To help get you in the mood for this season's bowl games, I thought it would be fun to remember the bowl season that wasn't last year.  

Back in the head days Pre-Oregon State, I asked my boss if I could take the entirety of bowl season off, because I wanted to be able to go to whatever bowl game Cal made it to.  I even took off the first two weeks of January just in case Cal made it to the national championship game.

My boss responded with "Yes, anything for football."

Then of course, Oregon State happened.  I ended up not taking any vacation at all because I wasn't feeling like spending a few weeks watching crappy games and going to El Paso, and my boss even joked that it was a good thing Cal went in the tank because they really needed me.  I pointed out that it could be worse, I could be a Michigan fan like him.

via www.eaglebankbowl.com

What bowl?: The Inaugural EagleBank Bowl!
Who's playing? Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Navy Midshipmen.
When is it? December 20, 11 AM EST.
Where is it? RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
Why should you watch? Because you missed it the first time these two teams played on September 27, when Navy won 24-17.  Also, because it's always awesome to watch the option when it's done correctly, and you probably won't have anything else to do that early in the morning.

via static0.shopify.com

What bowl?: The New Mexico Bowl.
Who's playing? Colorado State Rams vs. Fresno State Bulldogs.
When is it? December 20, 2:30 PM EST.
Where is it? University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Why should you watch? Because you can't get enough of those Colorado State Rams, and because you've wondered whether "Anyone, anytime, anyplace!" includes Colorado State in New Mexico the week before Christmas.

via www.stpetersburgbowl.com

What bowl?: The magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl.
Who's playing? Memphis Tigers vs. South Florida Bulls.
When is it? December 20, 4:30 PM EST.
Where is it? Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Why should you watch? Because you find yourself wondering whether the St. Petersburg Bowl draws more or less people than the Tampa Bay Rays did during the World Series, and you want to know what the hell a magicJack is.  It's a cell phone booster.

via www.lvbowl.com

What bowl?: The Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl.
Who's playing? #16 BYU Cougars vs. Arizona Wildcats.
When is it? December 20, 8 PM EST.
Where is it? Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Why should you watch? Because you've wondered what manner of God would allow his faithful Mormon disciples to descend upon Sin City multiple years in a row, and the only thing more fun than watching Rudy Carpenter get Pain Trained is watching Willie Tuitama get knocked around.

via upload.wikimedia.org

What bowl?: The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Who's playing? Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles vs. Troy Trojans.
When is it? December 21, 8:15 PM EST.
Where is it? Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Why should you watch? Because you really don't want to watch Giants/Panthers with the no. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs on the line.  Which makes you a giant loser, by the way.

via www.poinsettiabowl.net

What bowl?: The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.
Who's playing? #9 Boise State Broncos vs. #11 TCU Horned Frogs.
When is it? December 23, 5 PM EST.
Where is it? Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
Why should you watch? Because it's the best matchup of the first week of bowl games, it's a matchup of top 11 teams, and you're amazed that Ian Johnson is still around.  Isn't that guy like 37 by now?

via www.sheratonhawaiibowl.com

What bowl?: The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
Who's playing? Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
When is it? December 24, 8 PM EST.
Where is it? Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Why should you watch? Because there's no better way to celebrate Christmas Eve than to watch Charlie Weis fail miserably as a coach.  Again.