We have finally reached the end, the long journey of the 2022 college football season leading us to mountaintop of the sport: the New Year’s Six.
This year’s crop of games features the entire Heisman Trophy finalist list (plus, last year’s Heisman winner), a mix of legendary blue blood powers and dangerous upstart spoilers. All six of these games, in our humble opinion, are worth the time of any serious college football fan this year, but we’re here to rank them by watchability, that oh-so-scientific metric that helps you decide just how much of a priority each game should be in your life.
Let’s dig in.
6
Rose Bowl: No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 8 Utah (Monday, 5 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Favorite: Utah (-2.5)
It’s not the sexiest matchup the Rose Bowl could have hoped for, but these are two teams that have been, at various points this season, frustratingly close to greatness. Expect a brutal slugfest with two of the best defenses in college football this season battling against a pair of highly physical offenses.
5
Orange Bowl: No. 7 Clemson vs. No. 6 Tennessee (Friday, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Favorite: Clemson (-5.5)
The most orange of Orange Bowls, some of the shine is off both teams entering into this game due to both injuries and opt-outs. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be gobs of elite talent all over the field.
Clemson may have finally found its quarterback in Cade Klubnik, and there’s hope from the Tigers that this Orange Bowl will kickstart their offense heading into 2023. For Tennessee, a disappointing finish to the regular season doesn’t prevent this year from going down as one of the best seasons for the Vols this century — and one they hope will mark the start of a new era of greatness in Knoxville.
4
Cotton Bowl: No. 16 Tulane vs. No. 10 USC (Monday, 1 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Favorite: USC (-2.5)
One would think USC would feel overjoyed at being back in the New Year’s Six after wandering in the college football desert for more than a decade, but the Trojans certainly had their sights set much higher in November than a Cotton Bowl appearance. Could motivation for the Trojans be a problem against a Tulane team that is overjoyed to be crashing the NY6 party?
3
Sugar Bowl: No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 9 Kansas State (Saturday, Noon ET on ESPN)
Favorite: Alabama (-6.5)
It’s hard to say which is the bigger upset: Kansas State winning the Big 12 title over playoff team TCU or Alabama convincing Bryce Young and Will Anderson to play in this game. The Crimson Tide will need both of its superstars to do what they do best against a K-State squad that showed itself to be more than capable of competing with (and beating) teams loaded with elite talent.
2
Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Favorite: Georgia (-6.5)
The overall feeling heading into this year’s playoff selections was that college football clearly had three elite teams deserving of playoff bids. Ohio State wasn’t one of those three, despite going undefeated until the final game of the regular season. Can Ohio State prove all the doubters wrong? A win against this dominant Georgia team would certainly leave no doubt about the Buckeyes’ worthiness.
RELATED: Before The Snap: How Ohio State can upset Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal
1
Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Favorite: Michigan (-7.5)
Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines have done it again, making the playoffs for the second straight year. Last year’s trip ended quickly and with a whimper. This time around, Michigan has the edge when it comes to talent on the field, but that hasn’t seemed to bother TCU as it rampaged through the Big 12 all season. How will the Horned Frogs handle the biggest stage the program has ever faced?
RELATED: Before The Snap: How TCU can upset Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal
