Bowl Projections 2012: Predicting Can't Miss Matchups in Non-BCS Bowl Games

Believe it or not, the five BCS bowl games are not the only exciting, quality bowl games on tap for college football fanatics.

But navigating your way through the 30 other bowl games scheduled for December and January to find the best matchups can be a daunting, time-consuming task.

That's where Bleacher Report comes in—we've done all of the heavy lifting for you.

Whether you have a rooting interest in these games or not, these are the non-BCS bowl games that we see happening—and that you simply cannot miss.

Las Vegas Bowl: No. 20 Boise State Broncos (9-2) vs. USC Trojans (7-5)

When: December 22

Boise State has an incredibly underrated defense, one that ranks fifth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 14.4 points per game and who is ranked fourth in the country against the pass, allowing only three passing touchdowns in 2012.

USC's offensive attack would certainly look more formidable with senior QB Matt Barkley under center, but watching the Broncos secondary matched up with dynamic USC wide receiver Marquise Lee itself would be worth the price of admission.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl: No. 14 Clemson Tigers (10-2) vs. No. 8 LSU Tigers (10-2)

When: December 31

These two teams have only met twice and both times came in Bowl Games: the 1959 Sugar Bowl and the 1996 Peach Bowl. LSU won both games by a total of 10 points

LSU's defense is formidable against both the pass and the run, while Clemson's offense puts up more than 500 yards of offense per game and has the sixth highest scoring average in the country.

While many will scoff at the thought of a team from the ACC putting up a fight against a mighty SEC foe, Clemson would relish the role of the underdog.

I'm not saying they'd win—which they could—just that they'd relish the role.

Capital One Bowl: No. 19 Michigan (8-4) vs. No. 3 Georgia (11-1)

When: January 1

Again, the absurdity of me talking about someone from outside the SEC making a game of things against an SEC powerhouse, right?

But don't sleep on the Michigan Wolverines, who, between Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner, would give the Bulldogs defense fits. To be fair, Aaron Murray and Georgia's offense would do the same to the Wolverines defense.

You simply don't want to miss this one, which will be full on nonstop action.