WaPo: Ranking every college football bowl game, from Birmingham to Orange
Our annual list ranks all of the season’s bowl games through the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Which ones are must-see TV, and which can you skip?
14. Alamo Bowl
USC vs. TCU (Tuesday, Dec. 30, 9 p.m., ESPN)
USC (9-3) was the best non-playoff team in the Big Ten, and Jayden Maiava leads the conference with 3,431 passing yards. A victory in San Antonio would give the Trojans just their second 10-win season in the past eight years. TCU (8-4) has the Big 12’s receiving leader in Eric McAlister (1,121 yards) and is coming off a 45-23 rout of Cincinnati, the Horned Frogs’ second-largest output of the season behind only the 48 points they
dropped on North Carolina on Labor Day.
ESPN: 2025-26 CFP, bowl picks: We predicted every postseason game
Valero Alamo Bowl
USC Trojans vs. TCU Horned Frogs
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9 p.m., ESPN
Placing too much emphasis on non-CFP bowls can be tricky, but this one feels important for Lincoln Riley and USC. The Trojans clearly improved this season, despite once again falling short of the CFP. They bring in the nation's No. 1 recruiting class and should retain several key foundational players from this year's roster. A road-like win against TCU would mean USC's first 10-win season since 2022, and a likely top-15 finish. TCU can somewhat quietly finish with consecutive nine-win seasons. Opt-outs will be a storyline for USC with star wideout
Makai Lemon and others not playing, but the Trojans should have enough to outlast the Horned Frogs.
Prediction: USC 37, TCU 30
We made predictions on the final score of every bowl matchup. Check back to see how we fared.
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