An Abundance of College Football Bowl Games for the New Year

With a dozen bowl games on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, football fans should have plenty to celebrate.

Monday, Dec. 31
Armed Forces Bowl (ESPN, 12:30 pm/ET): In a motivational mismatch, Air Force (with 31 Texas natives) flies into Fort Worth for its first bowl since 2002, while disappointing California picks up from a 1-6 finish. Chad Hall and DeSean Jackson are playmakers extraordinaire.

Humanitarian Bowl (ESPN2, 2 pm/ET): Former H-Bowl winners Fresno State and Georgia Tech return to Boise's blue turf. Two-time ACC rushing king Tashard Choice powers Tech, while return man A.J. Jefferson is the top Bulldog.

Sun Bowl (CBS, 2 pm/ET): Talk about the terrible twos. Oregon and South Florida were both ranked No. 2 this season, only to lose their next three games and land in this El Paso contest. USF can add to its NCAA-best 40 takeaways against a wounded Ducks offense.

Music City Bowl (ESPN, 4 pm/ET): Senior QB Andre Woodson, a first-round NFL talent, pilots Kentucky against Florida State. Nashville is the "Noles"' 12th different site in 29 bowl games under Bobby Bowden.

Insight Bowl (NFLNET, 6 pm/ET): Top coaching stories converge in Tempe: Bill Lynch replaced the late Terry Hoeppner and has Indiana in its first bowl since 1993, while Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy is still a YouTube sensation for his Sept. 22 outburst in defense of a benched QB.

Chick-fil-A Bowl (ESPN, 7:30 pm/ET): Rabid Tigers fans from Auburn and Clemson can really fil-a stadium, making organizers of this Atlanta tradition very happy. On the field, DE Quentin Groves leads Auburn against ACC passing leader Cullen Harper.

Tuesday, Jan. 1
Outback Bowl (ESPN, 11 am/ET): Wake up to Wisconsin and Tennessee in Tampa. Wisconsin tailback P.J. Hill and All-Big Ten tight end Travis Beckum aim to match the offense generated by the Vols' veteran QB Erik Ainge.

Cotton Bowl (FOX, 11:30 am/ET): The annual postseason party in Dallas sports two of the nation's brightest offensive stars, Missouri QB Chase Daniels and Arkansas RB Darren McFadden. But there's drama off the field, too. The Tigers dropped out of the No. 1 ranking and the BCS bowls after losing to Oklahoma, while Arkansas lost its coaching staff despite upsetting LSU in its season finale.

Capital One Bowl (ABC, 1 pm/ET): Two powerhouse programs collide, as Michigan battles Florida in Orlando. Lloyd Carr's final game as Michigan's coach comes in the Wolverines' 33rd straight bowl appearance (the nation's longest streak). His defense faces the defending national champs and Heisman Trophy-winning QB Tim Tebow, the first player to ever score 20-plus TDs both passing and rushing in a single season.

Gator Bowl (CBS, 1 pm/ET): Yes, Virginia, the Red Raiders love to pass. Texas Tech ranks first in passing offense and dead last in rushing (only 226 attempts), so ACC defensive player of the year Chris Long should have QB Graham Harrell in his sights on every play.

Rose Bowl (ABC, 5 pm/ET): Tradition prevails in Pasadena, as organizers pair Illinois and Southern California for this long-standing Big Ten-Pac-10 postseason get-together. The Illini, who celebrated nine victories this year after winning just twice last season, have a stellar ground game led by Rashard Mendenhall, but the Trojans rank fourth in the nation at stopping the run.

Sugar Bowl (FOX, 8:30 pm/ET): It's time for the unbeaten Hawaii Warriors to prove they can play with college football's big Dawgs. Despite a schedule that many considered unworthy of BCS bowl consideration, Hawaii netted a $17-million payout and a New Year's Day date with the Georgia Bulldogs. The outcome could depend on which defense cracks first under the pressure of a Dawgs running game powered by Knowshon Moreno or a Warriors aerial attack by QB Colt Brennan.

For more bowl game action, visit our Online Video Guide.

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