We can talk all day long about the playoffs and playoff games. But there’s other great non-CFP bowl games out there. I plan on watching a lot of them. It’s fun when teams buy in and you have most of your roster there. We’re seeing more of that after Syracuse and Colorado have said their players aren’t opting out of their respective games. That’s the other tricky thing about these games. The Gator Bowl between Ole Miss and Duke looked really good until Malik Murphy entered the transfer portal. It’s a slippery slope but I have found six of the best non-playoff bowl games of the season. Enjoy.
Boca Raton Bowl
Western Kentucky vs James Madison
12/18 at 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
Probably the best group of five bowl game of the season. It would have been the Cure Bowl or Independence Bowl but transfers and coaching changes have derailed these games from being top tier ones. Western Kentucky & James Madison are two of the best programs in the group of five. They stay relatively consistent year in and year out. Western Kentucky has had some of the best offenses the last few years. James Madison exploded out of the gate after they became an official member of the FBS
Birmingham Bowl
Georgia Tech vs Vanderbilt
12/27 at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
Arguably two of the biggest dogs in college football are going head to head in Birmingham. Diego Pavila and Hayes King. It’ll be a battle of who can carry their team further and who can make a crazy play to deliver the win to their team. Pavia and King have heart and it’s going to be an entertaining game between those two.
Pop Tarts Bowl
Iowa State vs Miami
12/28 at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC
This is the premier non-CFP Bowl game of the bowl season. It’s a top 20 matchup with a Heisman candidate, two weather events and three Pop-Tarts that are wanting to be eaten by the winning team. Rocky Becht and the Cyclones are hoping to rebound from a blowout loss in the Big 12 Championship game. Miami is trying to rebound from their loss to Syracuse. Well what’s better motivation than eating a giant Pop tart after the game. Cam Ward needs to do the right thing and play in this game.
Valero Alamo Bowl
BYU vs Colorado
12/28 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC
I almost feel like this game shouldn’t be on the list. It’s a great game with great stars but it’s technically a Big 12 conference game. The way it worked out this year is that Colorado was in a Pac-12 pool of teams composed of former member schools that were once in the conference. BYU was the Big 12’s “representative” in this aspect. Good news is that this is not a rematch. This will be the first time these two have played this season. It should be a very fast paced, highly competitive game in the Alamodome in San Antone.
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
South Carolina vs Illinois
New Year’s Eve at 2 p.m. CT on ABC
It’s the Illini and the Gamecocks in the battle of who is the cheesiest. Any time we get to watch LaNorris Sanders is a joy. This Illinois team is no slouch either. A sneaky classic Big Ten team with a tough, gritty defense. Both defenses are underrated with the Gamecocks boasting the Bronko Nagurski Award winner in Kyle Kennard. Kennard has 11.5 sacks and three forced fumbles on the season and could wreak havoc on the Illinois offensive line. This should be a fun battle before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.
Kinder Texas Bowl
Baylor vs LSU
New Year’s Eve at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
This is a great quarterback matchup. Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson and LSU’s Garrett Nussimeier are two of the more underrated quarterbacks in college football. Robertson is 7-3 as a starter this season and was a big contributor in Dave Arnada and the Baylor Bears coming back from a very poor 3-9 season last year. Meanwhile, Garrett Nussmeier had tough shoes to fill replacing Heisman winner Jayden Daniels and he’s done an adequate job. This has the makings of a high scoring affair. You’ll probably need to split screen this game and the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Virginia Tech vs Minnesota
1/3 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
The memories from last year’s game have clouded my judgement. I love the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. I love Charlotte, North Carolina. I love the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Now while these teams aren’t the most entertaining. I like the idea of Tubby, the Duke’s Mayo mascot rocking out to Enter Sandman or rowing a literal boat. The antics are a part of the fun with this one and I’m here for it.
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