CFB Bowl Notebook: News, full schedule
As we prepare for the 42-game College Football Bowl season, watch for news about players who chose not to participate, usually because they decided to begin preparing for the NFL Draft and the Indianapolis Combine that precedes it.
We list all the games in chronological order below, culminating with a January 8 National Championship.
Meantime, players are preparing for their future, either via a transfer portal or opting to get ready to play for pay. OK, for MORE pay.
Caleb Williams
USC head coach Lincoln Riley said Monday that 2022 Heisman Trophy quarterback Caleb Williams will not play for the Trojans in the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl against the No. 15 Louisville Cardinals.
Williams was expected to declare early for the 2024 NFL Draft and this seems to be the first step in that process although there has been no statement to that effect. For the record, Williams said previously that if he is remaining at USC in 2024, he didn’t see any reason why he wouldn’t play in the Trojans’ bowl game.
Williams was listed No. 1 overall in early season NFLDraftScout.com 2024 Draft rankings, but early in November fell to No. 3 overall behind Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye
In 2022, after transferring from Oklahoma, Williams completed 66.6% of his passes for a USC single-season record 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns against five interceptions on his way to the 2022 Heisman Trophy. This fall, Williams threw for 3,633 yards and 30 touchdowns, while running for another 11 scores.
With Williams out, USC will probably turn to quarterback Miller Moss against the Cardinals. USC missed an opportunity to get Moss more time on the field this season because they couldn’t put enough teams away early enough. But he did see time in the first three games of the year. Overall, he completed 71.9% of his passes for 309 yards and one score. He also added a 15-yard rushing touchdown against Stanford.
The Trojans could also have true freshman quarterback Malachi Nelson available. Those two will battle to replace Williams as the starter in 2024, though Riley also confirmed that the Trojans will be looking into the transfer portal to potentially add another quarterback to the roster.
The Lineup
Independence Bowl: Texas Tech vs. California
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 16, Shreveport, La., ESPN, 9:15 p.m.
Famous Toastery Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 18, ESPN, 2:30 p.m.
Frisco Bowl: Marshall vs. Texas-San Antonio
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 19, Frisco, Texas, ESPN, 9 p.m.
Boca Raton Bowl: South Florida vs. Syracuse
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 21, Boca Raton, Fla., ESPN, 8 p.m.
Gasparilla Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Central Florida
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 22, Tampa, Fla., ESPN, 6:30 p.m.
Birmingham Bowl: Duke vs. Troy
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 23, Birmingham, Ala., ABC, noon
Camellia Bowl: Northern Illinois vs. Arkansas State
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 23, Montgomery, Ala., ESPN, noon
Armed Forces Bowl: James Madison vs. Air Force
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 23, Fort Worth, Texas, ABC, 3:30 p.m.
Idaho Potato Bowl: Utah State vs. Georgia State
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 23, Boise, Idaho, ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
68 Ventures Bowl: Eastern Michigan vs. South Alabama
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 23, Mobile, Ala., ESPN, 7 p.m.
Las Vegas Bowl: Northwestern vs. Utah
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 23, Las Vegas, ABC, 7:30 p.m.
Hawaii Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose State
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 23, Honolulu, ESPN, 10:30 p.m.
Quick Lane Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Minnesota
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 26, Detroit, ESPN, 2 p.m.
First Responder Bowl: Texas State vs. Rice
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 26, Dallas, ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas vs. UNLV
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 26, Phoenix, ESPN, 9 p.m.
Military Bowl: Tulane vs. Virginia Tech
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 27, Annapolis, Md., ESPN, 2 p.m.
Duke's Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 27, Charlotte, N.C., ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
Holiday Bowl: Louisville vs. Southern California
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 27, San Diego, Fox, 8 p.m.
Texas Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 27, Houston, ESPN, 9 p.m.
Fenway Bowl: Boston College vs. SMU
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 28, Boston, ESPN, 11 a.m.
Pinstripe Bowl: Miami (Fla.) vs. Rutgers
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 28, Bronx, N.Y., ESPN, 2:15 p.m.
Pop-Tarts Bowl: North Carolina State vs. Kansas State
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 28, Orlando, Fla., ESPN, 5:45 p.m.
Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Arizona
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 28, San Antonio, ESPN, 9:15 p.m.
Gator Bowl: Clemson vs. Kentucky
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 29, Jacksonville, Fla., ESPN, noon
Sun Bowl: Oregon State vs. Notre Dame
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 29, El Paso, Texas, CBS, 2 p.m.
Liberty Bowl: Iowa State vs. Memphis
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 29, Memphis, Tenn. ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Cotton Bowl: Ohio State vs. Missouri
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 29, Arlington, Texas, ESPN, 8 p.m.
Peach Bowl: Penn State vs. Mississippi
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 30, Atlanta, ESPN, noon
Music City Bowl: Auburn vs. Maryland
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 30, Nashville, Tenn., ABC, 2 p.m.
Orange Bowl: Florida State vs. Georgia
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 30, Miami Gardens, Fla., ESPN, 4 p.m.
Arizona Bowl: Toledo vs. Wyoming
WHERE, WHEN: Dec. 30, Tucson, Ariz., 4:30 p.m.
ReliaQuest Bowl: Wisconsin vs. LSU
WHERE, WHEN: Jan. 1, Tampa, Fla., ESPN2, noon
Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. Tennessee
WHERE, WHEN: Jan. 1, Orlando, Fla., ABC, 1 p.m.
Fiesta Bowl: Oregon vs. Liberty
WHERE, WHEN: Jan. 1, Glendale, Ariz., ESPN, 1 p.m.
Rose Bowl: Michigan vs. Alabama
WHERE, WHEN: Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif., ESPN, 5 p.m.
Sugar Bowl: Washington vs. Texas
WHERE, WHEN: Jan. 1, New Orleans, ESPN, 8:45 p.m.
College Football Playoff championship game
WHERE, WHEN: Jan. 8, Houston, ESPN, 8 p.m.
MATCHUP: College Football Playoff semifinal winners