Bowl game schedule today: Everything to know about all four college bowl games on Jan. 2

The 2022 college football bowl season continues with four games on Jan. 2. Here’s a rundown of today's games and what to watch for. Looking for bowl game scores? Check them out here. Looking for bowl game picks? Check them out here.

ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 23 Mississippi State vs. Illinois, Jan. 2, noon, ESPN2

The interest level in this post-playoff bowl will be elevated as the Bulldogs take the field for the first time since the untimely death of coach Mike Leach. The Fighting Illini won’t be able to match Miss State’s emotion, but the technically sound Illinois defense will still pose a formidable challenge.

Cotton Bowl: No. 8 Southern California vs. No. 17 Tulane, Jan. 2, 1 p.m., ESPN

This turn on the big stage is a remarkable achievement for the Green Wave, who won just two games a year ago. They already own a victory against a power-conference champion (Sorry, K-State fans), so they won’t be intimidated by USC’s brand name. We must also hope Trojans QB and Heisman winner Caleb Williams will have had enough time to rehab his troublesome hamstring that took away a big part of his game in the Pac-12 finale.

Citrus Bowl: No. 15 LSU vs. Purdue, Jan. 2, 1 p.m., ABC

Neither of these teams were expected to win their conference championship games against playoff-bound powers, but their most recent performances were disappointing nonetheless. Despite LSU’s late struggles, Purdue enters as the underdog, and the disruption of a coaching change undoubtedly hasn’t helped the Boilermakers’ preparations.

Rose Bowl: No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 10 Utah, Jan. 2, 5 p.m., ESPN

The Granddaddy gets a quality matchup even though both participants have multiple losses. The Utes got their first taste of this atmosphere last year and would love to come home with a victory this time. The Nittany Lions won the games they were expected to this year but would like to finish with a top-10 triumph to validate their season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What bowl games are today? Four-game college football slate to watch