The Must-Watch Matchups of the 2023 College Football Bowl Season

Parker Gillam
Photo Credit: Missouri Athletics

It’s the most wonderful time of the year in more ways than one.

College football bowl season brings with it plenty of intrigue, as we are treated to a plethora of matchups that we would never have the chance to witness without the existence of these games. And, these contests tend to be some of the wackiest and most entertaining of the college football season, creating incredible memories for players, coaches and fans alike.

Even with playoff expansion on the horizon, my hope is that bowl games stick around in some form or fashion. There’s just too much value in working to play in the postseason and being rewarded with extra practices and a neutral-site game against an equally-matched foe. Ask any coach in the country and they’ll tell you that they would gladly take that bonus time with the team to continue building up their program.

Alas, it is not in my control, and the 12-team playoff may be the only postseason competition of note in the future. If that is the case, then I will certainly do my best to enjoy this bowl season to the fullest.

In games like these, we are treated to a handful of strength-on-strength matchups that create unique challenges for teams. That is certainly the case this year, with games featuring pairings that die-hard college football fans and NFL scouts alike will be drooling over.

Marvin Harrison Jr./Emeka Egbuka vs. Kris Abrams-Draine

Dec. 29, 2023 | 8:00 PM ET | Dallas, Texas

Goodyear Cotton Bowl

MHJ Key Stat: Hauls in 62.5% (15-of-24) targets of 20+ yards downfield.

Egbuka Key Stat: Averages 16.6 YAC on passes thrown behind the line of scrimmage.

KAD Key Stat: Only allowed 25 completions on 50 targets.

*As of writing this, MHJ has not announced if he will be playing in the Cotton Bowl. Emeka Egbuka has confirmed that he will be.*

In a battle of acronym names, this may be the most noteworthy matchup that NFL scouts will be paying attention to. Marvin Harrison Jr. appears to be a lock to be a top five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, while Kris Abrams-Draine is rising up draft boards and is sure to be a Day 1 or 2/highly-touted prospect as well. Thus, we are treated to a one-on-one that will potentially take place on Sundays as well.

MHJ bided his time in a loaded Ohio State wide receiver room before exploding onto the scene last year. He’s recorded over 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in two straight seasons and was the runaway winner of the Biletnikoff Award despite strong cases from the likes of Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers. 

Harrison Jr. is the whole package. He has a 6-foot-4 frame with great body control, ball skills and route-running ability. While he may not have game-changing speed, he’s still tough to catch in the open field and has the strength to run through arm tackles if needed.

Emeka Egbuka has resided as a high-quality No. 2 option to Harrison Jr. for two years now, but the Steilacoom High School product has a chance to show out as the No. 1 in this game. Egbuka stands at 6-foot-1 with great athleticism and ball skills, and he showcased all of that while racking up 74 catches and 1,151 yards in ‘22. Injuries have derailed much of his ‘23 season, but Egbuka will be determined to take advantage of this prime opportunity to raise his already promising draft stock.

KAD began his career at Mizzou as a wide receiver, but after transitioning to defensive back, his breakout campaign came in ‘21, where he tallied three interceptions and became a solidified contributor for this Tigers team. In 2022, Abrams-Draine ranked second in the SEC with 14 PBUs, and he followed that up with 12 to go along with four interceptions in ‘23. Coverage instincts and make-up speed may be KAD’s biggest strengths, but it’s hard to pinpoint a weakness in a defensive back who has seen it all in the SEC and gone toe-to-toe with some of the country’s best.

Blake Baker is a mastermind of a defensive coordinator, and I’ve got a feeling he’ll be able to do what few coaches have done and draw up a game plan to limit MHJ’s production. The star receiver will get his touches, but I think that KAD wins this battle in the end and puts NFL scouts on notice.

Projected Winner: Kris Abrams-Draine

Ollie Gordon II vs. Texas A&M’s Front Seven

Dec. 27, 2023 | 9:00 PM ET | Houston, Texas

TaxAct Texas Bowl

Gordon Key Stat: Ranks third in the nation with 42 runs of 10+ yards.

TAMU Key Stat: 18th-ranked rush defense, allowing 106.7 YPG.

Who knows where Oklahoma State would be without the services of Ollie Gordon II this season. After receiving minimal touches through three games during a time period that Mike Gundy himself said that he utilized as a preseason of sorts, Gordon exploded for 1,614 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’s perhaps most known for his game-breaking plays, but OGII is a load to take down and can also get involved in the passing game. OSU’s offense revolves around him, exemplified by the fact that in games that the Cowboys won, he ran for at least 136 yards (Weeks 1-3 excluded). In games that OSU lost (ISU, UCF, Texas), Gordon ran for 121 or less.

Luckily for Texas A&M, it has a rush defense that is capable of containing Gordon, even with some of the talent from the front seven having entered the transfer portal. Only Tennessee managed to eclipse the 200-yard mark against this defense, and it held a whopping six opponents to under 100 yards on the ground. Even with the loss of Walter Nolen to the portal, there are plenty of talented figures within the Aggies front seven.

For instance, TAMU features one of the nation’s best linebackers in Edgerrin Cooper:

In the end, every time I’ve seen Gordon go up against a top-tier defensive line, he struggles. The Aggies will win this battle and the game.

Projected Winner: TAMU Front Seven

Rocco Becht vs. Seth Henigan

Dec. 29, 2023 | 3:30 PM ET | Memphis, Tenn.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Becht Key Stat: Only recorded lower than a 100.0 passer rating once this season (Iowa).

Henigan Key Stat: All-time leader in completions at Memphis.

How about a veteran vs. a youngster for this quarterback duel?

Rocco Becht burst onto the scene in a Brock Purdy-like manner as a redshirt freshman. With Matt Campbell in search of stability at quarterback early in the season, Becht became his answer. The former three-star recruit out of Florida saw action in three games last year but took the reins of this offense in ‘23. Amid some off-field turmoil surrounding the ISU program over the offseason, this Cyclones team managed to win seven games and surprise most of the Big 12 by taking down the likes of Oklahoma State and Kansas State. That is in large part thanks to Becht, who has been one of the more efficient and productive quarterbacks in the nation up to this point. The sky appears to be the limit for him, as Campbell has found his next quarterback to build around.

On the other side of the field will stand Seth Henigan. A junior who has started since he was a true freshman, Henigan has been a stabilizing presence for this Memphis program for years now, and he recently announced that he would be returning for his last season of eligibility as well. The Tigers would like to carry some positive momentum into ‘24 with a win in a de facto home game for them, and Henigan will likely play a large role in determining if that occurs.

Experience favors Henigan, but Becht has just had that “it” factor all season long. I think that both of these guys will put up some gaudy numbers, but Becht and Co. will get the job done in the end.

Projected Winner: Rocco Becht

Ray Davis vs. Clemson’s Front Seven

Dec. 29, 2023 | 12:00 PM ET | Jacksonville, Fla.

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

Davis Key Stat: Averages 3.91 yards after contact.

Clemson Key Stat: Only allowing 116.5 YPG on the ground.

There can be eerily similar comparisons between this matchup and the Ollie Gordon II-Texas A&M one I talked about before. Ray Davis is another explosive back that generally dictates how successful his offense is on a given day. Clemson’s front seven is stout but has been exposed at times by some of the nation’s better running backs (Audric Estimé, Omarion Hampton). Regardless, the Tigers have one of the most talented front sevens in the nation, and Dabo Swinney will have his group ready for the challenge of containing Davis.

But, that is a tall task, because Davis has a knack for bouncing runs when it looks like there is nothing available and terrorizes opposing defenses in the open field.

Freshman T.J. Parker is one of the individuals that will be in Davis’ grill throughout this game:

I’m picking Clemson to win this game handily overall, and thus I must side with the Tigers front seven in this one. They’ll swarm Davis and give him little room to operate unless Devin Leary is able to make them fear the Kentucky passing attack.

Projected Winner: Clemson Front Seven

Josh Heupel vs. Kirk Ferentz

Jan. 1, 2024 | 1:00 PM ET | Orlando, Fla.

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

Heupel Key Stat: Offenses at UCF and Tennessee have averaged more than 30 PPG every season.

Ferentz Key Stat: Defense has not allowed more than 20 PPG since 2015.

I dare you to find a funnier contrast in styles this bowl season.

Iowa despises points. The Hawkeyes are content to sit back and let their defense guide them to 8-10 wins per season, and they do so thanks to one of the better defensive coaching staffs in the nation, an elite culture and top-tier player development. The Iowa offense plays in a phone booth and looks like it should be sent back to the 1950s. But, its defense generally picks up the slack and has to be considered one of the best units in college football over the past decade or so.

Josh Heupel wants nothing to do with that. Phone booth? Heupel runs his offense in a wide open prairie field, spreading his receivers to each sideline and forcing opposing defenses to either expend resources to the perimeter or in the box. 

Don’t get me wrong: the Tennessee defense has been much improved this season (in large part thanks to a vaunted pass rush), but the other side of the ball still drives the boat for this program. Led by Joe Milton III, the Volunteers offense has struggled at times but is still among the best in the nation in rushing yards per game and is fully capable of dropping 40+ on most teams.

Iowa isn’t most teams. The Hawkeyes rarely see this kind of an offense in the Big Ten, but giving Phil Parker and Kirk Ferentz a month to prepare for it should be more than enough time for them to get a beat.

If Iowa is able to stall UT’s normally dynamic rushing attack, then that puts all of the burden on Milton’s shoulders. When that occurs, the Vols generally struggle.

I think that Iowa’s defense will truly frustrate Heupel like few teams have…but the Hawkeyes’ offense still won’t be able to score enough to win.

Projected Winner: Iowa Defense

About the author

Parker Gillam
Website | Read more posts by this author

I grew up a Tennessee fan in Atlanta, and yes it was certainly rough to live amongst so many UGA fans. Oregon has also been a favorite team of mine for as long as I can remember. I currently attend the University of Missouri studying sports journalism. I also cover Mizzou's FB and MBB teams for Rock M Nation.

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