Dec 2, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA;  Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) throws a pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the third quarter of the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Florida State-Georgia in Orange Bowl highlights non-CFP bowl games

Undefeated ACC champion Florida State and two-time national champion Georgia will face off in the Orange Bowl in the biggest showdown of the non-playoff New Year’s Six bowl matchups, announced Sunday.

The Orange Bowl will pit No. 5 Florida State against No. 6 Georgia on Dec. 30 in Miami Gardens, Fla. The 13-0 Seminoles, who feel they were snubbed from a top-four spot by the College Football Playoff selection committee, will settle for the traditional destination of the ACC champion.

Georgia dropped from No. 1 to No. 6 after a wild weekend saw the Bulldogs lose the SEC championship game 27-24 to Alabama. At 12-1, the Bulldogs fell behind not only the Crimson Tide but also No. 3 Texas and the Seminoles.

On Jan. 1, No. 1 Michigan will face No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl in one CFP semifinal, and No. 2 Washington will play No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl for the other.

In other New Year’s Six bowl game action:

–Ohio State will meet Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29. The Buckeyes’ only loss came in their regular-season finale against current No. 1 Michigan. That knocked Ohio State out of the running for the Big Ten championship game. Missouri went 10-2 in its first double-digit-win season since 2014.

–Penn State will face Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30. The third Big Ten-SEC matchup of the New Year’s Six, this game pits two 10-2 teams that fell short of making their respective conference title games.

–Oregon will face Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1. The Ducks’ two losses both came by three points to Washington, the latter time in the Pac-12 title game. They’ll face undefeated Liberty, which is playing in its first New Year’s Six bowl game in program history. The 13-0 Flames earned the Group of Five conferences’ automatic New Year’s Six bid after Tulane lost to SMU in the American Athletic Conference title game.

The full schedule of bowl games is as follows:

Dec. 16
–Myrtle Beach Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Ohio
–New Orleans Bowl: Louisiana vs. Jacksonville State
–Cure Bowl: Appalachian State vs. Miami (Ohio)
–New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico State vs. Fresno State
–LA Bowl: Boise State vs. UCLA
–Independence Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Cal

Dec. 18
–Famous Toastery Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion

Dec. 19
–Frisco Bowl: Marshall vs. UTSA

Dec. 21
–Boca Raton Bowl: South Florida vs. Syracuse

Dec. 22
–Gasparilla Bowl: UCF vs. Duke

Dec. 23
–Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Troy
–Camellia Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois
–Armed Forces Bowl: James Madison vs. Air Force
–Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Utah State vs. Georgia State
–68 Ventures Bowl: South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan
–Las Vegas Bowl: Northwestern vs. Utah
–Hawaii Bowl: San Jose State vs. Coastal Carolina

Dec. 26
–Quick Lane Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Minnesota
–First Responder Bowl: Texas State vs. Rice
–Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas vs. UNLV

Dec. 27
–Military Bowl: Tulane vs. Virginia Tech
–Duke’s Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia
–Holiday Bowl: Louisville vs. Southern California
–Texas Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M

Dec. 28
–Fenway Bowl: SMU vs. Boston College
–Pinstripe Bowl: Miami vs. Rutgers
–Pop-Tarts Bowl: NC State vs. Kansas State
–Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Arizona

Dec. 29
–Gator Bowl: Clemson vs. Kentucky
–Sun Bowl: Oregon State vs. Notre Dame
–Liberty Bowl: Iowa State vs. Memphis
–Cotton Bowl: Ohio State vs. Missouri

Dec. 30:
–Peach Bowl: Penn State vs. Ole Miss
–Music City Bowl: Auburn vs. Maryland
–Orange Bowl: Florida State vs. Georgia
–Arizona Bowl: Toledo vs. Wyoming

Jan. 1
–ReliaQuest Bowl: LSU vs. Wisconsin
–Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. Tennessee
–Fiesta Bowl: Oregon vs. Liberty
–Rose Bowl: Michigan vs. Alabama (CFP semifinal)
–Sugar Bowl: Washington vs. Texas (CFP semifinal)

–Field Level Media

December 3, 2021; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Utes helmet pictured with rose following the victory against the Oregon Ducks in the 2021 Pac-12 Championship Game at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Bowl season set with matchups for all 84 teams

Following the revelation that the College Football Playoff would feature Alabama, Michigan, Georgia and Cincinnati, the remaining slate of bowl games was filled out Sunday afternoon with a total of 84 teams learning their destinations.

The New Year’s Six bowls will begin Dec. 30 when ACC champion Pitt faces at-large Michigan State in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

After the CFP semifinal games on New Year’s Eve, Jan. 1 features three more major matchups: Big Ten champ Ohio State against Pac-12 champ Utah in the Rose Bowl; Big 12 champ Baylor against at-large Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl; and at-larges Notre Dame and Oklahoma State squaring off in the Fiesta Bowl.

The rest of the bowl slate features some intriguing matchups, including regional rivals North Carolina and South Carolina descending on Charlotte, N.C., for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, and an Alamo Bowl that pits Oregon and Oklahoma.

The full schedule and list of matchups is below. All times Eastern.

Dec. 17

Bahamas Bowl
Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo, Noon.

Tailgreeter Cure Bowl
Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina, 6 p.m.

Dec. 18

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
Western Kentucky vs. Appalachian State, 11 a.m.

PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl
UTEP vs. Fresno State, 2:15 p.m.

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
UAB vs. BYU, 3:30 p.m.

LendingTree Bowl
Eastern Michigan vs. Liberty, 5:45 p.m.

Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl
Utah State vs. Oregon State, 7:30 p.m.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Louisiana vs. Marshall, 9:15 p.m.

Dec. 20

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Old Dominion vs. Tulsa, 2:30 p.m.

Dec. 21

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Kent State vs. Wyoming, 3:30 p.m.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
UTSA vs. San Diego State, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 22

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Missouri vs. Army, 8 p.m.

Dec. 23

Frisco Football Classic
North Texas vs. Miami (OH), 3:30 p.m.

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
UCF vs. Florida, 7 p.m.

Dec. 24

EasyPost Hawaii Bowl
Memphis vs. Hawaii, 8 p.m.

Dec. 25

TaxAct Camellia Bowl
Georgia State vs. Ball State, 2:30 p.m.

Dec. 27

Quick Lane Bowl
Western Michigan vs. Nevada, 11 a.m.

Military Bowl
Boston College vs. East Carolina, 2:30 p.m.

Dec. 28

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Houston vs. Auburn, 12 p.m.

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Air Force vs. Louisville, 3:15 p.m.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Texas Tech, 6:45 p.m.

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
UCLA vs. NC State, 8 p.m.

Guaranteed Rate Bowl
West Virginia vs. Minnesota, 10:15 p.m.

Dec. 29

Wasabi Fenway Bowl
SMU vs. Virginia, 11 a.m.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Maryland vs. Virginia Tech, 2:15 p.m.

Cheez-It Bowl
Clemson vs. Iowa State, 5:45 p.m.

Valero Alamo Bowl
Oregon vs. Oklahoma, 9:15 p.m.

Dec. 30

Duke’s Mayo Bowl
North Carolina vs. South Carolina, 11:30 a.m.

TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Tennessee vs. Purdue, 3 p.m.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Wisconsin vs. Arizona State, 10:30 p.m.

Dec. 31

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Wake Forest vs. Texas A&M, 11 a.m.

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Washington State vs. Miami, 12:30 p.m.

Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Central Michigan vs. Boise State, 2 p.m.

CFP Semifinal — Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
No. 4 Cincinnati vs. No. 1 Alabama, 3:30 p.m.

CFP Semifinal — Capital One Orange Bowl
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Michigan, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 1

Outback Bowl
Penn State vs. Arkansas, Noon.

Vrbo Citrus Bowl
Iowa vs. Kentucky, 1 p.m.

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State, 1 p.m.

Rose Bowl Game
Ohio State vs. Utah, 5 p.m.

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Ole Miss vs. Baylor, 8:45 p.m.

Jan. 4

Texas Bowl
LSU vs. Kansas State, 9 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 10

CFP National Championship
Alabama or Cincinnati vs. Michigan or Georgia, 8 p.m.

–Field Level Media

Jul 15, 2021; Arlington, TX, USA;  The College Football playoff national championship trophy is displayed during Big 12 media days at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Bowl execs pitching for further inclusion in College Football Playoff

College football bowl executives have circulated a letter to hundreds of presidents, chancellors, athletic directors and football head coaches, requesting further inclusion in whatever form the new College Football Playoff (CFP) might take, according to ESPN, who obtained a copy of the letter.

The CFP management committee is planning to meet next week in Dallas to discuss possible expansion of the current four-team model.

The letter pushes for all games to be played at bowl sites.

“We believe any plan for an expanded playoff should include all playoff games being played within the traditional Bowl structure, not the home site of one of the participating teams,” the letter read. “The Bowls would provide a neutral, competitively fair setting for these games as they have throughout their history.

“To exclude Bowl games from any round of an expanded playoff would be harmful to Bowl Season, individual Bowls and their host communities, and post-season college football in general.”

No consensus on playoff format was reached after the commissioners of the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences joined with Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick to discuss format options in late September.

It was reported over the summer that a 12-team model — which would include first-round games on college campuses — had the highest favorability among power brokers in the sport, though the SEC’s subsequent move to add Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12 caused a pause from other leagues to re-examine all options.

The current format, with ESPN holding the media rights, is part of a 12-year deal that runs through the 2025-26 season.

CFP executive director Bill Hancock stressed that the group would not rush into any decisions.

“We have time,” Hancock said. “Because if the event is going to change before the end of the term, the end of the 12 years, we have three or four months. If it’s going to change in Year 13, then we have a couple of years.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 12, 2020; Pasadena, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Clay Helton watches from the sidelines wearing a face mask in the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

USC latest Pac-12 team to pass on bowl season

Southern California became the latest college football team to opt out of the upcoming bowl season in a decision that came following a recommendation from the program’s medical staff.

A number of Pac-12 Conference teams already have opted out of potential bowl games, citing concerns over the growing COVID-19 pandemic. The state of California currently has strict stay-at-home orders in place.

Players, coaches and athletic director Mike Bohn also participated in the decision to take a pass on an upcoming bowl game, the school announced. The USC men’s basketball program already is in a 14-day quarantine because of a positive COVID-19 test.

“They did everything we asked of them to abide by the challenging guidelines they had to follow to stay safe and well, whether it was daily testing or keeping distant from family and friends or training in less-than-ideal ways,” USC head coach Clay Helton said in a statement. “It has not been easy, and it is hard for anyone outside the program to understand how immensely difficult these past few months have been for them.”

USC was 5-0 during the pandemic-shortened season before falling to Oregon 31-24 in Friday night’s Pac-12 Conference championship game at Los Angeles. The Trojans were No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings and weren’t likely to have earned a top-four spot even if they won Friday’s game.

“We are a student-athlete-centered athletics program; thus we fully support the decision to opt out of a bowl game this year,” Bohn said in a statement. “The physical and mental health and the safety of our student-athletes is paramount, and this season has been unimaginably taxing on our players in particular. This will allow them to be with their families who they haven’t seen for a long time and begin preparing for their spring semester academics.”

Utah and Washington announced Friday they would not accept bowl-game bids. Washington’s COVID-19 issues forced it out of the Pac-12 championship game, giving Oregon its chance to face USC on Friday.

Multiple programs have referenced the strict isolation rules that have been in place for athletes since the summer as one reason for deciding to pass on one more football game.

Stanford, UCLA and Washington State had already announced they would skip out on bowl season even if they qualified for an extra game.

-Field Level Media

Nov 28, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies linebacker Sav'ell Smalls (17) and linebacker Zion Tupuola-Fetui (58) sack Utah Utes quarterback Jake Bentley (8) during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Pac-12 programs Utah, Washington skipping bowl season

Pac-12 programs Utah and Washington each announced Friday that it will not pursue opportunities to play in bowl games.

Washington cited medical reasons for its decision. The Huskies (3-1) had to pull out of Friday night’s Pac-12 title game due to being unable to field the required 53 scholarship players dues to COVID-19 issues within the program.

Utah (2-2) will conclude its season Saturday against Washington State. The school said the well-being of the players was the driving factor in its decision.

The Utes were unable to start their season until Nov. 21 due to COVID-19 issues.

“Our No. 1 priority is the well-being of our players, and we support the decision they have made,” Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement. “They have worked extremely hard since they returned to campus this summer, and they have shown tremendous resiliency in dealing with adversity and challenges.

“We’re proud of what they have accomplished on the field and the way they have handled everything off the field. We look forward to beginning our preparations for the 2021 season when the players return to campus in January.”

Washington coach Jimmy Lake said earlier this week that the team’s entire offensive line was unavailable this week.

“Our guys have given up so much this season,” Lake said in a statement on Friday. “I would like to thank them for how they have handled everything. I would also like to give special recognition to our seniors who poured so much into this program, we are so proud of them for everything they have accomplished on and off the field.”

Oregon replaced Washington as the opponent against Southern California in the Pac-12 title games.

Fellow Pac-12 programs Stanford, UCLA and Washington State previously announced they wouldn’t play in bowl games.

–Field Level Media

Mar 29, 2019; Albany , NY, USA; General view of a NCAA logo prior to an Albany regional semifinal game of the women's 2019 NCAA Tournament between the UCLA Bruins and the UConn Huskies at the Times Union Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

NCAA waives record requirement for 2020-21 bowls

Some sad-sack college football teams could play in bowl games this season thanks to a decision made Wednesday by the NCAA Division I Council.

All 127 Football Bowl Subdivision teams will be bowl-eligible under the one-time exception approved for the 2020-21 season, meaning even a winless program might head to a postseason destination.

The Division I Football Oversight Committee had proposed the exception that was approved Wednesday.

In prior years, teams needed at least six wins to be bowl-eligible, but with all teams playing shortened schedules due to the coronavirus pandemic, that threshold probably wouldn’t have left enough teams to fill out the 39 bowl games. There have been exceptions made previously, as in 2015 and 2016, when a total of five teams with 5-7 records advanced to bowl games.

“In keeping with the Division I membership’s desire to provide maximum flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council voted to allow as many student-athletes as possible the opportunity to participate in bowl games this year,” Division I council chair M. Grace Calhoun, the Penn athletic director, said in a statement. “The decision also provides some certainty for schools and coaches as we move toward the postseason.”

In addition on Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Council put forth a proposal allowing current student-athletes a one-time transfer without the need to sit out a season. The proposal reportedly would be voted on in January, and if it passes, it would take effect on Aug. 1, 2021.

Fall and winter sports athletes would have until May 1 to notify their schools of their intention of transferring, though an extension until July 1 would be afforded at those programs that change coaches after the season or if a scholarship wasn’t renewed. Spring sport athletes would face a July 1 notification deadline.

Student-athletes must maintain their academic eligibility in order to receive the transfer waiver.

–Field Level Media