College Football: Ranking the 2023 New Year’s Six bowls by watchability
![INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 02: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines leads his team onto the field prior to the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the Big Ten Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 02, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 02: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines leads his team onto the field prior to the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the Big Ten Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 02, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/8a0c104833296e84746aee0823678c287238a3af728e29282aba2a11c73b97db.jpg)
3. Orange Bowl (No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 5 Florida State)
This one has massive implications for the College Football Playoff committee, as No. 6 Georgia (12-1, SEC runner-up) and No. 5 Florida State (13-0, ACC Champions) clash in a very controversial bowl game.
The Orange Bowl, a non-CFP game, is not where either of these teams wanted to be heading into last weekend’s conference title games, though I would argue that only one of them deserves to be there. Georgia lost its conference title game — sending Alabama as the SEC’s rep instead — though Florida State did not.
While FSU was ranked No. 4 and kept its record perfect, the loss of Jordan Travis (and several unimpressive wins since his injury) kept the Seminoles out.
If Georgia wins, no one will bat an eye — the Bulldogs had won 29 straight games before Nick Saban and Alabama defeated them in the SEC title game last Saturday. If Florida State wins, however, the CFP committee will have some serious explaining to do.
This game does not have College Football Playoff implications, but die-hard college football fans will see it as such, especially since there is a chance that Florida State pulls a UCF and claims a share of the national title if they win and get to 14-0.