It’s the most wonderful time of the year — for college football fans, that is.
Bowl season begins Saturday with five games and runs through early January for a total of 40 matchups. The College Football Playoff begins New Year’s Eve with two semifinal games — the Cotton Bowl and the Orange Bowl.
The National Championship Game is Jan. 11 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Alabama, which plays Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl, is the favorite to win the national title after claiming another SEC crown. The Crimson Tide have won three of the last six championships.
Picks for each bowl game are italicized. All spreads provided by OddsShark.
New Mexico Bowl: Arizona (-8) vs. New Mexico
Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. Utah (-2.5)
Camellia Bowl: Ohio vs. Appalachian State (-7.5)
Cure Bowl: San Jose State (-2.5) vs. Georgia State
New Orleans Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Louisiana Tech (-2)
Miami Beach Bowl: Western Kentucky (-2.5) vs. South Florida
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Akron vs. Utah State (-7)
Boca Raton Bowl: Temple (-2) vs. Toledo
Poinsettia Bowl: Boise State (-8.5) vs. Northern Illinois
GoDaddy Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Bowling Green (-7.5)
Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan (-3.5)
Hawaii Bowl: San Diego State (-1) vs. Cincinnati
St. Petersburg Bowl: Connecticut vs. Marshall (-4.5)
Sun Bowl: Miami vs. Washington State (-2.5)
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Washington (-8.5) vs. Southern Miss
Pinstripe Bowl: Indiana (-2) vs. Duke
Independence Bowl: Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech (-13.5)
Foster Farms Bowl: UCLA (-7) vs. Nebraska
Military Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Navy (-3.5)
Quick Lane Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Minnesota (-6.5)
Armed Forces Bowl: California (-7) vs. Air Force
Russell Athletic Bowl: North Carolina vs. Baylor (-2)
Arizona Bowl: Nevada vs. Colorado State (-3)
Texas Bowl: LSU (-7.5) vs. Texas Tech
Birmingham Bowl: Auburn (-2.5) vs. Memphis
Belk Bowl: North Carolina State vs. Mississippi State (-5.5)
Music City Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Louisville (-1.5)
Holiday Bowl: USC (-3) vs. Wisconsin
Peach Bowl: Houston vs. Florida State (-7.5)
Orange Bowl: Oklahoma (-4) vs. Clemson
Cotton Bowl: Michigan State vs. Alabama (-9.5)
Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Tennessee (-8)
Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (-7)
Citrus Bowl: Michigan (-4.5) vs. Florida
Rose Bowl: Iowa vs. Stanford (-7)
Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi (7.5)
TaxSlayer Bowl: Georgia (-7) vs. Penn State
Liberty Bowl: Kansas State vs. Arkansas (-11)
Alamo Bowl: Oregon vs. TCU (pick ’em)
Cactus Bowl: West Virginia (-1) vs. Arizona State
National Championship Game prediction: Alabama over Clemson
Thumbnail photo via Butch Dill/USA TODAY Sports Images
