Seven things to watch during bowl season

By Chris Marler

It’s the start of my favorite time of year, that magical stretch when no one knows whether it’s Wednesday or February. Everyone’s home from work, the kids are busy with new Christmas toys, and the only thing on your schedule, besides returning that hideous TJ Maxx sweater your aunt gifted you, is watching a slate of meaningless bowl games completely overtaken by corporate sponsors.

It’s truly wonderful. 

And, while I have no legitimate vested interest in the Bad Boy Mowers Bowl or the Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans, I am absolutely going to tune in if it means I can avoid friends, family and any obligations from work. Because, by God, that’s what bowl week is all about! 

What to watch for this week…

1. LSU vs Houston in the Texas Bowl (Saturday) 

Is it the desired landing spot for LSU fans? Absolutely not. Most Tiger fans expected to be booking rooms and travel to one of the four College Football Playoff Quarterfinal spots by now. They’ll instead return to a familiar holiday setting, spending the bowl season there for the third time in five years and the second straight year.

Why should you be excited? LSU fans will travel, and Houston is the biggest hub for LSU alumni and fans anywhere outside of the state of Louisiana. On top of that, you get to see the Tigers play a 13th game this season, and one against a ranked team from the Big 12. It’s a great opportunity for LSU and the SEC to flex their muscles in bowl season. 

2. Saturday, December 27 

There are eight bowl games being played this Saturday starting at 10 a.m. CT. It’s hard not to get excited about that no matter who is playing. College football traditionalists remember how incredible the slate on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day used to be. Wake up to bowl games on the last day of the year, and then wake up to bowl games of significance on the first day of the new year. This won’t have that level of significance thanks to the current state of college football, but the dopamine hit of bowl game nostalgia should be enough to get you going. 

3. The New Orleans Bowl (Tuesday)

Another bowl game in New Orleans. This one will feature a team LSU has already played in Western Kentucky, and the best mascot in America: the Hilltoppers. A giant red orb built like Mike Elko that will be an absolute menace on the sidelines and worth a watch just to see his antics. Plus, it’s the second to last football game played this year before the Sugar Bowl tees off on Jan. 1. 

But seriously, tune in for Big Red. 

It’s hard to argue there is a better and more fun mascot in the nation than WKU’s Big Red. He first appeared in 1979 and has become so iconic that he even was featured on the WKU football helmets over the past few years. pic.twitter.com/YwjaWYS4ft

— College Football Zone (@CollegeFBonX) March 15, 2025

4. East Carolina’s offense in the Go Bowling MIlitary Bowl (Saturday)

If you want a sneak peak of what Ole Miss’ offense will look like next season, then tune in Saturday. LSU has massive games next season against teams like Clemson, Texas A&M, Texas and Alabama. But, the most anticipated game for LSU in several years will be against their new head coach’s former team, Ole Miss. 

Pete Golding and Ole Miss will replace Charlie Weis Jr. with East Carolina’s offensive coordinator, John David Baker. The Pirates offense ranked top-22 nationally in scoring, yards gained and passing yards this season. 

5. Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (Saturday)

Nothing says lawnmowers like a game being played in the Bronx, a place with almost as little green grass as Antarctica. Regardless, if you want to watch what many thought was going to be a national championship matchup back in August, then this one is for you. Clemson and Penn State will meet in the home of yet another high-budget team that fell well short of expectations — the New York Yankees.

There’s no hill for Dabo to run down, but I’m sure he’ll find one to die on in the postgame press conference. 

Please enjoy this video of Dabo Swinney playing the air saxophone at practice today. He’s READY for New York 😂#ClemsonFB pic.twitter.com/cwK238IEnz

— Caroline Soro (@caroline_soro) December 15, 2025

6. The Gator Bowl: Missouri vs Virginia (Saturday) 

Can the eighth best team from the SEC beat the regular season ACC Champion? That’s the storyline.

Beau Pribula may be entering the portal, and Missouri may not have the same offense they had to start the season. But, this would be an incredible flex for the conference, and Eli Drinkwitz. 

One thing about Drinkwitz that’s certain is that he won’t miss an opportunity to get a win on the field or in the PR department. This will be Missouri’s fifth straight bowl game under Drinkwitz, and he’ll be looking for his third straight win. 

7. The Pop Tart Bowl (Saturday)

It’s the best non-CFP bowl game in the country, and it’s not even remotely close. The uniforms, the mascots and the theatrics off the field is the most entertaining thing you will see in all of bowl season. Period. 

Last year’s game featured the No. 1 overall draft pick, and yet that was overshadowed because of a Strawberry Pop-Tart resurrecting from the dead like Jesus in the second quarter of the game. It was incredible. 

On top of all that, this year’s game features the best non-CFP matchup of any postseason game. Two top-20 teams, BYU and Georgia Tech, will face off in Orlando. That means we get one last time to watch Haynes King play himself into a bloody stump in Brent Key’s offense and one last time to watch the most disrespected 11 win team I have seen in years in BYU.

Georgia Tech’s helmets will have sprinkles on them for the Pop-Tarts Bowl next weekend. 😆🔥 pic.twitter.com/pgDkgmXXqP

— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) December 19, 2025