5 must-see bowl games outside of College Football Playoff

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5 must-see bowl games outside of College Football Playoff

Bryan Logan, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Dec 9, 2025 ·

7 min read

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It is Bowl Season! Overall, there will be 41 different bowl games, plus the first round of the College Football Playoff and the National Championship. While much of the focus will be on the Playoff games, there are still other amazing matchups to be enjoyed. There are the bowls that every college football fan should have on their viewing schedule.

The first bowl of the year between FBS teams will be on Saturday, December 13, as Boise State and Washington collide in the Bucked Up LA Bowl. It then continues into the next week with six different mid-week bowl games, leading up to the first round of the College Football Playoff. The final games of the season, which are not a part of the playoffs, all kick off on January 2nd. On that Friday, four different bowl games will be played.

While fans will have plenty of options to enjoy, some games stand out above the rest in terms of their engaging storylines and the enjoyment they provide.

Myrtle Beach Bowl- Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan

© Dave Hyatt / Hyatt Media LLC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There is an argument for multiple other bowls to be in the top five of need to be viewed. The Sun Bowl with Duke and Arizona State should be interesting, but the Sun Devils will be dealing with multiple opt-outs, including Sam Leavitt leaving the program. The Military Bowl between Pitt and East Carolina should provide fireworks from two solid offensive units led by young quarterbacks. Meanwhile, Utah and Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl could see Kyle Whittingham coach his final game.

Regardless, for the college football nut who just loves the sport, the Myrtle Beach Bowl is a must-watch on Friday, December 19, at 11 a.m. ET. The timing of the game is part of the joy of bowl season, a Friday morning before the holidays kick into high gear. Meanwhile, the game is played on the teal turf of Brooks Stadium, home of Coastal Carolina. The game itself should also be stellar.

Kennesaw State is playing in its first-ever bowl game as an FBS program, and they also just won the Conference USA title in their second season as an FBS program. The Owls were just 2-10 last season, the first as an FBS program, but jumped to 10-3 this year with the conference title under first-year coach Jerry Mack.

Meanwhile, Western Michigan is also a conference champion. Lance Taylor has led the Broncos to a second straight bowl game, and their first MAC Conference Championship since P.J. Fleck took Western Michigan to the Cotton Bowl in 2016. The conference title for the team was just their fourth ever MAC Title. The team will also be looking for just their third-ever bowl win. They are currently 2-10 in bowl games.

The game should also be close. Amari Odom is a solid dual-threat quarterback who can make massive plays, especially in clutch situations. Meanwhile, the best unit on the field is the defense of Western Michigan. That unit has given up over 21 points just once in their last ten games.

Pop-Tarts Bowl- BYU vs. Georgia Tech

The Pop-Tarts Bowl on December 27th at 3:30 p.m. ET is going to be a great game to watch. The game itself has taken on new life since Kellogg's changed the title sponsor from Cheez-It to Pop-Tarts, concurrent with also securing the title sponsorship of the Citrus Bowl. When the name changed, so did the gimmick tied to the game. In 2023, the first-ever game under the name Pop-Tarts Bowl, the first-ever edible mascot was toasted, and the winning team got to enjoy.

While f ans will be able to vote on which flavors meet their demise this year, the biggest story of the game could be off the field. This was the game that initially invited Notre Dame to face off against BYU, which would have placed the top two teams to miss the playoffs agaisnt each other. Regardless, Notre Dame declined the invite , leading to Georgia Tech being invited to the game.

On the field, it should be a stellar game. Georgia Tech had a path to the playoffs before falling apart late in the season. BYU had a path as well, but two losses to Texas Tech ended that hope. The key matchup in this game will be between the rushing attack of Georgia Tech and the run defense of BYU. Haynes King is an exciting quarterback who can make major plays on the ground, rushing for 922 yards and 15 touchdowns this year. He will be looking to cap his college career with a win. Still, BYU is 36th in FBS against the run.

Pinstripe Bowl- Penn State vs. Clemson

Two programs that were disappointments in 2025 look to put a positive spin on a rough season. Both Penn State and Clemson were participants in the 2024 College Football Playoff, leading to the expectation that they would contend again. Instead, they will be playing in the Pinstripe Bowl on December 27th at noon, a lead-in to the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Penn State won each of its last three games to make it to bowl eligibility. It will be the final game under interim head coach Terry Smith, who will remain on Matt Campbell's staff .

Meanwhile, Clemson won each of their last four games to finish the season 7-5. Dabo Swinney has now made a bowl game every single season he has been the head coach of the Tigers. This will also be the last game of Cade Klubnik 's college career. He will have a difficult match-up against a Penn State defense that ranks 22nd against the pass. Adding to the allure of the game is the location. The game will be played in Yankee Stadium. Baseball stadiums being used for Bowl Season is another bonus to the game, and Yankee Stadium is one of the best.

ReliaQuest Bowl- Iowa vs. Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt hoped that if they were playing on New Year's Eve, it was going to be in the Cotton Bowl Classic as part of the CFP. Vanderbilt lobbied hard for a spot after a 10-2 season, the best in their program's history. Vandy did not get that CFP berth , but the program is still looking forward to their bowl game in Tampa. It will be the final time fans get to see Diego Pavia in a college uniform, as the Heisman candidate will be off to the NFL next season.

Meanwhile, Kirk Ferentz brought Iowa to their 23rd bowl invite in 25 seasons. Iowa has a solid defense, but this is also the best offense that Iowa has had in years. They are 50th in points per game this year, led by a different exciting quarterback. Mark Gronowski has been great in his lone year in Iowa. He passed for 1,529 yards and eight touchdowns, while also running for 491 yards and 15 touchdowns. For those tuning in to watch Pavia at he college level one final time, they will also get a treat being able to watch Gronowski take the field as well.

Citrus Bowl- Texas vs. Michigan

Right after the ReliaQuest Bowl featuring Iowa and Vanderbilt, college football fans get treated to Texas and Michigan at the Citrus Bowl at 3:00 p.m. ET. These two faced off at the start of the 2024 season with a Texas win over Michigan, 31-12. They also faced off in the 2005 Rose Bowl, where Texas took a 38-37 win over the Wolverines.

The storyline of this game is not just two of the biggest brands in college football facing off, but two big-name quarterbacks going head-to-head. Arch Manning is looking to finish the campaign strong after leading the Longhorns to a victory over Texas A&M. He has passed for 2,942 yards and 24 touchdowns this year. Meanwhile, he has also rushed for 244 yards and eight scores.

On the other side it is the freshman, Bryce Underwood. Underwood is looking to rebound after a subpar showing against Ohio State. He threw for 2,229 yards this past year with nine scores, while also running for 323 yards and five touchdowns. New Year's Ever is going to be an epic day of football, leading into the Cotton Bowl featuring Ohio State, and this is one of the games that will make it a must watch day all-around.

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