After a start that featured some ugly losses, Georgia State engineered a very impressive turnaround. The Panthers won six of their final seven games, losing only to Sun Belt champion Louisiana by four. The location, team trajectory and potential motivation level point toward Georgia State, which records its third bowl win under coach Shawn Elliott.
The combination of location and personnel availability strongly favors Western Michigan here. Nevada star quarterback Carson Strong , an NFL prospect, is weighing whether to play as he has battled a knee injury since high school.
Strong could understandably skip the game, and coach Jay Norvell will be challenged to get his team amped up to play in Detroit two days after Christmas. Although the Broncos were consistent in the second half of the season, their triple-threat combination of quarterback Kaleb Eleby , running back Sean Tyler and wide receiver Skyy Moore will show up in a big way in Motown. Houston should win this game. The Cougars were much more consistent throughout the season.
Doug Belk's defense nicely complemented the offense, and Houston has the nation's best returner on special teams in Marcus Jones. Coach Dana Holgorsen's bowl record concerns me, though, as he has dropped six of seven bowls since a dominant Orange Bowl triumph at West Virginia a decade ago. Auburn certainly looks ready to move on to , and recently dumped offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. The location favors the Tigers, though, and their defense could certainly slow down Clayton Tune and the Cougars.
Louisville Cardinals Gerald J. Ford Stadium Dallas. The Falcons also are a balanced team, showing they can win with defense over Boise State or with offensive prowess over Nevada. The trajectory for Scott Satterfield's program is not overly promising right now. Air Force should have a strong contingent of fans in Dallas, while I'm not sure how interested Louisville will be for this game.
Those bowl executives are a sneaky bunch, aren't they? Mississippi State coach Mike Leach faces his former team, where he built his national reputation with exciting offense and odd commentary. After a tough loss in the Egg Bowl, Will Rogers responds with four touchdown passes as Leach doesn't hold back much against a transitioning Texas Tech squad.
Leach improves to in bowls. The Bruins didn't produce the breakthrough season that they hoped for in Year 4 under Chip Kelly, but they finished with three straight wins and can record their first bowl victory since The location certainly favors UCLA, as NC State will be traveling across the country, but the matchup leans toward the Wolfpack, who boast a significantly better defense than the Bruins.
Leary throws four touchdowns and NC State wins. Both teams have veteran quarterbacks in Tanner Morgan Minnesota and Jarret Doege but really lean on their run games and defenses to win. Minnesota overcame several key injuries at running back to win six of its final eight games, including the regular-season finale against Wisconsin.
The Gophers are stout along the line of scrimmage and often play well away from home, while West Virginia's big wins Iowa State, Virginia Tech came in Morgantown. Boye Mafe and the Gophers' defense rise up, and Minnesota controls tempo to grind out a win in the desert.
The teams meet for the first time since , and for the first time ever in postseason play. Maryland dropped six of eight games after a start, and could generate offense against only two of the weaker teams it faced Indiana and Rutgers.
Virginia Tech has been through a coaching change, but has a better defense under coordinator Justin Hamilton, and an offense capable of hurting Maryland on the ground Neither team is overly inspiring here, but Virginia Tech gets enough from linebacker Dax Hollifield and the defense to end a turbulent season on a good note.
Cheez-It Bowl: Clemson Tigers vs. Motivation level will be a big topic heading into the matchup, as both teams entered the season with much loftier goals. Clemson will have a new defensive playcaller for the first time in a decade as Brent Venables moves on to Oklahoma.
Iowa State still has its coach in Matt Campbell, and will lean on veteran quarterback Brock Purdy to find holes in a talented Clemson defense. Opt-outs could be a storyline for both teams, and I have a hard time seeing Clemson performing anywhere near its peak level for this one.
Valero Alamo Bowl : Oregon Ducks vs. Oklahoma Sooners Alamodome San Antonio. Cristobal, the subject of Miami rumors all weekend, looked understandably uncomfortable, while Stoops seemed completely at ease.
He's still ticked off about Oklahoma's controversial loss to Oregon in , and hilariously ended the call by wishing Cristobal luck on the recruiting trail.
Oregon was blown out twice in its last three games. The Ducks are beat up on both sides of the ball and could be disinterested for this matchup after spending most of the season in CFP contention.
Big Game Bob wins a not-so-big game in his return to the Sooners' sideline. The Carolina schools meet for the third straight time in Charlotte, a good midpoint to encourage attendance by both fan bases. South Carolina fans likely will be a bit more visible and excited, as first-year coach Shane Beamer impressively got a limited roster to six wins. North Carolina has been maddeningly inconsistent, all the way to the regular-season finale at NC State, where the Tar Heels blew a lead in the final Will a more motivated South Carolina team be able to overcome the talent disparity?
I think Beamer's bunch plays hard, and North Carolina could have a slew of opt-outs, including quarterback Sam Howell. I'm hearing Howell will play, so I'm going with the Heels. This is a tough draw for Purdue, which will face a road-like atmosphere in Nashville.
Tennessee went only , but first-year coach Josh Heupel energized the offense and the fan base. Then again, Purdue won't be intimidated after recording two wins against teams ranked in the top four in Iowa road and Michigan State home.
If both opt out, it's hard to see the Boilers keeping pace with Hooker, wide receiver Cedric Tillman and the Vols. This will be fun, as Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi faces the program he helped elevate to the CFP as defensive coordinator from to Despite Narduzzi's defensive roots, this matchup should be all about the offenses, which boast national awards candidates such as Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett and Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III.
MSU's pass defense has been a real problem, as Ohio State and others exposed, and Pickett should have a big performance in his final college game. Expect plenty of points in Atlanta but a few more stops on the Panthers' side. Narduzzi will have a huge smile walking off the field.
Both teams certainly entered the season with loftier goals, but both also should be excited to be in Las Vegas to close out the year.
Wisconsin should have a strong contingent of fans, and Vegas is a short trip for most ASU fans. The Sun Devils got a boost with the return of quarterback Jayden Daniels for the season, but they will face a linebacker-loaded Wisconsin defense that ranks No.
The key will be whether Wisconsin controls tempo with Braelon Allen and the run game and doesn't put quarterback Graham Mertz in difficult situations, or ASU gets its own ground game going. Ultimately, Wisconsin's defense will be the difference in a close one.
Don't write off the somewhat rare bowl participant, as five of six teams with that record won their bowls after the and seasons. The Demon Deacons offense is a real pain to prepare for, especially on relatively short notice. Rutgers doesn't have the offensive sizzle to keep up with Sam Hartman and Wake Forest, which pulls away in the second half. Both teams come in hot. Washington State won six of its final eight regular-season games, capping things off with its most lopsided Apple Cup win ever.
Central Michigan won six of its final seven games, with the lone loss coming by a single point to Northern Illinois. But WSU's defense will be the difference in this one, making a few key fourth-quarter stops. I keep coming back to the enthusiasm around Notre Dame after Marcus Freeman's hiring, plus the disappointment on the Oklahoma State side after the Big 12 championship game loss, which likely cost the Pokes their first CFP spot. Oklahoma State boasts an exceptional defense and has faced a tougher schedule than Notre Dame.
But the Irish played complete, dominant football down the stretch and have a more reliable offense than Oklahoma State. Notre Dame's recent record in top bowl games isn't good, but a new era is dawning in South Bend, and it begins with a win in Freeman's head-coaching debut. Utah will try to mimic Michigan's brilliant game plan against the Buckeyes, as the Utes and Wolverines are similarly constructed.
Kyle Whittingham's team surged down the stretch and twice bullied Oregon at the line of scrimmage. Ohio State poses a much tougher task, especially with a passing game that, unlike Oregon's, can truly stress the Utes' secondary.
Both teams will have new coaches in The Fenway Park setting will be cool, too. The Hokies fired Justin Fuente, and Maryland is back in a bowl game for the first time since Motivation could be a factor on both sides, but the Hokies are the better team we think. Clemson in the Cheez-It Bowl? The Tigers can still make it to 10 wins, and Dabo Swinney surely will use the underdog card against the Cyclones, which are trying to send Brock Purdy and running back Breece Hall out as winners.
Both schools saw their College Football Playoff runs disappear late in the season, and if Mario Cristobal takes the Miami job both schools will have new coaches in Freshman quarterback Caleb Williams had growing pains, but this game launches a legitimate Heisman campaign for Hold the mayo, right?
Mack Brown's second stint at North Carolina began with a victory against South Carolina in Now, first-year coach Shane Beamer has a chance to return the favor with an over-achieving Gamecocks team.
Sam Howell will play in the bowl game, and that's why we are favoring the Tar Heels. Josh Heupel has a chance to cap off an encouraging first season with the Vols. Purdue ranks eighth in the FBS in pass offense. The Boilermakers can finish a nine-win season.
This should be one of the more entertaining high-scoring games of Bowl Season. It's a matchup of teams that had disappointing seasons considering the preseason hype, and it's an exciting running back matchup between 1,yard rushers Braelon Allen and Rachaad White.
It's a rematch of the Belk Bowl, which Wake Forest won The Demon Deacons will make it interesting with their high-flying offense, but the Aggies pull out the victory late. Washington State and Miami meet in yet another matchup between Power 5 teams that will have a new coach in Senior running back Max Borghi led the Cougars to a victory in the Apple Cup, and he'll double down here against the Hurricanes.
Arkansas is back in a bowl game for the first time since , and the Razorbacks have been reliable with a record of ATS as an underdog. Penn State had a tough-luck season. Both teams have three losses against teams that made the New Year's Day Six. A mirror-image matchup against hard-nosed teams that rely on the running game. Kentucky is shooting for a win season under Mark Stoops, who signed an extension during the coaching carousel.
Both teams have won their past three bowl games. Boise State won four of its last five games under first-year coach Andy Avalos, and the Broncos can put a capper on that against the Chippewas. Central Michigan is ATS as an underdog this season. This is a tough call. Pat Narduzzi was a longtime Michigan State defensive coordinator before taking the Pitt job. Kenny Pickett and Kenneth Walker III were two of the pleasant surprises of the season, and both will make big plays in this high-scoring matchup.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman will make his debut in a New Year's Day Six Bowl, and this promises to be a defensive battle given that the Irish and Cowboys ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense. Notre Dame's Jack Coan throws a game-winning TD late to seal an exciting victory against Oklahoma State, which generates enthusiasm for next year's opener at Ohio State.
Utah allowed just The Utes will try to use the same formula Michigan did against Ohio State, but the Buckeyes flex with their offensive machine. Dave Aranda led the Bears to a Big 12 championship behind a no-nonsense running game and defense, and they will try to slow down Ole Miss' wide-open offense. Matt Corral will play in the bowl game, too.
That should lead to a fun matchup. Lane Kiffin leads the Rebels to an impressive win season. How high will they be ranked to start next season? Detroit, Mich. Montgomery, Ala.
Honolulu, Hawaii. Frisco FB Classic. Pool vs Pool. Frisco, Texas. Armed Forces. American vs Pool. Fort Worth, Tex. Idaho Potato. MAC vs. Mountain West. Boise, Idaho. Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach, SC. New Orleans. C-USA vs. Sun Belt. Los Angeles. Los Angeles, Calif. Mobile, Ala. Pac vs. Shreveport, La. New Mexico. Albuquerque, N. Boca Raton.
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