On the eve of the 2013-14 College Football Bowl season, let’s look at the best and worst games, to figure out which games to watch, and which ones to avoid.
5 Stars:
Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO – Stanford vs. Michigan State – If you love defense, this is the game for you. Both teams have defenses that are among the best in the country. This game will come down to which team can consistently put enough offense together to score more than the other.
VIZIO BCS National Championship – Florida State vs. Auburn – This game will be great for the exact opposite reason of the Rose Bowl. Both of these teams have high-powered offenses, each featuring a Heisman finalist. Florida State has the better defense, but Auburn has shredded some of the SEC’s best defenses in 2013.
4 Stars:
Discover Orange Bowl – Clemson vs. Ohio State – This game is very intriguing considering it is two teams that thought it would be their year. All Ohio State had to do was beat Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game, and they are playing for a national title. Clemson was dismantled by Florida State early in the year, and it kind of put them in a long-shot situation.
Chick-fil-A Bowl – Duke vs. Texas A&M – Two competing story-lines in this game. First there is Duke, who shocked the world and made it to the ACC Championship Game. Then there is Texas A&M, who had a somewhat disappointing season, especially considering the return of Johnny Manziel.
Valero Alamo Bowl – Oregon vs. Texas – This game gets 4-star quality considering it is Mack Brown’s final game at Texas. Oregon is significantly better than Texas, but the question will be how much does emotions play a part of the game.
3 Stars:
Allstate Sugar Bowl – Oklahoma vs. Alabama
Outback Bowl – Iowa vs. LSU
Capital One Bowl – Wisconsin vs. South Carolina
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl – Nebraska vs. Georgia
Hyundai Sun Bowl – Virginia Tech vs. UCLA
National University Holiday Bowl – Arizona State vs. Texas Tech
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl – Ole Miss vs. Georgia Tech
Russell Athletic Bowl – Miami (FL) vs. Louisville
New Era Pinstripe Bowl – Rutgers vs. Notre Dame
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl – Boise State vs. Oregon State
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl – Ohio vs. East Carolina
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl – Fresno State vs. USC
2 Stars:
GoDaddy Bowl – Arkansas State vs. Ball State
AT&T Cotton Bowl – Oklahoma State vs. Missouri
AutoZone Liberty Bowl – Rice vs. Mississippi State
Advocare V100 Bowl – Arizona vs. Boston College
Belk Bowl – Cincinnati vs. North Carolina
Fight Hunger Bowl – BYU vs. Washington
Texas Bowl – Syracuse vs. Minnesota
Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman – Marshall vs. Maryland
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl – Utah State vs. Northern Illinois
Gildan New Mexico Bowl – Washington State vs. Colorado State
1 Star:
BBVA Compass Bowl – Vanderbilt vs. Houston
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl – UCF vs. Baylor
Heart of Dallas Bowl – UNLV vs. North Texas
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl – Middle Tennessee vs. Navy
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl – Michigan vs. Kansas State
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl – Pittsburgh vs. Bowling Green
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl – Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Buffalo vs. San Diego State
Long Name, Amazing Thoughts 