New Year’s Day featured a thrilling trio of College Football Playoff action. While the stakes are lower for the second day of 2026, there still are some great matchups to look forward to.
There are four college football games on Jan. 2, including an exciting duel between No. 17 Arizona and SMU in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl.
The full list of Jan. 2 bowl games is below.
- Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Texas State
- AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati
- Trust & Will Holiday Bowl: No. 17 Arizona and SMU
- Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State
Want more information below about each bowl game, including start times and television channels? Click here for the full schedule and scores of bowl games, including the CFP first round, quarterfinal, semifinal and national title.
What college football games are on today?
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
- Matchup: Rice (5-7) vs. Texas State (6-6)
- TV: ESPN
- Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
- Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas
- Preview: Rice finished the season 5-7, but they got a bowl invitation after Iowa State, Kansas State and Notre Dame opted out. Even though they have lost their last two games by a combined score of 108-27 and won’t have Chase Jenkins (transfer portal) against Texas State, they are a motivated squad with something to prove. The Bobcats also are missing some players due to the transfer portal, but star freshman quarterback Brad Jackson is returning to the program in 2026 and should play Friday. This game will be a rematch of the 2023 First Responder Bowl in Dallas, when Texas State beat Rice, 45-21.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
- Matchup: Navy (10-2) vs. Cincinnati (7-5)
- TV: ESPN
- Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee
Preview: Navy, Army and Air Force have won seven straight bowl games dating back to 2021. Cincinnati will try to end that impressive streak, but the odds are not looking great, as the Bearcats have lost four games in a row and are dealing with over a dozen opt-outs, including quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Blake Horvath’s squad will try to pounce on the opportunity and tie the program record for single-season victories (11), a mark the Midshipmen set in 2015 and 2019.
Trust & Will Holiday Bowl
- Matchup: No. 17 Arizona (9-3) and SMU (8-4)
- TV: FOX
- Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California
- Preview: If a few things went differently this season, Arizona and SMU could have been College Football Playoff teams. Seriously. Arizona lost just three games this year, including an overtime heartbreaker to BYU and a three-point defeat to Houston, both ranked teams. SMU squandered a chance at playing in the ACC title game when they were upset by California in November. Now, the Wildcats and Mustangs will do battle in San Diego, looking to end their seasons on a high note. Arizona, led by elite quarterback Noah Fifita, has won five straight games and is trying to secure a 10-win campaign for the fifth-time in school history. SMU, a CFP team last year, beat Clemson, Louisville and Miami this season and wants to add Arizona to that list. The Mustangs have not won a bowl game since 2012, dropping their past six opportunities.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
- Matchup: Wake Forest (8-4) vs. Mississippi State (5-7)
- TV: ESPN
- Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina
- Preview: The modern bowl season can be defined by two iconic images: a Pop-Tart mascot descending into a giant toaster and a coach getting a bucket of mayonnaise dumped on their head. Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert and Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby are gunning for the latter in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Bulldogs lost their final three SEC games and finished the season 5-7, but they got a bowl invitation regardless. The Demon Deacons are attempting to hit nine wins for the first time since 2021 and end Dickert’s first season in Winston-Salem with a mayonnaise bath.
When is the College Football Playoff?
The first round was held Dec. 19-21 with No. 8 Alabama beating No. 9 Oklahoma 34-24, No. 10 Miami defeating No. 7 Texas A&M 10-3, No. 6 Ole Miss beating No. 11 Tulane 41-10 and No. 5 Oregon defeating No. 12 James Madison 51-34.
The quarterfinal took place Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 with No. 1 Indiana beating No. 9 Alabama, No. 2 Ohio State losing to No. 10 Miami, No. 3 Georgia falling to No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 5 Oregon shutting out No. 4 Texas Tech. The semifinal will be held Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.
When is the College Football Playoff National Championship?
The title will be decided at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
What other bowl games are coming up?
There are no more non-CFP bowl games after Jan. 2. The final bowl game of the year is the Duke’s Mayo Bowl between Wake Forest and Mississippi State in Charlotte, North Carolina.
