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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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Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry, left, slips a diving tackle bid from Air Force’s Lakota Wills on a run in the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. (Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry, left, slips a diving tackle bid from Air Force’s Lakota Wills on a run in the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. (Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) /

40. Navy Midshipmen, 83.49

  • Roster Strength: 79.12 (100)
  • Team Performance: 85.08 (25)
  • Head Coach Rating: 84.66 (32)

Ken Niumatalolo has done it again. Following a one-year hiccup in which Navy cratered to 3-10 largely because of a poor defense, Niumatalolo made a tough decision to change defensive coordinators. Hiring Brian Newberry paid off handsomely as the Midshipmen led the AAC in total defense (342.4 yards allowed per game) and improved their yards allowed per play numbers by more than a full yard, from 6.52 in 2018 to 5.51 through 11 games this season.

The Army-Navy Game is on deck and the Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy will be at stake, but it’s safe to say the 2019 season is already a success. If the Midshipmen beat either Army this week or Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl, they will secure win No. 10 – a remarkable one-year turnaround.

39. North Carolina Tar Heels, 83.50

  • Roster Strength: 83.07 (54)
  • Team Performance: 83.40 (38)
  • Head Coach Rating: 81.66 (60)

North Carolina made a head-scratching decision to hire Mack Brown ahead of the 2019 season, but the former national championship coach proved a lot of doubters wrong. With the help of a talented group of assistants and a true freshman quarterback, Brown helped the Tar Heels get back to a bowl game for the first time since 2016.

There were certainly bumps along the way, but there’s also plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future. Probably the biggest reason is Sam Howell, who threw for 3,347 yards and 35 touchdowns on his way to earning ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Howell will lead the Heels in the Military Bowl against a tough Temple defense.

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