5 intriguing bowl game matchups outside College Football Playoff

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The end of the college football regular season is a strange time. 

The excitement of conference championships is combined with the knowledge that Saturday’s filled with football has come to an end. 

Michigan Wolverines defensive back Mike Sainristil raises the B1G Most Valuable Player trophy during the Big Ten Championship Game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Iowa Hawkeyes on December 02, 2023 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

That is until bowl season comes around. 

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On Saturday, bowl season kicks off with seven matchups, followed by 40 games over the next 16 days before the College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year’s Day. 

Let’s take a look at five intriguing games outside the CFP as bowl season kicks off.

The USC Trojans and the Louisville Cardinals with square off in San Diego as two teams coming off very different seasons. 

Louisville went 10-3 in Jeff Brohm’s first season as the former Louisville quarterback returned home. 

The Cardinals played in their first ACC Championship Game after defeating two top-25 teams during the season, exceeding expectations and winning at least 10 games for the first time since 2013.

For USC and head coach Lincoln Riley, the opposite occurred as the Trojans fell well below the expectations set in the preseason. 

Head coach Jeff Brohm of the Louisville Cardinals receives The Schnellenberger Trophy after defeating the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on November 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

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