The stage is set for the culmination of the college football season with an exciting bowl season that offers plenty of intriguing matchups. The New Year’s Six bowl games in particular should deliver plenty of drama including the two College Football Playoff semi-final games. Here is a look at the New Year’s Six bowl games ranked from best to worst.
Fiesta Bowl
#2 Clemson vs. #3 Ohio State
December 31, 2016
This rematch of the 2014 Orange Bowl has all of the makings of a classic with a spot in the national championship game on the line. Everybody knew that Clemson would be here but the controversy that came with Ohio State’s selection out of the Big Ten adds another element to this showdown with both teams equally capable of winning this game. Deshaun Watson and J.T. Barrett are both capable of putting on a show and they have plenty of weapons around them to make this an entertaining game. There should be plenty of scoring in this matchup and there is no doubt it projects to be the most entertaining of the New Year’s Six bowl games.
Orange Bowl
#11 Florida State vs. #6 Michigan
December 30, 2016
While it won’t feature a spot in the national title game on the line, the Orange Bowl should be one of the most entertaining bowl games of the year with a pair of teams that fell just short of reaching the CFP. Michigan fell just short of making it after a disappointing loss to Ohio State while Florida State was dropped by both Louisville and Clemson but that won’t take away from the excitement of this matchup once it is time for kickoff. A potential CFP matchup will now represent a chance for two major programs to make a statement heading in to 2017 and the wow factor should definitely be there with plenty of talent on the football field at the Orange Bowl.
Peach Bowl
#1 Alabama vs. #4 Washington
December 31, 2016
The celebration in Washington after the Huskies made the College Football Playoff quieted in a hurry when fans realized their team would have to match up with Alabama in the Peach Bowl. The Crimson Tide appear primed to successfully defend their national title as the only team in the country that is still undefeated and they have been absolutely dominating their opponents so far this season. Jake Browning and company have the potential to keep this game entertaining if they bring their best to the table and it will be interesting to see if one month is enough preparation to find some holes in Alabama’s armor. However, from what we have seen so far this season this bowl game could end up being very lopsided with the Tide poised for another dominant win.
Rose Bowl
#5 Penn State vs. #9 USC
January 2, 2016
It only made sense to put USC in the Rose Bowl and it adds to the intrigue of this matchup that they will play the Big Ten champion after Penn State was left out of the playoff. The Nittany Lions have a lot to prove and they have certainly come a long way over the past five years. Both teams have overcome slow starts by playing some of their best football over the past few weeks and both teams have hit their stride heading in to this Rose Bowl matchup.
Sugar Bowl
#7 Oklahoma vs. #14 Auburn
January 2, 2016
Auburn isn’t the hottest pick but they have a chance to earn a measure of redemption for the SEC against the Big 12 champion Oklahoma. The Sooners are another team that got off to a slow start in part because of a difficult schedule early on in the year but they have played their best football down the stretch to become relevant again. The Tigers are capable of putting up enough points to keep up with Oklahoma so while this isn’t the marquee matchup some had hoped it would be it does have the potential to be a very entertaining game.
Cotton Bowl
#15 Western Michigan vs. #8 Wisconsin
January 2, 2016
Western Michigan has already earned wins over Northwestern and Illinois this season and now they get the opportunity to wrap up their season in style with another win over a Big Ten team in the Cotton Bowl. Wisconsin has become somewhat of an afterthought with Penn State joining Ohio State and Michigan in the conversation for the best team from their conference but the Big Ten was probably the best conference in college football this year and the Huskers have the potential to finish off the year on a high note. Western Michigan has been a fun team to watch all year and it will culminate with one more chance to make a statement with this appearance in the Cotton bowl.
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