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The main event is here at last. This is the way the system is supposed to work, with all the other bowls leading up to the College Football Playoff semifinal games on New Year’s Day.
We will naturally get to those in due course, but as any promoter will tell you, it’s important to have a good undercard as well. We’ll officially kick off 2024 with three early games running more or less concurrently, so hopefully at least one of them will hold our attention. Then the stage will be cleared for the four teams playing for the sport’s ultimate prize.
Here’s the full holiday Monday lineup.
The traditional Jan. 1 Sunshine State twosome of SEC vs. Big Ten contests begins with this meeting of the high-scoring Tigers and the defensive-minded Badgers. The game loses more than a little of its luster with LSU’s Heisman-winning QB Jayden Daniels expectedly but nevertheless unfortunately sitting out with the NFL draft looming. The Tigers’ offense should be in good hands, however, with Garrett Nussmeier at the controls. The better news for him is standout WR Malik Nabers will play, meaning the talented receiving corps will be largely intact. Nabers will likely have the attention of Wisconsin DB Ricardo Hallman, who has half of the Badgers’ 12 interceptions and a 95-yard pick-six against Rutgers to his credit. Things probably won’t be as interesting when Wisconsin has the ball. The LSU defense was far from reliable this season, but the Badgers might not be able to take advantage. Their main weapon, RB Braelon Allen, is also off to the draft. QB Tanner Mordecai will play, but he must beware of Tigers’ versatile LB Harold Perkins Jr.
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Part two of the day’s unofficial Big Ten/SEC challenge has a similar vibe as the even more impressive defense of the Hawkeyes looks to take the air out of the Volunteers’ passing attack. Tennessee QB Joe Milton is sitting out the game, but many Vols’ fans aren’t displeased about that as they await the starting debut of dynamic freshman Nico Iamaleava. The absence of RB Jabari Small, likewise NFL bound, might be more significant, but not much gets by Iowa LBs Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson on the ground anyway. Iowa QB Deacon Hill’s best weapon is still RB Leshon Williams, but LB Elijah Herring and his friends on the Tennessee front seven are aware of that as well.
The non-playoff portion of the major bowls wraps up with the Ducks, who handled everyone in the Pac-12 not named Washington, taking on the Flames, who will be fully engaged as they seek to prove they belong at the big-boy table. Nevertheless, this is Liberty’s first encounter with a so-called Power Five conference squad, so the talent differential along the lines will be noticeable even if Oregon has players moving on. Ducks QB Bo Nix will play, as will top RB Bucky Irving. But Liberty won’t mind a big score. The Flames’ high-octane attack is led by QB Kaidon Salter, who has amassed 3,814 yards of total offense while accounting for 43 TDs, 12 by land. His main aerial target is WR C.J. Daniels, and RB Quinton Cooley adds another 1,322 rush yards and 16 scores to the ledger.
This is undoubtedly the more anticipated of the semifinal contests given the big-name programs involved, not to mention the various controversies. But one shouldn’t think of it as the de facto championship game, even though the winner will likely be installed as the favorite in next week’s final. This is not the dominant Alabama team of recent, say 2020, vintage, but the fact is the Crimson Tide have had playoff success and the Wolverines, despite making their third consecutive appearance, have not. Michigan will need QB J.J. McCarthy and RB Blake Corum to lead some productive drives early to build confidence against LB Dallas Turner and the hard-hitting Tide defense. Michigan can defend a bit as well; the group featuring LBs Junior Colson and Michael Barrett backed by DB Mike Sainristil has allowed just 14 TDs all year. They’ll test the improved accuracy of Tide QB Jalen Milroe, who has made better use of WRs Jermaine Burton and Isaiah Bond as well as TE Amari Niblack as the season has progressed.
The semifinal nightcap might actually have more entertainment potential. The Huskies, after all, seem incapable of playing in anything other than a nail-biter, and the Longhorns have been in a few themselves. The winner should also not be dismissed out of hand for next week – Texas already owns a win against the Crimson Tide as we know, and Washington will have found ways to beat everyone on its schedule should the Huskies prevail. Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. has a chance to continue a tradition of Heisman runners-up using the postseason to demonstrate why they should have won. His outstanding group of pass catchers led by Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk can help him do just that against the Longhorns’ secondary that is anything but airtight. The Huskies can run it as well if necessary with RB Dillon Johnson leading the way, but ground yards are a bit more difficult to find against LB Jaylan Ford and the Texas front. Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers is more than capable of keeping up in a shootout, though top WR Xavier Worthy will be playing on a sore ankle and might not be at full speed. WR Adonai Mitchell and TE Ja’Tavion Sanders are also excellent options, and the Huskies can give up their share of yards through the air as well. Figure on a busy night for Washington DB Dominique Hampton, often the last line of defense in the secondary.
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