The College Football Playoff is finally here.
Alabama vs. Michigan. Texas vs. Washington. The winner of each will face off a week later on January 8.
Three more bowl games will be played earlier in the day before the CFP afternoon and primetime games on New Year's Day.
Wisconsin will face No. 13 LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl to open the day's slate of games. The game will not feature 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels, who opted out of the bowl game to focus on the 2024 NFL Draft. The Badgers will be without the running back Braelon Allen, who also declared for the draft. Wisconsin also lost 13 players to the transfer portal, while LSU will be without 10 players.
No. 23 Liberty will face Pac-12 runner-up No. 8 Oregon in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Both schools feature high-scoring offenses as Liberty averages 40.8 points per game (fifth in the nation) and Oregon averages 44.2 points per game (second in the nation).
At the same time, No. 17 Iowa faces No. 21 Tennessee in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Iowa is one of the lowest scoring teams in the country as the Hawkeyes are averaging just 16.6 points per game this season. However, Iowa's defense keeps them in games as they have allowed the fourth fewest points per game – 13.2. Tennessee, meanwhile, averages almost double the number of points Iowa does – 31.5. The Volunteers allow 22.0 points per game. This game will be even more interesting because Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton opted out of the game to focus on the draft, leaving true freshman Nico Iamaleava as the starter for the Volunteers.
No. 4 Alabama, fresh off its tremendous SEC championship win over Georgia, faces No. 1 Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The Wolverines have the best defense in the country and are allowing just 9.5 points per game this season. The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, is scoring in batches — 35.1 points per game — and has scored 27 points in back-to-back games against Auburn and Georgia.
No. 3 Texas faces undefeated No. 2 Washington in the Nightcap. The two teams are similar offensively, with Texas averaging 36.2 points per game and Washington averaging 37.7 points per game. It's all thanks to the play of Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers and Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Both are completing over 65 percent of their passes and have thrown fewer than 10 interceptions this season.
Here's everything you need to know about Monday's five college football games, including kickoff times, broadcast information and historical facts about each game and each school.
College Football Schedule: What bowl games are happening today?
Monday January 1
| Bowl | Match | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| ReliaQuest Bowl | Wisconsin vs. No. 13 LSU | 12 p.m. | ESPN2, fuboTV |
| Fiesta Bowl Vrbo | No. 23 Liberty vs. No. 8 Oregon | 13 hours | ESPN, fuboTV |
| Cheez-It Citrus Bowl | No. 17 Iowa vs. No. 21 Tennessee | 13 hours | ABC, fuboTV |
| CFP Semi-Final at the Rose Bowl Game | No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan | 5 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV |
| CFP Semifinal at Allstate Sugar Bowl | No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Washington | 8:45 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV |
Wisconsin vs. No. 13 LSU
Garrett Nussmeier will start at quarterback for LSU while Jayden Daniels heads to the NFL. The Tigers will only have one starter from their regular season in this game.
Neither team has made the ReliaQuest Bowl, but LSU holds a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over Wisconsin. The two teams last faced each other in the 2014 season opener at NRG Stadium, where LSU won in a close game 28-24. The Tigers are 29-24-1 all-time in bowl games, while the Badgers are 19-15.
No. 23 Liberty vs. No. 8 Oregon
This is Liberty's fifth straight appearance since joining the FBS in 2018. The Flames are 3-1 in bowl games but have not played at a Power 5 school. Oregon, meanwhile, is 2-1 in the Fiesta Bowl but hasn't won since the 2012 season.
The Ducks are 16-20 all-time in bowl games. Unsurprisingly, this is also the first meeting between the two schools.
No. 17 Iowa vs. No. 21 Tennessee
Iowa and Tennessee have faced each other three times in their respective school histories, with the Volunteers holding the 2-1 advantage. The two teams last played in the 2014 TaxSlayer Bowl, where Tennessee won 45-28, with Joshua Dobbs at quarterback.
This is Iowa's second appearance in the Citrus Bowl in three years; The Hawkeyes lost to Kentucky in the 2021 season, 20-17. Iowa is 18-16-1 in all-time bowl games. Tennessee, meanwhile, played in five more Citrus Bowl games and went 4-1. There are 30 to 25 volunteers at all times in the bowl games.
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan
Neither side is a stranger to the Rose Bowl. Alabama is 6-2 all-time in the game, having last won against Notre Dame during the 2020 season. Michigan is 9-12 in the game but n hasn't won since the 1997 season.
The Wolverines are 21-29 all-time in bowl games, while the Crimson Tide are 46-27-3. The two schools played five games against each other; Alabama holds a slim 3-2 head-to-head advantage. They last faced each other in the Citrus Bowl following the 2019 season; Alabama won, 35-16, behind the arm of Mac Jones and his three passing touchdowns.
No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Washington
This is a rematch of last season's Alamo Bowl, where Washington held on to win 27-20 over Texas. Both Ewers and Penix played in this match; Ewers finished with 369 yards and a touchdown while Penix Jr. threw for 287 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
How to watch and live stream today's college football games
There are five matches scheduled to be played on January 1. Three are on ESPN, one on ESPN2 and one on ABC.
Cable cutters, fear not. You can stream all five bowling games on Fubowhich offers a free trial.
College football results
| Game |
| Wisconsin vs. No. 13 LSU |
| No. 23 Liberty vs. No. 8 Oregon |
| No. 17 Iowa vs. No. 21 Tennessee |
| No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan |
| No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Washington |