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Ranking all 27 bowl games, from the Sugar to the Texas

Analysis by
December 21, 2020 at 8:24 p.m. EST
Clemson and Ohio State will meet in a rematch of a 2019 College Football Playoff semifinal. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)

For years, the best litmus test for figuring out if a college football fan required misery to be happy was whether the number of bowl games set the fan off.

It has never made much sense to complain about having more games if you like the sport. Yes, it is statistically easier to reach a bowl game two decades into the 21st century than it was in, say, the mid-1980s. But those extra games weren’t hurting anyone.

So along comes 2020 and all it entailed, and the menu of bowl games was cut by a third. And somehow, that meant rather than a stray 5-7 team getting an extra game, there are a bunch of 3-7 squads (and even 2-8 South Carolina) receiving an extra game week.

The bowl schedule is filled out, but it’s altered and diminished by the coronavirus pandemic

It’s probably not a recipe for good football, and sub-.500 teams definitely belong toward the back of this year’s bowl rankings (or any year’s, for that matter). But even with much of the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 passing on more pandemic football, this year’s postseason has some entertaining pairings — and they’re not all confined to the New Year’s Six structure.

There weren’t enough interested teams to fill out the entire bowl schedule. But there are still 28 games to look forward to over the next two weeks. A look at how they stack up:

1. Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State, Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. (ESPN) It’s a rematch of last year’s Fiesta Bowl, a semifinal Clemson rallied to win, 29-23. And it is by far the more interesting of the two semifinals this season. The Tigers (10-1) are coming off a 34-10 drubbing of Notre Dame in the ACC title game. Ohio State (6-0) was shorthanded in the Big Ten championship but should have many of its players back — especially if the Big Ten alters its policies for how long players must sit out after a positive test.

Player to know: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson. The potential top pick in next year’s NFL draft has thrown for 22 touchdowns and four interceptions in nine games this season for the Tigers.

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney trolls Ohio State with 11th-place ranking on coaches’ poll ballot

2. Cotton Bowl: No. 7 Florida vs. No. 6 Oklahoma, Dec. 30, 8 p.m. (ESPN) It might not have championship implications, but this might be the best mix of high-end teams and entertainment before the national title game. Tight end Kyle Pitts has already opted out for the Gators (8-3), removing one of the pivotal pieces of an offense that averaged 41.6 points. The Big 12 champion Sooners (8-2) have won seven in a row, including Saturday’s defeat of Iowa State.

Player to know: QB Kyle Trask, Florida. He probably isn’t winning the Heisman Trophy after the Gators lost their last two, but he still threw for 4,125 yards, a school-record 43 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

3. Orange Bowl: No. 13 North Carolina vs. No. 5 Texas A&M, Jan. 2, 8 p.m. (ESPN) It’s the first trip to the Orange Bowl for the Tar Heels (8-3), who closed the regular season by blitzing Miami, 62-26, and will return to the same stadium for this game. The trip to South Florida is a consolation prize for the Aggies (8-1), whose only loss came Oct. 3 against Alabama.

Players to know: Javonte Williams (North Carolina) and Isaiah Spiller (Texas A&M). Michael Carter II (1,245 yards, nine TDs) and Williams (1,140 yards, 19 TDs) were about as good of a tandem as there was nationally, but Carter opted out of this game. Spiller (986 yards, seven TDs) ran for at least 82 yards against everyone other than Alabama.

4. “Rose Bowl”: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Notre Dame, Jan. 1, 5 p.m. (ESPN) For the moment, the Irish (10-1) are the controversial playoff selection en route to a Rose Bowl relocated to Arlington, Tex. History could deem them the semifinal sacrificial lamb to the SEC champion Crimson Tide (11-0), who might have three of the top five players in the Heisman voting and definitely have an offense capable of dropping 50 points on just about anyone.

Player to know: WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama. The numbers speak for themselves: 98 receptions, 1,511 yards, 17 touchdowns, plus a score on the ground and one on a punt return. He has topped 140 receiving yards in seven of the Tide’s past nine games and is QB Mac Jones’s top target.

Ohio State belongs in the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame does not.

5. Peach Bowl: No. 8 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Georgia, Jan. 1, noon (ESPN) The 9-0 Bearcats’ barometer game comes against the fourth-best team in the SEC, albeit one whose offense has improved since JT Daniels took over at midseason. Georgia (7-2) beat one team — 6-4 Auburn — that finished with a winning record.

Player to know: QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati. The American Athletic Conference’s offensive player of the year, Ridder threw for 17 touchdowns and rushed for another 12 scores for a Bearcats bunch looking to beat a Power Five school in the postseason for the third year in a row (Virginia Tech in the 2018 Military Bowl, Boston College in the 2019 Birmingham Bowl).

6. Cure Bowl: No. 12 Coastal Carolina vs. Liberty, Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) So it turns out they’ll meet after all. Coastal Carolina (11-0) and Liberty (9-1) were supposed to play Dec. 5, but the game was nixed because of virus issues at Liberty and the Chanticleers went on to beat substitute opponent BYU. The original matchup was enough to lure ESPN’s weekly traveling cavalcade, and it holds up as an appealing matchup.

Player to know: QB Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina. The Sun Belt’s leader in total offense and pass efficiency, the freshman threw for 23 touchdowns and two interceptions while leading the Chanticleers to 10 of their 11 victories.

7. Fiesta Bowl: No. 10 Iowa State vs. No. 25 Oregon, Jan. 2, 4 p.m. (ESPN) It’s the first major bowl berth for the Cyclones (8-3), and that alone is worth celebrating in Ames even if it doesn’t come with a conference title game triumph. Oregon (4-2) did win its conference championship, toppling Southern California to collect the Pac-12 crown it was favored to claim before it struggled late in the abbreviated regular season.

Player to know: RB Breece Hall, Iowa State. The Football Bowl Subdivision leader in carries (245) and rushing yards (1,436), Hall has rushed for 19 touchdowns as the Cyclones’ workhorse back. Also keep an eye on Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was the MVP of the Pac-12 title game and had 6.5 tackles for losses and three sacks in his four games away from Eugene this season.

8. Arizona Bowl: Ball State vs. No. 22 San Jose State, Dec. 31, 2 p.m. (CBS Sports Network) For a game just five years removed from pairing two teams from the same conference in its inaugural edition, this pairing is a coup. Ball State (6-1) won the Mid-American Conference for the first time since 1996, and San Jose State — which has essentially become a nomadic team thanks to local pandemic restrictions — is 7-0 for the first time since 1939 and beat Boise State for the Mountain West title while playing a “home” game in Las Vegas.

Player to know: QB Nick Starkel, San Jose State. After stops at Texas A&M and Arkansas, Starkel has thrived with the Spartans, throwing for 1,906 yards and 16 touchdowns with four interceptions. Don’t overlook San Jose State defensive end Cade Hall, who led the Mountain West with 10 sacks.

9. First Responder Bowl: No. 19 Louisiana Lafayette vs. Texas San Antonio, Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m. (ABC) The Ragin’ Cajuns (9-1) will look to secure a second consecutive 10-win season, one that already includes a victory at Iowa State and the program’s first triumph at Appalachian State. The Roadrunners (7-4) are playing in their second bowl ever, a fine cap to Coach Jeff Traylor’s first season.

Player to know: RB Sincere McCormick, Texas San Antonio. The Roadrunners’ bell cow back rushed for 1,345 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he needs just 66 yards to become the school’s career rushing leader. Oh, and he’s just finishing his sophomore year.

10. Cheez-It Bowl: No. 18 Miami vs. No. 21 Oklahoma State, Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN) Even in this most abnormal of seasons, it’s worth looking for teams that may not really be all that interested in a postseason game. This Orlando game features two candidates. The Hurricanes (8-2) spent most of the season swimming around the top 15 before getting pulverized by North Carolina this month, while Oklahoma State (7-3) dropped three of five after a 4-0 start to fall out of Big 12 contention. If both are engaged, this could be fun.

Player to know: QB D’Eriq King, Miami. The graduate transfer’s stats weren’t quite as eye-popping as his numbers from Houston, but he still threw for 2,573 yards and 22 touchdowns, rushed for 520 yards and four scores and (most importantly) infused an identity into a previously listless Hurricanes offense.

Miami transfer QB D’Eriq King is fashioning a true 21st-century college football career

11. Camellia Bowl: Buffalo vs. Marshall, Dec. 25, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) It’s a Christmas Day matchup with a pair of conference runners-up. Buffalo (5-1) fell to Ball State in the Mid-American title game, while Marshall (7-2) is on a two-game skid, including a loss to UAB in the Conference USA championship.

Player to know: RB Jaret Patterson, Buffalo. Only two FBS players rushed for 1,000 yards while playing in fewer than 10 games. Patterson (1,072 yards, 19 TDs) did it in six, including a 409-yard, eight-touchdown display against Kent State last month.

12. Alamo Bowl: Colorado vs. No. 20 Texas, Dec. 29, 9 p.m. (ESPN) This year’s honoree as the matchup that sounds like a plausible 8-9 game in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Colorado (4-1) made strides in Coach Karl Dorrell’s first season, while Texas (6-3) will look for back-to-back Alamo Bowl victories and try to get to 4-0 in bowl games under Tom Herman.

Player to know: RB Jarek Broussard, Colorado. The Buffaloes gave Broussard a heavy workload — 129 carries in just five games. He answered with 813 yards, including a 301-yard outing against Arizona on Dec. 5.

13. Boca Raton Bowl: No. 16 BYU vs. Central Florida, Dec. 22, 7 p.m. (ESPN) The Cougars (10-1) had a little extra time to prepare for this trip east, in contrast to how rapidly its Dec. 5 loss at Coastal Carolina was thrown together. Central Florida (7-3) is making its fifth consecutive postseason appearance. It’s BYU’s first Sunshine State bowl appearance since it was part of a brawl after its 2014 Miami Beach Bowl loss to Memphis.

Player to know: QB Zach Wilson, BYU. The junior picked apart nearly everyone on the Cougars’ schedule, throwing for 3,267 yards and 30 touchdowns with three interceptions while completing 73.2 percent of his passes.

14. Liberty Bowl: Army vs. West Virginia, Dec. 31, 4 p.m. (ESPN) Army was supposed to play in the Independence Bowl, but that was canceled. The Black Knights belatedly found a postseason home after Tennessee bowed out because of virus issues. That’s unfortunate for the Volunteers but great for the watchability of this game. Out go the 3-7 Volunteers, who dropped seven of their last eight. In comes 9-2 Army, which capped its season with back-to-back defeats of Navy and Air Force to claim the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. As for West Virginia (5-4), it had a five-year bowl streak snapped last season, so getting back to the postseason is a good sign. But the Mountaineers have only played once since Nov. 14, a 42-6 pounding at the hands of Iowa State on Dec. 5.

Player to know: RB Leddie Brown, West Virginia. He rushed for 945 yards and nine touchdowns, and he alternated 100-yard days starting with the Mountaineers’ conference opener. It’s his turn to hit the century mark again in the Liberty Bowl.

15. Citrus Bowl: Auburn vs. No. 14 Northwestern, Jan. 1, 1 p.m. (ABC) The combination of a smaller bowl slate and less trigger-happy athletic directors in trying financial times means Auburn (6-4) is one of only two teams playing under an interim coach this postseason. While the Tigers move on from Gus Malzahn, Northwestern (6-2) enjoys remarkable continuity under Pat Fitzgerald and will aim for its fourth bowl triumph since 2016.

Player to know: LB Paddy Fisher, Northwestern. The Big Ten’s linebacker of the year collected 74 tackles while helping the Wildcats’ stingy defense smother opponents repeatedly en route to a West Division title.

16. Music City Bowl: No. 15 Iowa vs. Missouri, Dec. 30, 4 p.m. (ESPN) Ever methodical, Iowa is about as reliable a team as there is. Even in the middle of a pandemic, the Hawkeyes went 6-2. Missouri was probably feeling good about its season until it allowed a combined 100 points to Georgia and Mississippi State in back-to-back losses to sink to 5-5. This matchup would have looked better two weeks ago.

Player to know: DT Daviyon Nixon, Iowa. The big fella was the Big Ten’s defensive player of the year, and he heads into the postseason with 45 tackles (13.5 for losses) and a well-earned reputation as a disruptive force on the interior.

17. Gator Bowl: Kentucky vs. N.C. State, Jan. 2, noon (ESPN) So begins the parade of sub-.500 SEC teams — six of them grace this year’s postseason. In defense of Kentucky (4-6), it was competitive with everyone other than Alabama and Florida. Those games came soon after the funeral of offensive line coach John Schlarman, who died Nov. 12 after a two-year battle with cancer. N.C. State (8-3) was one of the season’s more underrated stories, and it can hit the nine-win mark for the third time in four years. Not bad after slumping to 4-8 last season.

Player to know: LB Payton Wilson, N.C. State. The ACC’s top tackler with 108 stops (plus 3.5 sacks), Wilson is surely one of the country’s toughest players. In the Wolfpack’s regular season finale Dec. 5 against Georgia Tech, he dislocated both shoulders but had them popped back in and finished the game with 11 tackles.

18. Outback Bowl: No. 11 Indiana vs. Mississippi, Jan. 2, 12:30 p.m. (ABC) The Hoosiers (6-1) will be without injured quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Rebels (4-5) will be without wide receiver Elijah Moore, who declared for the NFL draft. This game would rate a little higher if both teams had their beginning-of-November rosters.

Player to know: WR Ty Fryfogle, Indiana. The Big Ten’s receiver of the year, the senior had back-to-back 200-yard games in mid-November when he and Penix were at the peak of their powers.

19. Potato Bowl: Nevada vs. Tulane, Dec. 22, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) The Green Wave (6-5) hits the blue turf of Boise, Idaho, making its third consecutive postseason appearance after making just three bowl trips in the previous 30 years. Nevada (6-2) plays in the Potato Bowl for the second year in a row seeking its first win in a postseason game in Boise in four tries.

Player to know: WR Romeo Doubs, Nevada. The junior led the Mountain West in catches (53), receiving yards (960) and receiving touchdowns (nine) while emerging as the Wolf Pack’s top target.

20. Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin, Dec. 30, noon (ESPN) This game gets points for originality (the schools have never met), quality social media and Wake Forest’s habit of playing interesting postseason games. But it’s still the 4-4 Demon Deacons (who haven’t won since Halloween and have played just twice since then) and the 3-3 Badgers (who aren’t accustomed to swimming around the .500 mark).

Player to know: WR Jaquarii Roberson, Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons keep developing receivers. Roberson emerged this season after Sage Surratt opted out, snaring 54 catches for 795 yards and five touchdowns. He has topped 100 yards in four of Wake’s past five games.

21. Montgomery Bowl: Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis, Dec. 23, 7 p.m. (ESPN) This is a game that feels like it’s being played a year late, and for good reason. The Owls (Conference USA) and the Tigers (American) won their leagues last year before their coaches left for Power Five jobs. Memphis (7-3) did win one of the season’s most absurd games (50-49 over Central Florida on Oct. 17), while Florida Atlantic (5-3) is elite on one side of the ball (ninth in scoring defense) and not quite so much on the other (112th in scoring offense).

Player to know: WR Calvin Austin III, Memphis. One of nine 1,000-yard receivers nationally, the former walk-on had 60 catches for 1,025 yards and 10 touchdowns while earning first-team all-American Athletic honors.

22. New Orleans Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana Tech, Dec. 23, 3 p.m. (ESPN) A solid enough regional game between the option-oriented Eagles (7-5) and a Louisiana Tech (5-4) bunch that has won six bowl games in as many years under Coach Skip Holtz.

Player to know: DE Raymond Johnson III, Georgia Southern. A first team all-Sun Belt pick last season, Johnson ranks second in the conference in tackles for losses (14.5) as a senior and has 36 stops behind the line of scrimmage for his career.

23. Myrtle Beach Bowl: Appalachian State vs. North Texas, Dec. 21, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) On the surface, Appalachian State (8-3) facing the Mean Green (4-5) might seem most notable for pairing two programs once coached by Jerry Moore. It could still be fun, but North Texas wide receiver Jaelon Darden’s decision to pass on the game reduces the first-year bowl’s star power. He had 74 catches for 1,190 yards and 19 touchdowns, including four scores in his final college game this month against UTEP.

Player to know: QB Zac Thomas, Appalachian State. The second-winningest active starting quarterback (behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence), Thomas has led the Mountaineers to a 31-6 record in his career and ranks third in school history in touchdown passes (68) and fourth in passing yards (6,865).

24. New Mexico Bowl: Hawaii vs. Houston, Dec. 24, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) Shifted a state over from the Land of Enchantment to Frisco, Tex., this game features one team with a sub-.500 record (3-4 Houston) and another that received the unfortunate news this month that its stadium had been condemned (4-4 Hawaii). Nonetheless, there is something reassuring about the Rainbow Warriors playing on Christmas Eve, as they have so many times in the Hawaii Bowl (which was one of this bowl season’s early casualties).

Player to know: LB Darius Muasau, Hawaii. The first team all-Mountain West pick piled up a league-best 95 tackles in eight games, including 8.5 for losses and 3.5 sacks.

25. Lending Tree Bowl: Georgia State vs. Western Kentucky, Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) The records aren’t gaudy — Georgia State is 5-4; Western Kentucky is 5-6 — and the brands aren’t flashy. But both teams trended upward late in the season. The Panthers, making their third bowl trip in four years, won three of their last four (with the loss a four-point decision at Appalachian State). The Hilltoppers claimed their final three games to earn a trip to Mobile, Ala.

Player to know: QB Tyrrell Pigrome, Western Kentucky. The Maryland graduate transfer, the rare player to start a college game in five consecutive seasons, has not thrown an interception in 264 attempts for the Hilltoppers.

26. Armed Forces Bowl: Mississippi State vs. No. 24 Tulsa, Dec. 31, noon (ESPN) If there’s one coach of a sub-.500 SEC team who probably doesn’t want any part of a bowl game, it’s the Bulldogs’ Mike Leach, who noted last week, “We’ve created one of the most joyless seasons on Earth.” Here are some tidings of comfort and joy for the Pirate King: Mississippi State (3-7) gets American runner-up Tulsa (6-2) and its stingy defense in Fort Worth on New Year’s Eve.

Player to know: LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa. The American’s defensive player of the year had 53 tackles (11.5 for losses) and four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) as the Golden Hurricane enjoyed a turnaround season and reached the postseason for the first time since 2016.

27. Texas Bowl: Arkansas vs. TCU, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. (ESPN) TCU (6-4) would normally be a bowl team with the season it had. Arkansas (3-7) would not. But at least this is an old Southwest Conference rivalry, and the Razorbacks acquitted themselves well when they didn’t play teams in the New Year’s Six structure. Plus, the Hogs might be genuinely excited to play in a bowl for the first time in four years and (rightfully) feel as though they made progress over back-to-back 2-10 seasons.

Player to know: LB Garret Wallow, TCU. A first team all-Big 12 pick, Wallow tied for the league lead with 90 tackles and helped anchor a Horned Frogs defense that gave up 20 points per game during a 5-1 stretch to close the regular season.

Gasparilla Bowl: TBD South Carolina was scheduled to play Conference USA champion UAB, but on Tuesday the Gamecocks announced they would not play in the game because of the fatigue involved with the coronavirus pandemic. After South Carolina’s announcement, bowl officials tweeted Tuesday that they were “working on the next steps” regarding the game.

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