Five reasons to watch the Armed Forces Bowl

Okay, listen, we get it. Most likely, you think bowl season starts on New Year's Eve. Maybe slightly earlier depending on when your team is playing. But regardless of whether or not you're aware of them, the bowls have already started, and there's plenty of college football action to get you through to the main event around New Year's.

Navy is coming off a loss to Army, a rarity of late, so you have to think the Midshipmen are raring to go in the Armed Forces Bowl. But with Louisiana just being a hop, skip and a jump away from Fort Worth, this neutral site game may not be so neutral, despite the name.

Armed Forces Bowl
Louisiana Tech (8-5, Conference USA) vs. Navy (9-4, American Athletic Conference)
Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth
Time: Friday, Dec. 23, 4:30 P.M. ET/1:30 P.M. PT
Channel: ESPN

• Sure, pretty much the entire Navy team has gotten injured in the past few weeks. But hey! That means that this game against Louisiana Tech might actually be pretty competitive!
• It's always fun to watch short players at skill positions. You're probably bigger than the 5'8", 178 pound Trent Taylor. And yet, Taylor's become a legitimate receiving threat, racking up 10 touchdowns and 1,570 yards so far this year.
• So yeah, Tago Smith got hurt, but the current starting QB for the Midshipmen is no slouch either. Will Worth has already eclipsed the thousand-yard mark in both rushing and passing yards, and he'll look to add to that total against Louisiana Tech.
• Have I mentioned how much fun it is to watch Navy's triple-option offense? Or any triple-option offense for that matter? Because it is. It's a lot of fun. 
• Louisiana Tech, oddly enough, actually plays really, really well in the postseason. The Bulldogs upset Illinois two years ago, and last year handled Arkansas State. A win against Navy would make it three in a row.

Mascot edge: We hate to go against the Navy Midshipmen, but we've known quite a few bossy Bulldogs (Louisiana Tech) in our day.