The 2023-’24 college football bowl season has arrived. It all kicks off on Saturday with the Myrtle Beach Bowl at 11:00 AM ET, but that’s just the start of what’s to come. With some of the best players in the nation taking the field, we’re highlighting the best college football bowl games to watch this winter.
Obviously, player opt-outs and the transfer portal come into effect. USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams is sitting out the Holiday Bowl and he’s not alone. With thousands of players entering the transfer portal and some top NFL Draft prospects opting to preserve their health over playing in a bowl game, we have to take that into account when examining the matchups.
Related: College Football Bowl Schedule
Let’s dive into our rankings of the best college football bowl games in 2023-’24
5 best college football bowl games
5. Citrus Bowl: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Tennessee Volunteers
Of the best college football bowl games in 2023, no other matchup offers a contrast like this one. The Tennessee Volunteers have boasted one of the best offenses in the nation over the last two seasons, racking up points and big plays at a stellar rate. As for the Iowa Hawkeyes, offense isn’t really what they do.
During the regular season, Iowa’s defense held opponents to 13.2 points per game (4th in FBS), 3.9 yards per play (2nd) and they allowed a third-down conversion just 31.6 percent of the time (18th). This same unit gets to face a Volunteers’ offense that averaged 31.6 points per game, boasting a 6.4 yards per play average (16th) and converting on third-down attempts 45 percent of the time.
The entertaining part of this game will be Tennessee’s offense versus Iowa’s defense, but it’s the other side of the ball that will dictate the outcome. If the Hawkeyes’ offense – 16.6 ppg (128th) and 3.9 yards per play (132nd) – can’t get anything going against the Vols’ defense – 22.8 PPG allowed (37th)n and 5 yards per play allowed (29th) – even three scoring drives should lead Tennessee to a Citrus Bowl victory.
4. Rose Bowl: Michigan Wolverines vs Alabama Crimson Tide
We understand why many believe the Rose Bowl will be the best bowl game this winter. Not only is it a perfect venue for the College Football Playoff Semifinal, but we also get a head-to-head matchup between two storied programs. The Michigan Wolverines (nine) and Alabama Crimson Tide (16) are among the all-time leaders in national championships. Of course, this Rose Bowl matchup is about Jim Harbaugh vs Nick Saban.
Related: Highest college football coaches buyouts
At Michigan, Harbaugh has built a program with a reputation of physicality. If you want to know why the Wolverines have beaten Ohio State in each of the last three years, it’s because Harbaugh has built a far more physical football team. It’s part of his M.O. and with the best defense in college football backing him, it’s no surprise the Rose Bowl is projected to be a low-scoring game.
However, Alabama wants a physical football game. Dragging the Crimson Tide into a battle of power, nastiness and brute physicality is the very recipe that made Saban arguably the greatest coach in college football history. We’re not expecting the same type of outcome from the last Michigan vs Alabama game (Alabama won 35-16 in 2020), but the Crimson Tide are well-equipped to knock out the Wolverines.
3. Peach Bowl: Penn State Nittany Lions vs Ole Miss Rebels
You might notice a trend with two of our choices for the best college football bowl games this year. Styles make fights and there are few things more intriguing than clashing archetypes. The Penn State Nittany Lions are a top-10 team because of their suffocating defense, while the Ole Miss Rebels became one of the best SEC teams in 2023 thanks to Lane Kiffin’s offense.
- Ole Miss Rebels offense (2023): 31.4 points per game, 6.1 yards per play, 4.3 red-zone scoring attempts per game, 182.3 rushing yards per game, 4.4 yards per carry
- Penn State Nittany Lions defense (2023): 11.8 points per game allowed, 3.7 yards per play allowed, 1.8 red-zone scoring attempts allowed per game, 67.1 rushing yards per game
We know Kiffin will be experimenting with his rushing attack early. While Penn State has the best run defense in the Power 5, it did allow 97 rushing yards per game over the final three weeks of the regular season. While Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins didn’t replicate the success from his freshman year, he still has 2,600 rushing yards and 33 total touchdowns in his first two seasons. The one thing we’re keeping an eye on as a potential decisive point for this matchup, Ole Miss ranks 102nd in third-down conversion rate (34%).
2. Orange Bowl: Florida State Seminoles vs Georgia Bulldogs
We don’t need to tell you why all eyes will be on the Orange Bowl. While the Florida State Seminoles will have some opt-outs and Jordan Travis isn’t playing, this should be a highly-motivated team. On the other side of the ball, it’s the back-to-back national champions who let the SEC title game and a spot in the CFP slip away.
There shouldn’t be any talk of the Orange Bowl being canceled, Florida State wants the lucrative payout, especially if it ever wants to buy its way out of the ACC. As for the Georgia Bulldogs, even with NFL-bound players sitting out, Kirby Smart needs this game to avoid talk heading into 2024 about the Bulldogs’ decline. This matchup is about more than just seeing two of the best teams in college football, it’s narrative heavy and that always makes for a great bowl game.
1. Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Washington Huskies
The 2022 Alamo Bowl between the Texas Longhorns and Washington Huskies was fantastic. In a 27-20 final, Washington and Texas combined for nearly 900 total yards of offense with just a single turnover and plenty of explosive plays. The highlights from the 2023 Sugar Bowl are one of the reasons this CFP Semifinal matchup is the best college football bowl game this winter.
Among the many matchups were excited for is Washington’s ground game against the Longhorns’ run defense. The Huskies’ offensive line bullied opponents all year, including the Oregon Ducks twice, allowing them to average 4.5 yards per carry. Success won’t come nearly as easily against a huge Texas defensive line.
- Texas Longhorns run defense: 81.1 rushing yards per game allowed (4th in FBS), 2.9 yards per carry allowed (5th), 5.1 rushing first downs allowed per game (4th)
So, we’re counting on an air show in the Sugar Bowl. Washington allowed the third-lowest sack rate (2.22 percent) in the nation this season and Michael Penix Jr. is healthy. Against a Longhorns’ defense that ranked 61st in sack rate (6.26 percent) and ranked 48th in completion rate allowed, Penix Jr. should have time in the pocket to attack this secondary with Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk.
Quinn Ewers, Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy will be cooking in this one, too. While Washington’s defense has held up well at times this season, it allowed opposing quarterbacks to pass for 300-plus yards five times. The key for Ewers will be taking calculated shots against a defense that picked off 16 passes this year. We’re expecting both teams to score 30-plus points.
