- Copyright 2024 © CollegeFootballPoll.com
- About CFP / Contact
- Legal Statements
Here's a look at the New Year's Six Bowls which include the two College Football Playoff semifinal games, courtesy of Rich Cirminiello at MaxwellFootballClub.org and powered by pff.com.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl–Atlanta
Michigan State (10-2) vs. Pitt (11-2)
Thursday, Dec. 30, 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Two of this season’s biggest surprises meet in Atlanta for what will undoubtedly be known as the Narduzzi Bowl. Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi spent eight successful seasons as Michigan State’s defensive coordinator before assuming his current role. The Peach Bowl features two George Munger Award candidates, Narduzzi and Mel Tucker, though two Maxwell Award finalists, Pitt QB Kenny Pickett and Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker, have elected to sit this one out. Pickett backup Nick Patti and Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison will be a very tall order for the Spartans’ FBS-worst pass defense.
Michigan State wants to take the air out of the ball and play keep-away by feeding Jordon Simmons often. The sophomore is the likely successor to Walker, who rushed for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first season after transferring from Wake Forest. However, Pitt yields just 2.7 yards per carry, tied for fifth nationally, which could force QB Payton Thorne to test a beatable Pitt secondary. He has a deep receiving corps that could get a boost if Jalen Nailor returns from an injury that sidelined him for the final four games.
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl – Glendale, Ariz
Notre Dame (11-1) vs. Oklahoma State (11-2)
Saturday, Jan. 1, 1:00 ET (ESPN)
The Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame kicks off in the Fiesta Bowl. The 35-year-old’s head coaching career begins against Mike Gundy, the second longest tenured coach in college football. Gundy has had a lot of terrific years in Stillwater, but 2021 will go down as one of his best. Picked to finish fourth in the Big 12, the Cowboys snapped a six-game losing streak to Oklahoma and came within inches of beating Baylor in the conference title game. In an out-of-character twist, OSU’s calling card has been a stingy D that leads the country with 54 sacks.
Unlike most reshuffled bowl staffs, the Fighting Irish actually have continuity with Freeman and his assistants. Notre Dame also has momentum, winning seven in a row, the last four in blowouts. Jack Coan has settled in at quarterback, Michael Mayer is one of the nation’s premier tight ends and Freeman’s defense yielded just 23 points in November. Notre Dame is 0-7 in BCS/New Year’s 6 bowl games, losing them by an average margin of 23 points, so a win here would quality as a notable postseason breakthrough.
Rose Bowl Game – Pasadena
Utah (10-3) vs. Ohio State (10-2)
Saturday, Jan. 1, 5:00 ET (ESPN)
Utah may be the only three-loss team in a New Year’s 6 bowl game, but it’s also a program no one wants to face right now. The Utes are peaking, winners of six straight, including two poundings of Oregon that sealed their first-ever Pac-12 championship. Plus, this first Rose Bowl berth represents the next stage in Utah’s evolution under Kyle Whittingham, so motivation and intensity won’t be issues. The defense has been suffocating during the streak, spearheaded by superstar LB Devin Lloyd and DE Mika Tafua, Pro Football Focus’ FBS leader with 55 hurries.But here come the Buckeyes, far and away Utah’s toughest challenge yet. Ohio State presents unique problems for defenses, from the backfield of C.J. Stroud and TreVeyon Henderson, both Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year semifinalists, to the country’s most dynamic receiving corps. OSU averages 45.5 points per game and 7.8 yards per play, both tops in America. However, the defense lacks consistency. In the team’s two losses, it gave up 566 yards and nine TDs on the ground, so expect a heavy dose of TJ Pledger, who grew up 20 minutes from the Rose Bowl, and Ohio native Tavion Thomas.
Allstate Sugar Bowl – New Orleans
Ole Miss (10-2) vs. Baylor (11-2)
Saturday, Jan. 1, 8:45 ET (ESPN]
Lane Kiffin vs. Dave Aranda in what might be the postseason’s most compelling coaching matchup. Baylor’s Aranda is a stoic, buttoned-up coach, with deep roots on defense. In other words, he’s the anti-Kiffin. The Bears were pegged in the preseason to finish eighth in the Big 12, yet upset Oklahoma State last week in Jerry’s World with a freshman under center starting just his second game. Aranda’s teams are always well coached, especially on D. Baylor allows just 19.2 points per game, and the speedy versatility of WLB Terrel Bernard, S Jairon McVea and STAR Jalen Pitre matches up nicely with the Ole Miss attack.
While multifaceted QB Matt Corral was the face of the Rebels’ first-ever 10-win regular season, the program is much more than a one-man operation. Ole Miss leads the SEC in rushing, with Jerrion Ealy pacing four different players with at least 500 yards. Plus, assistants D.J. Durkin and Chris Partridge have engineered a defensive turnaround. The Rebs are giving up 13 points less than a year ago with an attacking style that creates sacks and turnovers. Ole Miss won’t necessarily win with D, but it’s no longer a liability either.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic – Arlington, Tex.
No. 4 Cincinnati (13-0) vs. No. 1 Alabama (12-1)
Friday, Dec. 31, 3:30 ET (ESPN)
Cincinnati is the first Group of Five program to earn a College Football Playoff berth. Alabama has missed the playoffs just once during the CFP era. It’s not David and Goliath, but the Bearcats and the Tide typically run in very different postseason circles. Cincinnati is this year’s last undefeated team, handling lofty expectations and every opponent’s best effort. Head coach Luke Fickell has a veteran squad that plays outstanding defense and has a next-level QB in Desmond Ridder. The Bearcats beat No. 5 Notre Dame in South Bend this year and hung with Georgia in last year’s Sugar Bowl, so the setting won’t overwhelm them.
Three weeks ago, Alabama was on the ropes at Auburn, its dreams of repeating fading. And then the Tide rallied behind Maxwell Award winner Bryce Young to win the Iron Bowl in four overtimes… which carried into a 41-24 drubbing of top-ranked Georgia. Just like that, everyone is looking up at Bama again. While this might not be Nick Saban’s most complete team, it’ll still take a special effort to dethrone the defending champs. One of Young’s two 1,000-yard receivers, John Metchie, is sidelined, shining an even brighter spotlight on electrifying WR Jameson Williams vs. elite Cincy corners Ahmad Gardner and Coby Bryant, the Jim Thorpe Award recipient.
Capital One Orange Bowl – Miami Gardens
No. 3 Georgia (12-1) vs. No. 2 Michigan (12-1)
Friday, Dec. 31, 7:30 ET (ESPN)
It’s been 56 years since Georgia and Michigan faced each other. And this one at the Orange Bowl will be worth the wait, with the winner moving on to the Jan. 10 CFP National Championship. The Wolverines have been one of the biggest stories of 2021, becoming the first school to qualify for the playoff after being unranked in the preseason. Jim Harbaugh has put it all together in Year 7 with the Big Ten’s best ground game and a physical defense that’s flourished under first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald, a Georgia graduate. After stumbling at Michigan State on Oct. 30, Michigan closed with five wins, including Harbaugh’s first over Ohio State, and the school’s first league title since 2004.
What now, Georgia? The Bulldogs appeared to be sailing toward a perfect season before getting derailed by Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. The defense, which was on an epic 12-game run, got exposed to the tune of 536 yards and 41 points. And when the Dawgs fell behind, the offense lacked the firepower to close the gap. So, how will Kirby Smart’s team respond to adversity for the first time all year? For starters, the D remains loaded, with Bednarik Award winner Jordan Davis manning the middle and speed and athleticism everywhere else. Michigan backs Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum will have to earn every yard. Smart must decide whether he thinks QB Stetson Bennett can win him a title or if backup JT Daniels is even an option at this point. Whoever is under center will contend with the nation’s-best bookend of Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo.
PFF is widely recognized as the industry leader in the advanced data collection and analysis for American football. Since 2011, PFF has led football’s charge into the world of analytics. Their services are trusted by all 32 NFL teams and over 100 FBS programs. Major broadcast networks, national media outlets and player agencies all use PFF as a resource as well. PFF’s media network provides fans with apps, tools, podcasts and other content to help satisfy their thirst for deeper insights in the game. For more information about PFF, please visit: www.pff.com.