{"id":103579,"date":"2025-12-29T12:46:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T12:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/103579\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T12:46:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T12:46:10","slug":"college-football-bowl-game-weekly-guide-michigan-texas-cereal-and-mayonnaise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/103579\/","title":{"rendered":"College football bowl game weekly guide: Michigan, Texas, cereal and mayonnaise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once again, it\u2019s time to go bowling \u2014 not for soup<\/a>, but cheese, sugar and industrial vats of mayo.<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s action beyond the College Football Playoff revels in goofiness. Two signature programs (Michigan and Texas) meet at the Citrus Bowl, where anthropomorphic Cheez-Its are kicked through the uprights. Two recent ascendants (Duke and Arizona State) face off at the Sun Bowl, where the winner gets showered in Frosted Flakes. And two southern squads (Wake Forest and Mississippi State) assume the fever dream<\/a> that is the Duke\u2019s Mayo Bowl.<\/p>\n

These games still carry on-field appeal, opt-outs and all. Hawai\u2019i stunned Cal with a 21-point comeback Wednesday; North Texas and San Diego State played to a 49-47 finish Saturday; BYU notched a dramatic culture win and stole the pastries<\/a> from Georgia Tech. Let\u2019s see what\u2019s in store for the next round of bowls.<\/p>\n

All times ET, all odds via BetMGM and rankings based on the CFP Top 25.<\/p>\n

Non-CFP bowl game viewing guide (Dec. 29-Jan. 2)<\/p>\n

Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub<\/a>.<\/p>\n

GameTimeTVStream<\/p>\n

Georgia Southern vs. App St.<\/p>\n

2 p.m., Mon.<\/p>\n

ESPN<\/p>\n

Tennessee vs. Illinois<\/p>\n

5:30 p.m.. Tues.<\/p>\n

ESPN<\/p>\n

USC vs. TCU<\/p>\n

9 p.m., Tues.<\/p>\n

ESPN<\/p>\n

Iowa vs. Vanderbilt<\/p>\n

Noon, Wed.<\/p>\n

ESPN<\/p>\n

Arizona St. vs. Duke<\/p>\n

2 p.m., Wed.<\/p>\n

CBS<\/p>\n

Michigan vs. Texas<\/p>\n

3 p.m., Wed.<\/p>\n

ABC<\/p>\n

Arizona vs. SMU<\/p>\n

8 p.m., Fri.<\/p>\n

Fox<\/p>\n

Wake Forest vs. Mississippi St.<\/p>\n

8 p.m., Fri.<\/p>\n

ESPN<\/p>\n

ABC, CBS and Fox are free over the air. ABC and all ESPN networks stream on ESPN Unlimited. CBS also streams on Paramount+, and Fox also streams on Fox One.<\/p>\n

MondayGeorgia Southern vs. Appalachian State (JLab Birmingham Bowl)<\/p>\n

Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala.<\/p>\n

The only entrant on Monday\u2019s schedule is a rare conference-rivalry bowl matchup \u2014 so rare that the Sun Belt has an official statement<\/a> on it. Opt-outs and CFP shuffles mean a second batch of Eagles-Mountaineers, this one at a neutral site and with a trophy on the line. Georgia Southern survived App State on the road, 25-23, in a Nov. 6 stinger.<\/p>\n

TuesdayBest on paper: Tennessee vs. Illinois (Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl)<\/p>\n

Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.<\/p>\n

Both sides are 8-4, repping the two most hyped conferences. They look even across the NFL draft and transfer portal absences, too. Oddsmakers have Tennessee as a 2.5-point favorite to open this week, and Bill Connelly\u2019s SP+ model<\/a> has a projected final score of 32-28. Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (21 TDs, 5 interceptions) tries to end his senior season in style. Vols counterpart Joey Aguilar (24 TDs, 10 interceptions) is the SEC\u2019s second-leading passer, a few months after he nearly quit the sport altogether<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Potential chaos agent: No. 16 USC vs. TCU (Valero Alamo Bowl)<\/p>\n

Alamodome in San Antonio<\/p>\n

This game is a question mark with USC\u2019s sizable opt-out list and TCU\u2019s quarterback change. Josh Hoover, No. 7 in FBS passing yards, is hopping from the Horned Frogs to the transfer portal<\/a>. Points can still come via 6-foot-3 senior Eric McAlister, who is No. 5 in receiving yards. Head coach Sonny Dykes can scheme up big plays in his sleep. Lincoln Riley will have to maximize his Trojans\u2019 depth around starting QB Jayden Maiava. USC (36) is tied with Georgia for the second-most official bowl wins (Alabama has 41).<\/p>\n

The Alamodome in Scott Dochterman\u2019s venue rankings:<\/a> \u201cA longtime facility that has more than served its purpose, the Alamodome has helped build the Alamo Bowl from a lower-tier postseason game into one of the top three bowls outside the CFP. It has great sight lines, and it remains a staple for other high-level sporting events, such as the NCAA men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball tournaments.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other non-CFP bowls:<\/p>\n

Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech (Independence Bowl), 2 p.m. on ESPN
\nWednesdayBest on paper: No. 23 Iowa vs. No. 14 Vanderbilt (ReliaQuest Bowl)<\/p>\n

Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.<\/p>\n

Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia is suiting up. Vandy\u2019s captain is a must-watch right now because of his frenetic playmaking outside the pocket \u2026 and because of his NCAA eligibility lawsuit, which received a poetic update in federal court Friday<\/a>. Pavia\u2019s Commodores have double-digit wins for the first time in a lengthy program history. They\u2019ll play hard for Clark Lea on Wednesday. Iowa will match them, as the Hawkeyes approach bowls with stern intensity under the stern and intense Kirk Ferentz. Pavia has a puzzle in this Iowa defense, which is sixth in points allowed per game.<\/p>\n

Potential chaos agent: No. 18 Michigan vs. No. 13 Texas (Cheez-It Citrus Bowl)<\/p>\n

Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.<\/p>\n

Texas\u2019 pro-bound players are opting out of this Citrus Bowl. But Arch Manning is taking center stage, a few weeks after confirming his 2026 return. The talented but inconsistent Manning can set the tone for next fall with a dominant showing on New Year\u2019s Eve. Or, he can launch another cycle of murmurs and doubt if he falls flat. Michigan is at a full-fledged crossroads after Sherrone Moore\u2019s firing<\/a>. Let\u2019s see the faintest tracings of what Kyle Whittingham<\/a> is set to inherit. Wednesday\u2019s winner can do cheddar snow angels and pose for pictures with Prince Cheddward<\/a> himself.<\/p>\n

The Longhorns were No. 2 on David Ubben\u2019s CFP snub list:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cNo team on the bubble \u2014 few teams in the country \u2014 had better wins than Texas. The Longhorns beat three top-15 teams (Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M) and played Ohio State tougher than anyone until Saturday\u2019s Big Ten championship. Coach Steve Sarkisian called it a \u2018disservice to the sport\u2019 to lock out the Longhorns because doing so would de-incentivize big-time nonconference games. That\u2019s a debatable point, but Sarkisian is right that if Texas played Ohio instead of Ohio State, it would be in the field.<\/p>\n

\u201c[But] the Longhorns were a different team on the road most of the season. Above all, they lost to a 4-8 Florida team whose only other SEC win came over 1-7 Mississippi State. The Longhorns also needed to rally from a 17-point deficit at Mississippi State and needed overtime to win at Kentucky. The Ohio State point is fair. But so is this one: Don\u2019t lose to Florida. The latter won out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Potential chaos agent: Arizona State vs. Duke (Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl)<\/p>\n

Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas<\/p>\n

No Sam Leavitt for Arizona State, as last year\u2019s breakout under center now seeks a portal upgrade<\/a>. But there\u2019s still Duke\u2019s Darian Mensah, who has pro patience in the pocket and a deft accuracy on deeper throws. Mensah and his surprise ACC champions are averaging 34 points per game. Come for the aerodynamics, stay for the scenic open-air venue and the near-limitless supply of Frosted Flakes.<\/p>\n

The other non-CFP bowls:<\/p>\n

Nebraska vs. No. 15 Utah (Las Vegas Bowl), 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
\nFridayBest on paper: No. 17 Arizona vs. SMU (Trust & Will Holiday Bowl)<\/p>\n

Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego<\/p>\n

Opt-outs are sparse so far. Bring on nine-win Arizona (26th in scoring offense, 20th in scoring defense) and eight-win SMU (12th in net passing). Mustangs pass rusher Isaiah Smith comes in with 8 1\/2 sacks off the edge. He\u2019s chasing Wildcats slinger Noah Fifita, who has thrown just one pick across his last six games.<\/p>\n

Potential chaos agent: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State (Duke\u2019s Mayo Bowl)<\/p>\n

Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.<\/p>\n

The Demon Deacons boast solid wins against SMU and at Virginia; they were one point short of Georgia Tech in September. The Bulldogs are underwhelming, but they at least have one-possession finishes with Texas and Tennessee. Ultimately, it\u2019s the bowl\u2019s gloopy pageantry and strange shenanigans that sell the broadcast.<\/p>\n

The Duke\u2019s Mayo Bowl was No. 2 in our celebration of unique bowl games:<\/a> \u201cA mayonnaise victory bath will permanently reconfigure the soul. Last year\u2019s broadcast booth (Matt Barrie and Aaron Murray) found sweet salvation in the emulsified oil. They dipped ice cream in mayo, then summoned all mortal fortitude to hold it down on camera. The roaming mayo jar mascot later revealed itself as Flava Flav.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018The one thing AI will never replicate is the smell of a grown man covered in mayo after winning a football game,\u2019 the bowl\u2019s omniscient narrator said on social media. Take that to the committee. Wake\u2019s Jake Dickert and State\u2019s Jeff Lebby are now on notice; the latter admitted that he doesn\u2019t use the condiment on sandwiches but would embrace it in victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other non-CFP bowls:<\/p>\n

Rice vs. Texas State (Armed Forces Bowl), 1 p.m. on ESPN
\nNavy vs. Cincinnati (Liberty Bowl), 4:30 p.m. on ESPN
\nUpdated bowl game odds<\/p>\n

Streaming and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic.\u00a0Restrictions may apply.\u00a0The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.<\/p>\n