Let’s head to Detroit to kick off that fun week between Christmas and New Year’s, when nobody knows what day it is, and there is always a bowl game on the ESPN family of networks. The action kicks off on Friday at 1:00 pm with the GameAbove Sports Bowl, which pits representatives from the MAC (Central Michigan) and B1G (Northwestern). Before we preview the matchup, let’s actually define what GameAbove Sports is all about.
GameAbove Sports Bowl Preview
GameAbove Sports Bowl History
The GameAbove Sports Bowl is played in the Motor City, aka Detroit. It is the ideal post-Christmas Day matchup, pitting the MAC against the Big Ten. The 2025 game marks the 11th consecutive year this game has been played at Ford Field. The Detroit Lions sponsor the game, and 2025 will be the second year the bowl is called the Game Above Sports Bowl.
GameAbove Sports looks to grow the global sports business through strategic investments and partnerships. By teaming up with the Lions and Ford Field, they’re looking to elevate an already strong bowl tradition—bringing college football fans together from across the country and keeping Detroit front and center during postseason play.
Previous names of the Detroit bowl game:
- Motor City Bowl (1997–2007)
- Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (2008–2013)
- Quick Lane Bowl (2014–2023)
- GameAbove Sports Bowl (2024–present)
Memorable Moments in the Detroit Bowl for Central and Northwestern:
Central Michigan:
-
2006 Motor City Bowl vs. Middle Tennessee: a 7-overtime thriller that saw MTU come out on top against the Chips.
-
2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl vs. Western Kentucky: Central erased a 21–0 halftime deficit to win 24–21.
Northwestern:
- 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl vs. Mississippi State: Northwestern showed it just means more (Pizza, Pizza) with a win over Hail State.
2025 Game Details
Matchup: Central Michigan (MAC) vs. Northwestern (B1G, 6-6)
History: Northwestern leads the series 1-0.
Last Meeting: The Wildcats defeated the Chippewas 30-25 in Evanston in 2010.
Date and Time: Friday, Dec. 26th | 1:00 PM EST
Location: Ford Field | Detroit, Michigan
Television: ESPN
Spread: Northwestern – 10.5
Season Overview
After a season that began in the shadow of the Connor Stalions mess, Central Michigan hit the reset button: a new coach and no mystery guests on the sideline. Central Michigan’s new head coach is Matt Drinkall. Drinkall was hired in December 2024, after a long run as an assistant and offensive line/co-offensive coordinator at Army West Point. The Chippewas leaned into a run-first identity, played solid defense, and finished 7–5 with a 5–3 MAC mark.
Northwestern scraped its way to 6–6 the hard way, living almost entirely in one-score games and turning Saturdays into stress tests for the Wildcat faithful. At least there was Old Style when they played at Wrigley. The Wildcats didn’t blow out many teams, but they didn’t get blown out either, surviving on defense, toughness, and, of course, Chicago toughness.
What to expect from Central Michigan
Complementary football defined the Chippewas in 2025. They had an efficient offense that could lean on a stronger defense. The Chips used a two-quarterback system, rotating veteran Joe Labas and dual-threat junior Angel Flores. When both were healthy, the offense leveraged the strengths of both signal callers. Labas served as the steady hand, finishing sixth in the MAC in passing efficiency with 1,676 yards and 12 touchdowns. Flores acted as the lightning bolt, using his leg rather than his arm to lead the Chips. Flores rushed for 519 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns before an injury sidelined him in late October. Look for both quarterbacks to play a role in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.
The Central Michigan defense was maligned in 2024, yet it was one of the most improved units in #Maction in 2025. The Chips finished fourth in scoring defense, allowing just 22.7 points per game. They were the epitome of a bend, don’t break defense by doing their best work in the red zone. Central led the MAC and ranked in the top ten nationally in keeping opponents out of finishing drives in the end zone. Senior linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski leads Central, who led the team with 102 total tackles.
What to expect from Northwestern
The imposter meme may be appropriate as we analyze the Wildcats. Forget the Portal and NIL, complimentary football was all the rage in college football in 2025. Preston Stone led Northwester on offense. Stone, a one-time SMU standout recruit, finally was able to cash in on the promise his skill set delivered. Stone finished the season with 2,174 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was assisted by a strong run game courtesy of sophomore Caleb Komolafe, who led the Wildcats with 886 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
It was the defense, though, that helped Northwestern navigate a challenging B1G schedule and find themselves bowling. The Northwestern defense was stingy. The wildcats finished seventh in scoring defense, allowing just 20.9 points per game. Northwestern is led by safety Robert Fitzgerald, who ranked 3rd in the B1G with 109 total tackles, including a conference-high 68 solo stops.
Who wins the GameAbove Sports Bowl?
Expect a defensive battle in Detroit. Northwestern finds a way and one more score to come out on top.
Northwestern 24
Central Michigan 17
