Plenty of SEC teams will be playing in postseason bowl games; in fact, 12 of the 14 will. That ties a college football record with, who else, the SEC.
However, there is plenty of good football to watch around the country. Several of the bowls feature interesting matchups, like Penn State and USC vying for the hottest non-playoff team. Others will just be plain fun to watch; who doesn’t want to see how many points Western Kentucky and Memphis can rack up?
For some advice, don’t just stick to the recognizable names. Everyone is going to watch the playoff games to see the pinnacle of football. Most will watch the other top games to fill their time. However, pay special attention to the quality Group of 5 games on this list. Who knows – one of these guys might be coaching your team soon enough.
Whether offense, defense or special teams is your preference, there’s plenty of games on this list that can do the trick. Starting Dec. 17, it’s on.
Here is every single postseason bowl game ranked from No. 40 to No. 1:
40. Heart of Dallas Bowl: Army vs. UNT
Not only does this bowl feature a rematch, but North Texas is by far the worst team to gain bowl eligibility this year. Seth Littrell has done an outstanding job getting his team to this point, but it won’t make for an especially appealing bowl game.
39. St. Petersburg Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Mississippi State
ESPN gives Mississippi State an 82 percent chance to win this game, most out of any bowl in 2016. Miami of Ohio had a miraculous turnaround from 0-6 to 6-6, but the Bulldogs should stomp all over them.
38. Arizona Bowl: Air Force vs. South Alabama
South Alabama upset San Diego State and Mississippi State, but somehow managed to go just 2-6 in conference play. It has its work cut out against a disciplined Air Force opponent.
37. Quick Lane Bowl: Boston College vs. Maryland
This game might be unwatchable. Boston College managed to get back to bowl eligibility, but its defense should help shut down Maryland’s mediocre offense. The same is probably true the other way.
36. Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is actually pretty good, but traveling to Hawaii makes this game hard to watch. The Rainbow Warriors have one of the happiest names in college football, but barely eked out bowl eligibility. Do you think Hawaii gets bored of playing in Hawaii?
35. Military Bowl: Temple vs. Wake Forest
Wake Forest has both given Louisville trouble and lost to Boston College. It’s almost impossible to know whether to expect anything offensively. Conversely, Matt Rhule has built Temple into one of the most consistent teams in the AAC. That will be on display here.
34. Idaho Potato Bowl: Idaho vs. Colorado State
Can you name what conference Idaho is playing in now? That’s right, the Sun Belt. The Vandals will be relegated in 2018, but that might just make them more motivated against Mike Bobo’s Colorado State team.
33. Dollar General Bowl: Ohio vs. Troy
After nearly upsetting Clemson, Troy quietly developed into a really good football team. They’ve struggled as of late, but should still have a great performance against a MAC opponent.
32. New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico vs. UTSA
Former LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson has done a heck of a job at UTSA, and should relish this opportunity against New Mexico. However, the game won’t be that great.
31. Bahamas Bowl: Old Dominion vs. Eastern Michigan
These two teams weren’t expected to make bowl games, so credit to their coaching staffs. This was only the second year Old Dominion was eligible for an FBS bowl. Both teams deserve a fun bowl in the Bahamas.
30. Independence Bowl: North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt
It’s hard to know what exactly this game is going to look like. North Carolina State’s offense ranks No. 55 in S&P+; Vanderbilt is at No. 90. However, the Commodores became much more productive later in the year and blew through two more talented opponents. It will be interesting to see whether Derek Mason can get his boys ready for this game.
29. Miami Beach: Central Michigan vs. Tulsa
Phil Montgomery runs the Baylor offense at Tulsa, and has an exceptional squad to do it. The Golden Hurricane produced an 1,100-yard receiver and two different 1,300-yard runners. More importantly, Tulsa might be able to get the state of Oklahoma that pesky win over the Chippewas.
28. Outback Bowl: Florida vs. Iowa
These two teams are good, but the style of play could be horrid. Iowa relishes holding teams under water, while Florida’s offense gives them little other choice. Expect a 9-7 sort of ball game.
27. Holiday Bowl: Washington State vs. Minnesota
If you’re talking extreme contrasts and style, this is the bowl for you. Minnesota runs one of the more traditional Big Ten offenses, while Mike Leach’s air raid spreads the ball all over the field at Washington State.
26. Birmingham Bowl: South Florida vs. South Carolina
Keep an eye on this game. While South Carolina should have a nice performance against a lesser defense, South Florida coach Willie Taggart is one of the most underrated coaching minds in the nation. If he hasn’t left for another job, he will have a stellar game plan in Birmingham.
25. New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
While the game should be good, the atmosphere could be outstanding. New Orleans is not far from either Lafeyette, La., or Hattiesburg, Miss., so fans should show up in droves. The Ragin’ Cajuns upset Arkansas State to get here and competed against Georgia, while Southern Miss upset Kentucky earlier in the year.
24. Camellia Bowl: Appalachian State vs. Toledo
This game has the potential to be extremely fun. Appalachian State proved against Tennessee that it has the talent on both sides to compete. Luckily, it gets another one of the Group of 5’s best in MAC contender Toledo. These teams went a combined 13-3 in their conferences.
23. Foster Farms Bowl: Indiana vs. Utah
Indiana is in turmoil, but the program should stay relatively steady with former coordinator Tom Allen taking over full-time for Kevin Wilson. On the other sideline, Utah needs a statement win after a disappointing end to the season. Santa Clara is a strange place for this to be resolved, but it’s what we’ve got.
22. Cactus Bowl: Baylor vs. Boise State
Who knows whether Baylor will show up. Regardless, Boise State is a fun team to watch and will relish the opportunity against a Power 5 opponent.
21. Cure Bowl: UCF vs. Arkansas State
Scott Frost and Blake Anderson are two of the great, young offensive minds in college football. They will both converge on Orlando in a virtual UCF home game.
20. Cotton Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin
Western Michigan will be rowing the boat all the way from Kalamazoo to Arlington. Once they get there, they will face a solid Wisconsin opponent. Wide receiver Corey Davis has been uncoverable, but Wisconsin will counter with one of the best defenses in the country. One style will win out.
19. Sun Bowl: Stanford vs. North Carolina
This game has the potential to be fun. Stanford shook off a brutal start to finish 9-3. Christian McCaffrey quietly finished with 1,603 yards, which would have been heralded had it been any other player. North Carolina QB Mitch Trubisky is considered a first-round NFL draft pick – will he be able to keep his torrid pace against a quality defense?
18. Pinstripe Bowl: Pitt vs. Northwestern
Pitt is fun as heck, and even won a 76-61(!!!) game against Syracuse. Northwestern’s offense has quietly gotten better thanks to the efforts of WR Austin Carr and RB Justin Jackson. More importantly, this is another excuse for every Medill grad to talk more about Trevor Siemian.
17. Liberty Bowl: TCU vs. Georgia
Imagine how big of a game this could have been before the season. At this point, both Gary Patterson and Kirby Smart are probably ready for their six- and seven-win teams to be done. It will be interesting to watch if TCU starts Kenny Hill, after benching him against Kansas State.
16. Armed Forces Bowl: Louisiana Tech vs. Navy
Navy has been ridiculous to end the season. The Midshipmen punted twice the entire month of November. Louisiana Tech can put up some points. Whoever can stop the other probably wins.
15. Boca Raton Bowl: Memphis vs. Western Kentucky
Do you like points? This is the game for you. Jeff Brohm might leave before the bowl game, but this is the offense that produced a 5,000-yard passer in 2015. Memphis hasn’t taken a step back after hiring Mike Norvell. In fact, they upset Houston 48-44 the last week of the season.
14. Music City Bowl: Nebraska vs. Tennessee
This game depends on how invested both teams are. It would be easy for Tennessee to mail it in after a bad finish, but Nebraska is a worthy opponent. If nothing else, watch for Josh Dobbs’ last game in Knoxville.
13. Poinsettia Bowl: BYU vs. Wyoming
Craig Bohl’s Wyoming team isn’t especially consistent, but boy is it fun. Only at Wyoming do you get scores as divergent as 40-34, 69-66 and 30-28. BYU is the perfect opponent, as both teams try to gain legitimacy outside of the power conferences.
12. TaxSlayer Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Kentucky
Do you like rushing yards? Then this is the game for you! The Yellow Jackets upset Georgia the last week of the season, but Kentucky responded by beating Louisville. Both teams rely on strong rushing games – Tech with its option and Kentucky with its rotation of Boom Williams, Benny Snell and Jojo Kemp.
11. Belk Bowl: Arkansas vs. Virginia Tech
Arkansas struck early, but Virginia Tech quietly developed into one of the most underrated teams in the nation. The Hokies have embraced Justin Fuente’s offensive mind, but didn’t lose too much from its signature defense. Arkansas might not know what’s coming, but it should make for a watchable game.
10. Texas Bowl: Kansas State vs. Texas A&M
This is the game I’m most irrationally excited for. Even though there are few stakes on the line, it’s the ultimate contrast in styles. Texas A&M has super-elite athletes and a modernistic offensive system, while Kansas State’s last recruiting class ranked No. 75 nationally and runs an offense from 1953. Something’s got to give.
9. Russell Athletic Bowl: Miami vs. West Virginia
After blazing starts, both of these teams fell back to earth by the end of the season. However, Brad Kaaya and Skyler Howard are both talented quarterbacks flanked by underrated defenses. This game should be exceptionally competitive.
8. Las Vegas Bowl: Houston vs. San Diego State
For a Group of 5 bowl, this game has superstars. Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. will have to play his final game without Tom Herman, but SDSU should be motivation enough. RB Donnel Pumphrey is just 107 yards away from beating Ron Dayne’s NCAA rushing record. Whichever star goes off in their final game likely decides this one.
7. Orange Bowl: Michigan vs. Florida State
If Wilton Speight is fully healthy, this could be a surprisingly fun game. Florida State has recovered from its disastrous start and finished 9-3 and ranked No. 11. However, Michigan should come out with a vengeance after being left out of the College Football Playoff.
6. Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Colorado
This game is secretly fun. Colorado QB Sefo Liufau will be playing in his final game and against an Oklahoma State offense that can put up straight numbers. Both teams have decent defenses, but offense will win the day in San Antonio.
5. Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs. Oklahoma
Auburn is one of the most underwhelming SEC teams to head to the Sugar Bowl in some time, but it sets up well for a matchup with Baker Mayfield and a ridiculous Oklahoma offense. The Tigers will either need to find their offense or get boat raced. Either way, it should be exciting.
4. Citrus Bowl: LSU vs. Louisville
Lamar Jackson might back into the Heisman Trophy, but he’s still the most electric player in the country. Well, best offensive player, meet Dave Aranda’s defense. The Tigers managed to hold Alabama to just 10 points.
3. Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC
It’s incredibly unfortunate these two teams are playing each other, because they might be the two hottest teams nationally that aren’t in the playoff. Since switching to blue-chip QB Sam Darnold, USC is 8-1, including a win over No. 4 Washington. Penn State rallied to beat Ohio State and win the Big Ten championship. This game might actually be better than one of the playoff games.
2. Peach Bowl: Alabama vs. Washington
Both these teams have productive offenses and hyper-athletic defenses. Alabama is by far the nation’s top team by almost every metric, while Washington ranks top 10 in both offensive and defensive S&P+, the only school to do it. Seeing whether Jake Browning can pass against a dominant secondary should be intriguing.
1. Fiesta Bowl: Clemson vs. Ohio State
Even though it doesn’t feature the highest-ranked teams, Clemson and Ohio State should match up evenly. Both teams have playoff experience, and J.T. Barrett vs. Deshaun Watson is one of the best quarterback match-ups in the postseason. Seeing which team wins will provide major bragging rights for either the Big Ten or ACC.
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