Motivation key factor in bowl games

— -- On the eve of bowl season, with 39 games on tap, involving 76 teams in 24 days, one word makes a world of difference.

It is the X factor of bowl season, the wild card at the wildest time of year, often the key to victory in December and January and the cause for coaches to worry.

Motivation.

For the four teams in the first College Football Playoff, motivation this month is at an all-time high. The job at Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon and Florida State involves staying grounded -- to avoid overloading on motivation.