College Football Watching Guide: Bowl Season Week 2
Merry Christmas! Here's some bowls.
“A box full of socks.” That’s my family’s shorthand for a gift of indeterminate provenance. Often said like this, while unwrapping the present and staring at the nondescript gift box: “I wonder what this could be? Maybe it’s a box full of socks. Who knows!”
This week, I bring you several presents in the holiday spirit. But they’re not full of socks. (Sorry if you were anxiously expecting the gift of comfy feet.)
Spoiler: they’re full of bowls! Wonderful bowls jam-packed with after-Christmas joy, frivolity, and wackiness! AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM.
This Solid Slate should hit your inbox on Saturday, December 21. If you want to know more about what you should watch today, including the first round of the College Football Playoff, click here for last week’s newsletter! But this edition below has you covered all the way through Saturday, December 28.
Let’s revel in the glorious college football postseason together!
Oklahoma at Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
Fri Dec 27 12:00pm/11:00am (ESPN)
These squads haven’t clashed since 1965. The Sooners had a disappointing 6-6 SEC debut season, but they did whoop Alabama along the way, so there’s that. Their starting QB’s gone, as is most of their receiving corps. That means Michael Hawkins will get the start under center and will attempt to jump start Oklahoma’s anemic attack. Their defense has kept them in games all year, but thanks to aforementioned underachieving, a ton of productive talent’s transferred. Who knows what we’ll see on the field.
The Midshipmen just got done with an astonishing victory over the Black Knights. Quarterback Blake Horvath flashed brilliance running the smash-mouth option Navy employs. All year Navy beat who they were supposed to. Zero transfers or opt-outs here too; these guys are duty-bound through and through. If the usually mediocre defense handles OU and Horvath can outmaneuver the Sooners’ 11th-ranked run D, Navy could surprise.
Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt (Birmingham Bowl)
Fri Dec 27 3:30pm/2:30pm (ESPN)
Big news for the Jackets: starting QB Haynes King will play in the bowl. They need him for their balanced, multi-angled offense to work. Tech’s losing some starting talent to the portal and opt-outs, and others are injured, enough for some concern. They’re pretty mediocre across the board, but not truly bad at anything, and they do a great job of hassling opposing QBs and stifling run games.
I’m just plain proud of Vandy, OK? A generational curse was lifted with a victory over the Tide, and they looked competitive in games they would have lost badly a season ago. Now they’ve made a bowl, no longer the SEC’s laughingstock. The offense is efficient, if not stellar at production, and the defense is just good enough to get by, but they’re here, with barely any opt-outs or transfers, and that’s what matters.
Texas Tech at Arkansas (Liberty Bowl)
Fri Dec 27 7:00pm/6:00pm (ESPN)
I love this matchup because it pits two teams that were on the cusp of their respective conferences’ top tiers against each other for what will likely be a close one. Let’s start with the Red Raiders. They don’t know what defense is. They are hilariously, hopelessly bad at it. But they will boatrace you for a billion yards through the air and score faster than you can blink. Sadly, starting QB’s out injured, so freshman Will Hammond takes the reins. Hopefully he’ll be able to steer the beast.
Then there’s Pig Sooie. How was a team this good 6-6? A brutal schedule, that’s how. Their losses are to good teams who carved up their weak secondary. But offensively, the Hogs looked great! I say looked because most of that talent just transferred out. They’ve got six healthy scholarshipped offensive linemen on their team right now. Yikes. Sam Pittman needs to get scrappy for his team to have a chance.
Syracuse at Washington State (Holiday Bowl)
Fri Dec 27 8:00pm/7:00pm (FOX)
Terrifying is the best way to describe the Orange. They may be the best three-loss team in the nation. Yes, SEC fans, I’m including your teams in that estimation. And their coach just said he expects all his non-transferring players back for this matchup. His exact words? “We don’t opt out around here.” So Kyle McCord will be under center for the bowl game, leading the nation’s best passing attack by yards per game. Run for your lives.
The Cougs probably should, but they won’t. They’ve got gumption but they enter this matchup on a three-game skid, and they did just lose basically all their skill talent on offense, which was their only skilled unit. The defense is bad. Really bad. And they didn’t exactly play world-beaters all year. One of two things will happen here. Wazzu will either rise to the occasion with a team held together by prayers and duct tape, or Syracuse will obliterate them.
Texas A&M at USC (Las Vegas Bowl)
Fri Dec 27 10:30pm/9:30pm (ESPN)
The Aggies should be fine in the pass game. They’ve got one starting wideout transferring, yes, but the big problem is all the lost defensive talent. And did I mention Le’Veon Bell, their tailback and the source of all their offensive prowess, is likely sitting out too? There’s vulnerability here for the right team to take advantage.
The Trojans are probably not that team. They just lost a wealth of offensive talent to the portal, including several starting receivers. Jayden Maiava looked really solid in a losing effort to Notre Dame when he wasn’t throwing two interception TDs. Will USC buck up, or blow yet another fourth-quarter lead?
Connecticut at North Carolina (Fenway Bowl)
Sat Dec 28 11:00am/10:00am (ESPN)
One of multiple bowl games inside an iconic baseball stadium, this one features the improbable story that is the Huskies. They bulldozed a bunch of bad teams, gave several good ones a scare, and went from joke program to suddenly 8-4. Most of their team’s back, and the crucial one’s Cam Edwards, the electric back who’s fueled their offensive rise.
UNC, meanwhile, has new stability and hope for the future with Bill Belichick rebuilding the program in his image. But that’s next year. This year assistant coach Freddie Kitchens takes the helm for one final outing. The Heels are just OK, but a lot rides on whether Omarion Hampton, their running back destined for the NFL, plays in the bowl game (he’s been mum on that thus far).
Louisiana at TCU (New Mexico Bowl)
Sat Dec 28 2:15pm/1:15pm (ESPN)
Every so often, I don’t understand the popular media or Vegas take on a bowl. As of right now, the bettors favor TCU by 13 entire points. Have they watched Louisiana play? The Ragin’ Cajuns about played themselves into the Playoff, and minus some late fumbles against South Alabama and Marshall, they would have. They boast a dangerous, balanced offense that chews up clock and a defense that’s not too shabby, especially in the secondary.
TCU’s great, though, and they carry a three-game win streak into this matchup. Sonny Dykes said he doesn’t expect any opt-outs, and the Horned Frogs delight in torching opponents through the air on the strength of Josh Hoover’s rocket arm, chaining together long drives but scoring fast, giving their D just enough of a breather to be semi-decent. What I’m saying is that this should be a really good game.
Iowa State at Miami (Pop Tarts Bowl)
Sat Dec 28 3:30pm/2:30pm (ABC)
Two top 20 teams playing in a bowl where the winner gets a trophy that is an actual TOASTER FOR POP-TARTS? Yes please. But who’s got what it takes to take home those delicious warmed breakfast pastries? The ‘Clones return all their seniors and a passing attack that improved over time, along with a stifling secondary, in a quest for that scrumptious breakfast.
Opposing them is Miami, its best-in-class offense fueled primarily by Cam Ward’s theatrics. He’s expected to be a top-five NFL draft pick, though, so don’t be surprised if he suddenly benches himself prior to this matchup. The ‘Canes are incredibly efficient and do excellently on defense. Had they not lost to Syracuse in their final game, The U would be in the Playoff. They’re hungry for greatness, and maybe for toasted goodies as well.
BYU at Colorado (Alamo Bowl)
Sat Dec 28 7:30pm/6:30pm (ABC)
Somehow, this is just a Big 12 game with the runners-up to the conference championship. But they didn’t meet during the regular season, and until the Cougars dropped two close late-season contests, it looked like they’d be Playoff-bound. Jake Retzlaff has looked highly vulnerable under center for a while, meaning the Cougs may need to rely on their defense to win this one.
The Buffs, meanwhile, better hope they’ve got Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter for this matchup. While speculation abounds that they’ll opt out, Coach Prime says everyone’s playing. Colorado basically only passes the ball on offense, and their defense is good enough to keep games close and give their zoomy attack time to rest. Maybe the formula works here, maybe not. All I know is that the Alamo Bowl is bonkers every year. Expect great things.
Louisiana Tech at Army (Independence Bowl)
Sat Dec 28 9:15pm/8:15pm (ESPN)
This one kinda makes me sad. Marshall was supposed to be here, but they claimed they lacked enough players to field a team after their coach transferred. Recent reports have disputed that claim. In any event, good on 5-7 Tech for stepping up. Their strength is all defensive, holding many teams below their usual scoring averages. But let’s be clear: they are not close to good. They lost to Tulsa. They’re just glad to be here.
Army, on the other hand? Man, it guts me that this is the best college football could offer them at the end of a brilliant season. I mean, the Black Knights almost made the Playoff! With Bryson Daily and Kanye Udoh repeatedly gashing opposing fronts all year, this flexbone version of the Troops’ usual triple-option fare was tons of fun to watch. Take it in one last time if you’ve got time.