College Football Rundown — Bowl Season 2025 (Part 1)
Bowl Season has officially arrived, and the energy is high. With the regular season and conference championships now complete, attention shifts to a loaded early bowl slate and the first-ever College Football Playoff first-round games hosted on campus.
Episodes drop Wed night / Thu AM all season.
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Hosts: Kyle Wahl & Michael Storey
Guest: Josh Harlow
Theme: “Bowl Season Begins — Early Bowls and CFP Campus Battles”
Opening — CFP Rankings Reaction
The crew opens with first impressions of the final CFP rankings:
- How the committee evaluated the final weekend.
- The debate around the final seeding order.
- Which teams benefited the most from Championship Week results.
- Early thoughts on the inaugural CFP games hosted at home stadiums.
After the rankings discussion, the episode moves directly into the full game-by-game Bowl Season Part 1 rundown.
Early Bowls — Game-by-Game Breakdown
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13
Cricket Celebration Bowl — South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M (Noon, ABC)
- South Carolina State: Back-to-back MEAC champions, riding a seven-game win streak. Balanced offense and a defense that settled in late.
- Prairie View A&M: SWAC champions at 10–3 with a nearly 200 YPG rushing attack and one of the most complete profiles in the conference.
Bucked Up LA Bowl — Boise State vs. Washington (8 p.m., ABC)
- Boise State: Leaning on mobility at quarterback and a physical downhill run scheme. Remains among the Mountain West's top postseason threats.
- Washington: Post-Penix rebuild has stabilized with a more controlled, balanced offense and a deeper WR room than projected entering the year.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl — Troy vs. Jacksonville State (9 p.m., ESPN)
- Troy: One of the Sun Belt's stingiest defenses again in 2025. Offense is steady but not built on explosive plays.
- Jacksonville State: RB Cam Cook (1,600+ yards) and QB Caden Creel give Jax State a rugged, ball-control approach. Efficient and physical.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17
StaffDNA Cure Bowl — Old Dominion vs. South Florida (5 p.m., ESPN)
- Old Dominion: Improved passing efficiency and faster tempo. LB Jason Henderson remains one of the most productive tacklers in college football.
- South Florida: QB Byrum Brown continues elite AAC production; USF improved meaningfully in explosive-play rate on both sides.
68 Ventures Bowl — Louisiana vs. Delaware (8:30 p.m., ESPN)
- Louisiana: Ground-first offense, experienced OL, and a dependable Sun Belt résumé.
- Delaware: FBS transition exceeding expectations; strong passing game and a disciplined defense.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18
Xbox Bowl — Missouri State vs. Arkansas State (9 p.m., ESPN2)
- Missouri State: Physicality remains the program identity; run game gives them staying power in matchups.
- Arkansas State: Higher-end QB play and better perimeter explosiveness suggest a more advanced roster build.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl Presented by Engine — Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan (11 a.m., ESPN)
- Kennesaw State: Massive first-year FBS leap — C-USA champions at 10–3, led by dual-threat QB Amari Odom and an offense over 30 PPG.
- Western Michigan: Classic MAC blend of balanced offense and steady red-zone defense; QB play has taken a step forward.
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl — Memphis vs. NC State (2:30 p.m., ESPN)
- Memphis: Tempo-heavy AAC attack; QB surpassing 3,000 yards with a dangerous vertical profile.
- NC State: QB CJ Bailey's near-70% completion rate anchors one of the ACC's most efficient offenses; RB Hollywood Smothers provides balance.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 22
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl — Washington State vs. Utah State (2 p.m., ESPN)
- Washington State: Air-oriented identity with consistent QB production even after system turnover.
- Utah State: 3,000-yard passer but turnover issues continue to shape their volatility; capable of pulling upsets when clean.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23
Bush's Boca Raton Bowl — Toledo vs. Louisville (2 p.m., ESPN)
- Toledo: One of the MAC's most complete teams. Balanced offense and top-3 defensive scoring metrics in league play.
- Louisville: Brohm's offense continues operating efficiently with improved QB consistency and strong perimeter threats.
New Orleans Bowl — Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss (5:30 p.m., ESPN)
- Western Kentucky: High-volume passing attack nearing 3,000 yards; multiple receivers with production upside.
- Southern Miss: Run-oriented offense and a defense that took a meaningful step forward in 2025.
Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl — UNLV vs. Ohio (9 p.m., ESPN)
- UNLV: One of the country's most improved G5 offenses — efficient, balanced, and explosive on scripted drives.
- Ohio: Veteran QB experience paired with a disciplined, top-3 MAC defense.
CFP First-Round Games — Friday & Saturday
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19
#8 Oklahoma vs. #9 Alabama — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (8 p.m., ABC/ESPN)
- Oklahoma: QB John Mateer's dual-threat profile (2,578 pass / 416 rush / 19 TD) keeps the offense balanced and efficient.
- Alabama: Ty Simpson (3,268 yards, 26 TD, only 5 INT) leads the SEC's most accurate passing attack; offense thrives on rhythm and consistency.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20
#10 Miami vs. #7 Texas A&M — Kyle Field (Noon, ABC/ESPN)
- Miami: QB Carson Beck (3,072 yards, 25 TD) has transformed the passing game with elite accuracy.
- Texas A&M: QB Marcel Reed (2,932 pass yards, 25 TD; +466 rush) and WR KC Concepcion form one of the most dangerous offensive duos in the conference.
#11 Tulane vs. #6 Ole Miss — Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (3:30 p.m., TNT)
- Tulane: QB Jake Retzlaff (2,862 pass / 610 rush / 30 TD) is one of the most dynamic dual-threats in the country.
- Ole Miss: QB Austin Simmons continues to emerge as a high-upside vertical passer in Lane Kiffin's system.
#12 James Madison vs. #5 Oregon — Autzen Stadium (7:30 p.m., TNT)
- James Madison: QB Alonza Barnett III (2,533 pass / 544 rush / 35 TD) fuels an 11–1 campaign built on physicality and balance.
- Oregon: QB Dante Moore (2,733 yards, 24 TD, 8.7 YPA) has Oregon operating as one of the most efficient offenses in the nation.
Closing Thoughts
Part 1 of Bowl Season brings a deep slate of matchups across every level of college football — from HBCU national championship stakes to early G5 battles to the first-ever CFP campus games. The crew's excitement carried through a full breakdown of every game, highlighting quarterback play, scheme strengths, betting matchups, and program trends heading into the postseason.
Part 2 arrives next week with the mid-December bowl surge and rivalry-driven holiday matchups.
Housekeeping
Episode Release: Thu 12/11/25 • 5:00 AM CT
Duration: 57:28
File Size: 44.8 MB
Audio File: 161-episode-136-college-football-bowl-season-2025-part-1.mp3
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