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Bowl game schedule today: Breaking down the eight college football bowl games on Dec. 28

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Bowl game schedule today: Breaking down the eight college football bowl games on Dec. 28

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Saturday marks the busiest day of the college football bowl calendar, with enough offerings from all over the country that will keep fans dialed in from morning until after midnight. What better way to spend the final weekend of the year?

The early portion of the day will feature a couple of contests staged at venues best known for another sport. The slate then continues with some actual meetings of ranked teams. In short, those of us who follow collegiate gridiron action on a regular basis are hoping this will be the best non-playoff day of the postseason.

Here’s a quick look at all the pairings, starting in the northeast and working our way southward.

Time/TV/location: 11 a.m. ET, ESPN, Boston.

Why watch: Of all the bowl games hosted in cold-weather cities at traditional baseball parks today, this is one. It would likely generate more interest if these schools were meeting on the basketball court, but there is something of a curiosity factor given the changes afoot at UNC. For now, the Tar Heels will be led by interim coach Freddie Kitchens pending the much ballyhooed arrival of Bill Belichick. QB Jacolby Criswell, who started for much of the season, will be available, but not standout RB Omarion Hampton, who is off to the next level. The Huskies are happy to be bowling after going 3-9 last year. QB Joe Fagnano and RB Cam Edwards will lead the attack.

Why it could disappoint: The bad news for the Huskies is they went 0-3 against the ACC this year. Theoretically the Tar Heels that are taking part will be auditioning for future jobs, so it could be a long day for UConn.

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Time/TV/location: Noon ET, ABC, New York.

Why watch: And this is the other one, though curiously it features the team from the Fenway Bowl’s city. That is of no consequence for the Cornhuskers, however, who are just happy to be in any bowl after snapping a seven-year postseason drought. Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola had his ups and downs during his freshman campaign. He might find the Eagles pass defense that sprung a few leaks this season to his liking. BC QB Thomas Castellanos enjoyed some big moments but ultimately lost his job to Grayson James and transferred out. James should still have RBs Kye Robichaux and Treshaun Ward around to lend ground support.

Why it could disappoint: These weren’t the most consistent teams during the course of the fall, so either could have an off day. We’ll hope that won’t be the case, however, and that a fun finish will ensue.

Time/TV/location: 2:15 p.m. ET, ESPN, Albuquerque

Why watch: It was a good year for the Ragin’ Cajuns, even though the Sun Belt title game didn’t go their way. They’ll look to finish on a happier note by taking down a power conference team, but the Horned Frogs come in riding a three-game winning streak. With both starting QB Ben Wooldridge and backup Chandler Fields injured, ULL had to turn to freshman Daniel Beale in the Sun Belt finale, and he might be pressed into service again. It took TCU QB Josh Hoover a while to find his rhythm, but he wound up throwing for 3,697 yards and 23 scores.

Why it could disappoint: The Cajuns might benefit from their postseason practices, but the Horned Frogs come in healthier and could make this one a mismatch.

Time/TV/location: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC, Orlando, Fla.

Why watch: One might call this the Extreme Weather Bowl with the Hurricanes and Cyclones set to square off, but then one wouldn’t get to use the giant toaster trophy. In truth, this promises to be among the more entertaining contests of the postseason between two high-powered offenses accustomed to thrilling finishes. The big-name stars for both teams are expected to take part. That means Miami QB Cam Ward should have top WR Xavier Restrepo and TE Elijah Arroyo to accept his passes, and Iowa State QB Rocco Becht will have WR Jayden Higgins and RBs Carson Hansen and Abu Sama to answer.

Why it could disappoint: We hope it won’t. There might be some last-minute opt out decisions to mar the fun, but an edible mascot alone should make this event worth a look.

Time/TV/location: 4:30 p.m. ET, The CW, Tucson, Ariz.

Why watch: The Rams overcame a rough non-conference slate to contend in the Mountain West, but a late loss at Fresno State denied them a crack at Boise State for the league title. They’ll now try to close on a high note against the RedHawks, the MAC runners-up who want to end their own season on a brighter note after getting trucked by archrival Ohio in the conference finale. RedHawks QB Brett Gabbert and RB Keyon Mozee were both held in check in that outing and could use a successful early drive. Colorado State will counter with the backfield duo of QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and RB Avery Morrow.

Why it could disappoint: You won’t find the star power or big-name programs here like some other contests on the day’s lineup. But don’t let that dissuade you from peeking in on it from time to time, and do stick around if it’s close.

Time/TV/location: 5:45 p.m. ET, ESPN, Annapolis, Md.

Why watch: This was not the 2024 campaign the Wolfpack anticipated, with a lofty preseason ranking up in smoke by the time September was over. But to their credit, they salvaged bowl eligibility in their final contest of the season at the expense of archrival North Carolina. They’ll be wearing the target in this one, however, as the Pirates would love to claim a win against one of the state’s major conference members. NC State QB CJ Bailey had some freshman moments after taking over for the injured Grayson McCall but improved as the season progressed. Unfortunately, he’ll be without top WR KC Concepcion, who is transferring out. ECU made a midseason coaching change, and coach Blake Harrell had the interim tag removed from his title when the team responded with a 4-1 finish. Starting QB Katin Houser will also be back next year, and he and RB Rahjai Harris will lead the attack against the Wolfpack.

Why it could disappoint: We certainly hope it won’t. A pairing of schools not far from each other should have all parties fully engaged, and neither team should have an overwhelming physical advantage.

Time/TV/location: 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC, San Antonio, Texas.

Why watch: Realignment and oversized conferences have brought us a rare instance of teams from the same league squaring off in a non-playoff bowl game. But it’s a fresh matchup nonetheless, as they didn’t meet in the regular season. And there isn’t much history between them anyway – they last played in 1988 at the Freedom Bowl. Had a few dominoes fallen a different way it could have been the Big 12 title game, so in that regard it’s among the best pairings on the slate. It should also have nearly full participation from both parties. That includes the Buffaloes having Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and his QB Shedeur Sanders. The Cougars will look to keep pace behind QB Jake Retzlaff and WRs Chase Roberts and Darius Lassiter.

Why it could disappoint: It absolutely should not. This is arguably one of the best non-playoff matchups of the entire bowl season, so hopefully it will deliver the goods. It’s possible Colorado’s decorated playmakers will do more damage, but the Cougars shouldn’t be overmatched.

Time/TV/location: 9:15 p.m. ET, ESPN, Shreveport, La.

Why watch: The Saturday nightcap should have been a battle of conference champs. Alas, Sun Belt winner Marshall declined to participate with its coach and a slew of players entering the transfer portal. The Black Knights will therefore be in what is essentially a home game for the Bulldogs, who come in with a sub-.500 record but did at least play eventual Conference USA champ Jacksonville State to within a touchdown. Army QB Bryson Daily had a tremendous season leading the Black Knights to the American Athletic title, but he’ll be eager to put on a better performance after being held in check by Navy. For Louisiana Tech, the game presents a good opportunity for freshman QB Evan Bullock to pick up some extra practices and more game experience.

Why it could disappoint: If Army imposes its will from the opening snap, this will probably be over quickly. The Bulldogs will need some positive results in the early going to keep their home-state crowd interested.

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