Twelve SEC teams are going bowling. That matches the NCAA record the league set in 2014.

A dozen dandies? Unlikely, but let’s blame any potential bowl boredom on the opponent.

We’ve ranked the games in terms of interest, but forget the traditional 1-10 scale. Instead, I broke them into one of three categories:

Farrah Fawcett Hot: In honor of Bret Bielema’s classic one-liner at the SEC Media Days. “If you get one that’s hot, that we like, that we’ve got him rated at the top, he’s Farrah Fawcett.” He was talking about recruits. We’re talking about must-watch bowl games. A quick glance at the schedule, I see several must-watch Farrah Fawcett Hot bowl games.

Jim McElwain Happy To Be Here: We’re bowling, all right? Quit complaining about how we got here and why we didn’t end up over there. Couldn’t be happier.

Nick Saban Halftime Interview: We’d rather be almost anywhere else, nothing’s going right, our 5-star hotel reservation got lost, and now we’re in a 2-star spot with a faulty toilet. We’ve got a lot of issues. OK?

That’s the scale. Now, on to the games. Here’s a ranking of my interest level in all 12 SEC bowl games.

Nick Saban Halftime Interview

Outback Bowl: Florida vs. Iowa. Strictly a rating based on the matchup. Fortunately, Tampa Bay will more than make up for whatever lack of drama there is on the field. Enjoy craft beer? Tampa’s beer scene is Farrah Fawcett hot, which no doubt will boost the entertainment level for those making the trip. And we’ll probably be back at Cigar City Brewing the night before the game, too.

Independence Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. N.C. State: There are some interesting schematic matchups and storylines (Ralph Webb needing 22 yards to set Vandy’s single-season rushing record, for instance) and good on both teams for knocking off in-state rivals on the final weekend to get to six wins. But … we’ll blame this on the Pack. They’re just so bland: ninth in scoring in the ACC at 25.8, eighth in passing, eighth in rushing.

St. Petersburg Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Miami of Ohio: Think N.C. State is offensively challenged? Miami of Ohio averages just 23.4 points per game. That’s 10th in the 12-team MAC and tied for 110th nationally with … Florida. The RedHawks are stout against the run — 33rd nationally, allowing just 140 yards per game — but they haven’t seen a running quarterback quite like Nick Fitzgerald.

Texas Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Kansas State: The Wildcats’ offense came alive late — topping 30 points in their final five games — but it can’t match the Aggies’ firepower. Want a forced storyline? K-State has a chance to win the Texas state championship. It’s 4-0 with wins over Texas, TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech.

Jim McElwain Happy To Be Here

Belk Bowl: Arkansas vs. Virginia Tech: If Mr. and Mrs. Bielema enjoyed Hoover, they’ll like Charlotte even more. The mall isn’t attached to the stadium, but there’s plenty of shopping three blocks away. As for the game? It’ll feel like a road game. The Hokies travel, and they don’t have far to travel, but the Hogs have a good chance to pick up a fourth victory over a ranked team.

Liberty Bowl: Georgia vs. TCU: Hello, again, Kenny Hill. The ex-Aggie had a big day in Week 2 against Arkansas but lost in double overtime. The Horned Frogs will limp into Memphis losers of four of their final six. Georgia went 3-3 in its final six. A Dawgs victory would be nice, but the real benefit is all of that extra work Georgia’s young pups get as they start preparing for 2017.

Birmingham Bowl: South Carolina vs. South Florida: South Florida has athletes, serious athletes, on the offensive side. The Bulls average 43.6 points per game, but toss in the asterisk of playing in the American Athletic Conference at your own risk; they scored 45 on Syracuse and 35 on Florida State. The Bulls’ style vs. South Carolina’s defense will make this fun to watch.

Farrah Fawcett Hot

Citrus Bowl: LSU vs. Louisville. Anybody who follows me on Twitter @FilmRoomEditor is familiar with my affinity for Lamar Jackson and The Ville. At times, he and they were the most exciting things in college football. This is a dream matchup, the SEC’s best bowl game outside of the Playoff.

Peach Bowl (semifinal): Alabama vs. Washington: Huskies fans did a lot of barking about wanting Alabama during the regular season. You got ’em. The game will be a blowout, but the manner in which Alabama’s defense will unleash its special brand of hell on the Huskies’ pro-style passing attack will be fun to watch. Tell PETA to relax. No actual dogs will be harmed in the process. Only quarterback Jake Browning.

Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs. Oklahoma: So, this is what an honest to goodness passing offense looks like? Odd part about the Sooners? They don’t even throw it that much; they rank just 89th nationally in attempts per game (29.7), but they do it exceptionally well. They complete 7 out of 10 throws and they’re tied for fourth nationally with 41 touchdown passes (starter Baker Mayfield has 38). The volume won’t overwhelm Auburn, but the precision and effectiveness just might.

Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Nebraska: Any excuse to get to Nashville is a good excuse. I’ve checked round-trip fares from Tampa just because I was craving some more of Hattie B’s hot chicken. The game will be watchable, too, if not the highlight of a two- or three-day weekend. The teams share similar stories: Both were ranked in the top 10; neither remains in the top 20. Go enjoy Joshua Dobbs one last time. Here’s hoping he can cap his career much like Dak Prescott did last year, when he passed for 380 yards and four scores in a Belk Bowl beatdown of N.C. State.

TaxSlayer Bowl: Kentucky vs. Georgia Tech: Let’s just set the over/under for total rushing yards at 1,000. And take the over. The beauty in Tech’s triple-option is the intrigue: Who has the ball? Marcus Marshall will end up with it often. Yep, Keith’s younger brother picked the rival Yellow Jackets over the Dawgs, and he’s their leading rusher.

Chris Wright is Executive Editor at SaturdayDownSouth.com. Email him at cwright@saturdaydownsouth.com and follow him on Twitter @FilmRoomEditor.