Covering All College Sports Since 2012
I still love college football. But I can’t abide what is happening in Power Five land. I don’t think I can watch it or enjoy it. And it no longer resembles the thing that made it so great for so long.
The Ragin’ Cajuns are not new to facing a a Big 12 school to start their season.
Today we had an emergency convo to figure out what could end up happening with the Big XII, the Group of Five, and the upper echelons of the FCS. The one thing everyone seemed to agree on is that change will be happening, and the Group of 5 and FCS won’t look the same as it does now once it’s done.
Georgia vs. CincinnatiWhen: Friday, January 1st, 12:00 PM ESTWhere: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN Cincinnati gets its chance to show the Football Playoff Committee that they were ranked too low this season. The undefeated Bearcats will play Georgia in their home state in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day similar to how another undefeated.
Army vs. West VirginiaWhen: Thursday, December 31st, 4:00 PM ESTWhere: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tenn.TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN Army benefited from Tennessee’s COVID-19 breakout as the Volunteers were originally slated to face West Virginia. Army was orignially left out of the bowls altogether after the bid it was given to the Independence Bowl was removed as that.
Mississippi State vs. TulsaWhen: Thursday, December 31st, 12:00 PM ESTWhere: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Tex.TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN The first Group of Five versus Power Five matchup takes place with Tulsa playing the SEC’s Mississippi State. This is the first of three such match-ups in this bowl season with Army facing West Virginia in the Liberty.
The usual cast of characters atop the Big 12 Conference leader board finds themselves looking up, not only to foes, but at foes not normally perched atop the league standings.
How do we organize these programs in a way that is enticing for them, without breaking the proverbial bank while also creating a potentially better G5 product overall as well?
On Wednesday, August 5th 2020, we were finally given the answer we have all been waiting for from the NCAA with regards to the continuation of the 2020 fall sports season.
Writers across the nation struggle with the fact that all their work may be all for naught. Athletes worry their off-season efforts and senior years may be futile. And fans have fleeting hope whether some football or none will be played in the fall. This pandemic has emotions heightened, tempers flaring, and heartache growing, yet.
It seems like nationally, college football people really don’t seem to have any idea about the talent, passion, and tradition that goes on at FCS schools, or what makes them the ideal out-of-conference opponents.
During an ordinary offseason, during an ordinary May, the writers here at College Sports Journal would be in the middle of looking over 2020 fall rosters and doing football team evaluations for the upcoming year. But this isn’t an ordinary offseason by any definition.
If the Big 10 and the Power 5 have their way, however, the Trey Lance’s of the world won’t be sticking around at FCS schools like North Dakota State for very long.
The Tigers were dominant all season and got here by winning the SEC Crown by defeating Georgia and by boat racing Oklahoma in the CFP Semifinal. Coach Ed Orgeron has put together a team that has been very good on both sides of the ball.
Tennessee will look to cap the 2019 season with its sixth straight win as the Volunteers take on Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The Big Orange are playing in their first bowl game since the 2016 Music City Bowl.
Notre Dame turned two early miscues into 10 points that fueled a 33-9 win over the Cyclones on Dec. 28 in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando.
Aggie quarterback Kellen Mond ran for a career-high 117 yards and threw one touchdown pass to help Texas A&M rally to defeat Oklahoma State 24-21.
J’Mar Smith passed for one touchdown and ran for another with just over one minute remaining in the game as Louisiana Tech blanked the Hurricanes 14-0 on Thursday in Shreveport.
Boston College vs. Cincinnati (Birmingham Bowl) When: Thursday, January , 2nd 4:00 PM EST Where: Legion Field, Birmingham, Ala. TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN (subscription req’d) Birmingham Bowl History (Last Five) January 3, 2015 Florida 28 East Carolina 20 December 30, 2015 Auburn 31 Memphis 10 December 29, 2016 South Florida 46 South Carolina 39 (OT) December 23, 2017.
Georgia vs. Baylor (Sugar Bowl) When: Wednesday, January 1st, 8:45 PM EST Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La. TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN (subscription req’d) Sugar Bowl History (Last 7) January 3, 2012 Michigan 23 Virginia Tech 20 January 2, 2013 Louisville 33 Florida 23 January 2, 2014 Oklahoma 45 Alabama 31 January 1, 2015[CFP] #4 Ohio State 42.
Kentucky vs. Virginia Tch (Orange Bowl) When: Monday, December 31st, 12:00 PM EST Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN (subscription req’d) Belk Bowl History (Last 7) December 27, 2011 NC State 31 Louisville 24 December 27, 2012 Cincinnati 48 Duke 34 December 28, 2013 North Carolina 39 Cincinnati 17 December 30, 2014 Georgia.
The game will mark Virginia’s first appearance in the Orange Bowl. The Cavaliers are 9-4 overall and the ACC Coastal Division champion. The Orange Bowl will mark UVA’s 21st bowl appearance and third consecutive under fourth-year head coach Bronco Mendenhall.
Mississippi State goes for its third straight victory when it meets Louisville of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Monday from Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.
Illinois is making its 19th bowl appearance in school history, but the first under Lovie Smith and the Fighting Illini are looking to get back in the win column against the Golden Bears.
A berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game is on the line as Ohio State and Clemson do battle in this year’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
Oklahoma vs. LSU (College Football Playoff Peach Bowl) When: Saturday, December 28th, 4:00 PM EST Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga. TV/Streaming: ESPN/WatchESPN Peach Bowl History The Peach Bowl started in 1968. The bowl changed its name to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in 1997 but changed to add back “Peach” when this bowl became part of the.
Memphis vs. Penn State (Cotton Bowl Classic) When: Saturday, December 28th, 12:00 PM EST Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX TV/Streaming: ESPN/WatchESPN Cotton Bowl History The Cotton Bowl started with its first game in 1937. The game played in the Cotton Bowl Stadium until moving to AT&T Stadium in January 2010. The following is the history.
Iowa vs. USC (Holiday Bowl) When: Friday, December 27, 7:00 PM EST Where: SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, Calif. TV/Streaming: FS1/Fox Sports App Holiday Bowl History 2018 — Northwestern 31, Utah 20 2017 — Michigan State 42, Washington State 17 2016 — Minnesota 17, Washington State 12 2015 — Wisconsin 23, USC 21 2014 –- USC 45, Nebraska.
Eastern Michigan vs. Pittsburgh (Quick Lane Bowl) When: Thursday, December 26th, 8:00 PM EST Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich. TV/Streaming: ESPN/WatchESPN Quick Lane Bowl History Date Winning Team Losing Team December 26, 2014 Rutgers 40 North Carolina 21 December 28, 2015 Minnesota 21 Central Michigan 14 December 26, 2016 Boston College 36 Maryland 30 December.
I may be in a unique situation as my crossover for football is not the FBS Power Five (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, & SEC, as well as Independent Notre Dame) and Group of Five (AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, & Sun Belt) schools like many college football reporters. Rather, my take is both.
Week 1 had its share of highlights and upsets with the Group of Five. The biggest suprise had to go to Georgia State defeating the SEC’s Tennessee. I will go through my Top 5 G5 wins over Power Five schools this week and add in a couple of great G5 vs. G5 match-ups in this.
Friday typically only has a game or two in all of college football but on this opening weekend, there are two great Mountain West versus Power Five match-ups with Utah State visiting the ACC’s Wake Forest and the Rocky Mountain Showdown with Colorado State paying the Pac-12’s Colorado. Game 1 of the Night: Utah State.
The FBS Group of Five starts with a couple of heavy weights playing some Power Five squads that will go a long way towards which G5 team will be playing in a New Year’s Six Bowl game. This will be a preview of the two heavy hitter games that I will have my eyes on.
Arizona at Hawai’i When: Saturday, August 24th 10:30 PM EDT Where: Aloha Stadium, Halawa, Hawaii (50,000) How to Watch: CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports.com (subscription required) Arizona Wildcats See the 2019 CSJ Arizona team preview here. The Coach Kevin Sumlin era did not get off to a good start in Tucson last year. A 5-7.
While LSU did lose to those three Top 25 ranked teams, it also won four other contests against such teams. The Tigers defeated Miami (FL), Mississippi State, Georgia, and Auburn.
Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech (Military Bowl) When: Monday, December 31, 12:00 PM EST Where: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Md. TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN (subscription req’d) Cincinnati Bearcats (3rd, AAC East, 10-2, 6-2) The Bearcats went 4-8 last season in Coach Luke Fickell’s first season and were picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the AAC.
Temple vs. Duke (Independence Bowl) When: Thursday, December 27, 1:30 PM EST Where: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La. TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN (subscription req’d) Temple Owls (2nd, AAC East, 8-4, 7-1) Temple recovered from a 2-3 start to finish its last seven games with a 6-1 mark. The only loss in that span came in a 52-40 game against.
