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Celebration Bowl, Atlanta, GA (MEAC Champion vs. SWAC Champion), December 13th, 12 PM ET, ABC
Morgan State vs. Jackson State
LA Bowl, Inglewood, CA (Mountain West vs. Former PAC-12 Member), December 13th, 9 PM ET, ESPN
San Jose State vs. Arizona
Boise State once again creates a complicated situation for the LA Bowl. With my projections having Boise State making the College Football Playoff and to avoid a repeat appearance by UNLV, I have nearby San Jose State playing in LA. This would be San Jose State’s first bowl appearance against a Power Five team.
Salute to Veterans Bowl, Montgomery, AL: (Group of Five vs. Group of Five), December 16th, 9 PM ET ESPN
Jacksonville State vs. Miami (OH)
Cure Bowl, Orlando, FL (Group of Five vs. Group of Five), December 17th, 5:30 PM ET ESPN
USF vs. Buffalo
In 1958, Buffalo received an invite to Orlando’s Tangerine Bowl. Unfortunately, the Bulls never played after the bowl demanded Buffalo leave their Black players home. In 2025, I have Buffalo finally making its Orlando bowl debut.
68 Ventures Bowl, Mobile, AL (Group of Five vs. Group of Five), December 17th, 9 PM ET ESPN
UConn vs. Coastal Carolina
Myrtle Beach Bowl, Conway, SC (Group of Five vs. Group of Five), December 19th, 12 PM ET, ESPN
Western Michigan vs. James Madison
Gasparilla Bowl, Tampa, FL (At-large vs. At-Large), December 19th, 3:30 PM ET, ESPN
Memphis vs. Virginia Tech
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Boise, ID (MAC vs. Mountain West), December 22nd, 2 PM ET, ESPN
Ohio vs. Colorado State
Boca Raton Bowl, Boca Raton, FL (Group of Five vs. Group of Five), December 23rd, 2 PM ET, ESPN
Western Kentucky vs. Georgia Southern
New Orleans Bowl, New Orleans, LA (Conference USA vs. Sun Belt), December 23rd, 5:30 PM ET, ESPN
UTEP vs. Texas State
Frisco Bowl, Frisco, TX (Group of Five vs. Group of Five), December 23rd, 9 PM ET, ESPN
Louisiana vs. Sam Houston
Hawaii Bowl, Honolulu, HI (Mountain West vs. Conference USA), December 24th, 8 or 9 PM ET, ESPN
Hawaii vs. Arkansas State
GameAboveSports Bowl, Detroit, MI (MAC vs. Big Ten), December 26th, 1 PM ET, ESPN
Central Michigan vs. Rutgers
Rate Bowl, Phoenix, AZ (Big 12 vs. Big 10), December 26th, 4:30 PM ET, ESPN
Baylor vs. Maryland
First Responder Bowl, College Park, TX, (At-large vs. At-large), December 26th, 8 PM ET ESPN
UTSA vs. Northern Illinois
Military Bowl, Annapolis, MD, (AAC vs. ACC), December 27th, 11 AM ET ESPN
Navy vs. North Carolina
Bill Belichick’s fondness for the Naval Academy is no secret. Belichick’s father, Steve coached at the Academy years ago. In 2019, the Midshipmen used the Patriots’ private jet to fly to the Liberty Bowl. The two schools have not met since 1992 with the series even at five games apiece.
Pinstripe Bowl, Bronx, NY, (ACC vs. Big 10), December 27th, 12 PM ET, ABC
Louisville vs. Iowa
Fenway Bowl, Boston, MA (AAC vs. ACC), December 27th, 2:15 PM ET, ESPN
East Carolina vs. Pitt
Pop-Tarts Bowl, Orlando, FL (ACC vs. Big 12), December 27th, 3:30 PM ET, ABC
Syracuse vs. BYU
Arizona Bowl, Tucson, AZ, (MAC vs. Mountain West), December 27th, 4:30 PM ET, The CW
UNLV vs. Bowling Green
New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque, NM, (Group of Five vs. Group of Five), December 27th, 5:45 PM ET
Air Force vs. Toledo
Air Force and Toledo face off for their first matchup since their thrilling 2011 Military Bowl. Toledo won after Air Force went for two and the win in a 45-44 loss.
Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, FL, (ACC vs. SEC), December 27th, 7:30 PM ET, ABC
Georgia Tech vs. Florida
Former SEC foes collide in their first meeting since 1981.
Texas Bowl, Houston, TX, (SEC vs. Big 12), December 27th, 9:15 PM ET, ESPN
Texas A&M vs. TCU
These two have met just once, in the 2001 GalleryFurtniture.com Bowl, since the Southwest Conference dissolved in 1995.
Birmingham Bowl, Birmingham, AL (At-Large vs. At-Large), December 29th, 2 PM ET, ESPN
Tulane vs. Missouri
Independence Bowl, Shreveport, LA (Conference USA vs. Big 12), December 30th, 2 PM ET, ESPN
Liberty vs. West Virginia
This is Conference USA’s lone guaranteed tie-in against a Power Four conference (thanks to BYU forfeiting its tie-in after joining the Big 12) so I expect the league to reward its champion with this coveted matchup.
Music City Bowl, Nashville, TN, (SEC vs. Big Ten), December 30th, 5:30 PM ET, ESPN
Minnesota vs. Oklahoma
Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, TX, (Former PAC-12 member vs. Big 12), December 30th, 9 PM ET, ESPN
Baylor vs. USC
ReliaQuest Bowl, Tampa, FL, (SEC vs. Big Ten), December 31st, 12 PM ET, ESPN
Tennessee vs. Indiana
Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX, (ACC vs. Former PAC-12 member), 2 PM ET, CBS
Boston College vs. Utah
Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL, (SEC vs. Big Ten), 3 PM ET, ABC
Michigan vs. Ole Miss
Las Vegas Bowl, Las Vegas, NV, (Former PAC-12 member vs. Big Ten), 3:30 PM ET, ESPN
Nebraska vs. Oregon
Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth, TX (At-Large vs. At-Large), January 2nd, 1 PM ET, ESPN
Army vs. Oregon State
Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN, (SEC vs. Big 12), January 2nd, 4:30 PM ET, ESPN
Vanderbilt vs. Kansas State
Surprisingly, Vanderbilt has not appeared in the Liberty Bowl since 2011.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Charlotte, NC (ACC vs. SEC), January 2nd, 8 PM ET, ESPN
Duke vs. South Carolina
Holiday Bowl, San Diego, CA, (ACC vs. Former PAC-12 school), Date TBA
SMU vs. Colorado
Bahamas Bowl Replacement Bowl, TBD
Eastern Michigan vs. Marshall
First Round
#5 Penn State vs. #12 Boise State
#6 Georgia vs. #11 Arizona State
#7 LSU vs. #10 Miami
#8 Clemson vs. #9 Illinois
Quarterfinals
Cotton Bowl, Arlington, TX, December 31st
#3 Notre Dame vs. #6 Georgia
Orange Bowl, Miami, FL, January 1st, 12 PM ET
#4 Alabama vs. #5 Penn State
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA, January 1st, 4 PM ET
#2 Ohio State vs. #7 LSU
Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, LA, January 1st , 8 PM ET
#1 Texas vs. #8 Clemson
Semifinals
Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, AZ, January 8th, 7:30 PM ET
#1 Texas vs. #5 Penn State
Peach Bowl, Atlanta, GA, January 8th, 7:30 PM ET
#3 Notre Dame vs. #2 Ohio State
National Championship Game, January 19th, Miami, FL, 7:30 PM ET, ESPN
#1 Texas vs. #2 Ohio State
