Four college football teams in the state of Texas qualified for a bowl game in 2019. All four bowl placements were announced on Sunday afternoon. 

The Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies and SMU Mustangs will all be playing in bowl games taking place in December, while the Baylor Bears will open 2020 by playing in a New Year’s Six bowl game. 

Here is what you need to know about all four bowl matchups, along with our initial thoughts about how each matches up. 

Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 5 Georgia

When: 7:45 p.m. Jan. 1, 2020 on ESPN 

Where: Mercedes-Benz SuperDome in New Orleans

Records: Baylor (11-2, 8-1 Big 12) vs. Georgia (11-2, 7-1 SEC)

The Bears established themselves as easily the top college football program in Texas this season, and were rewarded as such. Baylor heads to its third New Year’s Six/BCS bowl game in program history, and its first trip to the Sugar Bowl since 1956. 

Baylor has an interesting matchup on New Year’s Day in New Orleans. The Bulldogs are an SEC power and ranked No. 4 in the nation just a few days ago. However, their offense has been susceptible to stalling against better teams. 

This is a perfect opportunity for Baylor to make a national statement, similar to the one Texas made a year ago. Only difference? This Baylor team is way further along. With a Sugar Bowl win, Baylor can reach 12 wins for the first time ever. 

Boca Raton Bowl: SMU vs. FAU

When: 2:30 p.m. Dec. 21 on ABC

Where: FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla.

Records: SMU (10-2, 6-2 AAC), FAU (10-3, 7-1 C-USA)

SMU put together its best season since the 1980s and was rewarded with the best situation it could ask for: a winter trip to Florida. 

The Mustangs will face off against Conference-USA champ FAU, though the Owls will be without head coach Lane Kiffin, who just took the Ole Miss job. Still, it’s a decent opportunity for national exposure against a known opponent. 

But more than anything, this is a reward for the seniors at SMU. December will provide some extra practice to keep developing the roster, and the matchup is interesting enough to keep people engaged. 

Alamo Bowl: Texas vs. No. 11 Utah

When: 6:30 p.m. Dec. 31 on ESPN

Where: The Alamodome in San Antonio

Records: Texas (7-5, 5-4 Big 12), Utah (11-2, 8-1 Pac-12)

This should be a tremendously intriguing matchup for the Longhorns. Texas came into the year with major expectations of competing for a New Year’s Six bowl. Despite disappointing, they still get a shot at a near-playoff team in a bowl. 

The Utes were on track to make the College Football Playoff before falling in the Pac-12 Championship Game to Oregon. They ranked as one of the most efficient teams in the nation heading into the game, but struggled in a big spot. 

Texas, as one of the biggest programs in college football, is going to get every bit of Utah’s answer. The Longhorns still have an opportunity to prove its upside in its home state in front of a pro-Texas crowd. The game should be a lot of fun. 

Texas Bowl: Texas A&M vs. No. 25 Oklahoma State

When: 5:45 p.m. Dec. 27 on ESPN

Where: NRG Stadium in Houston

Records: Texas A&M (7-5, 4-4 SEC), Oklahoma State (8-4, 5-4 Big 12)

Even though we’ve played 13 games, it’s still tremendously unclear what this Aggies team is. Texas A&M is worse than five elite programs, but better than the floor of the SEC – that describes most of college football. 

Oklahoma State is a decent opportunity for Texas A&M to prove itself. The Cowboys ranked at the end of the College Football Playoff ranking, though Oklahoma State will be without top receiver Tylan Wallace and likely quarterback Spencer Sanders. 

This game will be strength-on-strength: Texas A&M’s elite run defense against superstar running back Chuba Hubbard. There’s plenty to learn about the Aggies in this game, and that’s what we need more than anything out of an Aggie postseason appearance.