With 2026 now officially underway, the college football season is nearly at its end. But before we wrap things up in the Bowl Subdivision with next week’s College Football Playoff semifinals and the subsequent title game, we have one more full day of bowl games to enjoy.
If it’s big-name programs you want, Friday's lineup might not appeal to you. But the slate does feature a couple of squads in the US LBM Coaches Poll, as well as some of the nation’s premier academic institutions. One of the prime-time contests will hopefully live up to our placement in the bowl rankings – several of which, we freely admit, were wildly off the mark. Here are the Friday bowl offerings.
Time/TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN in Fort Worth, Texas.
Why watch: The last full day of the bowl season kicks off with a pair of Lone Star State squads without much shared history. These same two teams did, however, square off in the First Responder Bowl two years ago, with the Bobcats taking a 45-21 decision. The 2025 campaign wasn’t a huge success for either program, but both should enjoy this opportunity. Unfortunately, Owls starting QB Chase Jenkins and backup Drew Devillier have announced plans to transfer, meaning either Lucas Scheerhorn or Patrick Crayton Jr., both little-used freshmen, will be pressed into service. The Bobcats should have most of their primary contributors, including QB Brad Jackson and WRs Beau Sparks and Chris Dawn.
