DECEMBER 30

PEACH BOWL – 4PM PT/7PM ET [ESPN]

#12 PITTSBURGH (11-2) VS. #10 MICHIGAN STATE (10-2)

Michigan State plays their second New Year’s Six Bowl since 2015 while Pitt makes their first NY6 Bowl and Peach Bowl appearance. Michigan State looked formidable through their schedule with Kenneth Walker’s Heisman-like performance and sophomore quarterback Payton Thorne’s early rise. Pitt was deemed the best offense in their program after coach Pat Narduzzi’s comments, and he backed his statement. Quarterback Kenny Pickett had a Heisman-like year and the team forced their opposition to strategize against their lethal offense. The stakes of this matchup changed since Pickett and Walker both skipped this game for the NFL. However, the Spartans have Thorne that could still lead this group and just need a back to step up.

MY PICK: MICHIGAN STATE

JANUARY 1

FIESTA BOWL – 10AM PT/1PM ET [ESPN]

#9 OKLAHOMA STATE (11-2) VS. #5 NOTRE DAME (11-1)

Notre Dame and Oklahoma State play their second New Year’s Six Bowl since 2016. Notre Dame was up-and-down through September before Cincinnati knocked them out at home. Then, they escaped Virginia Tech with a win before they ran through their schedule with ease. Oklahoma State had a special year and their defense was at center stage in the Big 12 and the nation. Despite losing to Iowa State and Baylor (in the Big 12 title), they still took out Texas and Oklahoma to get to the Big 12 championship. Oklahoma State and Notre Dame are similarly formidable defensively. However, Notre Dame’s offense is better whether running back Kyren Williams is active or not. Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders can’t be trusted with his ball control issues.

MY PICK: NOTRE DAME

ROSE BOWL – 2PM PT/5PM ET [ESPN]

#11 UTAH (10-3) VS. #6 OHIO STATE (10-2)

Utah plays their first Rose Bowl and New Year’s Six Bowl. After a slow start and being defeated by rival BYU, former Mountain West foe San Diego State, and Oregon State, their whole team surged in late October and dismantled Oregon twice for their first Pac-12 title. Quarterback Cam Rising rose at the right time, and Utah’s defense and special teams were the focal point of the program’s success. Ohio State plays their second NY6 Rose Bowl since 2019. They had a roller coaster season trying to be in playoff contention, but losses by Oregon at the beginning and Michigan at the end silenced it. Ohio State dealt with plenty of injuries during their run and it could affect their play against Utah’s stout defense and physical offense. It’s a war of attrition, which favors Utah.

MY PICK: UTAH

SUGAR BOWL – 5:45PM PT/8:45PM ET [ESPN]

#7 BAYLOR (11-2) VS. #8 OLE MISS (10-2)

Baylor makes their third appearance in the Sugar Bowl and New Year’s Six Bowl. The Bears had a special year and nobody paid attention until late September to October. Their defense made a resurgence after a few years, and it all paid off with a Big 12 title thanks to coach Dave Aranda. Ole Miss had a special year too despite failing to win against the state of Alabama. Their offense was as good as last season’s team, but their defense improved and made an impact week after week with key transfers like linebacker Chance Campbell and safety Jake Springer. Time-of-possession, turnovers, and stopping the run are keys to the game. Baylor is good with time, but Ole Miss may win the turnover battle and slow down the run.

MY PICK: OLE MISS