Ranking All 41 College Football Bowls for 2015: From Must-See to Must-Miss
College football’s 2015 regular season is over and all 41 bowl and playoff matchups are set. The bowl season kicks off in Orlando with the inaugural Cure Bowl on Dec. 19 and concludes with the national championship in Glendale, Ariz. on Jan. 11. College football's postseason is bigger than ever with 41 overall games, including the national championship. Due a lack of teams with a winning record to fulfill all of the necessary bowl slots, three programs - Nebraska, Minnesota and San Jose State - with a 5-7 mark will play in a bowl this year.
Watching all 41 bowl games isn’t impossible, but it can be difficult prioritizing which matchups are must-see television around the holidays.
Athlon ranks and previews all of the matchups from the must-see to the ones you can avoid. From No. 1 to No. 41, here’s a look at the bowl matchups in terms of watchability and quality of game.
Ranking All 41 Bowl Games: Must-Watch to Must-See
1. College Football National Championship
Clemson (13-0)/Oklahoma (11-1) vs. Alabama (12-1)/Michigan State (12-1)
Jan. 11 – 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
The matchup for the national championship won’t be set until late on Dec. 31, but this year’s title game won’t be short on intrigue. The Michigan State-Alabama matchup should be a defensive slugfest, while the Oklahoma-Clemson contest could feature plenty of offensive fireworks. Regardless of which teams emerge victorious, an interesting contrast in style of play is set to play out on Jan. 11 in Glendale, Ariz. In the first lines released from Vegas, Oklahoma is a slight favorite over Clemson, and Alabama is favored by nine points over Michigan State.
2. Orange Bowl – Clemson (13-0) vs. Oklahoma (11-1)
Dec. 31 – 4 p.m. ET, ESPN
It’s a rematch of last year’s Russell Athletic Bowl, but the stakes are significantly higher for Clemson and Oklahoma in the 2015 Orange Bowl. The Tigers are the nation's lone unbeaten team and finished the regular season as the College Football Playoff committee’s No. 1 seed. Coach Dabo Swinney has elevated Clemson as a program in recent years, recording at least 10 wins in each of the last five seasons. Quarterback Deshaun Watson leads an explosive offense, as the sophomore averaged 338.4 total yards per game in 2015. However, Watson isn’t a one-man show. The Tigers are loaded with speed and talent at receiver, feature an improving offensive line and the steady Wayne Gallman at running back. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops didn’t sit idle after last year’s 8-5 record. The staff changes made by Stoops paid big dividends on both sides of the ball, including an offense that has thrived behind quarterback Baker Mayfield. Considering the firepower on both sidelines, it’s hard to imagine this game as a low-scoring affair. Can Watson or Mayfield simply carry their team into the national championship? Or will one of the defenses make a play in the clutch to seal the victory?
3. Cotton Bowl – Alabama (12-1) vs. Michigan State (12-1)
Dec. 31 – 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Similar to the Orange Bowl, the Cotton Bowl is a matchup of similar styles. Michigan State and Alabama aren’t afraid to spread the field and let their quarterbacks attack, but both teams prefer to lean on their ground attack and defense. Having nearly a month off should be a huge benefit for the Spartans and the health of quarterback Connor Cook. The senior appeared to be less than full strength in the Big Ten Championship and should return to 100 percent by Dec. 31. Cook’s health is critical, as the Crimson Tide’s secondary has been vulnerable at times. Keeping Cook upright against Alabama’s aggressive defensive front is the biggest key to victory for Michigan State. Crimson Tide quarterback Jake Coker improved throughout the year but the success of this offense rests with running back Derrick Henry and the offensive line. Expect a physical, 60-minute slugfest in Dallas on Dec. 31. That’s quite a contrast to the other playoff matchup in Miami.
4. BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl – Notre Dame (10-2) vs. Ohio State (11-1)
Jan. 1 – 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
The Fiesta Bowl is easily one of the biggest winners of bowl season. If a few scenarios played out differently, Notre Dame and Ohio State could be preparing for a playoff matchup. Instead, the Fighting Irish and Buckeyes are poised to meet in Glendale, Ariz. in their first meeting since 2006. Notre Dame was forced to overcome a handful of key injuries this season, including season-ending ailments to quarterback Malik Zaire, running back Tarean Folston and cornerback KeiVarae Russell. Backup DeShone Kizer filled in admirably for Zaire, and C.J. Prosise picked up the slack on the ground. The matchup of Kizer, Prosise and receiver Will Fuller against Ohio State’s defense (14 ppg) is one of the must-see matchups of bowl season. The Buckeyes had their share of inconsistency on offense in 2015 but finished on a high note (6.99 ypp) in a 42-13 win over Michigan. Will the extra time to practice help coach Urban Meyer find some of the right answers for his offense?
5. Rose Bowl – Stanford (11-2) vs. Iowa (12-1)
Jan. 1 – 5 p.m. ET, ESPN
Even though Stanford and Iowa were both on the cusp of making the College Football Playoff, a trip to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl is a nice consolation price. This will be the Cardinal’s third trip to the Rose Bowl in four years, while the Hawkeyes are returning to Pasadena for the first time since 1991. The battle in the trenches and the ground game will be two points of emphasis for both coaches. Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey leads the nation with an average of 268.9 all-purpose yards per game, but Iowa has been stingy (114.9 ypg) against the run. The Cardinal aren’t as dominant on defense as they were last season, yet still manage to hold opponents to 23.1 points a game. Assuming both teams land their share of body blows in the trenches, this game could come down to whichever quarterback – Stanford’s Kevin Hogan or Iowa’s C.J. Beathard – connect on a few timely throws in the second half.
6. Alamo Bowl – Oregon (9-3) vs. TCU (10-2)
Jan. 2 – 6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN
The Alamo Bowl should be the most intriguing bowl matchup outside of the playoff and New Year’s Six games. Needless to say, there should be no shortage of points in the Alamodome on Jan. 2, as Oregon and TCU are two of the nation’s highest-scoring offenses. The Ducks took flight once quarterback Vernon Adams returned from a broken finger and finished the regular season by scoring at least 44 points in four out of the last five games. The Horned Frogs’ hopes of getting into the College Football Playoff was derailed by injuries, including one to quarterback Trevone Boykin in November. Boykin played against Baylor and is expected to be at full strength by Jan. 2. Will either defense find a way to slow down the skill players or dynamic quarterbacks in this game?
7. Russell Athletic Bowl – Baylor (9-3) vs. North Carolina (11-2)
Dec. 29 – 5:30 p.m., ESPN
The scoreboard operator at the Citrus Bowl should have a busy night when Baylor takes on North Carolina. The Bears and Tar Heels are the top two teams in the nation in average yards per play, with both teams eclipsing the 7.2 mark. Injuries derailed Baylor’s season, but coach Art Briles has indicated there’s a chance freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham returns for the bowl. With Stidham or Chris Johnson healthy and back under center, the Bears’ offense should be operating at a high level against an improved North Carolina defense. When the Tar Heels have the ball, quarterback Marquise Williams and running back Elijah Hood will give Baylor’s defense all it can handle. Both teams could easily eclipse 40 points in this Dec. 29 matchup.
8. Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – Houston (12-1) vs. Florida State (10-2)
Dec. 31 – Noon ET, ESPN
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl kicks off the New Year’s Six slate for the second year in a row. New coach Tom Herman guided Houston to an American Athletic Conference title in his first season, and despite interest from a handful of Power 5 programs, signed an extension to remain with the Cougars in 2016. Herman’s specialty is on offense, and Houston is led by dynamic quarterback Greg Ward Jr. The junior’s mobility is a huge asset with an offensive line that was hit hard by injuries in the regular season. The Cougars’ explosive offense will be tested by Florida State’s defense, which is the best unit Ward has faced in 2015. The Seminoles limit opponents to 4.7 yards per play, and the secondary allowed only 10 plays of 30 or more yards. Like Herman, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher is one of the best offensive minds in the nation. And it’s a credit to Fisher’s coaching ability the Seminoles finished 10-2 with the amount of roster turnover this team experienced after last season. Houston’s rush defense has been stingy all season, but Florida State running back Dalvin Cook will be tough to keep in check.