Don't tell Johnny Football that the only meaningful college football bowl game occurs on Jan. 7 when Notre Dame and Alabama face off in Miami. And don't tell Tajh Boyd, Anthony Barr or Marqise Lee that the only bowl games worth watching kick off after the calendar flips to 2013.
While very few of the 35 bowl games ultimately impact the national championship and the top spots in the year-end rankings, almost all of them provide football fans a chance to see some of the nation's top players in action. Take the Pinstripe Bowl, for instance. While the matchup of West Virginia-Syracuse may not stand out on the schedule, a stellar performance by WVU Geno Smith could take his NFL draft stock up a notch. ESPN's Todd McShay pegged Smith as the first quarterback to be taken, by Arizona, in the upcoming draft. The explosive dual-threat Smith could go a long way toward proving McShay right with a signature performance at Yankee Stadium. Of course, Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib will be looking to orchestrate his own no-huddle coming out party.
With 35 bowl games, there are bound to be some players who break out during bowl season. Just ask Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, who broke an NCAA bowl record in 2007 for most all-purpose yards with Eastern Carolina in the Hawaii Bowl.
Below we've compiled a list of players to watch this bowl season. Scroll down and decide who you are most excited to watch.
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