Who’s playing in the 2018 Frisco Bowl?
Ohio (8-4, 6-2 in MAC)
This makes nine bowls in the last 10 years for Frank Solich’s Bobcats, who have managed to become as reliable a bet for eight or nine wins as anyone. OU comfortably has the best offense in the MAC, unseating in-state foe Toledo for that honor this year. Junior quarterback Nathan Rourke averages 8.8 yards per throw, and senior running back A.J. Ouellette has piled up both yards (1,142, at an average of 6.2) and TDs (12 rushing, two receiving) in great quantities.
San Diego State (7-5, 4-4 in Mountain West)
The Aztecs continue to win a bunch of games, though a three-game losing streak to close the regular season prevented this season from being what it could have been. This still makes nine bowl appearances in a row, a streak that started the last year before Brady Hoke left SDSU for Michigan. (Quick; guess which program got the better of that little bit of coaching musical chairs.) This SDSU team has a lousy offense but a strong defense, led by junior linebacker Kyahva Tezino. He has 14.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and an incredible 21 run stuffs, which all lead the team by a lot.
Where is the Frisco Bowl?
It’s at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, a suburb a little bit north of Dallas. Toyota Stadium is the home field for MLS’ FC Dallas and also hosts the FCS national championship game.
This game had been known as the Miami Beach Bowl from its founding in 2014. The site then was Marlins Park, one of several baseball parks to host a bowl. Attendance fell hard over the three years the game was in South Florida, so it moved to North Texas, joining a crowded local bowl scene that also includes the Heart of Dallas, the Armed Forces, and the Cotton Bowl (and sometimes the Playoff National Championship).
When is the Frisco Bowl, and how can I watch it?
8 p.m. ET on Dec. 19. You can watch or stream the game on ESPN.