Bowl Games 2011: 5 Best Non-BCS Matchups

The following bowls aren't part of the BCS, but they are going to pack enough excitement to be highlights of the bowl season.

Let's be honest with ourselves, there are 35 bowl games this season and some of those are going to be real duds.

While most people have a limited amount of time to watch football during the busy holiday season, it is essential that sports fans maximize their entertainment value by picking the right bowl games to watch.

So consider this your guide to enjoying the bowl season. When you decide which non-BCS games to watch, start with these five.

Valero Alamo Bowl: Washington vs. Baylor

This is going to be high-scoring shootout. That means there will be plenty of opportunity to catch Heisman winner Robert Griffin III flashing his prodigious skill for what is likely to be the last time on a college field.

Neither the Huskies nor the Bears are defensive powers. In fact, they aren't even close. Washington is 99th in points allowed and Baylor is 109th.

Both teams struggle mightily on pass defense. Opposing QBs have a 136.05 rating against the Huskies and a 141.2 against Baylor.

Griffin won't be the only QB talent on the field. Washington's Keith Price threw for 2,625 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions this season.

This game will also offer a chance to watch one of the most underrated backs in the country in Chris Polk. The hard-running Washington tailback rushed for 1,341 yards at 5.1 yards per carry and scored 11 touchdowns.

This game could easily pass a total of 80 points scored.

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona State vs. Boise State

You can expect all the stops to be pulled out in this game. Boise State is never afraid to run a trick play in big situations. This game will be no exception.

This is the last game in the illustrious career of QB Kellen Moore, so expect Boise State to make the most out of it and leave nothing in the playbook.

The same can be expected of Arizona State. This is coach Dennis Erickson's last game as Sun Devil coach, and maybe the last in his accomplished career. If the offensive-minded Erickson has any tricks left in his bag, he is going to pull them out for this game.

Hyundai Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Utah

Georgia Tech takes football back about four decades. They run an old-fashioned option offense, and that is something you just don't get a chance to see in this day and age.

The Yellow Jackets used this rushing attack to finish third in the nation in rushing at 316.8 yards per game.

That run game will be tested in this matchup, as this game will feature strength vs. strength. Utah allowed opponents to gain just 2.97 yards per carry this season.

It will be interesting to see who can win this battle, and this game will be a joy to watch simply for the fact that it offers a chance to view a style of football that is almost extinct.

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Kansas State vs. Arkansas

Consider this game the sixth BCS matchup. Both of these teams could lay a big claim on being a BCS participant.

Arkansas is currently ranked sixth and Kansas State eighth.

The Razorbacks will bring their high-flying passing attack into this game. They finished the season 13th in passing yards at 307.8 per game.

This will set up for an interesting contrast, as Kansas State relies on the ground game. They finished 29th in the nation with 149.8 rushing yards per game.

This will be a well played, tightly contested battle, as each team will be eager to prove they belong among the elite.

Insight Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Iowa

Oklahoma will try to bounce back from an embarrassing end to the season. This team had a shot at playing for the title game before losing two of their last three. That stretch included an embarrassing 44-10 blowout by Oklahoma State in the final game of their season.

If Bob Stoops is going to help his team end the season on a good note, he is going to have to do so against a friend and team to which he is closely connected to.

Stoops was one of the Big Ten's MVPs in 1982 as a defensive back for Iowa. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz was one of his coaches at Iowa.

This game will have that intriguing plot going for it, and it will also likely be the last chance to watch the prolific Landry Jones chuck the ball all over the field.