Welcome to bowl season! College football has evolved greatly in the last few years, and bowl season is no different. With more and more players and coaches opting out of bowl games to focus on their next jobs, navigating bowl season – both searching for entertainment and for gambling purposes – means trying to predict what teams will play hard and which will come out flat.

It’s an inexact science, and one that feels a little icky. It doesn’t feel great to predict the level of “quit” in a team full of a hundred guys that work harder in a year than you or I will work in a decade. But that’s the name of the game right now, and some of these teams are going to show little or no interest in participating in these contests. 

So let’s sort through the matchups and the stakes and try to find the most entertaining games on the schedule. 

Below, I’ve listed the bowl games before Christmas weekend, sorted by day for you to keep track. All times are Eastern, because, well, duh. Included is each team’s rank in Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings to give you a sense of the matchup.

Friday, December 16:

Bahamas Bowl: (104) Miami (OH) vs. (69) UAB – 11:30 AM on ESPN

Bowl season kicks off with the Bahamas Bowl, which has been either a humdinger or a complete snoozer in its brief history. This one usually gets out of hand when one team enjoys the tropical vacation a little too much and wakes up on game day looking for sunglasses and the bottle of ibuprofen. It sounds like UAB’s running back DeWayne McBride – our Brennan Award winner – will be sitting this one out, which dampens the matchup.

Cure Bowl: (37) Troy vs. (46) UTSA – 3 PM on ESPN

Honestly, this might be the coolest bowl matchup of the entire season. UTSA has an excellent offense led by quarterback Frank Harris, and the program’s emergence in recent years has been one of the best storylines at the Group of Five level. Troy has a dominant defense in head coach Jon Sumrall’s first season; the Trojans won three different games in which they only scored a single offensive touchdown. On paper, this strength-vs-strength collision should be a treat for the discerning viewer.

FCS Semifinal: (FCS 8) Incarnate Word at (FCS 4) North Dakota State – 7 PM on ESPN

The Bison had a lackluster regular season for their standards but have been steamrolling the playoff competition so far. What else is new? IUW heads to the Fargodome with dreams of pulling off the huge upset. The Cardinals are led by dynamic quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr., who is living up to his playmaking potential after two different stops in the SEC. 

Division III Championship: (Division III 2) Mount Union vs. (Division III 1) North Central – 7 PM on ESPNU

Saturday, December 17:

Fenway Bowl: (27) Cincinnati vs. (38) Louisville – 11 AM on ESPN

This one could get spicy. It’s a revival of an old-school, regional rivalry dissolved by conference realignment. Cincinnati poached Louisville’s head coach Scott Satterfield a few weeks ago – or did he flee to Cincinnati because he didn’t want to be at Louisville anymore? Oh, and they’re sharing the same sidelines thanks to the weird baseball stadium layout. Let’s get brawling.

Celebration Bowl: (FCS 10) Jackson State vs. (FCS 62) NC Central – 12 PM on ABC

Jackson State got smoked last year in the Celebration Bowl by South Carolina State. As Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders, etc head off to their next chapter in college football, they might need to get this one to avoid leaving a legacy of unfulfilled promise. 

Division II Championship: (Division II 5) Colorado School of Mines vs. (Division II 1) Ferris State – 1 PM on ESPNU

Las Vegas Bowl: (34) Florida vs. (22) Oregon State – 2:30 PM on ESPN

Billy Napier is taking approximately half of his Florida roster to Sin City to face an Oregon State that has been coming on strong all season. Beavs freshman tailback Damien Martinez is on a six-game stretch of rushing for 100 yards and should be in for a huge day against a Florida defense gutted by transfers and opt-outs.

Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl: (59) Fresno State vs. (36) Washington State – 3:30 PM on ABC

Washington State is another team stripped down to the studs for bowl season. The Cougs will be without both coordinators, all three starting linebackers, and their top two receivers, amongst others. This will be your last chance to watch Fresno State’s Jake Haener play college football; he has been a Group of Five star in recent years for those in the know. Haener rallied after a midseason injury to return and lead his team to the Mountain West title, and a bowl game victory would be even sweeter for this Fresno legend.

FCS Semifinal: (FCS 3) Montana State at (FCS 2) South Dakota State – 4 PM on ESPN2

Montana State has unlocked a preposterous rushing offense led by a two-quarterback rotation – and occasional two-quarterback formations – of Tommy Mellott and Sean Chambers. The Bobcats have averaged 397.8 yards per game on the ground in the five games since their midseason bye (including two playoff contests). The Jackrabbits have lived at No. 1 most of the season and seem to be the most balanced team at the level. This should be a fantastic contest.

LendingTree Bowl: (116) Rice vs. (81) Southern Miss– 5:45 PM on ESPN

I don’t know how closely you follow the mid-level Sun Belt teams, but Southern Miss is putting the wraps on another absurd season. The Golden Eagles suffered through a second straight season of quarterback musical chairs after starter Ty Keyes was lost in their FOUR overtime loss to Liberty in Week 1. The offense stinks on ice, except for the handful of times per game they reach back and connect on a massive passing play, often tossed by running back Frank Gore Jr. The defense is excellent, led by salty veterans and SEC down-transfers. Almost all of their games have been entertaining because of their style of play and the fact that they only seem to play close games. Second-year head coach Will Hall has a long run of sustained offensive success on his resumé, so he should stabilize that side of the ball, in which case we will fondly remember this preposterous era of Southern Miss football. 

New Mexico Bowl: (74) BYU vs. (55) SMU – 7:30 PM on ABC

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee has already downplayed this game, saying it’s a win just to have reached a bowl. He has been open about prioritizing recruiting and transfer portal work over bowl preparation. BYU quarterback Jaren Hall is unlikely to play. Both teams have atrocious defenses. This could look like a Pro Bowl. 

Frisco Bowl: (58) Boise State vs. (78) North Texas – 9:15 PM on ESPN

Seth Littrell will not be coaching this game for the Mean Green after getting canned after seven wins and a conference championship game appearance. Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is calling his last game before hanging up the headsets. I see a lot of fourth down attempts, trick plays, and “ah, f*** it” play calls. 

Monday, December 19:

Myrtle Beach Bowl: (61) Marshall vs. (113) UConn – 2:30 PM on ESPN

Watching this ferocious Marshall defense during a workday afternoon? Fantastic! Marshall’s defense has flown a bit under the radar because of Troy’s excellent stop unit in its own conference, but don’t sleep. Edge rusher Owen Porter is a havoc machine and NFL bloodline cornerbacks Steven Gilmore (Stephon’s brother) and Micah Abraham (Donnie’s son) have Sunday futures in their own right.  

Tuesday. December 20:

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: (90) Eastern Michigan vs. (82) San Jose State – 3:30 PM on ESPN

Boca Raton Bowl: (73) Liberty vs. (80) Toledo – 7:30 PM on ESPN

A pair of MAC teams take on opponents who have faltered down the stretch and are prime candidates to no-show the postseason. You can safely choose this day for any last-minute holiday gatherings or errands to take care of.

Wednesday, December 21:

New Orleans Bowl: (33) South Alabama vs. (65) Western Kentucky – 9 PM on ESPN

This game should be fantastic, especially with the news of WKU’s prolific passer Austin Reed hopping out of the portal and returning to the Tops. Both teams will look to sling it around on the indoor track. 

Thursday, December 22:

Armed Forces Bowl: (57) Air Force vs. (30) Baylor – 7:30 PM on ESPN

Here’s a little recipe for a favorite holiday tradition, a bowl no-show: 

– To start, pre-heat the oven. (A disappointing season after a fantastic one)

– Secondly, mix your dry ingredients. (Tough regular season losses to rivals to end the year)

– Throw in some seasonings to taste (transfers, opt-outs, coaching staff changes)

– Top with your favorite holiday decorations. (Having to face the option)

Voila! I don’t know what I just created, but it seems like an awful experience, much like trying to defend the triple option in a meaningless bowl game in your arch rival’s stadium.

Happy watching! See you next week for the next round of bowl games.