The end is near, friends … unless you’re the Sugar Bowl, that is, and then you’ll have one second left for three plays and two stage moves.

But as bowl season has now come to a close, there are just three FBS games remaining on the college football calendar. And in a year where we’ve rooted for chaos, we’ve gotten just that. Of the four remaining teams in the CFP, two have never won a national title, and the other two have waited a really, really long time.

If we learned anything from the results of the four quarterfinal bowl games, it’s this: Never underestimate the power of spite.

Speaking of spite, it was Carla’s spiteful pick of Illinois over Tennessee in the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl that sealed her as this year’s Bowlapalooza champion. Also, an honorable mention goes to Avocado, who had the closest pick for the tiebreaker, which was the total score of the Celebration Bowl.

And then … yep, just two games on the agenda for this week. But boy, are they good ones.

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: No. 10 Miami vs. No. 6 Ole Miss (7:30 ET Thursday, ESPN): In the Cotton Bowl, the Canes were able—as Crappy feared—to pressure the quarterback. Combine that with a solid defensive effort (including that pick-six that Julian Sayin will likely see in his sleep for the next several months), and Miami finds itself as one of the last four standing. Here’s the challenge, though. There are beasts in the middle of the Ole Miss defensive line. And did you see the elusiveness of Trinidad Chambliss? The strategies that Miami used against Ohio State might not be quite as effective against the Rebs. Add to the equation that Ole Miss is playing with a whole bucket full of spite … and we’re all leaning Rebs in this one.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Indiana (7:30 ET Friday, ESPN): Oregon blanked Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl, which was something none of us saw coming. The Ducks shut down what had been a fairly potent Red Raider offense while managing to break through the stellar Texas Tech defense. It was an impressive win. But the most impressive win of the quarters belongs to Indiana, which, to borrow the words from the broadcast booth, “embarrassed” Alabama in the Rose Bowl. How dominant were the Hoosiers? Their entire offensive line was named the game’s offensive MVP. Remember what we said about spite? Indiana has it. Curt Cignetti has it. (Google it.) The Hoosiers are playing like a team on a mission. And we’re all in.

With that, there’s just one game and one more Carla and Crappy Show remaining in 2025 (even though it’s 2026 … yes, it’s confusing). And we’ll wrap up what’s been an unexpected college football season on our final show in the best (and likely most embarrassing?) way possible: By seeing just how wrong we were with our preseason CFP bracket picks. (Egads.) Cheers, friends.

We’re in that glorious stretch between holidays where no one knows what day it is, there’s college football on at 2 p.m. on a weekday, and Pop-Tarts are seemingly everywhere.

Welcome to a slightly chaotic CFP quarterfinal edition of the Carla and Crappy Show.

Before we get to the four games on the agenda, AJ catches us up on Michigan’s coaching hire, and we dive into our highlights so far of bowl season, including a Bowlapalooza update.

And then, it’s time to get down to business.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 10 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State (7:30 ET Wednesday, ESPN): Two of the nation’s Top 5 scoring defenses go head-to-head in Texas. The Fun Index on this game is one only a Big Ten fan could love (just ask AJ). We’re intrigued to see how the Buckeyes handle the long layover and whether Miami gained any true momentum after its first-round win over Texas A&M. Also, don’t forget the Mario Cristobal factor here.

Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech (Noon ET Thursday, ESPN): Other than Crappy’s rooting interest in the previous game, this is the matchup we’re all most intrigued by. Both of these teams have great offenses. They both have spectacular defenses. So, what gives? Is the difference in this game Dante Moore or the Red Raider defensive front? We’re divided in our picks here, but we all believe that this is likely the best game of the slate.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential: No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana (4 ET Thursday, ESPN): The top-seeded and top-ranked Hoosiers are playing in their first Rose Bowl since 1968. Their reward? An Alabama team that capitalized on Oklahoma’s mistakes to steal a first-round win in Norman. Here’s the thing, though: Indiana isn’t prone to making Oklahoma-esque mistakes. As long as the Hoosiers aren’t overwhelmed by the pageantry, we think this is a confident Indiana win.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia (8 ET Thursday, ESPN): Oh, hey! Another rematch! (Sigh.) What we’ve learned about Georgia this year is that they’re capable of nearly any style of play. Want to get into a shootout? The Dawgs can do that. (See: Ole Miss and Tennessee.) Want to get dragged down in the mud? Yep, the Dawgs can do that too. (See: Kentucky and Auburn.) Yes, Ole Miss made a big statement on the scoreboard in its first-round game, but Tulane certainly helped, offering up three turnovers. Yep. We’re all picking Georgia. Insert another sigh here.

Before signing off, we also want to remind you of two more games happening next weekend:

Wisconsin-River Falls vs. North Central (8 ET Sunday, ESPN): The DIII national title game in Canton gets the national TV treatment. The North Central Cardinals are unbeaten and the defending national champs.

Illinois State vs. Montana State (7:30 ET Monday, ESPN): The FCS national title game features a team from Montana (no surprises there) against an Illinois State team that has won four-straight road games to earn a trip to Nashville. This game should be spectacular, and with no competition on the agenda, there’s absolutely no reason not to watch this game.

And with that … this is the last full week of college football, friends. Bowl season ends on Friday. Soak up every last minute. We’ll be back very soon to discuss the CFP Semifinals (and maybe more Pop-Tarts?). Cheers … and happy new year!

Every Carla & Crappy Show fan liked Bowlapalooza a lot. But the Grinch, who lived somewhere up north, for some reason did NOT! The Grinch hated Bowlapalooza! The whole freaking Bowl season! Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.

We were joined by Braden Gall and Jake Rose, the regular crew; Also, Kelly Krieg and Avocado … and Dylan Simmons, who was new. The conversation was silly, the characters totally made up. There was some guy named Cal Hawaii, and a mention of Forrest Gump. From hot chicken to citrus Cheez-Its, we talked a lot about food. And Dabo’s a Yankee fan? That seemed on point, yet rude.

The laughs were hearty. The humor was rare. But when we stopped the recording, nothing was there. The file was gone, the whole evening for naught. Carla, Crappy, and AJ all were distraught. It must have been the Grinch! He stole all of our fun. What could we do? Something had to be done.

The good news? Everyone’s picks were logged in a doc. So, how to fix this? Hey, let’s start a clock! Carla, Crappy, and AJ were up to the task. Could they discuss 20 more bowl games in 30 minutes? That was the ask. With that, they were off, as the clock went tick. They merged their new silliness with everyone’s previous picks:

Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl: UNLV vs. Ohio (9 ET Tuesday, Dec. 23, ESPN): Crappy picked his Bobcats, a team without a coach. And you have to admit, that’s an interesting approach. Their opponent? Dan Mullen’s UNLV. Who many of us think will end the game covered in coffee.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Cal vs. Hawaii (8 ET Wednesday, Dec. 24, ESPN): AJ’s Bows are playing at home on Christmas Eve. And despite Vegas’s doubts, many of us believe.

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Penn State vs. Clemson (Noon ET Saturday, Dec. 27, ABC): Kelly takes her beloved Lions with a hearty #WeAre. And we think we hear Santa answer “Penn State” from afar.

Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 22 Georgia Tech vs. No. 12 BYU (3:30 ET Saturday, Dec. 27, ABC): Without discussing this bowl, the show wouldn’t be the same. So Avocado made this his Bowlapalooza game.

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: No. 19 Virginia vs. Missouri (7:30 ET Saturday, Dec. 27, ABC): Jake took this game and told a story, all in good fun. The TL;DR? Chandler Morris has had himself a heck of a run.

Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Illinois (5:30 ET Tuesday, Dec. 30, ESPN): Braden’s selection was the game with his Vols. Can Bert wreak havoc? Carla was just appalled.

ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 23 Iowa vs. No. 14 Vanderbilt (Noon ET Wednesday, Dec. 31, ESPN): Kirk Ferentz knows that a bowl game is no time to clown. But with a boat in the stadium? Carla said Anchor Down.

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: No. 18 Michigan vs. No. 13 Texas (3 ET Wednesday, Dec. 31, ESPN): And Dylan rounded things out with a bowl about cheese. Horns versus Weasels? We said, yes, please.

As the clock wound down, their work was done. Carla, Crappy, and AJ still had a minute to spare. They had won! The Grinch was in disbelief, his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! “Maybe Bowlapalooza,” he thought, “isn’t just podcasting lore.” “Maybe Bowl Season … perhaps … means a little bit more!”

What happened then? Bowlapalooza was published anyway. And the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day.

College football bowl season is in full swing. The holidays are just around the corner. What more could we ask for? How about playoffs? (Playoffs?)

Yep, it’s time. Welcome to the CFP First Round edition of the Carla and Crappy Show.

Before we get into our prognostication, we must take yet another spin on the coaching carousel, which took a funny … then absolutely not funny at all … spin over the past couple of weeks. As always, AJ has us covered and helps us navigate the chaos.

And then? Welp, there’s not much else to talk about, other than the games. So let’s get to it.

(Note: Teams are listed by CFP seeds, not rankings.)

No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma (8 ET Friday, ABC/ESPN): This is the first of two rematches in the playoffs this season. The last time these two teams met, the boom heard around the SEC was Oklahoma’s surprising domination in Bryant-Denny. We last saw Alabama in the SEC title game which … understatement … didn’t go well for the Tide. Can Bama find enough offense against another stout defense in Norman on a Friday night? Carla and Crappy aren’t so sure. AJ is simply appalled by the whole situation.

No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M (Noon ET Saturday, ABC/ESPN): Miami, the ACC champ… oh, wait. Nope. Despite not playing in the conference title game, the Canes make the trip to Kyle Field to face an Aggies squad that was inconsistent at the end of the season. Which version of Texas A&M do we get in this game? Will the season-ending embarrassment against archrival Texas give the Aggies motivation to go out and win the whole thing? (Note: See 2024-2025 Ohio State.)

No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss (3:30 ET Saturday, TNT/truTV): There’s a lot of intrigue in this matchup between two teams losing their head coaches despite making the playoff. There’s the Ole Miss side, which may be motivated to show out to spite their former HC now at LSU. There’s the Tulane side, which is rallying around now-Florida HC Jon Sumrall before he heads to Gainesville. Which team has the greater motivation? Is this a chance for the Wave to avenge their loss to Ole Miss earlier this year? (Spoiler: Two of us think they might!)

No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon (7:30 ET Saturday, TNT/truTV): We all wanted Jimmy in the playoff. We got exactly what we wanted. But now, Jimmy has to fly across the country to play a Ducks team in Autzen that matches up really well against their offense. Sigh. Just remember that there were lots of FCS playoff upsets this season, so maybe there’s a glimmer of hope? Either way, we’re thrilled to see a second G5 team in the playoff. We don’t care what anyone else says.

Speaking of FCS, there are several FCS/DII/DIII playoff games to also keep your eyes on:

Johns Hopkins at Wisconsin-River Falls (1 ET Saturday, ESPN+): The first of two DIII semis. Both of these teams are 12-1. (Also, Crappy’s CMU Tartans nearly beat Johns Hopkins back in October.)

Montana at Montana State (4 ET Saturday, ABC): The Brawl of the Wild 2 for a shot at an FCS national title appearance? Yes, please. This might be the best game of the entire weekend at all levels.

Harding vs. Ferris State (4 ET Saturday, ESPN2): The DII national title game features a battle of unbeatens. And it’s on national TV. No excuses.

John Carroll at North Central (4:30 Saturday, ESPN+): The undefeated defending national champ hosts the Blue Streaks, whose only loss was to also-semifinalist Johns Hopkins back in September.

Illinois State at Villanova (7:30 ET Saturday, ESPN2): Nova’s hosting an FCS semifinal! Also, there are no Dakotas left in the field. If that late CFP game gets out of hand (or even if it doesn’t), get your eyeballs on this one.

With that, we wish you all a very happy holiday and bowl season. (Watch for, umm, Bowlapalooza to drop later this week!) Crappy’s plan is to watch as much college football as possible over the next two weeks, and we wholeheartedly concur. Enjoy the bowls and the playoffs at all levels, and we’ll be back just before the New Year to preview the CFP quarters. Cheers, friends!