It's the most wonderful time of the year.
Bowl season has finally arrived, and with it all the conference cross-pollination that college football fans know and love. This year's might be the last of its kind: With 12 teams slated for entry into next year's College Football Playoff, the meaning of bowl season in an expansion-obsessed world remains hazy.
For now, however, there are 42 postseason games to feast on throughout this December and January. There are bowls in New York and Los Angeles and El Paso, Texas and Shreveport, La.. There are bowls involving Alabama and Notre Dame and James Madison and Jacksonville State. It's a delightful, nationwide sampling of what makes the game great.
So, settle in this Saturday for a septuple-header to kick off affairs. Times and TV networks for the first day of games are as follows.
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Ohio (9-3) vs. Georgia Southern (6-6)
TIME: 11 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN
STREAMING: ESPN app, ESPN+
Celebration Bowl
Howard (6-5) vs. Florida A&M (11-1)
TIME: Noon ET
TV: ABC
STREAMING: ESPN3, ESPN+
New Orleans Bowl
Jacksonville State (8-4) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (6-6)
TIME: 2:15 ET
TV: ESPN
STREAMING: ESPN app, ESPN+
Cure Bowl
Miami-Ohio (11-2) vs. Appalachian State (8-5)
TIME: 3:30 ET
TV: ABC
STREAMING: ESPN3, ESPN+
New Mexico Bowl
Fresno State (8-4) vs. New Mexico State (10-4)
TIME: 5:45 ET
TV: ESPN
STREAMING: ESPN app, ESPN+
LA Bowl
Boise State (8-5) vs. UCLA (7-5)
TIME: 7:30 ET
TV: ABC
STREAMING: ESPN3, ESPN+
California (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (6-6)
TIME: 9:15 ET
TV: ESPN
STREAMING: ESPN app, ESPN+
