In the world of college football, the game that usually takes place on New Year’s Day is a great way to end the season and start the first page of a new calendar, so it’s always a happy new year. However, these games will take place on January 2nd this year, with the Rose Bowl traditionally kicking off as the sun sets over the San Gabriel Mountains at 5:00 PM ET.
We have a great representation of the 2022 college football season on display Monday. With a heavy heart and plenty of motivation, he enters the ReliaQuest Bowl as the 22nd-ranked Mississippi State University faces his one of the surprise teams of the year in Illinois. His 17th-placed LSU and Purdue both beat expectations, but the Tigers entered his sophomore year under coach Brian Kelly and the Boilermakers headed into his first year under Ryan Pickett. We started with a citrus bowl that went in a different direction of getting ready.
No. 10 USC, featuring freshly minted Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, is looking to finish the season on some momentum in the Cotton Bowl after missing out on the College Football Playoffs. Fighting against No. 16 Tulane, who engineered arguably the greatest one-year turnaround in modern history, the coach and quarterback returned despite initial expectations that either or both would leave in the offseason. We are preparing for next season.
And the Rose Bowl is probably the last traditional version of the event, with No. 8 Utah returning for the second year in a row and No. 11 Penn State making its first appearance since 2017. His first bowl win since the 2017 season and his first in the New Years Six or BCS Bowl since the 2008 season, while Nittany his Lions won the same his third major since the 2017 season. I hope
For continued coverage of the final day of the 2022 Bowl season, tune in to CBS Sports all day Monday. See our expert picks for all four games.
ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 22 Mississippi vs. Illinois
Featured games | | Fighting Illinois vs. Bulldog, Mississippi
Noon | ESPN2, Hubo TV (Try it for free) – Opting out has always played an important role in the bowl, but there is something important in this game. Lara Thomas led Mississippi in receiving 626 yards and caught seven touchdowns this season, but he moved to Georgia. Doak Walker Award finalist Chase Brown and two key members of that secondary, Devon Witherspoon and Sidney Brown, are not included. Also, Illinois defensive his coordinator Ryan Walters has left Purdue University to take his coaching job. I’m not really sure who will win this game, but low scores have been consistent in Illinois games throughout the season. Let’s stick to it. Prediction: Under 46 — Tom Forneri
Citrus Bowl: No. 17 LSU vs. Purdue
Featured games | | Purdue Boilermakers vs. LSU Tigers
1pm | ABC, Hubo TV (Try it for free) – It’s one of the biggest spreads of bowl season and it’s way too wide. The Tigers never feel threatened by Purdue’s offense and, for the most part, play ultra-conservative football, knowing they don’t have to do much to secure a win. Despite winning the title, he has not covered 3 of his last 4 games. This trend continues even though he completely dominated the match for 60 minutes. Prediction: Purdue +14.5 — Barret Sally
Cotton Bowl: No. 16 Tulane vs. No. 10 USC
Featured games | | USC Trojans vs. Tulane Green Wave
1 p.m. | ESPN, Hubo TV (Try it for free) – USC coach Lincoln Riley and Trojan defensive coordinator Alex Grinch watched Michael Pratt and the Tulane offense a lot when they were in Oklahoma. The Green Wave provided everything the Sooners could handle before going down 40-35 in a game where Pratt scored four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). Point halftime deficit. I don’t think there will be a shortage of Pratt and Tulane this time around, and USC’s defense will struggle to get stops. Prophecy: Tulane +2 — Chip Patterson
Rose Bowl No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 8 Utah
Featured games | | Utah Yutes vs. Pennsylvania State Nittany Lions
5 p.m. | ESPN, Hubo TV (Try it for free) – Despite an impressive 10-win campaign, Penn State has never beaten a ranked opponent and is relatively unproven against college football’s elite. Although not perfect, losing narrowly to USC, Utah didn’t flinch when faced with their athletic prowess against USC. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has never won a Rose Bowl and this could be his moment. Prediction: Utah -2 — Shehan Jeyaraja
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