Ultimate Guide to 2023-24 College Football Bowl Season
Bowl season is upon us!
This year's slate of bowl games officially kicks off on Saturday, Dec. 16 with seven different games, headlined by one of the better Group of Five matchups between Miami (OH) and Appalachian State in the Cure Bowl.
All told, there are a whopping 41 different bowl games on deck in the coming weeks, culminating in the Rose Bowl (No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama) and Sugar Bowl (No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas) on Jan. 1 to determine who will play for this year's national championship on Jan. 8.
Ahead you'll find a rundown of this year's bowl season, including closer looks at each of the New Year's Six games, a few best of the rest picks, and full watchability rankings for every bowl game.
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama
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When: Monday, Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Line: Michigan -1.5 (via DraftKings)
The Michigan Wolverines weathered a storm of off-the-field distractions and a suspension to coach Jim Harbaugh to finish the regular season undefeated, beating Penn State and Ohio State down the stretch before steamrolling an overmatched Iowa squad in the Big Ten title game.
Running back Blake Corum (218 carries, 1,028 yards, 24 TD) headlined an offensive unit that leaned heavily on the run, while the Wolverines defense led the nation by allowing just 9.5 points per game.
They will look to punch their ticket to the CFP National Championship Game when they take on an Alabama Crimson Tide team that has been rolling since suffering an early loss to Texas.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe went from briefly benched following that loss to the Longhorns to finishing sixth in Heisman Trophy voting, and he accounted for 17 total touchdowns over the team's final five games.
A 27-24 victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game secured a spot in the College Football Playoff field for Alabama, and now it will look to ride its late-season momentum to another huge victory.
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas
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When: Monday, Jan. 1 at 8:45 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Line: Texas -4 (via DraftKings)
In the final year of the Pac-12 Conference as we currently know it, the Washington Huskies secured the conference's first berth in the College Football Playoff field since 2016.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for 4,218 yards and 33 touchdowns to finish runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting, while wide receivers Rome Odueze (81 catches, 1,428 yards, 13 TD) and Ja'lynn Polk (60 catches, 1,000 yards, 8 TD) gave him a pair of elite targets.
The defense did just enough to secure 36-33 and 34-31 victories over Bo Nix and Oregon to protect the team's undefeated record.
On the opposite sideline, the Texas Longhorns entered the national championship conversation with a 34-24 victory over Alabama in Week 2, and while they suffered a 34-30 loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry four weeks later, that was the only blip on their resume.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers missed three games with a shoulder injury, but he returned strong for the team's final four games, including a 452-yard, four-touchdown performance against Oklahoma State in a lopsided Big 12 title game.
Running back Jonathon Brooks brought balance to the offense with 1,139 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, while T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II anchor one of the best defensive fronts in the nation.
Remaining New Year's Six Bowls
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Cotton Bowl: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri
When: Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
With Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord announcing his plans to transfer to Nebraska, the Buckeyes will have an inexperienced signal-caller under center. That could make running back TreVeyon Henderson (854 rushing yards, 10 TD) their focal point. Meanwhile, the Tigers have their own star in the backfield in Cody Schrader, who racked up 841 rushing yards and six touchdowns over the team's final five games. That could make quarterback play the deciding factor.
Peach Bowl: No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss
When: Dec. 30 at 12 p.m. ET (ESPN)
A Penn State defense that led the nation with just 223.3 yards allowed per game squares off against an Ole Miss offense that piled up 455.6 yards and 34.8 points per contest. Both teams finished with two losses against elite teams, with the Nittany Lions losing to Ohio State and Michigan, while Ole Miss dropped road games against Alabama and Georgia.
Orange Bowl: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia
When: Dec. 30 at 4 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Less-than-convincing wins over Florida (24-15) and Louisville (16-6) following the loss of quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending injury were enough to keep Florida State out of the College Football Playoff field despite an undefeated record. Meanwhile Georgia spent the entire regular season in the projected field before losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and falling out of the picture. Who will be more motivated after missing out on the big prize?
Fiesta Bowl: No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 23 Liberty
When: Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix threw for 4,415 yards with 40 touchdowns while completing 77.2 percent of his pass attempts to finish third in Heisman Trophy voting, but a pair of losses to Washington kept the Ducks out of the College Football Playoff. He now goes head-to-head with Liberty star Kaidon Salter, who had the best season of any Group of Five quarterback. The redshirt sophomore threw for 2,750 yards and 31 touchdowns while adding another 1,064 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Can the Flames hang around with a team that was a Pac-12 title game win away from making the playoff field?
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Best of the Rest
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Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 18 NC State vs. No. 25 Kansas State
When: Dec. 28 at 5:45 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The winning team from this year's Pop-Tarts Bowl will get to partake in the "first ever edible mascot," which is reason enough to tune in, even if it's just for the fourth quarter and post-game shenanigans. The Wolfpack started 4-3 before racking up five straight wins to close out the regular season on the strength of an elite defense, while Kansas State will likely have dual-threat freshman Avery Johnson under center after Will Howard entered the transfer portal.
Alamo Bowl: No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Arizona
When: Dec. 28 at 9:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Breakout star Noah Fifita took over as Arizona's starting quarterback in Week 5 and went on to pass for 2,515 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions, ripping off a six-game winning streak to vault the Wildcats to national relevance. The Sooners will be without star quarterback Dillon Gabriel after he announced his plans to transfer to Oregon, but they have 5-star true freshman Jackson Arnold waiting in the wings and the Alamo Bowl could be his coming out party. Expect a high-scoring game.
Sun Bowl: No. 16 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 Oregon State
When: Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. ET (CBS)
With Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei entering the transfer portal and Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman opting out of the team's bowl game, this will be a battle of the backups, but it's still an entertaining matchup between two teams that were nationally relevant all year. The Beavers will also have interim coach Kefense Hynson calling the shots after Jonathan Smith took the Michigan State job.
ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 13 LSU vs. Wisconsin
When: Dec. 30 at 12 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
"We'll see. I'm just trying to enjoy this moment right now."
That was all Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels had to say when asked about whether he will be playing in LSU's bowl game, and while it's far from a commitment, there is still some hope that college football's most dynamic talent this season will take the field one final time.
Watchability Rankings
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Tier 6
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Ohio vs. Georgia Southern (Dec. 16, 11 a.m. ET, ESPN)
Famous Toastery Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion (Dec. 18, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Camellia Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois (Dec. 23, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Potato Bowl: Georgia State vs. Utah State (Dec. 23, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
68 Ventures Bowl: South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan (Dec. 23, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Quick Lane Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Minnesota (Dec. 26, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
First Responder Bowl: Texas State vs. Rice (Dec. 26, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Tier 5
New Orleans Bowl: Jacksonville State vs. Louisiana (Dec. 16, 2:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Frisco Bowl: UTSA vs. Marshall (Dec. 19, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Boca Raton Bowl: South Florida vs. Syracuse (Dec. 21, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs. Northwestern (Dec. 23, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Military Bowl: Tulane vs. Virginia Tech (Dec. 27, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Texas Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M (Dec. 27, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Fenway Bowl: No. 24 SMU vs. Boston College (Dec. 28 at 11 a.m. ET, ESPN)
Tier 4
LA Bowl: Boise State vs. UCLA (Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Independence Bowl: California vs. Texas Tech (Dec. 16, 9:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Gasparilla Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. UCF (Dec. 22, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Birmingham Bowl: Troy vs. Duke (Dec. 23, 12 p.m. ET, ABC)
Hawaii Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose State (Dec. 23, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas vs. UNLV (Dec. 26, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers vs. Miami (Dec. 28, 2:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Music City Bowl: Maryland vs. Auburn (Dec. 30, 2 p.m. ET, ABC)
Tier 3
Cure Bowl: Miami (OH) vs. Appalachian State (Dec. 16, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico State vs. Fresno State (Dec. 16, 5:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Armed Forces Bowl: James Madison vs. Air Force (Dec. 23, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Duke's Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia (Dec. 27, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Gator Bowl: No. 22 Clemson vs. Kentucky (Dec. 29, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Liberty Bowl: Iowa State vs. Memphis (Dec. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Arizona Bowl: Toledo vs. Wyoming (Dec. 30, 4:30 p.m. ET, The CW)
Citrus Bowl: No. 17 Iowa vs. No. 21 Tennessee (Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)
Tier 2
Holiday Bowl: No. 15 Louisville vs. USC (Dec. 27, 8 p.m. ET, Fox)
Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 18 NC State vs. No. 25 Kansas State (Dec. 28, 5:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Sun Bowl: No. 16 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 Oregon State (Dec. 29, 2 p.m. ET, CBS)
Cotton Bowl: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri (Dec. 29, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 13 LSU vs. Wisconsin (Jan. 1, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
FIesta Bowl: No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 23 Liberty (Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Tier 1
Alamo Bowl: No 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Arizona (Dec. 28, 9:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Peach Bowl: No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss (Dec. 30, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Orange Bowl: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia (Dec. 30, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama (Jan. 1, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas (Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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