Celebrating the New Year with College Football

There’s really just one way to properly welcome the New Year, right? By, well, getting a bit worked up at the person next to you. But wait, perhaps there’s another option.

This year, the College Football Playoff is here to save the day! Fans can enjoy playoff quarterfinals, starting with No. 10 Miami matched against No. 2 Ohio State on New Year’s Eve. Then, on New Year’s Day, No. 5 Oregon State will face off against No. 4 Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl. Two more games follow on the same day, with No. 9 Alabama taking on No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl, and No. 6 Ole Miss facing No. 3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

Before the games, we reached out to some college football fans about their predictions. Here’s what they had to say:

Cotton Bowl: No. 10 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State

After a lot of chatter, Miami pulled off a stellar defensive show to beat Texas A&M 10-3. So, what’s next for them? They’ll be up against Ohio State, a team that, let’s be honest, seemed to dominate for most of the season—especially with their Heisman finalist, Julian Sane, in action alongside talented receivers like Jeremiah Smith and Colonel Tate. Plus, their defense looks strong enough to take them forward.

However, a significant number of fans think Miami won’t get past this first round. Yeah, it’s tough to be optimistic, especially given the odds. A whopping 83% of people surveyed predict the Buckeyes will claim victory on New Year’s Eve, and Ohio State is labeled a 9.5-point favorite.

Orange Bowl: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech

The Orange Bowl promises to be quite exciting, featuring Oregon squaring off against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are sitting on one of the top defenses in the country, ranked No. 3 overall. On the other hand, Oregon has managed to stay in decent shape, sitting at 7th place.

Interestingly, this game is expected to be super close, with Oregon State coming in as a 2.5-point favorite, which, if you think about it, is a bit unusual considering their rank.

Rose Bowl: No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana

Will this be the continuation of Fernando Mendoza’s remarkable season? Indiana made history by winning the Big Ten Championship Game and now finds itself in the Rose Bowl. Mendoza recently bagged the Heisman Trophy, and now he’s gearing up for the playoffs. But they’ve got to get past Alabama, who managed to beat No. 8 Oklahoma recently.

It’s hard to tell how this one will go; fans have mixed feelings about Mendoza’s chances.

Sugar Bowl: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia

Lastly, we have the Sugar Bowl featuring Ole Miss against Georgia. These two teams clashed earlier, with Georgia pulling off a comeback win, scoring 17 straight points to secure a 43-35 victory.

The dynamics are different this time around, as Georgia had home-field advantage in their previous match, and Ole Miss was under Lane Kiffin’s guidance. It’s clear that readers think this rematch might just unfold in a similar fashion to the last one.

With Georgia carrying a 6.5-point favorite status heading into the Sugar Bowl, it certainly adds another layer of excitement to the New Year’s lineup!