Sunday, December 20, 2020

2020-2021 College Football Bowl Games

Needless to say, this has not been a "normal" year, but I will continue my tradition of listing all of the Bowl games, with the highlighted teams being the ones I want to win, even though I do not really have much of a rooting interest in these. I do tend to support "local" Northwestern and Notre Dame, who both had great seasons, despite losing yesterday on a big stage. My own alma mater, Northern Illinois, did not win a game this season, and might indeed have been the least talented team in all of Division 1, which harkens back to my early days as a student there.
 
Several months back, it did not look like there would even be college football this season, but all of the conferences eventually kicked off. Still, the virus cost many games and fans in the seats. This will carry over to Bowl season, as several of the dozens of games scheduled have been scrapped and eligible teams have opted out of going to Bowl games, such as the #17 Southern California Trojans. A recent development is that because of statewide attendance restrictions, the Rose Bowl, which will be a playoff semifinal game as well, is out of California and has been moved to Jerryworld in Texas. Will it be called the "Yellow Rose Bowl?"
 
A year from now, we can anticipate that the sports world, like everything else will feel like "normal" again, but until then, we move forward, grateful for the opportunity for entertainment and happy for the student athletes who are at least getting to play.
 
******In this post, I will also be editing to make note of the changes of teams and whatnot related to Covid dropouts*******

(to think Republicans, if Trump had dropped out due to Covid, Mike Pence... for better or worse..... would likely be about to start a four year term)
 
 
1. Myrtle Beach Bowl
Conway, SC
 
Appalachian State Mountaineers  vs. North Texas Mean Green

2. Potato Bowl
Boise, ID

Tulane Green Wave vs. Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack

3. Boca Raton Bowl
Boca Raton, FL

Central Florida Knights vs. # 16 Brigham Young Cougars

4. New Orleans Bowl
New Orleans, LA

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. Georgia Southern Eagles

5. Montgomery Bowl
Montgomery, AL

Memphis Tigers vs. Florida Atlantic Owls

6. New Mexico Bowl
Frisco, TX (yes, also in Texas, where they are more friendly to the virus than Blue States)

Hawai'i at Manoa Rainbow Warriors vs. Houston Cougars

7. Camellia Bowl
Montgomery, AL

Marshall Thundering Herd vs. State University of New York at Buffalo Bulls

8. Gasparilla Bowl
Tampa, FL

South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Alabama at Birmingham Blazers

9. Cure Bowl
Orlando, FL

Liberty Flames vs. # 12 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
 
10. First Responder Bowl
University Park, TX
 
# 19 Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns vs. Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners
 
11. LendingTree Bowl
Mobile, AL
 
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. Georgia State Panthers
 
12. Cheez-It Bowl
Orlando, FL
 
# 21 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. # 18 Miami Hurricanes
 
13. Alamo Bowl
San Antonio, TX
 
# 20 Texas at Austin Longhorns vs. Colorado at Boulder Buffaloes
 
14. Mayo Bowl
Charlotte, NC
 
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Wisconsin-Madison Badgers
 
15. Music City Bowl
Nashville, TN
 
# 15 Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Missouri Tigers

16. Cotton Bowl
Arlington, TX

# 6 Oklahoma Sooners vs. # 7 Florida Gators

17. Armed Forces Bowl
Fort Worth, TX

# 24 Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science Bulldogs

18. Arizona Bowl
Tucson, AZ

Ball State Cardinals vs. # 22 San Jose State Spartans
 
19. Liberty Bowl
Memphis, TN
 
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Tennessee, Knoxville Volunteers  United States Military Academy West Point Black Knights
 
20. Texas Bowl
Houston, TX
 
Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Texas Christian Horned Frogs
 
21. Peach Bowl
Atlanta, GA
 
# 8 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. # 9 Georgia Bulldogs
 
22. Citrus Bowl
Orlando, FL

Auburn Tigers vs. # 14 Northwestern Wildcats

23. Rose Bowl
Arlington, TX

# 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs.  # 4 Notre Dame du Lac Fighting Irish
 
24. Sugar Bowl
New Orleans, LA
 
# 2 Clemson Tigers vs. # 3 Ohio State Buckeyes
 
25. Gator Bowl
Jacksonville, FL
 
# 23 North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. Kentucky Wildcats
 
26. Outback Bowl
Tampa, FL
 
Mississippi Rebels vs. # 11 Indiana Bloomington Hoosiers
 
27. Fiesta Bowl
Glendale, AZ
 
# 25 Oregon Ducks vs. # 10 Iowa State University of Science and Technology Cyclones  
 
28. Orange Bowl
Miami Gardens, FL
 
# 5 Texas A&M Aggies vs. # 13 North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels
 
29. National Championship
Miami Gardens, FL
 
Rose Bowl Winner vs. Sugar Bowl Winner
 
Notre Dame over Clemson
Notre Dame over Ohio State
Clemson over Alabama
Ohio State over Alabama