New Year’s Day and college bowl games have been a combo football fans have enjoyed for many decades. This year, the schedule will once again be must see TV as many of the top teams in the country will battle it out in some of the longest running, and most historic, bowl games in college football history.
UCF looking to continue their incredible roll
While this year’s New Year’s Day games do not include any of the playoff teams, the action is still going to be great.
According to a Forbes report, UCF may have the biggest chip on their shoulder of all the teams that will tee it up on New Year's Day.
The Knights finished the season 12-0, yet they are on the outside looking in, in terms of the playoffs. And in case you may have forgotten, UCF finished the season 13-0, including a 34-27 win over the Auburn Tigers in the Peach Bowl.
So, to be clear, that is 25 straight victories, tough for any college team to do no matter what division they play in.
If they can defeat their second straight SEC opponent in a bowl game when they face LSU in the Fiesta Bowl New Year’s Day, this team has to be a preseason top 5 selection in 2019.
Battle for No. 1
Before the huge New Year’s Day schedule, this Tuesday, we should know which two teams will be fighting it out for the 2019 NCAA championship. According to a CBS Sports report, on Saturday, December 29, Notre Dame faces Clemson while Alabama and Oklahoma square off in football's version of the final four.
All four of these teams have the capability of being crowned this season's champion, however, Las Vegas oddsmakers see these games as pretty one-sided affairs. Clemson is currently listed as a 12-point favorite over the Irish, while the defending champion Crimson Tide are set as a 14-point favorite over Oklahoma.
The winners of these two games will meet up on January 7 to determine this year's NCAA football champion.
Jan. 1 Schedule, odds, TV coverage
All of the New Year’s Day action begins down south when the Iowa Hawkeyes take on Mississippi State from the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida. Below is a look at the complete New Year’s Day schedule, current Las Vegas odds and TV start times. Have a safe and Happy New Year everyone!
Outback -- Mississippi State -7 vs.
Iowa -- Noon (ESPN2)
Citrus -- Kentucky vs. Penn State -6.5 -- 1 PM (ABC)
Fiesta -- UCF vs. LSU -7.5 -- 1 PM (ESPN)
Rose -- Ohio State -7 vs. Washington -- 5 PM (ESPN)
Sugar -- Texas vs. Georgia -13 -- 8:45 PM (ESPN)