Despite the most disrupted year in recent history, we’ve reached the most wonderful time of the year. There may not be as many, and some teams have opted to decline their invite, but college football bowl season is upon us. For two weeks, we have football almost every day, culminating with the national championship on Monday, January 11th. Which teams are in action, and which college football bowl games can you watch on TV today?
What college football bowl games are on today?
Below is a listing of college football bowl games that you can watch on TV today. Please note that all start times are in ET time zone.
Myrtle Beach Bowl | Appalachian State vs. North Texas
- Date: December 21, 2020
- Channel: ESPN
- Start time: 2:30 PM
- Location: Brooks Stadium, Conway, South Carolina
There is just one game to kick off college bowl season today. However, this will not only be an exciting matchup but also a historical event. For today marks the inaugural Myrtle Beach Bowl, a college bowl game some years in the making.
Back in 2013, the Group of Five teams decided that they’d had enough of the Power Five teams manipulating bowl games. Frustrated that their teams were shunned from the major college football bowls, they created their own. The Myrtle Beach Bowl was born, pitting two teams from three conferences against each other. Over a six-year cycle, the Sun Belt, Conference USA, and the Mid-American Conference will rotate representation.
Two high-powered offenses collide in today’s college football bowl game
In this year’s Myrtle Beach Bowl, the Sun Belt is represented by the Appalachian State Mountaineers. They will face off against the North Texas Mean Green of Conference USA. The two teams have had wildly different seasons. However, it should still be an interesting matchup between two high-octane offenses.
By their own high standards, Appalachian State has had a disappointing season. After four double-digit winning seasons in the last five, they ended the 2020 Sun Belt season with an 8-3 record. However, two of those losses came to ranked opponents, and the other came at the hands of an impressive Marshall team. The Mountaineers have the 40th ranked scoring offense and the ninth most rushing yards per game this college football season.
For North Texas, it has been just as disappointing. The Mean Green have now won just four games in consecutive seasons after back-to-back nine-win seasons. Despite their record and replacing quarterback Nathan Rourke, they finished as the 24th best scoring offense, 22nd ranked passing offense, and had the 13th most rushing yards per game.
Prediction for Appalachian State vs. North Texas
With two potent offenses, we should see plenty of points. However, there is a huge defensive disparity between the two, which should decide the game. Appalachian State has held its opponents to under 20 points per game, whereas North Texas has allowed an average of 41.3 points per game.
Appalachian State has also got a historical advantage in terms of bowl success. The Mountaineers have won all five of their bowl game appearances. Meanwhile, the Mean Green have been to nine bowl games with a 2-7 record. Their last success was in the Heart of Dallas Bowl at the end of the 2013 season. That drought should, unfortunately, continue in this college football bowl game today.
Final score prediction: Appalachian State 41, North Texas 28
Players to watch for in today’s college football bowl game
Disappointingly for fans of shifty wide receivers, North Texas’ star pass-catcher Jaelon Darden declared for the NFL draft and therefore won’t play in today’s college football bowl game on TV. A speedy, reliable receiver, Darden led the nation in touchdowns in 2020 and was level with Heisman contender DeVonta Smith for the second-most receiving yards per game this season.
Tony Pauline highlights two NFL draft prospects from Appalachian State in his latest big board for Pro Football Network. He has a fifth-round grade on cornerback Shaun Jolly. Pauline also has a draftable grade on linebacker D’Marco Jackson.
At 5’9,” Jolly doesn’t have the length that most NFL teams covet. However, he does have good ball skills, snagging five interceptions in 2019. Jolly would transition well to play slot corner in the NFL. As a junior, he can return in 2021.
Other NFL draft-eligible players to watch in today’s college football bowl game on TV:
- Dion Novil, DT, North Texas
- DeAndre Torrey, RB, North Texas
- Thomas Hennigan, WR, Appalachian State
- Shemar Jean-Charles, CB, Appalachian State
- Zac Thomas, QB, Appalachian State
2020-21 College Football Bowl Schedule
Full college football bowl schedule.
Myrtle Beach Bowl | December 21st
Appalachian State vs. North Texas
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | December 22nd
Nevada vs. Tulane
Boca Raton Bowl | December 22nd
UCF vs. BYU
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl | December 23rd
Louisiana Tech vs. Georgia Southern
Montgomery Bowl | December 24th
Memphis vs. FAU
New Mexico Bowl | December 24th
Hawaii vs. Houston
Camellia Bowl | December 25th
Buffalo vs. Marshall
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl | December 26th
South Carolina vs. UAB
Cure Bowl | December 26th
Liberty vs. Coastal Carolina
Servpro First Responder Bowl | December 26th
UTSA vs. Louisiana
LendingTree Bowl | December 26th
Western Kentucky vs. Georgia State
Games from December 28-31
Cheez-It Bowl | December 29th
Oklahoma State vs. Miami
Valero Alamo Bowl | December 29th
Texas vs. Colorado
Duke’s Mayo Bowl | December 30th
Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin
Transperfect Music City Bowl | December 30th
Iowa vs. Missouri
Good Year Cotton Bowl | December 30th
Oklahoma vs. Florida
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl | December 31st
Tulsa vs. Mississippi State
AutoZone Liberty Bowl | December 31st
West Virginia vs. Tennessee
Arizona Bowl | December 31st
Ball State vs. San Jose State
Texas Bowl | December 31st
Arkansas vs. TCU
Games in January before the college football playoffs begin
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl | January 1st
Cincinnati vs. Georgia
Vrbo Citrus Bowl | January 1st
Auburn vs. Northwestern
Rose Bowl (College Football Playoff Semifinal) | January 1st
Notre Dame vs. Alabama
Allstate Sugar Bowl (College Football Playoff Semifinal) | January 1st
Ohio State vs. Clemson
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl | January 2nd
Outback Bowl | January 2nd
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl | January 2nd
Oregon vs. Iowa State
Capital One Orange Bowl | January 2nd
Texas A&M vs. North Carolina
College Football Playoff National Championship | January 11th
Oliver Hodgkinson is an NFL draft and NFL analytics contributor for the Pro Football Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @ojhodgkinson.