The college football regular season is all wrapped up which means it is time to go bowling. This year’s slate will feature 34 non-CFP bowl games that will take place over the next month.
While bowl season may not carry the same juice it once did with the new expanded playoff and current landscape of college football, it does offer a chance to see some new faces on the field and often provides some entertaining games. And at the end of the day, it’s still college football which is enough to get excited about. Let’s take a look at the top 5 best non College Football Playoff bowl game matchups.
Iowa vs Vanderbilt - ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31)
This is an intriguing matchup between two teams from the Big Ten and SEC that were each just a couple of plays away from the College Football Playoff. I fully expect Diego Pavia to play, and the Commodores to play with something to prove after the team just missed out on a playoff berth and Pavia likely falling just short of the Heisman Trophy. Vanderbilt’s offense, which has averaged just under 40 points per game this season, going up against Iowa’s always-impressive defense will be a battle to watch in this matchup.
Penn State vs Clemson - Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 27)
I imagine if you told someone before the season that Penn State and Clemson would meet in the postseason, few would’ve guessed it would be in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. These were arguably the two most disappointing teams in all of college football this season, but it makes for a fun and interesting matchup when you see these two notable college football logos. Although these teams had a bad year, both rosters still have a ton of talent but I would expect a healthy load of opt-outs for this one. However, many Penn State players will be looking to impress their new head coach Matt Campbell and Dabo Swinney will always bring the energy.
California vs Hawai'i - Hawai'i Bowl (Dec. 24)
This is my personal favorite bowl matchup, and it feels like the perfect way to spend Christmas Eve night. The Hawai'i Bowl will feature two young stars at quarterback who are about as fun to watch as anyone in the country. Micah Alejado helped lead Hawai‘i to its first bowl appearance since 2020, throwing for 2,832 yards and 21 touchdowns in just 10 games. On the other side, Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele will be returning to his home state to face the Rainbow Warriors on the island. The true freshman has over 3,000 passing yards on the year and recently committed to returning to Cal with new head coach Tosh Lupoi instead of entering the portal and getting a big pay day from some larger program.
USC vs TCU - Alamo Bowl (Dec. 30)
If you're looking for a bowl game that could be a high-scoring offensive affair, this is the matchup for you. Both teams have high-powered and explosive offenses led by quarterbacks that can sling it with USC’s Jayden Maiava and TCU’s Josh Hoover who each rank inside the top 10 in FBS for passing yards. This is the ideal matchup for the Alamo Bowl, which is one that is often high scoring and a great game.
Michigan vs Texas - Citrus Bowl (Dec. 31)
Two of the premier names in college football will meet in the Citrus Bowl, with both teams looking to pick up their 10th win of the season. Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore has already said he doesn’t expect many Wolverines to opt out, but I am unsure if the same can be said for Texas. Regardless, we will get to see two of the biggest names in the sport at the quarterback position with Texas’ Arch Manning and Bryce Underwood for Michigan, who will both look to bring some positive momentum into next year after what was overall a disappointing season. Although this is a bowl game that ultimately does not mean much, this is a matchup between two heavyweights from the SEC and Big Ten, so expect the result in this one to be used in debate between which of the two conferences has the upper hand.