BOWL SEASON OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2020
BOWL SEASON MATCHUPS A Little Bit of Everything By KEVIN McNAMARA
B
owl Season has arrived.
traditional, rivalry games and virtually all inter-
The most unpredictable regular season in college football history has ended.
to see just which conference appears best in 2020.
Challenges posed by the pandemic have left
We will leave the College Football Playoff
thousands of players, many teams and 16 bowl games on the sidelines but the 56 fortunate teams that will compete in 28 bowl games can’t wait to turn the page and enjoy postseason competition. “I had the great fortune
conference contests, the bowls will create a window
matchups between Alabama-Notre Dame (Rose
“Our opportunity to play another game against a top-10 opponent fires us up.” – KIRBY SMART
a player,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in hearing that his team would play in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against unbeaten Cincinnati. “When we played
Sugar Bowl) to another day. Here is a look at the many intriguing games on tap in Bowl Eastern):
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Nevada (6-2) vs. Tulane (6-5)
in it, it wasn’t nearly as prestigious as it is now. I know
Nevada started 5-0 but lost
our guys are excited to get another time to play. Our
to bowl teams Hawaii and
opportunity to play another game against a top-10
unbeaten San Jose State
opponent fires us up.”
down the stretch. Tulane
Smart’s sentiments are echoed throughout
Ohio State (Allstate
Season: (all times
Georgia Buldogs Head Coach
a long time ago to get to play in that bowl game as
Bowl) and Clemson-
DEC. 22 3:30pm | ESPN
began the season 2-4 but rallied into Bowl Season by
college football. The bowls have created some
winning four of its last five and will hope for a third
fantastic matchups. After being robbed of so many
consecutive bowl victory. BOWL SEASON | December 2020
1
BOWL SEASON MATCHUPS
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl BYU (10-1) vs. UCF (6-3)
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Georgia Southern (7-5) vs. Louisiana Tech (5-4)
BYU is only a narrow loss
Louisiana Tech has won six
to Coastal Carolina away from an unbeaten season
DEC. 22 7pm | ESPN
consecutive bowl games and face an Eagles team
DEC. 23 3pm | ESPN
and shot at a New Year’s
that has lost three of its last
Day bowl. Now get ready for a shootout. The Cougars
four contests. Bulldog quarterback Luke Anthony
average 43 points per game, topped only by five
(16 TD’s to only 5 interceptions) is dangerous.
teams. Central Florida (44.3) is one of them.
Montgomery Bowl Florida Atlantic (5-3) vs. Memphis (7-3) Conference USA has a whopping seven bowl
READY TO GO: Memphis won’t be a pushover in the Montgomery Bowl, having won seven games in 2020.
2
BOWL SEASON | December 2020
teams. The American
DEC. 23 7pm | ESPN
Athletic Conference has six. Something’s got to give in this matchup between the leagues.
New Mexico Bowl Hawaii (4-4) vs. Houston (3-4) Thanks to their friends at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Tex., the New Mexico Bowl
DEC. 24 3:30pm | ESPN
is up and running. Ah, 2020. Hawaii always seems to be bowling while welcoming a foe to the Hawaiian Islands. Will Houston have some rust? The Cougars have played just once since Nov. 14 due to assorted COVID issues.
WELCOMED GUESTS:: Hawaii usually is the host during Bowl Season. This year they’re coming to North Texas to play in the New Mexico Bowl vs. Houston.
Camellia Bowl Buffalo (5-1) vs. Marshall (7-2)
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Louisiana (9-1) vs. UTSA (7-4)
It’s Christmas and you love
The Ragin’ Cajuns are a
football so you’ll love the action in Montgomery, Ala.
DEC. 25 2:30pm | ESPN
team you need to see. They beat Iowa State (31-14) way
DEC. 26 3:30pm | ABC
Marshall was riding high
back in September and are
at 7-0 before losing to Rice and then to Alabama-
only a narrow loss to Coastal Carolina (30-27) from
Birmingham in the C-USA championship game.
perfection.
BOWL SEASON | December 2020
3
BOWL SEASON MATCHUPS
LendingTree Bowl Georgia State (5-4) vs. Western Kentucky (5-6) This game at historic Ladd-Peebles Stadium features two teams that
DEC. 26 3:30pm | ESPN
long to achieve a winning season. Western Kentucky is riding a three-game win streak into Bowl Season.
Cure Bowl Coastal Carolina (11-0) vs. Liberty (9-1) You’d have to tune into a College Football Playoff game to find teams
SHOWING WHAT THEY GOT: Coastal Carolina earned an entertaining 22-17 win over BYU on Dec. 5, a game that came together just a few days before kickoff.
4
BOWL SEASON | December 2020
DEC. 26 7:30pm | ESPN
with fewer losses. The Chanticleers are playing for perfection against a Liberty whose only blemish was a 15-14 loss to North Carolina State.
Cheez-It Bowl Miami (8-2) vs. Oklahoma State (7-3) This is a battle between two teams that appeared headed for conference title
DEC. 29 5:30pm | ESPN
games just a few weeks ago. The Hurricanes still don’t know what happened in a 62-26 loss to North Carolina, while the Cowboys hope to wipe away the bad taste of close losses to Oklahoma and TCU.
HIGH FLYING CANES: D’Eriq King has injected excitement into the Miami Hurricane offense.
Valero Alamo Bowl Texas (6-3) vs. Colorado (4-1)
Duke's Mayo Bowl Wake Forest (4-4) vs. Wisconsin (3-3)
If bowl game scripts were
The Badgers owned
written in Hollywood, this would be the perfect
DEC. 29 9pm | ESPN
national title aspirations this season but few
DEC. 30 Noon | ESPN
career exit for Longhorn
programs were more
quarterback Sam Ehlinger. The Austin native has
ravaged by COVID-19. Wake was a perfect 4-0 in
starred (93 passing TD’s, 33 rushing) for his hometown
October but hasn’t won since Halloween.
school and can go out with a win in San Antonio. The Buffaloes own other ideas.
BOWL SEASON | December 2020
5
BOWL SEASON MATCHUPS
TransPerfect Music City Bowl Iowa (6-2) vs. Missouri (5-5)
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Florida (8-3) vs. Oklahoma (8-2)
Beginning with this
Expect a shootout in
contest in Nashville, SEC fans can see 10 of their
DEC. 30 4pm | ESPN
Arlington as neither team has scored fewer than 27
DEC. 30 8pm | ESPN
teams play over the next
points this season. The
four days. Iowa is out to show that the Big 10’s
Sooners just won a sixth straight Big 12 championship
abbreviated schedule has still produced
in the same stadium, while the Gators hope to relive
powerhouse teams.
the joy of their last meeting with Oklahoma. That would be a 24-14 win in the 2008 BCS championship game for the program’s last national title.
FINISHING STRONG: Tulsa will close out its impressive season with a match up with SEC opponent Mississippi State.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Tulsa (6-2) vs. Mississippi State (3-7) This is a great test case for the strength of the American. Tulsa has
DEC. 31 Noon | ESPN
enjoyed an excellent season and just lost in the conference championship game to unbeaten Cincinnati, 27-24. Mississippi State has struggled under first-year coach Mike Leach and will look to throw the ball against Tulsa’s strong defense.
6
BOWL SEASON | December 2020
Arizona Bowl San Jose State (7-0) vs. Ball State (6-1) Spartans quarterback Nick Starkel spent his first three seasons at Texas A&M
DEC. 31 2pm | CBS
and Arkansas but found perfection in San Jose. Starkel led San Jose to its firstever win over Boise State in the Mountain West title game, breaking Derek Carr’s passing record with 453 yards and three TD’s.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: Nick Starkel led San Jose State to an undefeated season (7-0) and its first Mountain West title.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl West Virginia (5-4) vs. Army (9-2)
Mercari Texas Bowl Arkansas (3-7) vs. TCU (6-4)
Let’s hand it to the
These old rivals from the
Mountaineers! It didn’t look like a very good Army team
DEC. 31 4pm | ESPN
Southwest Conference days get a chance to
DEC. 31 8 pm | ESPN
would find a Bowl Season
wake up the memories in
dance partner but this matchup looks like a good one
Houston. TCU has won five of its last six games and
in Memphis. WVU was unbeaten at home but 0-4 on
quarterback Max Duggan will throw the ball all over
the road this season. The Cadets are looking for a fifth
the field.
straight bowl victory.
BOWL SEASON | December 2020
7
BOWL SEASON MATCHUPS WORTHY FOE: Cincinnati and its high-powered offense will take on Georgia’s vaunted defense in Atlanta.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Cincinnati (9-0) vs. Georgia (7-2) This is the annual putup-or-shut-up game. The Bearcats were a legitimate
JAN. 1 Noon | ESPN
contender for the CFP. Can they prove themselves vs. a Georgia team that only lost to Alabama and Florida?
Vrbo Citrus Bowl Auburn (6-4) vs. Northwestern (6-2)
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl NC State (8-3) vs. Kentucky (4-6)
This game looks good
The Wolfpack rallied into
on paper but how will it translate to the field?
JAN. 1 1pm | ABC
Bowl Season with four straight victories. The
JAN. 2 Noon | ESPN
Auburn has looked good
defense has allowed just
at times but how will they fare with an interim head
19.5 points over that stretch. This may not bode
coach? Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is one of
well for a Kentucky team that averaged 21.7 points
the rising stars in the sport.
in the SEC.
8
BOWL SEASON | December 2020
Outback Bowl Indiana (6-1) vs. Ole Miss (4-5)
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl Oregon (4-2) vs. Iowa State (8-3)
The Hoosiers were a close
Oregon’s path to the PAC-
loss to Ohio State away from a dream season but
JAN. 2 12:30pm | ABC
12 title game — and win over Southern Cal — is
JAN. 2 4pm | ESPN
now they face Lane Kiffin’s
nothing short of a shocker.
Rebels who started their season 1-4. This appears
But the Ducks aren’t complaining. Iowa State was as
to be a mismatch but don’t count out battle-
good as anyone in the Big 12 all season. After beating
tested Ole Miss.
Oklahoma early in the season, the Cyclones were edged in the conference title game by the Sooners, 27-21. Quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Breece Hall are a powerful duo.
Capital One Orange Bowl North Carolina (8-3) vs. Texas A&M (8-1) FARMERS FIGHT: Texas A&M’s Isaiah Spiller, Jalen Wydermyer and Hez Jones are just a few of the weapons that head coach Jimbo Fisher has at his disposal.
The Aggies finished fifth in the CFP rankings and are out to prove that they can
JAN. 2 8pm | ESPN
beat anybody. The Tar Heels hung 62 points on the scoreboard in their other visit to Hard Rock Stadium this season. A&M is the first one-loss SEC team not to make the playoffs.
BOWL SEASON | December 2020
9
D O U G F L U T I E
THE PLAYER EXPERIENCE Bowl Season Memories for a Lifetime By KEVIN McNAMARA
Y
ou would think that as Charlie Ward geared up for a shot at the national championship in the 1993 Orange Bowl, the Florida State duel sport star would’ve been overflowing with excitement. The same would go for Doug Flutie, the Boston College hero who catapulted to mythical status with the famed Miracle in Miami and a few weeks later prepared to end his career in the 1984 Cotton Bowl. Well, we all would be wrong.
these different places. Walking through kitchens and
Both Ward and Flutie owned heavy Bowl Season
back doors and avoiding our fans, it’s just something
experience. That meant memories of once-ina-lifetime trips with their teammates, pie and
I wasn’t accustomed to.” Flutie knows the feeling. He said he enjoyed
steak eating contests, visits to Disney World and
trips to the Tangerine and Liberty Bowls as an
Graceland.
underclassman more than his high-wire Heisman
And, of course, classic games. Yet by the time the two quarterbacks had smiled
season. “Senior year there was the Heisman and all sorts
with their Heisman Trophies, getting through the
of things going on,” Flutie said, “so there was a
final game of their careers became more of a chore
lot more pressure on me. My junior year felt like a
than a thrill.
vacation. We were still too dumb and naïve and we
“My senior year was definitely different than the year before. My life was so different,” Ward said. “From winning the Heisman and having to go all
10
BOWL SEASON | December 2020
were just playing. The Cotton Bowl was a little more serious and it was difficult to enjoy it as much.” Ward and Flutie actually share many similar Bowl
Season memories but, surprisingly, the excitement of just making a bowl game lingers in their memories just as much as their shining glory. Together they traveled to eight bowls, Ward to five and Flutie three. They fondly recall the moments spent with teammates, the parades, the big-name opponents. Everything that the bowl experience delivers.
“I remember all the bowls, and I went to five of ’em. We won them all.” – CHARLIE WARD “I remember all the bowls, and I went to five of ’em. We won them all,” said Ward. “Sometimes I didn’t play and twice I was the starting quarterback so I think I saw a bit of everything in my career. We played Nebraska three times and beat them three times. It was a great experience.” Ward matured from a shy freshman buried on Bobby Bowden’s depth chart on a Fiesta Bowl team to a hero who helped deliver the Seminoles’ first national championship. He doubled as a star guard on three NCAA Tournament basketball teams and in 1993 won the Sullivan Award as the nation’s top amateur athlete.
C H A R L I E W A R D
“That first trip to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl I was just happy to go,” Ward said. “I had never been that far away from home in my life. I remember we had a
Bowl. Then, as a senior, Ward captured the Heisman
pie-eating contest and a lineman won. The linemen
and the Seminoles beat Nebraska again, this time in
always win the eating contests.”
an 18-16 thriller.
After a redshirt season, Ward began flashing the
Asked what he remembers most about the five
basketball skills that would one day lead him to an
bowl trips, Ward says he welcomed `the opportunity
11-year NBA career. That made for a two-sport tango
to keep practicing and getting better, more when I
that is non-existent in today’s college sports world.
wasn’t playing than when I was starting.’
“I went to the Cotton Bowl in 1991 when we played
And then there was an unexpected surprise. “I just
Texas A&M but I was going back-and-forth with the
enjoyed getting the cash from the bowl travel,” he
basketball team at the time,” Ward said. “I don’t
said with a laugh. “I was very frugal. The university
think Coach Bowden saw me as anything more than
fed us every meal so if we were going to spend any
the backup to the backup at quarterback.”
money it would be on something outside in the city
That changed the following season. Ward won
and I wasn’t doing that. So I would come home with
the starting quarterback job and led FSU to an 11-1
a lot of money. Between the travel per diem and the
record and a 27-14 win over Nebraska in the Orange
bowl per diem each day, it was good money.” BOWL SEASON | December 2020
11
Flutie’s experience was different than Ward’s. BC
Every college football fan has seen Flutie’s
never played for a national championship but the
remarkable, last-second, 48-yard Hail Mary pass to
weight of his school — if not all of New England —
Gerard Phelan for the winning TD in a 47-45 thriller.
sat squarely on his shoulders for three years. As a
The pass literally changed Flutie’s life, setting off a
sophomore Flutie helped BC to its first bowl game in
crazy next month. A week later the Eagles beat Holy
40 years so “all the alumni and fans hadn’t been to a
Cross and Flutie was whisked away to a private plane
bowl game in forever and everyone jumped on board.”
bound for New Jersey. A helicopter took him into
When the Eagles landed in Orlando for the 1982 Tangerine Bowl, the matchup with Auburn and star running back Bo Jackson wasn’t yet priority number one.
Manhattan and he arrived at the Downtown Athletic Club just a half hour before accepting the Heisman. “My whole senior year the attention kept building and it was wearing on me. It was crazy,” Flutie said.
“Jack Bicknell was our coach and his attitude was
“There were dinners and interviews so by the time
that the bowls were a reward for the kids,” Flutie said.
we got to the Cotton Bowl I was worn out. I just
“Yes, we want to win and prepare hard but we want
wanted to play football.”
to enjoy ourselves. We went to International Drive and
The Eagles beat Houston, 45-28, giving the school its
the Magic Kingdom where I recall they had a beef-
first bowl victory in 42 years. Flutie says the memories
eating contest. It was team against team and then
of those three bowl trips have lasted a lifetime.
individuals and we had a guy, Pat Cooney, who ate
“For me, at that age, the bowl weeks were the best
over nine pounds of meat. That team-building stuff
vacations I had ever been on,” he said. “I’d tell players
was great.”
today to enjoy your bowl trip, enjoy the environment.
After losing to Auburn in a 33-26 shootout, the
Take in the culture of the city, get out and meet
Eagles were back in the mix in Flutie’s junior season.
people. Kids today talk about the pros and sitting out
In fact he feels that was his best team, even though
their bowl games. I finished third in the Heisman my
the group fell short and was sent to the Liberty Bowl
junior year. I wouldn’t have given up my senior year
to face Notre Dame.
for anything in the world. I wouldn’t have given up those bowl trips for anything in the world.”
“My whole senior year the attention kept building and it was wearing on me. It was crazy.” – DOUG FLUTIE
Ward’s final bowl memory is one that rings true in the hearts of every Florida State fan. Nebraska put up a stiff fight in the ’93 Orange Bowl and FSU didn’t pull ahead until Scott Bentley kicked his fourth field goal of the game with just 21 seconds on the clock. A celebration penalty helped spark some hope for the Cornhuskers and Tommie Frazier mounted
“I remember it was so cold that the Mississippi
a final drive. With just one second on the clock
River froze,” Flutie said. “We went to Graceland and
Nebraska’s kicker lined up a potential winning 45-
Beale Street but we focused on the game more and
yard kick. Ward kneeled alongside his teammates as
were disappointed we lost (19-18).”
the kick sailed wide left and preserved an 18-16 win
Flutie’s senior season was downright mythical. The Eagles won at Alabama before losing heartbreakers
for the Seminoles. “I was hoping that he’d miss,” Ward said, “but
to West Virginia and Penn State but his passing
as I tell the kids that I coach, ‘when you’ve done all
numbers were eye-popping. That led to a showdown
that you can do and you’ve given your team your
at Miami, which had its own star QB in Bernie Kosar.
all, you can’t control the outcome.’ I’m grateful that
The game was billed as a chance for the winner to
they missed it because we gave Florida State its
secure a Sugar Bowl berth but a week before, BC
first national championship. Florida State has had
officials chose to lock in a New Year’s Day game in
plenty of great teams but we were the one fortunate
Dallas at the Cotton Bowl.
enough to break the ice.”
12
BOWL SEASON | November 2020
DEC. 22 Tulane vs. Nevada
DEC. 22 UCF vs. BYU
DEC. 23 Louisiana Tech vs. Georgia Southern
DEC. 23 Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic
DEC. 24 Hawai'i vs. Houston
Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL
Toyota Stadium Frisco, TX
Brooks Stadium Conway, SC
Albertsons Stadium Boise, ID
FAU Stadium Boca Raton, FL
Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA
2:30pm | ESPN
3:30pm | ESPN
7pm | ESPN
3pm | ESPN
7pm | ESPN/ESPN2
3:30pm | ESPN
DEC. 25 Marshall vs. Buffalo
Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL
DEC. 26 Louisiana vs. UTSA
Gerald J. Ford Stadium Dallas, TX
DEC. 26 Western Kentucky vs. Georgia State Ladd-Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL
DEC. 26 Liberty vs. Coastal Carolina
Camping World Stadium Orlando, FL
DEC. 29 Oklahoma State vs. Miami
Camping World Stadium Orlando, FL
DEC. 29 Texas vs. Colorado
Alamodome San Antonio, TX
2:30pm | ESPN
3:30pm | ABC
3:30pm | ESPN
7:30pm | ESPN
5:30pm | ESPN
9pm | ESPN
DEC. 30 Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin
Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC
DEC. 30 Iowa vs. Missouri
Nissan Stadium Nashville, TN
DEC. 30 Oklahoma vs. Florida AT&T Stadium Arlington, TX
DEC. 31 Tulsa vs. Mississippi State
Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, TX
DEC. 31 Ball State vs. San Jose State Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ
DEC. 31 West Virginia vs. Army
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN
Noon | ESPN
4pm | ESPN
8pm | ESPN
Noon | ESPN
2pm | CBSSN
4pm | ESPN
DEC. 31 Arkansas vs. TCU
JAN. 1 Cincinnati vs. Georgia
JAN. 1 Auburn vs. Northwestern
JAN. 1 Alabama vs. Notre Dame
JAN. 1 Clemson vs. Ohio State
JAN. 2 NC State vs Kentucky
NRG Stadium Houston, TX
Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, GA
Camping World Stadium Orlando, FL
8pm | ESPN
Noon | ESPN
1pm | ABC
JAN. 2 Ole Miss vs. Indiana
JAN. 2 Oregon vs. Iowa State
JAN. 2 Texas A&M vs. North Carolina
Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL
State Farm Stadium Glendale, AZ
Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, FL
12:30pm | ABC
4pm | ESPN
8pm | ESPN
AT&T Stadium Arlington, TX
Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA
TIAA Bank Field Jacksonville, FL
4pm | ESPN
8pm | ESPN
Noon | ESPN
CFP Semifinal
CFP Semifinal
JAN. 11 TBD Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, FL 8:pm | ESPN CFP National Championship
*All times ET ** All bowls subject to change
BOWL SEASON | December 2020
13
2020-21 BOWL SEASON SCHEDULE
2020
DEC. 21 Appalachian State vs. North Texas
BOWLSEASON.COM #BOWLSEASON
Copyright © 2020 Bowl Season