A ranking of this year’s 40 college football bowl games based on watchability and entertainment value for viewers and fans alike.

---

Every bowl game has some value. There are always interesting matchups, a player to watch one final time or a chance to get a head start on reviewing next season’s stars. But not every game shares the same value. And with a busy month ahead, from work and play to holiday time with the family, it’s important to prioritize which bowls can be casualties of a packed schedule and which absolutely, positively should not be missed.

40. Heart of Dallas Bowl – Army vs. North Texas

A rematch of a game won on Oct. 22 by the Mean Green, which enters the postseason two games below .500.

39. New Orleans Bowl – Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Southern Miss

Interesting game for fans of both programs, who’ll fill up the Superdome. However, not so compelling for the rest of the country.

38. Bahamas Bowl – Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion

Intensity will be running extremely high in Nassau, since this is Eastern Michigan’s first bowl game since 1987 and Old Dominion’s first-ever postseason appearance.

37. Dollar General Bowl – Ohio vs. Troy

Two of the saltier Group of Five defenses will square off at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

36. Potato Bowl – Colorado State vs. Idaho

The Rams enter the postseason on a tear, led by QB Nick Stevens and a deep backfield. Idaho has been a Sun Belt surprise in its penultimate season in the FBS.

35. New Mexico Bowl – New Mexico vs. UTSA

This game is a big deal for the Lobos, whose only bowl win occurred in 1961, and the Roadrunners, who are improbably bowling for the first time in the program’s brief history.

34. Cure Bowl – UCF vs. Arkansas State

The Knights were one of the feel-good stories out of the Group of Five conferences, rising from winless in 2015 to the Cure Bowl in Scott Frost’s debut season as a head coach.

33. Arizona Bowl – Air Force vs. South Alabama

The Falcons are eyeing a 10-win season under Troy Calhoun, but the Jaguars have already defeated the Mountain West champ, San Diego State.

32. St. Petersburg Bowl – Miami (OH) vs. Mississippi State

RedHawk Gus Ragland versus Bulldog Nick Fitzgerald shapes up as a sneaky-good matchup of sophomores quarterbacks.

31. Quick Lane Bowl – Boston College vs. Maryland

Scoring will come at a premium at Ford Field, as the Eagles and the Terps both look to finish the season with a winning record.