College Football Bowl Games: 25 Reasons They're More Exciting Than NFL Playoffs

I'm not trying to say I don't like the NFL playoffs. It's actually the best part of the professional season. But it still doesn't come close to the excitement I feel each college football bowl season.

Watching game after game is what a real football fan should want. Who cares if it's Ohio University traveling 3,000 miles to play Utah State?

It's college football on a night I'd normally be watching another NCIS rerun.

So instead of dozing off on the couch, I feel like the guys in the above photo.

Bowl season...here we come.

Traditional Games

For every complaint about the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl or the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, there is the longevity and prestige that comes with playing in the Orange Bowl or Sugar Bowl.

And of course, there is...

The Rose Bowl

Nothing in the NFL has the tradition of the Rose Bowl.

Even one-year Big Ten transplant Russell Wilson respects "The Granddaddy of Them All."

Happy Fans

When the bowl season comes to a close, 35 teams will end their season with a win.

That makes for some happy fans.

In the NFL, only one set of fans is actually pleased with how the season ends.

Games Are Played Every Day

Who cares if you are watching a 6-7 UCLA team in a bowl game? At least you are watching college football.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

The Matchups

Maybe no one felt Virginia Tech deserved a spot in the Sugar Bowl, but the Hokies will be playing Michigan.

Thanks to bowl games we get to see these two powerhouse programs play for the first time.

You also get great matchups between 6-6 programs like Florida and Ohio State in the Gator Bowl.

Opportunity for Non-AQs

As we have seen in the past, teams from non-AQ conferences have made some pretty big statements in BCS bowls.

In the NFL, there's no little guy. There's no real underdog to root for when the game is on the line.

Professional football doesn't offer us a Boise State or TCU.

SWAG

This doesn't mean anything to the fans, but it's a big deal for the players.

Bowl SWAG (Stuff We All Get) is huge with the players.

They get everything from gift cards to Xbox 360s.

Not a bad haul.

Holiday Entertainment

The NFL playoffs are played on the weekend, but bowl games are played almost every day from Dec. 17 to Jan. 9.

That's a good deal.

Bowl Pools

It's not the same as doing your NCAA March Madness bracket, but it's still fun to join a pool with your friends.

If you want to win, you have to pick some upsets (see: Wisconsin vs. Oregon).

Warm-Weather Destinations

To win the NFC this season, a team must go through Green Bay to get to the Super Bowl.

OK, that can be pretty cool...when you're sitting in your warm home on the couch watching on TV.

But most bowl fans get the chance to go to Florida, Hawaii and California.

Just don't tell Ohio and Utah State, as they'll play in Boise, Idaho.

Crazy Bowl Sponsors

Had you ever heard of Beef 'O' Brady's or R+L Carriers before they sponsored a bowl game?

Now you are witnessing the power of branding through college sports.

Preparing for Next Year

Bowl games are a time for young teams like Louisville to get extra days of practice.

Of course they are getting ready for the bowl game, but those 15 extra days are about the young guys learning the system.

This helps the team next year.

T-Shirts, Hats, Etc.

If your team wins the Poinsettia Bowl, then you have an excuse to buy something new.

You don't buy memorabilia for a wild-card win.

Real Upsets

We've seen a wild-card team win four straight to win the Super Bowl, but can you really call it an upset?

It's not like watching Boise State beat Oklahoma or West Virginia beat Oklahoma. You see a trend here?

Classic Showdowns

Florida State and Notre Dame played in some classic games a few decades ago.

Now the Champs Sports Bowl is offering today's fans a glimpse of the past.

Tailgating in New Locations

A lot of bowl sites aren't used to hardcore tailgating.

So watch out, Orange Bowl, when those Clemson and West Virginia fans come to town.

Orange Bowl Halftime Show

You can have the superstar-filled halftime show of the Super Bowl.

Give me the classic halftime production at the Orange Bowl, where most years the fans were part of the action.

I know the old Orange Bowl is gone...wait a minute. You mean the Orange Bowl has big-time stars now?

Forget this one.

Parades

The Super Bowl champs may get a celebratory parade through the city, but bowl games have pregame parades.

We have parades for the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl, to name two.

It's fun for the host community and fun for the fans who can actually wake up in time to make it to the parade.

Bad Football Is Better Than No Football

About two months from now you know you'd love the chance to see North Carolina State and Louisville play in a football game.

So don't miss it this bowl season.

BCS Bowls

Make fun of the BCS all you want, but the BCS bowls are huge events.

It may not reach the level of the Super Bowl, but the BCS gives you five really big games that are oozing with hype.

This year you could even say we have six BCS-like games because the Arkansas-Kansas State matchup in the Cotton Bowl has two outstanding programs.

The Rematch

Naturally, you get rematches in the NFL playoffs, but no one really debates it like we are right now.

Should Alabama get another shot at LSU in the BCS National Championship Game? Should it be Oklahoma State? Maybe Stanford?

The debate keeps college football at the forefront much longer than any playoff game.

Mascots and Bands

Barring a rare exception, colleges have great mascots and bands that travel with the teams to the bowl games.

You won't get that in a playoff game.

Urban Meyer

The guy isn't even coaching in a game, but you know we'll hear about him all bowl season.

Now think how much he'll come up during the Ohio State-Florida game.

Urban Meyer is much better on the sideline than in the press box.

Kellen Moore

The Boise State quarterback's career will finally be over after the Maaco Bowl.

Kellen Moore and the Broncos probably deserved a better game than this, but it won't detract from the outstanding ambassador Moore has been for the college game.

When I think of NFL players finishing their careers in the playoffs, I always think of Brett Favre and how he just can't let go.

Thankfully, college football has an expiration date.

It's College Football

That's all that matters.

It's more fun to watch, and after the bowl season is over we have a long, eight-month wait until it begins again.

So cherish the bowl games.

Oh yeah, and enjoy spending the holidays with your family and friends.