| Game Name: | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl |
| Subheader: | 23rd Famous Idaho Potato Bowl |
| Date Game Played: | January 3 |
| Year Game Played: | 2020 |
| Football Season: | 2019 |
| Stadium: | Albertsons Stadium |
| City: | Boise, Idaho |
| Visitor Name Short: | Ohio |
| Visitor Nickname: | Bobcats |
| Visitor Record: | 6–6 |
| Visitor Conference: | MAC |
| Visitor Coach: | Frank Solich |
| Visitor 1Q: | 3 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 17 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 10 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home Name Short: | Nevada |
| Home Nickname: | Wolf Pack |
| Home Record: | 7–5 |
| Home Conference: | Mountain West |
| Home Coach: | Jay Norvell |
| Home 1Q: | 3 |
| Home 2Q: | 6 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 12 |
| Mvp: | Nathan Rourke (QB, Ohio)[1] |
| Odds: | Ohio by 10[2] |
| Referee: | Billy Williams (C-USA)[3] |
| Attendance: | 13,611 |
| Payout: | 800,000[4] |
| Us Network: | ESPN |
| Us Announcers: | Bill Roth (play–by–play) John Congemi (analyst) Kris Budden (sideline) |
| Intl Network: | ESPN Brasil |
| Intl Announcers: | Matheus Pinheiro (play-by-play) Weinny Eirado (analyst) |
| Different Previous: | 2018 |
| Different Next: | 2020 (Dec.) |
The 2020 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 3, 2020, with kickoff at 3:30 p.m. EST (1:30 p.m. local MST) on ESPN.[5] It was the 23rd edition of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission, from which it gets its name.
The game matched the Ohio Bobcats from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and the Nevada Wolf Pack from the Mountain West Conference. This was the first meeting between the two programs.[6]
See main article: 2019 Ohio Bobcats football team. Ohio entered the game with a 6–6 record (5–3 in conference). They finished in a three-way tie for second place in the MAC's East Division, and did not face any ranked FBS teams during the season. After starting the season 2–4, the Bobcats won four of their remaining six games to become bowl eligible. This was Ohio's second appearance in this bowl; their 2011 team won that season's Famous Idaho Potato Bowl over Utah State, 24–23.
See main article: 2019 Nevada Wolf Pack football team. Nevada entered the game with a 7–5 record (4–4 in conference). They finished in third place in Mountain West's West Division. The Wolf Pack were 1–1 against ranked FBS teams, defeating San Diego State while losing to Oregon. This was Nevada's third Famous Idaho Potato Bowl; the Wolf Pack were seeking their first victory in the bowl after losses in the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl (to Miami (FL)) and the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl (to Maryland), when the bowl operated under different names.