As the first of 42 games will kick off Friday to commemorate the start of bowl season, culminating with the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Jan. 9, WPTV.com takes a look at five of the most intriguing matchups outside of the New Year's Six bowls.
Cure Bowl
Exploria Stadium | Orlando, Fla.
Dec. 16 | 3 p.m.
No. 22 UTSA (11-2) vs. No. 23 Troy (11-2)
This is the first of three bowl games in Orlando, but it's the only one to be played at the Major League Soccer stadium. Despite pitting two ranked conference champions against each other, the Cure Bowl will be played in front of an intimate crowd in the 25,500-seat venue. Perhaps nearby Camping World Stadium and its 65,000-seat capacity would be more accommodating for Conference USA champion UTSA and Sun Belt Conference champion Troy.
The Roadrunners have won 10 straight games and are 17-1 in C-USA play each of the last two seasons, winning consecutive conference titles. They've already gotten a big boost with the recent announcement that quarterback Frank Harris will return for a seventh season in 2023.
Not to be overlooked, Troy has also won 10 in a row under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, just a year removed from three straight five-win seasons. Something's got to give in Orlando.
Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park | Boston
Dec. 17 | 11 a.m.
Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Louisville (7-5)
Can Scott Satterfield coach both teams? That was likely the first thing on the minds of fans when it was announced earlier this month that Satterfield was leaving Louisville for Cincinnati. Spoiler alert: Satterfield won't coach either team.
Instead, the Cardinals will be led by former Louisville and NFL receiver Deion Branch, who served as the team's director of player development. He should feel quite at home in New England, where he spent seven of his 11 seasons in the NFL and helped the Patriots win a pair of Super Bowls (earning MVP honors in Super Bowl XXXIX).
On the opposite sideline will be Kerry Coombs, who was elevated from cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator to interim head coach after the departure of Luke Fickell.
Boca Raton Bowl
Howard Schnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium | Boca Raton, Fla.
Dec. 20 | 7:30 p.m.
Liberty (8-4) vs. Toledo (8-5)
Jason Candle has come full circle in his head coaching career. His first game after succeeding Matt Campbell, now at Iowa State, was the 2015 Boca Raton Bowl.
Candle has taken the Rockets to four bowl games in the seven seasons since the 32-17 victory over Temple in the 2015 game, but Toledo hasn't won any of them.
Then there's Liberty, which has yet to lose a bowl game in its young history. Although Liberty hired former Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell to take over after Hugh Freeze left for Auburn, the Flames will be led by interim head coach Josh Aldridge in Boca Raton.
Toledo upset Ohio 17-7 to win the Mid-American Conference championship.
Cheez-It Bowl
Camping World Stadium | Orlando, Fla.
Dec. 29 | 5:30 p.m.
No. 13 Florida State (9-3) vs. Oklahoma (6-6)
Florida State is arguably the hottest three-loss team in the country currently, having won five in a row, and has one of the nation's top offenses, led by quarterback Jordan Travis. The former Benjamin School standout recently announced he'll be returning for his final season of eligibility.
The Seminoles are the only team in the country ranked in the top 10 in yards-per-play average on both sides of the football.
This will be the first bowl game for Florida State under third-year head coach Mike Norvell and first for the Seminoles since 2019. A victory would give the Seminoles 10 wins for the first time since beating Michigan in the Orange Bowl in 2016.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, is trying to avoid its first losing season since 1998. The Seminoles are 1-6 all-time against the Sooners, who are led by first-time head coach Brent Venables. Florida State hasn't beaten Oklahoma since their first meeting – a 36-19 win in the 1965 Gator Bowl.
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Fla.
Jan. 2 | Noon
No. 24 Mississippi State (8-4) vs. Illinois (8-4)
Formerly known as the Outback Bowl, this game has taken on new interest after the sudden death of Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach. The 61-year-old architect of the "Air Raid" offense helped the Bulldogs improve in each of his three seasons at Mississippi State, culminating with a 24-22 victory over then-No. 20 Mississippi in his final game.
Mississippi State moved fast to name defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Zach Arnett as Leach's successor. The first-time head coach will be tasked with leading the Bulldogs in an environment that is sure to be emotional for Mississippi State players, coaches and fans.
On the other sideline, Illinois leads the nation in defensive passing efficiency at 89.8.
