The 5 best non-Playoff bowl games, including Diego Pavia vs. Iowa

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The 5 best non-Playoff bowl games, including Diego Pavia vs. Iowa

The College Football Playoff deservedly gets most of the hype each December. After all, it's a 12-team tournament to determine a national champion. That doesn't mean we should just forget about the other 36 bowls that surround Christmas and provide the small-talk background for potentially uncomfortable holiday gatherings.

From Power 5 showdowns to lesser-known showcases, December and January provide a smorgasbord of exciting games — even if the reward for a win is only a few bumps up the final rankings, the opportunity to shower a head coach in mayonnaise or, most importantly, the right to cook and devour a giant, living toaster pastry. Some of these games will be letdowns, background noise behind two-hour work lunches and otherwise quiet nights.

These are the games, conversely, that should be bangers.

1. ReliaQuest Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. Iowa

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) runs past Tennessee defenders during the third quarter at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.

Where and when: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida), December 31

Diego Pavia emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate by pushing Vanderbilt to the best season in Commodores modern history. He was limited against some of the SEC's top defenses, however. His two losses came against top 20 units (in SP+ ratings) in Alabama and Texas. His offense scored only 17 points against No. 13 Missouri. This wasn't a constant — he had big performances against LSU and Auburn's solid units — but enough to give Vandy pause.

Enter Iowa, a team built on throwback football that would like nothing more than to stomp opponents into a puddle. Head coach Kirk Ferentz has built another remarkably Iowa team, ranking seventh in defensive efficiency this fall. The offense is better than the Hawkeye standard, as coordinator Tim Lester continues to look like a genius by simply not being Brian Ferentz and doing something more than run-middle, run-middle, throw-deep to start each drive.

Iowa would like nothing more than to run the ball down Vandy's throats and play keep-away from Pavia. The Hawkeyes averaged 39 carries per game against just 22 passing attempts (quarterback Mark Gronowski threw for more than 150 yards only thrice this season, though he's an accomplished runner in his own right). Vanderbilt ranked 15th when it came to rushing yards allowed (at 3.8 yards per clip) and scored exactly 45 points in each of its last three games.

That leaves us with an irresistible force/immovable object situation in Pavia's final collegiate game (barring any more legal spankings of the NCAA). This game could be a slog. Or it could be the icing on one of the most remarkable and unlikely college careers of the decade.

2. Pop-Tarts Bowl: BYU vs. Georgia Tech

Where and when: Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida), December 27

The Pop-Tarts Bowl would have made this list if it were a Division III bowl game (honestly, that sounds great. There should be satellite Pop-Tarts Bowls with promotion, relegation and most importantly, even more ritual mascot sacrifices). BYU missed out on one team that runs the hell out of the ball when Notre Dame decided it was happy with a 12-game schedule this year. In the Irish's place is… a team that runs the hell out of the ball.

Haynes King's hard-nosed style makes him a devastating dual-threat quarterback. His 15 rushing touchdowns this fall were tops in the ACC, bolstered by a 71 percent completion rate and nearly 250 passing yards per game. These aren't the triple-option Yellow Jackets of years past, but they still averaged more than 200 rushing yards each week despite falling from 8-0 to 9-3 to finish the season.

The Cougars will look to rebound from a Big 12 title game beating in a season where they only lost to one team, albeit twice and in convincing fashion (29-7 and 34-7 to Texas Tech). Freshman Bear Bachmeier led BYU to 38-plus points in four different conference matchups this season. He's buttressed by a dynamic linebacker combination in Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glasker. Together those two had 22 tackles for loss and could be the perfect antidote to King and company on the ground.

And then, of course, the winner gets to eat *multiple* anthropomorphic Pop-Tarts.

So, that's neat.

3. Isleta New Mexico Bowl: North Texas vs. San Diego State

Where and when: University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico), December 27

Immediately after the Pop-Tarts bowl is this battle between the nation's top offense and its 16th-ranked defense. We last saw North Texas crashing out of the College Football Playoff race in a 34-21 loss at Tulane in the American Conference title game. While it's worth noting the Mean Green were on the wrong side of two different Green Wave touchdowns that looked questionable upon review, it was undoubtedly a disappointing finish for head coach Eric Morris and freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker.

We know Morris won't be back in 2026 — he's taken the top job at Oklahoma State. Mestemaker could follow him or otherwise transfer to a higher profile program and the NIL payday that comes with it. That makes this trip to the Breaking Bad-lands the last hurrah for a pairing that scored nearly 45 points per game (most in FBS this fall).

San Diego State finished the season 9-3 and was a Game 12 loss to New Mexico away from playing for a Mountain West title (they beat eventual champs Boise State 17-7 back on November 15). Running back Lucky Sutton is a wagon unto himself, averaging better than 100 rushing yards per game to lead the MWC. He now gets the FBS's 126th-ranked rushing defense, which is great because he's a net negative in the passing game. Literally. He had 1,237 rushing yards and -5 receiving yards in 2025.

This all suggests a shootout with Mestemaker (assuming he plays) and Sutton exchanging knockout blows. North Texas will attack through the air. SDSU will respond on the ground.

4. Myrtle Beach Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Kennesaw State

Where and when: Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina), December 19

The Conference USA champs vs. the MAC champs meet in the exhibition equivalent of a College Football Playoff play-in game. This tempting excuse to begin Christmas vacation early pits SP+'s 78th-ranked team vs. No. 80 against the calming backdrop of a South Carolina tourist town. The Owls have an above average offense and below average defense. The Broncos have a below average offense and an above average defense.

These two programs are clawing for postseason validation. WMU has one bowl win since 2015. Kennesaw is in its first bowl ever since transitioning to FBS (checks notes) LAST YEAR HOLY CRAP! That means both sides are going to come out firing despite kicking off at lunchtime on a Friday.

Kennesaw will turn to the big-play lightning of Gabriel Benyard, who led Conference USA with 898 yards and nine touchdowns as a receiver and 234 yards and one touchdown as a punt returner (nearly 10 yards per return).

Western Michigan will try to keep the ball away from him with a run-heavy offense — 67 percent of the Broncos plays this season have come on the ground. That means a steady dose of quarterback Broc Lowry, who led the MAC with 14 rushing touchdowns but threw for fewer than 130 yards per game.

The defense behind Lowry only allowed more than 21 points once since Week 3 this fall. Kennesaw State, on the other hand, racked up 89 points against Liberty and Missouri State before being stifled in the C-USA title game.

5. Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl: California vs. Hawai'i

Where and when: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu, Hawai'i), December 24

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele heads back to his home state after affirming his commitment to a Golden Bears program that fired head coach Justin Wilcox in November. His return to the Pacific will pit him against a Rainbow Warriors team whose admirable rebuild already featured one win over an ACC team based in California all the way back in Week 0.

This Christmas Eve aperitif features two teams better than most expected this fall. Hawai'i hadn't been to a bowl since 2020, but former QB-turned-head-coach Timmy Chang built up a roster that upended Stanford early in the season, rolled a 9-3 San Diego State team (see above) and already has its most wins since 2019. They'll face the head coach who got them to 10 victories that winter, interim Cal coach and Washington State pariah Nick Rolovich.

Sagapolutele threw for 330 yards and four touchdown passes to to help the Golden Bears upend then-No. 25 SMU in the regular season finale. 5-foot-7 receiver Jacob de Jesus was the primary beneficiary of that, racking up an ACC-high 99 catches (albeit for only 892 yards). He'll have a chance to shine against an average Hawai'i defense, even if that means fighting off homefield advantage at the intimate Ching Athletics Complex.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: The 5 best non-Playoff bowl games, including Diego Pavia vs. Iowa

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