College football’s postseason is the subject of annual debate, as naysayers lament its expansion to a whopping 43 games for the 2022-23 season and claim that bowls just don’t mean what they used to mean. With many star players choosing to forgo bowls out of health concerns and coaching transitions, there is little doubt that merely reaching a bowl game isn’t always a grand reward for a great season. Sometimes, it’s just an exhibition at the end of a mediocre season.
For the few dozen teams every year that miss out on a bowl game, however, getting back to one can be a particularly meaningful accomplishment. Just look at South Carolina, which snapped a two-year bowl drought in 2021 with a 6-6 regular-season record and beat border rival North Carolina 38-21 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Gamecocks weren’t expected to do much in coach Shane Beamer’s first season, but reaching (and winning) a bowl game validated the program’s hiring of a beloved former assistant.
As the 2022 season approaches and the disrupted 2020 season — along with its disjointed bowl season — fade further into the background, the sport’s normal rhythms have returned. That means bowl trips are expected at some programs, and there are some strong brands looking to snap bowl streaks in the season ahead.
So what are the programs most likely to return to bowl games after missing them last season? Here are the picks broken out into tiers.
Obvious picks
These teams look like sure bets to reach bowl games in the 2022 season
USC: On the heels of a 4-8 season — the program’s worst since 1991 — first-year coach Lincoln Riley has restocked the roster with a bevy of playmakers to ensure the Trojans make a quick return to respectability. The College Football Playoff talk could wind up looking premature, but it would be an absolute stunner if USC isn’t back in a bowl game. The last time USC finished with a losing record in…
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