Five reasons to watch the Bahamas 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.

The Bahamas at Christmastime? That sounds wonderful. That has to be a nice getaway for teams that reside in Michigan and Virginia. I know I'd like to be there.

Bahamas Bowl
Eastern Michigan (7-5, Mid-American Conference) vs. Old Dominion (9-3, Conference USA)
Location: Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau
Time: Friday, Dec. 23, 1 P.M. ET/10 A.M. PT
Channel: ESPN

• Eastern Michigan clinched their bowl berth in amazing fashion, after coming back from a 21-point deficit. They're very much a never-say-die squad.
• For Old Dominion, uh, this is a tall order. This is, however, the Monarchs' first bowl game ever, so expect them to be incredibly motivated.
• Watch David Washington. If Old Dominion is going to have a chance, he's going to need to have another great game -- worthy of a season that saw him throw 28 touchdown passes and only four picks.
• Eastern Michigan will be coming into the game motivated as well – it was only last season they were only able to win a single game. A bowl game would cap the Eagles turnaround very, very nicely.
• Every year, the Bahamas Bowl is a great chance for sportswriters like us to attempt to get press credentials in order to score a free flight and hotel in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Watching the game has to help our chances, right?

Mascot edge: If we were big fancy Monarchs (Old Dominion), we'd own all the Eagles (Eastern Michigan) we could as expert falconers.