To see how insanely popular Texas high school football is -- and how little interest there was in some college bowl games -- check out these numbers.

The UIL Class 6A Division II state championship game between two out-of-town teams -- Longview and Beaumont West Brook -- had an announced attendance of 48,421 on Dec. 22 at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium in Arlington. That game, won 35-34 by Longview, drew a larger crowd than 28 of the 39 FBS college bowl games that were played.

That's 71.8 percent.

The matchup of two nationally ranked teams -- Duncanville and Galena Park North Shore -- drew a crowd of 42,363 on Dec. 22 at AT&T Stadium. That game -- which North Shore won 41-36 on a 45-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass on the final play -- outdrew 25 of the 39 college bowl games.

That's 64.1 percent.

There were four UIL state championship games that drew more than 26,000. The two 6A games were joined on that list by the 5A Division I title game (28,792 watched Highland Park beat Alvin Shadow Creek 27-17) and 5A Division II final (26,155 attended Aledo's 55-19 victory over Fort Bend Marshall).

There were 10 college bowl games that drew less than 26,000.

Only 11,029 attended Ohio's 27-0 rout of San Diego State in the rainy DXL Frisco Bowl at Toyota Stadium. The Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (Florida International vs. Toledo) drew just 13,510, the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (Marshall vs. South Florida) had a crowd of 14,135, and the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Georgia Southern vs. Eastern Michigan) had an announced attendance of 17,710. Six UIL state championship games had larger crowds.

Both of the 6A state finals outdrew bowl games for Texas A&M (38,206 attended the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl) and TCU (33,121 watched the Cheez-It Bowl that featured nine interceptions). North Texas' 52-13 loss to Utah State in the New Mexico Bowl had a smaller crowd (25,387).

Twitter: @DMNGregRiddle