29 – POINSETTIA BOWL: NAVY VS. SAN DIEGO STATE – December 23rd, 9:30 PM ET, ESPN
Navy uses the triple-option offense, which is always fun to watch. San Diego State head coach Rocky Long is an experienced defensive strategist. This is a tasty X-and-O chess match.
28 – NEW MEXICO BOWL: UTAH STATE VS. UTEP – December 20th, 2:20 PM ET, ESPN
Utah State head coach Matt Wells is seen as a rising star in the coaching profession. He somehow guided the Aggies to nine wins despite injuries to three quarterbacks. (Even Urban Meyer might have found it challenging to win with a fourth-string quarterback.) If Oregon State or another program doesn’t snatch him up in the coming days, he’ll coach in a bowl against surprising UTEP, which is moving up in the world under coach Sean Kugler.
27 – QUICK LANE BOWL: RUTGERS VS. NORTH CAROLINA – December 26th, 4:30 PM ET, ESPN
There should be a good crowd and atmosphere for this game in Detroit. Both teams showed how good they could be this season: Rutgers won at Navy and erased a 35-10 deficit to win at Maryland. North Carolina crushed Duke and defeated Georgia Tech. These teams could provide a very entertaining contest.
26 – ST. PETERSBURG BOWL: NORTH CAROLINA STATE VS. UCF – December 26th, 8 PM ET, ESPN
North Carolina State improved by four wins compared to the 2013 season under second-year coach Dave Doeren. The Wolfpack led Florida State by 17 points this year before falling. The Pack is no longer a pushover. UCF is led by George O’Leary, quite probably the best FBS coach outside the Power 5 conferences.
25 – CAMELLIA BOWL: BOWLING GREEN VS. SOUTH ALABAMA – December 20th, 9:15 PM ET, ESPN
This new bowl game has a higher watchability rating because of its nostalgic value.
Remember the old Blue-Gray All-Star Classic on Christmas Day in the 1980s, with the Sun Bowl to follow on CBS? That game was played in the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., the site of this new bowl. South Alabama, in their first bowl game, should liven up the atmosphere for this prime-time event.
24 – TAXSLAYER BOWL: IOWA VS. TENNESSEE – January 2nd, 3:20 PM ET, ESPN
These two teams played a fun 1982 Peach Bowl. This year’s Iowa team very nearly defeated Big Ten West Division champion Wisconsin. This year’s Tennessee team made a bowl for the first time since 2010. The Vols will be happy to be in Jacksonville.
23 – HEART OF DALLAS BOWL: ILLINOIS VS. LOUISIANA TECH – December 26th, 1 PM ET, ESPN
Illinois unexpectedly made a bowl game this season, saving coach Tim Beckman’s job. Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz has revived his career at Louisiana Tech after stumbling at South Florida. These two teams will not view this game as a chore, and that instantly makes a bowl game much more intriguing, because not all bowl teams enjoy being where they are.
22 – FIESTA BOWL: BOISE STATE VS. ARIZONA – December 31st, 4 PM ET, ESPN
It’s the Fiesta Bowl, so it’s definitely watchable. Rich Rodriguez coaches Arizona in a January bowl, showing how far he’s brought the Wildcats in just a few seasons. Boise State is an enduring brand name among the non-Power 5 conferences. These teams command respect.
21 – POTATO BOWL: WESTERN MICHIGAN VS. AIR FORCE – December 20th, 5:45 PM ET, ESPN
Western Michigan is making its first bowl appearance since 2011, so the Broncos lend some freshness to this game. Air Force tumbled to a 2-10 record last season, making the Falcons’ 2014 season a seven-game turnaround under head coach Troy Calhoun. Not many other teams can boast of a seven-game turnaround. (TCU, going from four to 11 wins, is one.)
20 – INDEPENDENCE BOWL: MIAMI VS. SOUTH CAROLINA – December 27th, 3:30 PM ET, ABC
It’s Steve Spurrier, an old Florida Gator, versus the University of Miami. There will be zingers, and both coaches — Spurrier and Miami boss Al Golden — would gain a lot more from a win in this matchup, compared to other possible opponents.
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