19 – BELK BOWL: LOUISVILLE VS. GEORGIA – December 30th, 6:30 PM ET, ESPN
Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham bolted from Georgia this past offseason to coach the Cardinals. The Grantham-versus-Georgia storyline should lend an electric charge to this bowl.
18 – PINSTRIPE BOWL: PENN STATE VS. BOSTON COLLEGE – December 27th, 4:30 PM ET, ESPN
In the early 1980s, these schools made college football in the Northeast worth watching. They meet in New York, a perfect setting for Penn State’s return to a bowl game after NCAA sanctions. Boston College has overachieved under coach Steve Addazio. A boisterous crowd should be on hand in Yankee Stadium, enhancing the spectacle of Nittany Lions-Eagles.
17 – SUN BOWL: DUKE VS. ARIZONA STATE – December 27th, 2 PM ET, CBS
Duke wasn’t expected to do much against Texas A&M in the 2013 Chick-Fil-A Bowl, but the Blue Devils merely created a shootout that proved to be wildly enjoyable. Duke could do the same against a very potent Arizona State offense. This feels like a shootout in the West Texas town of El Paso… which just fits on many levels.
16 – OUTBACK BOWL: WISCONSIN VS. AUBURN – January 1st, Noon ET, ESPN2
After suffering painful losses in their final regular-season games, the Badgers and Tigers should be mad. When teams are mad in their bowl games (as opposed to listless), there’s a good chance you’ll see some sparks fly. That makes for good television.
15 – MUSIC CITY BOWL: NOTRE DAME VS. LSU – December 30th, 3 PM ET, ESPN
This is a sexy pairing of teams, and with the one-month layoff, they should both be ready to play their best. Notre Dame versus the SEC is always an occasion, regardless of the records.
14 – LIBERTY BOWL: WEST VIRGINIA VS. TEXAS A&M – December 29th, 2 PM ET, ESPN
West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen served under A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin when Sumlin was the head coach at Houston. These coaches know each other inside and out, which sets up a battle of wits and concepts in Memphis. You could see a ton of points, too.
13 – RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL: CLEMSON VS. OKLAHOMA – December 29th, 5:30 PM ET, ESPN
Former Oklahoma defensive coordinator and longtime Bob Stoops assistant Brent Venables is now the defensive coordinator for Clemson. He’s doing well, while Stoops’ staff at OU is in crisis and will very likely be shaken up before the 2015 season begins. This is a high-drama December bowl game for that reason. There’s going to be plenty of tension on each sideline.
12 – TEXAS BOWL: TEXAS VS. ARKANSAS – December 29th, 9 PM ET, ESPN
This is an ancient feud from the old Southwest Conference. The 1969 Texas-Arkansas game is one of the most famous (or infamous, if you’re a Hog fan) games in the sport’s history. Both teams improved in the second half of the season. This is a rivalry game which should generate a lot of passion on both sides.
11 – CITRUS BOWL: MINNESOTA VS. MISSOURI – January 1st, 1 PM ET, ABC
First of all, the Citrus Bowl gets its name back after being the Capital One Bowl for several (far too many) years. Second, Minnesota and Missouri both overachieved and are extremely well-coached. Jerry Kill and Gary Pinkel have been terrific in each of the past two seasons. This is a sneaky-good game.