CFB: New Year’s Six odds, predictions

Peach Bowl (December 30)

#10 Michigan State (10-2, 7-2)

#12 Pittsburgh (11-2, 7-1)

Both programs are hoping to cap off surprisingly successful seasons with a memorable bowl victory on Thursday night in Atlanta. Even though Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh QB) and Kenneth Walker III (Michigan State RB) are going to skip the bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft, this should be an exciting matchup. Nick Patti is expected to start at quarterback for the Panthers and he's going to rely on star receiver Jordan Addison, who leads FBS with 17 touchdown receptions. This won't be the Pittsburgh offense that averaged 43.0 points per game but they have a chance to win 12 games for the second time in school history after going 12-0 in 1796 with Tony Dorsett in the backfield. Michigan State is favored by 3.5 points prior to kick off.

Fiesta Bowl (January 1)

#5 Notre Dame (11-1, 5-0)

#9 Oklahoma State (12-1, 8-1)

Marcus Freeman is set to make his Notre Dame head coaching debut on New Year's Day in the Fiesta Bowl. The Fighting Irish are also dealing with a few opt-outs after Kyle Hamilton and Kyren Williams recently announced they will not play against Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon. Mike Gundy will look to establish the ground game early on with Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year Jaylen Warren and dual threat quarterback Spencer Sanders. Warren finished his only season in Stillwater with 1,134 yards and 11 touchdowns. Freeman's defense needs to be ready for a physical battle as Oklahoma State allows just 89.2 rushing yards per game. Notre Dame remains slight favorites (-2.0) despite missing multiple starters.

Rose Bowl (January 1)

#6 Ohio State (10-2, 8-1)

#11 Utah (10-3, 8-1)

Ryan Day failed to win the Big Ten and reach the playoff for the first time in his career as Ohio State lost to Michigan and will settle for a trip to Pasadena. The Buckeyes are making their 16th appearance in the Rose Bowl with freshman CJ Stroud and TreVeyon Henderson leading an explosive offense (averages 551.1 passing yards), sans future first round receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. Utah's defense allows just 195.3 passing yards per game and has limited big plays since a loss at Oregon State in late October. Devin Lloyd is one of the most versatile defenders in the nation, totaling 107 tackles, eight sacks, and four interceptions in 2021. The Utes are 4-point underdogs in the first Rose Bowl in school history.

Sugar Bowl (January 1)

#7 Baylor (11-2, 7-2)

#8 Ole Miss (10-2, 6-2)

Matt Corral is reportedly planning to start at quarterback for Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl on Saturday night. He put up 3,339 yards and 20 passing touchdowns this season but hasn't faced many defenses on Baylor's level. Dave Aranda's team allows only 19.2 points per game, led by Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Jalen Pitre and LSU transfer Siaki Ika. The last time Baylor played in the Sugar Bowl was a 26-14 loss to Georgia in 2019. The Rebels haven't been to New Orleans since 2015 when they blew out Oklahoma State. Lane Kiffin will try to recreate that performance as he looks for a fourth straight bowl win. Baylor quarterback Gerry Bohanon is likely to return with a hamstring injury. Ole Miss is favored by 1.5 points.

New Year's Six Picks:

Alabama (-13.5) vs Cincinnati

Michigan vs Georgia (-7.5)

Ohio State (-4.0) vs Utah

Baylor vs Ole Miss (-1.5)

Notre Dame (-2.0) vs Oklahoma State

Michigan State (-3.5) vs Pittsburgh

Photo Credit: Star Tribune.