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College football bowl games: Ranking every 2019-2020 bowl team

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Trevor Lawrence, Clemson Tigers. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson Tigers. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 23: (L-R) Tony Gaiter IV #16, James Morgan #12, and Austin Maloney #15 of the FIU Golden Panthers celebrate a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the fourth quarter at Marlins Park on November 23, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 23: (L-R) Tony Gaiter IV #16, James Morgan #12, and Austin Maloney #15 of the FIU Golden Panthers celebrate a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the fourth quarter at Marlins Park on November 23, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

62. FIU Panthers, 80.47

  • Roster Strength: 82.59 (61)
  • Team Performance: 77.37 (96)
  • Head Coach Rating: 81.31 (67)

It’s fair to say Butch Davis’ three seasons as the head coach at FIU have been the best in program history. After winning 17 games across his first two years on the sidelines, the Panthers secured a spot in the Camellia Bowl with a 30-24 victory over cross-time heavyweight Miami – arguably the biggest win for the team since it began play in 2002.

That said, the 2019 season was somewhat disappointing as a whole. The Panthers entered with hopes of competing for the Conference USA title but stumbled to a 1-3 start that included a 0-2 mark in C-USA play. The Panthers were later blown out 50-17 by a Middle Tennessee team that finished 4-8, and lost the Shula Bowl rivalry game against FAU 37-7. In the regular-season finale, FIU lost an upset bit against Marshall, 30-27 in overtime.

Nevertheless, a third straight bowl game is a major accomplishment for a program that had played in just two bowls before Davis arrived. And a win over Arkansas State would secure a third consecutive winning season – also a program first.

61. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, 80.53

  • Roster Strength: 79.15 (99)
  • Team Performance: 80.22 (68)
  • Head Coach Rating: 81.55 (62)

Hawaii head coach Nick Rolovich was named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year after he led the Rainbow Warriors to nine wins and the first division championship in school history. Hawaii lost to Boise State 31-10 in the conference title game.

Rolovich is well-known for his engaging personality and high-scoring Run-and-Shoot offense, which should make him a candidate for top-tier Group of Five jobs should he decide to leave Oahu. He navigated a tricky quarterback battle all season in which Cole MacDonald and Chevan Cordeiro competed for snaps, and the team still managed to lead the Mountain West with 4,563 passing yards and 38 touchdowns as a whole.

But keep an eye on the receivers as the Rainbow Warriors take on BYU in the Hawaii Bowl. Cedric Byrd leads the team with 95 receptions and 1,068 yards and ranks second to JoJo Ward with 10 touchdowns. Ward and Jared Smart are both likely to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for the season, and Jason-Matthew Sharsh could get there with 177.

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