12 Days of Bowl Games Day 11: The 1985 Peach Bowl-Army vs Illinois

(Video courtesy of CBS Sports)

The "12 Days of Bowl Games" series has reached New Year's Eve, with a look back at the Peach Bowl from December 31, 1985, which featured the Army Cadets (now Black Knights) squaring off against Illinois, at the now-demolished Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta.

In a tight game that featured at least four lead changes, Army thwarted a late two-point conversion attempt from Illinois to win 31-29. Army finished the 1985 campaign at 9-3 overall for the second straight season with a second straight win over a Big Ten Conference opponent, as the Cadets held off Michigan State 10-6 in the now-defunct Cherry Bowl in 1984. 

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12 Days of Bowl Games Day 10: 1984 Cherry Bowl-Army vs. Michigan State

(Video courtesy of Mizlou TV Sports/NCAA/USA Network)

Our "12 Days of Bowl Games" series moves forward with a look back at the now-defunct Cherry Bowl, which was played at the now-demolished Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan on December 22, 1984. The inaugural contest pitted the then Army Cadets-now Black Knights-in their first-ever bowl appearance against the Michigan State Spartans from the Big 10 Conference. 

In a low-scoring contest, Army held off Michigan State 10-6 to finish their 1984 season at 9-3 overall. Sadly, however, the Cherry Bowl folded after the 1985 season due to being more than $1 million in debt.

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12 Days of Bowl Games Day 9: The 2018 Military Bowl-Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

 (Video courtesy of ESPN.)

The "12 Days of Bowl Games" series continues with a look back at the Military Bowl from New Year's Eve, December 31, 2018. Thanks to a late touchdown from Michael Warren, the Cincinnati Bearcats from the American Athletic Conference knocked off the Virginia Tech Hokies 35-31 to finish their 2018 campaign at 11-2 overall.

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12 Days of Bowl Games Day 8: The 2011 Military Bowl-Toledo vs. Air Force

(Video courtesy of ESPN.) 

The "12 Days of Bowl Games" series continues with a look back at the 2011 Military Bowl, which was played nine years ago today (December 28, 2011). In one of the highest-scoring games in college football postseason history, the University of Toledo Rockets edged the Air Force Academy Falcons 42-41 after stopping a late two-point conversion attempt. Toledo finished the 2011 season at 9-4, winning a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division championship, while Air Force settled for a final overall record of 7-6, finishing fifth in the Mountain West Conference with a 3-4 mark in league play.

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12 Days of Bowl Games Day 7: The 1990 Freedom Bowl-Colorado State vs. Oregon

(Video #1 courtesy of Raycom Sports)

(Video #2 courtesy of Raycom Sports)

Our "12 Days of Bowl Games" series turns the clock back almost 30 years ago, to December 29, 1990.  That was when the Colorado State University Rams did battle with the University of Oregon Ducks in the now-defunct Freedom Bowl, which was played at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. In a close contest, the Rams forced three turnovers to edge the Ducks, 32-31. Colorado State finished the 1990 season at 9-4 overall and 6-1 in Western Athletic Conference (WAC) action with the win over Oregon.

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12 Days of Bowl Games Day 6: The 1999 O'ahu Bowl-Hawai'i vs. Oregon State

(Video courtesy of ESPN)

The "12 Days of Bowl Games" series reaches the halfway point, turning the clock back to Christmas Day, December 25, 1999. That was when the Hawai'i Rainbows faced the Oregon State Beavers of the then-Pacific 10 Conference in the now-defunct O'ahu Bowl.

The Rainbows broke a 10-10 tie at halftime, scoring 13 unanswered points en route to an eventual 23-17 win over the Beavers. With the win, Hawai'i finished the 1999 season at 9-4 overall, after finishing the 1998 campaign winless at 0-12.

As for the O'ahu Bowl itself, it was discontinued after the 2000 season, following a three-year run in Honolulu. After moving to Seattle in 2001, it was renamed the Seattle Bowl, where it lasted two more seasons before losing its decertification.

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12 Days of Bowl Games Day 5: The 2003 and 2005 Hawaii Bowls

(Video #1 courtesy of NCAA/ESPN.)

(Video #2 courtesy of NCAA/ESPN.)

Our "12 Days of Bowl Games" series continues on Christmas Day with a look back at the Hawai'i Bowl, featuring the 2003 contest between Hawai'i and Houston, as well as the 2005 game between Nevada and UCF.

The 2003 game was best remembered not for the eventual 54-48 win for Hawaii over Houston in triple overtime, but more for the fight that happened after the game, with shouts being made towards players on both teams, as well as punches thrown and landed.

The 2005 contest was a seesaw battle from start to finish, with Nevada edging UCF 49-48 in overtime, thanks to a missed extra point attempt from Matt Prater, giving the Wolfpack the win over the Knights.

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12 Days of Bowl Games Day 4: The 1996 Aloha Bowl-Navy vs. California

(Video courtesy of NCAA/ABC Sports)

Our "12 Days of Bowl Games" series turns the clock back to Christmas Day, December 25, 1996. That was when the Navy Midshipmen did battle with the California Golden Bears in the now-defunct Aloha Bowl. The Midshipmen rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat the Golden Bears, 42-38. With the win, Navy finished the 1996 season at 9-3 overall.

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12 Days of Bowl Games Day 3: The 2002 New Orleans Bowl-North Texas vs. Cincinnati

 

(Video #1 courtesy of the University of North Texas.)

(Video #2 courtesy of ESPN2.)

Our "12 Days of Bowl Games" series rolls on with a look back at the 2002 New Orleans Bowl, which pitted the University of North Texas Mean Green against the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. The then-Sun Belt Conference champion Mean Green got by the then-Conference USA co-champion Bearcats, 24-19. With the win, UNT finished the 2002 season at 8-5 overall, while Cincinnati ended its season with a final overall record of 7-7.

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12 Days of Bowl Games Day 2: The 1980 Holiday Bowl-BYU vs. SMU

(Video #1 courtesy of Mizlou Sports)

(Video #2 courtesy of Mizlou Sports)

 

(Video #3 [Audio] courtesy of Mutual Broadcasting System)

Our "12 Days of Bowl Games" series continues with a look back at the Holiday Bowl from San Diego, California on the night of December 19, 1980. In what was considered to be the greatest comeback in bowl history at the time, the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars, led by future NFL star quarterback Jim McMahon, rallied from a 20-point deficit in the final seconds to stun the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Mustangs, led by fellow future NFL star running backs Craig James and Eric Dickerson, 46-45, with a spectacular touchdown catch on the game's final play. This installment also includes the radio call of the dramatic ending to this incredible classic. 

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12 Days of Bowl Games 2020-2021 Debut: The 2015 and 2016 Camellia Bowls

(Video #1 courtesy of ESPN)

 

(Video #2 courtesy of ESPN)

Our "12 Days of Bowl Games" series returns to the Real Football Central blog for the second straight season, featuring 12 straight days of classic bowl games involving teams from the current FBS Group Of Five Conferences (American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West, and Sun Belt Conference), as well as their now-defunct predecessors, from now until New Year's Day (Friday, January 1, 2021).

The first installment of "12 Days" takes a look back at the Camellia Bowl from Montgomery, Ala. from 2015 and 2016. Both games had the Appalachian State University Mountaineers square off against two straight foes from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in the Ohio University Bobcats and the University of Toledo Rockets, respectively. Both games would come down to the final play, with Appalachian State winning both contests in dramatic fashion.

Now, sit back and enjoy a double-dose of close calls from the Camellia Bowl, only on the "12 Days of Bowl Games", on RFC.

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RFC Weekly Predictions: The Totals (So Far) For 2020

Last Week: 2-3 (.400)*

This Year: 167-69 (.708)

*-Three (3) games were postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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RFC Group Of Five Bowl Predictions Special 2020 (REVISED)

Editor's Note: Only the bowl games involving at least two teams from any two of the FBS Group Of Five Conferences (American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, and Sun Belt) are eligible for inclusion in this post, with more games added to it as more match-ups are confirmed. As always, this schedule is subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with any canceled games not counting towards the overall winning percentage. Having said that, let's get started.

Last updated at 6:01 p.m. EST on Sunday, December 20, 2020.

KEY: Projected winners marked in RED.

Monday, December 21

Myrtle Beach Bowl-at Conway, S.C.

North Texas (4-5) vs. Appalachian State (8-3)

Tuesday, December 22

Idaho Potato Bowl-at Boise, Idaho

Tulane (6-5) vs. Nevada (6-2)

Boca Raton Bowl-at Boca Raton, Fla.

UCF (6-3) vs. BYU (10-1)

Wednesday, December 23

New Orleans Bowl-at New Orleans, La.

Louisiana Tech (5-4) vs. Georgia Southern (7-5)

Montgomery Bowl-at Montgomery, Ala.

Memphis (7-3) vs. Florida Atlantic (5-3)

Thursday, December 24 (CHRISTMAS EVE)

New Mexico Bowl-at Frisco, Tex.

Hawai'i (4-4) vs. Houston (3-4)

Friday, December 25 (CHRISTMAS DAY)

Camellia Bowl-at Montgomery, Ala.

Buffalo (5-1) vs. Marshall (7-2)

Saturday, December 26

Cure Bowl-at Orlando, Fla.

Liberty (9-1) vs. Coastal Carolina (11-0)

First Responders Bowl-at Dallas, Tex.

Louisiana (9-1) vs. UTSA (7-4)

Lending Tree Bowl-at Mobile, Ala. 

Western Kentucky (5-6) vs. Georgia State (5-4)

Thursday, December 31 (NEW YEAR'S EVE)

Arizona Bowl-at Tucson, Ariz.

Ball State (6-1) vs. San Jose State (7-0)

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM REAL FOOTBALL CENTRAL!!!!!!

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RFC Throwback Thursday: The Inaugural NCAA Division I-AA (FCS) National Championship Game-1978

 

(Video courtesy of the NCAA/ABC Sports)

This week's installment of RFC Throwback Thursday turns the clock back to December 16, 1978. That was when the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Rattlers faced off against the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Minutemen for the inaugural NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) national championship, which was then known as the Pioneer Bowl, and played in Wichita Falls, Texas. FAMU outlasted UMass 35-28 to win the first-ever I-AA national championship, the MEAC's only title to this day. Now, sit back and enjoy yet another great moment in non-Power Five Conference college football history.

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of December 19, 2020

Last Week: 11-4 (.713)*

This Year: 165-66 (.714)

*-Four (4) games were postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

KEY: Projected winners marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

NOTE: This schedule is subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball for updates of any rescheduled games, postponements, or cancellations. The amount of postponed or canceled games are indicated with the "asterisk" (*) icon above. Additionally, any postponed or canceled games will not count toward the overall record of games predicted for that week. Also, the final scores of any games played on Thursday and/or Friday games will be indicated here in this post, if available.

FBS Group Of Five

Thursday, December 17

Louisiana-Monroe (0-10) at Troy (5-6)

(Game canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Friday, December 18

UAB (5-3) at Marshall (7-1)

("Championship Weekend" kicks off with a clash between the Thundering Herd and the Blazers for the Conference USA Championship!!! Airtime is at 7 p.m. EST on the CBS Sports Network!!!)

Ball State (5-1) vs. Buffalo (5-0)

(The unbeaten Bulls do battle with the once-beaten Cardinals for the Mid-American Conference Championship!!! Airtime is at 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN!!!)

Saturday, December 19

Louisiana (9-1) at Coastal Carolina (11-0)

("Championship Saturday" gets underway with the undefeated Chanticleers clashing with the once-beaten Ragin' Cajuns in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game!!! Airtime is at noon EST/11 a.m. CST on ESPN!!!)

Boise State (5-1) vs. San Jose State (6-0)

(Following the Sun Belt championship game, it's the once-beaten Broncos doing battle with the unbeaten, upstart Spartans for the Mountain West Conference Championship in Las Vegas!!! Airtime is at 4:15 p.m. EST/3:15 p.m. CST/2:15 p.m. MST/1:15 p.m. EST on FOX!!!)

Tulsa (6-1) at Cincinnati (8-0)

(Finally, the unbeaten Bearcats will look to secure a bid to a New Year's Six Bowl when they play host to the upstart Golden Hurricane for the American Athletic Conference Championship!!! Airtime is at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST on ABC!!!)

Air Force (3-2) at Army (8-2)

SMU (7-3) vs. UTSA (7-4)*

*-Frisco Bowl at Frisco, Texas.

(Game canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

.

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RFC Throwback Thursday: The Army/Navy Game-1974 and 1979

(Video #1 courtesy of ABC Sports)

(Video #2 courtesy of ABC Sports)

This week's installment of "RFC Throwback Thursday" features a double-feature within the same post, featuring the traditional season-ending Army-Navy Game.

The first video listed above has the broadcast of the Army-Navy Game from 1974, while the second video has the broadcast of the 1979 contest. Now, sit back and enjoy another fierce rivalry involving two teams from outside of college football's current power conference structure.

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of December 12, 2020

Last Week: 10-7 (.588)*

This Year: 154-62 (.713)

*-Seven (7) games were postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

KEY: Projected winners marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

NOTE: This schedule is subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball for updates of any rescheduled games, postponements, or cancellations. The amount of postponed or canceled games are indicated with the "asterisk" (*) icon above. Additionally, any postponed or canceled games will not count toward the overall record of games predicted for that week. Also, the final scores of any games played on Thursday and/or Friday games will be indicated here in this post, if available.

FBS Group Of Five

Thursday, December 10

Florida Atlantic (5-2) at Southern Mississippi (2-7)

Friday, December 11

*Nevada (6-1) at San Jose State (5-0)

(The unbeaten Spartans play host to the Wolfpack in a potential preview of next week's Mountain West Conference Championship Game!!! Airtime is at 10 p.m. EST/9 p.m. CST/8 p.m. MST/7 p.m. PST on the CBS Sports Network!!!)

*-The game will be played at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Charlotte (2-4) at Marshall (7-1)

San Diego State (4-3) at BYU (9-1)

Saturday, December 12

Western Michigan (4-1) at Ball State (4-1)

(Cardinals play host to the Broncos, with the winner clinching the Mid-American Conference West Division Championship!!! Airtime is at noon EST on ESPN+!!!)

Cincinnati (8-0) at Tulsa (6-1)

(The Bearcats do battle with the Golden Hurricane in the first of two straight games in the battle for the American Athletic Conference Championship!!! Airtime is at 4 p.m. EST/3 p.m. CST on ESPN or ESPN2!!!)

Akron (1-4) at Buffalo (4-0)

Appalachian State (7-3) at Georgia Southern (7-4)

Boise State (4-1) at Wyoming (2-3)

Central Michigan (3-2) at Toledo (3-2)

Coastal Carolina (10-0) at Troy (5-5)

Fresno State (3-2) at New Mexico (1-5)

Houston (3-3) at Memphis (6-3)

Incarnate Word (FCS) at Arkansas State (4-7)

Miami (Ohio)-(2-1) at Bowling Green (0-5)

Navy (3-6) at Army (7-2)

Northern Illinois (0-5) at Eastern Michigan (1-4)

North Texas (3-5) at UTEP (3-4)

UAB (4-3) at Rice (2-2)

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Quick Prediction-BYU (9-0) at Coastal Carolina (9-0)-(BONUS)

NOTE: Projected winner marked in RED.

BYU 31, Coastal Carolina 21

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RFC Throwback Thursday: NCAA College Football on ABC-1980

(Video #1 courtesy of ABC Sports)

(Video #2 courtesy of ABC Sports)

(Video #3 courtesy of ABC Sports)

This week's installment of "RFC Throwback Thursday" turns the clock back to 1980. That was when the now-defunct ABC Sports was the exclusive broadcast television network provider for NCAA college football.  

In the first video listed above, there's a rare broadcast of an NCAA Division III contest between Salisbury State College (now Salisbury University) from Salisbury, Maryland and Hampden-Sydney College, which was played in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia. Legendary sportscaster Verne Lundquist and color commentator John Dockery provided the play-by-play and color commentary, respectively, for that game on September 20, 1980. 

The other two videos listed below the first video are promos for NCAA football broadcasts on ABC, with the first being a brief 10-second promo for the games that aired on October 25, followed by a longer 30-second promo for the games played on the weeks of November 29 and December 6. Pay close attention to both promos, and you'll find some familiar programs that currently compete at the FBS Group of Five and FCS levels, respectively.

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