The 2011-12 Bowl Season kicks off on Saturday with 3 Bowl Match Ups

The FBS kicks off the first of 35 bowl games in 2011-12, with the first three bowl games on Saturday. Too many? Sure, but when one considers 68 teams make the NCAA Basketball Tournament, is it that far fetched that 70 teams finish the season with a bowl game?

Big Ten leads with ten bowl spots. The Big Ten has a record ten teams in bowl games this year, including first-year member, Nebraska. The University of Iowa is playing in its tenth bowl in eleven years, under Kirk Ferentz, who is in his 13 season as head coach. Wisconsin will represent the Big Ten for the second straight year in the Rose Bowl.

Three other college football games play on Saturday. The Division II Championship Game and the NAIA Championship Game are played on Saturday, as well as the second semi-final game on the road to the FCS title game. On Friday, the first semi-final game in FCS was played, with Sam Houston State defeating Montana 31-28 at home.

2011-12 Bowl Games kick off on Saturday

(Printable Bowl Schedule w/ DirecTV channels)
Saturday, December 17th

D2 Final: Pittsburg State vs. Wayne State (MI)
10:00 a.m.
ESPN2 (HD) / espn3

New Mexico Bowl: Temple vs. Wyoming
1:00 p.m.
ESPN (HD) / espn3

DI-AA Semifinals: Georgia Southern at North Dakota State
1:30 p.m.
ESPNU (HD) / espn3

NAIA Championship: Carroll (MT) vs. Saint Xavier (IL)
3:30 p.m.
CBSSN (HD)

Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio vs. Utah State
4:30 p.m.
ESPN (HD) / espn3

New Orleans Bowl: LA Lafayette vs. San Diego State
8:00 p.m.
ESPN (HD) (3D) / espn3

Cidsports Thoughts and Predictions on the three opening bowl games:

Temple (8-4, 5-3 MAC East) vs. Wyoming (8-4, 5-2 MWC) in New Mexico Bowl

• First year coach Steve Addazio's Owls vs. third year coach Dave Christensen's Cowboys


• Both teams last bowl games were in 2009, Christensen's Cowboys won in New Mexico over Fresno State, while the Owls lost to UCLA in the EagleBank


• Owls are 1-2 lifetime in bowls, while Cowboys are 6-6


• We will take the Cowboys, as a +7 underdog in this bowl game

Ohio U (9-4, 6-2 MAC East) vs. Utah State (7-5, 5-2 WAC) in Idaho Potato Bowl

• Seven year coach Frank Solich's Bobcats vs. third year coach Gary Anderson's Aggies


• Solich is leading the Bobcats to third straight bowl game, fourth in six years, while Anderson has the Aggies in their first bowl game, since '97 season


• Ohio U is 0-5 in bowls, while Utah State is 1-4 over the years


• Again, we will take the underdog, Ohio U as a +1.5 underdog in this bowl game

Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4, 6-2 Sun Belt) vs. San Diego State (8-4, 4-3 MWC) in New Orleans Bowl

• Battle of first year coaches: Mark Hudspeth's Ragin' Cajuns vs. Rocky Long's Aztecs


• Ragin' Cajuns have never played in an FBS bowl, while the Aztecs beat Navy last season 35-14 in the Poinsettia Bowl


• San Diego State is 2-4 lifetime in bowl games, while it is the first postseason appearance in 41 years for the Ragin' Cajuns


• San Diego State is a -4.5 favorite in this bowl game: Go Aztecs!

It's Official: Iowa (7-5) vs. #14 Oklahoma (9-3), while the BCS Title game will be a SEC rematch

The bowl games are set for the 2011-12 College bowl season! Both the Iowa Hawkeyes (7-5) and the Iowa State State (6-6) will play on December 30Th. The Northern Iowa Panthers are still alive in the FCS Playoffs. UNI will play Friday night on ESPN with a 7 p.m. kickoff at Montana. Of course, in the BCS Championship Game, it will be a battle of SEC teams, as #1 LSU faces #2 Alabama, in a rematch.

The Hawkeyes will face former Iowa defensive back Bobby Stoops, who is in his 13Th season at the helm of the #14 Oklahoma Sooners, in the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. In additional to Stoops, former Iowa OL Bruce Kittle is in his first season as offensive line coach, while co-offensive coordinator Jay Novell is a former Iowa defensive back.

The Cyclones will play earlier in the day against Rutgers (8-4) out of the Big East. Both teams will square off in Yankee Stadium in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, in New York City.

2011-12 Bowl Games (games are Central Time start)

Saturday, December 17Th

New Mexico Bowl:

Temple vs. Wyoming 1:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Idaho Potato Bowl:

Ohio vs. Utah State 4:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

New Orleans Bowl:

UL Lafayette vs. San Diego State 8:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) (3D) / espn3.com

Tuesday, December 20Th

St. Petersburg Bowl:

Florida International vs. Marshall 7:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) (3D) / espn3.com

Wednesday, December 21st

Poinsettia Bowl:

Louisiana Tech vs. TCU 7:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Thursday, December 22Nd

Las Vegas Bowl:

Arizona State vs. Boise State 7:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Saturday, December 24Th

Hawaii Bowl:

Nevada vs. Southern Miss 7:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Monday, December 26Th

Independence Bowl:

Missouri vs. North Carolina 4:00 p.m. ESPN2 (HD) / espn3.com

Tuesday, December 27Th

Little Caesars Bowl:

Purdue vs. Western Michigan 3:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Belk Bowl:

Louisville vs. North Carolina State 7:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com
Wednesday, December 28Th

Military Bowl:

Air Force vs. Toledo 3:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Holiday Bowl:

California vs. Texas 7:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com
Thursday, December 29Th

Champs Sports Bowl:

Florida State vs. Notre Dame 4:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) (3D) / espn3.com

Alamo Bowl:

Baylor vs. Washington 8:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Friday, December 30Th

Armed Forces Bowl:

BYU vs. Tulsa 11:00 a.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Pinstripe Bowl:

Iowa State vs. Rutgers 2:20 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Music City Bowl:

Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest 5:40 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Insight Bowl:

Iowa vs. Oklahoma 9:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Saturday, December 31st

Car Care Bowl:

Northwestern vs. Texas A&M 11:00 a.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Sun Bowl:

Georgia Tech vs. Utah 1:00 p.m. CBS (HD) / cbssports.com

Emerald Bowl:

Illinois vs. UCLA 2:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Liberty Bowl:

Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt 2:30 p.m. ABC (HD)

Peach Bowl:

Auburn vs. Virginia 6:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) (3D) / espn3.com

Monday, January 2Nd

Games traditionally scheduled for New Years Day

to be played on Jan. 2nd to avoid Sunday NFL conflict

TicketCity Bowl:

Houston vs. Penn State 11:00 a.m. ESPNU (HD) / espn3.com?

Capital One Bowl:

Nebraska vs. South Carolina 12:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) (3D) / espn3.com

Gator Bowl:

Florida vs. Ohio State 12:00 p.m. ESPN2 (HD) / espn3.com

Outback Bowl:

Georgia vs. Michigan State 12:00 p.m. ABC (HD)

Rose Bowl:

Oregon vs. Wisconsin 3:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Fiesta Bowl:

Oklahoma State vs. Stanford 7:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Tuesday, January 3rd

Sugar Bowl:

Michigan vs. Virginia Tech 7:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Wednesday, January 4Th

Orange Bowl:

Clemson vs. West Virginia 7:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Friday, January 6Th

Cotton Bowl:

Arkansas vs. Kansas State 7:00 p.m. FOX (HD)

Saturday, January 7Th

FBS Championship Game

Current Brackets, including UNI

12:00 p.m. ESPN2 (HD) / espn3.com

BBVA Compass Bowl:

Pitt vs. SMU 12:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Sunday, January 8Th

Go Daddy Bowl:

Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois 8:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / espn3.com

Monday, January 9Th

BCS Championship Game:

#2 Alabama vs. # LSU

7:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) (3D) / espn3.com

Enjoy the ride of the 2011-12 College Football bowl season