Football Bowl Season: Let the Games Begin

"It's the most wonderful time of the year, with bowl teams footballing, and everyone telling you be of good cheer, it's the most wonderful time of the year."

"It's the hap-happiest season of all, with those college teams meeting, and spectators tweeting, when football fans call, it's the hap-happiest season of all."

College Bowl Season is here! For the next three weeks, fans will have a plethora of football games to enjoy. There are so many games this year, it will take you three weeks just to understand the difference between a Gasparilla and a Camellia. Or why favorite eats like Cheez-It and Tony the Tiger cereal get a football game in their honor.

This year, there's a record number of games - 42 bowl games featuring 84 teams plus the National Championship Game. The first games are December 17 with the NCG on January 10 - three weeks of college football bliss!

On Friday, December 17, there are two games followed by six more on Saturday, December 18. Here's a look at the first four bowl games:

Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee State (6-6) vs. Toledo (7-5)

Friday, December 17 [FuboTV 11 a.m. CT, ESPN]
Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas; Line: Toledo -10

It's the first time these two teams will meet, though both have played twice in this bowl. Both are making their first appearance in a bowl game since 2018.

Toledo has scored 182 points in their last four games, averaging 45.5 points. Middle Tennessee State's defense leads the nation in turnovers (31), defense touchdowns (6), and fumbles recovered (15).

Cure Bowl: Coastal Carolina (10-2) vs. Northern Illinois (9-4)

Friday, December 17 [FuboTV 5:00 p.m. CT, ESPN2]
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL; Line: Coastal Carolina -11.5

It's the first time these two team will meet. Coastal Carolina made their first-ever bowl appearance in this bowl game last year, losing to Liberty. Coastal Carolina is trying to match its FBS season high 11 wins, which they achieved last year. Northern Illinois last won the MAC Championship game and a bowl game in 2011.

Both teams will run the ball well. NIU is ranked #5 in the nation in rushing yards (234.2 yards per game), while Coastal Carolina is ranked #6 (231.3 yards per game.)

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl: Western Kentucky (8-5) vs. Appalachian State (10-3)

Saturday, December 18 [FuboTV, 10:00 a.m. CT, ESPN]
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL; Line: Appalachian State -3.0

The Hilltoppers from WKU made it to the Conference USA Championship game, only to lose to UTSA. They like to score points. They are ranked #2 in the nation with an average of 43.1 points per game. To get there, they like to throw the ball. They are ranked #1 in the nation in passing yards per game with 434.6 yards per game.

App State is making their sixth straight bowl appearance since they moved to the FBS. Their defense will be an interesting match with WKU's passing attack, as the Mountaineers are only allowing 19.3 points per game (#16 in the nation).

KillerFrogs earlier this week listed this game as one of the five best bowl games you may not be thinking about.

New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State (9-3) vs. UTEP (7-5)

Saturday, December 18 [FuboTV, 1:15 p.m. CT, ESPN]
Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, NM; Line - Fresno State - 11.5

This will be the 13th meeting between the two schools and the first in a bowl game. Fresno State holds the series edge 8-3-1. Fresno State will be without their head coach Kalen DeBoer who left the program to take the head coaching job at Washington.

UTEP became bowl eligible quickly after starting the season 6-1, and the one loss was to Boise State. They then lost four of their last five games including one to in-state conference rival UTSA.

Sit back and enjoy. Let the games begin! Additional bowl games will be previewed

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