most all-time wins: LSU (5)
Further reading
Head to Good Bull Hunting for Texas A&M coverage and Duke Basketball Report for the Duke perspective. Team Speed Kills has general SEC coverage.
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