BOWL PREVIEWS
Outback Bowl
Iowa (8-4) vs. Mississippi State (8-4)
Time, TV: Noon ET Tuesday, ESPN2 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida Reasons to watch
Iowa was really, really close to a massive season. It came up with a win over Iowa State. However, it lost to Wisconsin 28-17, with the score looking worse than the game thanks to a late Badgers’ oh-by-the-way touchdown, and it had a stretch of three losses in a row by six points or fewer and a total of 12 points. Beating Mississippi State would be the signature moment.
Last year’s Mississippi State team went 9-4. This year’s team can do that with a win, showing off a seamless transition from the Dan Mullen era to Joe Moorhead. The offense was solid, but it was the defense that defined the year. Players to watch
QB Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State: He was OK throwing the ball, completing 53 percent of his passes with 15 TDs. When he takes off, though, look out; he ran for over 1,000 yards with 12 scores, including six 100-yard games.
QB Nate Stanley, Iowa: The 6-4, 242pound junior connected on 58 percent of his throws for 2,638 yards and 23 TDs with nine picks, but he had to fight through a few games with bad weather conditions. If he’s on, he’s the offense.
VRBO Citrus Bowl
Kentucky (9-3) vs. Penn State (9-3) Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, ABC Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida Reasons to watch
It was a terrific season for Kentucky. To be deep in the Southeastern Conference title hunt? To beat Florida for the first time in more than three decades? Now, this is merely gravy. This is already the first nine-win season since 1984. Win, and it’s the first 10-win season since 1977.
Penn State’s resumé is a wee bit light outside of the dominant performance over Wisconsin and the blowout over Pitt. Beat Kentucky for the first time since the 1999 Outback, and it’ll be the third consecutive double-digit win season under James Franklin. It’ll also be the first time the Nittany Lions have won 10 games or more three years in a row since doing it from 1980 to 1982. Players to watch
RB Benny Snell, Kentucky: There are heart-and-soul players, and there are guys who can carry their teams no matter what the stats, and there are the guys who can do both. He is one of those, running for 1,305 yards and 14 TDs, but it’s more than that. His workhorse abilities allow everything else about UK work. He’s a tough, hard runner who can catch a little, too. QB Trace McSorley, Penn State: It’s been an interesting career. He took over the starting job as a sophomore, won the Big Ten title and has been the leader and star for a team that’s won 31 games over the last three seasons. He’s not all that accurate, completing fewer than 60 percent of his career passes, and he threw just 16 TD passes after tossing 29 as a sophomore and 28 as a junior. But he ran more this season, finishing with 723 yards and 11 TDs, and he’s as good as any quarterback in college football in the clutch.
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Central Florida (12-0) vs. LSU (9-3) Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, ESPN University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ Reasons to watch
❚ LSU wasn’t supposed to be here. The schedule was far, far, far more brutal than what UCF had to deal with, and it passed the test with flying colors. The losses? A tight battle at Florida, Alabama and a seven-overtime game at Texas A&M. This is a rock-solid, tough team that doesn’t do anything pretty but has the lines and the defense to make a statement. Motivation shouldn’t be an issue for LSU.
❚ There were plenty of parts back from last year’s dream season, but head coach Josh Heupel is new. Scott Frost is gone, and so is QB McKenzie Milton, recovering from a broken leg suffered late in the season. Shaquem Griffin isn’t in this game, and neither is last season’s top receiver, Tre’Quan Smith, or dangerous defensive lineman Jamiyus Pittman. There’s a whole lot more to prove. Players to watch ❚ QB Joe Burrow, LSU: He wanted to be the Ohio State quarterback, but Dwayne Haskins turned into a passingyardage machine and a Heisman finalist. Burrow went to LSU, took over the gig and turned into the ultimate game manager, running for 375 yards and seven scores and throwing for 2,500 yards and 12 TDs with four picks. As long as he’s moving the chains, he’s doing his part. ❚ QB Darriel Mack, UCF: The freshman had to somehow step in for heart-andsoul leader Milton, and after a rough start, he came up big. LSU will be fully trained on keeping the 6-3, 230-pounder from taking over.
Rose Bowl
Ohio State (12-1) vs. Washington (10-3) Time, TV: 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, ESPN Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California Reasons to watch
❚ Is this really the last game Urban Meyer will ever coach? Doubtful, but before he kicks it upstairs into an athletics director-type of desk job, he’s coaching in his first Rose Bowl. 11-3 all time in bowl games, Meyer’s teams show up in these things, and this one should have a serious attitude. There’s being disrespected, and there’s being the first
12-win Power Five conference champion to not get into the College Football Playoff.
❚ Chris Petersen might be struggling lately in bowl games, losing three of his four with the Huskies, but there aren’t any cheap misfires. Last year was a Fiesta loss to Penn State, and the year
before was a CFP loss to Alabama. Winning the Pac-12 title was nice, but pulling this off will be one of those “program has arrived” moments. The Huskies aren’t pretty in any way. They’re tough, they pop and they can pound away and grind it out if needed. Players to watch
❚ QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State: In almost any other year he’s the runaway Heisman winner after throwing for
4,580 yards and 47 TDs with just eight picks.
❚ QB Jake Browning, Washington: The four-year starter is about to crank up the historic passing charts with one more good game. Already 37th among the all-time NCAA leaders, he’s 118 yards away from moving into the 32nd slot and 213 from passing Jared Goff for
31st.
Sugar Bowl
Texas (9-4) vs. Georgia (11-2) Time, TV: 8:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, ESPN Mercedes-Benz Stadium, New Orleans Reasons to watch ❚ This was a wee bit of a reloading season for Georgia, and it wasn’t always smooth, but there’s no nitpicking how good the Bulldogs were. Outside of the clunker in Death Valley against Clemson, Georgia won all of the other 11 regular-season games by double digits.
❚ It’s been a wildly inconsistent and a wildly entertaining year for Texas. The Longhorns have played close game after close game — nine of their matchups were decided by seven points or fewer before losing to Oklahoma in a thrilling 39-27 Big 12 championship game — with an offense that showed just enough explosion to keep up with the Big 12 Conference’s juggernaut attacks and a D that could power down the weaker ones. Players to watch
❚ QB Jake Fromm, Georgia: There’s nothing flashy about his game, but he hits 68 percent of his passes, threw 27 touchdown passes with just five picks, and he’s been through the wars in just two years as an underclassman. He’s unfazed, unflappable and great at getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers.
❚ QB Sam Ehlinger, Texas: He fought through a few things in the Big 12 championship game, and he was still solid enough to finish with 25 TD passes, just five picks, and with 418 rushing yards and 13 TDs. He’s a 6-3,
235-pound Tim Tebow-like battering ram of a runner, but against Georgia, all that matters is whether he’s moving the chains.