The Top Five College Football Bowl Matchups This Year

There are plenty of bowl games on the schedule, 34 of them to be exact, but quite a few of them will be between a couple mediocre teams and shouldn't be anything too special. There are several games though that stand out above the rest as ones that everyone should keep their eyes on. What are the best matchups this year and why?

Top Five Bowl Matchups in 2008

5. Cotton Bowl- Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech- The Red Raiders only lost one game all season, and Ole Miss gave Florida its only loss of the season. It's hard to tell who was the mental edge in this game, because it will depend on whether Texas Tech comes out to prove a point or is just bummed it didn't get a BCS game. Jevan Snead will lead a revitalized Ole Miss offense that is capable of putting quite a few points on the board against Graham Harrell and the high powered Red Raiders.

4. Poinsettia Bowl- TCU vs. Boise State- This is a matchup of the two non-BCS teams who believe they had a beef about not getting into the BCS bowl games. Boise State was particularly peeved because of their undefeated record this season, but TCU will give them all they can handle. The Horned Frogs have one of the nation's best defenses and Boise will need to be ready to play or they will go home with a loss.

3. Rose Bowl- USC vs. Penn State- This is a classic matchup between Paterno and Carroll and two big time powerhouse football teams. Both teams lost a single game this season and believe they should have been considered for the national title game, but both will be up for this matchup. USC gets the home field advantage so Penn State will have an uphill climb.

2. Fiesta Bowl- Ohio State vs. Texas- Anytime these two powerhouses meet its going to be a huge matchup, but this time there is even more on the line. Texas, which sits at #3 in the country, believes they should be playing for the national title since they beat Oklahoma. Ohio State, which is #10 in the country, has been slightly disappointing this year and badly needs a signature victory over a top team. I expect both teams to bring their A game.

1. BCS National Championship Game- What else would be #1 anyways? The Sooners have scored over 60 points in five straight games, but have a slightly suspect defense. The Gators are probably playing better than anyone in the country and have Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin forming a dynamic duo. I would certainly expect this to be a high scoring game, but I think the defense that is able to step up and make more plays will be the team that wins this one.

Have a great holiday season and enjoy those bowl games!