Cole Pepper
Eight of the 47 college football bowl games outside of the College Football Playoff involve teams from the state of Florida or are played in Florida (or, in two cases, both).
Florida’s matchup with Tulane on Dec. 20 in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) is one of two scheduled bowl games with a Sunshine State team played in the state. The Gators rallied to become bowl eligible by winning three straight games to finish the season, including victories over ranked opponents LSU and Ole Miss, as well as rivals Florida State.
The other Florida team to earn a bowl inside their home state was No. 13 Miami. The Hurricanes will face Iowa St. on Dec. 28 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Miami (10-2) started the season with nine straight wins before losing two of their last three games to miss out on a chance at the College Football Playoff. Iowa State (10-3) finished the regular season ranked 18th in the country, losing the Big 12 title game to Arizona State, bumping the Cyclones from the CFP.
USF (6-6) will also travel to Honolulu to face San Jose State (7-5) in the Hawai’i Bowl on Christmas Eve (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). It’s the first time since 2017 that USF will travel outside of the state to play a bowl game. Last year, the Bulls played in the Boca Raton Bowl and in 2018, USF played in the Gasparilla Bowl. It is the 12th bowl game in program history.
There are five other bowl games that will be held in the state of Florida, outside of the Orange Bowl, which is part of the CFP:
— Boca Raton Bowl, Dec. 18, Western Kentucky vs. James Madison, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. Western Kentucky features one of the stingiest pass defenses in the country. The Hilltoppers allowed 175.5 yards per game through the air, 11th-best in the country. James Madison’s offense has been more ground-based, averaging 191.7 rushing yards per game.
— Cure Bowl (Orlando), Dec. 20, Ohio vs. Jacksonville State, noon ET, ESPN. Ohio’s defense has led the way for the Bobcats this season. The team ranks 10th in rushing defense and 11th in scoring defense nationally. They will be tested by a Jacksonville State team that averages 267.3 rushing yards per game, second-best in the country, and nearly 37 points per game (seventh nationally).
— ReliaQuest Bowl (Tampa), Dec. 31, Michigan vs. Alabama, noon ET, ESPN. The two winningest programs in college football history meet for the seventh time in history. The Wolverines and No. 11 Crimson Tide met in the College Football Playoff after the 2022 season with Michigan beating Alabama 27-20 in overtime to earn a spot in the CFP finals. The two programs have split the six previous meetings. Two of Michigan’s three wins over Alabama have come in overtime.
— Citrus Bowl (Orlando), Dec. 31, South Carolina vs. Illinois, 3 p.m. ET, ABC. A pair of ranked teams meet here. It’s one of just four bowl games with two ranked teams outside of the CFP. The matchup features one of the hottest teams in the country, 15th-ranked South Carolina, and No. 20 Illinois. The Gamecocks (9-3) won their last six games, including victories over three ranked teams (Texas A&M, Missouri and Clemson). Illinois (9-3) only lost to Penn State and Oregon, both playoff teams, and Minnesota this season. It’s a homecoming for Illinois’ leading receiver Pat Bryant. The Jacksonville native needs 16 yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the year.
— Gator Bowl (Jacksonville), Jan. 2, Duke vs. Ole Miss, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. The Rebels (9-3) think they should have earned a playoff spot while the Blue Devils (9-3) come in on a three-game winning streak. Ole Miss is led by quarterback Jaxson Dart, who is second in the nation in passing efficiency, third in yards per completion and fourth in passing yards nationally. The two programs have never met in football.
