Daily briefing: On the Sugar, Peach and Fenway bowls

Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:

Three interesting bowl matchups

No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 8 Ole Miss, Sugar Bowl: Rebels coach Lane Kiffin playing chess against Bears coach Dave Aranda is a football geek’s delight. Not to mention that both teams will want to be New Orleans (and who doesn’t?). Ole Miss played in eight Sugar Bowls in an 18-year period (1953-70) that coincided with segregation. They’ve been once since. Baylor, after playing in the Sugar Bowl in 1957, returns for the second time in three seasons. One cool note: These schools had been scheduled to open the 2020 season against each other in Houston. The pandemic took care of that one. This game promises more.

No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Pitt, Peach Bowl: Remember how Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud was 32-of-35 for 432 yards and six touchdowns against the Spartans? Panthers QB Kenny Pickett is better. Michigan State is last in the nation in passing yards allowed. Pickett already has announced he intends to play in Atlanta, and he is aware that NFL scouts will be watching. For extra credit, explain how the Spartans won 10 games without being able to stop the pass.

SMU vs. Virginia, Fenway Bowl: Wasabi is the title sponsor, which seems about right because two southern teams that lost their coaches will need all the heat they can generate. So much of winning a bowl in the modern age is determined by whether the teams are interested in playing. The Cavaliers lost their last four regular-season games, then their coach, Bronco Mendenhall. The Mustangs have lost four of their past five, with their coach, Sonny Dykes, announcing before the regular-season finale that he would leave for TCU. Did I mention that kickoff is at 11 a.m. Eastern? Or that the average temperature in Boston in late December hovers in the low 40s?