Bowl season: It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And after an amended postseason in 2020, college football is back with a full slate of games across three weeks that will surely have a little something for everyone. The action is off and running and continues all the way through the College Football Playoff National Championship in the second week of January.
On the last day of 2021, the bowl season reaches a milestone with the semifinals of the CFP highlighting Friday’s bowl schedule. No. 1 Alabama will face No. 4 Cincinnati at the Cotton Bowl in the first CFP semifinal followed by No. 2 Michigan meeting No. 3 Georgia in the Orange Bowl. Those games will dominate the day’s conversation, and rightfully so, with the winners playing next week for the CFP championship. However, before attention turns to Dallas and Miami, there are plenty of other games with intriguing matchups. No. 17 Wake Forest takes on Rutgers, which is replacing Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl, before Washington State will face Central Michigan, another surprise opponent, in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl before the CFP games get underway.
Be sure to check out our bowl games schedule with a list of every game, kickoff time and TV assignment as well as Tom Fornelli’s bowl season breakdown where he ranks every game, 42-1. CBS Sports will be here each day with the latest scores, analysis highlights and highlights from the entirety of bowl season. Check out the schedule below and keep scrolling for updates from each game as they conclude. All times Eastern
Bowl games: College football scores, schedule
Friday, Dec. 31
Gator Bowl: No. 17 Wake Forest vs. Rutgers — GameTracker
Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl: Washington State vs. Central Michigan — Watch on CBS | GameTracker
Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No.4 Cincinnati — 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) — Predictions, picks
Orange Bowl: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Georgia — 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) — Predictions, picks
