Opening lines for every college football bowl game in 2016-17. This year’s crop of bowls has some of the best matchups, top-to-bottom, in recent history.
The college football bowl schedule was unveiled on Sunday, and from the top down it might be one of the best in recent history. Among the top four teams are the game’s past two champions – Alabama and Ohio State – last season’s national runner-up, Clemson, and a balanced Washington team that ascended one year before many expected it to be great.
Elsewhere, traditional powerhouses will do battle across the country. FSU and Michigan will fill the stands in what should be an exceptional Orange Bowl; Oklahoma and Auburn will get rowdy down in The Big Easy; and USC and Penn State will face off for the third time ever in the Granddaddy of Them All.
Pepper in intriguing games like TCU-Georgia, Nebraska-Tennessee, LSU-Louisville, Oklahoma State-Colorado and UNC-Stanford, and this Bowl Season is, most assuredly, appointment television.
In the tradition of prepping for the games, here is a look at the opening lines for all of the college football bowls for 2016-17.
College Football Bowl Game Opening Lines
Saturday, December 17
Gilden New Mexico Bowl
Matchup: New Mexico vs. Texas San Antonio
Opening Line: New Mexico -7.5
Las Vegas Bowl presented by Geico
Matchup: Houston vs. San Diego State
Opening Line: Houston -4
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Matchup: Appalachian State vs. Toledo
Opening Line: Toledo -2.5
AutoNation Cure Bowl
Matchup: UCF vs. Arkansas State
Opening Line: UCF -7
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Matchup: Southern Mississippi vs. Louisiana Lafayette
Opening Line: Southern Miss -2.5
Monday, December 19
Miami Beach Bowl
Matchup: Central Michigan vs. Tulsa
Opening Line: Tulsa -12
Tuesday, December 20
Boca Raton Bowl
Matchup: Memphis vs. Western Kentucky
Opening Line: Western Michigan -5.5
Wednesday, December 21
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Matchup: BYU vs. Wyoming
Opening Line: -8
Thursday, December 22
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Matchup: Idaho vs. Colorado State
Opening Line: Colorado State -13
Friday, December 23
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
Matchup: Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion
Opening Line: Old Dominion -3
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Matchup: Louisiana Tech vs. No. 25 Navy
Opening Line: No line until after Army/Navy game
Dollar General Bowl
Matchup: Ohio vs. Troy
Opening Line: Troy -5
Saturday, December 24
Hawai’i Bowl
Matchup: Hawai’i vs. Middle Tennessee
Opening Line: No line as of post
Monday, December 26
St. Petersburg Bowl
Matchup: Miami (OH) vs. Mississippi State
Opening Line: Mississippi State -11
Quick Lane Bowl
Matchup: Maryland vs. Boston College
Opening Line: Boston College -2
Camping World Independence Bowl
Matchup: NC State vs. Vanderbilt
Opening Line: NC State -4
Tuesday, December 27
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl
Matchup: Army vs. North Texas
Opening Line: No line until after Army/Navy game
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman
Matchup: No. 24 Temple vs. Wake Forest
Opening Line: Temple -12
National Funding Holiday Bowl
Matchup: Minnesota vs. Washington State
Opening Line: Washington State -4.5
Motel 6 Cactus Bowl
Matchup: Boise State vs. Baylor
Opening Line: Boise State -9.5
Wednesday, December 28
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Matchup: No. 23 Pittsburgh vs. Northwestern
Opening Line: Pitt -3.5
Russell Athletic Bowl
Matchup: No. 16 West Virginia vs. Miami
Opening Line: PK
Foster Farms Bowl
Matchup: Indiana vs. No. 19 Utah
Opening Line: Utah -6.5
Advocare V100 Texas Bowl
Matchup: Texas A&M vs. Kansas State
Opening Line: Texas A&M -2
Thursday, December 29
Birmingham Bowl
Matchup: South Florida vs. South Carolina
Opening Line: USF -11
Belk Bowl
Matchup: Arkansas vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech
Opening Line: Virginia Tech -6
Valero Alamo Bowl
Matchup: No. 12 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Colorado
Opening Line: Colorado -2
Friday, December 30
Autozone Liberty Bowl
Matchup: Georgia vs. TCU
Opening Line: TCU- 1.5
Hyundai Sun Bowl
Matchup: No. 18 Stanford vs. North Carolina
Opening Line: UNC -1
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Matchup: Nebraska vs. No. 21 Tennessee
Opening Line: Tennessee -3
NOVA® Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Matchup: South Alabama vs. Air Force
Opening Line: Air Force -15
Capital One Orange Bowl
Matchup: No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 Florida State
Opening Line: Michigan -7
Saturday, December 31
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
Matchup: No. 20 LSU vs. No. 13 Louisville
Opening Line: PK
Taxslayer Bowl
Matchup: Georgia Tech vs. Kentucky
Opening Line: Georgia Tech -5
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – College Football Playoff Semifinal
Matchup: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Washington
Opening Line: Alabama -14
Playstation Fiesta Bowl – College Football Playoff Semifinal
Matchup: No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Opening Line: Ohio State -3
Monday, January 2
Outback Bowl
Matchup: No. 17 Florida vs. Iowa
Opening Line: Florida -2
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Matchup: No. 15 Western Michigan vs. No. 8 Wisconsin
Opening Line: Wisconsin -7.5
Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual
Matchup: No. 9 USC vs. No. 5 Penn State
Opening Line: USC -7.5
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Matchup: No. 14 Auburn vs. No. 7 Oklahoma
Opening Line: Oklahoma -5