Bowl Season, 2022
I’m again presenting a hypothetical bowl schedule as if it were just cut down to the essential (and classic) bowls.
And once again, I want to reiterate that I’m not trying to say that I wish this is the way things still were — I just think it’s fun to see how the old way of doing things (conference tie-ins, etc.) might shake out if that was still the M.O. today.
BOWLS:
Rose Bowl Game (Est. 1902)
#2 Michigan (13-0) vs. #8 USC (11-2)
New Years Day
Pasadena, CA
Sugar Bowl (Est. 1934)
#1 Georgia (13-0) vs. #4 Ohio State (11-1)
New Years Day
New Orleans, LA
Orange Bowl (Est. 1935)
#9 Penn State (10-2) vs. #11 Kansas State (10-3)
New Years Day
Miami, FL
Cotton Bowl Classic (Est. 1937)
#3 TCU (12-1) vs. #5 Alabama (10-2)
New Years Day
Dallas, TX
Gator Bowl (Est. 1946)
#6 Tennessee (10-2) vs. #10 Clemson (11-2)
New Years Day
Gainesville, FL
Tangerine Bowl (Est. 1947)
#25 North Carolina State (8-4) vs. Cincinnati (9-3)
New Years Day
Orlando, FL
Sun Bowl (Est. 1935)
#12 Washington (10-2) vs. #14 Tulane (11-2)
New Years Eve
El Paso, TX
Peach Bowl (Est. 1968)
#13 Florida State (9-3) vs. #16 LSU (9-4)
New Years Eve
Atlanta, GA
Copper Bowl (Est. 1989)
#15 Oregon (9-3) vs. #19 Notre Dame (8-4)
New Years Eve
Tucson, AZ
Fiesta Bowl (Est. 1971)
#7 Utah (10-3) vs. #17 Oregon State (9-3)
Last week of December
Tempe, AZ
Liberty Bowl (Est. 1959)
Air Force (9-3) vs. Ole Miss (8-4)
Memphis, TN
Bluebonnet Bowl (Est. 1959)
#18 UCLA (9-3) vs. #21 Texas (8-4)
Houston, TX
Independence Bowl (Est. 1976)
#20 South Carolina (8-4) vs. #22 UTSA (11-2)
Shreveport, LA
Hall of Fame Bowl (Est. 1977)
#23 Troy (11-2) vs. #24 Mississippi State (8-4)
Tampa, FL
Holiday Bowl (Est. 1978)
Fresno State (9-4) vs. Purdue (8-5)
San Diego, CA
Aloha Bowl (Est. 1982)
North Carolina (9-4) vs. UCF (9-4)
Christmas Day
Honolulu, HI