2025-2026 College Football Bowl Games- Part 1

I will definitely need to do this in a few different entries.We are now in the second year of the 12 team playoff system and I will need to wait to see which playoff teams are playing each other in the larger Bowl games, so I will try to break this up and list the games in chronological order.

 

As always, like my NFL posts, these are not predictions, but the teams in Bold will be the ones I want to win each game. I truly do not have very strong rooting interests in these games, after all, my alma mater of Northern Illinois had a horrible season in their last year in the MAC conference, and are not going "bowling." I would much rather see an exciting, competitive game than simply "winning" a point that I will tally up at the end of all the games. The rankings I use for the Top 25 will be that of the Playoff Selection Committee.

For some reason, this year feels a little less "exciting." Perhaps that is because my interest as a fan of a particular professional team is very active this month. Also, the games that do not feature playoff teams seem to be more lacking in football gravitas now. Several teams that were eligible for Bowl games have chosen not to participate. At this time of year in college football, many coaches are on the move, players are entering the transfer portal, and others players, with the NFL Draft in mind, will often choose to sit out the "meaningless" Bowl games. I will not even begin to get into the story that developed this week regarding the Head Coach of Michigan who was abruptly fired yesterday and now finds himself in a jail cell, in what is a still somewhat mysterious situation that is probably all related.. Needless to say, he will not be coaching in the Citrus Bowl.

 

While some other teams have turned down Bowl invites, the only ranked one to do so, is the only truly major story in that regard. 

 

The #11 Notre Dame du Lac Fighting Irish are not going to a Bowl game for the first time since 2016, and only the third time in a period stretching over half a century. The team may have a legitimate gripe about just missing out on a playoff berth. After all, they were ranked ahead of a team that made it in, all the way to the final rankings last Sunday. The fact of the matter is though that they did lose to that particular team in Week 1, so they have themselves to blame. A lot of folks in the Chicago area like myself, would have still liked to see the Irish go to a Bowl game, where they could have taken out their frustration in order to "send a message" and blow out a lesser team.(It is doubtful they would have have had a real chance of winning the National Championship anyway.) They are big mad though and decided to not go to any Bowl game and focus instead on next season. Many fans of the team support this decision , but I think it was overly emotional and short-sighted. Ultimately, the fans of college football around the country will "suffer" more than anyone else, and years from now, the players might regret not having the experience of going to a Bowl game in 2025. They probably would have gotten the chance to cook and eat a live Pop Tart mascot.

 

So, in my personal view, this was a bad look for Notre Dame, who continues to compete as an Independent, and not part of any Conference, and thus hurting their chances for that to begin with. (The entire conference alignment is nuts from coast to coast, but that is another rant.) By taking their ball and going home, the university is acting like they are above the sport  America should have gotten the chance to see the 11th best team in the country play, and this will only hurt Notre Dame's reputation. I guess their was not enough time for Pope Leo (aka Bob from Chicagoland) to get them to reconsider.

 

Before Tuesday, I will make more time to run through some other games, but I will kick this off with the sole Division 1 Bowl game being played on Saturday. 

 

1. LA Bowl

Inglewood, CA

 

Boise State Broncos vs. Washington Huskies