Where will Texas teams play their bowl games? Here’s your preview and what you should know.
The bowl schedule has been released for the 2024 college football season. How many schools from Texas were chosen from the postseason and what games are they playing?
Texas and SMU were selected to play in the College Football Playoff’s 12-team field.
Nine of Texas’ 12 Bowl Championship Series teams earned e a bowl berth. North Texas and Texas State will meet in the Lone Star State Bowl, while three other programs will stay in the state to play their postseason games.
Rice, UTSA and Houston finished the season with sub-.500 records and will stay home for the holidays.
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Georgia Southern (6-2) vs. Sam Houston State (9-3)
Dec. 19, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Location: New Orleans
Player to know: Georgia Southern: Linebacker Marques Watson had 110 tackles with 1.5 sacks and four forced fumbles on his way to winning Sunbelt Defensive Player of the Year.
Sam Houston State: Safety Caleb Weaver led the team in tackles (86) and interceptions (4) and was second on the team in passes defended (6).
It’s a fact: Clay Helton has coached the Eagles to a bowl game in each of his first three seasons as head coach and will attempt to capture his first postseason victory.
Bearcats head coach K.C. Keeler resigned at the end of the 2024 season to take the same role with the Temple Owls.
Last time: This will be the first matchup for the Bearcats and the Eagles.
Bowl history: The Eagles are 3-3 in bowl games and the Bearcats are playing in their first bowl game since moving to Division I FBS.
College Football Playoff First Round
TEXAS (11-2) vs. CLEMSON (10-3)
Dec. 21, 3 p.m., TNT/MAX
Location: Austin
Player to know: Texas: Quinn Ewers is in his senior season with the Longhorns and threw for 2,665 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions while making his second straight College Football Playoff appearance.
Clemson: Cade Klubnik threw for 3,303 yards with 33 touchdowns and five interceptions and was selected as an honorable mention at quarterback for an All-ACC conference.
It’s a fact: In their first season in the SEC, the Longhorns made the conference title game and will host a CFP game for the first time in school history.
Clemson led all ACC schools in first, second and third-team all-conference selections with wide receiver Antonio Williams, offensive lineman Blake Miller and linebacker Barrett Carter leading the way as the team’s three first-team All-ACC selections.
Last time: This will be the first time the two college football powerhouses will meet in a game.
Bowl history: Texas has an all-time bowl record of 31-24-2 while Clemson’s all-time mark is 21-19.
College Football Playoff First Round
SMU (10-3) vs. Penn State (10-3)
Dec. 21, 11:00 a.m., TNT/MAX
Location: University Park, Pa.
Player to know: SMU: Quarterback Kevin Jennings earned third-team All-ACC honors after throwing for 3,050 yards with 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Penn State: Tight end Tyler Warren is one of the top prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft and was a first-team All-Big 10 selection with 88 catches for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns.
It’s a fact: Penn State is appearing in the College Football Playoffs for the first time in school history.
SMU is also making its first CFP appearance and is in its first year as a member of the ACC conference after leaving the AAC.
Last Time: The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series with the Mustangs 1-1-0 and will play for the first time since a 26-21 victory for Penn State in 1978.
Bowl history: SMU is 7-11-1 in school history in bowl games, while the Nittany Lions are 31-20-2 in postseason play.
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Coastal Carolina (6-6) vs. UTSA (6-6)
Dec. 23, 10 a.m., ESPN
Location: Conway, S.C.
Player to know: Coastal Carolina: Defensive back Matthew McDoom was first-team All-Sunbelt after a season with 36 tackles, three interceptions and 10 passes defended.
UTSA: Jimmori Robinson was the defensive player of the year in CUSA with 43 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
It’s a fact: Coastal Carolina: Will play in its fifth straight bowl game and second under head coach Tim Beck.
UTSA players have won Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons with McDoom following 2023 winner Trey Moore.
Last Time: This will be the first meeting between Coastal Carolina and UTSA.
Bowl history: The Chanticleers are 2-2 in bowl games and UTSA has a 1-4 record.
Autozone Liberty Bowl
Texas Tech (8-4) vs. Arkansas (6-6)
Dec. 27, 6 p.m., ESPN
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Player to know: Texas Tech: Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had a breakout season for the Red Raiders with 118 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception and earned a Big 12 First Team all-conference selection.
Arkansas: Wide Receiver Andrew Armstrong had 78 catches for 1,140 yards with a touchdown.
It’s a fact: Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire is in his third season at the helm and has delivered a winning season with a bowl victory in each of his first two seasons.
Arkansas: Faced off with Texas Tech annually from 1957 to 1991 as members of the Southwest Conference.
Last time: The former Southwest Conference rivals haven’t played since a 35-24 Red Raiders victory in 2015, but the Razorbacks hold the all-time series advantage 29-8.
Bowl history: The Razorbacks are 17-24-3 all-time in bowl games and the Red Raiders are 17-23-1.
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Texas A&M (8-4) vs. USC (6-6)
Dec. 27, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Location: Las Vegas
Player to know: Texas A&M: Quarterback Marcel Reed has thrown for 1,572 yards with 12 touchdowns, four interceptions with 501 yards on the ground and six rushing touchdowns.
USC: Running back Wood Marks has run for 1,133 yards with nine touchdowns while adding 321 receiving yards.
It’s a fact: According to 247 Sports, the Aggies have the 8th-best 2025 recruiting class in the nation and the sixth in the SEC.
USC: The Trojans finished their first season as members of the Big 10 conference and finished in ninth place with a 4-5 record.
Last time: USC won their last meeting with the Aggies a 47-28 victory in the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl. The Trojans are 3-0 all-time versus the Aggies.
Bowl history: The Aggies are 20-23 in bowl games in school history while the Trojans are 35-20.
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
Louisiana (10-3) vs. TCU (8-4)
Dec. 28, 1:15 p.m., ESPN
Location: Albuquerque, N.M.
Player to know: Louisiana: 2024 Sunbelt Offensive Player of the Year Ben Wooldridge threw for 2,392 yards with 17 touchdowns and five picks adding 192 rushing yards with five touchdowns on the ground.
TCU: Wide Receiver Jack Bech had a career year in his second season in Fort Worth earning Big 12 All-Second Team honors with 62 catches for 1,034 yards with nine touchdowns.
It’s a fact: The Cajuns are coming off a 31-3 loss to Marshall in the Sun Belt championship game.
TCU signed a historic recruiting class for the 2025 season with the No. 1 class in the Big 12 and No. 20 in the nation.
Last time: This will be the first matchup between the two programs.
Bowl history: TCU has an all-time postseason record of 17-16-1 and the Cajuns have gone 7-4 in Bowl games.
Kinder’s Texas Bowl
Baylor (8-4) vs. LSU (8-4)
Dec. 31, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Location: Houston
Player to know: Baylor: Keaton Thomas was a First Team All-Big 12 selection at linebacker, finishing the regular season with 96 tackles, four sacks, six passes defended and a forced fumble.
LSU: Garrett Nussmeier threw for 3,739 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his first season after replacing Jayden Daniels.
It’s a fact: Baylor head coach David Aranda coached at LSU from 2016 to 2019 and was a part of the Tigers 2019 championship team.
LSU: Garrett Nussmeier is one of ten finalists for the Manning Award which is given out annually to the best quarterback in the country as voted on by the Sugar Bowl Committee.
Last time: The Bears won the last meeting between the two by a score of 21-7 in 1985 but the Tigers hold the all-time series edge 3-8.
Bowl history: The Bears’ postseason record is 14-13 Tigers hold an all-time bowl record of 27-23-1.
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
North Texas (6-6) vs. Texas State (7-5)
Jan. 3, at 3 p.m., ESPN
Location: Dallas
Player to know: North Texas: TCU transfer Chandler Morris is behind center for the Mean Green and threw for 3,774 yards with 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Morris earned second-team All-Conference honors.
Texas State: Running back Ismail Mahdi earned first-team all-conference honors after running for 991 yards with four touchdowns.
It’s a fact: The Mean Green has one of the top-scoring offenses in the country averaging 34.0 points per game which ranks 22nd in the country.
The Bobcats will play in their second bowl game in school history the first of which came last year and was also the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.
Last Time: North Texas has won the last three games in a row against the Bobcats and has a career record of 27-9-3.
Bowl history: North Texas is 2-10 in bowl games and North Texas State has one win in one appearance.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 9:00 AM.
