Bowl Game Schedule, Results, Point Spreads for 2020-21

Here's the full update on the college football bowl season, with game times, TV information and the latest point spreads on the games coming up, plus summaries on the games already played.

Author:
Tom Brew
Updated:
Jan 3, 2021 7:51 AM EST

Hello, college football fans, today is Sunday, Jan. 3 and it's all over. Bowl season is finished.

Saturday was a great day for college football, though, with late touchdowns sealing wins for Kentucky, Ole Miss and Texas A&M from the SEC, once again proving that it's the best league in the country.

So now we're down to one last game, the national championship tilt between No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Ohio State next Monday (Jan. 11) in Miami Gardens, Fla. Alabama is the early favorite, with the DraftKings opening line at 7.5 points.

The SEC statement on Saturday was a good one, but it was another embarrassing day for the ACC, which finished bowl season with an 0-6 record, and with two of their members – at least for this year – losing playoff games when Clemson and Notre Dame both got spanked.

We had seven outright upset winners now with the Ole Miss win over Indiana, and adding Ohio State to the list the night before.. Ball State stunned San Jose State as a 9.5-point dog on Dec. 31, which was the biggest upset by number, but Ohio State's has to count as the biggest shocker because of the stage it was played on. Ole Miss was a 10-point dog on Saturday morning, which made it the largest outright winner of bowl season.

Mississippi State, Liberty, Nevada and Hawaii also have won outright as underdogs so far this bowl season.

In the 25 games, the favorites won 18 of them, and covering 15 times in the wins. Georgia, Louisiana and West Virginia were the three favorites to win but not cover.

Here are the bowl standings by conference:

POWER FIVE LEAGUES
Big 12: 5-0
SEC: 6-2
Big Ten: 3-1
Pac-12: 0-2
ACC: 0-6
GROUP OF 5 LEAGUES
MAC: 2-0
Sun Belt: 4-1
Mountain West: 2-1
AAC: 1-5
C-USA: 0-6
Independents: 2-1

Here are all the summaries:

SATURDAY'S FINAL BOWL GAMES

Gator Bowl

Date: Saturday, Jan. 2 at Noon ET
Teams: Asim Rose Jr. rushed for 146 yards and Kentucky (5-6) beat N.C. State (8-4) in the Gator Bowl, 23-21. This line moved a lot all week, but closed at 1.5 points so Kentucky did cover, just barely. And some people with Kentucky tickets might have lost, depending when they bought them.

Outback Bowl

Date: Saturday, Jan. 2 at 12:30 p.m. ET
Teams: Indiana's (6-2) dream season ended with a thud when the Hoosiers lost to Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss (5-5) in the Outback Bowl. The Rebels scored with 4:01 left in the game to secure the 26-20 victory. Indiana was a 10-point favorite heading into the game. The Hoosiers were the only Big Ten team to lose during bowl season, with the league going 3-1.

Fiesta Bowl

Date: Saturday, Jan. 2 at 4 p.m. ET
Teams: Iowa State (9-3) made another big statement for the Big 12 with a convincing 34-17 win over Oregon (4-3) in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. Breece Hall rushed for 136 yards and two scores for the Cyclones, who had the best season in school history.

Orange Bowl

Date: Saturday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. ET
Teams: Texas A&M (9-1) won another bowl game and reminded everyone that they got screwed by the College Football Playoff committee. The Aggies beat North Carolina (8-4) thanks to three touchdowns in the final 10 minutes, winning 41-27. Jimbo Fisher is now 8-2 in bowl games, the best winning percentage among coaches with an least 10 games, tying Urban Meyer and Tom O'Brien.

RESULTS SO FAR

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Date: Monday, Dec. 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET
Teams: Appalachian State (9-3) easily defeated North Texas (4-6) in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, winning 56-28.. Running back Camerun Peoples rushed for 317 yards on 22 carries for Ap State.
Location: Conway, S.C.
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: Appalachian State favored by 21 points.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Teams: Nevada (7-2) quarterback Carson Strong threw five touchdown passes to upset Tulane (6-6) in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. It was the first straight-out win by an underdog during bowl season.
Location: Boise, Idaho.
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: Tulane favored by 2.5 points

Boca Raton Bowl

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. ET
Teams: BYU (11-1) concluded a great "we'll play anywhere'' season with an impressive 49-23 victory over Central Florida (6-4). Zach Wilson threw for 425 yards for the Cougars.
Location: Boca Raton, Fla.
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: BYU favored by 6.5 points

BYU finished its season 11-1 with a bowl-game victory over UCF. (USA TODAY Sports)

New Orleans Bowl

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 3 p.m. ET
Teams: Georgia Southern (8-5) had the biggest blowout of the bowl season thus far, crushing Louisiana Tech (5-5) in a rout, 38-3. Tech could muster only 232 yards of total offense.
Location: New Orleans, La.
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: Georgia Southern favored by 6.5 points

Montgomery Bowl

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. ET
Teams: Memphis (8-3) got three touchdown passes from Brady White in an easy 25-10 win over Florida Atlantic (5-4). Former Hoosier Nick Tronti started at quarterback for FAU, and completed 16 of 32 passes for 146 yards.
Location: Montgomery, Ala.
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: Memphis favored by 9.5 points

New Mexico Bowl

Date: Thursday, Dec. 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Teams: A solid defensive performance by the Hawaii (5-4 defense led to a big upset of Houston (3-5). The Cougars had only 58 yards rushing. Jared Smart, the son of former Indiana basketball star Keith Smart, had three catches for 33 yards for Hawaii.
Location: Frisco, Texas
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: Houston favored by 7.5 points

Camellia Bowl

Date: Friday, Dec. 25 at 2:30 p.m. ET
Teams: Kevin Marks scored on a 2-yard run with 1:09 to go in the game to give Buffalo (6-1) a 17-10 victory over Marshall (7-3).
Location: Montgomery, Ala.
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: Buffalo was favored by 4.5 points.

Kevin Marks helped Buffalo finish with a 6-1 record after a bowl win over Marshall.

Lending Tree Bowl

Date: Saturday, Dec. 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Teams: Georgia State (6-4) quarterback Cornelious Brown IV passed for 232 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers beat Western Kentucky (5-6) easily, winning 39-21. The Panthers won their last three games to finish with a winning record in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the program's 11-year history.
Location: Mobile, Ala.
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: Georgia State was favored by 4 points at kickoff.

First Responder Bowl

Date: Saturday, Dec. 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Teams: Louisiana (10-1) got a 1-yard touchdown run from Trey Ragas to break a tie with 7:16 to go in the fourth quarter, beating a game Texas-San Antonio (7-5) team in one of the tight games of the bowl season. Levi Lewis threw two touchdown passes for the Ragin' Cajuns in the 31-24 victory. and they are now 21-4 over the past two seasons.
Location: Dallas, Texas
TV: ABC
Point Spread: Louisiana was favored by 14 points at kickoff..

FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl

Date: Saturday, Dec. 26 at 7:30 p.m ET
Teams: The best matchup of the bowl season thus far lived up to its billing as Liberty (10-1) knocked off Coastal Carolina (11-1) in overtime, winning on a 44-yard field goal by Alex Barbir. This game had everything, including Coastal scoring a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie the game at 34-34 with just 3:01 to go. Liberty got the ball first in OT and got the field goal, but then won the game when they blocked a Coastal Carolina field goal attempt from 42 yards. The game will be tough to beat for drama this bowl season. What a season for Hugh Freeze and his Liberty Flames.
Location: Orlando, Fla.
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: Coastal Carolina was favored by 7 points at kickoff.

Cheez-It Bowl

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 5:30 p.m. ET
Teams: Oklahoma State (8-3) went into the game as just a 1.5-point favorite, so a close game was expected and that's what we got, with the Cowboys holding on for 37-34 win. Oklahoma State threw the ball 15 consecutive times to start the game and dashed out to a 21-0 lead. Miami (8-3) lost quarterback D'Eriq King to a knee injury in the second quarter and this is their fifth straight bowl loss. They are 1-11 in their last 12 bowl games.

Alamo Bowl

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 9 p.m. ET
Teams: Texas (7-3) went from a 12.5-point favorite to 7.5, but the bettors certainly got this one wrong, with the Longhorns rolling to an easy 55-23 victory over Colorado (4-2). Texas lost QB Sam Ehlinger to an early shoulder injury, but backup Casey Thompson came in and passed for 170 yards and four touchdown. Longhorns coach Tom Herman is now 4-0 in bowl games at Texas.

Duke's Mayo Bowl

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 30 at Noon ET
Teams: Wisconsin (4-3) secured another winning season after an impressive 42-28 come-from behind win over Wake Forest (4-5). Wisconsin hadn't had a losing season since 2001, so this was a good one to get. The Badgers had four interceptions and it was the first game of bowl season for Big Ten teams.

Cotton Bowl

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 8 ET
Teams: Florida (8-4) laid an egg against Big 12 champion Oklahoma (9-2) in a 55-20 blowout in the Cotton Bowl, our first New Year's Six game of the bowl season. Florida Kyle Trask was missing several weapons that opted out, and it showed in his three interceptions.

Armed Forces Bowl

Date: Thursday, Dec. 31 at Noon ET
Teams: Mississippi State (4-7) defeated Tulsa (6-3) in a game that was marred by an ugly brawl at the end of the game. Tulsa was a 1-point favorite at kickoff, so the Bulldogs' 28-26 victory is technically an upset this bowl season.

Arizona Bowl

Date: Thursday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. ET
Teams: Ball State (7-1) handed San Jose State (6-1) the biggest upset of the bowl season with a 34-13 blowout win over previously unbeaten San Jose State, which was a 9.5-point favorite. San Jose State quarterback Nick Starkel, who used to play at Texas A&M, had three interceptions, and Ball State scored four touchdowns in the first quarter. It was Ball State's first bowl win in school history.

Liberty Bowl

Date: Thursday, Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. ET
Teams: It took a while, but West Virginia (6-4) finally figured out the Army (9-3) option offense late and came away with a 24-21 victory. Army had a chance to tie the game late, but missed a field goal attempt in the final two minutes.

Peach Bowl

Date: Friday, Jan. 1 at Noon ET
Teams: Cincinnati (9-1) couldn't quite finish off its dream season, losing to Georgia (8-2) in the Peach Bowl. This was the Bearcats' first New Year's Six game, and they acquitted themselves well as 9-point underdogs. They just didn't have an answer for Georgia quarterback J.T. Daniels, who threw for 392 yards. Cincinnati just might be the best Group of 5 team next year, too, and it has an interest matchup on the schedule with Indiana on Sept. 18.

Citrus Bowl

Date: Friday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET
Teams: Peyton Ramsey passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns to lead Northwestern (7-2) to an easy 35-19 victory over Auburn in the Citrus Bowl. Ramsey, a graduate transfer from Indiana, capped off a dream season with the bowl MVP award as well. He also ran for a 30-yard score, and had 50 yards on 10 carries “We wouldn’t be where we’re at today without Peyton Ramsey,” Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “He's a great leader, a great teammate. He stayed poised, he was gritty and when he needed to make plays, even with his feet, he was decisive.”

Rose Bowl (CFP Semifinal)

Date: Friday, Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. ET
What: College Football Playoff Semifinal
Teams: No. 1 Alabama (12-0) certainly looked like the best team in the country on Friday, controlling the game in an easy 31-14 win over No. 4 Notre Dame (10-2). Quarterback Mac Jones threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns, with three of the scores going to Devonta Smith. The only real drama for Notre Dame was a late touchdown with 56 seconds to go in the game that got a backdoor cover for bettors who were on the Irish. Alabama will play Ohio State on Jan. 11 for the national title.

Sugar Bowl (CFP Semifinal)

Date: Friday, Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. ET
What: College Football Playoff Semifinal
Teams: No. 2 Clemson (10-2) got embarrassed on defense and was blown out 49-28 by No. 3-seed Ohio State (7-0). The Buckeyes avenged last year's playoff loss thanks to a huge game from quarterback Justin Fields, who passed for a school-record six touchdowns. He was 22-for-28 passing for 385 yards. Ohio State won outright despite being 7-point underdogs at kickoff. Ohio State will play Alabama on Jan. 11 for the national title.