College football today: Bowl game schedule for Friday

What you need to know as the college football bowl schedule marches on today, with two matchups set for Friday action.

Your look at the college football schedule for today, as the 2025 postseason continues with two games on Friday. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

College football has put a bow on its historic quarterfinal playoff round of games, but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t some bowl games on the schedule for us to take in, with two more matchups set for today.

One of those games will find two Power Four teams on the same field, one from the Big Ten and another from the ACC, and will result in one of their head coaches being doused with mayonnaise.

Here’s what you need to know as college football’s bowl schedule continues today, and how you can watch the two matchups set for Friday.

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College football today: Bowl schedule for Friday

All times Eastern, and game lines are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

First Responder Bowl
North Texas vs. Texas State
Fri., Jan. 3 | 4 p.m. | ESPN

Line: Texas State -13.5

That big point spread illustrates how dominant Texas State has proven to be at times this season.

This year’s second-place finisher in the Sun Belt West standings come into the postseason ranking second nationally among 134 FBS teams by scoring nearly 42 points per game on average.

That productive offense was powered by an efficient ground attack, as the Bobcats’ backs combined for almost 209 rushing yards per game, placing 16th in the country in that category.

North Texas weathered a five-game losing streak but rallied to beat Temple in the season finale in order to win a sixth game and become bowl eligible.

Chandler Morris spearheads a passing attack that is among college football’s most productive, ranking third in the nation with 323 yards per game.

Morris himself covered 3,774 yards passing and threw 31 touchdown passes in 2024.

But the Mean Green have been generous on the other side of the ball, entering the postseason as one of the worst scoring defenses in America, ranking 121st by surrendering 35 points per game.

Texas State is a big favorite in the matchup, coming out ahead in 70.6 percent of the Football Power Index’s computer simulations, projected to be 7.7 points better on the same field.

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Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech
Fri., Jan. 3 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

Line: Minnesota -9.5

Minnesota has been on fire during the postseason in recent memory, winning seven straight bowl games, with five of those victories coming under head coach P.J. Fleck.

Darius Taylor has been the engine behind the Gophers’ offense, amassing 873 yards rushing and scoring 9 times on the ground, catching another 2 touchdowns off 50 receptions for 333 yards.

Virginia Tech wishes it had Minnesota’s stability heading into this game, but the Hokies have been decimated by transfers and opt-outs, expected to miss up to 14 starters as a result.

Tech lost three of its last four games and had to beat Virginia in order to become bowl eligible, while the Gophers won five times in their last seven outings.

Virginia Tech is the very narrow favorite over the Gophers, according to the Football Power Index computer prediction model, winning out in 50.8 percent of the FPI’s game simulations.

That model expects a very close game, projecting Virginia Tech will be just 0.4 points better on the same field over Minnesota, according to the FPI model.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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