Is this what we want football to be? No. 1 Indiana hosting massive underdog Alabama in the Rose Bowl? Anthropomorphic Pop-Tarts reenacting the first season of Prison Break while a confused but cheerful group of Mormons looks on? A 5-7 App State getting a second shot at its biggest rival because Auburn was scared of the Birmingham Bowl? Keegan-Michael Key passing out an enormous bowl of baked beans to Louisville players?

Some people think college football has lost what made it special. I think they’re just not paying close enough attention.

A playful riff on the New Year’s Classic Auld Lang Syne, this song from Annalise Emerick’s 2011 Starry Eyed EP feels like the right fit for the end of bowl season and beginning of a new year.

Eat your black-eyed peas, we’re going to need all the luck and prosperity we can get in 2026. If you don’t want to go the traditional route, try this Black-Eyed Pea Tikka recipe from Maneet Chauhan.

Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs No. 10 Miami (7:30 pm, ESPN)

I’m going to keep saying this until it comes true – Carson Beck is going to throw one of the funniest interceptions you’ve ever seen at some point in this game, and Miami might win anyway. Even though the Hurricanes’ season tapered off, they were seen as the strongest contender to stop an Ohio State title repeat for much of the season, and Mario Cristobal’s team has enough high-end talent to match up with the Buckeyes.

Both teams run their offense at a glacial pace (Ohio State is second nationally in seconds per snap, while Miami ranks ninth), meaning we could see just ten or so possessions per team – something that typically favors the underdog. The Buckeyes hold the edge in most advanced metrics, but all it takes is two or three special plays by Malachi Toney or Rueben Bain Jr. to flip the field in favor of the Hurricanes.

Prediction: Caleb Downs solidifies his status as the best safety in the country with an interception to seal a two-score win for Ohio State

Orange Bowl: No. 4 Texas Tech vs No. 5 Oregon (Noon, ESPN)

Honestly, this has my vote for most intriguing matchup of the postseason. Plenty of headlines have been written about the money each program has spent to bring in talented rosters, but enough has been said about just how smartly the Ducks and Red Raiders spent that money. Rather than, say, laying out upwards of $4 million for Carson Beck, they built around the lines and brought in dynamic players who affect the game on both sides of the ball.

Texas Tech has one of the most terrifying defenses you will see all year, but it comes with a caveat. As great as David Bailey and Jacob Rodriguez are, the Red Raiders have faced just one top-15 offense all year, and only two in the top 40. There’s a chance that Dante Moore and the Ducks are just at another level from what they’ve seen, and we still aren’t sure that Tech has the offense to get back into a game it can’t control from the start.

Prediction: Oregon gets up by a score early and is able to hold the Red Raiders at arms length in a game that isn’t as close as the final score suggests

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Indiana vs No. 9 Alabama (4 pm, ESPN)

Indiana is so much better than Alabama on both sides of the ball (that sentence still feels strange to type) that it almost isn’t worth breaking down the practical ways the Tide could win. This is more of a vibes thing, but we still haven’t seen the moment get too big for this Indiana team – and playing in the school’s first Rose Bowl trip in 58 years against the still-preeminent program in the country could be where that happens. Fernando Mendoza’s late-game heroics glossed over struggles to start the Iowa and Penn State games, and Alabama is every bit as adept at managing the chaos of a close game late. If it’s going to unravel for Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers, it almost feels like this is the more likely stumbling block than a semifinal or championship rematch against Oregon or Ohio State.

Alternatively, Ty Simpson might be fundamentally broken after a hot run in the middle of the season, and Alabama cannot run the ball at all. Indiana really could win by 30.

Prediction: The Tide jump on an early turnover and go up by 17 before slowly bleeding the game away, Mendoz leads a late drive to set up an Indiana win

Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs No. 6 Ole Miss (8 pm, ESPN)

Ignore the Lane stuff, if the broadcast lets you, because the first game between these two teams was an absolute blast. Georgia literally could not stop the Rebel offense, giving up touchdowns on the first five possessions, before putting the clamps on Trinidad Chambliss in the fourth quarter and grinding out a 43-35 victory in Athens.

It would be a massive understatement to say that the Bulldog defense has improved since then – over the last four games, Georgia is giving up just 7.3 points per game and allowing a 33% success rate (roughly the equivalent of turning every opposition offense into UMass). An Ole Miss win requires getting Gunner Stockton off schedule, and not letting the Georgia defense line up and rush Chambliss in disadvantageous situations.

Prediction: After a low-scoring first half, Georgia cruises to a three-score win

Independence Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs Louisiana Tech (2 pm, ESPN)

While the reshuffling of conference affiliations in these games has mostly produced better matchups, it really is a shame that the Independence Bowl is no longer reserved for the most mediocre eligible team from the SEC. The “You’re going to Shreveport! 👏  👏  👏👏👏” chants will be missed.

Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs Illinois (5:30 pm, ESPN)

It’s pretty widely accepted that both these teams had disappointing seasons, and I guess they did, but also they were still both pretty good? In a typical year with a little more November chaos at the top of the AP poll, each team ends the regular season ranked about No. 21 and gets closer to No. 15 with a win in Nashville. Given the way the transfer portal upends everything over the offseason, I’m not sure winning this game means much for next year, but you'd certainly rather win it.

Alamo Bowl: No. 16 USC vs TCU (9 pm, ESPN)

Another game thats essentially an unknown with the volume of departures on both sides. USC will have quarterback Jordan Maiava in tow, but without his top receivers – Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane are sitting out, as are the two primary tight ends – it’s pretty much an open audition at the rest of the skill positions for playing time next year. TCU, meanwhile, keeps most of its skill threats in the lineup but will be without its quarterback or offensive coordinator.

ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 14 Vanderbilt vs No. 23 Iowa (Noon, ESPN)

Few bowls this year get the appointment viewing tag, but this is definitely one to flag. One of the stronger matchups of bowl season each year, the game formerly known as the Outback Bowl pits SEC and B1G teams who finished just off the playoff bubble against each other in Tampa. This season we get one of the premier best-on-best clashes of the year, as Vanderbilt’s offense (4th in SP+, 2nd in EPA per play) meets Iowa’s defense (7th in SP+, 6th in EPA per play) and both units are at nearly full strength. It’s also (probably) the last time we see Diego Pavia in a college game, so tune in and pay your respects.

Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs Duke (2 pm, CBS)

Equally prestigious academic institutions battle it out in El Paso. Arizona State is basically missing its entire team to opt-outs, while Duke has the vast majority of production from its ACC title team playing. WIll that mean anything? Who knows!

Citrus Bowl: No. 13 Texas vs No. 18 Michigan (3 pm, ABC)

Whichever quarterback wins is going into next season as the Heisman favorite. Just prepare yourself for that eventuality now.

Las Vegas Bowl: No. 15 Utah vs Nebraska (3:30 pm, ESPN)

Utah is in one of the more awkward positions in recent memory, having sunsetted legendary coach Kyle Whittingham on a farewell tour that just missed a playoff bid – only to have hint ake the Michigan job two weeks later. New head man Morgan Scalley has a lot less grace to work with than he would have had otherwise, as a slow start combined with any progress from Michigan will raise the alarm in Salt Lake City, so winning this game takes on a renewed sense of importance. 

Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs Texas State (1 pm, ESPN)

An absolutely crazy clash of styles, this might not be a good game but it will be fun to have on in the background. Also, Texas State is going to be in the PAC-12 next year? Huh?

Liberty Bowl: Navy vs Cincinnati (4:30 pm, ESPN)

Service academies drastically overperform in bowl games, which makes sense – they’re a lot less susceptible to opt-outs and transfers exoduses than other schools, manufacturing motivation for competition is basically the entire thrust of the school, you get the idea – and I would expect that to continue here. Cincy quarterback Brendan Sorsby is probably going to get the biggest NIL deal of the transfer quarterbacks, and his opt-out leaves the Bearcats to draw up a new offense on the fly.

Holiday Bowl: No. 17 Arizona vs SMU (8 pm, FOX)

The offseason momentum bowl – whoever wins will likely inherit dark-horse favorite status in their respective conferences for 2026. Is that a reason to watch? Not really, but you’re running out of football at this point so make the best of it.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs Mississippi State (8 pm, ESPN)

I truly wish Mike Leach were still with us to see his reaction to getting a mayo bath after winning this game.

DIII Championship: No. 1 North Central vs No. 4 Wisconsin-River Falls (8 pm, ESPN)

Juggernaut vs high-flying offense, and exactly the matchup you’d book if given the chance. North Central is an eye-popping 85-3 since 2019 and have made the Stagg Bowl a home away from home, appearing in its fifth-consecutive DIII title game. UW-River Falls, on the other side, makes its first ever championship appearance behind the “Top Gun” offense that leads all NCAA teams in total offense (558 yards per game) and averages over 46 points per game.

FCS Championship: No. 2 Montana State vs Illinois State (7:30 pm, ESPN)

The Bobcats will be a heavy favorite in Nashville, but you could say the same of all four teams Illinois State has dispatched this postseason. The Redbirds have taken a chaotic path to the title game, beating No. 1 NDSU in Fargo despite five interceptions from quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, relying on workhorse running back Victor Dawson – who has set a career-high in carries in three consecutive games – to control the clock and keep each matchup within reach for late-game heroics from Rittenhouse.