Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
December 27 – 12 p.m.
Oklahoma vs. Navy
Fort Worth, Texas
ESPN
It was a tough year for Oklahoma to be down a bit, and rebuild, and be unsettled at quarterback. Year one in the Southeastern Conference… The regular season did close with a huge win as the Sooners beat Alabama 24-3 in Norman on November 23, an upset that kept the Tide out of the playoff and got Oklahoma some much needed momentum and bowl eligibility. Oklahoma won only two SEC games, also coming back to win at Auburn. Brent Venebles’ coaching seat is very hot, though that win over Alabama turned the temperature down for a minute. The Sooners fell at LSU in the regular season finale and now face the motivated Midshipmen of Navy. It was a great start to the season for Navy, which started 6-0 before falling to Notre Dame. Now the Midshipmen have the momentum back, buoyed by a superb performance in a 31-13 victory over Army. The Black Knights of the Hudson have a great team this year, highlighted by the championship of the American Conference. But in the highly anticipated showdown in D.C., it was Navy, now 9-3, who sang second. There is nothing like Army-Navy. If the Midshipmen could follow up the win over Army with an Armed Forces Bowl victory over Oklahoma, that would be an epic close to the season and a sweet way to get to 10-3. Blake Horvath is a terrific quarterback in Annapolis.
Birmingham Bowl
December 27 – 3:30 p.m.
Vanderbilt vs. Georgia Tech
Birmingham, Alabama
ESPN
Two teams on the rise, excited to be in this bowl game square off in Birmingham, as the Yellow Jackets take on Vanderbilt. Let’s start with Tech. Brent Key has done a fantastic job on The Flats. He took over a program that had fallen to one of deepest gulfs of losing ever. Key, as the interim head man, coached the Jackets to a 4-4 finish in 2022. Last season, Tech went 7-6, posting a winning record and making a bowl for the first time since 2018. This season, the Yellow Jackets went 7-5, and had a near miss at Georgia in the regular season finale, a 44-42 eight overtime Bulldogs victory. Redshirt junior Haynes King is a terrific quarterback, as is freshman Aaron Philo. How will that play out in terms of snaps vs. Vandy? The Yellow Jackets figure to be an ACC favorite next year. Meanwhile, Clark Lea has led his alma mater from the bottom of the SEC to the postseason with a 6-6 record, which includes wins over Alabama and Auburn. If you’re keeping score, the last time Vandy beat the Crimson Tide and War Eagle Tigers in the same year was 1955. Vandy actually got to 6-3 with the win at Auburn, but lost out against South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee … a treacherous stretch for sure. Diego Pavia is the big man on campus. The senior quarterback from Albuquerque, who transferred in this season, engineered some memorable moments for the ‘Dores. This should be a good game.
Autozone Liberty Bowl
December 27 – 7:00 p.m.
Arkansas vs. Texas Tech
Memphis, Tennessee
ESPN
Sam Pittman wanted the Arkansas job, and it has shown. He has taken the Razorbacks back to respectability. They had been in a bad place for a while. The highlight of the season was a 19-14 topping of Tennessee. Like so many teams, Arkansas is asking, what if? The Hogs had one slip away in double overtime at Oklahoma State, falling to the Cowboys 39-31. Texas A&M once again beat the Hogs in an exciting contest in Dallas, this time it was 21-17. In the snow of CoMo in the regular season finale, Missouri beat Arkansas 28-21. That’s three “one possession” losses. Plus, the Hogs hung tough with Texas in a 20-10 loss. Senior receiver Andrew Armstrong has had an outstanding season, with 1,140 yards of 78 catches. Strangely, he has just one touchdown. Texas Tech, in a balanced Big XII, comes in at 8-4. The offense got clicking in the last two weeks of the season, as the Red Raiders beat Oklahoma State 56-48 in Stillwater and then blew away West Virginia 52-15 in Lubbock to close out the regular season. Junior quarterback Behren Morton threw for 760 yards combined in those last two games of the regular season. On the year, Morton threw 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. This is an old Southwest Conference battle and the crowd should be strong in Memphis. For the Hogs, they are going for a winning record, while the Red Raiders are aiming for 9-4.
DirecTV Holiday Bowl
December 27 – 8:00 p.m.
Syracuse vs. Washington State
San Diego, California
FOX
Going back to BYU and SMU in 1980, this has annually been one of the most popular, hotly-contested and exciting bowl games of the season. That should once again be the case in 2024. Syracuse will enjoy the trip to beautiful San Diego, and the Orange head west with a flew of momentum. One of Kirby Smart’s top former assistants, Fran Brown, is doing great work at Syracuse. The Orange are 9-3 (with a pair of close losses, one by two to Stanford and a six point setback at Boston College) and on the way up. Syracuse got on the national map on the final day of the regular season, as the Orange rallied from a 21-0 first half deficit and beat Miami 42-38, knocking the Hurricanes out of the College Football Playoff. Brown’s Orange head to San Diego on a three game winning streak. Kyle McCord has been outstanding at quarterback, and he would love to go out on top against the cougars. If Syracuse can win, then it’s 10-3, which would be the program’s best season since the famous 11-0-1 1987 campaign that ended in a tie with Auburn. You’ve got to feel for Washington State and Oregon State, they got left out in the cold with the disintegration of the PAC-12. WSU was rolling along, winning eight of the first nine and dreaming big. But since, the Cougars have lost by three at New Mexico, by three at Oregon State and by one to Wyoming in Pullman. That’s brutal.
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
December 27 – 10:30 p.m.
Texas A&M vs. USC
Las Vegas, Nevada
ESPN
For Texas A&M, it was a big hat, no cattle. For Southern Cal, all style, no substance. These are two teams that had playoff dreams, but that all came crashing down. Southern Cal opened the season with an impressive victory over LSU in Las Vegas but wound up 6-6. For Lincoln Riley, who received an incredible contract to leave Oklahoma for USC, since the Trojans were 11-1 with Caleb Williams on the way to the Heisman, things have gone south. USC lost the 2022 PAC-12 Championship Game to Utah and then fell to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. Last season, after a strong start, the Trojans lost five of their last six regular season games and wound up 8-5. Now it’s 6-6. And a lot of disappointment for the Trojans. As for the Aggies, they crashed out the last two weeks, falling to Auburn and then losing to Texas. That loss to the Longhorns cost Texas A&M a trip to the SEC Championship Game and a shot at the playoff. The Aggies lost to the Horns 17-7 and didn’t score an offensive touchdown. It had to sting, to have the Longhorns make it to Atlanta in their first year in the SEC. Texas A&M, which came in the league in 2012, has not been to the SEC Championship Game. There is talent on both of these rosters, and certainly the portal will be worked hard with big expectations for next year. The interest level for both of these teams has to be taken into serious question.
Pop Tarts Bowl
December 28 – 3:30 p.m.
Miami vs. Iowa State
Orlando, Florida
ABC
This is a matchup of two teams that were a game (or two) away from the CFP. Iowa State got to 10 wins in a season for the first time in school history. But in the Big XII Championship Game, the Cyclones got blown out by red hot Arizona State 45-19. Matt Campbell has done an excellent job in Ames. It’s not like this is an iconic blue blood football program. Campbell’s Cyclone teams have pulled off a slew of upsets through the years, and he has built Iowa State into a strong and stable program. Miami is coming off one of the most disappointing losses in school history. Maybe their biggest since falling to Ohio State for the 2002 national championship. Miami was 10-1 and led Syracuse 21-0 in the Carrier Dome. A win would have put the Hurricanes in the ACC Championship Game against SMU with a CFP berth and automatic bye seemingly within reach. But Fran Brown led the Orange back for a stunning 42-38 victory. Miami was down 42-35 and Mario Christobal elected to go for the field goal. The Hurricanes never got the ball back. Cam Ward had a fantastic season at quarterback for Miami. The highlights of the year were one-sided wins over Florida and Florida State. But this was a missed opportunity
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
December 30 – 2:30 p.m.
Missouri vs. Iowa
Nashville, Tennessee
ESPN
It was another strong year for the Tigers, who posted a 9-3 record on the heels of last season’s 11-2 top campaign, which concluded with a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State. Mizzou got beaten badly by Texas A&M and Alabama but rallied back. The third loss was a last second 34-30 setback to South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in the battle of the Columbias. Wins over Mississippi State and Arkansas followed. Now it’s a chance to go 10-3. Injuries hit a lot of teams, and that includes the Tigers and their outstanding quarterback Brady Cook. But he got healthy and delivered in the clutch in the regular season finale against Arkansas, scoring on a 30-yard run with less than two minutes to go to give the Tigers the lead in a 28-21 victory over the Razorbacks. Iowa comes in at 8-4, and like Mizzou, the Hawkeyes have won their last two games, beating Maryland on the road and then edging Nebraska in Iowa City. A one-point loss to Iowa State and three point setback at UCLA kept Iowa from hitting that next level in the bowl pecking order. This Iowa offense has improved from the last few years, but the Hawkeyes still have a hard time scoring and consistently moving the football. Last season, Tennessee beat Iowa 35-0 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. The Hawkeye faithful are expecting a much better showing in Music City.
ReliaQuest Bowl
December 31 – 12:00 p.m.
Alabama vs. Michigan
Tampa, Florida
ESPN
These two tradition-rich programs met last season in the Rose Bowl in the College Football Playoff, with Michigan prevailing in overtime. The Wolverines went on to win the national title. A pair of three game suspensions for head coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t sway the powers that be, and Michigan hoisted the trophy. Harbaugh is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Nick Saban, college football’s top coach of the first two decades of the 21st century, retired following the loss in Pasadena. Michigan, not surprisingly, dropped back significantly this season. But, the Wolverines won the regular season finale, beating Ohio State 13-10 in the Horseshoe, securing a fourth consecutive victory over the Buckeyes in the Big Ten’s grand rivalry. Alabama comes in 9-3, winning the Iron Bowl to close out the regular season. The Crimson Tide faithful were politicking hard for a playoff spot—believed to be the first program to lose to Vanderbilt and gripe about a snub in college football history. For the internal talk of scheduling softer non-conference games in Tuscaloosa, it should be pointed out that all three of Alabama’s losses were conference games: Tennessee, which is in the playoff, and 6-6 foes Vandy and Oklahoma. The guess is that Michigan will be more interested. Both fan bases—and new head coaches—will be hungry to be in the 12-teamer next season.
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
December 31 – 2:00 p.m.
Washington vs. Louisville
El Paso, TX
CBS
A year after winning the PAC-12 and playing for the national title, there was a lot of change for the Huskies. Their head coach Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama, and Washington, along with Oregon, Southern Cal and UCLA all helped disintegrate the PAC-12, as they joined the Big Ten. Under the watch of first year head coach Jedd Fisch, who did an excellent job at Arizona, the Huskies head to El Paso with a record of 6-6, with most of the losses lopsided. This is a chance to finish over.500 and perhaps set a tone for next season. Washington will be making its fifth appearance in the Sun Bowl. The Huskies are 1-3 all time in El Paso, losing most recently to Purdue in 2002. Louisville heads to the Sun Bowl with a record of 8-4. It was an up and down season. The first three losses were to Notre Dame, SMU and Miami, no shame there. But they lost at Stanford. And that was the game after (plus an open date) the Cardinals biggest win of the year, a 33-21 clipping of Clemson in Tiger Town. Louisville also beat the Yellow Jackets and won at Boston College. After the embarrassing loss at Stanford, Louisville came back and pounded Pitt 37-9 then rolled past Kentucky 41-14 in Lexington. They got some good news on the portal free agency wire that USC’s quarterback Miller Moss will transfer to Louisville.
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
December 31 – 3:00 p.m.
South Carolina vs. Illinois
Orlando, Florida
ESPN
The Gamecocks are one of the hottest teams in college football. South Carolina was 3-3 in the first half of the season. The ‘Cocks should have beaten LSU, they got smoked by Ole Miss, and could have beaten Alabama. Following the two-point loss in Tuscaloosa, things started clicking for the Gamecocks. South Carolina blew out Oklahoma in Norman 35-9. For longtime South Carolina fans, that had to be hard to imagine ever happening. Following an open date, Williams-Brice Stadium was rocking in a 44-20 trouncing of Texas A&M. Down the stretch, a last second 34-30 win over Missouri, and 17-14 squeaker at Clemson put the stamp on an excellent regular season. The problem with the playoff resume at 9-3 is that Alabama and Ole Miss, also 9-3, both beat South Carolina. LaNorris Sellers is the best quarterback South Carolina has had since Connor Shaw. He got his feet wet as a freshman in 2023, playing in three games and keeping his redshirt. Well this season, he was awesome, earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors and getting voted All-SEC Third Team. South Carolina’s biggest strength is a loaded defensive line that might be the best in the league. Dylan Stewart, T.J. Sanders, Kyle Kennard and Tonka Hemingway headline a big time front. The Fighting Illini come in at 9-3 as well, losing to Penn State and Oregon, both on the road, and to the Golden Gophers at home. Illinois won its last three games, scoring 38 points exactly in all three over Michigan State (38-16), Rutgers (38-31) and Northwestern (38-28). Bret Bielema is a great fit in Champagne. These are two teams that feel like they are on the move up.
Kinder’s Texas Bowl
December 31 – 3:30 p.m.
LSU vs. Baylor
Houston, Texas
ESPN
The LSU season started in disappointing fashion in Las Vegas, where the Tigers had one slip away against Southern Cal. LSU turned the page and put together six straight wins to get squarely in contention for everything. Then came three straight losses at Texas A&M, at home to Alabama (42-13, ouch), and at Florida. Then came a pair of Saturday night wins at Tiger Stadium over Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. The team certainly didn’t quit. This is Brian Kelly’s third season, and the Tigers are hungry to go from being good/very good back to great/elite in the SEC. It’s the goal of everyone, and the league is just brutal. The lack of a consistent rushing attack was the killer. LSU finished last, as in 16th, in the SEC in rushing, averaging 116.6 yards per game. Who would have ever believed that. Georgia was 15th. Garrett Nussmeier is a talented quarterback. He put up big passing numbers with 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns. But also threw 11 interceptions. Those run game struggles likely led to that. LSU is usually really good in bowls. The Tigers have won five of their last six. The lone loss was in the Texas Bowl to Kansas State in January of 2022. That was after the school and Ed Orgeron had parted ways.
Baylor is also 8-4, and these Bears are hot. They got off to a 2-4 start, losing a couple of squeakers. At 2-4, and off an open date, Baylor beat Texas Tech 59-35 in Lubbock and kicked off a six-game winning streak. Five of those wins came by double digits. You can bet the Bears will be mighty hungry. LSU had better be ready.
CFP Quarter – VRBO Fiesta Bowl
December 31 – 7:30 p.m.
Boise State vs. Penn State
Glendale, Arizona
ESPN
It was just a dream season for Boise State. The Broncos were consistent all year, led by Heisman Trophy runner up Ashton Jeanty, who has had an incredible year. How about this, 2,497 yards on 344 carries, for an average of 7.3, and 29 touchdowns?!?!? The Broncos lone loss came at Oregon 37-34 back on September 7, a week after the Broncos beat Georgia Southern 56-45 in steamy Statesboro. There was a well scheduled open date after Oregon. Wounds were licked and focus was gained. Boise State has ripped off 11 straight wins, eight by double digits, including a 21-7 victory over UNLV in the Mountain West Championship Game. The consensus rule of thought on the new 12-team CFP was that the top team from the Group of Five would get the 12 seed. Well, as things progressed and there was turmoil in the ACC and Big XII, the Broncos actually get the three seed, as the third highest rated conference champion. No one predicted that. Hey, the Fiesta Bowl is where they had their upset magic of Oklahoma. So there is good mojo working for the boys from the blue turf. Penn State had one of its greatest victories in the Fiesta Bowl, beating Miami and Heisman winner Vinnie Testeverde 14-10 for the 1986 national championship. The Penn State defense was great that night 38 years ago, and they were again in the first round of the playoff against SMU. The Nittany Lions got their first two touchdowns on pick sixes to jump out 14-0 in a 38-10 rout of the Mustangs. Penn State is physical. How will that run defense perform against Jeanty?
CFP Quarter – Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl
January 1 – 1:00 p.m.
Arizona State vs. Texas
Atlanta, Georgia
ESPN
This is one of the great stories in college football this season. Arizona State, coming over to the Big XII from the once proud and now late PAC-12, was picked to finish in last place. Well, the Sun Devils are 11-2, red hot and Big XII Champions. Incredible. Not only that, but with Clemson winning the ACC, the higher ranked Sun Devils got the last of the byes as the fourth highest ranked conference champion. ASU has won six in a row, and there have been some nice ones, three over ranked foes. In the last four, the Sun Devils won 24-14 at No. 16 Kansas State, beat No. 14 BYU at home 28-23 in a crazy game, blew away rival Arizona 49-7 and then smoked No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 to win the conference crown. Arizona State can run it. Cam Skattebo is terrific. He has 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 6.0 per carry. He’s also caught three touchdowns. Quarterback Sam Leavitt has 24 touchdown passes against just five interceptions. This is a very dangerous team. They’ll be taking on one of college football’s most talent-rich squads, the Texas Longhorns. Steve Sarkisian went for it on three fourth downs, and they didn’t make any of them, and that’s a big reason Clemson was able to hang around in Austin. But Texas was too much for the Tigers in a 38-24 win. That Longhorn running attack was absolutely awesome, led by Jaydon Blue, who had scoring jaunts of 77 and 38, and Quintrevion Wisner, who also scored twice. Both rushed for over 100 yards, as Texas racked up 292 on the ground. The big question, can Arizona State slow down Texas and get some stops? The Sun Devils have nothing to lose. Texas should win, but that offensive firepower gives ASU a puncher’s chance in Atlanta.
CFP Quarter – Rose Bowl presented by Prudential
January 1 – 5:00p.m.
Oregon vs. Ohio State
Pasadena, California
ESPN
The Ducks are the unquestioned No. 1 team and top seed in the College Football Playoff. Well, congratulations, you get a rematch with Ohio State, an awoken sleeping giant which absolutely annihilated Tennessee in Columbus to earn the Rose Bowl berth. The Ducks are the only undefeated team at 13-0, and champions of the Big Ten in their first year in the league—beating Penn State in a shootout in Indianapolis. Dillon Gabriel has been really good at quarterback. It took Oregon a few games to get into rhythm, but the Ducks have been steady and strong. The 32-31 win over Ohio State is the highlight. Dan Lanning has done a superb job. Kirby Smart’s former defensive chief is in his third season, and has fine tuned this program to some of the highest highs in school history. A one-time doormat, Rich Brooks turned things around in the 1990s. Three times in the 21st century, Oregon has finished No. 2. Could this be the year that Oregon wins the whole thing. First things first, it will be a fast track and a huge challenge. Ohio State has the biggest payroll, the Buckeyes were the preseason No. 1 team and loaded with talent. Both losses were close. The one to Michigan really stung. Well, Ohio State could have gone one of two ways, and the Buckeyes delivered one of the most impressive performances of any team all season. This one and Georgia-Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl are the two high profile showdowns.
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
January 2 – 7:30 p.m.
Ole Miss vs. Duke
Jacksonville, Florida
ESPN
The Rebels will be an interesting case study in this era of college football. Lane Kiffin has done an excellent job in Oxford. Last season’s 11-2 record and Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl win over Penn State goes down as the best year for the Rebels since the Johnny Vaught glory days. They were dreaming of the playoffs, and certainly have the talent. A couple of fourth down plays by Kentucky and LSU cursed the Rebels in heartbreaking losses. Ole MIss got a huge win over Georgia, but then got upset at Florida. A 9-3 record is nice, but this team, with some heavy portal additions, is upset not to be in the playoff. Jaxson Dart is a fantastic quarterback. Will the Rebels be bought in? Duke figures to be. The Blue Devils were one of the big surprises in the ACC, posting a 9-3 record and winning the last three of the regular season-—including a thriller over Wake Forest. Duke gave SMU, which of course is in the playoffs, a heck of a game in October, falling 28-27 to the Mustangs in one of the best games in the league all season. For Duke, the biggest point of pride is a perfect 3-0 record against North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. That’s a clean sweep of Tobacco Road. It just doesn’t happen very much for any team. This should be a very entertaining game. Depending on who plays, the Ole Miss defensive line figures to be Duke’s biggest challenge.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
January 3 – 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech
Charlotte, North Carolina
ESPN
Either Brent Pry or P.J. Fleck will be dunked with mayonnaise in Charlotte. This is the last bowl game before the semifinals of the CFP, which will be played in Miami and Dallas. Fleck has done a fine job in Minneapolis, making the once powerful (a long time ago) Golden Gophers relevant again in the Big Ten. They beat Illinois and closed out the season with a win over ancient rival Wisconsin—in the North’s oldest rivalry. A one-point loss to Penn State, 26-25, was tough. It proved to make the difference to get the NIttany Lions into the Big Ten Championship Game. Back in October, and this is one of those things that will look great in the media guide for the rest of time, Minnesota beat both Southern Cal and UCLA in back to back weeks. The Golden Gophers don’t run it or throw it great. But they run it and throw it well. And they are solid on defense. It could be cold in Charlotte, which should play into the Gophers hands. Virginia Tech probably won’t mind the cold. The Hokies come in at 6-6, winning the regular season finale over Virginia to break a three game losing streak and get bowl eligible. That skid featured an overtime loss at Syracuse (9-3 on the season), a 10-point setback to ACC champion Clemson (10-3), and three point battle at Duke. Their first three losses came in overtime at Vandy, by three to Rutgers and the four-point highly controversial game at Miami. That’s five of the six losses by single digits. What could have been? So many teams say it every year.