College football bowling season reaches a major milestone on Friday as four bowls, maybe five, take place amid a nationwide outbreak of COVID-19 that is becoming increasingly dangerous for sports leagues.
The two biggest games of the day, naturally, are the national semifinals: the Cotton Bowl, between No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Cincinnati, and the Orange Bowl, between Michigan, second-ranked, and Georgia, third. Those will be the final games of the day, after the Gator Bowl (Wake Forest vs. Rutgers) and Sun Bowl (Central Michigan vs. Washington State).
BENDER: Picks, predictions for all bowl games in 2021-22
Each of those games has some intrigue, particularly the CFP semi-finals, which will determine which two teams will play in the national championship game. Alabama and Georgia are favorites for the rematch in the CFP title game, but Cincinnati, one of the greatest Cinderellas in sports history, and Michigan, a blue-blooded program in search of past glory, certainly they will have something to say about it.
Here’s the full schedule for the New Years Eve bowl games, plus final scores and how to watch each game live.
PLUS: Watch select college football games live on fuboTV
College Football Schedule: What Games Are Today?
Friday December 31st
| bowl | Match | Time (ET) | television channel |
| Crocodile bowl | Wake Forest vs. Rutgers | 11 a. M. | ESPN, fuboTV |
| Bowl of the sun | Washington State vs. Central Michigan | Midday | CBS, fuboTV |
| Cotton Bowl (CFP) | No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati | 3:30 pm | ESPN, fuboTV |
| Orange bowl (CFP) | No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Georgia | 7:30 pm | ESPN, fuboTV |
Wake Forest vs. Rutgers
Rutgers was not the opponent that Wake Forest expected when the bowl games were initially announced, but the Demon Deacons will be happy to play the Scarlet Knights as their original opponent, Texas A&M, had to withdraw due to COVID-19 issues in his team. . A win here would give Dave Clawson and Co. an 11-3 record this season, marking their best record since 2006. Can the Scarlet Knights, who rushed to prepare for this bowl, be able to pull off the win?
Washington State vs. Central Michigan
The Sun Bowl was in danger of being canceled after Miami announced Sunday that it would not be able to play due to COVID-19 protocols implemented on your computer. Enter Central Michigan, which was scheduled to play in the Arizona Bowl until Boise State withdrew due to a COVID-19 outbreak of its own. This game marks the second bowl game in three seasons for Central Michigan under Jim McElwain.
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati
Alabama will face Cincinnati in the first semifinal game of the 2021 season, suggesting that television executives believe the match between No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Georgia will be more attractive. Alabama is considered a 14-point favorite over the Bearcats, the biggest of the 2021-22 bowl season, but it’s worth noting that Crimson Tide lost its last bowl game to a non-Power 5 opponent, when Utah defeated them. they beat 31-17 in the 2009 Sugar Bowl game to remain the only undefeated college football team on the FBS. Cincinnati currently has that status vis-a-vis Arlington.
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Georgia
Michigan-Georgia will get the primetime treatment as two of the biggest blue blood shows in college football, both seeking their first national championship in at least two decades. Wolverines and Bulldogs are built similarly, with solid offenses and defenses that can significantly affect a game. How will Michigan’s Joe Moore award-winning offensive line handle that Georgia defense’s seven forwards?
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How to watch, stream live college football games
The New Year’s Eve team roster will be televised live on ESPN (Gator, Cotton, Orange Bowls) or CBS (Sun Bowl).
The college football playoff semifinals will include a command center on ESPN2; Skycast on ESPNU; and All-22 via ESPNews. Below are descriptions of each, courtesy of ESPN:
- Command Center: A multi-angle presentation, including up to four different points of view at any one time, with real-time player and team statistics that complement the action of the game.
- Skycast: The popular view from above the action and behind the offense on most plays. This unique angle has long been one of ESPN’s alternate viewing options and is available in multiple games each week. Replays will be shown regularly throughout this presentation. Anish Shroff and Roddy Jones will help guide the action.
- All-22: Look at the game in the same way that players and coaches study the film, with a point of view far above the playing field. The angle allows all 22 players to be seen on the field at all times, providing the ability to distinguish how plays are unfolding while listening to the call from ESPN Radio.
Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (color) and Molly McGrath and Laura Rutledge (sideline reporters) will work in the Cotton Bowl between Alabama and Cincinnati. Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) and Holly Rowe and Marty Smith (band reporters) will work on the Orange Bowl between Michigan and Georgia.
College football results
| Play |
| Wake Forest vs. Rutgers |
| Washington State vs. Miami |
| Central Michigan vs. Boise State |
| No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati |
| No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Georgia |
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.