Bowl Games 2012-13: Underrated Postseason Matchups You Cannot Afford to Miss

Bowl season is one of the most exciting times in college football, as you get to see the cream of the crop going up against one another in a winner-takes-all postseason battle.

However, with the BCS bowls and some of the prestigious historic bowls garnering much of the media attention, a number of great games are being lost in the shuffle.

We’re here to fix that, and are highlighting three of the more interesting matchups on the slate that haven’t received much hype. Let’s take a look.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl: LSU vs. Clemson

The LSU Tigers missed their chance to get back to the national title game by blowing a lead against Alabama and falling to Florida, but has a chance to finish the 2012 season a high note.

It’ll come at the expense of the Clemson Tigers, a squad that also only suffered two losses through the entire campaign against highly ranked opponents.

It’s a shame that the BCS bowls are limited in the amount of same-conference participants they can have, as these two teams should be meeting with more on the line.

Instead, we’ll get to see them duke it out in Atlanta on New Year's Eve in what should be a great matchup regardless of the stakes.

 

Pinstripe Bowl: West Virginia vs. Syracuse

These two teams were heading in opposite directions to close the year, but wind up in the same bowl.

The Mountaineers lost five of their last seven, after winning five straight to open the season, and plummeted from the early rankings. The Orange won five and lost two in that same time frame, finishing extremely strong after a rough start.

Considering both programs will have had over a month to rest, it’ll be interesting to see which comes out on top. Will WVU use the time off to right the ship as ‘Cuse’s momentum dies, or will the Orange stay hot and topple the slumping Mountaineers?

Find out on December 31 when the Pinstripe Bowl takes place at Yankees Stadium.

 

Gator Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Northwestern

The Bulldogs started this year going 7-0, before falling back to earth in a 38-7 blowout loss against the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was the first of four losses in their last five games, which now sees the team limping into a Gator Bowl showdown with the Wildcats.

Their underrated Big Ten opponent was competitive all season, but didn’t have any signature wins against ranked foes—making the 9-3 record relatively unappealing for a major bowl matchup.

It’s always a thrill when the B1G and SEC clash, so strap on your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride on New Years day.