Military Bowl
Cincinnati (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (7-5)
TIME/TV 11 a.m. (ESPN)
LINE Cincinnati by 6
SERIES Virginia Tech leads 6-5.
SITE Navy/Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Md.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Having already won six more games than in 2017, the Bearcats seek the third 11-win season in the 131-year history of the program and look to even their bowl record at 9-9. Virginia Tech is vying for its third straight victory to complete its 26th consecutive winning season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
CINCINNATI RB Mike Warren II rushed for 1,163 yards and 17 touchdowns, and had 24 catches for 222 yards and a score. His 81-yard jaunt against Tulane was school's longest rushing TD since 1959.
VIRGINIA TECH Senior DT Ricky Walker earned second-team All-ACC honors after registering 49 tackles, including 10½ for a loss with two sacks. The 6-foot-2, 300-pounder had seven tackles and a forced fumble vs. Virginia.
Sun Bowl
Stanford (8-4) vs. Pittsburgh (7-6)
TIME/TV 1 p.m. (CBS)
LINE Stanford by 4½
SERIES Pittsburgh leads 2-1.
SITE Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Stanford has won three in a row and is trying to finish the season on a solid winning streak with a Sun Bowl victory for the second time in three seasons under Coach David Shaw. The Cardinal beat North Carolina 25-23 in the 2016 Sun Bowl for a sixth consecutive victory and 10-3 finish. Pitt is trying to bounce back from a 42-10 loss to playoff qualifier Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
STANFORD With the school's No. 4 career rusher, Bryce Love, skipping the game to prepare for the NFL Draft, the focus turns to Cameron Scarlett and Trevor Speights, one of the leading career rushers in Texas high school football while at McAllen. Scarlett has 236 yards, compared with 211 for Speights, although Scarlett matched Love for the team lead in rushing touchdowns with six during the regular season.
PITTSBURGH Sophomore K Alex Kessman has six of the eight longest field goals in Pitt history. One of his two 55-yarders is the longest field goal, pro or college, at Heinz Field, also home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kessman had a school record-tying 56-yarder as a freshman and has three of the 16 longest kicks in the country this season. If the opportunity is right in the thin desert air of far West Texas, he could end up with the longest field goal at Pitt.
Redbox Bowl
Michigan State (7-5) vs. Oregon (8-4)
TIME/TV 2 p.m. (Fox)
LINE Oregon by 2½
SERIES Tied 3-3
SITE Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Both teams were ranked in the top 15 of the AP Top 25 earlier this season and had much higher aspirations than the Redbox Bowl. But ending the season with a win against an opponent with pedigree would provide a silver lining to an otherwise disappointing campaign.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
MICHIGAN STATE DL Kenny Willekes. The Big Ten's Defensive Lineman of the Year led the conference in tackles for loss (20½) and ranked fourth in sacks (8½).
OREGON QB Justin Herbert. The bowl season already was a big win for the Ducks when Herbert announced he would return for his senior season. Herbert has the longest streak in the nation with 27 straight games with at least one TD pass. Oregon has averaged 39.4 ppg in Herbert's 27 career starts, including 13 games with at least 40 points.
Liberty Bowl
No. 23 Missouri (8-4) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6)
TIME/TV 2:45 p.m. (ESPN)
LINE Missouri by 9
SERIES Missouri leads 29-23.
SITE Liberty Bowl Stadium, Memphis
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Missouri is seeking to finish a season in the Top 25 for the first time since 2015 and is chasing its first bowl victory since 2014. Oklahoma State is attempting to win a bowl game for the third consecutive year and avoid its first losing season since 2005.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
MISSOURI QB Drew Lock heads into his final game as one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft class. Lock has thrown for 11,820 career passing yards, the second-highest total in SEC History.
OKLAHOMA STATE WR Tylan Wallace, the Associated Press All-America second-team selection was one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award given annually to college football's top receiver. Wallace has 79 catches for 1,408 yards. His 117.3 yards receiving per game rank third among all Football Bowl Subdivision players.
Holiday Bowl
Northwestern (8-5) vs. No. 17 Utah (9-4)
TIME/TV 6 p.m. (FS1)
LINE Utah by 7
SERIES Tied 1-1
SITE San Diego County Credit Union Stadium, San Diego
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Utah is looking for its 15th win in its last 16 bowl games dating to the 1999 Las Vegas Bowl. The Utes are 11-1 in bowl games under Coach Kyle Whittingham. Whittingham played in the first four Holiday Bowls, for BYU. Northwestern is looking for school-best three-game bowl winning streak.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
NORTHWESTERN: Senior Clayton Thorson, already the program's all-time winningest quarterback at 35-17, needs 91 yards passing to break Brett Basanez's school record of 10,580.
UTAH Senior kicker Matt Gay was the 2017 Lou Groza Award winner and punter Mitch Wishnowsky is the only three-time Ray Guy Award finalist in NCAA history. Wishnowsky won the Ray Guy Award in 2016.
Gator Bowl
No. 19 Texas A&M (8-4) vs North Carolina State (9-3)
TIME/TV, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
LINE Texas A&M by 7
SERIES First meeting
SITE TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
A four-game winning streak to end 2018. The Aggies and Wolfpack each have won three straight entering the postseason. Texas A&M hasn't lost since Nov. 3 at Auburn. North Carolina State's last setback came Nov. 8 against Wake Forest.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
TEXAS A&M All-American tight end Jace Sternberger has 47 receptions for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns. Ray Guy Award winner Braden Mann is averaging 51.15 yards a punt, the best mark in college football history by nearly a yard.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE QB Ryan Finley is looking to boost his draft stock and solidify himself as a first-round pick. Finley has thrown for 3,789 yards, with 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a senior.
Sports on 12/31/2018