Since Georgia has a first-round bye and isn't playing until January 1, and with the BU Terriers off on winter break for the rest of the year after tonight, out attention is free to turn to the College Football Playoffs and NCAA bowl games.
What's even the point of bowls anymore? With a 12-team playoff system, and with the recent trend in player and even team opt-outs, do the post-season bowls have any relevance any more?
No, but then, other than the New Year Six and a few other prestige bowls, they arguably never did. Did anyone other than a handful of alumni and totally degenerate sports betters ever really care how West Central South Dakota State would fare against Southern Arkansas A&M in the Glad Sandwich Bag Bowl? Of course not.
But I would argue that it's the very irrelevance of these games that make them so intriguing. You can't call yourself a real sports fan if you haven't at least once sat on the edge of your sofa hanging on for dear life to see if the Magothy State kicker (go, Water Buffalos!) would complete a 55-yard field goal as time ran out to win the Duck Dynasty Bowl in a nearly empty stadium in a part of East Texas otherwise known mainly for periodic outbreaks of malaria. There's still a few of those goofy-ass bowls left in the 2025 schedule, but either they've weeded out the worst of the worst (e.g., the Bahamas Bowl) or else I'm getting used to them.
Case in point: the L.A. Bowl. This game was originally intended as a matchup between the Mountain West champion or next-highest available pick against the fifth pick from the Pac-12, not exactly the most prestigious choices for the second most populous city in the U.S. And then its debut got delayed by a year because of the covids.
I always found this game unintentionally hilarious, mainly because of it's name. After it finally premiered in 2021, the name was changed to the Jimmy Kimmel L.A. Bowl, because who doesn't think about college football without picturing pencil-necked white boy Jimmy Kimmel in their head? Recognizing that shortcoming, the next year the game was renamed the Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk, because "Gronk" is the most L.A./People Magazine, celeb-conscious way of referring to Rob Gronkowski. Then is was the Art of Sport LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk and this year, it's the Bucked Up (as in "fucked up") LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk.
Anyhow, this year's game matches the Mountain West's Boise State Broncos (9-4) against the Big 10's Washington Huskies (8-4). Neither team is ranked. I'm cheering for the Huskies as 9½-point favorites because this is their first L.A. Bowl while the Broncos have been here once before, and I lost betting on the Broncos as 2.5-point underdogs in that game back in 2023 (they were blown out by UCLA, 35-22). Also, and I'll never forgive them for this, for their headache-inducing eyesore of a blue football field in their home stadium. That alone should disqualify them from anyone's affections.
Boise State safety Ty Benefield is a possible opt out for the game, and left tackle Kage Casey has declared for the NFL draft and may not play. Washington running back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston have dealt with injuries throughout the season, but Coleman and Boston did play in their season finale. Although Coleman and Boston are both NFL draft prospects and may opt out, head coach Jedd Fisch said he expects them both to play, but you never know in these days of transfer portals and lack of team loyalty.
Anyhow, don't expect this level of attention for all 44 bowl and CFP games this season. Some days, there will be as many as eight of these things and I don't have the time or imagination - or inclination - to preview them all.
I just needed to get a few things about the LA Bowl off of my chest.
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