Georgia-Florida State headlines New Year's Six bowls

The College Football Playoff committee released the non-CFP bowl games in the New Year's Six, with the Orange Bowl matchup between No. 5 Florida State and No. 6 Georgia highlighting the list.

The Seminoles became the first undefeated Power 5 conference champion to miss the CFP semis when the committee opted to include Alabama at the No. 4 slot. Florida State's reward is a matchup with the two-time defending national champion Bulldogs, who were left out of the playoff after their 29-game winning streak ended in the SEC title game versus Alabama.

The other three New Year's Six bowls include Penn State meeting Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, Ohio State and Missouri battling in the Cotton Bowl, and Oregon facing unbeaten Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl.

The full schedule begins Dec. 29 and wraps before the CFP semis on New Year's Day.

Cotton Bowl: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri (Dec. 29)

Missouri will be going for the fourth 11-win season in the 122-year history of the program, while Ohio State will look to finish on a high in its first game since a third straight loss to rival Michigan.

The Tigers were one of the stories of the season in the SEC this year, riding a high-powered offense to a 10-2 record. Led by star running back Cody Schrader and standout receiver Luther Burden III, Missouri ranks 15th in the nation in yards per play on offense. Schrader - who transferred in from the Division II ranks - leads the SEC in rushing and became the first running back in conference history with 200-plus rushing and 100-plus receiving yards in the same game earlier this year.

The lone blemish on Ohio State's resume is once again a loss to Michigan, although the Buckeyes kept things closer in Ann Arbor than last year's debacle in Columbus. If Ohio State brings a full roster to the Cotton Bowl, it should be a heavy favorite. However, plenty of Buckeyes should be headed to the NFL draft, including the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr, Emeka Egbuka, and TreVeyon Henderson.

Peach Bowl: No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss (Dec. 30)

The Peach Bowl could be a very important game for how the rest of the country views Penn State head coach James Franklin. While the Nittany Lions have been a very strong team under his watch, their inability to consistently beat Michigan and Ohio State has left some fans underwhelmed. Ole Miss isn't on the level of the Big Ten rivals but represents a great chance for Penn State to grab a win over a top-12 opponent.

This is a classic battle of offense versus defense that could be a very intriguing chess match on the field. Penn State ranks first nationally in yards allowed per play, while Lane Kiffin's high-powered offense is 20th in the country in scoring. Whether star running back Quinshon Judkins can move the ball against the Nittany Lions will go a long way toward deciding this contest.

Orange Bowl: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia (Dec. 30)

Both teams face the monumental task of getting refocused and committing to the Orange Bowl after their playoff hopes ended this weekend.

Florida State must challenge the two-time defending national champs with a backup quarterback in Tate Rodemaker. However, Mike Norvell's outfit should have plenty of motivation to cap a perfect season and send a giant shot to the CFP committee for leaving them out.

This is almost unchartered territory for Georgia, as the Bulldogs have become CFP mainstays in recent memory. Kirby Smart's been praised as a master motivator over the years, but this might represent his toughest task in a while.

The Bulldogs' defense should feast on the Seminoles' struggling passing attack since Jordan Travis was lost for the year. The other side will pit the country's hottest defense against a Georgia team coming off its worst offensive output of the year in the loss to Alabama.

Fiesta Bowl: No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 23 Liberty (Jan. 1)

The Fiesta Bowl features the most lopsided matchup of the New Year's Six, with Oregon facing off against the highest Group of 5 team, Liberty. The Flames went through the season with a perfect record in Year 1 under Jamey Chadwell but played the weakest schedule in the country at the FBS level. Chadwell's trademark high-powered offense came with him from Coastal Carolina and enabled quarterback Kaidon Salter to become a star. How he fares against a stout Ducks defense will be a fascinating matchup on New Year's Day.

The other side of the ball is a big question mark as Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is unsure if he'll play in the bowl game (Editor's note: Oregon head coach Dan Lanning says Nix intends to play). Should Nix suit up for his final collegiate contest, the Ducks' offense should absolutely roll against an overmatched Flames unit. Otherwise, this could be a very competitive game in Arizona.