Five under the radar bowl games you can't afford to miss

We’re coming up on bowl season, which provides a smorgasbord of action for college football fans and bettors. Everyone knows about the New Year's Six, of course, but here are five other under-the-radar games you also won't want to miss!

1. Cure Bowl: Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina (Friday, Dec. 17)

Friday is the first day of bowl season, and the back half of a bowl doubleheader features two teams that have combined for 19 wins this season. In addition to their impressive records, the Huskies and the Chanticleers are no strangers to shootouts. Their offenses combine to average more than 900 yards per game, and the early Over/Under is set at 63.5 for a reason. If you want to see two talented teams move the ball up and down the field, this may be the game for you.

2. Independence Bowl: #13 BYU vs. UAB (Saturday, Dec. 18)

It’s strange to see a highly-ranked team playing this early in bowl season, but the Cougars will be in action on the second day of games. This is a 10-2 team with seven consecutive wins, and their slate includes a 6-1 mark against power-conference teams. Quarterback Jaren Hall has found his groove, and he’ll look to carve up a Blazers defense that ranks 16th nationally in yards allowed per game.

3. Armed Forced Bowl: Missouri vs. Army (Wednesday, Dec. 22)

Know what’s fun? Seeing a major-conference team go against Army’s option attack. The Black Knights average 286 rushing yards per contest and will undoubtedly be playing angry after a loss to rival Navy earlier this month. Missouri, meanwhile, gained bowl eligibility with a pair of close wins over South Carolina and Florida late in the season.

4. Military Bowl: Boston College vs. East Carolina (Monday, Dec. 27)

The American Athletic Conference is best known for Cincinnati and Houston, but East Carolina isn’t bad, either. The Pirates weren’t disgraced in an overtime loss to the Cougars, nor an AAC title game loss to Cincinnati. BC, meanwhile, is reeling. The Eagles started the season 4-0, but dropped six of their final eight games and were held to just 182 total yards in a 41-10 thrashing at the hands of Wake Forest in their regular season finale.

5. Alamo Bowl: #14 Oregon vs. #16 Oklahoma (Wednesday, Dec. 29)

These two teams have a heck of a lot more in common than their first initial. Both programs have seen their head coaches depart (Mario Cristobal went to Miami, while Lincoln Riley went to USC), and both the Ducks and the Sooners also lost their conference championship games. Bryce McClendon will coach Oregon for the bowl game, while Bob Stoops will come out of retirement to lead the Sooners one more time.