Bowl season comes at you fast–it starts in less than a week. There are 39 FBS bowl games this year. My advice, always, is to watch every single one of them. The more college football, the better, and I always really enjoy learning about the cool stories that some of these smaller programs have. Whether it’s a first bowl appearance in decades (or ever), a coaching turnaround, a crazy walk-on story, or something else, even the smallest of bowls always have compelling backstories.
I get it, though. Time is precious. Sometimes we can’t watch all the college football that we want. So I’m going to rank all 39 bowls games, from the “will be fun to watch” to the “can’t-miss.” And, of course, since this is a Buckeyes site, extra priority will be given to games that matter more to Ohio State. There’s no particular science to these rankings. Sometimes a game’s backstory will matter more; other times I’ll focus more on how competitive or high-quality the game is likely to be.
39. FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl: Liberty vs Georgia Southern
Saturday, December 21st, 2:30 PM
We get a first-time bowl team, as the Liberty Flames began their football program very recently. And the entire purpose of this bowl is to raise money to cure cancer, so that’s pretty cool too. Once we get to the game, though, Georgia Southern is pretty clearly the better team. The Eagles beat Appalachian State this year, and Liberty lost to Rutgers. It’s college football and anything can happen, but if you have to miss a bowl game, it should probably be this one. (Especially considering the fact that the Cure Bowl is on at the same time as two much better bowl games.)
38. Quick Lane Bowl: Pittsburgh vs Eastern Michigan
Thursday, December 26th, 8:00 PM
This is, by far, the least-compelling bowl game involving a Power 5 team. Pitt has talent and played Penn State close, but it’s never really a fun team to watch. Chris Creighton has done an insanely good job getting Eastern Michigan to a bowl game in three out of four years now, and it’s honestly shocking that a bigger school looking to rebuild hasn’t snatched him up yet. Still, there is a talent disparity, and neither team is that compelling to watch. If Pitt is flat once again, especially on offense, we could get a close game. If that doesn’t happen, though, there’s no real reason to stay on this game.
37. Camellia Bowl: FIU vs Arkansas State
Saturday, December 21st, 5:30 PM
There is nothing too compelling about this bowl game. The teams are probably evenly-matched, and FIU did pull off an incredible upset of the Miami Hurricanes a few weeks ago. Other than that, though, I’m not sure what about this game inspires fans to tune in.
36. Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl: Buffalo vs Charlotte
Friday, December 20th, 2:00 PM
Aside from having a hilarious backstory for its sponsor and being the opening game of bowl season this year, it’s a little hard to be too excited about the Bahamas Bowl. The location is awesome for the students and a ton of fun, but the matchup leaves much to be desired. This is also Charlotte’s first-ever bowl game (the program only began in 2013), which is always cool to see, but Buffalo is much more talented. Make sure not to miss Buffalo’s defensive lineman LeDarius Mack (yes, Khalil Mack’s brother). And maybe we get a good game if Charlotte is inspired by its first bowl appearance and plays perfect football.
35. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl: Utah State vs Kent State
Friday, December 20th, 7:30 PM
First of all, extra points to this game for having a hilarious sponsor. (Yes, that absolutely matters in bowl rankings. If you’re watching a game that’s not so compelling, it’s much more fun if you get to laugh every time ESPN’s commentators say the sponsor’s name.) Also, extra points for having an Ohio team. After that, though, it’s tough to look forward to this game. Utah State’s Jordan Love is going to want to end his college career on a high note, and the Aggies are a much better team than the Golden Flashes. Kent State is looking for its first-ever bowl win, which is always cool to see. Hopefully it gets it, but I wouldn’t hold out hope on it being a great game.
34. Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl: Georgia State vs Wyoming
Tuesday, December 31st, 4:30 PM
Fun fact: both of these teams beat SEC teams this year. Georgia State took down Tennessee and Wyoming beat Missouri back in Week 1. Other than that, though, there’s not much compelling about this game. Wyoming is the better team, and the Cowboys have the defense to stifle Georgia State and make this game near-unwatchable. Watch the Liberty Bowl on New Years’ Eve, and maybe check in on the end of this one if it’s close.
33. Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Tulane vs Southern Miss
Firday, January 4th, 3:00 PM
Not enough people have watched Tulane this season, which is a shame. The Green Wave are a good team and the program is heading in the right direction. Southern Miss, though, is limping into a bowl on a two-game losing streak, and it wasn’t very competitive in either game. Let’s hope it doesn’t make it three in a row.
32. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio vs Nevada
Friday, January 3rd, 3:30 PM
I’m a huge fan of Frank Solich. He always has a competitive MAC team and often finds some really good players. It’s very unfortunate that not enough of the country pays more attention to the Bobcats. But, other than this game being played on the blue turf (and often in snow), there’s not too much else to look forward to in this one.
31. New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Michigan State vs Wake Forest
Friday, December 27th, 3:20 PM
If you had the misfortune of watching Michigan State’s bowl game last year, you might be wondering why this game is ranked so high. Well, Michigan State is in the Big Ten, and the Pinstripe Bowl always had the added element of being played in an outdoor stadium in New York City in the winter. Combine that with Michigan State’s great defense and dysfunctional offense, and who knows what can happen.
Next… 30-21
30. Servepro First Responder Bowl: Western Kentucky vs Western Michigan
Monday, December 30th, 12:30 PM
This should actually be a pretty decent game between two pretty talented and evenly-matched teams. Of course, I just hope that the game is actually played this year.
29. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Appalachian State vs UAB
Saturday, December 21st, 9:00 PM
No disrespect to Appalachian State, which is a very strong team. And no disrespect to UAB, which is an amazing story of a revived program. But it’s hard to get excited about this game when you know that UAB has nowhere near Appalachian State’s talent. The most likely outcome, by far, is a blowout. App State deserves to be watched, but it should be hard to pay attention to this one for long.
28. Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl: Marshall vs UCF
Monday, December 23rd, 2:30 PM
Like the game above, the talent disparity in this game is just too wide. It gets the better spot for having the cooler sponsor and the cooler name. Also–love ’em or hate ’em–everyone has thoughts on UCF nowadays, so there’s an interest in either watching it blow a team out or shockingly get upset.
27. LendingTree Bowl: Miami (OH) vs Louisiana
Monday, January 6th, 7:30 PM
It’s the MAC champion against the Sun Belt runner-up. The RedHawks should be outclassed in this bowl, but they’ve somehow played great football and beaten more talented teams all season long. This is a step up in competition from the MAC, but Miami has a strong coaching staff and is led by a very talented young quarterback. (Freshman starter Brett Gabbert is Blaine Gabbert’s younger brother.) A blowout is possible, sure. I think Miami will bring everything and at least keep it interesting, though.
26. Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs Florida State
Tuesday, December 31st, 2:00 PM
The hype is returning to Tallahassee with coach Mike Norvell incoming. That’s great for next year, but this year was an absolute dud. This game could be close because Herm Edwards hasn’t taught Arizona State how to blow teams out yet, but I don’t expect it to be particularly high-quality if it’s close. Each team has a great running back, though, so that should be fun.
25. Redbox Bowl: Cal vs Illinois
Monday, December 30th, 4:00 PM
Cal is a better team, as long as Chase Garbers is healthy and playing quarterback. If not, then we could have a good game on our hands. Lovie Smith did an amazing job to get Illinois to a bowl this year–and let’s just forget that rivalry dud against Northwestern. This could potentially be a good game, but it could easily be a blowout. Unfortunately, so could the other game being played at the same time.
24. New Mexico Bowl: Central Michigan vs San Diego State
Saturday, December 21st, 2:00 PM
Don’t sleep on this game. CMU came very close to winning the MAC, and San Diego State is very quietly a very good team. However, while the Aztecs have one of the best defenses in college football, their offense has serious issues doing, well, anything. There’s no Ronnie Hillman or Donnel Pumphrey or Rashaad Penny to carry this offense this year. This combination of great defense and terrible offense makes ever SDSU game close, even if it’s not fun to watch. Even if you want to sit out the first half, make sure to catch the end of this game, because no matter what it should be intense.
23. Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Mississippi State vs Louisville
Monday, December 30th, 4:00 PM
We’ve all seen the play against Ole Miss that got the Bulldogs into a bowl game. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are coming off a 13-45 rivalry loss against a team not much better than Mississippi State. I’m hoping for a good game here, but I’m definitely not expecting one.
22. Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman: North Carolina vs Temple
Friday, December 27th, 12:00 PM
This should be a pretty good game. Mack Brown has North Carolina bowling again, and Temple is pretty talented. These teams match up evenly, and it should be a good contest on both sides of the ball. North Carolina’s Sam Howell has very quietly become a very good quarterback, and it will be up to an always-tough Temple defense to keep him and his receiving corps in check.
21. Capital One Orange Bowl: Florida vs Virginia
Monday, December 30th, 8:00 PM
I don’t think that we’ve ever had a less-hyped New Years’ Six Bowl. Bronco Mendenhall has done an absolutely incredible job getting Virginia to where it is today. This team can compete with good teams. But Florida is better basically across the board, except maybe at quarterback. Like other bowl mismatches, I’m always hoping for a good game. But it’s hard to see Virginia keeping this competitive for four quarters. The best we can probably hope for is a close half before the Gators pull away. And a good halftime concert, of course.
Next… 20-11
20. AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Navy vs Kansas State
Tuesday, December 31st, 3:45 PM
These are two teams that love to run the ball, but both can throw it too. This is the best Navy team of the decade–which is saying something, because we’ve seen some good ones recently. Kansas State is no slouch, either. This should be a quality football game between two quality teams.
19. Cheez-It Bowl: Air Force vs Washington State
Friday, December 27th, 10:15 PM
Last year’s Cheez-It Bowl was a beautiful mess. The most beautiful of possible messes. Seriously. If you don’t remember, try not to burst out laughing while reading this recap. You won’t be able to. I guarantee it. What does this year’s game have in store? I have no idea. But it’s Mike Leach’s “air raid” offense against the U.S. Air Force, so something crazy has to happen.
18. SoFi Hawaii Bowl: BYU vs Hawaii
Monday, December 24th, 8:00 PM
First of all, the Hawaii Bowl is always fun. Second, if you haven’t seen him, don’t miss Hawaii’s quarterback Cole McDonald. He is both incredibly talented and incredibly turnover-prone. Every snap is an adventure with him. Also, both of these teams are pretty talented, and it should be an overall pretty good game.
17. TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Indiana vs Tennessee
Thursday, January 2nd, 7:00 PM
This might be an unfairly low spot for this game. It’s a good game between a Big Ten and SEC team. It should be a lot of fun. But I have no idea what to expect from Indiana. The Hoosiers played Penn State close, but not Michigan or Ohio State. Nothing else they did during the year tells us much. Tennessee, meanwhile, started this season in awful form but has really played well down the stretch. There’s a chance this is just a blowout.
16. Walk-On’s Independence Bowl: Miami (FL) vs Louisiana Tech
Thursday, December 26th, 4:00 PM
It’s hard to get too hyped for this game, just because you don’t know what Miami will bring. The Hurricanes collapsed at the end of the season, and it’s hard to know if they’ll bring their all for a bowl game. If they do, this game should be a pretty good one, because Louisiana Tech is no slouch. If Miami comes out flat, well, it’s always kinda fun to see a Power 5 team get blown out by someone from Conference-USA.
15. Ticketsmarter Birmingham Bowl: Cincinnati vs Boston College
Thursday, January 2nd, 3:00 PM
The Bearcats deserved a better game, but this should be a good matchup that Cincinnati likely wins. Assuming he’s still the coach in the future, Luke Fickell needs to find a way to get the offense on the same level that the defense is. A game against a mediocre Power 5 team–and a chance at a ranked season–is a great way to start moving forward on that.
14. Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl: Texas A&M vs Oklahoma State
Friday, December 27th, 6:45 PM
This should be a pretty good game between two pretty good teams. Oklahoma State was probably a bit overrated by the selection committee at the end, but it’s definitely a top 40 team. Texas A&M, meanwhile, is an enigma. The Aggies lost to five really good teams, and looked decent in some of those games. They also beat seven pretty bad teams, and only looked decent in some of those games. What will happen in this game? Who knows? But it should be fun.
13. Valero Alamo Bowl: Utah vs Texas
How good is Utah, really? The Utes did an excellent job of manhandling teams they were better than, but failed against the two very good teams they faced. Will Texas do the same as USC and Oregon? Or are the Longhorns limping into bowl season and won’t really come out firing for the game? I have no idea, but that’s part of what makes it fun.
12. Belk Bowl: Virginia Tech vs Kentucky
Tuesday, December 31st, 12:00 PM
A bowl game between two talented and equally-matched Power 5 teams? I’ll never complain about that. As long as both come out motivated, we should get a really good football game. It’s also the final game for legendary defensive coordinator Bud Foster, so don’t miss your last chance to watch him scheme a perfect game.
11. Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl: FAU vs SMU
Saturday, December 21st, 3:30 PM
Not only does this game also have a sponsor with a funny name (the announcers will almost certainly mispronounce it at least once), but it should be a really good football game. FAU may have just lost its coach, but this is a strong and talented team. So is SMU, who likely is starting to worry about losing its coach. Still, both teams have tons of playmakers on offense and decent defenses. As long as both teams show up fully, this should be a good and high-quality game, and the winner has a chance to end the year ranked in the Top 25.
Next… 10-1
10. Camping World Bowl: Iowa State vs Notre Dame
Saturday, December 28th, 12:00 PM
Under Matt Campbell, Iowa State has gone from being a potentially-pesky doormat to being an always-pesky potential contender. The Cyclones only play close games now, no matter how good the competition. This team is solid on both sides of the ball and is always well-coached. Notre Dame would love to have that, and if Brian Kelly leaves they’ll be looking right at Matt Campbell as a potential replacement. This should be a great game that doesn’t need the underlying intrigue to add to it, but that can’t hurt, either.
9. Allstate Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs Baylor
Wednesday, January 1st, 8:45 PM
It’s hard to get too excited about this game, both with the late start time and with the way Georgia’s offense has looked this season. The Bulldogs also came out flat in last year’s Sugar Bowl, which doesn’t give much hope for this year. Matt Rhule has done an amazing job with the Baylor program, and the defense is legit, but it’s hard to get excited about watching a defensive struggle late into the night on New Years.
8. Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl
Saturday, December 21st, 7:30 PM
I have zero idea what will or could happen in this game, but this is one that any college football fan can’t miss. It’s a fitting send-off in the final game (for now) coached by the man who made both of these programs what they are now. Chris Petersen brought Boise State into the national spotlight with the famous Fiesta Bowl upset over Oklahoma, followed a few years later by–by far–the greatest ever four-year run by a team from outside the power conferences. Petersen also transformed Washington from a poor-to-middling Pac 12 team to one that reached the College Football Playoff in 2016, and the Huskies have been a potential contender ever since. I doubt either team will actually care about the outcome of this game. They just want to respect a coach beloved by both programs. Heck, every single play in this game should be a statue of liberty or a hook-and-lateral. I would love every second of that.
7. Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Memphis vs Penn State
Saturday, December 28th, 12:00 PM
This game should be higher, but a few things are holding it out. First of all, Memphis is missing its coach. Second, while Penn State is a really good team, it’s a bit uninspiring. The Nittany Lions win comfortably, but they don’t really blow teams out. They just play solid football and capitalize on mistakes. This has the potential to be a great game; it also has the potential to be a bit boring, though. While we hope it’s the former, we know that there’s a risk of the latter. And with another good game at the exact same time, that could mean that this game gets a bit passed over.
6. San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl: USC vs Iowa
Friday, December 27th, 8:00 PM
This should be a really good game between two really good teams. Iowa has a very efficient offense and a surprisingly strong defense. The Hawkeyes have played every team close this year, and should have the talent and speed in the secondary to somewhat slow down this Trojans passing attack led by Kedon Slovis. Expect a close, clean, well-played game that either team can win. It’s just good college football.
5. Outback Bowl: Minnesota vs Auburn
Wednesday, January 1st, 1:00 PM
I know that this game will get drowned out by the Citrus Bowl and that Auburn is widely viewed as the better team. Minnesota had a chance at the greatest season in school history, but the Golden Gophers lost two of their final three. Still, a quality win against a really good team and an 11-2 season are on the line. Minnesota’s season is nowhere near as backloaded next year as this year, so if the Gophers want to start out 9-0 again, they’ll need some momentum in this game. P.J. Fleck is doing incredible things in Minneapolis. But the result of this game will likely determine whether this season is viewed as a product of a weak early schedule or a real sign of a new strong program. I want to know the answer to that, too.
4. Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual: Wisconsin vs Oregon
Wednesday, January 1st, 5:00 PM
The Badgers are looking to avenge a loss in the 2012 Rose Bowl as well as prove that they can beat top teams, just not Ohio State. This is a really good football program, looking for its third Top 10 finish in the last four years. A resurgent Oregon team under a new and talented coach stands in their way. This should be a great game, and I can’t wait to see it.
3. Chik-Fil-A Peach Bowl: Oklahoma vs LSU
Saturday, December 28th, 4:00 PM
I will forgive Buckeye fans who miss this game because they’re too busy preparing for Ohio State’s game. Still, this is a Playoff game and should be a pretty good one. Buckeye fans also enjoy seeing Joe Burrow do well, so there’s plenty of hometown-centric action here too.
2. VRBO Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs Alabama
Wednesday, January 1st, 1:00 PM
Why do I have this game at No. 2? It’s simple–I see three possible outcomes for this game (one far less likely than the other two), and all of them are great foe Ohio State. Either Michigan gets crushed by a dialed-in and focused Alabama team, which would be great to see. Second, maybe Alabama comes out clearly flat and disinterested, but the game is still close–simultaneously embarrassing both Alabama and Michigan at the same time. Lastly, the least-likely possibility is that Alabama comes out playing good football, but Michigan rises up and wins anyway. This would simultaneously damage the perception of Alabama’s continues dynasty, as well as set the stage for preseason hype for The Game at levels that we haven’t seen in a very long time.
1. Playstation Fiesta Bowl: Clemson vs Ohio State
Saturday, December 28th, 8:00 PM
Barring an emergency, every Buckeye fan is watching this game. I don’t need to give reasons why. Any superlatives I try to write will only detract from the obviousness of why this game is No. 1.
