College football bowl rankings: No. 21 to No. 14
College football bowl season gets underway Saturday and this year we're treated to a total of 39 games, including the the national championship.
Every day this week, we're counting down the bowl games ranked by watchability. We recommend you watch every game – because it's you know, college football – but let this be your unofficial guide to the postseason.
PREVIOUSLY: No. 38-No. 30 | No. 29-No. 22
Today's edition takes us into some of the more intriguing games, featuring multiple matchups between high-profile programs, impact freshmen and at least one contest that may make the scoreboard explode.
21. Miami Beach Bowl
— Matchup: Memphis (9-3) vs. BYU (8-4)
— Time, TV: Dec. 22, 2 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: Once 4-0 and dreaming of an undefeated season, the Cougars unraveled after losing quarterback Taysom Hill, which sparked a four-game losing streak. But BYU won its final four behind the strong play of Christian Stewart. For Memphis, quarterback Paxton Lynch didn't throw an interception during the Tigers' six-game winning streak to end the season, which saw the team finish co-champion of the AAC.
20. Duck Commander Independence Bowl
— Matchup: Miami (6-6) vs. South Carolina (6-6)
— Time, TV: Dec. 27, 3:30 p.m., ABC
— Reason to watch: Hopes were sky-high for Steve Spurrier's team, which was ranked No. 9 in the preseason. The Gamecocks were blown out by Texas A&M in the opener then beat Georgia, but things went south, finishing the season 3-5. Miami lost its last three, but there were plenty of outstanding individuals performances, namely from true freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya who led the ACC with 25 touchdown passes.
19. AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
— Matchup: Texas (6-6) vs. Arkansas (6-6)
— Time/TV: Dec. 29, 9 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: There was plenty of turnover in Charlie Strong's first year at Texas, but the team didn't suffer any glaringly bad losses. Arkansas made big strides in Bret Bielema's second season, snapping an 18-game SEC losing streak with back-to-back shutouts against LSU and Ole Miss. Keep an eye on the Razorbacks' two-pronged rushing attack of Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins who combined for 2,109 yards and 23 touchdowns.
18. Foster Farms Bowl
— Matchup: Stanford (7-5) vs. Maryland (7-5)
— Time, TV: Dec. 30, 10 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: After reaching BCS bowls in four consecutive seasons, the Cardinal fell off in 2014. Stanford had the nation's No. 2 scoring defense, but the offense just couldn't find a groove all season long. Maryland enjoyed a fine debut season in the Big Ten, going 3-1 on the road in conference play. The Terps finished 106th in rushing and should have a difficult time against the stout Stanford defense.
17. Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
— Matchup: LSU (8-4) vs. Notre Dame (7-5)
— Time/TV: Dec. 30, 3 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: The Irish fell apart after starting 6-0 with hopes of a spot in the College Football Playoff. It all started with the controversial penalty that cost the team a win at Florida State and ended with Notre Dame losing its last four. A young team still finding its footing, LSU had a couple of nice wins against Wisconsin in the season-opener and then-undefeated Ole Miss in late October.
16. AutoZone Liberty Bowl
— Matchup: Texas A&M (7-5) vs. West Virginia (7-5)
— Time, TV: Dec. 29, 2 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: The season began well for the Aggies without Johnny Manziel, starting 5-0 with Kenny Hill throwing for 511 yards in the opener against South Carolina. The team finished the season 2-5, but notched a memorable victory on the road against then-No. 3 Auburn. Still, their record has gotten worse each season under Kevin Sumlin. West Virginia had a nice bounce-back season, handing Baylor its only loss of 2014. This is going to be a shootout.
15. Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl
— Matchup: Colorado State (10-2) vs. Utah (8-4)
— Time, TV: Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m., ABC
— Reason to watch: After back-to-back losing seasons, the Utes made some noise in the Pac-12, beating UCLA, USC and Stanford. Coach Kyle Whittingham is 7-1 in bowl games. On the other sideline, the Rams begin life after Jim McElwain. The connection between quarterback Garrett Grayson and receiver Rashard Higgins powers Colorado State, as Higgins led the nation with 17 touchdown catches.
14. Boca Raton Bowl
— Matchup: Marshall (12-1) vs. Northern Illinois (11-2)
— Time, TV: Dec. 23, 6 p.m., ESPN
— Reason to watch: This could be one of the more entertaining bowls, between two of the top "Group of Five" teams in the nation. The Thundering Herd started 11-0 and had their sights set on a bid in a New Year's Six bowl, but lost in the regular season finale. For Northern Illinois, the first season of the post-Jordan Lynch era went well, with the team winning its final seven games and the MAC title.