2012 college football bowl guide

2:15 p.m., ESPN, Pinstripe Bowl, Bronx, N.Y., Yankee Stadium, Syracuse (7-5) vs. West Virginia (7-5)

Beware, West Virginia. Syracuse can score in bunches, too. In winning five of its last six, the Orange averaged 38.2 points per game.

3 stars

3 p.m., ESPN2, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, San Francisco, AT&T Park, Navy (7-4) vs. Arizona State (7-5)

If you want to beat Navy, you have to stop the run. Arizona State’s rushing defense hasn’t been great; Oregon ran for 406 against the Sun Devils.

3 stars

5:45 p.m., ESPN, Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, Alamodome, Texas (8-4) vs. Oregon State (9-3)

The Longhorns should have home-field advantage. But Oregon State running back and Pflugerville native Storm Woods will feel at home, too.

3 stars

9:15 p.m., ESPN, Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, Tempe, Ariz., Sun Devil Stadium, TCU (7-5) vs. Michigan State (6-6)

An old-time football game. Both teams put games on the backs of their defense. Neither allows more than 24 points a game.

3 stars

MONDAY DECEMBER 31

11 a.m., ESPN, Music City Bowl, Nashville, Tenn., LP Field, Vanderbilt (8-4) vs. North Carolina State (7-5)

N.C. State will have an interim coach after Tom O’Brien was fired. Another advantage to Vandy? The game is only a few miles from its campus.

3 stars

1 p.m., CBS, Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas, Sun Bowl, Georgia Tech (6-7) vs. USC (7-5)

An under .500 team vs. an underachieving team makes for an underwhelming matchup.

2 stars

2:30 p.m., ESPN, Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Tenn., Liberty Bowl, Tulsa (10-3) vs. Iowa State (6-6)

Let’s play two. Really? These teams started the season playing each — Iowa State won 38-23 — and they’ll finish it against each other.

2 stars

6:30 p.m., ESPN, Chick-fil-A, Atlanta, Georgia Dome, LSU (10-2) vs. Clemson (10-2)

Clemson quarterback Taj Boyd leads a high-powered offense, so with little offensive firepower, LSU will need its defense to play big.

4 stars

TUESDAY JANUARY 1

11 a.m., ESPN2, Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Fla., Everback Field, Northwestern (9-3) vs. Mississippi State (8-4)

A year ago, the Gator Bowl got Ohio State and Florida. This year, not so lucky. Mississippi State limps in, losing four of its last five.

3 stars

11 a.m., ESPNU, Heart of Dallas Bowl, Dallas, Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma State (7-5) vs. Purdue (6-6)

The Cowboys’ late-season slide continues all the way to their bowl destination. Will they be fired up? Ditto for the coachless Boilermakers.

3 stars

Noon, ESPN, Outback Bowl, Tampa, Fla., Raymond James Stadium, Michigan (8-4) vs. South Carolina (10-2)

A bowl pitting teams once considered national title contenders. Could be a track meet with Denard Robinson and the Old Ball Coach.

4 stars

Noon, ABC, Capital One Bowl, Orlando, Fla., Florida Citrus Bowl, Nebraska (10-3) vs. Georgia (11-2)

Only seconds away from playing for a national title, Georgia is relegated to the Cap One. Will the Bulldogs be motivated to play the Huskers?

4 stars

4 p.m., ESPN, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif., Rose Bowl, Stanford (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (8-5)

Wisconsin is in because Ohio State and Penn State are postseason ineligible. Still, Badgers and Cardinal finished strong. Could be high scoring.

4 stars

7:30 p.m., ESPN, Orange Bowl, Miami, Sun Life Stadium, Florida State (11-2) vs. Northern Illinois (12-1)

BCS crasher Northern Illinois is catching flack, but Cinderella will become a feel-good story — and shut up lots of folks — if it beats Goliath.

4 stars

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 2

7:30 p.m., ESPN, Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Florida (11-1) vs. Louisville (10-2)

Will Muschamp and the Gators are serious about defense. Same for Louisville coach Charlie Strong, who used to be Florida’s defensive coordinator.

4 stars

THURSDAY JANUARY 3

7:30 p.m., ESPN, Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz., University of Phoenix Stadium, Kansas State (11-1) vs. Oregon (11-1)

This was a national-title-game matchup only a couple weeks ago. Chip Kelly vs. Bill Snyder. Kenjon Barner vs. Collin Klein. It’s still a good one.

5 stars

FRIDAY JANUARY 4

7 p.m., Fox, Cotton Bowl, Arlington, Texas, Cowboys Stadium, Oklahoma (10-2) vs. Texas A&M (10-2)

The best of the non-BCS bowls. There’s no love lost between the old Big 12 foes. But can the Sooners do anything to slow Johnny Football?

5 stars

SATURDAY JANUARY 5

Noon, ESPN, BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham, Ala., Legion Field, Pittsburgh (6-6) vs. Mississippi (6-6)

Both faced a team in the national title game, Pitt taking Notre Dame to overtime and Ole Miss losing by 19 points to Alabama.

2 stars

SUNDAY JANUARY 6

8 p.m., ESPN, GoDaddy.com Bowl, Mobile, Ala., Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Kent State (11-2) vs. Arkansas State (9-3)

Kent State was ohsoclose to a BCS bowl, but now, it has to get motivated for the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Can it?

3 stars

MONDAY JANUARY 7

7:30 p.m., ESPN, BCS National Championship Game, Miami, Sun Life Stadium, Notre Dame (12-0) vs. Alabama (11-1)

What a matchup. It’s got historical significance, stellar intrigue and marquee personnel. Football fans and TV execs alike are salivating over this.

5 stars