Best Bowl Matchups

In the pursuit of revenue, college bowl games will always match nearby teams that travel well over a pairing of the highest possible teams. What follows is a ranking of the bowl games based on the lowest combined BCS ranking of the two teams. After ranking all bowls that included at least one team ranked in the BCS, the rest of the bowls are ranked based on the teams combined Saragin ranking.

This year the Chickfila Bowl boasts a higher ranked matchup than the Rose, Sugar, and Orange Bowls. In fact, only the Fiesta Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and BCS National Championship Game. The Cotton Bowl is played at Jerry-World in Arlington, and continues to give the Chickfila Bowl stiff competition for the best non-BCS bowl game. The poor Gator Bowl’s matchup ranks below the Alamo, Holiday, and Maaco Bowls. The first bowl game to be played this season, the Idaho Potato Bowl, boasts a team ranked in the BCS.

Since the BCS only ranks the top 25, the rankings for each team below is the Saragin Computer Ranking.

1. BCS: #2 Notre Dame (12-0) vs. #1 Alabama (12-1), Jan 7         

2. FIESTA: #3 Oregon (11-1) vs. # 5 Kansas State (11-1), Jan 3

3. COTTON: #9 Oklahoma (10-2) vs. #6 Texas A&M (10-2), Jan 4

4. CHICKFILA: #11 LSU (10-2) vs. #24 Clemson (10-2), Dec 31

5. CAPITAL ONE: #7 Georgia (11-2) vs. #22 Nebraska (10-3), Jan 1

6. SUGAR: #4 Florida (11-1) vs. #52 Louisville 10-2), Jan 2

7. ORANGE: #34 Northern Illinois (12-1) vs. #17 FSU (11-2) Jan 1

8. OUTBACK: #10 South Carolina (10-2) vs. #19 Michigan (8-4) Jan 1

9. ROSE: #21 Wisconsin (8-5) vs. #8 Stanford (11-2), Jan 1

10. ALAMO: #15 Texas (8-4) vs. #12 Oregon State (9-3) Dec 29

11. HOLIDAY: #20 Baylor (7-5) vs. #18 UCLA (9-4) Dec 27

12. MAACO: #33 Washington (7-5) vs. #42 Boise State (10-2) Dec 22

13. GATOR: #32 Northwestern (9-3) vs. #39 Mississippi State (8-4) Jan 1

14. IDAHO POTATO: #64 Toledo (9-3) vs. #25 Utah State (10-2) Dec 15

15. MILITARY: #30 San Jose State (10-2) vs. #75 Bowling Green (8-4)

16. GODADDY: #55 Kent State (11-2) vs. #48 Arkansas State (9-3) Jan 6

17. BUFFALO WILD WINGS: #26 TCU (7-5) vs. #41 Michigan State (6-6)

18. HEART of DALLAS: #61 Purdue (6-6) vs. #14 Oklahoma State (7-5)

19. SUN: #16 USC (7-5) vs. #65 Georgia Tech (6-7) Dec 31

20. PINSTRIPE: #28 West Virginia (7-5) vs. #53 Syracuse (7-5) Dec 29

21. POINSETTIA: #36 Brigham Young (7-5) vs. #50 San Diego State (9-3)

22. COMPASS: #37 Ole Miss (6-6) vs. #58 Pittsburg 6-6) Jan 5

23. LIBERTY: #38 Iowa State (6-6) vs. #57 Tulsa (10-3) Dec 31

24. FIGHT HUNGER: #74 Navy (7-4) vs. #23 Arizona State (7-5) Dec 29

25. MEINEKE: #72 Minnesota (6-6) vs. #27 Texas Tech (7-5) Dec 27

26. MUSIC CITY: #69 NC State (7-5) at #31 Vanderbilt (8-4) Dec 29

27. NEW MEXICO: #76 Nevada (7-5) vs. #29 Arizona (7-5) Dec 15

28. RUSSELL ATHLETIC: #66 Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. #46 Rutgers (9-3)

29. HAWAII: #40 Fresno State (9-3) vs. #78 Southern Methodist (6-6)

30. BEEF O’BRADY: #60 Ball State (9-3) vs. #59 Central Florida (9-4)

31. BELK: #45 Cincinnati (9-3) vs. #79 Duke (6-6) Dec 27

32. NEW ORLEANS: #88 East Carolina (8-4) vs. #63 La Lafayette (8-4)

33. INDEPENDENCE: #98 Ohio (8-4) vs. #62 Louisiana-Monroe (8-4)

34. ARMED FORCES: Rice (6-6) vs. #107 Air Force (6-6) Dec 29

35. LITTLE CAESARS: W Kentucky (7-5) vs. #120 Central Michigan (6-6)