What college football bowl games are there today? The playoffs begin

The College Bowl season continues Friday with two matinee performances from the Sunshine State before the weekend’s main event, the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff, begins in prime time.

The non-playoff list includes a few league champions playing each other, as well as another squad that was just one game shy of the title. The fourth participant is a well-known school whose fans have a much more positive attitude than they did a few months ago.

The playoffs will feature two teams from the Hoosier State playing in one of college football’s traditional homes. Add some cold weather to the mix and it will be a real spectacle.

Here’s a quick look at the matchups to help you get started on the big weekend.

Cure Bowl – Jacksonville State vs. Ohio

Time/TV/Location: 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN, Orlando, Florida.

Why watch: This meeting of conference champions is one of the more attractive matchups on the non-playoff bowl calendar. Unfortunately, as is often the case in mid-major country, both teams are facing personnel changes. Jacksonville State had to say goodbye to coach Rich Rodriguez when he returned to West Virginia, and the Bobcats lost coach Tim Albin, who is heading to Charlotte. Offensive coordinator Rod Smith will lead the Gamecocks in this contest, while offensive coordinator Brian Smith has been promoted to the head job at Ohio. The good news is that both teams should have most of their key playmakers. Bobcats QB Parker Navarro totaled 3,112 yards of offense, including 935 yards on the ground, with plenty of support from RB Anthony Tyus. Jax State will counter with the one-two punch of QB Tyler Huff and RB Tre Stewart, who have combined for 2,947 yards and 37 touchdowns on the ground.

Why it might disappoint: There are more players in the portal on the Gamecocks’ defensive side, so the Bobcats’ strong running game may face less resistance. Hopefully Jax State can also move the ball and stay competitive.

IT’S COMPLICATED: What does the future of the college football bowl system look like?

CONTINUE: Ranking of the best college quarterbacks in the transfer portal

Gasparilla Bowl – Florida vs. Tulane

Time/TV/Location: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Tampa, Florida.

Why watch: A nine-win season is cause for celebration at Tulane, but there is still an air of disappointment in the Green Wave after the season ended with a two-game losing streak, with neither result particularly close. They’ll have to come out of their shell for this matchup with the Gators, whose future prospects and that of coach Billy Napier changed significantly in the final month of the season with wins over LSU and Mississippi. Another reason for optimism in Gainesville is QB DJ Lagway, whose first-year breakthrough helped turn things around. Tulane will unfortunately be without freshman sensation QB Darian Mensah, who is committed to Duke. Ty Thompson should still be on hand, and he’s expected to hand off to RB Makhi Hughes frequently.

Why it might disappoint: The bright spot for Tulane is that coach Jon Sumrall has agreed to a contract extension so there will be more successful seasons ahead. However, this game could be a mismatch as the Gators retain more key pieces and play closer to home.

No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame

Time/TV/Location: Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC, South Bend, Ind.

Why watch: We start the playoffs with a doozy, matching team from the same state with surprisingly little history on the gridiron. In fact, the Fighting Irish and Hoosiers have met only once since 1958, in a 49-27 victory over Notre Dame in 1991. This game will of course be a little more meaningful. The Hoosiers’ turnaround after a 3-9 season in 2023 under first-year coach Curt Cignetti is well-documented, although it’s worth noting that they only had one win in Big Ten play against a team with a winning record were able to record. Notre Dame, for its part, found momentum after a bad Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois, and its average points margin of plus-26.2 is pretty close to Indiana’s plus-28.6. Hoosiers QB Kurtis Rourke is a drop-back passer with 27 scoring throws and just four picks on the season, with WR Elijah Sarratt serving as his primary target. The Notre Dame pass defense with DB Xavier Watts caught 17 interceptions, so Rourke will need ground support from his RB tandem of Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton. Struggling against Irish QB Riley Leonard, Irish quarterback Riley Leonard will take offs a lot more often, but when he throws it, WR Beaux Collins is his most frequent receiver. His backfield mate, RB Jeremiyah Love, will also require the attention of Hoosiers LBs Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker.

What college football bowl games are there today? The playoffs begin

ByAmelia Journalton

By Amelia Journalton

Related Post

Josh Gad slams ‘Book of Mormon’ director Casey Nicholaw for ‘terrible environment’ and tries to drive wedge between him and co-star Andrew Rannells | Andrew Rannells, Book of Mormon, Casey Nicholaw, Josh Gad | Just Jared: Celebrity News and Gossip

JPMorgan names CEO candidate Jennifer Piepszak as operations chief

Teacher Makes Bizarre Threats – NJ Top News

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You missed

Josh Gad slams ‘Book of Mormon’ director Casey Nicholaw for ‘terrible environment’ and tries to drive wedge between him and co-star Andrew Rannells | Andrew Rannells, Book of Mormon, Casey Nicholaw, Josh Gad | Just Jared: Celebrity News and Gossip

JPMorgan names CEO candidate Jennifer Piepszak as operations chief

Teacher Makes Bizarre Threats – NJ Top News

Ride VIA for free to the MLK Jr. March on January 20th