College football bowl rankings: Starting from the bottom
College football bowl season gets underway on Saturday and this year we're treated to a total of 39 games, including the the national championship.
For the rest of the week, we'll be counting down all the bowl games ranked by watchability. We do recommend you watch every game – because it's you know, college football – but let this be your unofficial guide to the postseason.
The first edition features the nation's leading passer, tropical venues, solid Group of Five teams and the ACC Player of the Year.
38. Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
— Matchup: Bowling Green (7-6) vs. South Alabama (6-6)
— Time, TV: Dec. 20, 9:15 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: The Jaguars are ready for their first-ever bowl appearance, led by its pass defense that's giving up 200 yards per game. Don't be fooled by the 6-6 record as the team's tough non-conference schedule included games against Mississippi State, South Carolina and Navy. Bowling Green lost its last three, including a 51-17 drubbing at the hands of Northern Illinois in the MAC title game.
37. Hawai'i Bowl
— Matchup: Rice (7-5) vs. Fresno State (6-7)
— Time, TV: Dec. 24, 8 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: Both of these teams started 0-3, but clawed back to become bowl eligible. The streaky Bulldogs reached 3-3, fell to 3-6 and then had to win three in a row before losing to Boise State in the Mountain West title game. Rice turned the ball over just 12 times this season.
36. Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
— Matchup: Central Michigan (7-5) vs. Western Kentucky (7-5)
— Time, TV: Dec. 24, noon, ESPN
— Reason to watch: Hilltoppers quarterback Brandon Doughty is the headliner here, leading the nation with 4,344 passing yards and 44 touchdowns. The Chippewas could slow Doughty down a bit with a solid defense that gave up just 211.4 yards per game through the air.
35. Gildan New Mexico Bowl
— Matchup: Utah State (9-4) vs. UTEP (7-5):
— Time, TV: Dec. 20, 2:20 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: The Aggies will rue the missed chance to play for the Mountain West title, getting blown out by Boise State in the regular season finale. The turnover battle here will be interesting, as Utah State finished seventh in FBS with 29 takeaways, while the Miners were second with just 11 turnovers.
34. GoDaddy Bowl
— Matchup: Toledo (8-4) vs. Arkansas State (7-5)
— Time, TV: Jan. 4, 9 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: The Rockets finished the season on a 7-2 run, coming up just short of an appearance in the MAC title game. Running back Kareem Hunt was near the top of the nation, averaging 7.9 yards per carry. Keep an eye on Arkansas State quarterback Fredi Knighten who averaged 239.5 passing yards and 64.6 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns on the ground.
33. Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl
— Matchup: Louisiana Tech (8-4) vs. Illinois (6-6)
— Time, TV: Dec. 26, 1 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: The Bulldogs got it together a tough non-conference scheduling featuring games at Oklahoma and Auburn to go 7-1 in conference play before losing in the Conference USA title game. Tim Beckham was on the hot seat throughout his third season at Illinois, but his team rallied to win its last two games to become bowl eligible. Keep an eye on Illini receiver Mike Dudek who had 69 catches for 965 yard as a true freshman.
32. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
— Matchup: Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) vs. Nevada (7-5)
— Time, TV: Dec. 20, 11 a.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: The Ragin' Cajuns finished the regular season as one of the nation's hottest teams, going 7-1 after a 1-3 start. Carried by their ground game, Louisiana-Lafayette averaged 228.4 rushing yards with running backs Elijah McGuire and Alonzo Harris combining for 26 touchdowns. Their defense will be tested by Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo who accounted for 3,371 yards and 31 touchdowns of total offense.
31. BITCOIN St. Petersburg Bowl
— Matchup: UCF (9-3) vs. North Carolina State (7-5)
— Time, TV: Dec. 26, 8 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: The Knights finished the season on a 9-1 run after an 0-2 start and are looking to win 10 games for the fourth time in five seasons. UCF's third-ranked defense will have its hands full against a Wolfpack team with three players who rushed for at least 495 yards, including quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
30. Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
— Matchup: Houston (7-5) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6)
— Time, TV: Jan. 2, noon, ESPN
— Reason to watch: Pitt running back James Conner was named ACC Player of the Year after a tremendous sophomore season with 1,675 yards and 24 touchdowns. Houston fired coach Tony Levine at the end of the season, and defensive coordinator David Gibbs will serve as the interim in the bowl game. The Cougars' record is a bit deceiving, as four of the team's losses came by eight points or less.
***
PHOTOS: College football coaching carousel