The college bowl season is in high gear and the New Year’s Day Bowl games on this year's schedule are the highlight of the season. Several key matchups will take place on January 1st, including two playoff games that will decide which teams will play for the 2018 NCAA football national championship.

Outback Bowl kicks off day

New Year’s Day is always known for college football for pigskin fans, and this year will be no different as the wall-to-wall action will begin at high noon ET when the Michigan Wolverines take on the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Outback Bowl.

The Wolverines had high expectations heading into this season. However, key injuries at the quarterback position and sloppy playing down the stretch led Michigan to an 8-4 regular season record. South Carolina heads into the Outback Bowl with the same 8-4 mark and would like nothing more than to end the season on a high note by beating the Wolverines.

Las Vegas oddsmakers have Michigan listed as a 7.5 point favorite, with the over/under number set at 42.

Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl will decide NCAA final

When it comes to the biggest and best of college bowl season, the Rose Bowl has been dubbed “The Granddaddy of Them All.” The longest running of all the bowl games in NCAA football history dates back to 1902 and this year's matchup will feature a pair of 12-1 teams when Oklahoma faces Georgia.

With a national championship berth on the line, Pasadena, California will be rocking Monday afternoon.

The 2018 Sugar Bowl will decide the other half of this year’s championship contender. The victor of the Sugar Bowl battle between the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide will square off against the Rose Bowl winner on January 8 from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

The table is set, and now fans will wait for the questions to be answered! Can the Tide get revenge on the Tigers? Will Clemson repeat as champions? Will Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield lead OU to a national championship? Many of these questions will be answered on January 1.

Here is a look at the complete schedule, start times and latest Las Vegas odds for every game scheduled to be played on New Year’s Day.

  • Outback -- Tampa, Fla. -- Michigan (8-4) vs. South Carolina (8-4) -- Noon ET (ESPN2) -- Michigan -7.5
  • Peach -- Atlanta, Ga. -- UCF (12-0) vs. Auburn (10-3) -- 12:30 p.m. (ESPN) -- Auburn -10
  • Citrus -- Orlando, Fla. -- Notre Dame (9-3) vs. LSU (9-3) -- 1 p.m. ET -- (ABC) -- LSU -3
  • Rose -- (Semifinal) Pasadena, Calif. -- No. 3 Georgia (12-1) vs. No. 2 Oklahoma (12-1) -- 5 p.m. (ESPN) -- Georgia -3
  • Sugar -- (Semifinal) New Orleans, La. -- No. 4 Alabama (11-1) vs. No. 1 Clemson (12-1) -- 8:45 p.m. (ESPN) -- Alabama -3
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