December is something close to paradise for football fans. While the College Football Playoff takes center stage, bowl season features a 18-day stretch littered with 39 games.
There's plenty to be excited about.
Before diving in, we'd like to extend our condolences to Miami U, Louisiana-Monroe, Southern Miss and Wyoming. They were all bowl-eligible, but they have no postseason destination.
Nevertheless, the slate is loaded with 37 exhibitions and two College Football Playoff semifinals before the national championship.
This preview includes a look at the semifinals, a few under-the-radar matchups, one key storyline, all 39 games ranked and the most important part of bowl season: the swag.