Bowl Games Schedule 2016-17: Viewing Info, Latest Odds for Every Matchup
It's the most wonderful time of the year, especially if you are a college football fan. With a slew of fantastic matchups throughout the month of December and January, fans of the sport will have plenty to keep them occupied.
Below, we'll go over that schedule and break down some of the top games on the postseason slate.
| Celebration | Dec. 17 | Noon | North Carolina Central vs. Grambling State | ABC |
| New Mexico | Dec. 17 | 2 p.m. | New Mexico (-7.5) vs. UTSA | ESPN |
| Las Vegas | Dec. 17 | 3:30 p.m. | San Diego State vs. Houston (-3) | ABC |
| Cure | Dec. 17 | 5:30 p.m. | UCF (-6.5) vs. Arkansas State | CBSSN |
| Camellia | Dec. 17 | 5:30 p.m. | Appalachian State vs. Toledo (-2.5) | ESPN |
| New Orleans | Dec. 17 | 9 p.m. | Southern Miss (-2) vs. UL-Lafayette | ESPN |
| Miami Beach | Dec. 19 | 2:30 p.m. | Central Michigan vs. Tulsa (-11) | ESPN |
| Boca Raton | Dec. 20 | 7 p.m. | Memphis vs. Western Kentucky (-6.5) | ESPN |
| Poinsettia | Dec. 21 | 9 p.m. | BYU (-7.5) vs. Wyoming | ESPN |
| Potato | Dec. 22 | 7 p.m. | Idaho vs. Colorado State (-13) | ESPN |
| Bahamas | Dec. 23 | 1 p.m. | Old Dominion (-4) vs. Eastern Michigan | ESPN |
| Armed Forces | Dec. 23 | 4:30 p.m. | Louisiana Tech vs. Navy (-1) | ESPN |
| Dollar General | Dec. 23 | 8 p.m. | Ohio vs. Troy (-5) | ESPN |
| Hawaii | Dec. 24 | 8 p.m. | Hawaii vs. Middle Tennessee | ESPN |
| St. Petersburg | Dec. 26 | 11 a.m. | Mississippi State (-11.5) vs. Miami (Ohio) | ESPN |
| Quick Lane | Dec. 26 | 2:30 p.m. | Boston College (-1) vs. Maryland | ESPN |
| Independence | Dec. 26 | 5 p.m. | NC State (-4) vs. Vanderbilt | ESPN2 |
| Heart of Dallas | Dec. 27 | Noon | Army (-9.5) vs. North Texas | ESPN |
| Military | Dec. 27 | 3:30 p.m. | Wake Forest vs. Temple (-12.5) | ESPN |
| Holiday | Dec. 27 | 7 p.m. | Minnesota vs. Washington State (-5.5) | ESPN |
| Cactus | Dec. 27 | 10:15 p.m. | Baylor vs. Boise State (-10) | ESPN |
| Pinstripe | Dec. 28 | 2 p.m. | Northwestern vs. Pitt (-3) | ESPN |
| Russell Athletic | Dec. 28 | 5:30 p.m. | Miami (Fla.) (-1.5) vs. West Virginia | ESPN |
| Foster Farms | Dec. 28 | 8:30 p.m. | Indiana vs. Utah (-6.5) | Fox |
| Texas | Dec. 28 | 9 p.m. | Kansas State vs. Texas A&M (-2.5) | ESPN |
| Birmingham | Dec. 29 | 2 p.m. | USF (-11) vs. South Carolina | ESPN |
| Belk | Dec. 29 | 5:30 p.m. | Virginia Tech (-6) vs. Arkansas | ESPN |
| Alamo | Dec. 29 | 9 p.m. | Oklahoma State vs. Colorado (-2) | ESPN |
| Arizona | Dec. 30 | 5:30 p.m. | Air Force (-14) vs. South Alabama | Campus Insiders |
| Liberty | Dec. 30 | Noon | TCU (-1.5) vs. Georgia | ESPN |
| Sun | Dec. 30 | 2 p.m. | North Carolina vs. Stanford (-2.5) | CBS |
| Music City | Dec. 30 | 3:30 p.m. | Nebraska vs. Tennessee (-3) | ESPN |
| Orange | Dec. 30 | 8 p.m. | Michigan (-6.5) vs. Florida State | ESPN |
| Peach | Dec. 31 | 3 p.m. | Alabama (-14) vs. Washington | ESPN |
| Fiesta | Dec. 31 | 7 p.m. | Ohio State (-3) vs. Clemson | ESPN |
| TaxSlayer | Dec. 31 | 11 a.m. | Georgia Tech (-5) vs. Kentucky | ESPN |
| Citrus | Dec. 31 | 11 a.m. | Louisville vs. LSU (even) | ABC |
| Outback | Jan. 2 | 1 p.m. | Florida (-2) vs. Iowa | ABC |
| Cotton | Jan. 2 | 1 p.m. | Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin (-6.5) | ESPN |
| Rose | Jan. 2 | 5 p.m. | Penn State vs. USC (-6.5) | ESPN |
| Sugar | Jan. 2 | 8:30 p.m. | Auburn vs. Oklahoma (-5.5) | ESPN |
| CFP National Championship | Jan. 9 | 8:30 p.m. | TBD | ESPN |
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Penn State vs. USC
The Nittany Lions have won nine straight games. The Trojans have won eight in a row. There's nothing quite like a battle between two of the hottest teams in the country.
These two teams are fun to watch, too. Penn State is 25th in the nation in points per game (36.7). USC is 28th in the nation in yards per contest (469).
The Nittany Lions are led by a strong group of skill-position players on offense—quarterback Trace McSorley (3,360 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, five interceptions), running back Saquon Barkley (1,302 yards, 16 touchdowns), wideout Chris Godwin (50 receptions for 795 yards and nine touchdowns) and tight end Mike Gesicki (47 catches for 668 yards and four scores).
USC has been a different team since making the switch to Sam Darnold (2,633 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, eight picks) at quarterback, meanwhile. The Trojans are also loaded with weapons, led by JuJu Smith-Schuster (63 catches for 781 yards and nine scores) and Ronald Jones II (1,027 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns).
Both teams have solid defense, and USC held Colorado to 17 points and Washington to 13 points in matchups this year. Penn State's defense can be a bit inconsistent and was shredded by Wisconsin in the first half of the Big Ten title game, though PSU was stout in the second half as the Nittany Lions completed their comeback.
If there was a College Football Playoff for teams playing the best football right now, Penn State and USC would be in it. This matchup has all the makings of a fantastic, back-and-forth instant classic.
Ohio State vs. Clemson
Let's be honest: Nobody thinks Washington stands a chance against Alabama. If there is a semifinal that offers intrigue, it's Ohio State facing Clemson.
This game likely will come down to one factor: Which quarterback will play better?
Let's see how they stack up statistically first.
| J.T. Barrett | 2,428 | 24 | 5 | 61.9 | 847 | 9 |
| Deshaun Watson | 3,914 | 37 | 15 | 67.6 | 529 | 6 |
J.T. Barrett is the better runner, and the key for Clemson will be slowing down an Ohio State rushing attack led by the talented trio of Barrett, Mike Weber (1,072 yards, nine touchdowns) and Curtis Samuel (704 yards, eight touchdowns). Samuel is dynamic in general, as he also caught 65 passes for 822 yards and another seven scores. If he has a big game, Ohio State is tough to stop.
Deshaun Watson, meanwhile, is the better passer, though his interceptions have been costly at times throughout the season. Six of Clemson's wins have also been by seven points or less, as the team has played with fire throughout the year.
Ohio State, then, is deserving of being the favorite, though this is a fantastic matchup and Clemson has a roster full of players who reached the national championship game a year ago. Expect this one to come down to the wire.
Louisville vs. LSU
If you haven't seen Lamar Jackson or Leonard Fournette in action this season, well, you are missing out.
If Jackson (4,928 yards from scrimmage, 51 total touchdowns) has been college football's best player this season, Fournette (843 rushing yards, eight scores) is arguably the most talented offensive player in the nation.
Yes, Fournette is currently day to day with an ankle injury that has hampered him all season long. So if he doesn't play, this matchup certainly loses some of its intrigue, though Derrius Guice (1,249 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns) is also pretty darn good.
And yes, Louisville lost steam down the stretch, losing two in a row to close the season, while LSU lost to the four best teams (Wisconsin, Auburn, Alabama, Florida) it faced. But the sheer contrast in this game between Louisville's explosive offense and LSU's stingy defense makes this a compelling contest.
Add in Jackson and Fournette dueling on opposite offenses, and you have yourself a fun game to watch.
You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.
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