Bowl Games Schedule 2015-16 Viewing Info, Latest Odds for Every Matchup
There are a lot of odds and ends to cover for the 2015-16 college football bowl season, but every matchup has been scheduled to supply fans with plenty of NCAA gridiron action for the impending holidays.
Most important on the slate is the College Football Playoff contests, featuring No. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and a Cotton Bowl showdown between No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Michigan State. Two wins stand between those teams and the pinnacle of college football.
Below are the odds and complete schedule for all bowl games, followed by projections regarding how the national championship picture will ultimately play out.
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| Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl | Alcorn State vs. North Carolina A&T | N/A | Dec. 19 | Noon | ABC |
| Cure Bowl | San Jose State vs. Georgia State | San Jose State -4 | Dec. 19 | Noon | CBSSN |
| Gildan New Mexico Bowl | Arizona vs. New Mexico | Arizona -10 | Dec. 19 | 2 p.m. | ESPN |
| Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl | BYU vs. Utah | Utah -3 | Dec. 19 | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Raycom Media Camellia Bowl | Ohio vs. Appalachian State | Appalachian State -9.5 | Dec. 19 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl | Arkansas State vs. Louisiana Tech | Arkansas State -1 | Dec. 19 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Miami Beach Bowl | South Florida vs. Western Kentucky | Western Kentucky -3 | Dec. 21 | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Akron vs. Utah State | Utah State -6.5 | Dec. 22 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Marmot Boca Raton Bowl | Temple vs. Toledo | Temple -1 | Dec. 22 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl | Boise State vs. Northern Illinois | Boise State -8 | Dec. 23 | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| GoDaddy Bowl | Bowling Green vs. Georgia Southern | Bowling Green -7.5 | Dec. 23 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Popeyes Bahamas Bowl | Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan | Western Michigan -3 | Dec. 24 | Noon | ESPN |
| Hawai'i Bowl | Cincinnati vs. San Diego State | Cincinnati -2.5 | Dec. 24 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| St. Petersburg Bowl | Marshall vs. Connecticut | Marshall -4.5 | Dec. 26 | 11 a.m. | ESPN |
| Hyundai Sun Bowl | Miami vs. Washington State | Washington State -1.5 | Dec. 26 | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl | Washington vs. Southern Miss | Washington -8.5 | Dec. 26 | 2:20 p.m. | ESPN |
| New Era Pinstripe Bowl | Duke vs. Indiana | Indiana -2 | Dec. 26 | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Camping World Independence Bowl | Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa | Virginia Tech -14 | Dec. 26 | 5:45 p.m. | ESPN |
| Foster Farms Bowl | Nebraska vs. UCLA | UCLA -6.5 | Dec. 26 | 9:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman | Pittsburgh vs. Navy | Navy -5 | Dec. 28 | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Quick Lane Bowl | Central Michigan vs. Minnesota | Minnesota -6 | Dec. 28 | 5 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl | Air Force vs. California | California -6.5 | Dec. 29 | 2 p.m. | ESPN |
| Russell Athletic Bowl | North Carolina vs. Baylor | Baylor -3.5 | Dec. 29 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl | Colorado State vs. Nevada | Colorado State -3.5 | Dec. 29 | 7:30 p.m. | TBA |
| AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl | Texas Tech vs. LSU | LSU -7.5 | Dec. 29 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Birmingham Bowl | Memphis vs. Auburn | Auburn -2.5 | Dec. 30 | Noon | ESPN |
| Belk Bowl | North Carolina State vs. Mississippi State | Mississippi State -7 | Dec. 30 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl | Louisville vs. Texas A&M | Texas A&M -2.5 | Dec. 30 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Holiday Bowl | Wisconsin vs. USC | USC -3 | Dec. 30 | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl | Houston vs. Florida State | Florida State -6.5 | Dec. 31 | Noon | ESPN |
| Capital One Orange Bowl | No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Oklahoma | Oklahoma -1.5 | Dec. 31 | 4 p.m. | ESPN |
| Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic | No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Michigan State | Alabama -9.5 | Dec. 31 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Outback Bowl | Northwestern vs. Tennessee | Tennessee -9 | Jan. 1 | Noon | ESPN2 |
| Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl | Michigan vs. Florida | Michigan -4 | Jan. 1 | 1 p.m. | ABC |
| Fiesta Bowl | Notre Dame vs. Ohio State | Ohio State -6 | Jan. 1 | 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual | Iowa vs. Stanford | Stanford -6.5 | Jan. 1 | 5 p.m. | ESPN |
| Allstate Sugar Bowl | Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss | Ole Miss -7 | Jan. 1 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| TaxSlayer Bowl | Georgia vs. Penn State | Georgia -7 | Jan. 2 | Noon | ESPN |
| AutoZone Liberty Bowl | Kansas State vs. Arkansas | Arkansas -13 | Jan. 2 | 3:20 p.m. | ESPN |
| Valero Alamo Bowl | TCU vs. Oregon | EVEN | Jan. 2 | 6:45 p.m. | ESPN |
| Cactus Bowl | West Virginia vs. Arizona State | Arizona State -1.5 | Jan. 2 | 10:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| College Football Playoff National Championship Presented By AT&T | Clemson/Oklahoma vs. Alabama/Michigan State | TBD | Jan. 11 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
CFP Championship Projection: Clemson vs. Alabama
In this prospective title-game matchup, the Crimson Tide would have the edge in terms of coaching with Nick Saban, who's won three national titles during his tenure in Tuscaloosa.
But it certainly would be refreshing to see Saban's counterpart, Dabo Swinney, use his bravado and unrelenting enthusiasm to will the Tigers to the top. Swinney is in it to win it, as he expressed in a Monday feature by Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel:
"Dream big. Dream big. Why can't we be the best ever? ... There's never been a 15-0 college football team. Why not at Clemson? Our guys are not afraid to dream. They're not afraid to work. And they're not afraid to get off the bank and get out in the deep water every now and then.
"
An Alabama-Clemson showdown would be one for the ages, as Swinney wouldn't fear the daunting challenge of standing up to Saban and the powerhouse program he once played for.
Tough as Alabama's front seven is with A'Shawn Robinson in the trenches and Reggie Ragland heading the linebacker corps, Clemson quarterback and Heisman Trophy hopeful Deshaun Watson has the tools to extend plays and generate magic. He's been doing it all year long to carry the Tigers to an undefeated record.
The SEC is touted as the best conference in the country, but it's not as though Clemson skated through the 2015 campaign without considerable tests. ESPN Stats & Info highlights how the Tigers deservedly earned their 13-0 mark:
Watson indubitably gives Clemson an advantage at the most important position on the field over Jake Coker. The big key for the Tigers will be slowing down bruising Tide running back Derrick Henry, who seems indefatigable of late despite taking on so many carries.
Clemson has a respectable 23rd-ranked run defense, yet Henry is the type of player who can run people over and also make defenders miss in space. His rare blend of size and agility can wear down any defense.
It's frankly surprising the Tigers have held up as well as they have this season after losing pass-rusher Vic Beasley and linebacker Stephone Anthony to the 2015 NFL draft in the first round.
The X-factor in this contest could well be Clemson running back Wayne Gallman, who has 1,332 yards rushing and 10 scores to complement Watson well in the Tigers' ground game.
With eight 100-yard performances this year, Gallman has been steady and took on a workhorse role in his own right. He accrued 187 yards on 28 carries and a TD in a 45-37 victory over North Carolina to help Clemson win the SEC. Gallman threw in four receptions and 68 yards and another score for good measure.
If Gallman can find a rhythm and collaborate with Watson to keep Alabama honest in defending the run, it will open up options for the QB. Alabama will be in trouble should Coker be asked to win the game with his arm, which could well happen given the personnel on both sides.
Thanks to Watson's leadership and a defense good enough to at least limit Henry, Clemson would pull out a tight one against the Tide.
Prediction: Clemson 23, Alabama 17
Note: Stats courtesy of NCAA.com unless otherwise indicated.
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