TODAY’S BOWL GAMES
ReliaQuest Bowl
Wisconsin (7-5) at No. 13 LSU (9-3)
Time: 9 a.m., ESPN2
Line: LSU by 91 ⁄2
Series record: LSU leads 3-1.
Outlook: No. 13 LSU starts the post-Jayden Daniels era with Garrett Nussmeier making first career start at quarterback. The sophomore is 17 of 33 passing for 196 yards and one touchdown in six games this season. Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft but will watch the game from the sideline . ... Assistant coaches Cortez Hankton and Joe Sloan will be LSU’s cooffensive coordinators with the departure of Tigers offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock to Notre Dame . ... Wisconsin QB Tanner Mordecai returned from a broken hand to start the final three regular-season games and will be playing his final college game . ... Wisconsin has 22 consecutive winning seasons, which is the longest active streak among Power 5 teams. … Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen declared for the NFL Draft and won’t play. He finished ninth in school history with 3.494 rushing yards.
Fiesta Bowl
No. 23 Liberty (13-0, CUSA) vs. No. 8 Oregon (11-2, Pac-12)
Time: 10 a.m., ESPN
Line: Oregon by 17 1⁄2
Series record: First meeting.
Outlook: Oregon is looking to finish the season strong after just missing the College Football Playoff. The Ducks lost twice to No. 2 Washington, one of four CFP teams, by a combined six points. Liberty is playing in its fifth straight bowl game since becoming a Division I program in 2018. The Flames are the first Conference USA team to play in a New Year’s Six bowl game, doing it in their first year in the league. Liberty is 3-1 in bowl games, losing 21-19 to Toledo in last year’s Boca Raton Bowl . ... The Flames led the nation with 302.9 yards rushing per game, more than 20 yards per game ahead of Air Force, the next closest team . ... Oregon’s rushing defense is 12th nationally, allowing 97.5 yards per game. ... Oregon (526.6) and Liberty (514.9) are second and third nationally in total offense.
Citrus Bowl
No. 17 Iowa (10-3) vs. No. 21 Tennessee (8-4) Time: 10 a.m., Ch. 10 Line: Tennessee by 51 ⁄2 Series record: Tennessee leads 2-1 Outlook: Iowa looks to finish with 11 wins for only the the fourth time in program history. The Hawkeyes are also aiming for their fifth bowl win in their past six appearances. Tennessee features a high-scoring offense and wants to complete another strong season with the Volunteers’ seventh bowl win in their past eight appearances . ... Notable opt-outs for the game include Tennessee QB Joe Milton and All-SEC second-team RB Jaylen Wright. Freshman Nico Iamaleava will start at quarterback for the Volunteers . ... Iowa has no major opt-outs for the game . ... Iowa’s defense has allowed more than 20 points just twice this season. The Hawkeyes lost both of those games, to Michigan and Penn State.
Rose Bowl
No. 1 Michigan (13-0, Big Ten) vs. No. 4 Alabama (12-1, SEC) Time: 2 p.m., ESPN
Line: Michigan by 11 ⁄2
Series record: Alabama leads
3-2.
Outlook: Michigan is in the College Football Playoff for the third straight season but still seeking its first win, getting routed by Georgia in 2021 and upset by TCU last season. The Wolverines haven’t won a national championship since 1997. Alabama is seeking its seventh title under coach Nick Saban and has been victorious in the semifinal in six of seven CFP appearances. Saban won his first championship with the Crimson Tide in the 2010 BCS title game in Pasadena. … Alabama S Caleb Downs has 99 tackles, 34 more than LB Jihaad Campbell, putting him on track to become the first freshman to lead the team in tackles in 17 seasons under Saban. … Michigan CB Mike Sainristil has a team-high four interceptions. He was named most valuable player of the Big Ten title game after forcing two fumbles and getting a sack. … Tide QB Jalen Milroe has 12 touchdown runs. Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams, who are first and second on Alabama in rushing, have combined for 11 scores. … The Wolverines are 8-12 in the Rose Bowl. This is their first appearance since a 2007 loss to USC. … This is the Crimson Tide’s first Rose Bowl game in Pasadena since 1946. They defeated Notre Dame in a 2021 CFP semifinal played in Arlington, Texas, because of the pandemic. … Michigan and Alabama are the two winningest programs in college football. The Wolverines have won 1,002 games, followed by the Crimson Tide with 965. Sugar Bowl No. 3 Texas (12-1, Big 12) vs. No. 2 Washington (13-0, Pac-12) Time: 5:45 p.m., ESPN Line: Texas by 41 ⁄2
Series record: Texas leads 3-2. Outlook: By advancing to title game, Washington would get a shot at its third national title in program history, and its last as a member of the Pac-12 before moving next season to an expanded Big Ten. Texas is looking to claim its fifth national title, and its last as a member of the Big 12 before moving to the SEC . ... Washington has the nation’s longest active winning streak at 20 games ... Texas is making its first CFP semifinal appearance. Its last bid for a national title came in the 2009-10 BCS Championship game at the Rose Bowl, won by Alabama. ... The Longhorns won the Big 12 title for the first time since 2009 and the fourth time in program history . ... The Longhorns have won seven straight games, the longest winning streak for Texas since 2008-09 (17 games) . ... Texas is 2-2 all time at the Sugar Bowl, beating Georgia 28-21 the last time it was in the game, the 2018-19 season . ... Washington is making its first visit to the Sugar Bowl, and it’s also the first Pac-12 team to play in one.