The New Year’s Six bowl games kicked off beginning Friday with the Cotton Bowl Classic between No. 7 Ohio State and No. 9 Missouri. The Tigers have 11 wins for the first time since 2014 after beating the Buckeyes 14-3.

READ: No. 6 Georgia claims Orange Bowl victory over No. 5 Florida State

Friday night meant the start for the New Year’s Six, and it continued Saturday with the Peach Bowl and Orange Bowl games.

No. 11 Ole Miss contested No. 10 Penn State in the Peach Bowl, beating the Nittany Lions 38-25, and No. 6 Georgia blew out No. 5 Florida State 63-3 later Saturday afternoon.

Finally, New Year’s Day will present three New Year’s Six bowl games with two being College Football Playoff semifinal games. The Fiesta Bowl will start the day between No. 23 Liberty and No. 8 Oregon, and the CFP matchups are Michigan-Alabama and Washington-Texas. 

Here are three questions entering the CFP semifinals.

Can Michigan, Washington maintain their higher seeded positions?

Both the Wolverines and Huskies achieved their highest rankings in the CFP era going into the Playoff.

And now, they’re expected to advance and play one another in the CFP National Championship.

But that won’t be an easy task for either team. Both Michigan, going against 11-1 Alabama, and Washington, which plays Big 12 Conference champion Texas, have their hands full.

Michigan will have to keep up with the Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, and the Wolverines will have to battle a decorated program for a chance at their first win in the CFP.

READ: Jaxson Dart throws 3 TDs, No. 11 Ole Miss routs No. 10 Penn State 38-25 in Peach Bowl

Perhaps the most intriguing game of the CFP this season will be in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Washington is making its second trip to the CFP while Texas made its first. Both teams won their conference championships, and the Longhorns enter with one loss coming Week 6 to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.

Both Washington and Texas will compete in the Sugar Bowl with stellar quarterback play. Michael Penix Jr. was a Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing runner-up to LSU’s Jayden Daniels, and Quinn Ewers owns a win over CFP rival Alabama and leads the Big 12 Conference with a 70.7% completion.

Penix and Ewers both have taken different paths to get where they are today. Both began in the Big Ten as members of Indiana and Ohio State, respectively, and transferred out for greater opportunity.

It turned into trips to the CFP for Penix and Ewers. Now, both will have a chance at ultimate achievement with a trip to the national championship on the line.

If Washington wins, it’ll compete for its first national title since 1991, and a Texas win would give the Longhorns their first shot at a national championship since 2009.

Can No. 4 Alabama use Saban magic and get past No. 1 Michigan?

The Crimson Tide pulled off the unthinkable and won the SEC Championship following their 27-24 win over No. 6 Georgia, ending the Bulldogs’ 29-game winning streak.

It rewarded Alabama with the No. 4 spot in the CFP over No. 5 Florida State, which became the first Power Five program to go unbeaten as a conference champion and miss the Playoff.

Saban and the Crimson Tide won the CFP National Championship the last time they played in the semifinal at the Rose Bowl.

Saban and Alabama also hold a 3-2 edge over Michigan in their all-time series having won the past two meetings, including a 35-16 win in the Citrus Bowl at the end of the 2019 season.

But Michigan is different this time around. The Wolverines have navigated a season of adversity seeing their head coach suspended for six games during the regular season due to recruiting violations and for the in-person scouting operation which resulted in a suspension from the Big Ten Conference.

The Wolverines enter the Rose Bowl with the No. 1 scoring defense in college football. They’ve held opponents to 9.46 points per game this season; Alabama has scored at least 17 points in every game this year.

READ: No. 9 Missouri prevails 14-3 over No. 7 Ohio State in Cotton Bowl defensive slugfest

Alabama also will enter with Jalen Milroe riding his hot hand. Milroe has thrown 10 touchdowns over the past four games, and he averages 226.5 passing yards per game.

Where the test will remain is in the trenches. Michigan running back Blake Corum leads the NCAA with 24 rushing touchdowns, and Alabama holds the No. 46 rushing offense averaging 172.7 yards per game.

So in Alabama and Michigan’s latest meeting, a trip to the CFP National Championship is on the line. The Crimson Tide last made it in 2021, and Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines are looking to make their first appearance in the title game behind their first CFP win.

Which team makes the biggest statement?

Bowl season can be impacted by plater opt outs and the transfer portal, and this time around that case still stands.

Players such as Marvin Harrison Jr., Caleb Williams and Jared Verse haven’t played in their teams’ bowl games to preserve their health and focus toward the 2024 NFL Draft. Others, such as Ohio State’s Kyle McCord and Texas’ Maalik Murphy, have already transferred out of their previous programs.

READ: Reports: Buffalo to hire Dave Patenaude as next offensive coordinator

So that leaves teams to turn toward younger players to flex the depth of their rosters. Freshmen who haven’t gotten full games’ worth of playing time or third- and fourth-string players sliding up the depth chart are among the groups that could see increased playing time.

Not only is bowl season about building momentum toward the next season but it’s also about ending the current one on a high note. Teams such as Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon all had disappointing ends to their regular seasons — and in the case of the Seminoles, they missed the CFP.

But those teams still had a chance to end their seasons on a high note. In the case of the teams involved in the CFP, they can still add hardware to their mantles, and it all begins Monday in the Rose Bowl at 5 p.m. between Alabama and Michigan.

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After entering the transfer portal following the end of the regular season, Murphy announced on X on Saturday that he will transfer to Duke.

Murphy was a four-star recruit out of the class of 2024 according to Rivals.

He spent two seasons in the Longhorns program before deciding to join the Blue Devils, who named Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz the next head coach following Mike Elko’s departure to Texas A&M.

READ: Reports: Florida State moves to file lawsuit against ACC grant of rights

Murphy made his college debut this season after filling in for an injured Quinn Ewers. Murphy appeared in seven games throwing for 477 yards and three touchdowns.

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The Longhorns allowed Kansas State to score 16 points in the fourth quarter, and they surrendered 20 unanswered points as Texas watched its once 27-7 lead evaporate into a 27-27 deadlock after the Wildcats missed the extra point with 12:37 left.

PODCAST: Calculated Risk: Previewing a week 10 with plenty of intrigue

Texas kicker Bert Auburn made a 34-yard field goal to give the Longhorns a brief 30-27 lead with more than six minutes remaining. 

Kansas State then managed a nine-play, 66-yard drive down the field and into field goal territory. After three stops inside the red zone, Wildcats kicker Chris Tennant missed a 27-yard field goal try, and it seemed Texas had the game in hand. 

The Wildcats forced a quick three-and-out on the next series, and they got the ball back at their own 40-yard line with 1:18 on the clock. 

Kansas State quarterback Will Howard dialed up an 18-yard pass on fourth and six to move to Texas’ 27-yard line. With 1 second left, Tennant redeemed himself and made a long 45-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. 

Texas gained just one yard on its only overtime possession thanks to running back Jonathon Brooks, and it set up Auburn for a 42-yard field goal which he made. 

With its back against the wall, Kansas State had four plays to score the game-winning touchdown. Howard connected on a 19-yard pass to begin the series. 

But that was nearly all the Wildcats generated in overtime, as Texas defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat made two key pass break-ups to seal the win. 

READ: Clemson snaps 2-game skid, beats No. 15 Notre Dame 31-23

Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy, playing for an injured Quinn Ewers, totaled 248 passing yards, two interceptions and a touchdown. Brooks had 112 rushing yards and a score while receiver Adonai Mitchell had 149 receiving yards and a touchdown. 

Howard finished with 327 passing yards, four touchdowns and an interception. 

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The top-ranked Buckeyes will hit the road for a second-consecutive week when they travel to face Rutgers, which boasts a 6-2 record on an upward trajectory. The Scarlet Knights have won each of their past two games. 

PODCAST: Lance Leipold is the Exact Opposite of Deion Sanders 

Sticking in the Big Ten Conference, No. 3 Michigan will play host to Purdue as the Boilermakers look to play spoiler to the Wolverines’ undefeated season. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

No. 23 Kansas State at No. 7 Texas 

There are plenty of Big 12 Conference title implications in this one. 

No. 7 Texas will play host to a hot No. 23 Kansas State team entering Austin, Texas, on a three-game winning streak. 

Quinn Ewers continues to deal with a shoulder injury. The Longhorns will have a question mark at quarterback. 

Maalik Murphy quarterbacked the Longhorns for the entirety of the game against BYU. Murphy completed 64% of his passes for 170 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while the Texas defense terrorized Cougars quarterback Kedon Slovis for two interceptions. 

The Wildcats have outscored their past three opponents 120-24, and they’ve done so with a rolling offense. Kansas State has posted three-consecutive games of at least 394 total yards of offense, peaking at 587 yards recorded against TCU. 

“This is a really hot team right now. They’ve been playing as good as anybody in the country in all three phases for the last two to three weeks,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I think it’s really important that we focus on us and what we need to do, that the details and the level of physicality in which we play the game are at the forefront of what we do. I do believe our best football is still ahead of us, and that part is exciting to me, and we’re going to need to play complimentary football Saturday against a very good, well-coached football team in Kansas State.” 

No. 12 Missouri at No. 2 Georgia 

The No. 2 Bulldogs will face their second ranked opponent of the season on Saturday when No. 12 Missouri comes to town. 

These two teams faced off a season ago in Columbia, Missouri. The Tigers had Georgia’s number for most of the game, getting out to a 13-0 lead that turned into a 16-6 halftime advantage. 

Georgia scored two rushing touchdowns in the final 10 minutes of the game to complete its comeback and win 26-22. 

This season, Missouri’s Brady Cook will get another chance to upend the Bulldogs against first-year starting quarterback Carson Beck, who is second in the Southeastern Conference with 2,462 passing yards. Cook is third with 2,259 passing yards. 

READ: Big Board: Week 10 

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said “it helped” trailing last season against Missouri and having to come back from a double-digit deficit. 

“Being down in a game or not playing well maybe because of them playing well and you not playing well, it makes you question yourself,” Smart said. “There was a lot of things they did to help us and a lot of things that we did to help them but at the end of the day, we didn’t play very well until the fourth quarter and a lot of that had to do with them, and give them credit for the way they played. But, yeah, last year’s team, retrospect, it helped build the resiliency of that team.” 

No. 5 Washington at No. 20 USC 

A matchup between last year’s Heisman Trophy winner and this season’s frontrunner is on tap in Southern California on Saturday. 

Caleb Williams and No. 20 USC will host Michael Penix Jr. and the No. 5 Huskies. Washington came out on top 28-14 in their last meeting during the 2019 season — before either head coach Lincoln Riley or Kalen DeBoer took their posts at their respective programs. 

Both USC and Washington are atop the Pac-12 Conference standings at 5-1 and 5-0 in conference play this year, respectively. The Trojans are reeling from having lost two of their past three games but bounced back in a close win against Cal 50-49. 

READ: Ohio State, Georgia lead first CFP rankings 

The Huskies are second in the Pac-12 in total offense behind an average of 501.3 yards per game. They’ve had a couple of relatively close calls the past two weeks against Arizona State and Stanford, winning 15-7 and 42-33 in those games, and is seeking to make another statement win. 

Riley said Washington is “a good football team” that has “done a great job this year.” 

“Their quarterback has obviously played at a high level and does a great job distributing to their playmakers which they’ve got a really good group of playmakers,” Riley said. “Runs the offense really, really well. You can tell obviously he’s got a lot of experience with Kalen and his system, and you can tell, right, that it shows up and he’s played at a high level. They’ve got some really good players defensively as well. It’s a very, very talented roster. You got a number of guys that are projected pretty high NFL draft picks, a couple on both sides of the ball so a good group. A good group, a good challenge, I mean, like it should be here at the end to have two good football teams going at it so it’s going to be great.” 

The post Preview Thursday: Week 10  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

That answer could remain in either No. 1 Georgia or No. 2 Michigan, while the latter is currently the subject of an alleged sign stealing investigation by the NCAA. 

PODCAST: Do we have any more clarity after some major week eight decisions?

Or, it could be any of the remaining six unbeaten teams, such as No. 3 Ohio State or No. 4 Florida State. 

Penn State and North Carolina suffered their first losses of the season in Week 8 and face an uphill climb back into title contention. 

Here are several players and notes to keep a tab on in this week’s Big Board. 

Midseason All-American lists are released 

A number of outlets released their midseason All-American lists in recent weeks, including Sporting News, The Associated Press and ESPN. 

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was unanimously named to all three midseason All-American lists. He is joined by Notre Dame running back Audric Estime, LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers as offensive skill players named to all three lists. 

Among the others who were named unanimous midseason All-Americans includes: offensive guards Cooper Beebe of Kansas State and Zak Zinter of Michigan; linebacker Dallas Turner of Alabama; edge rusher Laiatu Latu of UCLA; defensive lineman Howard Cross III of Notre Dame; linebacker Edgerrin Cooper of Texas A&M; safeties Malaki Starks of Georgia and Jaylin Simpson of Auburn; and punter Tory Taylor of Iowa. 

How will Ewers’ injury impact Texas? 

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers “is expected to miss some time” with a grade 2 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder. 

The Longhorns nearly suffered a setback at the hands of Houston on Saturday. They escaped with a 31-24 win but now face questions surrounding their quarterback position. 

Ewers ranked No. 10 in completion percentage and No. 15 in passing efficiency among quarterbacks this season. He’s a key part of the Longhorns offense in year two with Ewers under center. 

So where does Texas turn from here? The answer may already have been in front of the Longhorns with quarterback Maalik Murphy. 

Murphy entered the game after Ewers departed, and he filled the role while Texas held off the Cougars. Murphy completed one pass for seven yards among two attempts. 

Murphy is a former four-star recruit according to 247 Sports, and he has the tools necessary to keep Texas afloat this season, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 238 pounds. Texas also has five-star freshman Arch Manning in the same quarterbacks room. 

Texas has five games left before conference championship season heats up, and the Longhorns are prime in the Big 12 race. Their loss to Oklahoma could loom large, as does a potential rematch, but Ewers’ absence will loom even larger until his return. 

How will Ohio State’s defense hold up the rest of the season? 

Ryan Day said the Buckeyes played “championship level” defense against Penn State on Saturday. 

Ohio State isn’t typically known for its defense. High-powered, explosive offense is usually the name of the game for the Buckeyes. 

READ: Quotables: Week 8

But in 2023, teams are having trouble moving the ball and scoring against the Buckeyes. They rank No. 4 in the country in total defense allowing an average of 260.1 yards per game and No. 3 in scoring defense allowing 10 points per game. 

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has transformed the Ohio State defense in two years under his tutelage. He attributed the dramatic change thus far to “knowing the scheme” and having it honed against opponents. 

Ohio State will face three teams among its final five games that rank within the bottom half of the Big Ten Conference in total offense: Rutgers, Michigan State and Minnesota. 

The other two remaining games are against Wisconsin, which ranks fifth in the conference, and at Michigan, which is third. It’ll be a test and fun challenge to see how the Buckeyes continue to hold up and do so among the best nationally. 

The post Big Board: Week 9  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Houston kicker Jack Martin made a 40-yard field goal to tie the game at 24 points apiece with 7:43 left in the fourth quarter. 

PODCAST: The Shane Beamer Story Isn’t That Serious

It took six plays for Texas to answer back, as Baxter found a hole and punched it in 16 yards later to give the Longhorns the lead 31-24. 

The Cougars began their final drive at their own 25-yard line and marched down the field. On third and 1 from Texas’ 10-yard line, Houston running back Stacy Sneed rushed for no gain as his forward progress was stopped. 

The referees spotted the football back at the 10-yard line, and Cougars quarterback Donovan Smith’s pass intended for Stephon Johnson Jr. to the right fell incomplete, sealing the Longhorns’ first win since falling to No. 5 Oklahoma in Week 6.

READ: No. 11 Alabama scores 27 unanswered, beats No. 17 Tennessee 34-20

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers exited the game due to injury midway through the third quarter. He finished with 211 passing yards and two touchdowns, and backup Maalik Murphy went 1-of-2 for seven yards. 

Smith finished with 378 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Houston outgained Texas 392 yards to 360. 

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