Ranking the 2019 college football bowl games

Talented Utah State quarterback Jordan Love (8,283 career passing yards) will skip his senior season to enter the 2020 NFL Draft. He reportedly still plans to play in this game, which could be bad news for Kent State. The Golden Flashes won their final three games of the season to secure their first bowl bid since 2012.

Ohio was a preseason favorite to take the Mid-American Conference crown, but needed to win its last two games just to become bowl eligible. Bobcats Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke (career 7,313 passing yards, 60 touchdown passes, 2,552 rushing yards, 48 rushing TDs) should be the best player on the field. Nevada's loss to lowly rival UNLV wasn't the ideal way to end the regular season..

Conference USA against the Sun Belt doesn't necessarily scream must-see-TV. Unfortunately, this is a matchup that only those with ties to either school will be tuning in to or attending. FIU did stun Miami, (Florida) last month for the program's biggest win of the season. Arkansas State, meanwhile, is making its ninth straight bowl appearance.

Sorry to the fans of the Golden Eagles and Green Wave, but there really is not much intrigue involving this contest. It also does not help that it's being played after the new year, when all the major bowls have finished and we're waiting only on the national championship game. Tulane is bowling in consecutive years for the first time since 1979-80.

While it's not the sexiest matchup on the docket, Charlotte is a team to keep an eye on after making its first bowl in program history. A lot of the credit should go to first-year coach Will Healy, one of the bright young minds in the game. Buffalo, meanwhile, won five of its final six games to get here. Bulls running backs Jaret Patterson (1,626 yards, 17 TDs) and Kevin Marks (1,008 yards) are a pretty special backfield tandem.

Miami won the Mid-American Conference title but faces a pretty stiff test against the Ragin' Cajuns. Louisiana lost to Appalachian State in the Sun Belt title game, but quarterback Levi Lewis (2,804 yards, 24 touchdown passes) is worth keeping an eye on, as the program tries to avoid losing a third straight bowl game. 

While a bowl victory would certainly be nice for Georgia State, the program's biggest win ever came by stunning host Tennessee, 38-30, in its 2019 opener. Wyoming is bowling for the third time in four seasons, but quite honestly, there are more entertaining bowl options to watch while getting ready to ring in the new year.

Shoutout to coach Hugh Freeze and Liberty in making a bowl in its first season of FBS eligibility. Flames quarterback Stephen Calvert (career 11,755 passing yards, 91 passing TDs) is someone to watch. Georgia Southern, the only team to beat Appalachian State this season, is trying to go 3-0 in bowl games as an FBS team. Still, this contest is likely to be lost among viewers on a busy bowl day.

Another bowl that screams "meh." Western Michigan's LeVante Bellamy (1,412 yards, 23 touchdowns) is one of the better Group of Five running backs. However, Western Kentucky's defense is allowing 20.1 points per game, so the Broncos will have their work cut out for them no matter how many folks are watching.

This could end up being one of the more lopsided bowl matchups of the season. Sure, Eastern Michigan won at Illinois in 2019, but it's also been outscored 231-64 while losing five straight against ACC opponents. Pitt averages just 20.1 points, but that number could be inflated against a mid-level Group of Five team. 

This might be one of the more underrated bowl matchups on a day that features six games. Ex-Florida coach Jim McElwain has turned Central Michigan around from a 1-11 team in 2018 to MAC West Division champions. San Diego State started 7-1 and boasts a talented defense that's allowed 12.8 points per game this season.

UCF's Group of Five dominance has ended, as the program suffered two more losses this season than it did over the previous two campaigns. Still, the Knights are headed to their fourth consecutive bowl game. They face a Marshall program that's won six of their last seven contests and is looking for an impressive eighth straight bowl victory. 

We know Miami had a bigger bowl than the Independence in mind for Manny Diaz's first season in charge. However, the Hurricanes are still as inconsistent as ever, and they did lose to Florida International. So the most intriguing aspect of this matchup is whether Miami will lose to another quality Group of Five opponent.

With Mack Brown in charge and freshman Sam Howell (3,347 passing yards, 35 TDs, seven interceptions) at the helm, North Carolina is bowling for the first time since 2016. Under first-year coach Rod Carey, Temple is making its fifth consecutive bowl appearance. Though we're not talking powerhouses here, we think it has the potential to be a competitive contest between teams at about the same speed.

Another bowl that seems like it would get lost in the shuffle, even on a New Year's Eve day when there are not many seriously intriguing matchups. However, it's good to see Virginia Tech's bowl streak is still alive and that Kentucky was able overcome the loss of some serious 2018 talent and injuries this season to make a bowl for the fourth consecutive season.

For the first time since 2014, Illinois will play in a bowl game — and first under Santa Claus clone Lovie Smith. Cal, meanwhile, has made a bowl for the second straight season for the first time since 2008-09. Bears linebacker Evan Weaver leads the nation with 172 tackles, so the Illini will have their work cut out in what's like a home game for the Berkeley crew. 

The last time Hawaii did not play a bowl game in its home state came with its Sugar Bowl appearance in 2007. Rainbows quarterback Cole McDonald (3,642 yards, 29 TDs) and receiver Cedric Byrd II (95 receptions, 1,068 yards, 10 TDs) made for a dynamic tandem this season. BYU, meanwhile, has wins over Tennessee and ranked USC and Boise State teams in 2019.

This is basically a home game for Florida Atlantic, which said goodbye to coach Lane Kiffin and hello to former Florida State boss Willie Taggart. The Owls have won six straight and average 35.2 points per game. SMU enjoyed its best season since 1984 and averages 43.0 points. For those who love offense, this is an early bowl to catch.

A bowl victory would salvage a winning season for the Spartans, who face an uncertain future with a portion of their fan base who no longer stand behind coach Mark Dantonio. Following a 5-0 start, Wake struggled the rest of the way and now must figure out a way to refocus and run its bowl winning streak to four games.

Boston College running back AJ Dillon (1,685 yards) won't play , which is a shame since it would have been fun opposite Cincinnati's Michael Warren II (1,160 yards). On paper, it seems the Bearcats have the edge, but after falling short of a New Year's Six bowl, just how much effort will they put into this contest?

This might be a case of two programs headed in opposite directions. Louisville rebounded nicely for a 2-10 2018 season and seems to be in good shape under coach Scott Satterfield. Mississippi State, on the other hand, is making a 10th straight bowl appearance, but questions about coach Joe Moorhead's future with the program are plenty. 

This is a bowl worthy of watching, simply because when the season started it seemed unlikely either would be in this position. Indiana is trying for just its third-ever nine-win season and first bowl victory since 1991. Tennessee has overcome season-opening home losses to Georgia State and BYU by winning its last five games to make a bowl for the first time since 2016.

Air Force wants to keep the ball on the ground, while Washington State will air it out plenty. The preparation for each side to stop the other could be key. Cougars quarterback Anthony Gordon's 45 touchdowns are second only to Joe Burrow (48), and Air Force has allowed more than two passing TDs once in a game this season.

The No. 20 Mountaineers have won at least 10 games in four of the last five seasons. However, they head into this bowl game with Eli Drinkwitz now the new coach at Missouri. Assistant Shawn Clark was named full-time coach this week and will be in charge for this contest. UAB won its first bowl game last season and responded with a nine-win season and Conference USA West Division title to make this quality Group of Five get-together.

Oklahoma State's Chuba Hubbard, the nation's leading rusher with 1,936 yards, was a Heisman snub, but this could be another platform for him to shine — assuming he plays. Regardless, this is an interesting matchup for Texas A&M, which expected to be better than 7-5 and certainly not 0-5 against ranked opponents in 2019. The Cowboys come in No. 25 in The Associated Press Top 25.

Florida's two losses came to LSU and Georgia, so it was a good season overall for the No. 6 Gators. Yes, Virginia won the ACC Coastal Division but also lost, 62-17, in the league title game to Clemson and has lost 14 in a row against top-10 teams since beating then-No. 4 Florida State in October 2005. We don't see a blowout in favor of Florida, but we also don't see too entertaining of a game.

Navy, which won just three games last season, still has that annual date with Army left before focusing on its bowl game. The Midshipmen's option attack against an above-average Kansas State defense should make for a competitive game and, perhaps, one of the more underrated matchups of the bowl season. 

After their lengthy bowl streak came to an end in 2018, the Seminoles are bowling again, despite firing coach Willie Taggart. Memphis' Mike Norvell is the new boss, and will be watching as Florida State eyes a bowl victory to jump start a new era for the program. Arizona State has said goodbye to running back Eno Benjamin, who declared for the NFL draft after amassing 2,867 career yards and 27 rushing TDs. 

We'll see if keeping coach Clay Helton around was the right move for the Trojans, but they have won three in a row and are back in a bowl after missing out last season. This a good matchup for any college football fan since USC has a quality offense against a stingy Iowa defense, especially with star defensive end A.J. Epenesa playing. 

The big news heading into this contest for Notre Dame is the parting of ways with offensive coordinator Chip Long. So what does it mean for the game plan against a solid Iowa State defense? Regardless, we like this matchup because it poses a challenge for the Irish, who take on a Cyclones team that wants to end a somewhat disappointing season on a high note.

Even if star Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown decides not to play in the Outback Bowl, Minnesota still faces a huge challenge. The Gophers special season soured a bit with losses in two of the last three games. However, coach P.J. Fleck is a stellar motivator. The Tigers, meanwhile, opened the season with a big win over Oregon and can close it by seizing another opportunity to claim a major victory.

Rarely does a game on the first weekend of the bowl season get this much love, but it's only fitting that Chris Petersen's final game coaching at Washington will come against the same Boise program where he made a name for himself. The matchup is also a pretty good one, even if the Huskies have underachieved in 2019. Still, it's all about Petersen.

This is not the bowl either the Utes or Longhorns wanted to be playing in when the season started. Texas has massively underachieved this season, while Utah laid an egg with its performance in the Pac-12 title game — ending its College Football Playoff hopes and a spot in the Rose Bowl. It's hard to figure which team will care the most in this matchup.

Though former coach Mike Norvell is focused on reviving Florida State's program, Memphis still takes a seven-game winning streak into this meeting with Penn State. A New Year's Six bowl berth is great for the Tigers, but one must wonder if they'll be mentally prepared to face the Nittany Lions, whose best days might be ahead.

This has the potential to be a fun one, but after bowing out of the College Football Playoff race following an SEC title-game loss, just how much motivation will Georgia have left, especially if some of its stars opt out of facing Baylor? The Bears' only losses came to Oklahoma by a combined 10 points, and this would be a great way to cap a special season.

This is a rematch from the 2011 season when Oregon beat Wisconsin, 45-38, in the "Granddaddy of them all." Two of the college game's best offensive player will be on display in Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert (3,333 yards, 32 TDs, five interceptions) and Badgers running back Jonathan Taylor (1,909 yards, 21 TDs), but Wisconsin might have the better defense.

The first semifinal of the College Football Playoff could produce plenty of points. Heisman finalists Joe Burrow (4,715 passing yards, 48 TDs, six interceptions) and Jalen Hurts (3,634 passing yards, 32 TDs, 1,255 rushing yards, 18 rushing TDs) will highlight this potentially fun matchup. Of course, LSU seems to have too much overall talent not to prevail in the end. 

Nick Saban vs. Jim Harbaugh. Now this has the potential to be good football theater — that is if each team has some of its better players on the field. It's uncertain how many big names, especially for the Crimson Tide, will suit up as more and more of college football's biggest stars are saving themselves from injury during bowl season. Also, just how much motivation will Alabama have for this contest?

Many believe this meeting is worthy of the national championship game. Both teams have potent offenses — Clemson (46.5 points per game and Ohio State (48.7 ppg). However, it should come down to which defense can better hold its own. That would seem to be the Tigers, who have won 28 straight games and not allowed more than 20 points in a game all season.