Buckeyes, Huskies face off in 105th Rose Bowl

Ohio State (12-1) vs. Washington (10-3) 4 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN)

Line: Ohio State by 6 1/2.

Series record: Ohio State leads 8-3.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Ohio State’s Urban Meyer is ending his coaching career in the 105th edition of the Granddaddy of Them All. The three-time national champion coach leads another powerhouse Buckeyes squad against the Pac-12 champion Huskies, who are in the Rose Bowl for the first time in 18 years.

KEY MATCHUP

Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins vs. Washington’s secondary. The Heisman Trophy finalist could be the first quarterback taken in the NFL draft if he goes pro, but he’ll first attempt to figure out the Huskies’ stellar collection of defensive backs. Washington already shut down the nation’s top passing offense, and now it gets a shot at the second-ranked unit.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Washington: QB Jake Browning. The four-year starter wraps up his record-setting career with a shot at a signature victory. He has passed for 2,879 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season.

Ohio State: DT Dre’Mont Jones. He is leaving early for the NFL, but the dominant lineman wouldn’t miss the chance to win the Rose Bowl. He has 13 tackles for loss and 8 1/2 sacks this season, forming a dominant team with defensive end Chase Young.

No. 7 UCF faces No. 11 LSU in New Year’s Day Fiesta Bowl

No. 7 Central Florida (12-0) vs. No. 11 LSU (9-3)

12:15 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN)

Line: LSU by 7 1/2.

Series Record: First meeting.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

UCF takes a 25-game winning streak into the Fiesta Bowl in its bid for a second straight undefeated season. The Knights proclaimed themselves national champions after last season and will likely do so again with a victory at the Fiesta Bowl. LSU is vying for its first 10-win season since 2013.

KEY MATCHUP

UCF’s defense vs. LSU’s run game. Nick Brossette and Clyde Edwards-Helaire combined for 1,588 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Tigers this season. UCF was among one of the nation’s worst teams against the run, allowing 227.4 yards per game, so the Knights may have to outscore the Tigers to win. PLAYERS TO WATCH

Central Florida: QB Darriel Mack Jr. The redshirt freshman was thrust into the starting role when two-time AAC player of the year McKenzie Milton suffered a gruesome leg injury in UCF’s regular-season finale against South Florida. Mack led a massive comeback against Memphis in the AAC title game, accounting for six TDs while throwing for 348 yards. The Knights will need him to be just as good against the physical Tigers.

LSU: QB Joe Burrow. LSU did not exactly have a prolific passing game this season, but could use Burrow to have a solid game to take pressure off the run game. Burrow threw for 2,500 yards and 12 touchdowns, though he completed only 57 percent of his passes.

Bulldogs face Iowa with shot at biggest bowl win in 8 years

Outback Bowl Iowa (8-4) vs. Mississippi State (8-4)

11 a.m. Tuesday (ESPN2)

Line: Mississippi State by 7.

Series Record: first meeting.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

The No. 18 Mississippi State Bulldogs have a shot at their biggest bowl win since they beat Michigan in the Gator Bowl eight years ago. They have a chance to finish in the Top 25 for the third time in five years. The Hawkeyes are seeking their biggest bowl win since the 2009 season, when they beat Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. With a victory they would likely finish in the Top 25 for only the second time in the past nine seasons.

KEY MATCHUP

The Bulldogs’ Nick Fitzgerald broke Tim Tebow’s Southeastern Conference record for most career yards rushing by a quarterback. He has 3,504, and this year he has rushed for 1,018 yards and 12 TDs. Iowa ranks seventh in the nation in total defense and is led by first-team All-Big Ten DE A.J. Epenesa and second-team DE Anthony Nelson.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Mississippi State: Second-team All-America DE Montez Sweat ranks second in the SEC with 11 sacks and has 13 1/2 tackles for a loss.

Iowa: Second-team All-American T.J. Hockenson, who won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end, has 46 receptions for 717 yards and six touchdowns.

Penn St., Kentucky chase 10-win finish in Citrus Bowl

No. 13 Penn State (9-3) vs. No. 16 Kentucky (9-3)

Noon Tuesday (ABC)

Line: Penn State by 6 1/2.

Series Record: Penn State leads 3-2.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

The winner will finish with 10 wins, and that would be significant for Penn State and even more noteworthy for Kentucky, which hasn’t done it in 41 years. The Nittany Lions are trying to finish with double-digit wins in three consecutive seasons with the first time since 1980-82. The Wildcats have their best record since going 10-1 in 1977

KEY MATCHUP

Trace McSorley-led Penn State offense that’s averaging 424.3 yards and 34.6 points per game against a stingy Kentucky defense anchored by LB Josh Allen, the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year. The Wildcats have allowed 332.2 yards per game and rank seventh nationally in scoring defense at 16.2.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Penn State: McSorley, who’ll become first Nittany Lions QB to throw a pass in four bowl games, has thrown for 2,284 yards and 16 touchdowns vs. six interceptions.

Kentucky: Allen led the SEC with 18 1/2 tackles for loss, including 14 sacks, which rank third nationally and are a school single-season record. RB Benny Snell Jr. rushed for 1,305 yards and 14 TDs to become one of two players in SEC history to run for 1,000 yards and scored at least 12 TDs in each of his first three seasons in college.

— Associated Press