When the postseason began, there were 49 games left in the 2023 college football season: 42 bowl games (including both College Football Playoff semifinals), three remaining FCS playoff games, three lower-level title games and, of course, the CFP National Championship.
Like a snowflake, every bowl is unique and beautiful in its own right. There's a reason to watch every single one. But a lot of them can be categorized -- the Both Teams Really Care bowls, the Key Players Opted Out bowls, the Disappointing Team Redemption bowls, etc. Mixing in some legit, interesting storylines, let's keep those categories in mind as we ask at least one question of every remaining non-CFP game on the slate (all times ET).
Jump to a bowl tier:
Both teams care | Hot streakers
Starting 2024 right
Star QB farewell | The Craig Bohl bowl
How angry is Alabama?| The fireworks in NOLA
Who wins the most likely Both Teams Really Care bowls?
Maybe they haven't bowled (or won a bowl) in a while. Maybe their stars are mostly returning and both of their fan bases have relatively short drives. Whatever the reason, we can usually identify some bowls that are more likely than others to have great atmospheres and motivated teams. We won't be limited to just five of them in the coming weeks, but these five bowls certainly check a lot of Potentially Great Bowl boxes.
Memphis Tigers vs. Iowa State Cyclones (AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Dec. 29, 3:30 p.m.)
Memphis is playing a home game, which certainly guarantees a certain level of atmosphere even if a couple of Tigers O-linemen have entered the portal. And after winning five of seven to finish the regular season, a pretty young ISU team has a chance to finish strong and build optimism for 2024.
Who rides a hot streak into the offseason?
We've got some winning streaks on the line.
No. 18 NC State Wolfpack vs. No. 25 Kansas State Wildcats (Pop-Tarts Bowl, Dec. 28, 5:45 p.m.)
There are basically two boxes left for Dave Doeren to check at NC State: win 10 games and win an ACC title. We'll see about the latter, but he's got a shot at the former in Orlando. The Wolfpack have won five in a row (including three against SP+ top-30 teams) to turn a forgettable, .500-ish season into something far more impressive. Now they face a Kansas State team that will be ushering in the Avery Johnson era -- with starting QB Will Howard in the portal, it's officially the blue-chip freshman's show. Doeren or Chris Klieman: Who eats a giant Pop-Tart late on Dec. 28??
No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 14 Arizona Wildcats (Valero Alamo Bowl, Dec. 28, 9:15 p.m.)
After suffering through its first sub-.500 season of the 21st century in 2022, Oklahoma rebounded nicely, going 10-2 with a win over Texas and losses by a combined eight points. But that pales in comparison to what's been going on in Tucson.
Arizona jumped from 1-11 to 5-7 in Jedd Fisch's first season, and after a 3-3 start in 2023, the Wildcats have won six straight and now have a shot at their first 10-win season in nine years (and only second in 25). OU's offense has been hit reasonably hard by transfers -- namely, quarterback Dillon Gabriel -- and we'll see who else might opt out over the next two weeks. But the stakes are high for Arizona regardless.
No. 22 Clemson Tigers vs. Kentucky Wildcats (TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Dec. 29, 12 p.m.)
Clemson has lost at least three defensive starters to opt-outs. That might slightly tamp down the momentum from the Tigers' 4-0 November. Or maybe that just feeds into Dabo Swinney's "Buy Clemson stock right now" vibe.
Kentucky's stock is a smidgen higher after a season-ending upset of Louisville, but the Wildcats still head into bowl season having lost five of seven.
Former Oregon State wide receiver Chad Johnson recalls his team's 2001 Fiesta Bowl victory vs. Notre Dame.
For some, the bowl is the first game of the 2024 season. Who starts 1-0?
Do waves of opt-outs deprive bowl season of some star power? Sure. But if we're spinning that positively -- we'll say that this also gives us a first look at the players who might be replacing stars next year! Some teams really do end up treating these games like the first one of next season. And the list of those teams is pretty long.
No. 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 19 Oregon State Beavers (Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, Dec. 29, 2 p.m.)
There's always a good crowd at the Sun Bowl, and if nothing else this matchup will give non-Notre Dame fans a fun reminder of the 2001 Fiesta Bowl.
That's good because you're going to be watching a lot of 2023 backups. OSU's dealing with an exodus on both sides of the ball following coach Jonathan Smith's departure for Michigan State, and Notre Dame's passing game got hit hard by portal entries and quarterback Sam Hartman's opt-out.
No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 9 Missouri Tigers (Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Dec. 29, 8 p.m.)
If this were a full-strength vs. full-strength matchup, Ohio State would likely be about a nine-point favorite. Instead, the line has moved to Missouri -2 or -3 because while the Tigers are almost full strength for their first major bowl in a decade, the Buckeyes are not. Quarterback Kyle McCord, running back Miyan Williams and receiver Julian Fleming are definitely out, and the status for plenty of others is up in the air.
No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels (Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Dec. 30, 12 p.m.)
These two teams are both mostly intact -- PSU end Chop Robinson is for now the only major opt-out -- but this one's huge for narrative purposes. Penn State has won 21 games in a row against teams not named Michigan or Ohio State. With a number of potential star juniors, 2024 will be a huge season for the Nittany Lions. The same goes for Ole Miss, with losses only to Alabama and Georgia this season. Either or both of these teams should see playoff expectations with next year's expanded CFP.
Auburn Tigers vs. Maryland Terrapins (TransPerfect Music City Bowl, Dec. 30, 2 p.m.)
Another Narratives Bowl. Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa should play, though star corner Tarheeb Still opted out. But the focus here is on an Auburn team that rode a roller coaster to 6-6, finishing the year with a blowout loss to NMSU and heartbreaking loss to Alabama. The Tigers head into 2024 an absolute mystery. But 7-6 still looks a lot better than 6-7.
No. 5 Florida State Seminoles vs. No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs (Capital One Orange Bowl, Dec. 30, 4 p.m.)
The official list of opt-outs is still pretty small for this one. That will likely change, perhaps significantly. You're definitely watching this one to check out who might take star turns in 2024.
No. 13 LSU Tigers vs. Wisconsin Badgers (ReliaQuest Bowl, Jan. 1, 12 p.m.)
The Wisconsin skill corps has been hit hard by both opt-outs (RB Braelon Allen) and transfers, but we're still waiting to find out about LSU's Heisman winner Jayden Daniels and star receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas. It would be a welcome surprise if any of them played.
Can the star QB go out with a W?
Drake Maye and Caleb Williams aren't playing. Neither is Jayden Daniels. But we still get to say goodbye to a star signal-caller on Jan. 1.
No. 8 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 23 Liberty Flames (Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 1, 1 p.m.)
After narrowly missing a CFP bid with a pair of gut-wrenching losses to Washington, Oregon will have to face a supremely motivated and efficient Liberty team without center Jackson Powers-Johnson and running back Bucky Irving, at the very least. We'll see who else opts out, but at the moment, quarterback (and Heisman finalist) Bo Nix has not. Nix vs. Kaidon Salter would be one of the best QB matchups of the bowl season.
Can Wyoming win one for Craig Bohl?
Toledo Rockets vs. Wyoming Cowboys (Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl, Dec. 30, 4:30 p.m.)
He was the architect of North Dakota State's FCS dynasty, and after 10 seasons in Laramie, he's also the all-time winningest Cowboys coach. His unique, Hall of Fame-worthy career will come to an end after the Arizona Bowl, and Wyoming is listed as a slight favorite over a very talented Toledo team that will presumably be missing quarterback Dequan Finn (who recently entered the transfer portal).
Can Michigan counter an angry Alabama?
No. 1 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (CFP semifinal at the Rose Bowl presented by Prudential, Jan. 1, 5 p.m.)
What's the opposite of rat poison? Nick Saban always starts complaining when coverage is too positive and when people start expecting too much of his team. But now he's been able to feed off of a unique amount of negativity with the reaction by some (who will remain nameless) to Alabama's playoff inclusion over an unbeaten Florida State. History suggests that means we'll see a particularly strong and motivated version of Alabama in Pasadena. Combined with the fact that their last performance -- an SEC championship win over Georgia -- was their best of the season, that could be a pretty scary thing.
Michigan has been the most consistently dominant team of 2023, showing as much upside as required and grinding teams to dust with great line play and efficiency. But the Rose Bowl might be determined by just how much upside Michigan can deploy. Big plays haven't been a major feature for the Wolverines' offense; they might have to show up now.
Who wins a playoff fireworks show in New Orleans?
No. 2 Washington Huskies vs. No. 3 Texas Longhorns (CFP semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m.)
In his two years as Texas' starting quarterback, Quinn Ewers has produced a Total QBR of higher than 90 in five games. One was against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship. Three others were against either Alabama (twice) or Red River rival Oklahoma (once). He's been at his absolute best in the biggest games he's played, and the Sugar Bowl against Washington will be the biggest yet.
Big Game Quinn, meet Big Game Mike. Washington's Michael Penix Jr. has played five games against ranked opponents this season. He produced a Total QBR of 88.5 in them and threw for at least 300 yards three times. In the fourth quarter of these games, he completed 69% of his passes with two touchdowns, no interceptions and only one sack. The better Penix and his receivers have had to be, the better they've been.
Texas' run defense and Washington's secondary are both strong, but signs point to a Sugar Bowl track meet. Who does that favor?