There Are 3 More College Football Bowl Games Friday. Here's The Schedule
After a one-day respite for Christmas, bowl season is back. There are three college football games on Friday for fans to get their fix.
The postseason matchups include a pair of schools from the Big Ten, as well as a team looking for just the second 10-win season in program history. Here's a look at Friday's games.
GameAbove Sports Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Northwestern (1 p.m. ET, ESPN)
This matchup in Detroit features one team from the state of Michigan and another from Chicago in the heart of Big Ten country. Even though the game will be played indoors at Ford Field, don't expect many offensive fireworks, as both programs lean heavily on their defenses.
“When we turned on the tape, it was like looking in the mirror,” Northwestern coach David Braun said, via the Associated Press. “Central Michigan is a team that is committed to running the ball and playing great defense. It is a team with great fundamentals and great technique, and a great deal of physicality. Those are the same things we teach at Northwestern.”
The 6-6 Wildcats are heavily favored over the 7-5 Chippewas, according to ESPN Analytics. Matt Schumacker, Dustin Fox and Ashley Stroehlein will be on the call for ESPN.
Rate Bowl: New Mexico vs. Minnesota (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
New Mexico (9-3) is looking for the program's second 10-win season and first since 1982. But Minnesota (7-5) also has something to play for, as the Golden Gophers have won six consecutive bowl games under head coach P.J. Fleck.
"We don't talk much about a streak. We don't talk about other teams," Fleck said on this week. "This is the 2025 version and the 2025 chance to be 1-0 and a championship season and leave the field with our seniors as champions.
"It comes back to the players. Our players love playing in bowl games. ... I think it's the culture that we've created."
ESPN Analytics gives Minnesota a 55.3% chance of winning this afternoon. Mike Monaco will handle play-by-play duties for ESPN, with Kirk Morrison on analysis and Dawn Davenport reporting from the sidelines.
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: Florida International vs. UTSA (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Florida International (7-5) is back in a bowl for the first time in six years, while UTSA (6-6) has now gone to the postseason six years in a row under head coach Jeff Traylor. They'll meet at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas for Friday's bowl nightcap.
UTSA has a 73% chance of winning, per ESPN Analytics. Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (game analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (sideline reporter) are on the call for ESPN.