We now know the eight quarterfinalists still alive in the College Football Playoff. Alas, we still have to wait for a little over a week before whittling the field down to four. But fret not, college football fans. There are plenty of bowl games in the meantime to keep us interested.
Monday’s bowl slate features another pair of matinee contests for your amusement if you want to take a break from last-minute shopping or other holiday preparations. By coincidence, both games will be staged at venues with oddly colored surfaces, so, as they used to say back in the early days of television, do not adjust your sets.
Here are today’s matchups.
Myrtle Beach Bowl – Coastal Carolina vs. Texas-San Antonio
Time/TV/location: 11 a.m. ET, ESPN, Conway, S.C.
Why watch: By recent standards, this wasn’t a great year for the Chanticleers, but they’re happy to have this opportunity for an additional game on their teal turf. Things didn’t go as planned for the Roadrunners either, though they did play better down the stretch winning three of their last four. Due to portal departures, freshman QB Tad Hudson will make his debut for Coastal. Texas-San Antonio will still have the services of QB Owen McCown, who also hopes to have RB Robert Henry back from an injury.
Why it could disappoint: It’s possible the Chanticleers’ young players will make hay against the Roadrunners’ defense that is somewhat leaky even when it has all its parts. If that happens we could be in for a fun afternoon, but it’s more likely Coastal Carolina will be playing catchup most of the way.
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Idaho Potato Bowl – Fresno State vs. Northern Illinois
Time/TV/location: 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Boise, Idaho.
Why watch: The second game on the Monday matinee also features a couple of teams with a lot of roster uncertainty. The Huskies produced one of the splashiest results of the early season with their upset of Notre Dame but finished in the middle of the MAC pack, while the Bulldogs managed a .500 campaign under interim coach Tim Skipper with Southern California assistant Matt Entz set to take over. Due to extensive QB departures, both teams’ most proven commodities will be in the ground game. Northern Illinois RB Gavin Williams has done a good job stepping in for the injured Antario Brown, and the duo of RBs Elijah Gilliam and Bryson Donelson should carry the load for Fresno State.
Why it could disappoint: Even before all the portal departures, the defenses represented the stronger side of the ball for both teams, meaning we might be in for a punting contest on the blue turf. That might at least mean there will be late-game drama though, so it might still be worth a look.