5 college football bowl games you shouldn't miss

It's that time of year again when college football bowl games are back on our TV screens and we've got some crackers coming up. The festive season is sure to be special, with teams who hold great records, or at least evenly matched records, going up against each other. College football bowl games are a festive treat and much like Christmas dinner, it is often hard to decide what to choose and what to leave out. We have sorted through the buffet of college football games on offer and handpicked the best ones for you.

College Football Bowl games to watch out for

#5 - Peach Bowl: Pittsburgh (11-2) vs. Michigan State (10-2)

In the Peach Bowl, we have two evenly matched teams in Pittsburgh and Michigan State. Both have lost only a couple of games this season. This college football bowl game is the story of a coach and a quarterback.

On the side of Michigan State, we have head coach Mel Tucker. Last year, in his first season with Michigan he went 2-5. This year they sit at 10-2 with running back Kenneth Walker III causing defenses all sorts of problems.

Meanwhile, quarterback Kenny Pickett has been one of the stories of the season. He has played inspired football and is in consideration to bd a Heisman finalist. It promises to be an intriguing matchup and one college football bowl game that you dare not miss.

#4 - Boca Raton Bowl: Appalachian State (10-3) vs. Western Kentucky (8-5)

At first glance there does not seem to be much in this game. But if you are a fan of college football bowl games for the uninhibited spectacle, this is the game for you. The combined offensive average for these teams is 77.3 points per game.

Appalachian State has been scoring in every conceivable way possible this season. They have dominated in both the running and passing games with Chase Brice throwing for 3000 yards and 1000 rushing yards by Nate Noel.

Western Kentucky, on the other hand, have been pass-happy to an exciting, if slightly unbalanced, extent. Their quarterback, Bailey Zappe has passed for 5,455 yards. That is 1000 yards better than the next passer and he has already breached the 500 yards mark in a game twice. If he throws for 300 yards in this game, he will become the record-holder for most passing yards in a season in FBS history.

2021 SEC Championship - Georgia v Alabama

College Football Bowl games: Our top 3

#3 - Liberty Bowl: Texas Tech (6-6) vs. Mississippi State (7-5)

Now we realize that this game may not be everyone's top choice when it comes to college football bowl games, but this is an intriguing matchup because of what is happening both on and off the field

On the field, this is a college football bowl game that is pretty evenly matched in terms of records, with a 6-6 team taking on a 7-5 team. That in itself should grab the attention of those who prefer close games coupled with nailbiting tension.

But it is off the field where the real drama lies. Mississippi State coach Mike Leach was fired by Texas Tech 12 years ago. He believes he was wrongfully dismissed and vowed to fight until his death. To cut a long story short, Texas Tech claims he was dismissed because of insubordination and maltreatment of a college player, whereas Leach claims it was because he was eligible for bonuses had he not been fired. This intriguing subplot will surely add to this college football bowl game.

#2 - Orange Bowl: Michigan (12-1) vs. Georgia (12-1)

We had a hard time choosing which college football bowl game to put first and which to put second, ultimately we decided to go with this particular order. Michigan are 12-1 and won the Big Ten Football Championship in 2021 and are in the running for a national title.

Georgia are also an equally famous program, trying to get their first national title win in decades while coming into the game with an identical record to Michigan. Both teams are good on offense and defense and possess fine running games to boot.

#1 - Cotton Bowl: Alabama (12-1) vs. Cincinnati (13-0)

Our top college football bowl game is the Cotton Bowl. Alabama is Alabama, and always come into any game as favorites. They just beat heavily favored Georgia in the SEC title game. Bryce Young has been a revelation and threw for 421 yards in their victory in that game. Nick Saban is of course as great a coach as he has always been, making any Alabama team exciting to watch.

Cincinnati comes into this game with a perfect record this season without any losses. They are 44-6 in the last four years and have won 22 of their last 23 games. In the process, they became the first team to qualify for this edition of the college football playoffs.