Our Bowl prediction thread for 2017-18 (Featuring Clemson/Bama, Part III)

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Gasparilla Bowl

Okay, so I whiffed on Colorado State and SMU. Surely my pick of the Golden Panthers in last night's Gasparilla Bowl will hold up!

And then FIU's QB Alex McGough got injured on the first play of the game! And then Temple took full advantage to win 28-3. So I'm f--ked.

My bowl rating: 1.75 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bahamas and Potato Bowl

I wanted to get fired up for the Bahamas Bowl, but I just couldn't. Maybe it was because my dark side foretold Ohio blowing out the Blazers. But cheer up, UAB! At least you got a free trip to the Bahamas!

As for the latter bowl, at least Josh Allen went out like a champion as Wyoming grabbed a bowl win (their first since 2009).

Rating for the Bahamas Bowl: 1.75 stars
Rating for the Potato Bowl: 2 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowl predictions (Part 4: December 23rd and 24th)

Before I make my bowl predictions for today and tomorrow, let me rant a little bit. Years ago, I used to flip channels to a TV station like "Boomerang" or "Nickelodeon" and watch old-school Christmas cartoons all Christmas Eve. Well, guess what? I checked the TV listings, and there's NO Christmas cartoon marathon on Christmas Eve... ANYWHERE! Not Cartoon Network, not Boomerang, not Disney XD... Well, maybe I can tune in to Freeform if I get desperate.

Okay, the ranting is over. Let's get to the bowl games (All times are Eastern, and all games on ESPN)

Today:
Birmingham Bowl: Texas Tech vs. South Florida [12:00] (Jeez... 4 boring bowl games in a row. This trend HAS to change at some point.
And this game has the potential to do that. People are expecting a shootout in Birmingham, but I'm not one of them. That's because Tech's defense has gotten a lot better during the season.
And on that note, how motivated will USF be after falling short in their quest for the AAC title? Will they come out flat, or will Charlie Strong rally the troops? Should be fun to see.)
My prediction: Texas Tech 27-24

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: San Diego State vs. Army [3:30] (So in this era of spread offenses and "shoot-'em-up" gameplans, we have two teams that have ground-first attacks... who have a combined record of 19-5. That's why I think this will be a sneaky-good contest. And look at it this way: With both teams running the ball all the time, this game should be over in under 3 hours.)
My prediction: San Diego State 28-18

Dollar General Bowl: Appalachian State vs. Toledo [7:00] (Quite a bit of hype going for this encounter of "Champion vs. Champion" in Mobile, but this game's actually pretty easy to predict. Let's check the type of teams that App. State and Toledo lost to.
For Toledo: @ Miami and @ a pretty good Ohio team.
For App. State: @ Georgia, Wake Forest, and... UMASS?! UL-Monroe, too?!)
My prediction: Toledo 34-21

Tomorrow:
Hawaii Bowl: Fresno State vs. Houston [8:30] (After one of the busiest sports slates in Christmas Eve history, tune in to this game if you're looking for a "cool-down" game. Should be a good one, too: A Houston team looking to prove something verses a Fresno State team that rebounded from a 1-11 record last year to win a division title.
To me, the key here is Houston's defense. If they can stop Marcus McMaryion and the Fresno passing attack, they'll be sitting pretty.)
My prediction: Houston 27-24

I'll check back tomorrow to see how things turn out.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Birmingham Bowl

Texas Tech vs. South Florida - Game Summary - December 23, 2017 - ESPN

NOW we're talking! It was hard to decide whatever this bowl or the Armed Forces Bowl was the better game. But I'm going with this one, as USF takes out the Red Raiders in a wild affair.

My bowl rating: 3.5 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Dollar General and Armed Forces Bowl

The former was a pretty ugly bowl game where Toledo looked like a bunch of drunken buffoons. But...

San Diego State vs. Army - Game Summary - December 23, 2017 - ESPN ...the Armed Forces Bowl was the incredible run-first football game we all thought it would be. And Army's gutsy 2-point play late gave them the win... and only their 2nd-ever 10-win season.

Rating for the Dollar General Bowl: 1.75 stars
Rating for the Armed Forces Bowl: 3.25 stars

And before I leave, here's a fun anecdote: Yesterday I went 0-3 in my bowl picks, but I got to watch 2 great games. My dark side is VERY confused.

 

[outofyourmind]

And before I leave, here's a fun anecdote: Yesterday I went 0-3 in my bowl picks, but I got to watch 2 great games

I'm like 5-9 in Pickems.

 

[kburjr]

I'm like 5-9 in Pickems.

Makes me wonder if Oklahoma is all that great.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowl predictions (Part 5: December 26th)

I have nothing witty to say at the moment. Let's just go ahead and look at today's bowl games: (All times are Eastern, and all games on ESPN)

Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl: Utah vs. West Virginia [1:30] (Oooo... Looks like the bowl season is about to pick up, as the match-ups between "Power 5" schools will begin today. First up is this one in Dallas, featuring 2 teams that has had a few disappointing losses this season; West Virginia, for example, missed out on beating teams like TCU and Va-Tech.
To me, I like Utah in this one; their defense isn't too bad [a few more breaks and they could have beaten people like Stanford and USC]. Oh, and the Mountaineers will not have their big QB [Will Grier] for this game, while Utah [Tyler Huntley] will.)
My prediction: Utah 28-20

Quick Lane Bowl: Duke vs. Northern Illinois [5:15] (Here, we have 2 teams coming back from sub-par seasons in 2016 to return to bowl action. And pardon me if I'm wrong, but isn't this Duke's 5th bowl game in 6 seasons?
Here in Detroit, defense will tell the tale. Both Duke and NIU have strong D-lines, with NIU leading the nation in tackles for loss. But here's the problem: I believe Duke's QB Daniel Jones can find a way around NIU's defense. Can NIU's QB Marcus Childers do the same thing? If he can't...)
My prediction: Duke 31-17 (...then this will be the result.)

Cactus Bowl: UCLA vs. Kansas State [9:00] (These 2 teams know each other pretty well, and both UCLA and K-State can put some points on the board. And here's a little fun fact: I was gonna go with UCLA, but then I heard that the Bruins are STILL waiting for medical clearance for Mr. Josh Rosen to play.
And even IF Josh Rosen is cleared to play, K-State's defense has dealt with superstar QB's before. AND K-State's new QB Skylar Thompson has been on a roll lately.)
My prediction: Kansas State 34-28

Now let's see... Was I forgetting something?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Hawaii Bowl

Fresno State vs. Houston - Game Summary - December 24, 2017 - ESPN

Oh! Now I remember! There was a bowl game on Christmas Eve! And actually, it wasn't too bad; Fresno won a good one as their special teams came through BIG time.
And by the way, did you know that Fresno is now only the 2nd FBS team to go from a 10-loss season to a 10-win season?

My bowl rating: 2.75 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

December 26th Action

For the Heart of Dallas Bowl, the Utah defense DID come through as they boost Kyle Whitteham's bowl record to an absurd number.
For the Quick Lane Bowl, it was a dazzling performance by Daniel Jones that got Duke a bowl trophy. [Notice I didn't say "DUKE?!" this time around; it PROVES that Duke is really becoming a winner in football.]

And for the Cactus Bowl, it was a shock when UCLA took a 17-7 halftime lead. It was equally as shocking to see UCLA sleep through the 2nd half, allowing K-State to take the victory. Now cue the drama in Manhattan as Bill Snyder decides the school's future!

Rating for the Heart of Dallas and Quick Lane Bowl: 2 stars
Rating for the Cactus Bowl: 2.25 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowl predictions (Part 7: December 27th)

Heyyyy... I went 3-0 in my bowl picks yesterday! So today's post is pretty simple: Seeing if I can continue this little run with these bowl picks: (All times are Eastern, and all games on ESPN unless noted)

Walk On's Independence Bowl: Florida State vs. Southern Miss [1:30] (At first, I thought this game was going to be celebrating the cause of the walk-on's: That special kind of athlete that may not be good enough to receive a scholarship, but didn't let that destroy their dream of being a star. Then I found out that it was just some restaurant in the Shreveport area [where the game's taking place], and there went that illusion.
But none of that matters to Florida State; they're trying to put SOME kind of happy ending in front of an awful 2017. But standing in front of them is a Southern Miss team led by the strong RB Ito Smith and the efficiant QB Kwadra Griggs. So if FSU stops those 2, they'll be fine... right?!)
My prediction: Florida State 24-21

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Iowa vs. Boston College [5:15] (In terms of offensive production, BOTH Boston College and Iowa has surprised: BC has a balanced offense that had scored a combined 47 TD's, while Iowa's passing game has taken a quantum leap forward this season.
Just one little problem: It is QUITE cold right now in the Northeast [It'll be around 24 degrees {and falling!} in NYC when this game kicks off at Yankee Stadium], so the rushing games may have to take over. And to me, AJ Dillon is the running-back the Eagles need to win. Oh, and a little fun fact: Boston College's O-line might just be the best in the nation.)
My prediction: Boston College 28-21

Foster Farms Bowl: Purdue vs. Arizona [8:30, FOX] (Did you know that the history of this bowl game actually goes back to 2002? Look it up, it's true! And I'll bet Purdue's excited to now be a part of that history; they're in their first bowl in 5 years with their new QB Elijah Sindelar leading the way.
But sorry, Boilermakers. 'Zona has a stud QB of their own: Khalil Tate. And if you can't stop him and his rushing attack, you'll have a LONG day ahead of you.)
My prediction: Arizona 38-21

Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl: Texas vs. Missouri [9:00] ( ANOTHER bowl game sponsored by some outdoor clothing store. But if you ignore the sponsor, this is actually a good match-up; I almost saved this game from the 1-star trash heap.
Oh, correction: It WOULD have been a good match-up if Texas were 100% entering it. But injuries, transfers, and suspensions have made things tense over in Austin. As for Missouri, they have rebounded from a 1-5 start to get here thanks to Drew Lock throwing for 43 TD's. And if the Tigers defense stops Texas's offense, they'll be golden.)
My prediction: Missouri 38-24

Phew! I'll check back tomorrow and see if yesterday's good luck was a fluke.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Independence and Pinstripe Bowl

So Florida State's freshmen became stars after they helped to blow out the Golden Eagles. Then later, Boston College took a 17-10 halftime lead in Yankee Stadium. A good start for me, right?

Iowa vs. Boston College - Game Summary - December 27, 2017 - ESPN Well, guess what? Despite getting out-gained 383 to 200, Iowa still came back to win. Stupid turnovers...

Rating for the Independence Bowl: 2 stars
Rating for the Pinstripe Bowl: 3 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Texas and Foster Farms Bowl

Wait a second... You're trying to tell me that despite 9 players sitting out the game, Texas STILL won against Missouri? Maybe Texas football IS starting to turn around.

Arizona vs. Purdue - Game Summary - December 27, 2017 - ESPN But answer me this question: How can a guy with a torn ACL, a TORN ACL (?!), lead Purdue to a comeback win against mighty Arizona? Just... HOW?!

Rating for the Texas Bowl: 2.25 stars
Rating for the Foster Farms Bowl: 3.5 stars (And with that, I've gone 1-3 in bowl picks on the 27th.)

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Cotton Bowl preview

After going 1-3 in my bowl picks yesterday, I feel like I need to warm up before taking on today's slate. But how?
By starting my look at the "New Year's Six"! And it begins with tomorrow night's big game:

Goodyear Cotton Bowl: USC vs. Ohio State [8:30, ESPN]:
(We ALL know about the QB matchup that'll take place in this game, so let's focus on everything else. For Ohio State, will they swoon like they did against Oklahoma and Iowa? Considering they haven't beaten USC since 1974, probably not. Will the Buckeye defense be ready to take on not only Sam Darnold, but also Ronald Jones III? Considering that run-containment is a part of OSU's gameplan, maybe.
In my opinion, the X-factor here is USC's defense. It's given up an average of over 400 yards a game, and I've got a feeling that Ohio State's J.K Dobbins will have a breakout game here in Dallas.)
My prediction: Ohio State 30-27
​

A rational way to preview a exciting Cotton Bowl? Or a ploy that I just used so that I don't have to deal with this game during tomorrow's previews? We'll soon find out.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowl predictions (Part 8: December 28th)

There is one major showdown tonight that'll be better than all of today's bowl games combined. What is it? You'll see soon enough as I now look at today's slate: (All times are Eastern, and all games on ESPN unless noted)

Military Bowl: Virginia vs. Navy [1:30] (It's a mixed bag for Navy in this contest. On one hand, they're virtually playing a home game in Annapolis, and the weather will play a nice role in their run-first gameplan (20 degrees at kickoff). On the other hand, they're at 6-6, which has to be disappointing. And their opponent is in their first bowl in 6 years, with people like Kurt Benkert raring to go.)
My prediction: Navy 27-21 in an upset

Camping World Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech [5:15] (Huh... I came into this preview thinking that Va-Tech's defense was awful. But that's not the case; it's tossed 3 shut-outs and looked great on a few occasions.
Now it's Va-Tech's offense that I'm worried about. If Oklahoma State's offense gets rolling, I don't think the Hokies can catch up. And don't forget: Va-Tech's best receiver [Cam Phillips] didn't make the trip to Orlando.)
My prediction: Oklahoma State 35-21

Holiday Bowl: Washington State vs. Michigan State [9:00, FOX Sports 1] (Here we are! THIS is the match-up I'm excited about: FOX and it's "Holiday Bowl" verses ESPN and it's "Alamo Bowl"! And how good the games are will determine the winner.
First on FS1, we have a contrast of styles between Washington State's "shoot-em-up" offense and Michigan State's stern defense. But to me, the other side of the ball [MSU's offense vs. WSU's defense] will decide the game; Michigan State thrives on versatility to move the ball, but will that work against a Cougars defense that DO have a few players [Hercules Mata'afa, for example]? My answer is, it won't.)
My prediction: Washington State 31-23

Valero Alamo Bowl: Stanford vs. TCU [9:00] (On the other side of the TV dial, we have two teams who were THIS close to making it to the "New Year's Six"... and then failed. And that's not the ONLY similarity these 2 teams share: Both have QB's that can impress and frustrate at the same time, and both have aggressive defenses. But Stanford has something TCU does not have: Bryce Love.
Thing is, I see TCU stopping Bryce Love dead in his tracks. And once that happens, the Horned Frogs will be golden in San Antonio.)
My prediction: TCU 24-21

And who will win the FS1 vs. ESPN showdown? I guess we'll have to wait and see...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Alamo Bowl

Some more bad luck just entered my domicile, as the battery in my car has died in this sub-frigid weather and now we see to get it towed all the way to Utica to get it fixed.

Stanford vs. TCU - Game Summary - December 28, 2017 - ESPN But at least this bowl game was able to distract me from the car for a bit, as TCU wins a wild one in San Antonio.

My bowl rating: 3.75 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Camping World Bowl

Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State - Game Summary - December 28, 2017 - ESPN

Here was my thought process during the first half of the game: "Uh, what's happening? OK State's offense isn't going... Oh god, are they going to go to sleep?! ...Oh, Justice Hill just ran it in for a TD. Guess they just needed to get warmed up."

Lo and behold, that's what happened as the Cowboys held off Virginia Tech to score their 3rd-straight 10-win season. ...I wasn't worried.

My bowl rating: 3 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Military and Holiday Bowl

In between those 2 games, we had these 2 blowouts. In the Military Bowl, Virginia scored on the very first play! But it turns out they shot their wad on that play, and Navy would kick their butts for the next 3 hours. So my Navy pick comes through for me.

Washington State, however, did not as they crash and burn in the Holiday Bowl for the 2nd year in a row. Fine time for Michigan State to have their best postseason performance in SCHOOL HISTORY!

Rating for the Military Bowl: 1.75 stars
Rating for the Holiday Bowl: 2 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowl predictions (Part 9: December 29th)

Huh... Guess I didn't need a tow truck after all. All I needed was a jump, and soon the damn thing's running.

Now with THAT done, I now have to go to the store. But before that, I'm gonna let the car run while I handle today's bowl games (All times are Eastern)

Belk Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Texas A&M [1:00, ESPN] (With the firing of Kevin Sumlin, Jeff Banks will be the interim coach for A&M in this bowl game. And this will be an audition for not just him, but A&M's young group of players [especially QB Kellen Mond].
Yet Wake Forest is playing only 90 minutes away from their campus, their confidence is high, and their offense took a HUGE leap forward in 2017 thanks to John Wolford's direction. Yet, can I trust Wake's defense to beat an SEC team?)
My prediction: Wake Forest 31-24 (Why not? Let's see what happens!)

Hyundai Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. NC State [3:00, CBS] (Wait a minute, Arizona State. Todd Graham got your program to a bowl game despite low preseason expectations, plus Manny Wilkins had a banner year at QB, and yet you're still firing him? All for a guy that doesn't even know what ASU's mascot is?
That won't be Arizona State's only worry; Ryan Finley [the QB at NC State] knows that school up and down [He grew up 15 miles away from the ASU campus]. Plus, he has people like Nyheim Hines and Kelvin Harmon helping him out.)
My prediction: NC State 44-35

Music City Bowl: Kentucky vs. Northwestern [4:30, ESPN] (Honestly, I've been going back and forth with this one. I mean, Kentucky is limping into this bowl game, but they WERE facing good teams like Louisville and Georgia. And besides, Benny Snell is ready to test that Wildcats defense.
As for Northwestern, yes, they've won their last 7 games. And they have a good RB of their own in Justin Jackson. But every single time I don't expect them to win, they do, and when I want them to win, they don't. But maybe Northwestern can shred that Kentucky defense today...)
My prediction: Northwestern 35-30 (Let's hope that Northwestern doesn't let me down.)

Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl: Utah State vs. New Mexico State [5:30, CBS Sports Network] (You know, Utah State has had a good defense in 2017, not like anybody was paying attention. Utah State has a Top-20 pass defense, a pair of good linebackers, and... an offense that WASN'T so good.
And now that Utah State offense is up against it against New Mexico State; it's 57-year bowl wait, the NMSU athletic director crying while accepting the invitation, a coach who's 16-44 yet is a hero in Las Cruces, and people like Tyler Wilson and Larry Rose III getting the national audience that they richly deserve. Oh, and let's not forget a decent New Mexico State defense, too.)
My prediction: New Mexico State 28-21

A special treat is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Orange Bowl preview

That's right! Now that I'm all warmed up (thanks partly to New Mexico State), I feel confident enough to look at tomorrow night's Orange Bowl game:

Capital One Orange Bowl: Miami vs. Wisconsin [8:00 tomorrow, ESPN]
(So here we are: Two teams who were very close to crashing the College Football Playoff this year. Wisconsin wants to prove that they ARE an elite team, while Miami is making it's first "major-league" bowl game since 2003. On the surface, it looks like Miami's speed will dominate this contest, right?
Well, hold up! Wisconsin has the #1 total defense in the country, a strong O-line [at least on the right side], and freshmen star RB Jonathon Taylor. Plus, Malik Rosier has had some struggles for Miami lately; ask Pittsburgh and Clemson. So if Alex Hornibrook handles the...
Wait, what? Hornibrook is only a game-manager? AND he's thrown 15 interceptions? Well, break out the turnover chains! If Miami gets to Hornibrook, it'll be lights-out for the Badgers.)
My prediction: Miami 28-20
​

...Wait. Isn't there ANOTHER "New Year's Six" bowl game on tomorrow? Ah, I'll get to it later!