College Football Bowl Games Today: The schedule includes five matchups

The main event of New Year’s week begins Tuesday night when the quarterfinal round of the new 12-team College Football Playoff begins and Penn State and Boise State meet in the Fiesta Bowl. Before that, though, there’s a solid foundation to whet your appetite for the game that will usher in 2025.

Tuesday’s pre-playoff lineup includes four bowl games, with the Sunshine and Lone Star States taking center stage. This four-way competition features numerous big-name football programs, although they would no doubt all prefer to play later in the week.

Still, here’s a look at the teams on the list that will help you plan your Gridiron sightseeing day.

ReliaQuest Bowl – No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan

Time/TV/Location: Noon ET, ESPN, Tampa, Florida.

Why watch: It’s an exciting pairing considering it’s a rematch of a playoff semi-final from a year ago, but it goes without saying that neither team is happy to be here. The Crimson Tide may be the most upset of the two, as they were the last team on the outside of the expanded field. The Wolverines showed some fight down the stretch in defeating Ohio State, but many of the players on both sides of the ball who were responsible for that won’t be taking part. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe will play, but whether he will be back next season remains a subject of speculation. Still, his presence here is good news for standout freshman WR Ryan Williams. Michigan’s top RBs Kalil Mullings and Donovan Edwards will sit out, which will limit QB Davis Warren’s options.

Why it might disappoint: Honestly, it probably will be. Alabama has been its own worst enemy with its losses this year. As long as Milroe and Co. take care of the ball, they should put up more than enough points to overcome the offensively weakened Wolverines.

Sun Bowl – Louisville vs. Washington

Time/TV/Location: 2:00 p.m. ET, CBS, El Paso, Texas.

Why watch: Oh, what would have been for Louisville, which won comfortably at Clemson and narrowly fell to Notre Dame, but inexplicably missed a win against lowly Stanford. The Cardinals will now be shorthanded for this contest with QB Tyler Shough and WR Ja’Corey Brooks in the draft. The offense will be in the hands of Harrison Bailey, who only played mop-up duties in 2024 but completed all eight of his pass attempts. The Huskies had some highlights in their first season in the Big Ten, but for the most part didn’t enjoy life away from the West Coast. Freshman Demond Williams took over the QB duties late in the season and will keep that job.

Why it might disappoint: A series of misses by inexperienced hands could see this game slip away for both teams. However, it’s difficult to see a clear talent advantage in either case, so here’s hoping it stays competitive.

Citrus Bowl – No. 14 South Carolina vs. No. 21 Illinois

Time/TV/Location: 3:00 p.m. ET, ABC, Orlando, Florida.

Why watch: At first glance, this is a solid duel between Power Conference participants with identical records. It could happen, but the Gamecocks enter the race as favorites after finishing as one of the hottest teams in the SEC. They’ll be hoping for another strong performance from dynamic freshman QB LaNorris Sellers to get a start next season. Unfortunately, he won’t have draft-eligible RB Raheim Sanders in the backfield again, but WRs Mazeo Bennett and Nyck Harbor could be used often. Taking on Illini QB Luke Altmyer is a shot, but his main target, WR Pat Bryant, is opting out. These will likely be common targets for WR Zakhari Franklin.

Why it might disappoint: The Gamecocks fared much better against the top tier of their conference, while the Illini won their share of games in the Big Ten but didn’t come particularly close to defeating Penn State or Oregon. This may or may not be a harbinger here, but if there is a discrepancy, one would assume it goes to South Carolina.

Texas Bowl – Baylor vs. LSU

Time/TV/Location: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Houston

Why watch: Dave Aranda’s chair in Waco started to feel a little warm as Baylor started the season 2-4, but cooled considerably as the Bears rattled off six straight wins to close out the regular season. Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson and RB Bryson Washington scored high during the run and hope to keep the momentum going. The temperature went in the opposite direction at LSU, where a three-game skid midway through the season ended the Tigers’ SEC title hopes. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier announced he will be back next year, which is a positive development in theory, even if it occasionally draws the ire of fans. However, he will be shorthanded here with top WR Kyren Lacy and key OT Will Campbell headed for the draft.

Why it might disappoint: Baylor will likely have to take a shootout, but given both teams’ regular struggles on defense, it could very well play out that way. If that is indeed the case, we could have an exciting game before the first quarter-final.

Fiesta Bowl – No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 6 Penn State

Time/TV/Location: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Glendale, Arizona.

Why watch: In the first quarterfinal, the well-rested Broncos and their Heisman runner-up will face the strong defense of the Nittany Lions, who passed their first postseason test with flying colors. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty brings his 2,497 yards and 29 rushing TDs to State Farm Stadium. He will be tackled by Penn State LB Kobe King, who will also likely receive secondary support from DB Jaylen Reed. Broncos QB Maddux Madsen is more than capable of providing Jeanty with air cover and has only been selected three times this season, a number that cannot be allowed to increase as the Nittany Lions have proven amply that they know what to do with bad passes should. Penn State can run the ball a little under its own power, with the platoon of RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen generating 1,820 yards of their own. The Broncos also frequently use their secondary as ground support, with sure tacklers like Ty Benefield and Seyi Oladipo often providing the finishing touches. But QB Drew Allar’s ultimate weapon, TE Tyler Warren, will test Boise’s coverage plans.

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College Football Bowl Games Today: The schedule includes five matchups

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