Ranking the non-playoff New Year’s Six games by watchability
1. Cotton Bowl
Why You Should Watch: Two blue-blood programs playing in JerryWorld. Sounds intriguing at the outset. USC and Ohio State have plenty of NFL-level talent and touted recruits that will be able to show out on a big stage. The Trojans have Sam Darnold and Ronald Jones II. The Buckeyes counter with J.T. Barrett and J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber as well.
Plus, depending on the result, we might get some ‘controversy’ storylines. USC and Ohio State were both left out of the Playoff. The Trojans had less of a bone to pick than the Buckeyes, who ironically fell on the outside looking in despite having two losses and a conference championship. If OSU were to throttle USC, then they would’ve certainly proved their worth (again) Depending on Clemson-Alabama III, there might be some shaky results.
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Why It’s Ranked Here: The allure of USC-OSU and all of the star power. There are great players and talents all over the field. It’s one of those games where you expect it to be great because it’s USC vs. Ohio State. Given both teams’ track records, it’s not impossible that they won’t play up to expectations, either. Each has had their moments in the sun this year, and while they won’t be playing for anything, the talent on the field should be able to produce great results.