Carla and Crappy Show: The 2020 Bowlapalooza Edition

Even with all of the we-have-no-idea-ness that college football season has delivered in 2020, there is one almost small sense of normalcy getting underway.

Yes, friends, it’s Bowlapalooza season.

And in the spirit of the wackiness that was this season, we’ve gone wacky with our format for this annual #CnCShow tradition. (In other words, this is not the typical Bowlapalooza you’ve been looking for.)

Carla, Crappy, and AJ sit down and discuss … every. single. meaningless. bowl game. Yes, really. All of them. Even the one that already happened before we were able to record this show.

As is tradition, we each selected a game or two to focus our attention … and then we just go crazy. (Disclaimer: Check your local listings for game status, times, and even teams involved, because all of those changes have occurred at least once already and bowl season is barely underway.)

Camellia Bowl: Marshall vs. Buffalo (2:30 ET Dec. 25, ESPN): AJ calls this the “What Happened?” Bowl. The rest of us are just tickled that the football gods delivered us this beautiful present on Christmas Day.

Cure Bowl: Liberty vs. No. 12 Coastal Carolina (7:30 ET Dec. 26, ESPN): The regular-season game that became a bowl game. This one’s another AJ pick, because there are just so many #GroupOfFive bowls to revel in this year. Also, things are moving so quickly this bowl season that this game literally changed times while we were recording. Go Chickens.

Cheez-It Bowl: No. 21 Oklahoma State vs. No. 18 Miami (5:30 ET Dec. 29, ESPN): Carla takes this one because it doesn’t matter whether this game is played in Arizona or Florida … it’s the most on-brand bowl game of the season. Grab your favorite salty snack and settle in for some stupid fun football, defense optional.

Arizona Bowl: Ball State vs. No. 22 San Jose State (2 ET Dec. 31, CBS Sports Network): Crappy’s selection gets the traditional Sun Bowl time slot, and a really entertaining matchup between two teams with surprising success this season. SJSU looked exceptionally good in the Mountain West title game and Ball State knocked off Buffalo in the MAC. This seriously could be one of the best games of all of bowl season.

We give honorable mention nods to:

New Mexico Bowl: Hawaii vs. Houston (3:30 ET Dec. 24, ESPN): Fun fact - this game isn’t played in New Mexico!

Valero Alamo Bowl: No. 20 Texas vs. Colorado (9 ET Dec. 29, ESPN): Because if Texas loses this game, the meltdown could be epic.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin (Noon ET Dec. 30, ESPN): Has anyone actually watched Wake play a down of football this season?

TransPerfect Music City Bowl: No. 15 Iowa vs. Missouri (4 ET Dec. 30, ESPN): A whole lot of black and gold in Nashville if this game actually happens.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: West Virginia vs. Army (4 ET Dec. 31, ESPN): Army had to (undeservedly) wait for its bowl game, but it gets this lovely gift in replacing Tennessee to play West Virginia in Memphis. #2020

So, while there may not be as many bowl games as usual, there are some delightful pairings that should make for a nice holiday football season. Settle in at home and prepare to feast on the tastiness that is Bowlapalooza. We’ll be back next week with a preview of the New Year’s Six bowls and College Football Playoff games.

Cheers, yinz. Happy holidays.