SEC: Ranking the bowl matchups

The bowl schedule is out and nine SEC teams made the cut. Here's our ranking of the best games.

1. The BCS National Championship Game -- No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Alabama (Jan. 7; Miami, Fla.)

This is a no-brainer for the top spot. Alabama goes for its third national title in four years against an undefeated Notre Dame squad. We're expecting the SEC to pick up its seventh straight championship, but a stingy Notre Dame defense could make it difficult.

2. The Cotton Bowl -- No. 10 Texas A&M vs. No. 12 Oklahoma (Jan. 4; Arlington, Texas)

We know it's not a BCS bowl, but this is a great matchup. Both teams are arguably better than a couple of teams that did make the BCS and this game reunites two old Big 12 foes. In addition, we always relish an opportunity to watch Texas A&M freshman QB Johnny Manziel play, so there are plenty of reasons to watch this one.

3. The Sugar Bowl -- No. 4 Florida vs. No. 22 Louisville (Jan. 2; New Orleans, La.)

The Gators will square off against their former defensive coordinator, Charlie Strong, in this one. Louisville's talented QB, Teddy Bridgewater, will get a stiff test against Florida's top defense.

4. The Capital One Bowl -- No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 23 Nebraska (Jan. 1; Orlando, Fla.)

Georgia deserved better, but it fell victim to the current BCS system. We expect the Bulldogs to take out their anger on a Nebraska team that just gave up 70 points to Wisconsin.

5. The Chick-fil-A Bowl -- No. 9 LSU vs. No. 14 Clemson (Dec. 31; Atlanta, Ga.)

LSU's stingy defense will be tested against an explosive Clemson offense. LSU finished the season ranked eighth in total defense, while Clemson was ninth in total offense. Something will have to give in this one.

6. The Outback Bowl -- No. 11 South Carolina vs. No. 19 Michigan (Jan. 1; Tampa, Fla.)

Two teams that had national-title aspirations in the preseason will have to settle for the Outback Bowl. South Carolina lost some of its appeal after the horrific knee injury to RB Marcus Lattimore, but we're always interested in seeing a good SEC-Big Ten contest.

7. The Gator Bowl -- No. 21 Northwestern vs. Mississippi State (Jan. 1; Jacksonville, Fla.)

It could be a close game, but it's the one New Year's Day bowl game involving an SEC team that won't draw a lot of hype. Mississippi State had a respectable 8-4 campaign, but lost four of its last five games.

8. The Music City Bowl -- Vanderbilt vs. NC State (Dec. 31; Nashville, Tenn.)

One of the surprise teams of the year in the SEC, Vanderbilt will travel all of about five miles for this game. We expect the Commodores to get just the third bowl win in program history in this one.

9. The BBVA Compass Bowl -- Ole Miss vs. Pittsburgh (Jan. 5; Birmingham, Ala.)

Coach Hugh Freeze did a fantastic job this season. Few expected Ole Miss to reach any kind of a bowl, but Freeze took a two-win team from 2011 and got the job done. That doesn't mean we're too excited about this matchup, though. The teams are a combined 12-12.

For more up-to-the minute news and analysis from SEC bloggers Larry Hartstein and Daniel Lewis, follow @CBSSportsSEC.