With 2026 now officially underway, the college football season is nearly at its end. But before we wrap things up in the Bowl Subdivision with next week’s College Football Playoff semifinals and the subsequent title game, we have one more full day of bowl games to enjoy.
If it’s big-name programs you want, Friday’s lineup might not appeal to you. But the slate does feature a couple of squads in the US LBM Coaches Poll, as well as some of the nation’s premier academic institutions. One of the prime-time contests will hopefully live up to our placement in the bowl rankings – several of which, we freely admit, were wildly off the mark. Here are the Friday bowl offerings.
Armed Forces Bowl: Texas State vs. Rice
Time/TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN in Fort Worth, Texas.
Why watch: The last full day of the bowl season kicks off with a pair of Lone Star State squads without much shared history. These same two teams did, however, square off in the First Responder Bowl two years ago, with the Bobcats taking a 45-21 decision. The 2025 campaign wasn’t a huge success for either program, but both should enjoy this opportunity. Unfortunately, Owls starting QB Chase Jenkins and backup Drew Devillier have announced plans to transfer, meaning either Lucas Scheerhorn or Patrick Crayton Jr., both little-used freshmen, will be pressed into service. The Bobcats should have most of their primary contributors, including QB Brad Jackson and WRs Beau Sparks and Chris Dawn.
Why it could disappoint: Texas State generates a ton of long scoring plays, and the Owls tend to give them up. That certainly looks ominous from a competitive standpoint.
Liberty Bowl: No. 25 Navy vs. Cincinnati
Time/TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN in Memphis, Tenn.
Why watch: With a double-digit win season and the Commander in Chief’s Trophy secured, the Midshipmen have one more goal to attain, a Top 25 ranking to finish the campaign. The Bearcats briefly cracked the poll themselves this fall before closing the year on a four-game skid. Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby is in the portal, so the start will go to Brady Lichtenberg, who has attempted just six passes but completed four of them. Navy QB Blake Horvath will look to close out his outstanding career on a high note, with help as usual from RB Alex Tecza and SB Eli Heidenreich.
Why it could disappoint: It shouldn’t. Even with most of its regular lineup, Navy doesn’t usually win with wide margins but by executing better in the details. Expect a close one here.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State
Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN in Charlotte, N.C.
Why watch: Year one in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, under Jake Dickert unquestionably exceeded expectations. The Demon Deacons now look to close out the year by giving their new head coach a mayo bath. The Bulldogs managed just one victory in SEC play but were within a score on a couple other occasions. Wake QB Robby Ashford wasn’t always an accurate passer but usually got the ball where it needed to go. He will be without draft-bound RB Demond Claiborne and breakout WR Chris Barnes who is in the portal. The Mississippi State offense will be in the hands of freshman Kamario Taylor, who didn’t have much luck in his Egg Bowl start against Ole Miss but does have some speedy weapons at his disposal.
Why it could disappoint: Wake’s most significant strides this fall were on the defensive side, which was demonstrably not the case for the Bulldogs. Miss State could win a shootout, so it might behoove the Deacons to moderate the tempo.
Holiday Bowl: No. 20 Arizona vs. SMU
Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox in San Diego.
Why watch: The non-playoff bowl calendar closes in – usually – sunny San Diego, where the Wildcats and Mustangs could put on an offensive show. Both teams should have most of their top producers participating. Arizona QB Noah Fifita threw for 2,963 yards and 26 TDs, with WR Kris Hutson serving as primary target and RB Ismail Mahdi leading the ground game. SMU counters with QB Kevin Jennings, who also has 26 scoring tosses but twice as many picks with 10 on the season. He spreads the ball well, but TE Matthew Hibner is a valuable weapon in the red zone.
Why it could disappoint: We hope this one delivers the goods, but both teams have opportunistic defenses that thrive on takeaways. It might get away if those occur early, as happened to SMU in last year’s playoff appearance.
