Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
The 24 Days of College Football Bowls
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
College football
College football
College football Aerial view of a football game between the University of Florida Gators and the Louisiana State University Tigers, Gainsville, Florida, 2010.

The 24 Days of College Football Bowls

College football fans rejoice as the bowl season kicks off on December 19.
print Print
Please select which sections you would like to print:
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written by
Amy Tikkanen
Amy Tikkanen is Managing Editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Amy Tikkanen
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated:

On December 19 the college bowl season begins as Alcorn State battles North Carolina A&T in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. It is the first of 42 games that will be played over the next three weeks. While a number of notable bowls are on the schedule—including the Rose, Fiesta, and Citrus (Go, Blue!)—the highlight is the College Football Playoff (CFP), which determines the national champion. On December 31 Oklahoma and Clemson face off in the Orange Bowl, while Michigan State and Alabama clash in the Cotton Bowl. The winners will play in the title game on January 11 in Glendale, Arizona.

This is the second year of the College Football Playoff, which replaced the controversial BCS. Under the previous system, two teams were selected to play in a title game based on computer rankings and polls. However, after much criticism, a play-off system was adopted for the 2014–15 season. In the CFP four teams are chosen by a 13-member selection committee composed of current and former college administrators and coaches. The autonomous committee takes a number of things into consideration, including polls, computer ranking, strength of schedule, and record against common opponents.

Learn More About This Topic

Amy Tikkanen