2025 Weekly Bowl Previews: Dec. 16-21
Breaking down this week's bowl action
Bowl season is already upon us, with the Bucked Up LA Bowl coming over the weekend with a resounding Washington win over Boise State.
Now, it’s time to break down each of the bowl games coming down the pipe this week. Today, you’ll get the non-playoff bowls previewed and an idea of if it’s worth a watch, or something to skip. Friday will have full previews for the four first-round playoff matchups.
And, don’t think you’re missing the coaching carousel update. That’ll hit your inboxes on Thursday morning.
So, without further ado, let’s talk about who’s actually playing in the bowls instead of moaning about Notre Dame passing on the Pop Tarts Bowl and their complete disdain for the tradition and heart of the sport. As always, all times are in Eastern.
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Troy (8-5) v. Jacksonville State (8-5) | December 16, 9 p.m., ESPN
Both teams came up short in their conference championship races, but that can be a double-edged sword. Sure, the Trojans and Gamecocks couldn’t pull out a conference championship win, but they were both good enough to make it! There is a strength-on-strength matchup at play here that I think is going to be a ton of fun in the Jacksonville State offense against the Troy defense. Troy struggled against the better offenses they faced this year, and Gamecock tailback Cam Cook may be the best individual player Troy has seen since their loss to Clemson, and that depends on how you view the Tigers as a whole.
Worth a watch?: Depends if you’re staying up or further west. If so, watching Cam Cook cook is always a pleasure.
Check out how Cam Cook rated in Substack college football creators’ eyes for the Group of Six Player of the Year and tons of other awards!
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Old Dominion (9-3) v. South Florida (9-3) | December 17, 5 p.m., ESPN
Raise your hand if you know who two of the most dangerous Group of Six offenses are? That’s right, it’s Old Dominion and South Florida. Granted, it’s been hamstrung a bit. Neither quarterback - Colton Joseph for ODU and Byrum Brown for USF - will play. But that levels the playing field, doesn’t it? Even without their star quarterbacks, both offenses have a ton of firepower and neither team has a defense that seems willing to make any plays. Plus, it’s not like Brown won’t be there. He’s going to be an assistant coach for the game. When’s the last time you can remember an active player taking an official assistant coaching role for a bowl game? If you can remember, tell me please, because I couldn’t find any record of that.
Worth a watch?: You bet. This one has major shootout and fireworks potential.
68 Ventures Bowl
Louisiana (6-6) v. Delaware (6-6) | December 17, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Sure, the game doesn’t look great on the surface, with two Group of Six teams sitting at .500 rolling into Mobile, Alabama. But the 68 Ventures Bowl and its predecessors at Hancock Whitney Stadium have been a breeding ground for chaos and wild scenarios. Think the Bowling Green fake punt last year. Or the postgame brawl between Eastern Michigan and South Alabama - who played a bowl in their home stadium. There’s some talent on the field, especially in the Delaware offense and the great play by quarterback Nick Minicucci, while Louisville has a varied attack with plenty of playmakers on both sides of the ball that can make an impact.
Worth a watch?: If you like G6 football and wild nonsense, I’m confident this game will have some. Otherwise, it’s worth a skip if you hate fun.
Xbox Bowl
Missouri State (7-5) v. Arkansas State (6-6) | December 18, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Missouri State will be without head coach Ryan Beard, who is off to Coastal Carolina. That shouldn’t discredit this great game. It’ll be the end of the career of the Sun Belt and Arkansas State all-time career receiving yards leader Corey Rucker, and the Red Wolves have quarterback Jaylen Raynor as the biggest star of the game. Missouri State isn’t hurting for talent either, with quarterback Jacob Clark immediately acclimating to the competition level in Conference USA and putting up an outstanding season, alongside his tailback, Shomari Lawrence. I’m interested to see how the Bears handle the Arkansas State offensive line, which has two legit maulers in Ethan Hassler and Cody Sigler.
Worth a watch?: Yes. Despite the records, this game has everything. Including the recipe for a nailbiter.
Myrtle Beach Bowl presented by Engine
Kennesaw State (10-3) v. Western Michigan (9-4) | December 19, 11 a.m., ESPN
If both teams don their yellow uniforms, paired with the Surf Turf, this game may be the one that makes your eyes bleed. It also may be the most evenly-matched game this week. Two conference champions are pitted against each other, each with a star dual threat quarterback (Amari Odom for KSU and Broc Lowry for WMU). Both have a disruptive edge rusher ready to take over the game (Elijah Hill’s nine sacks for KSU and Nadame Tucker’s 14.5 sacks for WMU). Both have coaches that were just named their conference’s coach of the year for leading stunning turnarounds. Jerry Mack even picked up multiple points in the Substack Coach of the Year polling. Both programs have an identity they want to lean on, but can let their quarterbacks turn it loose and win them the game. Or let the defense work. Or do anything else.
Worth a watch?: 100 percent. I think this is the best game of the bunch on the surface.
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Memphis (8-4) v. NC State (7-5) | December 19, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
This one’s for the folks that can’t stand Group of Six football. I hope you’re happy with hating fun, because boy are you missing out. At least you get your token Power Four team in NC State here. Both teams have offenses that can hang points on the board behind their dual-threat quarterbacks, Brendon Lewis and C.J. Bailey, respectively. Though, granted, Memphis is on a three-game skid after a strong start to the year and NC State has proven to have a knack for pulling really solid games out of seemingly nowhere, upsetting Georgia Tech and Virginia while getting annihilated by Notre Dame, Pitt and Miami. Who knows which Wolfpack show up on Friday?
Worth a watch?: Sure. It’ll have some offensive fireworks and shootout potential is here for certain. It also has the potential to turn one-sided in the snap of your fingers.
Lower-Level Games of Note
This is a new entrant to our weekly bowl previews, as there are plenty of quality lower-tier games still being played. Let’s break some down in quick hits:
Johns Hopkins at Wisconsin-River Falls | December 20, 1 p.m., ESPN+
UW-River Falls is heading to their first ever DIII Semifinal game in the best season in school history. On the other side of the gridiron will be the 12-1 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays, who have been in this spot more often than not. The Falcons will look to take to the air one week after DIII’s leading passer, quarterback Kaleb Blaha, passed for 407 yards in the coldest game on record at Ramer Field. The Blue Jays have tailback Geoff Schroeder, who ranks tenth in the DIII ranks with 1,325 rushing yards.
Harding at Ferris State | December 20, 4 p.m., ESPN2
The Division II National Championship is on the line. Both teams enter a perfect 15-0. They were ranked the top two teams in the nation heading into the season. These are two heavyweights. Ferris State has outscored their opposition 222-84 in the tournament and returned starting quarterback Wyatt Bower last week. Harding sits just 141 yards away from being the first ever 7,000 yard rushing team in college football history across all divisions. Think that’s a stretch? They ran for 389 yards last week and tailback Andrew Miller sits at 1,977 yards on the season.
Montana at Montana State | December 20, 4 p.m., ABC
The Brawl of the Wild hits the FCS Semifinals, with the winner heading to Nashville for the FCS National Title game. Last time the two met was a 31-28 win for Montana in a game that was hard-fought and close the entire way. Rivalry hate and a spot in the national championship may make this the best game you’ll see all week. Don’t miss it.
John Carroll at North Central College | December 20, 4:30 p.m., ESPN+
John Carroll had snuck past Mount Union in double overtime and just took an eight-point win over Berry College. The Blue Streaks have a great quarterback in Nick Semptimphelter, who ranks ninth in passing yards in the DIII ranks. Oh, and the JCU defense only allows 13.38 points per game. North Central’s is even better, allowing just 9.23 points per game as the top Division III defense there is. And they’re using a balanced attack to score 50.0 points per game. No, that is not a typo.
Illinois State at Villanova | December 20m 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Our other FCS Semifinal includes two teams that most fans may not know. Illinois State pulled off an upset for the centuries by beating North Dakota State in the Fargodome two rounds ago, then taking care of UC Davis. The Redbirds are red hot behind a potent offense led by quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse. Villanova has won three straight playoff games, including a 52-7 rout over Harvard. Linebacker Shane Hartzell may be one of the FCS’s most disruptive defenders.
Have any questions, ideas, article pitches, or information? With the new Substack features, you can directly message me! Hit the button below to send me a message, or reach out via email to griffin@sid-sports.com, or find us on your favorite social media platform like Facebook, Instagram, Substack Notes and Bluesky.