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Mountain West Football: Every 2019 Bowl Gift Package, Ranked

Bowl games are important, but the swag for every player matters just as much. Which gifts are the best among the seven Mountain West bowls?

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

If you won’t give the players money, at least make it worth their while.

It’s a well-established fact that every bowl game is precious (even if some games are a little more precious than others), but it is also true that this does not necessarily hold for the customary gift packages given to players instead of, you know, just paying them cash for their labor.

Sports Business Daily has the full rundown of what every single bowl is giving to its participants and what becomes readily clear is that the big time games give the best stuff. This makes it especially important for the lower-tier bowls to make their decisions count and, this year, some did a lot better than others.

Here are the indisputable swag rankings for this year’s slate of bowl games.

7. Mitsubishi Las Vegas Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; socks; beanie; portable charger

Do you remember the “Christmas Party” episode of “The Office” where, before Michael Scott suggests a game of Yankee Swap, Creed forgets to get Jim a gift for Secret Santa and just throws a dirty and too-small button-up in a plastic bag for him? That’s what this set of swag is. You should expect more from the conference’s premier bowl and hope next year’s replacement, the new bowl in Los Angeles, is taking notes.

6. Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; Herschel Supply Co. Chapter travel kit; New Era insulated beanie

This is a fairly modest package overall, but it is worth noting it’s miles better than socks (seriously, don’t give socks as a gift during the holidays). One has to wonder, though, whether the travel kit is filled with even smaller travel swag. If so, then this ranking is perhaps a spot too low.

5. SoFi Hawaii Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; Kahala aloha shirt; Oakley backpack and sunglasses; performance T-shirt; beach towel; surf trunks

As usual, the participants here get a load of swag with the local flavor, which you might describe every year as a “high floor” gift package.

4. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; Justin cowboy hat; football; college football 150th anniversary coin; lapel pin; Blingware cup; beanie

The Frisco Bowl gets points for originality, especially with regards to swag that is unique to the locale. Whether everyone actually looks good in a cowboy hat is another question entirely, but outside of the purview of this thought exercise.

Blingware’s merchandise actually looks pretty neat, too, the kind of stuff you might consider giving to the diehards in your family for Christmas. A solid overall effort from the folks in Texas.

3. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; Thule Achiever computer backpack; Herschel Supply Co. hip pack; beanie; coin

Computer backpacks are underrated, almost like a solid center for your offensive line, so Spuddy Buddy and his friends get props for recognizing that niche value. The package as a whole is also uniquely suited to the climate, so recipients will get immediate use out of everything right away and thereafter.

2. New Mexico Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; Oakley Holbrook sunglasses; Oakley Gearbox backpack; beanie; water bottle

The sunglasses and backpack are an impressive investment, and the latter gift gets extra points for being the kind of gift that has both utility and durability. Everyone else seems pretty nondescript, but this is a clear win for San Diego State and Central Michigan.

1. Cheez-It Bowl

The swag: GoPro Hero 7 with accessories and carrying case; Fossil watch; Oakley sunglasses; Ogio Shuttle Pack backpack; “History of The Bowls: Celebrating the Good of The Game” book; Ice Shaker insulated bottle; Branded Bills cap and travel case

The Cheez-It Bowl just gets it. Everyone else could learn something here.

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Mountain West Football: Every 2019 Bowl Game, Ranked

Every bowl game is precious, but we determine which ones are just a little more precious.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Which ones will be must-see television?

There weren’t a lot of surprises when the Mountain West Conference unveiled its slate of seven bowl games on Sunday afternoon but, all in all, there’s a lot of good football on our hands in December and January!

Mountain West Wire’s official stance is that “any bowl game is a good bowl game”, but that’s not going to prevent us from determining which bowl games are… better. Which matchups are the best ones over the next month?

Here’s what I think.

7. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl – Utah State vs. Kent State

The Mid-American Conference in 2019 may be best described as an egalitarian paradise. Akron might have been the worst team in college football and just two teams managed eight wins overall, but ten of the 12 MAC teams had between three and six wins in conference play. It may be neat to have had such a wide-open field, but it also means there aren’t a plethora of truly inspiring teams in that field.

Utah State, meanwhile, didn’t have quite the season many imagined it might back in the summer, but at least Jordan Love will (presumably) have one last opportunity to light up the scoreboard. It’s fine, but fine doesn’t always equal exciting.

6. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Nevada vs. Ohio

Most of the excitement will derive from whichever Wolf Pack and whichever Bobcats team decides to show up on January 3. Ohio, like Kent State, clawed their way to a bowl from that same MAC morass but may have been the conference’s biggest disappointment, requiring two blowouts over Bowling Green and Akron just to get to 6-6 after losing a litany of heart-breakers.

If both offenses come out on fire, this bowl could easily surpass its standing here, but there’s also the danger that Nevada could fall victim to yet another lopsided defeat against one of the Group of 5’s most capable quarterbacks, Nathan Roarke. We’ll see.

5. New Mexico Bowl – Wyoming vs. Georgia State

4. SoFi Hawaii Bowl – Hawaii vs. BYU

For the second straight year, we get something of a WAC throwback and, even better, this bowl is back where it belongs on Christmas Eve. It’ll be a chance for the Warriors to even the overall score just a little bit, too, in a series that’s been particularly lopsided as of late.

The Cougars have also had a penchant for creating close games, with seven of their 12 contests being decided by ten points or fewer. If nothing else, it’s still the best excuse you’ll have to duck your family for a few hours right before the holiday.

3. Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl – San Diego State vs. Central Michigan

Now we’re talking. The Aztecs defense didn’t suffer the same November swoon that befell them in 2018 and while SDSU fell short of the division title, their reward is to face the very capable MAC runners-up.

After languishing with one of the worst offenses in the country last fall, Jim McElwain turned the Chippewas attack into one of the best in the conference, finishing third on a per-play basis while more than doubling the points scored per game. It will be an underrated “offense vs. defense” tilt in Tucson, so make sure you don’t overlook this game.

2. Mitsubishi Las Vegas Bowl – Boise State vs. Washington

“Chris Petersen’s last ride” is a fine narrative, but what’s more intriguing is the potential for a real defensive showcase. The Huskies may not have the big names like last year’s iteration, but young talents like Cameron Williams and Joe Tryon make for a fascinating contrast with established stars like Curtis Weaver and Kekoa Nawahine.

Alternatively, it could be a quarterback showcase. Jaylon Henderson has more than earned the right to start for the Broncos one last time, but perhaps Hank Bachmeier will find his way back under center to duel Jacob Eason, who’s been up and down this fall. Either way, it should be a fun one.

1. Cheez-It Bowl – Air Force vs. Washington State

The triple option and the Air Raid? Say no more.

The Cougars have perhaps never been more themselves than they were this year, leaning on the pass more than any other team in the country, while the Falcons’ ground game has rarely been more efficient than it has been this fall. It could be one of bowl season’s biggest point bonanzas when all is said and done.

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