Bowl Game Schedule 2017-18: Best Matchups Before the New Year

There are 24 bowl games scheduled between Saturday and the end of 2017. 

Each of those matchups possess intriguing battles, but only a few are worthy of being called must-watch contests. 

Six of the 24 games match ranked teams against each other, with three of them being part of the New Year's Six. 

The ranked matchups are clearly the best of the lot, but there are a few other games on the schedule worth tuning into before the calendar flips to 2018. 

Here's a look at the best matchups remaining on the bowl schedule. 

Cotton Bowl (No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 8 USC on December 29) 

The best New Year's Six bowl could end up being the Cotton Bowl between the Ohio State Buckeyes and USC Trojans. 

What immediately sticks out in this showdown of top-10 teams is the potential duel between J.T. Barrett and Sam Darnold at quarterback.

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There's also an intriguing battle of running backs that should occur at AT&T Stadium on December 29, with Ronald Jones II in the USC backfield and the combination of J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber lining up behind Barrett. 

With all the offensive weapons on both rosters, there's good reason to believe this will be a high-scoring affair, but there are a few stars on defense to keep an eye on as well. 

Uchenna Nwosu, Marvell Tell and Jalen Jones are three players to watch on the USC defense. Nwosu's deflected 13 passes, while Tell and Jones have combined for seven interceptions. 

Jerome Baker and Damon Webb are the standouts on the loaded Ohio State defense, while Nick Bosa and Sam Hubbard will put Darnold under duress on almost every play. 

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Camping World Bowl (No. 19 Oklahoma State vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech on December 28) 

Smack dab in the middle of the bowl schedule on December 28 is a clash of two distinct styles, as the No. 19 Oklahoma State Cowboys bring their high-energy offense into Orlando, Florida to take on the strong defense of the No. 22 Virginia Tech Hokies. 

Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph leads the nation with 4,553 passing yards, and he is one of three quarterbacks in the FBS with an average of more than 10 yards per attempt. 

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Virginia Tech enters with the fifth-best defense in points per game in the FBS with 13.5. Although the Hokies took on Miami (FL) and Clemson in ACC play, they haven't faced an offense quite like the one Oklahoma State has. 

The Hokies' ability to counter the production of Rudolph and wide receiver James Washington took a hit on Tuesday, when their leading receiver Cam Phillips was ruled out of the Camping World Bowl with sports hernia surgery, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson. 

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Losing Phillips is a blow to the Hokies' hopes, but the real difference maker in this Big 12 vs. ACC clash will be their defense. 

If Virginia Tech limits Rudolph's production, it will turn the Camping World Bowl into a defensive struggle, which is something the Cowboys aren't used to from playing in the offense-first Big 12. 

Liberty Bowl (No. 20 Memphis vs. Iowa State on December 30) 

The final non-New Year's Six game to kick off in 2017 pits one of the most explosive Group of Five offenses against a stingy Big 12 defense. 

Riley Ferguson and the No. 20 Memphis Tigers were one step away from qualifying for the New Year's Six, but they fell to UCF in The American Championship. However, the Tigers received a nice consolation as they'll play at home in the Liberty Bowl on December 30. 

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Ferguson is the fifth-best passer in the FBS and the Tigers are second in the nation in points per game with 47.7. Only UCF is better than the Tigers in points per game. 

Iowa State attracted national attention for its play in October that was highlighted by a road upset of Oklahoma and a home victory against then-No. 4 TCU. 

Due to the strong play of the Cyclones, head coach Matt Campbell received interest from bigger programs, but he signed a six-year extension on November 27.

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Campbell will use the Liberty Bowl as a catalyst for the offseason and a chance to get better and challenge in the Big 12 in 2018. A victory against Memphis will be hard to earn, especially with the Tigers playing in their home stadium, but the Cyclones have the defense to be able to shut down Ferguson as they've only given up 21 points per game. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

All statistics obtained from ESPN.com.