Football Bowl Season: From Gasparilla to Camellia with Paradise in Between

It's the hap-happiest season of all. College Bowl Season began on December 17. There are 42 bowl games featuring 84 teams plus the National Championship Game.

We've only seen the first quarter of this year's bowl season with lots more drama ahead. The first 11 games provided some upsets and some close games. There have also been several teams that won by double digits.

This week, there are four more games, including the second bowl in three days in Frisco, Texas - the Frisco Classic, the pirate-inspired Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, the annual trip to paradise for the Hawaii Bowl, and the flower-inspired Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. Here's a preview of each of those games:

Frisco Football Classic: North Texas (6-6) vs. Miami OH (6-6)

Thursday, December 23 [FuboTV, 2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN]
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX; Line - Miami (OH) - 2.5; over/under 54.5

This inaugural bowl game was a last-minute addition to accommodate all bowl-eligible teams this season. It's the second bowl game in three days played at Toyota Stadium. It will feature two teams with different approaches to offense - Miami (OH) has a powerful passing game while North Texas likes to get it done running the ball.

The Redhawks of Miami lost to Kent State in the season finale and therefore did not play in the MAC Championship. This will be their 2nd bowl game in the last three years, having lost to Louisiana in the 2019 Lending Tree Bowl. North Texas ended their season on a bright note - they started 1-6 and finished winning five games to become bowl eligible, including upsetting then-undefeated UTSA in the season finale.

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: UCF (8-4) vs. Florida (6-6)

Thursday, December 23 [FuboTV, 6:00 p.m. CT, ESPN]
Raymond James Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL; Line - Florida -7.0; over/under - 55.0

This game is all about the state of Florida - two teams from Florida playing a bowl game in Florida. Some might call it the Florida State Championship. For the Florida Gators, this season was a disappointment after being ranked in the Top 10 early and almost beating Alabama in September. Their coach would be gone by the time the season ended.

UCF, a soon-to-be Big 12 school, has never beaten a Power 5 team from Florida. This will only be the second meeting between the two, with Florida winning the previous meeting in 2006. The question in this game is if the Gators will be motivated to even play a decent game with a new coach, a new direction, and many players opting out of playing in this game.

EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl: Hawai’i (6-7) vs. Memphis (6-6)

Friday, December 24 [FuboTV 7:00 p.m. CT, ESPN]
Ching Complex, Honolulu, HI; Line - Memphis - 8.5; over/under -55.5

Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka! Christmas in Hawaii? Yes, please! Hawaii gets to stay home while the team from Memphis travels to the Aloha State. However, neither of these teams is the explosive team they have been in the past. Memphis needed a 4th quarter comeback over, AAC last place, Tulane in the finale to become bowl eligible. Hawaii was initially not going to a bowl until the Frisco Classic, mentioned above, was created to accommodate all the teams.

Hawaii has already lost a couple of players to the transfer portal and another opting not to play in preparation for the NFL draft.

TaxAct Camellia Bowl: Ball State (6-6) vs. Georgia State (7-5)

Saturday, December 25 [FuboTV, 1:30 p.m. CT, ESPN]
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL; Line - Georgia State - 6.0; over/under - 51.0

A win for Georgia State will give the program its most wins ever. Georgia State started the season 1-4 and lost those four games by a margin of 28+ points. They then won six of their next seven, with their only loss to then #24 Louisiana.

Last year, Ball State went 7-1, so this season has been a letdown for the most part. Can they make it over .500 with a win? This game should be a well-balanced defensive game, so it will be a matter of which offense can shine.

Enjoy the next round of College Bowl Season! Additional bowl games will be previewed in future articles.

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