Get ready for an exciting college football season as we dive into the 2025-26 bowl game schedule! This season promises to be action-packed, with a series of thrilling matchups and the potential for some unexpected outcomes.
The season kicked off on December 13th, and we've already witnessed some intense battles. But here's where it gets controversial... the real excitement begins with the bowl games!
Let's take a look at the schedule, starting with the games on December 24th:
Wednesday, December 24th:
- Hawai'i Bowl: Cal takes on the home team, Hawai'i, at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu. This game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET.
Friday, December 26th:
- GameAbove Sports Bowl: Central Michigan faces Northwestern at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Catch this game on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET.
- Rate Bowl: New Mexico battles Minnesota at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. ESPN will air this game at 4:30 p.m. ET.
- First Responder Bowl: FIU goes head-to-head with UTSA at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Tune in to ESPN at 8 p.m. ET for this exciting matchup.
Saturday, December 27th:
- Military Bowl: Pitt squares off against East Carolina at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. ESPN has the coverage starting at 11 a.m. ET.
- Pinstripe Bowl: Clemson and Penn State clash at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. ABC will broadcast this game at 12 p.m. ET.
- Fenway Bowl: UConn faces Army at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. ESPN brings you this game at 2:15 p.m. ET.
- Pop-Tarts Bowl: A highly anticipated matchup between No. 12 BYU and No. 22 Georgia Tech at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. ABC will air this game at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- Arizona Bowl: Miami (Ohio) takes on Fresno State at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. The CW Network has the broadcast at 4:30 p.m. ET.
- New Mexico Bowl: No. 25 North Texas battles San Diego State at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ESPN will showcase this game at 5:45 p.m. ET.
- Gator Bowl: Missouri goes up against No. 19 Virginia at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. ABC brings you this game at 7:30 p.m. ET.
- Texas Bowl: LSU faces No. 21 Houston at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. ESPN has the coverage starting at 9:15 p.m. ET.
Monday, December 29th:
- Birmingham Bowl: Stay tuned for the exciting matchup and broadcast details!
Tuesday, December 30th:
- Independence Bowl: Coastal Carolina takes on Louisiana Tech at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. ESPN will air this game at 2 p.m. ET.
- Music City Bowl: Tennessee battles Illinois at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. ESPN has the coverage at 5:30 p.m. ET.
- Alamo Bowl: No. 16 USC faces TCU at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. This game will be broadcast on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET.
Wednesday, December 31st:
- ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 23 Iowa goes up against No. 14 Vanderbilt at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. ESPN brings you this game at 12 p.m. ET.
- Sun Bowl: Arizona State battles Duke at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. CBS will air this game at 2 p.m. ET.
- Citrus Bowl: No. 13 Texas takes on No. 18 Michigan at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. ABC has the broadcast at 3 p.m. ET.
- Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska faces No. 15 Utah at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. ESPN will showcase this game at 3:30 p.m. ET.
College Football Playoff Quarterfinal:
- No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Miami (Fla.): This highly anticipated matchup will take place at AT&T Stadium (Cotton Bowl) in Arlington, Texas. ESPN and WatchESPN will bring you all the action starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Thursday, January 1st:
- College Football Playoff Quarterfinal: No. 4 Texas Tech battles No. 5 Oregon at Hard Rock Stadium (Orange Bowl) in Miami Gardens, Florida. ESPN and WatchESPN have the coverage starting at 12 p.m. ET.
- College Football Playoff Quarterfinal: No. 1 Indiana faces No. 9 Alabama at the Rose Bowl (Rose Bowl) in Pasadena, California. ESPN and WatchESPN will air this game at 4 p.m. ET.
- College Football Playoff Quarterfinal: No. 3 Georgia takes on No. 6 Ole Miss at Caesars Superdome (Sugar Bowl) in New Orleans, Louisiana. ESPN and WatchESPN bring you this game at 8 p.m. ET.
Friday, January 2nd:
- Armed Forces Bowl: Texas State goes up against Rice at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. ESPN has the broadcast at 1 p.m. ET.
- Liberty Bowl: Navy battles Cincinnati at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. ESPN will air this game at 4:30 p.m. ET.
- Duke's Mayo Bowl: Mississippi State takes on Wake Forest at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. ESPN has the coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET.
- Holiday Bowl: No. 17 Arizona faces SMU at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California. FOX brings you this game at 8 p.m. ET.
Thursday, January 8th:
- College Football Playoff Semifinal: Get ready for an intense battle at State Farm Stadium (Fiesta Bowl) in Glendale, Arizona. ESPN will bring you all the action starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Friday, January 9th:
- College Football Playoff Semifinal: The excitement continues at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Peach Bowl) in Atlanta, Georgia. ESPN has the coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Monday, January 19th:
- College Football Playoff National Championship Game: The ultimate showdown! Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, will host this highly anticipated game. ESPN will bring you every thrilling moment starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Now, let's take a look at some of the results from previous seasons to get a sense of the intensity and excitement that the College Football Playoff brings:
College Football Playoff: Scores and Results
2014 Season:
- Rose Bowl: No. 2 Oregon defeated No. 3 Florida State, 59-20.
- Sugar Bowl: No. 4 Ohio State beat No. 1 Alabama, 42-35.
- CFP National Championship Game: No. 4 Ohio State claimed the title, defeating No. 2 Oregon, 42-20.
2015 Season:
- Orange Bowl: No. 1 Clemson emerged victorious over No. 4 Oklahoma, 37-17.
- Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Alabama shut out No. 3 Michigan State, 38-0.
- CFP National Championship Game: No. 2 Alabama took home the championship, defeating No. 1 Clemson, 45-40.
2016 Season:
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Clemson dominated No. 3 Ohio State, 31-0.
- Peach Bowl: No. 1 Alabama defeated No. 4 Washington, 24-7.
- CFP National Championship Game: No. 2 Clemson claimed the title, beating No. 1 Alabama, 35-31.
2017 Season:
- Rose Bowl: No. 3 Georgia outlasted No. 2 Oklahoma in a thrilling 2OT game, 54-48.
- Sugar Bowl: No. 4 Alabama defeated No. 1 Clemson, 24-6.
- CFP National Championship Game: No. 4 Alabama secured the championship, edging out No. 3 Georgia, 26-23 (OT).
2018 Season:
- Orange Bowl: No. 1 Alabama defeated No. 4 Oklahoma, 45-34.
- Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Clemson dominated No. 3 Notre Dame, 30-3.
- CFP National Championship Game: No. 2 Clemson claimed the title, defeating No. 1 Alabama, 44-16.
2019 Season:
- Peach Bowl: No. 1 LSU dominated No. 4 Oklahoma, 63-28.
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Clemson edged out No. 2 Ohio State, 29-23.
- CFP National Championship Game: No. 1 LSU claimed the championship, defeating No. 3 Clemson, 42-25.
2020 Season:
- Rose Bowl: No. 1 Alabama defeated No. 4 Notre Dame, 31-14.
- Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State dominated No. 2 Clemson, 49-28.
- CFP National Championship Game: No. 1 Alabama secured the title, defeating No. 3 Ohio State, 52-24.
2021 Season:
- Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama defeated No. 4 Cincinnati, 27-6.
- Orange Bowl: No. 3 Georgia defeated No. 2 Michigan, 34-11.
- CFP National Championship Game: No. 3 Georgia claimed the championship, defeating No. 1 Alabama, 33-18.
2022 Season:
- Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia edged out No. 4 Ohio State, 42-41.
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 TCU defeated No. 2 Michigan, 51-45.
- CFP National Championship Game: No. 1 Georgia dominated, defeating No. 3 TCU, 65-7.
2023 Season:
- Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan defeated No. 4 Alabama, 27-20.
- Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Washington defeated No. 3 Texas, 37-31.
- CFP National Championship Game: No. 1 Michigan claimed the title, defeating No. 2 Washington, 34-13.
2024 Season:
- First Round (December 20-21):
- Friday, December 20: No. 7 Notre Dame defeated No. 10 Indiana, 27-17.
- Saturday, December 21: No. 6 Penn State defeated No. 11 SMU, 38-10.
- Saturday, December 21: No. 5 Texas defeated No. 12 Clemson, 38-24.
- Saturday, December 21: No. 8 Ohio State defeated No. 9 Tennessee, 42-17.
Quarterfinals (December 31-January 1):
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State defeated No. 3 Boise State, 31-14.
- Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas defeated No. 4 Arizona State, 39-31 (2OT).
- Rose Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State defeated No. 1 Oregon, 41-21.
- Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame defeated No. 2 Georgia, 23-10.
Semifinals (January 9-10):
- Orange Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame defeated No. 6 Penn State, 27-24.
- Cotton Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State defeated No. 5 Texas, 28-14.
CFP National Championship:
- No. 8 Ohio State claimed the championship, defeating No. 7 Notre Dame, 34-23. (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta)
As we look ahead to the 2025-26 season, the question remains: Who will emerge victorious and claim the College Football Playoff title? Will we see any upsets or unexpected outcomes? The stage is set, and the excitement is building. Stay tuned as we bring you all the latest updates and results from the bowl games and the College Football Playoff! Don't miss a moment of the action!
