Introduction
As a public service -- to American college football enthusiasts -- this article lists the forty-two (count 'em, forty-two) college football bowl games, from 12/16/2023 to 1/1/2024. The national championship game, on 1/8/2024, makes 43 total games. (This is the fourteenth article, under the “sports” topic section.)
This may become an annual public service. I'm reminded of my article, on 12/10/2022, titled “2022 - 2023 College Football Bowl Games: List and Commentary.” I still think that ten bowl games are enough! Those ten games are emboldened.
2023 - 2024 College Bowl Games
The source, for this list, is “2023-24 college football bowl game schedule, scores, TV channels, times,” on NCAA.com (as updated on 12/8/2023). Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams, in bold underline, are in nine games, down from eleven last year.
The ranked teams, in the list, are from the final College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, of 12/3/2023. (Source: “College Football Playoff Selection Committee Announces Final Top 25 Rankings of 2023,” on College Football Playoff, 12/3/2023.)
The following is my redacted and easier to read list of bowl games, based on the NCAA list (as referenced previously). Warning! Your eyes will glaze over, and your mind will start turning to mush, if you read through the entire list! I'd suggest that you only glance through it. I'll have a few pithy comments, after the list.
Saturday, Dec. 16 (7 games)
-- Myrtle Beach Bowl (Conway, SC): Georgia Southern vs. Ohio (11 AM, ESPN)
-- Celebration Bowl (Atlanta, GA): Florida A&M vs. Howard (12 PM, ABC)
-- New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans, LA): Jacksonville State vs. Louisiana (2:15 PM, ESPN)
-- Cure Bowl (Orlando, FL): Miami (Ohio) vs. Appalachian State (3:30 PM, ABC)
-- New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, NM): Fresno State vs. New Mexico State (5:45 PM, ESPN)
-- LA Bowl (Inglewood, CA): UCLA vs. Boise State (7:30 PM, ABC)
-- Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA): Texas Tech vs. Cal (9:15 PM, ESPN)
Monday, Dec. 18 (1 game)
-- Bahamas Bowl (but renamed temporarily the Famous Toastery Bowl) in Nassau, Bahamas (but relocated temporarily to Charlotte, NC): Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion (2:30 PM, ESPN)
Tuesday, Dec. 19 (1 game)
-- Frisco Bowl (Frisco, TX): Marshall vs. UTSA (9 PM, ESPN)
Thursday, Dec. 21 (1 game)
-- Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, FL): USF vs. Syracuse (8 PM, ESPN)
Friday, Dec. 22 (1 game)
-- Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, FL): Georgia Tech vs. UCF (6:30 PM, ESPN)
Saturday, Dec. 23 (7 games)
-- Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham, AL): Troy vs. Duke (12 PM, ABC)
-- Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, AL): Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois (12 PM, ESPN)
-- Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, TX): Air Force vs. James Madison (3:30 PM, ABC)
-- Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, ID): Georgia State vs. Utah State (3:30 PM, ESPN)
-- 68 Ventures Bowl (Mobile, AL): Eastern Michigan vs. South Alabama (7 PM, ESPN)
-- Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas, NV): Northwestern vs. Utah (7:30 PM, ABC)
-- Hawai'i Bowl (Honolulu, HI): San Jose State vs. Coastal Carolina (10:30 PM, ESPN)
Tuesday, Dec. 26 (3 games)
-- Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit, MI): Bowling Green vs. Minnesota (2 PM, ESPN)
-- First Responder Bowl (Dallas, TX): Texas State vs. Rice (5:30 PM, ESPN)
-- Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Phoenix, AZ): Kansas vs. UNLV (9 PM, ESPN)
Wednesday, Dec. 27 (4 games, 1 SEC team)
-- Military Bowl (Annapolis, MD): Tulane vs. Virginia Tech (2 PM, ESPN)
-- Duke's Mayo Bowl (Charlotte, NC): North Carolina vs. West Virginia (5:30 PM, ESPN)
-- Holiday Bowl (San Diego, CA): #15 Louisville vs. Southern Cal (8 PM ET, FOX)
-- Texas Bowl (Houston, TX): #20 Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M (9 PM, ESPN)
Thursday, Dec. 28 (4 games)
-- Fenway Bowl (Boston, MA): #24 SMU vs. Boston College (11 AM., ESPN)
-- Pinstripe Bowl (Bronx, NY): Rutgers vs. Miami (Fla.) (2:15 PM, ESPN)
-- Pop-Tarts Bowl (Orlando, FL): #18 NC State vs. #25 Kansas State (5:45 PM, ESPN)
-- Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, TX): #12 Oklahoma vs. #14 Arizona (9:15 PM, ESPN)
Friday, Dec. 29 (4 games, 2 SEC teams)
-- Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, FL): #22 Clemson vs. Kentucky (12 PM, ESPN)
-- Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (El Paso, TX): #16 Notre Dame vs. #19 Oregon State (2 PM, CBS)
-- Liberty Bowl (Memphis, TN): Memphis vs. Iowa State (3:30 PM, ESPN)
-- Cotton Bowl (Dallas, TX): #7 Ohio State vs. #9 Missouri (8 PM, ESPN)
Saturday, Dec. 30 (4 games, 3 SEC teams)
-- Peach Bowl (Atlanta, GA): #10 Penn State vs. #11 Ole Miss (12 PM, ESPN)
-- Music City Bowl (Nashville, TN): Auburn vs. Maryland (2 PM, ABC)
-- Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, FL): #5 Florida State vs. #6 Georgia (4 PM, ESPN)
-- Arizona Bowl (Tucson, AZ): Wyoming vs. Toledo (4:30 PM, Barstool)
Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 (5 games, 3 SEC teams)
-- ReliaQuest Bowl (Tampa, FL): #13 LSU vs. Wisconsin (12 PM, ESPN2)
-- Citrus Bowl (Orlando, FL): #17 Iowa vs. #21 Tennessee (1 PM, ABC)
-- Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, AZ): #8 Oregon vs. #23 Liberty (1 PM, ESPN)
-- College Football Playoff Semifinal, Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA): #1 Michigan vs. #4 Alabama (5 PM, ESPN)
-- College Football Playoff Semifinal, Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA): #2 Washington vs. #3 Texas (8:45 PM, ESPN)
Monday, Jan. 8, 2024
College Football Playoff National Championship Game (Houston, TX): winners of the semifinal games (7:30 PM, ESPN)
The ten bowl games that are sufficient are the Gator Bowl, Sun Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, Orange Bowl, Citrus Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. The list is chronological, by when each bowl game is played this year.
Thus, thirty-two bowl games can, well, just flush down the toilet bowl. Of course, it's all about the money and following the money. Lackluster teams, several with 6-6 records, that don't deserve bowl appearances are awarded bowl games. It's similar to giving medals to children, for simply competing, even if they don't finish in first, second, or third place. See, if interested, “College Football Win-Loss Records & Trends,” 2023-2024 season, on TeamRankings (undated, no author listed).
Let's do a little basic mathematics. Research indicates that the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) is composed of eleven conferences and includes 128 teams. Since there are 42 bowl games (not factoring the National Championship Game), then 84 teams are in those games. Thus, almost two-thirds, or 65.6%, of the 128 FBS teams are in bowl games. Only forty-four teams are excluded. Again, I say that ten bowl games are sufficient! Let the FBS top 20 teams, the top 15.6%, compete in ten bowl games!
Stepping off my soapbox and onto a humorous note, the Bahamas Bowl (on Monday, 12/18/2023) is renamed temporarily the Famous Toastery Bowl. This year, the game will not be played in the Bahamas. It is relocated temporarily to Charlotte, North Carolina! I didn't know that the Bahamas were in North Carolina. Apparently, the stadium, in Nassau, Bahamas, has an “out of order” sign on it.
I call it the Rat's Mouth Bowl. I'm referring to the “Boca Raton Bowl” (on Thursday, 12/21/2023). The name of the city, Boca Raton, Florida, “. . . comes from boca de ratones, a Spanish term meaning 'rat’s mouth' that appeared on early maps and referred to hidden sharp-pointed rocks that gnawed or fretted ships’ cables.” (Source: “Boca Raton, Florida, United States,” on Britannica, last updated 11/23/2023.) I hope that the University of South Florida (USF) and Syracuse enjoy playing, in the Rat's Mouth Bowl.
The Sun Bowl (on Friday, 12/29/2023) should just drop that Tony the Tiger part. If not, I may drop it, from my list of ten bowl games.
Finally, I figured out, this year, that the Arizona Bowl (on Saturday, 12/30/2023) is not televised from a literal barstool. No, in fact, Barstool Sports is a real online entity, apparently. (I had to do the research.)
12/2/2023 SEC Championship Game
We have two good neighbors, whose first names are Chuck. One is an Alabama fan. Another neighbor has nicknamed him “Alabama.” This “Alabama” Chuck is mentioned favorably, in the articles of 10/22/2022 and 12/1/2023. I saw Chuck a couple of days ago. I shook his hand and said, “Good win.” He was polite and gracious. The teams were matched evenly. The game could have gone either way. I despise Alabama. I like our neighbor, Chuck.
On 12/2/2023, Georgia's SEC Championship Game loss, 24-27, to #8 Alabama did not surprise me. I knew that it would be a close game. That was my only sad Saturday, this season. Tennessee Vols (10-4) fans had four sad Saturdays. Two were expected (losses to Alabama and Georgia), and two were not (losses to Florida and Missouri). Georgia's mistakes and inability to throttle Alabama's running lost the game, by three points. Georgia's missed field goal, which bounced the right upright out, instead of in, was a key factor. The Dawgs' fumble, near their end zone gave Alabama a field goal. That was another key factor.
I plan, Lord willing, to watch the Orange Bowl game, on Saturday, 12/30/2023, at 4 PM, on ESPN. The #6 Georgia Bulldogs face the #5 Florida State Seminoles. Go Dawgs!
On Monday, New Year's Day, I hope to watch the Citrus Bowl game, at 1 PM, on ABC. The #17 Iowa Hawkeyes take on the #21 Tennessee Vols. Go Vols!
Conclusion
Well, yesterday, Army beat Navy, 17-11. I watched a few minutes of the game, after I'd gotten another Tony's Best Clips haircut, gone to the Tractor Supply, and filled my truck with gas. The weather was rainy, like today.
Georgia's loss to Alabama knocked them out of a potential third national championship, in a row. Georgia won national championship titles, the last two years!
Next season, the College Football Playoffs will include a 12-team bracket, expanding the current four-team bracket. The top four teams will receive a first-round bye to the quarterfinals. The six highest-ranked conference champions will get automatic bids. The remaining 7th to 12th ranked teams will round out the 12-team format. (Sources: “College Football Playoff Expands to 12 Teams Beginning in 2024,” on College Football Playoff, 12/1/2022 and “How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work: Teams, schedule, bids,” on NCAA.com, by Maya Ellison, 12/3/2023.)
Oklahoma and Texas will join the Southeastern Conference, in 2025. (Source: “SEC grants membership to Oklahoma, Texas starting in 2025,” on SEC Network, 7/30/2021.) The SEC started with ten teams. Arkansas, not in the southeast, and South Carolina joined, in 1991. Missouri and Texas A&M, neither in the southeast, joined, in 2012, making fourteen teams. Oklahoma and Texas will make sixteen teams (eight in the two divisions).
I thought that southeastern meant southeastern. I'll end this article with four questions.
Geographically, how are Arkansas, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Texas in the southeast? If not, what could we rename the conference? How about the Sun-Earth Conference? That name would fit -- for any college football team that is on the earth and under the sun!
This article calls on the Southeastern Conference to rename itself the Sun-Earth Conference. What say you?
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