While Auburn is in Tampa, Fla., playing Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl, and Alabama is playing Ohio State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, three other bowl games will be held right here in the Yellowhammer State: the Birmingham Bowl, Raycom Media Camellia Bowl and GoDaddy Bowl.
Here’s everything you need to know about the bowl games taking place in Alabama:
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
South Alabama Jaguars vs. Bowling Green Falcons
Location: Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.
When: Dec. 20, 8:15 CT
South Alabama’s football program was started in 2009, so being in a bowl game is quite an accomplishment. The Jaguars ended the regular season with a 6-6 record, thanks in part to 6-foot-5 Canadian quarterback Brandon Bridge, who is apparently catching the attention of NFL scouts.
The Falcons ended the season with a 7-6 record, including an Indiana upset. According to ESPN.com, the player to watch here is freshman wide receiver Roger Lewis, who finished the regular season with 69 catches for a total of 956 yards.
Birmingham Bowl
East Carolina Pirates vs. Florida Gators
Location: Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.
When: Jan. 3, 11 a.m. CT
The last time these two teams played each other Ronald Reagan was President. Florida, who finished its regular season 6-5, hasn’t been bowl eligible since 2012, while East Carolina, who finished its regular season 8-4, will be making its third consecutive bowl game appearance. The two times are scheduled to play each other again next season in Gainesville, Fla.
GoDaddy Bowl
Toledo Rockets vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves
Location: Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala.
When: Jan 4, 8 p.m. CT
The Toledo Rockets finished the regular season with an 8-4 record and were one of the better teams in their conference (MAC). “Toledo has a balanced offense focused around a strong running game,” says sbnation.com. “Their top four rushers average at least 5.2 yards per carry, led by Kareem Hunt, who has 1,360 yards on 173 carries with 11 touchdowns.”
This was Head Coach Blake Anderson’s first season with the Red Wolves, and he led his team to a regular season winning record of 7-5. “The Red Wolves had one of the stronger offenses in the Sun Belt this season, scoring 36.1 points per game,” says sbnation.com. “Quarterback Fredi Knight passed for 19 touchdowns while rushing for 11 more, while running back Michael Gordon ran for over 1,000 yards with 13 touchdowns this season.”
