The 2025–26 season features 41 bowl games, including four college football playoff first round games, four quarterfinals, two semifinals, and the national championship on Monday, Jan 19.

The College Football Playoff is the main attraction of the college football postseason, but there are a handful of other fascinating matchups in regular bowl games.

Penn State will be without a standout defender. Zakee Wheatley, a redshirt senior safety, announced in an Instagram post Wednesday his plans to opt out of Penn State’s upcoming bowl game. “I could not have imagined a better collegiate career or experience anywhere in the country,

Holiday Bowl odds, picks, predictions, TV channel, streaming for Arizona Wildcats vs. SMU Mustangs college football bowl game on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.

LSU football will take the field for the Texas Bowl without three key starters. According to NOLA.com’s Wilson Alexander, cornerback Mansoor Delane, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and linebacker Whit Weeks will all miss the Tigers’ contest against Houston due to injuries.

Safety Zakee Wheatley, a redshirt senior, announced he will opt out of the bowl season and focus on preparing for the 2026 NFL draft, bringing an end to his college football career at Penn State. The Maryland native should be among the top safety prospects in this year's NFL draft pool.

Notre Dame is scheduled to return to play on Sept. 6, when it will open '26 against Wisconsin in Green Bay, Wisc. This article was originally published on www.si.com as Notre Dame AD Shares Whether Fighting Irish Will Continue Going to Bowl Games.

New Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh thinks it was "unrealistic" for his team to get ready to play a bowl game.

Get in the holiday spirit and grab your remote. This one's for the college football purists out there. All times below Eastern.