Top 10 early bowl games to watch
It’s easy to get caught up in the College Football Playoff semifinals and forget about some of the earlier bowl games. That would be a mistake. Check out the top 10 non-playoff games watch.
Boca Raton Bowl Akron (7-6) vs. FAU (10-3) Tuesday, 7 p.m. – ESPN The Buzz: Lane Kiffin is looking for his first bowl victory and first 11-win season as a head coach. FAU’s turnaround has been sparked by an explosive offense that averages close to 500 yards and 40 points per game this season. The Owls get a big lift from running back Devin Singletary, who earned Conference USA Most Valuable Player honors after rushing for 1,796 yards and 29 touchdowns. It’s bad news for an Akron team that has been allowing close to 200 yards per game on the ground this season.
Armed Forces Bowl San Diego State (10-2) vs. Army (9-3) Saturday, Dec. 23; 3:30 p.m. – ESPN The Buzz: Army is looking to wrap up one of its best seasons since 1996, with the Black Knights securing their first back-to-back bowl appearances since 1984 and 1985. The team leads the nation in rushing with 355 yards per game. San Diego State also is one of the top rushing teams in the country, with running back Rashaad Penny leading the country with 2,027 yards on the ground this season.
Birmingham Bowl Texas Tech (6-6) vs. USF (9-2) Saturday, Dec. 23; Noon – ESPN The Buzz: This is a return trip to the Birmingham Bowl for USF, which outlasted South Carolina for a thrilling 46-39 overtime win last season. Texas Tech and USF rank in the top 20 nationally in total offense this season. First-year Bulls coach Charlie Strong is quite familiar with Texas Tech, going 2-1 against the Red Raiders during his coaching stint at Texas from 2014-16. Texas Tech is back in the postseason for the first time since 2015, with the program looking to earn its first bowl win since 2013.
Camping World Bowl No. 22 Virginia Tech (9-3) vs. No. 19 Oklahoma State (9-3) Thursday, Dec. 28; 5:15 p.m. – ESPN The Buzz: This is the first time that Oklahoma State has been back to Central Florida since playing in the Tangerine Bowl in 1976. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is returning to Camping World Stadium after playing in the ACC championship game in December 2016. A win by the Cowboys would give them a school-record three consecutive 10-win seasons. Virginia Tech is looking for consecutive doubledigit win seasons since 2010-11.
Alamo Bowl No. 13 Stanford (9-4) vs. No. 15 TCU (10-3) Thursday, Dec. 28; 9 p.m. – ESPN The Buzz: Heisman Trophy runner-up Bryce Love looks to lead Stanford to its third consecutive double-digit win season when the Cardinal faces off with TCU. Love finished second behind Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield after rushing for 1,973 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. The talented running back cracked the 100-yard mark 11 times this season, but he faces a big challenge trying to slip past the Horned Frogs’ defense. TCU has only allowed a 100-yard rusher four times this season.
Friday, Dec. 29; 8:30 p.m. – ESPN The Buzz: Pardon both of these teams if they appear a little bitter after both narrowly finished behind Alabama for the final spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals. USC quarterback Sam Darnold could be the top quarterback selected in the upcoming NFL draft if he chooses to leave school early. On the other side, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett is playing in his final game as a Buckeye after leading the school to a 36-6 record during his career.
Fiesta Bowl No. 11 Washington (10-2) vs. No. 9 Penn State (10-2) Saturday, Dec. 30; 4 p.m. – ESPN The Buzz: Penn State’s Saquon Barkley finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting after rushing for 1,134 yards this season. He is projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft, but he’ll face a tough test going against a Washington defense that leads the nation in stopping the run. The Huskies have allowed just 2.63 yards per carry this season and two 100-yard rushers — Stanford’s Bryce Love and Oregon’s Royce Freeman.
Orange Bowl No. 6 Wisconsin (12-1) vs. No. 10 Miami (10-2) Saturday, Dec. 30; 8 p.m. – ESPN The Buzz: Miami limps into the postseason after suffering back-to-back losses to finish the regular season, including a disappointing 38-3 loss to Clemson in the ACC championship. Despite losing some of its luster, the Turnover Chain has helped the Hurricanes tie for second in the country in takeaways (30). Wisconsin doesn’t have a chain, but the Badgers are pretty good at getting to the football and have forced 26 takeaways this season.
Peach Bowl No. 12 UCF (12-0) vs. No. 7 Auburn (10-3) Monday, Jan. 1; 12:30 p.m. – ESPN The Buzz: UCF looks to cap its magical season with the second major bowl victory in school history. The Knights feature an explosive offense that averages more than 540 yards and close to 50 points per game this season. Auburn hasn’t allowed more than 28 points in a game this year and has faced three of the four teams featured in this year’s College Football Playoff semifinals.
Citrus Bowl No. 14 Notre Dame (9-3) vs. No. 17 LSU (9-3) Monday, Jan. 1; 1 p.m. – ABC The Buzz: Notre Dame hasn’t fared well in bowl games played in the Sunshine State. The Fighting Irish have lost six consecutive games, with the last win in the state of Florida coming in the 1989 Orange Bowl. LSU is quite familiar with the Citrus Bowl, playing in the game last season. These two programs have faced off 11 previous times, with the last Tigers win coming in the 2007 Sugar Bowl.
mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com