College Football Playoff: New Year's Six bowl teams revealed
With the release of the final College Football Playoff rankings on Sunday, the New Year’s Six bowl games are officially set. That includes the CFP semifinals on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl.
The matchups for the Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton and Peach Bowls were announced as teams get ready to cap off the season. The non-CFP games will take place Dec. 29 and Dec. 30 while the CFP semifinals will both be on Jan. 1, and the College Football Playoff national championship will take place Jan. 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston.
There are some intriguing matchups in the bowl games, and it’s sure to be an exciting slate of games between some of the nation’s top teams.
College Football Playoff semifinal: Rose Bowl — Michigan vs. Alabama
Date: Jan. 1
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
No. 1 Michigan and No. 4 Alabama will battle it out at the Rose Bowl, and the Wolverines are slight favorites, according to FanDuel. The two teams last squared off in 2020 at the Citrus Bowl in a 35-17 Alabama victory, and there’s a spot in the national championship on the line this time around.
College Football Playoff semifinal: Sugar Bowl — Washington vs. Texas
Date: Jan. 1
Time: 8:45 p.m. ET
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
The Sugar Bowl could also be called the Steve Sarkisian Bowl as Texas takes on Washington in a rematch of last year’s Alamo Bowl. Both teams won their respective conferences to punch their tickets to the CFP, and it should be a fun matchup between two high-powered offenses.
Cotton Bowl — Ohio State vs. Missouri
Date: Dec. 29
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Ohio State looked like it could’ve been in the mix for the College Football Playoff with some help, but the Buckeyes didn’t get it. Now, they’ll get ready for the Cotton Bowl against Missouri in what could be an exciting SEC vs. Big Ten matchup.
Peach Bowl — Penn State vs. Ole Miss
Date: Dec. 29
Time: Noon ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
In yet another SEC-Big Ten matchup, Penn State and its staunch defense will take on a high-powered Ole Miss offense in the Peach Bowl. That could be an interesting game to see which unit will get the better of the other in Atlanta.
Orange Bowl — Florida State vs. Georgia
Date: Dec. 29
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Florida State found itself outside the top four despite a 13-0 season and an ACC title, meaning the Seminoles could have a chip on their shoulder as they prepare to go up against two-time reigning champion Georgia. That game will feature plenty of storylines as they prepare to make their way to Miami.
Fiesta Bowl — Oregon vs. Liberty
Date: Jan. 1
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
In its first season as a member of Conference-USA, Liberty pulled off a perfect 13-0 season under first-year coach Jamey Chadwell and will now get ready to go up against Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl as the highest-ranked G5 conference champion. The Ducks went down to the wire with Washington in the Pac-12 Championship, and all eyes will be on who suits up in that game.