Getty Georgia QB Jake Fromm and the Bulldogs take on Baylor in the Sugar Bowl.
For decades, New Year’s Day has been the unofficial holiday of college football and this year is no different. There are five college football bowl games on TV today. Four of the five matchups feature two ranked opponents squaring off.
Iowa and No. 18 Mississippi State kick off the day’s festivities in the Outback Bowl at noon Eastern on ESPN2. The Fiesta Bowl features No. 11 LSU taking on No. 8 UCF at 1 p.m. on ESPN. UCF has the longest winning streak in the country which LSU hopes to end in Arizona.
LSU linebacker Devin White noted he respects UCF but takes issue with their 2017 national championship claim.
“I feel like you get a chance to play in the national championship and you win a national championship then you’re the national champions,” White told The Advocate. “Until then, I feel like they’ve got to continue gaining respect. I know who won the national championship. I played the team that won the national championship. They deserve the national championship and if I’m not mistaken they’re about to go compete for another national championship today.”
No. 12 Penn State takes on No. 14 Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl at 1 p.m. on ABC. It will be the last college football game for Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen and Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley.
Urban Meyer will have his grand finale in Pasadena as No. 6 Ohio State takes on No. 9 Washington in the Rose Bowl. It could also be the final game for Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins who is the favorite to be the top quarterback selected in the 2019 NFL draft.
Meyer noted he felt like this was the right way to end his coaching career.
“I dreamed a lot about Ohio State, the rivalry game, the Rose Bowl,” Meyer told the Associated Press. “Seems like every year in the ’70s, when I was at that age where everybody is watching it, the parade, the game, and then watching Archie Griffin score touchdowns in the Rose Bowl. … This has been a bucket-list item for as long as I’ve been coaching.”
New Year’s Day will conclude with the Sugar Bowl as No. 5 Georgia takes on No. 15 Texas at 8:45 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. There are no NFL games until Saturday, January 5 when the playoffs start.
Here’s a look at the college football bowl game schedule for New Year’s Day.
College Football Bowl Schedule: New Year’s Day
| DATE | TEAMS | TIME (ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Tuesday, January 1st | Outback Bowl: No. 18 Mississippi State vs. Iowa | 12 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Tuesday, January 1st | Fiesta Bowl: No. 11 LSU vs No. 8 UCF | 1 p.m. ESPN |
| Tuesday, January 1st | Citrus Bowl: No. 14 Kentucky vs. No. 12 Penn State | 1 p.m. ABC |
| Tuesday, January 1st | Rose Bowl: No. 9 Washington vs. No. 6 Ohio State | 5 p.m. ESPN |
| Tuesday, January 1st | Sugar Bowl: No. 15 Texas vs. No. 5 Georgia | 8:45 p.m. ESPN |