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THE MAIN EVENT | 2014-15 BOWL GUIDE | BY JENNI CARLSON

SATURDAY DECEMBER NEVADA (7-5) Nevada’s Cody Fajardo only second RATING 10 a.m. New Orleans VS. college quarterback to throw for 1 star ESPN 20 Superdome LA.-LAFAYETTE (8-4) 9,000, run for 3,000 yards (out of five) UTAH ST. (9-4) UTEP goes from two wins last 1:20 p.m. RATING Albuquerque, N.M. VS. season to its first bowl since ESPN 1 star University UTEP (7-5) 2010 this season UTAH (8-4) Longtime league foes renew rivalry. 2:30 p.m. RATING Las Vegas VS. Colorado State will be without coach ABC 2 stars COLORADO ST. (10-2) Jim McElwain W. MICHIGAN (8-4) Only Melvin Gordon rushed for more 4:45 p.m. Idaho Potato Bowl RATING Boise, Idaho VS. TDs than Western Michigan freshman ESPN 1 star Stadium AIR FORCE (9-3) Jarvion Franklin S. (6-6) South Alabama QB Brandon Bridge 8:15 p.m. Camelia Bowl RATING Montgomery, Ala. VS. has turned NFL heads. Tall, athletic and ESPN 1 star BOWLING GREEN (7-6) Canadian MONDAY DECEMBER BYU (8-4) Big 12 could consider both 1 p.m. Beach Bowl RATING . Fla. VS. of these teams if expansion talk ESPN 2 stars 22 Marlins Park MEMPHIS (9-3) becomes reality TUESDAY DECEMBER MARSHALL (12-1) Nevada’s Cody Fajardo only second 5 p.m. RATING Boca Raton, Fla. VS. college quarterback to throw for ESPN 2 stars 23 FAU Stadium N. ILLINOIS (11-2) 9,000, run for 3,000 yards NAVY (6-5) Marketer’s dream: San Diego State 8:30 p.m. Poinsettia Bowl RATING San Diego VS. playing in SD. ESPN 2 stars Qualcomm Stadium SAN DIEGO ST. (7-5) Navy playing near a huge base WEDNESDAY DECEMBER C. MICHIGAN (7-5) The locale is the most esthetically 11 a.m. RATING Robinson National Stadium VS. pleasing part of this match-up ESPN 1 star 24 Nassau, Bahamas W. KENTUCKY (7-5) between 7-5 teams FRESNO ST. (6-7) Fresno State comes in with a 7 p.m. Hawai’i Bowl RATING Honolulu VS. losing record, hopes to avoid ESPN 1 star RICE (7-5) finishing season 6-8 FRIDAY DECEMBER ILLINOIS (6-6) Neither program has Noon Heart of Bowl RATING Dallas VS. played in a bowl ESPN 1 star 26 LOUISIANA TECH (8-4) since 2011 RUTGERS (7-5) Teams headed in different directions, 3:30 p.m. RATING Detroit VS. as Rutgers finished strong, ESPN 1 star N. CAROLINA (6-6) UNC stumbled home NC STATE (7-5) UCF looking for third consecutive 7 p.m. Bitcoin Bowl RATING St. Petersburg, Fla. VS. 10-win season by winning third ESPN 2 stars UCF (7-3) consecutive bowl SATURDAY DECEMBER CINCINNATI (9-3) Gunner Kiel — remember him? — Noon RATING Anapolis, Md. VS. has thrown for 3,000 yards and ESPN 2 stars 27 Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium VIRGINIA TECH (6-6) 30 TDs for Cincy ARIZONA ST. (9-3) Defense optional. Todd Graham and 1 p.m. RATING El Paso, VS. David Cutcliffe have teams built CBS 3 stars Sun Bowl DUKE (9-3) to score a bunch MIAMI (6-6) Somebody’s going 2:30 p.m. Shreveport, La. VS. home with a RATING ABC 2 stars Independence Stadium S. CAROLINA (6-6) losing record BOSTON COLLEGE (7-5) Boston College vs. Penn State: Penn 3:30 p.m. VS. RATING Bronx, N.Y. State returns to bowl play after being ESPN 2 stars PENN ST. (6-6) ineligible past two seasons

NEBRASKA (9-3) Big-name teams with big-name stars, 8 p.m. RATING San Diego VS. USC QB Cody Kessler, ESPN 3 stars Qualcomm Stadium USC (8-4) Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah MONDAY DECEMBER TEXAS A&M (7-5) WVU vs. Texas A&M: 1 p.m. RATING Memphis, Tenn. VS. Defense? What defense? ESPN 3 stars 29 Liberty Bowl W. VIRGINIA (7-5) OKLAHOMA (8-4) Disappointing Sooner season ends 4:30 p.m. Russell Athletic Bowl RATING Orlando, Fla. VS. facing former defensive coordinator ESPN 3 stars CLEMSON (9-3) Brent Venables ARKANSAS (6-6) Longtime rivals in the Southwest 8 p.m. RATING Houston VS. Conference battle again with ESPN 3 stars NRG Stadium TEXAS (6-6) smash-mouth run games TUESDAY NOTRE DAME (7-5) Notre Dame stumbled after DECEMBER 2 p.m. RATING Nashville, Tenn. VS. a 6-0 start, but LSU has had ESPN 2 stars 30 LP Field LSU (8-4) issues scoring points GEORGIA (9-3) Features two of the best non-Heisman 5:30 p.m. Belk Bowl RATING Charlotte, N.C. VS. types, Georgia RB Nick Chubb, L’ville ESPN 3 stars LOUISVILLE (9-3) WR DeVante Parker MARYLAND (7-5) The Kevin Hogan saga continues. 9 p.m. Foster Farms Bowl RATING Santa Clara, Calif. VS. Stanford QB has gone from ESPN 2 stars Levi’s Stadium STANFORD (7-5) beloved to loathed WEDNESDAY OLE MISS (9-3) TCU’s Trevone Boykin vs. Ole Miss’s DECEMBER 11:30 a.m. RATING VS. Land Shark defense. ESPN 4 stars 31 TCU (11-1) But will Frogs motivated? BOISE ST. (11-2) Boise State in the — 3 p.m. Fiesta Bowl RATING Glendale, Ariz. VS. does anyone doubt ESPN 3 stars U. of Phoenix Stadium ARIZONA (10-3) they’ll be fireworks? MISSISSIPPI ST. (10-2) State QB Dak Prescott could build 7 p.m. RATING Miami VS. momentum for next season ESPN 3 stars Sun Life Stadium GEORGIA TECH (10-3) with big day THURSDAY AUBURN (8-4) Last time out, Auburn gave up 55, JANUARY 11 a.m. RATING Tampa, Fla. VS. Wisconsin 59. ESPN2 3 stars 1 WISCONSIN (10-3) Last one with the ball wins? MICHIGAN ST. (10-2) Will Baylor be fired up after 11:30 a.m. Cotton Bowl RATING Arlington, Texas VS. playoff slight? Should have a ESPN 4 stars AT&T Stadium BAYLOR (11-1) big-time crowd rallying it MISSOURI (10-3) Who shows up to quarterback Noon Citrus Bowl RATING Orlando, Fla. VS. Missouri, good Maty Mauk ABC 3 stars Citrus Bowl MINNESOTA (8-4) or bad Maty? OREGON (12-1) This year’s (?) beloved 4 p.m. RATING Pasadena, Calif. VS. Heisman winner vs. last year’s ESPN 4 stars College Rose Bowl loathed Heisman winner Football FLORIDA ST. (13-0) Playoff ALABAMA (12-1) Saban vs. Meyer. But bigger Semifinal 7:30 p.m. RATING New Orleans VS. match-up is Ohio State QB ESPN 4 stars Superdome OHIO ST. (12-1) Cardale Jones vs. Bama D FRIDAY HOUSTON (7-5) Houston is on the verge of JANUARY Noon RATING Fort Worth, Texas VS. firing its coach, ESPN2 1 star 2 Amon G. Carter Stadium PITTSBURGH (6-6) and Pitt was a bowl bubble team IOWA (7-5) Watch the trenches. Iowa LT Brandon 2:20 p.m. TaxSlayer Bowl RATING Jacksonville, Fla. VS. Scherff and Tennessee DE Derek ESPN 2 stars EverBank Field TENNESSEE (6-6) Barnett are NFL talents KANSAS ST. (9-3) K-State’s Tyler Lockett 5:45 p.m. RATING San Antonio VS. and UCLA’s Brett Hundley will ABC 3 stars UCLA (9-3) provide the fireworks OSU (6-6) UW defensive front is stout. 9:15 p.m. Cactus Bowl RATING Tempe, Ariz. VS. Can Mason Rudolph replicate ESPN 3 stars Sun Devil Stadium WASHINGTON (8-5) success of first two starts? SATURDAY E. CAROLINA (8-4) Pirates will be motivated to beat JANUARY Noon RATING Birmingham, Ala. VS. a big name. What about Gators after ESPN2 2 stars 3 FLORIDA (6-5) coaching change? SUNDAY JANUARY TOLEDO (8-4) Arkansas State’s Fredi Knighten 8 p.m. GoDaddy Bowl RATING Mobile, Ala. VS. is worth a peek. ESPN 1 star 4 Ladd-Peebles Stadium ARKANSAS ST. (7-5) Dual-threat QB is fun to watch MONDAY ALABAMA/OHIO ST. Doesn’t matter who advances. JANUARY National Championship RATING 7:30 p.m. Arlington, Texas VS. This is must-see TV ESPN 4 stars 12 AT&T Stadium OREGON/FLORIDA ST.