College football fans looking ahead to 2015 still have nine more bowl games remaining in 2014. These promise to be good ones too. Two of the three games on Monday feature coordinators squaring off against their former employers. The first game between playoff-ranked teams (Georgia and Louisville) is on Tuesday. The "Big Six" games start on Wednesday.
Let's talk about the remaining games in 2014 before we start sipping champagne and singing "Auld Lang Syne".
Monday
Texas A&M vs. West Virginia (ESPN, 2 p.m.). In a changing college football environment, the Liberty Bowl still endures as one of the signature December bowl games. This matchup between Texas A&M and West Virginia should continue that tradition.
Two items will serve as discussion points for this game. First, Texas A&M's offensive coordinator was previously Dana Holgorsen's offensive coordinator at West Virginia. This led to a friendly Twitter war a few weeks ago.
Two, West Virginia's starting quarterback announced his retirement from football last week after also disclosing a series of concussions in his collegiate career.
Oklahoma vs. Clemson (ESPN, 5:30 p.m.). The Russell Athletic Bowl scored for itself a wail of a matchup. In terms of name recognition, this might be the best December bowl game on paper.
Featuring the defending Orange Bowl champion and defending Sugar Bowl champion doesn't hurt either.
How does one handicap this game? Oklahoma has been a supreme disappointment this year, especially against explosive offenses. Clemson, though, is anything but explosive and lost its offensive coordinator to Southern Methodist.
Brent Venables should be a centerpiece of this game. Venables was unceremoniously dumped by Bob Stoops as Oklahoma's defensive coordinator so he could bring back one of his brothers for the same position. Venables, this year's recipient of the "Defensive Coordinator of the Year" award by FootballScoop.com, landed at Clemson and has done well.
Oklahoma is favored (-4.5).
Arkansas vs. Texas (ESPN, 9 p.m.). The Texas Bowl in Houston features one of the marquee rivalries of the old Southwest Conference.
This game will also be telecast on the Longhorn Network, if you have that.
Tuesday
Notre Dame vs. LSU (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.). The Music City Bowl wanted this matchup and got it.
It will be the third bowl game between LSU and Notre Dame all-time. The most recent was the 2007 Sugar Bowl, a debacle for the Irish in which it lost 41-14.
The other matchup was the 1997 Independence Bowl, an in-season rematch. Notre Dame won the regular season contest in Baton Rouge, 24-6. Just six weeks later, LSU won the rematch in the Independence Bowl, 27-9.
LSU is favored by a touchdown. Expect LSU to cover too.
Georgia vs. Louisville (ESPN, 6:30 p.m.). 'Tis the season for Belk jokes on Twitter.
This might be the Todd Grantham Bowl. Previously the defensive coordinator at Georgia from 2010 to 2013, Grantham was unceremoniously run out of Athens by angry Georgia fans eager to see him leave. He is in his first year as defensive coordinator for Louisville.
This will be the first bowl game between two ranked teams (using the playoff committee rankings).
Maryland vs. Stanford (ESPN, 10 p.m.). Maryland's first Big Ten bowl game is the Foster Farms Bowl against Stanford in Levi's Stadium.
Big Ten fans know well by now that each Big Ten team is an underdog in its respective bowl game. That the Big Ten is 2-2 right now is a pleasant surprise.
Don't expect the B1G to get to 3-2 on Tuesday. Stanford is a two-touchdown favorite.
Wednesday
Ole Miss vs. Texas Christian (ESPN, 12:30 p.m.). This is the Peach Bowl and will be the first "Big Six" bowl game played this year.
I begrudge that this is not an 8 p.m. kickoff. The Peach Bowl's charm was that it was college football's New Year's Eve party. The game would typically end just minutes before midnight, ringing in the new year with a quality bowl game played in front of a raucous crowd.
Boise State vs. Arizona (ESPN, 4 p.m.). Boise State has two losses, one to Ole Miss and another at Air Force. If you're curious why it's playing in the Fiesta Bowl, recall the new format to the postseason.
Previously, the BCS afforded a spot to a non-BCS school if it were ranked higher than a BCS champion. Now, the highest-ranked non-Power Five school gets a "Big Six" invite no matter its rank relative to the Power Five schools.
Arizona is an at-large selection, though there's probably a comment to be made about Rich Rodriguez guiding Arizona to the Fiesta Bowl while his Michigan Man replacement in Ann Arbor was fired after another seven-loss season.
Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech (ESPN, 8 p.m.). I yawned so loudly when this announcement was made. Apparently I'm not alone in this either. Among the SEC bowl games, the Orange Bowl still has the most tickets available for purchase.
Even the Belk Bowl elicited greater excitement than the Orange Bowl.
Both teams did well to punch above their weight this year. Mississippi State rode a no. 1 ranking for a few weeks after finishing 2013 with six losses. Likewise, Georgia Tech, another six-loss team from last year, was a preseason fourth or fifth place finish in its own division but did well to make the ACC Championship Game.
That said, I'd much rather have the Peach Bowl between Ole Miss and Texas Christian at this 8 p.m. kickoff slot.
