Please do not try to argue around these parts that no one cares about bowl season.
We can agree that the structure of this portion of the college football season has changed, and that there may need to be tweaks to it to save it from completing crashing down amidst the chaos and greed (mostly greed) that exists within and around the sport.
But bowl season still represents a time to finish strong. A time for teams to conduct a valuable set of practices that will benefit them for the next season. A time for players that will not be moving on to the next level, and do not have further eligibility at the collegiate level, to enjoy one last time suiting up and playing the game that they love in front of fans that still care about that game.
In short – it still represents the most wonderful time of the year.
And the College Football Playoff. Don’t forget, these games make up nearly a fourth of the “bowl” schedule and many are still wrapped up within the traditional bowl system, a reality that won’t change any time soon.
Around The Corn is happy to confirm that its Bowl Mania and CFP Bracket Challenge groups are both making a return this year. If you haven’t already and are reading this article in time, sign up and join the festivities. Below are the links to each group, with Bowl Mania locking the ability to add new entries ahead of the first bowl game (Saturday, December 13 – 12 PM ET) and the CFP Bracket Challenge locking ahead of the first Playoff matchup (Friday, December 19 – 7:30 PM ET):
Von Hugendong XIX (Bowl Mania)
Von Hugendong Playoff Challenge (CFP Bracket Challenge)
The days of a full slate to kick off the bowl festivities appears to be a thing of the past after two straight years of subdued madness, but we’re happy to enjoy what we’ve got (and it’s easier to manage from a preview perspective, anyway).
Let’s take a quick look at the first two bowls taking place this weekend.
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Cricket Celebration Bowl
Prairie View A&M vs. South Carolina State (Saturday, 12 PM ET – ABC)
The MEAC holds a 6-3 lead in this bowl game all-time, but the SWAC has won the last two Celebration Bowl matchups and will look to make it three in a row in what is the de facto HBCU national title game. Bowl debutants Prairie View A&M represent the SWAC and will take on a South Carolina State team seeking to avenge its uncompetitive loss in Atlanta last season. It should be a fun, close contest between two teams that will seek success in differing ways.
The Panthers are your old school, hard-nosed squad, which likes to move the ball on the ground and make it difficult for you to move the ball at all on the defensive side. The Bulldogs are the new school, combining a terrific passing attack on offense with a bend-but-don’t-break defense that will give up plays in between the redzone but then clamp down when it matters. That being said, Prairie View A&M will accomplish two tasks if it gets a push up front and can run the ball. First, it’ll set itself up for a classic battle between its offense and South Carolina State’s redzone defense. Second, it’ll keep Billy Atkins IV, South Carolina State’s prolific passing quarterback, off the field. Atkins will be a featured player in the lead up to this game, but will need to avoid turnovers for the Bulldogs to emerge victorious. I think each team will have some level of success deploying their preferred gameplan, but the Bulldogs have been tested more recently and that may play a part in deciding this game if it is close in the final minutes.
My Pick: 27-23 South Carolina State
Bowl Mania Confidence: 1 point
Bucked Up LA Bowl
Boise State vs. Washington (Saturday, 8 PM ET – ABC)
One of the more interesting bowl games of the season is also one of its earliest. The Chris Petersen Bowl, graciously presented by Gronk, features two teams that would likely agree that they fell short of expectations this season. Some of that had to do with injuries (particularly, the quarterbacks of both teams), but some of it simply came down to execution. This is an opportunity for guys that will presumably be back next season, like Washington’s Demond Williams and Boise State’s running back duo of Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines, some extra reps and practice time heading into the offseason.
Speaking of Williams, when he is healthy and executing at a high level, he is one of the most dynamic players in the Big Ten. We got to see that at times this season, but there were also games where carelessness with the football cost Washington dearly. The tandem of Williams and running back Jonah Coleman will be difficult for the Broncos to stop, though, so if the Huskies are truly focusing on trying to win the game, we may see them take advantage of a Boise State defense that isn’t as stout against the run as we have come to expect. Offensively the Broncos were inconsistent this year, and struggled when facing bigger competition. Not only will Washington be more like Notre Dame than MWC competition, but the Broncos will be without their top offensive lineman in this game. The Huskies should win this game somewhat comfortably, but it’s always a risk to say that when it comes to bowl season.
My Pick: 31-17 Washington
Bowl Mania Confidence: 40 points
