SEC Unfiltered: Creating the best SEC bowl matchups this December

Welcome to SEC Unfiltered, the USA TODAY NETWORK's daily newsletter on SEC football. Today, trending writer Nick Gray takes over:

Brian Kelly, Lincoln Riley and all the coaching carousel is fun to talk about. It's off-field soap opera at its top form.

But there are bowl games to be played. These are the SEC matchups I want to see this December. (Reminder: The bowl schedule has not yet been set, and this is all just for fun. Much like coaching rumors.)

CFP semifinal: Georgia vs. Notre Dame

Yeah, let's get mean. It's tough to pick out a CFP semifinal opponent for Georgia, given its penchant for defensive destruction. I often listen to CBS Sports' Cover 3 podcast, and the hosts often discuss "Wouldn't it be funny?" scenarios each week. Wouldn't it be funny if Notre Dame, without Brian Kelly, became Georgia's biggest test on the road to a national title?

Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Oklahoma

Bob Stoops returns to coaching against the opponent and in the bowl that he had his last great coaching victory. Trevor Knight may have to play QB again for the Sooners once a month's roster attrition is through.

Peach Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Ohio State

Let's throw the ball around with two of the top quarterbacks in college football. The points, y'all. Think of the points.

Citrus Bowl: Kentucky vs. Iowa

Iowa alum Mark Stoops against Kirk Ferentz, and the over/under on game time is 2 hours, 45 minutes.

Outback Bowl: Arkansas vs. Wisconsin

Hogs. Badgers.

Gator Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Clemson

Clemson has made a semi-recent habit of boosting programs just by almost losing to them. Texas A&M and North Carolina are the two best examples of that. I'm afraid of what the Aggies offense may look like against the Tigers defense, though.

Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Penn State

James Franklin back in Nashville, playing the Vols. Let's play the hits. Franklin was 2-1 against the Vols while at Vandy. Outside of that, it would give Josh Heupel an opportunity to put a name-brand bow on Year 1.

Duke's Mayo Bowl: South Carolina vs. North Carolina

It should surprise no one to see the difficulty in finding an attractive matchup for the Gamecocks. This is pretty much a default, though Sam Howell's career started with a win over South Carolina in Charlotte. Could it end that way?

Texas Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Iowa State

Air Raid Air Raid Air Raid Air Raid Air Raid Air Raid Air Raid Air Raid Air Raid Air Raid.

Liberty Bowl: Missouri vs. Kansas State

When Missouri left the Big 12, the talk was about the Kansas rivalry. What about Kansas State?

OK, so maybe not. But I'd love to watch Deuce Vaughn and Tyler Badie get a combined 75 carries in Memphis.

Birmingham Bowl: Auburn vs. SMU

It's really too bad that new SMU coach Rhett Lashlee likely won't be on the sidelines for this one. Or at the pre-bowl press conference. Did Auburn fans ever get an explanation as to why he left for UConn, other than a new challenge?

Gasparilla Bowl: Florida vs. Virginia Tech

The battle of the interims, among teams who had higher expectations. Remember the very first Thursday of the season, when Virginia Tech knocked off top-10 UNC? A big deal, right? Yeah, I chuckled too.

Independence Bowl: LSU vs. BYU

BYU could be the first team left out of the New Year's Six bowl games in the CFP rankings. So, what's the reward for close, but not close enough for the Cougars? A game in Shreveport against in-state LSU. How many times has LSU had a chance to play in this bowl? (Twice, actually. In 1995 and 1997, back when the bowl could draw matchups like (writer grins) LSU vs. Notre Dame.)

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: SEC Unfiltered: Creating the best SEC bowl matchups this December