First-Ever Taste of Country Bowl Kicks Off

Country music has been left out of the 2013 Super Bowl halftime festivities, but that doesn't mean the artists won't be working hard to prepare for February 3. The inaugural Taste of Country Bowl has just begun, pitting the top 16 "teams" in country music against each other to find the ultimate combination of artist and fans.

Round 1 begins Jan. 7 and lasts through Jan. 13 at 11:59PM ET. You can vote for all of the active matchups by clicking the button below. Root for your favorite as much as once per hour to make sure he, she or they advance to the next round. Each round will last one week, with the winner to be announced on Monday, Feb. 4.

Compelling first round matchups include Taylor Swift vs. Hunter Hayes, Scotty McCreery vs. Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean vs. Eric Church. Four matchups will begin on Jan. 6, and four on Jan. 7. Winning the Taste of Country Bowl is a testament to not only any artist's talent and popularity, but their fans willingness to stand up and be counted. Good luck to all artists and fanclubs. Keep voting, but try not to sprain your clicking finger!

See Who Won the Round 1 Matchups