By: Joseph Czikk, The Eastern Door
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It’s that time again. The eggnog will be flowing, the Christmas classics are on TV and annoying family visit too often. But there’s one thing that can save you: the abundance of college football on TV.
Here’s The Eastern Door’s holiday guide to college football. Our categories for each game range are “Lol this will be awful,” “Meh. Sure,” “Watch this,” and “Definitely watch. Ignore everything around you.”
Tuesday, December 20:
7:00 p.m. – Boca Raton Bowl – Memphis – #15 WKU, ESPN, WatchESPN: Watch this.
Hilltoppers’ receiver Taywan Taylor earned 1,586 yards and 16 TDs. Alabama coach Nick Saban called him as good as any receiver Alabama faced this season.
Friday, December 23:
4:30 p.m. – Armed Forces Bowl – Louisiana Tech – #25 Navy, ESPN, WatchESPN: Watch this.
Navy beat then-No. 6 Houston and rival Notre Dame this year. LA Tech receiver Carlos Henderson is a real threat with 17 TDs this year.
Monday, December 26:
11 a.m. – St. Petersburg Bowl – Miss. State – Miami (Ohio) ESPN, WatchESPN: Lol this will be awful.
Miami became the first team in college football history to finish a regular season 6-6 after losing its first six games. Mississippi State’s coach looks like Cousin Eddy from Christmas Vacation.
5:00 p.m. – Independence Bowl – NC State – Vanderbilt, ESPN2, WatchESPN: Meh, sure.
How NC State let a win against goliath Clemson slip away is still unknown.
Tuesday, December 27:
7:00 p.m. – Holiday Bowl – Minnesota – Wash. State ESPN, WatchESPN: Watch this.
Washington State receiver Gabe Marks finishes his career with the Pac-12 receptions record (312) and will likely get a look in the NFL.
10:15 p.m. – Cactus Bowl – Baylor – Boise State, ESPN, WatchESPN: Meh. Sure.
Boise State running back Jeremy McNichols led the FBS with 23 rushing TDs this year. Baylor is a total mess after the whole Art Briles-sexual assault scandal.
Wednesday, December 28:
5:30 p.m. – Russell Athletic Bowl – Miami – #16 West Virginia ESPN, WatchESPN: Watch this.
Miami’s Brad Kaaya can turn it on or get booed. West Virginia won 10 games for the first time in five years of Big 12 play.
8:30 p.m. – Foster Farms Bowl – Indiana – #19 Utah, Fox, Fox Sports Go: Watch this.
Utah was both magnificent and lacklustre. Rusher Joe Williams racked up 1,110 yards over five games.
9:00 p.m. – Texas Bowl – Kansas State – Texas A&M, ESPN, WatchESPN: Watch this.
Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight plays with a fantastic offense. Obvious NFL draft pick Myles Garrett plays his last game for the Aggies.
Thursday, December 29:
5:30 p.m. – Belk Bowl – Arkansas – #22 Virginia Tech, ESPN, WatchESPN: Watch this.
A battle of two exciting quarterbacks in Arkansas’ Austin Allen and V-Tech’s Jerod Evans.
9:00 p.m. – Alamo Bowl – #10 Colorado – #12 OK State ESPN, WatchESPN: Watch this.
Colorado hasn’t played in a bowl game since 2007. Oklahoma State’s coach has an actual mullet.
Friday, December 30:
2:00 p.m. – Sun Bowl – North Carolina – #18 Stanford, CBS, CBSSports.com: Watch this.
UNC beat Florida State this year for a huge win. Stanford had high hopes, disappointed, then won five straight to finish the season.
3:30 p.m. – Music City Bowl – Nebraska – #21 Tennessee, ESPN, WatchESPN: Watch this.
Tennessee beat Florida for the first time in a decade this year, then lost to Vanderbilt. Enough said.
8:00 p.m. – Orange Bowl – #11 FSU – #6 Michigan, ESPN, WatchESPN: Definitely watch this and ignore everything around you.
Michigan narrowly lost a spot in the College Football playoff. Florida State freshman quarterback Deondre Francois will be a Heisman candidate one day.
Saturday, December 31:
11:00 a.m. – Citrus Bowl – #13 Louisville – #20 LSU ABC, WatchESPN: Definitely watch this and ignore everything around you.
Louisville’s Heisman trophy-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson takes on a highly-motivated LSU squad that surged in the late season under new coach Ed Orgeron.
3:00 p.m. – Peach Bowl: CFP Semi – #1 Alabama – #4 Washington, ESPN, WatchESPN: Definitely watch this and ignore everything around you.
Undefeated Alabama takes on upstart Washington. Give this one to Alabama’s impenetrable defense and young, freak quarterback Jalen Hurts.
7:00 p.m. – Fiesta Bowl: CFP Semi – #2 Clemson – #3 Ohio State, ESPN, WatchESPN: Definitely watch this and ignore everything around you.
Undoubtedly the game everyone will be watching. Clemson, a finalist in last year’s championship, squares off against Ohio State, the champions from two years ago.
Monday, January 2:
1:00 p.m. – Outback Bowl – #17 Florida – Iowa ABC, WatchESPN: Meh. Sure.
Florida upset LSU in Baton Rouge but lost to Tennessee and Arkansas. Iowa upset Michigan but lost to North Dakota State. College football is weird.
1:00 p.m. – Cotton Bowl – #15 WMU – #8 Wisconsin ESPN, WatchESPN: Watch this.
Western Michigan never lost a game this year. Wisconsin’s great defense is led by JJ Watt’s little brother T.J.
5:00 p.m. – Rose Bowl – #5 Penn State – #9 USC ESPN, WatchESPN: Definitely watch this and ignore everything around you.
Penn State beat Ohio State and then won the Big Ten championship, but couldn’t make the top four. Both teams are very motivated.
8:30 p.m. – Sugar Bowl – #14 Auburn – #7 Oklahoma, ESPN, WatchESPN: Watch this.
Oklahoma scores at will, but the Sooners play a “defense optional” type of game.
Monday, January 9:
8:00 p.m. – National Championship – Definitely watch this and ignore everything around you.
The winners of the two CFP semis face off for the culmination of college football. We predict Alabama beats Clemson.
