Bowl Games Schedule 2015-16: Dates, Times and Best Potential Non-CFP Matchups
With rivalry week in the books, we have a good idea which teams are on track to make the College Football Playoff. Drilling down deeper, some other compelling bowl matchups are beginning to take shape as well.
Here's a look at the 2015-16 bowl schedule with dates, times and broadcasting networks. Counting the CFP, there's a total of 41 bowl games to come.
Who said college football season was winding down?
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| College Football Playoff | ||||
| Jan. 11 | Championship Game | Glendale, Ariz. | 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) | Semifinal Winner vs. Semifinal Winner |
| Dec. 31 | Orange (Semifinal) | Miami, Fla. | TBA (ESPN) | TBA vs. TBA |
| Dec. 31 | Cotton (Semifinal) | Arlington, Texas | TBA (ESPN) | TBA vs. TBA |
| Jan. 1 | Sugar | New Orleans, La. | 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) | SEC vs. Big 12 |
| Jan. 1 | Rose | Pasadena, Calif. | 5 p.m. (ESPN) | Big Ten vs. Pac-12 |
| Jan. 1 | Fiesta | Glendale, Ariz. | 1 p.m. (ESPN) | At-Large vs. At-Large |
| Dec. 31 | Peach | Atlanta, Ga. | Noon (ESPN) | At-Large vs. At-Large |
| Jan. 2 | TaxSlayer | Jacksonville, Fla. | Noon (ESPN) | ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC |
| Jan. 2 | Liberty | Memphis, Tenn. | 3:20 p.m. (ESPN) | Big 12 vs. SEC |
| Jan. 2 | Alamo | San Antonio, Texas | 6:45 p.m. (ESPN) | Big 12 vs. Pac-12 |
| Jan. 2 | Cactus | Phoenix, Ariz. | 10:15 p.m. (ESPN) | Big 12 vs. Pac-12 |
| Jan. 1 | Outback | Tampa, Fla. | Noon (ESPN) | Big Ten vs. SEC |
| Jan. 1 | Citrus | Orlando, Fla. | 1 p.m. (ABC) | Big Ten vs. SEC |
| Dec. 30 | Birmingham | Birmingham, Ala. | Noon (ESPN) | SEC vs. American |
| Dec. 30 | Belk | Charlotte, N.C. | 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) | ACC vs. SEC |
| Dec. 30 | Music City | Nashville, Tenn. | 7 p.m. (ESPN) | ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC |
| Dec. 30 | Holiday | San Diego, Calif. | 10:30 p.m. (ESPN) | Big Ten vs. Pac-12 |
| Dec. 29 | Armed Forces | Fort Worth, Texas | 2 p.m. (ESPN) | Big Ten vs. Mountain West |
| Dec. 29 | Russell Athletic Bowl | Orlando, Fla. | 5:30 p.m. (ESPN) | ACC vs. Big 12 |
| Dec. 29 | Texas | Houston, Texas | 9 p.m. (ESPN) | Big 12 vs. SEC |
| Dec. 28 | Military | Annapolis, Md. | 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) | ACC vs. American |
| Dec. 28 | Quick Lane | Detroit, Mich. | 5 p.m. (ESPN2) | ACC vs. Big Ten |
| Dec. 26 | St. Pete | St. Petersburg, Fla. | 11a.m. (ESPN) | ACC vs. American |
| Dec. 26 | Sun | El Paso, Texas | 2 p.m. (CBS) | ACC vs. Pac-12 |
| Dec. 26 | Heart of Dallas | Dallas, Texas | 2:20 p.m. (ESPN) | Big Ten vs. C-USA |
| Dec. 26 | Pinstripe | Bronx, N.Y. | 3:30 p.m. (ABC) | ACC vs. Big Ten |
| Dec. 26 | Independence | Shreveport, La. | 5:45 p.m. (ESPN) | ACC vs. SEC |
| Dec. 26 | Foster Farms | Santa Clara, Calif. | 9:15 p.m. (ESPN) | Big Ten vs. Pac-12 |
| Dec. 24 | Bahamas | Nassau, Bahamas | Noon (ESPN) | C-USA vs. MAC |
| Dec. 24 | Hawaii | Honolulu, Hawaii | 8 p.m. (ESPN) | American vs. Mountain West/BYU |
| Dec. 23 | Poinsettia | San Diego, Calif. | 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) | Mountain West vs. Army |
| Dec. 23 | GoDaddy | Mobile, Ala. | 8 p.m. (ESPN) | MAC vs. Sun Belt |
| Dec. 22 | Famous Idaho Potato | Boise, Idaho | 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) | MAC vs. Mountain West |
| Dec. 22 | Boca Raton | Boca Raton, Fla. | 7 p.m. (ESPN) | American vs. MAC |
| Dec. 21 | Miami Beach | Miami, Fla. | 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) | American vs. C-USA |
| Dec. 19 | Cure | Orlando, Fla. | Noon (CBS Sports Network) | American vs. Sun Belt |
| Dec. 19 | New Mexico | Albuquerque, N.M. | 2 p.m. (ESPN) | C-USA vs. Mountain West |
| Dec. 19 | Royal Purple | Las Vegas, Nev. | 3:30 p.m. (ABC) | Pac-12 vs. Mountain West/BYU |
| Dec. 19 | Camellia | Montgomery, Ala. | 5:30 p.m. (ESPN) | MAC vs. Sun Belt |
| Dec. 19 | New Orleans | New Orleans, La. | 9 p.m. (ESPN) | Mountain West vs. Sun Belt |
| TBA | Arizona | Tucson, Ariz. | TBA | C-USA vs. Mountain West |
Best Potential Non-CFP Matchups
Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma State
The Ole Miss Rebels couldn't chase down the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC West, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys folded at home in Bedlam against the rival Oklahoma Sooners.
Thus, the Rebels and Cowboys will likely be in the mix for one of college football's most prestigious consolation prizes. It's hard to find a more compelling Sugar Bowl matchup.
The Rebels boast at least three potential first-round picks in offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. Memphis Grizzlies public relations specialist and Ole Miss grad Bennett Hipp tweeted about the school's success with all three players in the lineup:
"If my math is right, Ole Miss’ record since 2013 when Nkemdiche, Treadwell & Tunsil have all played: 15-7, w/ 5 of those losses in ’13.
— Bennett Hipp (@BennettHipp) November 29, 2015"
The very balanced Rebels would be tasked with slowing down a high-powered Cowboys offense that averaged 41.1 points per game. In what will likely be a final showcase for the Ole Miss trio, this could be an exciting contest.
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Stanford
It doesn't look like the Ohio State Buckeyes are going to get an opportunity to defend their title in the CFP. It's hard to imagine the scenario that would let them back into the conversation.
The Clemson Tigers and/or the Alabama Crimson Tide would need to lose in their respective conference championship games to create the opening.
That just doesn't seem likely. It's far more feasible to assume the Bucks would get a chance to make a statement in a traditional Rose Bowl battle against the Stanford Cardinal.
The latter ended any hopes the Notre Dame Fighting Irish had of making the CFP when they knocked them off 38-36 on Saturday. Meanwhile, Ohio State trounced the Michigan Wolverines 42-13 behind 214 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Ezekiel Elliott.
The E Double talked about his effort after the game:
Could the Cardinal's defensive front match up with the Bucks' dominant run game? It would be fun to watch.
Peach Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Florida
Two teams that didn't finish the season the way they hoped could still meet in the Peach Bowl in an interesting contest. Notre Dame's tight loss to Stanford looks pretty good when compared to the Florida Gators' awful performance in their 27-2 loss to the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday.
The Gators have struggled mightily to put points on the board this season. They're averaging just 13.75 points per game in their last four contests. That said, the defense is still stout, and it could present an issue for Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish haven't been the same since losing dynamic junior quarterback Malik Zaire in the second game of the season. While the team kept winning, you have to wonder if Zaire could have been the difference in one or both of the team's two-point losses to Clemson or Stanford.
As it is, a bowl game against the Gators would give both teams an opportunity to end on a higher note than they did in their last games.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
