2023 Bowl Games: Schedule, scores, College Football Playoff teams, dates, kickoff times, NCAA top 25 rankings

College football bowl games have been set for the 2023-24 season; we covered every minute and every decision

Selection Sunday delivered some drama as teams around the country learned their bowl destinations and the College Football Playoff field was announced. The CFP Selection Committee pulled a stunner by putting undefeated ACC champion Florida State at No. 5, outside the four-team field. In the 10th and final season with the four-team format before the playoff expands to 12, it marked the first time an undefeated team was left out. Instead of the Seminoles, No. 4 Alabama got the nod after beating two-time reigning national champion Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday. 

Controversy extended beyond the CFP field and into the 20s of the rankings where No. 23 Liberty edged SMU by one spot. Because of their narrow edge in the CFP Rankings, the 13-0 Flames are heading to the Fiesta Bowl to play Oregon as the Group of Five representative. Meanwhile, the 11-2 AAC champion Mustangs were left out of the New Year's Six, leading AAC commissioner Mike Aresco to release a statement calling the Mustangs' exclusion an "egregious decision."

As the afternoon progressed, bowl agreements became finalized across the country. Amid all the outrage surrounding the CFP Rankings, some interesting matchups were announced that should make for a compelling Bowl Season.

2023 Bowl Games

College Football Playoff

Date	Game / Loc.	Matchup	Prediction
Jan. 8	National Championship Houston	Title game	(1) Michigan 34, (2) Washington 13
Jan. 1	Sugar Bowl New Orleans	Semifinal	(2) Washington 37, (3) Texas 31
Jan. 1	Rose Bowl Pasadena, Calif.	Semifinal	(1) Michigan 27, (4) Alabama 20 (OT)

New Year's Six bowl games

Date	Bowl	Time (TV)	Matchup
Jan. 1	Fiesta Glendale, Ariz.	1 p.m. (ESPN)	(8) Oregon 45, (23) Liberty 6
Dec. 30	Orange Miami Gardens, Fla.	4 p.m. (ESPN)	(6) Georgia 63, (5) Florida State 3
Dec. 30	Peach Atlanta, Ga.	Noon (ESPN)	(11) Ole Miss 38, (10) Penn State 25
Dec. 29	Cotton Arlington, Texas	8 p.m. (ESPN)	(9) Missouri 14, (7) Ohio State 3

Other bowl games

Date	Bowl	Time (TV)	Matchup
Jan. 1	Citrus Orlando, Fla.	1 p.m. (ABC)	Tennessee 35, Iowa 0
Jan. 1	ReliaQuest Tampa, Fla.	Noon (ESPN2)	LSU 35, Wisconsin 31
Dec. 30	Arizona  Tucson, Ariz.	4:30 p.m.	Wyoming 16, Toledo 15
Dec. 30	Music City Nashville, Tenn.	2 p.m. (ABC)	Maryland 31, Auburn 13
Dec. 29	Liberty  Memphis, Tenn.	3:30 p.m. (ESPN)	Memphis 36, Iowa State 26
Dec. 29	Tony the Tiger El Paso, Texas	2 p.m. (CBS)	Notre Dame 40, Oregon State 8
Dec. 29	Gator  Jacksonville, Fla.	Noon (ESPN)	Clemson 38, Kentucky 35
Dec. 28	Alamo  San Antonio, Texas	9:15 p.m. (ESPN)	Arizona 38, Oklahoma 24
Dec. 28	Pop-Tarts Orlando, Fla.	5:45 p.m. (ESPN)	Kansas State 28, NC State 19
Dec. 28	Pinstripe  New York, NY	2:15 p.m. (ESPN)	Rutgers 31, Miami 24
Dec. 28	Fenway  Boston, Mass.	11 a.m. (ESPN)	Boston College 23, SMU 14
Dec. 27	Texas Phoenix, Ariz.	9 p.m. (ESPN)	Oklahoma State 31, Texas A&M 28
Dec. 27	Holiday  San Diego, Calif.	8 p.m. (FOX)	USC 42, Louisville 28
Dec. 27	Duke's Mayo Charlotte, N.C.	5:30 p.m. (ESPN)	West Virginia 30, North Carolina 10
Dec. 27	Military Annapolis, Mary.	2 p.m. (ESPN)	Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20
Dec. 26	Guaranteed Rate  Phoenix, Ariz.	9 p.m. (ESPN)	Kansas 49, UNLV 36
Dec. 26	First Responder University Park, Texas	5:30 p.m. (ESPN)	Texas State 45, Rice 21
Dec. 26	Quick Lane  Detroit, Mich.	2 p.m. (ESPN)	Minnesota 30, Bowling Green 24
Dec. 23	Hawai'i Honolulu, Hawaii	10:30 p.m. (ESPN)	Coastal Carolina 24, San Jose State 14
Dec. 23	Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nev.	7:30 p.m. (ABC)	Northwestern 14, Utah 7
Dec. 23	68 Ventures  Mobile, Ala.	7 p.m. (ESPN)	South Alabama 59, Eastern Michigan 10
Dec. 23	Famous Idaho Potato Boise, Idaho	3:30 p.m. (ESPN)	Georgia State 45, Utah State 22
Dec. 23	Armed Forces Fort Worth, Texas	3:30 p.m. (ABC)	Air Force 31, James Madison 21
Dec. 23	Camellia Montgomery, Ala.	Noon (ESPN)	Northern Illinois 21, Arkansas State 19
Dec. 23	Birmingham  Birmingham, Ala.	Noon (ABC)	Duke 17, Troy 10
Dec. 22	Gasparilla Tampa, Fla.	6:30 p.m. (ESPN)	Georgia Tech 30, UCF 17
Dec. 21	Boca Raton Boca Raton, Fla.	8 p.m. (ESPN)	USF 45, Syracuse 0
Dec. 19	Frisco   Frisco, Texas	9 p.m. (ESPN)	UTSA 35, Marshall 17
Dec. 18	Famous Toastery  Charlotte, NC	2:30 p.m. (ESPN)	Western Kentucky 38, Old Dominion 35 (OT)
Dec. 16	Independence Shreveport, La.	9:15 p.m. (ESPN)	Texas Tech 34, Cal 14
Dec. 16	LA Inglewood, Calif.	7:30 p.m. (ABC)	UCLA 35, Boise State 22
Dec. 16	New Mexico Albuquerque, NM	5:45 p.m. (ESPN)	Fresno State 37, New Mexico State 10
Dec. 16	Cure Orlando, Fla.	3:30 p.m. (ABC)	Appalachian State 13, Miami (OH) 9
Dec. 16	New Orleans New Orleans, La.	2:15 p.m. (ESPN)	Louisiana 34, Jacksonville State 31
Dec. 16	Celebration Atlanta, Ga.	Noon (ABC)	Florida A&M 30, Howard 26
Dec. 16	Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach, SC	11 a.m. (ESPN)	Ohio 41, Georgia Southern 21

[Dec 3, 2023 at 12:29 pm ET · David Cobb]

The 2024 CFP Field

1 Michigan
2 Washington
3 Texas
4 Alabama

Rose Bowl will be Michigan vs. Alabama
Sugar Bowl will be Washington vs. Texas

Florida State left out

Florida State is left out despite, being a 13-0 ACC Champion. Alabama dwarfed Florida State in strength of schedule. The final year of the four-team era will go down in lore as the one which left an unbeaten Power Five champion out. Alabama entered Championship Week at No. 8 but gave the Selection Committee something to ponder as it defeated two-time reigning national champion Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.

[Dec 3, 2023 at 6:30 pm ET · Dean Straka]

Seminoles snubbed by committee

The unprecedented move by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee to leave undefeated Florida State, 2023 ACC champion, from its four-team field was met with immediate, and justified, blowback. A 13-0 run that began with a three-touchdown win over LSU and ran through the ACC's regular season unblemished, only to be tested by the devastating injury to quarterback Jordan Travis, positioned the Seminoles as a team of true resolve able to win at the thinnest of margins. 

But at No. 5, Florida State is left out of the 2023 College Football Playoff. 

Other unbeaten power-conference champions include No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Washington, who are very much in the field. No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Alabama are one-loss conference champs who happen to settle the head-to-head debate ... for them. 

By the final voting, the Crimson Tide's win over previously No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game was enough to jump the undefeated Seminoles, but not the one-loss team that's owned their head to head all season. 

2023 College Football Playoff: Why Florida State being snubbed for Alabama shows the games never mattered

Dean Straka

[Dec 3, 2023 at 6:28 pm ET · Jerry Palm]

Florida State's gripes are legitimate

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee had been consistent over the first nine years of the event's existence: Undefeated Power Five conference teams make the playoff; one-loss teams that played each other are ranked winner ahead of loser.

However, 2023 was an unprecedented college football season. We entered Championship Week with four undefeated teams and four others with one loss -- all making up the top eight of the CFP Rankings. That is the most ever. Also, three of the four teams with one loss had fallen to one of the other teams in that group.

There was little separation among the top eight teams, five of which won conference championships over the weekend.

Unprecedented season led College Football Playoff to buck history, but Florida State's gripes are legitimate

Jerry Palm

[Dec 3, 2023 at 6:00 pm ET · Will Backus]

Intriguing Sun Bowl matchup 

No. 16 Notre Dame and No. 18 Oregon State are set to face off in the Sun Bowl on CBS. This will be the third meeting all-time between the Beavers and the Fighting Irish. Each of their two previous matchups happened in the postseason, including a 41-9 Oregon State win in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl. Oregon State will enter this game without coach Jonathan Smith -- who was named MVP of that Fiesta Bowl clash as the Beavers' quarterback -- after he left for Michigan State and starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal in November. Notre Dame is seeking its second straight bowl win under coach Marcus Freeman. 

[Dec 3, 2023 at 5:59 pm ET · David Cobb]

Bowls for ACC teams finalized

With it established that Notre Dame will play Oregon State in the Sun Bowl, the destinations for ACC teams began falling into place. According to multiple reports, Miami and Rutgers will play in the Pinstripe Bowl while North Carolina and West Virginia will play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Virginia Tech will take on Tulane in the Military Bowl. The Fenway Bowl will be Boston College vs. SMU.

[Dec 3, 2023 at 4:56 pm ET · Will Backus]

Pop-Tarts Bowl set

No. 18 NC State and No. 25  Kansas State will duke it out in the for the greatest honor in college football: a chance to take a bite out of the first edible mascot in sports history. Yes, the winning team in the Pop-Tarts Bowl gets to feast on a (presumably) gigantic Pop-Tart. This also happens to be one of just a handful of ranked matchups outside of the New Year's Six too, so that's cool. NC State has a chance to win double-digit games for just the second time in program history while the Wildcats are going for their second bowl win in three years under coach Chris Klieman. 

Pop-Tarts Bowl will feature the first edible mascot in sports history

Chris Bengel

[Dec 3, 2023 at 4:50 pm ET · Will Backus]

Holiday Bowl could be electric

The Holiday Bowl is set to host two of the most exciting offenses in the nation, as USC will take on No. 15 Louisville. The two teams average a combined 74.1 points per game, and USC's defensive issues have been covered ad nauseum this year. The Cardinals, in their first year under coach Jeff Brohm, are also led by quarterback Jack Plummer, who threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns against the Trojans as Cal's starter last season. Speaking of quarterbacks, all eyes will be on the status of USC quarterback Caleb Williams. He's in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and may opt out as a result. 

[Dec 3, 2023 at 4:43 pm ET · Will Backus]

AAC commissioner takes aim at CFP selection committee

AAC commissioner Mike Aresco released a scathing statement Sunday bemoaning the College Football Playoff selection committee's decision to award Liberty a New Year's Six bowl spot over SMU. The Flames are set to play Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl and placed 23rd in the committee's final rankings, one spot ahead of the Mustangs, who beat Tulane Saturday in the AAC Championship Game to win their first conference championship since 1984 and finish the year 11-2. 

"As proud as we were to celebrate SMU's first conference championship in nearly 40 years last night, we are stunned and disappointed in the College Football Playoff committee's egregious decision to exclude SMU from a New Year's Six bowl," Aresco said. 

His full statement can be read below: 

[Dec 3, 2023 at 4:32 pm ET · David Cobb]

Early odds for CFP Games

The 2024 College Football Playoff field is set after a wild finish to the season that left several teams staking a claim for inclusion in the final year before the four-team field expands to 12. Alabama beat out No. 5 Florida State for the final spot, despite the fact that the Seminoles are 13-0 and won the ACC championship. 

The betting windows are open. Here are the early odds for the national semifinals. 

2023 College Football Playoff odds, games, lines: Texas, Michigan open as favorites in semifinals

David Cobb