Big 12’s Bowl Slate

The College Football Playoff was announced Sunday and with that came the announcements of the New Years Six bowl games as well as the rest of the bowl slate. The Big 12 earned eight bowl game berths including two New Years Six spots.

Here’s a look at the top bowl games featuring Big 12 representatives.

TCU v. Michigan: CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

No. 3 TCU earned a matchup with No. 2 Michigan in the CFP Semifinal despite falling in the Big 12 Championship to Kansas State.

This is TCU’s first-ever CFP berth, although it was close in 2014.

The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

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The Horned Frogs lost their first game of the season Saturday in the Big 12 Championship in crushing overtime fashion. Kendre Miller scored his 17th touchdown of the year and extended his touchdown streak to 14 games. Quarterback Max Duggan finished a gutsy effort with 361 total yards and two touchdowns.

Michigan used a strong second half to blow out Purdue in the B1G Championship to win back-to-back conference championships for the first time since 2003-2004. It was forced to do so without star running back Blake Corum who will be out for the remainder of the year with a knee injury. Sophomore Donovan Edwards stepped up to fill Corum’s shoes, rushing for 185 yards and a score.

TCU and Michigan will face off in the first of two CFP Semifinals Saturday, Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. on ESPN.

Kansas State v. Alabama: Allstate Sugar Bowl

The Big 12 Champion Kansas State Wildcats earned a New Years Six bowl berth and a date with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

This is the seventh New Years Six appearance for the Wildcats, who last played in the Fiesta Bowl in 2012.

Kansas State put an end to TCU’s undefeated season en route to winning the program’s third Big 12 title. Quarterback Will Howard played well, throwing for two scores and just under 200 yards, which was complimented well by Deuce Vaughn’s 130 yards on the ground. The Wildcats have gotten hot at the right time. They’ve rattled off four straight wins heading into their 24th bowl game in program history.

Alabama finished the year ranked No. 5 in the CFP rankings. The Crimson Tide was one of the few teams with the potential to sneak into the field of four after losses by No. 3 TCU and No. 4 USC. However, the committee’s favorable view of TCU and its decision to keep the Horned Frogs at No. 3 ultimately cost Alabama a chance to participate in its eighth CFP. Nonetheless, this matchup between the Big 12 Champions and near CFP Crimson Tide is one of the more appealing games in the bowl slate.

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The Allstate Sugar Bowl will kick off on Dec. 31 at noon on ESPN.

Texas v. Washington: Valero Alamo Bowl

The Texas Longhorns finished the year ranked No. 20 and will play No. 12 Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

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Texas started the year strong, almost knocking off then No. 1 Alabama in September. Late-season momentum for the Longhorns was broken after losing to TCU and Oklahoma State in a three-week span.

Quarterback Quinn Ewers will look to end his freshman season on a high note. He has thrown for 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns in his true freshman campaign.

Bijan Robinson has a decision to make regarding whether he will play in the bowl game. Robinson is currently the consensus top running back according to multiple NFL analysts. He leads the Big 12 with 1,580 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns.

Texas and Washington take the field on Dec. 29 at 9 p.m. on ESPN.

Oklahoma v. Florida State: Cheez-It Bowl

The Oklahoma Sooners entered the season as one of the favorites to win the Big 12. However, the Sooners dropped six of their last nine, including a three-game losing streak in the first half of the year.

The departure of Lincoln Riley and the slew of decommitments that followed certainly had a big impact in Norman, Oklahoma.

Still, the Sooners find themselves matched up against a top-15 opponent in the bowl slate.

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Marvin Mims Jr. and Eric Gray highlight a very talented offense, but one that has been inconsistent. Not to mention, it is countered by a defense that has given up over 35 points in six games this year.

Florida State looked sharp throughout most of the season except for a three-game losing streak of its own to three ranked opponents. Jordan Travis showed tremendous improvement from last year. He now has an opportunity to bring a bowl win back to Tallahassee.

The Seminoles and Sooners will play in the Cheez-It Bowl on Dec. 29 at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.

The Rest of the Big 12 Bowl Slate

Dec. 22: Baylor vs Air Force, Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, 7:30 p.m. ESPN

Dec. 27: Oklahoma State vs Wisconsin, Guaranteed Rate Bowl, 10:15 p.m. ESPN

Dec. 28: Kansas vs Arkansas, AutoZone Liberty Bowl, 5:30 p.m. ESPN & Texas Tech vs Ole Miss, TaxAct Texas Bowl, 9 p.m. ESPN