Let’s face it. There were a lot of blowouts in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Obviously, we all wanted closer and more exciting games, but it’s not the worst thing in the world that the four higher seeds beat the four lower seeds. It does set up some fascinating quarterfinal matchups.
The Fiesta Bowl kicks things off on New Year’s Eve, followed by a triple-header of CFP action on New Year’s Day. We’re here to help you figure out when to be glued to the television set and when it’s best to socialize. It’s a watchability viewer’s guide!
Here are the four CFP quarterfinal games, ranked in order of least to most watchable:
#4: The Fiesta Bowl - Don’t cancel your New Year’s Eve plans to watch No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 6 Penn State.
You can watch this on your phone while you’re out enjoying your evening (or stewing over your overpriced cocktails). Or you could just check the score periodically — and stream it on your phone if/when it gets interesting. Penn State is favored by more than 10 points and is the more talented team. If the Nittany Lions figure out a way to collectively shut down (or limit) Heisman Trophy finalist and superstar running back Ashton Jeanty, then they’ll have a chance to control the game. Penn State QB Drew Allar, do-everything tight end Tyler Warren and co. should be able to move the ball against this Boise State defense. So, it’ll come down to the running back who is just 131 yards shy of Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record and the quarterback (Maddux Madsen) who could take advantage of a defense that is fully focused on stopping the run. If the Nittany Lions aren’t able to get Jeanty down to the ground — he’s credited with 1,889 yards after contact and forcing 143 missed tackles on the season — then we’ll have ourselves a ballgame. Keep track on this one, but don’t ruin your night with friends and/or loved ones to go out of your way to be glued to a TV.
#3: The Peach Bowl - Skip brunch to keep tabs on No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Texas.
This game has the largest spread — the Longhorns are favored by nearly two touchdowns — but the Sun Devils are a wild card. They’re the hottest team in college football, winners of six straight to close out the season including a 26-point win over Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game. Running back Cam Skattebo nearly got an invite to New York City as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy because of how well he played down the stretch; Texas coach Steve Sarkisian called Skattebo a “monster” last week and said he wished he’d recruited him. QB Sam Leavitt isn’t half-bad, either. So while the Arizona State roster may not be anywhere near as talented or deep as that of Texas, this is a gritty team with a knack for explosives. It’ll likely come down to the run game for both teams. The Longhorns ran at will against Clemson in their first-round matchup (to the tune of 292 rushing yards and 6.1 yards per carry) and will face a defense that ranks 27th in FBS against the run. There should again be opportunities for Texas, as long as its offensive line health issues don’t become an issue. But if Texas is able to bottle up Skattebo and Leavitt can’t get much going through the air, this game might not be very close. Stay at home, so you’re near a TV if an upset is brewing. But it’s OK if you need to do laundry or something else around the house in the meantime.
#2: The Sugar Bowl - Pour some late-afternoon coffee to ensure that you can stay up for No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Notre Dame.
You’re not going to want to miss this one. These are two of the most talented teams in the bracket going head-to-head, with Notre Dame fresh off a dominant performance against Indiana in the first round and Georgia three weeks removed from a come-from-behind SEC championship game victory over Texas. The big storyline, of course, is Georgia QB Gunner Stockton, who is expected to make his first career start against one of the nation’s best defenses. Carson Beck is done for the year after injuring his elbow in the SEC title game (and undergoing surgery on said elbow), which thrusts Stockton into a fascinating position. He’s played sparingly at Georgia, but he led a nice comeback in Atlanta a few weeks ago and was one of the top quarterback prospects in the class of 2022. And he’s facing an Irish defense that has been terrific all season, though it will be without team sack leader Rylie Mills (who was injured against the Hoosiers and is out for the year). And on the flip side, you’ve got a great rushing attack from the Irish going up against a Georgia defense that is good but not elite by its own recent standards. The Dawgs shut down Texas’ ground game twice this season, but can they stop star running back Jeremiyah Love and even QB Riley Leonard using his legs? We’ll see.
#1: The Rose Bowl - Clear the calendar and put the phone on Do Not Disturb for No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State.
This matchup is worthy of the national championship game, although it’s happening two rounds too early. But here’s hoping it plays out something like the first time these two teams met back in October, a one-point Oregon win in front of a raucous crowd at Autzen Stadium, one of the best games of the entire season. We’d all love another instant classic, and with the way Ohio State played in its first-round game against Tennessee, it sure looks like we’re going to see the very best of the Buckeyes with their season on the line (again). Oregon’s been the best and most consistent team in the country all season long (and will have DE Jordan Burch available after he missed Round 1 of this matchup), but the CFP selection committee did the Ducks no favors with a draw that includes a date with Ohio State this early in the postseason. It should be a heavyweight fight at the Granddaddy of Them All, with stars ready to shine on both sidelines. You won’t want to miss it.
