From the overall quality to the best and worst games of each day, here's a comprehensive look at this year鈥檚 bowl slate.
Saturday, Dec. 17AFR Celebration Bowl: N.C. Central vs. Grambling State, Noon
Gildan New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico vs. UTSA, 2 p.m.
Las Vegas Bowl: Houston vs. San Diego State, 3:30 p.m.
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl: Appalachian State vs. Toledo, 5:30 p.m.
AutoNation Cure Bowl: UCF vs. Arkansas State, 5:30 p.m.
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss vs. UL Lafayette, 9 p.m.
Watchability rating: 6/10
Game to watch: Houston vs. San Diego State
Presto鈥檚 pointers: The Cougars made a big splash on Labor Day weekend with an upset of Oklahoma. Now, Major Applewhite takes over the helm in the wake of coach Tom Herman leaving for Texas.聽But can their defense contain Aztecs running back Donnel Pumphrey (2,018 yards rushing in 2016)?
Frank鈥檚 assessment: Carve out some time mid-afternoon to see the Greg Ward/Donnel Pumphrey showdown, if you want. The latter is just 108 yards from setting the career FBS rushing record. Otherwise, preserve your strength for the later dates.
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Monday, Dec. 19Miami Beach Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Tulsa, 2:30 p.m.
Watchability rating: 3/10
Presto鈥檚 pointers: The Golden Hurricanes finished the fall on a 5-1 run and were two points away from taking the AAC West. The Chippewas’ 3-0 start included a win that shouldn’t have counted at Oklahoma State, but anytime Cowboys coach Mike Gundy throws a tantrum, we’re all winners.
Frank鈥檚 assessment: Unless you鈥檙e an alum, no need to take the day off to catch this one.
(AP Photo/Brody Schmidt)
AP Photo/Brody Schmidt
Tuesday, Dec. 20Boca Raton Bowl: Memphis vs. Western Kentucky, 7 p.m.
Watchability rating: 8/10
Presto鈥檚 pointers: No NFL game to complete with and an evening kickoff between two winning teams. What’s not to like? The Hilltoppers won Conference USA and finished the season with seven straight victories, while the Tigers put 40+ points on the board three times in November. 聽Tree decorating is delayed another day.
Frank鈥檚 assessment: Only one team in college football had Alabama on the schedule and still managed to win 10 games, and it wasn鈥檛 USC. Western Kentucky might have the honor of 鈥渂est team you鈥檝e never heard of鈥� this bowl season, making them slight favorites over a Memphis team that upset then-No. 20 Houston in its final game. But the Tigers are dangerous, and sport some of the best uniforms in the country.
(AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
AP Photo/Nikki Boertman
Wednesday, Dec. 21San Diego County CU Poinsettia Bowl: BYU vs. Wyoming, 9 p.m.
Watchability rating: 7/10
Presto鈥檚 pointers: My UVA friends marvel how well the Cougars did in the first year AFTER Bronco Mendenhall departed Provo.
Frank鈥檚 assessment: Without QB Taysom Hill, BYU just isn鈥檛 the same exciting team that fought through five straight nail-biters decided by a combined total of just 11(!) points to open the season. Wyoming nearly won the Mountain West and has beaten some good teams this year, including Boise State. This should be a grind, but ought to be a close game.
(AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
AP Photo/Nikki Boertman
Thursday, Dec. 22Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Idaho vs. Colorado State, 7 p.m.
Watchability rating: 7/10
Presto鈥檚 pointers: The ranking is only so high because my mother is an alum of one of the schools, and my Uncle Chris runs a chocolate shop in the city where the game is being played. Somehow the Vandals are in the Sun Belt Conference, meaning teams travel from Troy, Alabama, and other points to Moscow, Idaho every other year. 聽My condolences …
Frank鈥檚 assessment: There鈥檚 a strange subplot to this game, as Idaho is backing its way out of the FBS, and will compete in the FCS starting next year. That means this may be the last bowl game for the Vandals 鈥� ever.
(AP Photo/John Locher)
AP Photo/John Locher
Friday, Dec. 23Popeyes Bahamas Bowl: Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion, 1 p.m.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Louisiana Tech vs. Navy, 4:30 p.m.
Dollar General Bowl: Ohio vs. Troy, 8 p.m.
Watchability rating: 5/10
Game to watch: Louisiana Tech vs. Navy. Remember those Pittsburgh-Dallas Super Bowls where Terry Bradshaw squared off with Roger Staubach?聽Their alma maters meet in Fort Worth.聽Expect an offensive afternoon 鈥斅爐he Bulldogs scored 44 points per game, while the Midshipmen tallied 39 per contest.
Dave鈥檚 dog: Eastern Michigan vs Old Dominion. The Monarchs didn’t have a Division I program 10 years ago, while Nassau didn’t have a Popeye’s until 2015.
Frank鈥檚 assessment: Navy鈥檚 late-season injuries took them out of New Year鈥檚 Day bowl competition, and took the sting out of the once-potent offense. Looking for a decent team hiding in the mix? How about Troy?聽It took Clemson to the wire at Death Valley and scored 410 points this season, more than North Carolina, USC or West Virginia.
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Saturday, Dec. 24Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. Middle Tennessee, 8 p.m.
Watchability rating: 2/10
Presto鈥檚 pointers: I’ve been told that the 6-7 Rainbow Warriors will have a slight home-field advantage, as they not only play at Aloha Stadium but the school and bowl share the SAME NAME.聽They couldn’t have called this the “Aloha” or “Luau” Bowl, just for giggles?聽Stay away from the poi. With the NFL playing a full slate, you’ve got to give me something special or I’m watching “It’s a Wonderful Life.”聽Or “Die Hard.”聽Similar plots, if you ask me.
Frank鈥檚 assessment: Sure, the 鈥楤ows get a home game, but the only real winners here are the Blue Raiders, who get to leave Murfreesboro for islands despite losing to Vandy, UTSA and Marshall by a combined 68 points this year. This is officially the depths of the bowl season.
(AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
AP Photo/Marco Garcia
Monday, Dec. 26St. Petersburg Bowl: Miami (OH) vs. Mississippi State, 11 a.m.
Quick Lane Bowl: Maryland vs. Boston College, 2:30 p.m.
Camping World Independence Bowl: N.C. State vs. Vanderbilt, 5 p.m.
Watchability rating: 6/10
Game to watch: Maryland vs Boston College. They’re billing this as a “showdown of former ACC Rivals.”聽I have Terp friends who are still getting used to Florida State joining the league, let alone BC. Both teams are bowling despite taking serious lumps in聽league play 鈥斅爓hile the Terps lost games to Michigan and聽Ohio State by 56 and 59 points, the Eagles suffered defeats of 36, 38, 45 and 49 points.聽And this remains the best game of the day.
Dave鈥檚 dog: Miami (OH) vs. Mississippi State. The Bulldogs went 5-7. 5-7!聽I’m all about the kids enjoying the rewards for working hard and appreciate the need for ESPN to force-feed us product, but seriously?聽The 11 a.m. kickoff doesn’t help matters, either.
Frank鈥檚 assessment: Consider this: Miami started the season 0-6 and could finish it with a winning record. Never mind that the RedHawks鈥� only victory over a winning team came at the expense of 7-5 Eastern Michigan. As bad at Mississippi State was at times, this should be a romp. Also, could Maryland/BC be the lowest-scoring game of bowl season? I can鈥檛 wait to find out!
(AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
AP Photo/Nick Wass, File
Tuesday, Dec. 27Zaxby鈥檚 Heart of Dallas Bowl: Army West Point vs. North Texas, Noon
Military Bowl: Temple vs. Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m.
National Funding Holiday Bowl: Minnesota vs. Washington State, 7 p.m.
Motel 6 Cactus Bowl: Boise State vs. Baylor, 10:15 p.m.
Watchability rating: 7/10
Game to watch: Boise State vs Baylor. The Broncos and the Bears have been two of the more notorious “outsiders” to challenge college football royalty over the last decade … and Baylor has a new coach in place after hiring Temple’s Matt Rhule. Even with the late kickoff, we’ll leave the light on for you.
Dave鈥檚 dog: Army聽West Point聽vs North Texas. The Mean Green may be 5-7, but one of their wins came against Army by 17 on the road.聽Rematches from the regular season are always tricky during the bowl season.
Frank鈥檚 assessment: It鈥檚 a shame we couldn鈥檛 see high-flying Washington State against another explosive offensive team. Minnesota鈥檚 played some good teams tough this year, but the Gophers will never be accused of playing beautiful football.
(AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger)
AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger
Wednesday, Dec. 28New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Northwestern, 2 p.m.
Russell Athletic Bowl: West Virginia vs. Miami (FL), 5:30 p.m.
Foster Farms Bowl: Indiana vs. Utah, 8:30 p.m.
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Kansas State, 9 p.m.
Watchability rating: 8/10
Game to watch: West Virginia vs Miami. Call this the “behavior bowl,” from the Mountaineer fans in the stands to the Hurricane players on the field and the sideline. Mark Richt’s team finished the regular season with four straight wins, all by double digits.聽Matthew McConaughey’s look-alike led WVU to a 10-0 mark against schools outside the state of Oklahoma.
Dave鈥檚 dog: Utah vs Indiana. Not a horrible game, but the weakest of a slate that includes Pitt’s James Conner playing his final game and Texas A&M-Kansas State. And should the Hoosiers be focused on defense and rebounding?
Frank鈥檚 assessment: The nightcap features two teams heading in totally different directions. The Aggies lost six of their final eight following a 6-0 start, while the Fightin鈥� Snyders won their last three and five of their final six games, including road blowouts at Baylor and TCU. With the extra time for A&M to patch its wounds, that could turn out to be the best matchup of the day.
(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
AP Photo/Ron Jenkins
Thursday, Dec. 29Birmingham Bowl: USF vs. South Carolina, 2 p.m.
Belk Bowl: Arkansas vs. Virginia Tech, 5:30 p.m.
Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Colorado, 9 p.m.
Watchability rating: 8/10
Game to watch: Colorado vs. Oklahoma State. Both schools could have made cases for spots in the College Football Playoff had they won games the first weekend of December. While the Cowboys possess a high-octane offense behind quarterback Mason Rudolph (his 3,777 passing yards rank eighth in FBS), the聽Buffaloes three losses have all come to teams currently in the top 10.
Dave鈥檚 dog: South Florida vs. South Carolina. Can’t they get a little creative and name the game after something instead of the city?聽USF quarterback Quinton Flowers blew through Navy’s defense like a blowtorch through butter during the regular season, and the Gamecocks are fresh off allowing 56 points to Clemson.聽Gulp.
Frank鈥檚 assessment: The quality improves as this day wears on, with a matchup of top 15 teams that doesn鈥檛 kick off until 9 p.m. Many will get home in time to catch most of the Belk Bowl as well, so while the quality is there, it鈥檚 tough to advocate for killing a vacation day here.
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Friday, Dec. 30AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Georgia vs. TCU, Noon
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Stanford vs. North Carolina, 2 p.m.
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Nebraska vs. Tennessee, 3:30 p.m.
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl: South Alabama vs. Air Force, 5:30 p.m.
Capital One Orange Bowl: Michigan vs. Florida State, 8 p.m.
Watchability rating: 9/10
Game to watch: Michigan vs. Florida State.聽Both teams had Novembers to remember … but while the Seminoles went 4-0 and blasted in-state rival Florida, the Wolverines lost two of their last three games by a combined four points. And then there’s the halftime show.
Dave鈥檚 dog: Tennessee vs. Nebraska.聽All the ingredients for a bad bowl are in place. Underwhelming teams from big name conferences?聽Teams that slumped to the finish line? It’s tough to figure who had a worse November聽鈥� the Volunteers’ loss to Vanderbilt rivaled a 2-3 month for the Cornhuskers that ended with a 30-point defeat to Iowa.聽Add a cumbersome sponsor name and you have a blah bowl, my friends.
Frank鈥檚 assessment: I don鈥檛 actually think this slate will produce that many exciting games, but with five to choose from, there鈥檚 bound to be one standout. Just don鈥檛 expect it to be Air Force-South Alabama. Also, it鈥檚 a good thing the Seminoles will have some measure of home field advantage. That might be the only thing that keeps them from getting run out of the stadium by Michigan.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Saturday, Dec. 31Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl: LSU vs. Louisville, 11 a.m.
TaxSlayer Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Kentucky, 11 a.m.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinal): Washington vs. Alabama, 3 p.m.
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal): Ohio State vs. Clemson, 7 p.m.
Watchability rating: 10/10
Game to watch: Both semifinals. Relevant games that mean something in the national title picture. … I almost forgot what that聽looked like.
Dave鈥檚 dog: Georgia Tech vs Kentucky. Sorry, I want to call this the Gator Bowl. 聽And it starts at 11 on a Saturday morning.聽The only sporting event that should be viewed before noon on a Saturday is the former NBC show “Hangtime!” and even then only the Dick Butkus seasons.
Frank鈥檚 assessment: We couldn鈥檛 have had this Citrus Bowl matchup some other evening? It鈥檚 a shame to waste the early time slot on what promises to be one of the best-of-the-rest bowls, with our final shot of seeing Lamar Jackson. I actually expect the first playoff matchup to be more entertaining, even if the final score is closer in the late game.
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
AP Photo/John Bazemore
Monday, Jan. 2Outback Bowl: Florida vs. Iowa, 1 p.m.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin, 1 p.m.
Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State, 5 p.m.
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs. Oklahoma, 8:30 p.m.
Watchability rating: 5/10
Game to watch: Penn State vs. USC. The Nittany Lions have a case for playoff inclusion with nine straight wins and a Big Ten championship, while the Trojans won eight straight after finding their quarterback. 聽And even though it’s the 21st century, nothing beats the sunset in Pasadena when the Trojans are playing and their marching band is playing Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk.”
Dave鈥檚 dog: Florida vs Iowa. It鈥檚 tough to compete with Cinderella Western Michigan against Wisconsin in the Cotton and Auburn-Oklahoma in the Sugar. While the Hawkeyes salvaged their season by upsetting Michigan and Nebraska, the Gators聽lost three of their last five games by 20+ points.聽Finally, after three weeks of feasting on football, can you even look at a聽blooming onion?
Frank鈥檚 assessment: I vehemently disagree with the quality of this day鈥檚 games. If you don鈥檛 automatically get Jan. 2 off, you鈥檙e no doubt already working to try to make sure you鈥檙e able to. And if you鈥檙e a college football fan, you鈥檒l definitely want to be in front of the TV by 1 p.m. when the Broncos try to 鈥淩ow the Boat鈥� right through Wisconsin to a perfect season. Both the Rose and Sugar Bowl games promise compelling matchups as well, making this the best non-playoff slate of the season.
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Dave has been in the D.C. area for 10 years and in addition to working at WTOP since 2002 has also been on the air at Westwood One/CBS Radio as well as Red Zebra Broadcasting (Redskins Network).
