The 2024-25 bowl season is right around the corner, kicking off with the Cricket Celebration Bowl (Jackson State vs. South Carolina State) on Dec. 14.
In a span of 19 days, 36 bowl games will be played — on top of the College Football Playoff.
Our college football experts provide their thoughts on all 36 bowl matchups, including key storylines to follow and a player to keep an eye on in every game.
Get ready, because it’s an exciting time of the year!
Jump to bowl games:
Dec. 14-19 | Dec. 20-27
Dec. 28-Jan. 4
Bowl games
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Atlanta
Dec. 14, noon ET (ABC)
Season storyline: The Tigers, who were picked third in the SWAC East preseason poll, won their third conference championship in four years, and the first for coach T.C. Taylor. Jackson State overcame adversity in the title game after quarterback Jacobian Morgan was injured just before halftime. Zy McDonald came off the bench and rushed for 95 yards and passed for 75, accounting for two total touchdowns.
Player to watch: RB Irv Mulligan, the 2024 SWAC Player of the Year. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound back and Walter Payton Award finalist had 116 yards rushing in the SWAC championship against Southern and was named first-team All-SWAC at running back. Mulligan passed Jackson State and NFL great Walter Payton’s single-season rushing yards record (1,139), which Payton set in 1973.
South Carolina State
Season storyline: Replacing a legend like Buddy Pugh isn’t a small task, and Chennis Berry and his South Carolina State Bulldogs performed up to that task in 2024. The Bulldogs went 5-0 in MEAC play, en route to a 9-2 season overall after being picked fourth in the preseason poll. South Carolina State played spoiler in Deion Sanders’ first year as Jackson State’s head coach in 2021, defeating them in the Celebration Bowl 31-10. Now, Berry will have an opportunity to do the same in T.C. Taylor’s first appearance as head coach.
Player to watch: QB Eric Phoenix. He has a successful transfer story after coming in from Murray State and being named first-team All-MEAC. Prior to his time at Murray, he was with Berry at Benedict College. At Benedict, Berry and Phoenix won the SIAC championship and reached the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in school history. His dynamic play has translated nicely in his grad transfer season and could culminate in a Cricket Celebration Bowl victory. — Harry Lyles Jr.
ESPN BET early line: Jackson State -1.5
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