A College Football Playoff preview

The GIST: Nurse your New Year’s Eve hangover by settling onto your couch on January 1st to watch the College Football Playoff semifinalists duke it out. Winner gets a slot in the January 8th national championship game.

• Next year, all of the New Year’s Six matchups will provide paths to the title game, but for now, only two matter for the natty-or-bust crowd. Let’s hope the ball dropping ends at midnight!

The Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan Wolverines (13-0) vs. No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1), 5 p.m. ET (ESPN): The Wolverines’ offense, which has faltered late in the season, will need to play a nearly perfect game to beat the Tide. Both teams overcame significant adversity this season, so neither will give up without a fight. Expect a gritty, physical slugfest from start to finish.

The Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Washington Huskies (13-0) vs. No. 3 Texas Longhorns (12-1), 8:45 p.m. ET (ESPN): Both squads sport stellar quarterbacks (QBs) — Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. was this year’s Heisman runner-up, and Texas’ Quinn Ewers is an early favorite for next year — so tough D will be crucial. After all, you know what they say about defense and championships….

The consolation game: There’s a jam-packed schedule of bowl games to keep you locked in throughout the holiday break, but put the Orange Bowl at the top of your watchlist. Both No. 5 Florida State and No. 6 Georgia are steamed about failing to make the CFP, so they’ll take their anger out on each other Saturday, December 30th at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.