Will this be the best playoff ever? (Bowl season preview/recap thread)

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Saturday's bowl picks (Part 1)

Have you ever realized that when you dream, you think about some weird, wild stuff? That happened to me last night; I was dreaming all about some wild stuff like an animated episode of "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" that has many animation styles, and... I don't know, man. I think I'm scarred for life.
Oh, sorry. My mind was wandering again. Let's get to Saturday's exciting bowl slate, beginning with the non-CFP games (All times are Eastern):

Camping World Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Iowa State [12:00, ABC]
(How quaint. The first-ever meeting between the Irish and the Cyclones. How interesting. A Notre Dame team that has 10 wins and is NOT in a major-league bowl, taking on a Iowa State team just pleased to have this opportunity. I'm actually seeing this bowl as a low-scoring game, but can Iowa State actually play defense?)
My prediction: NOTRE DAME 24-21

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Penn State vs. Memphis [12:00, ESPN]
Coverage for this game for Memphis has been about "Can Memphis beat the Nittany Lions without Mike Norvell as their coach?". Coverage on ESPN.com for Penn State has been about Eddie George's recruitment. Pity us as Americans.
You know what? If ESPN.com won't take this "New Year's Six" bowl game seriously, I will. We not only have the "Big guy vs. little guy" scenario here, we also have the standard "great offense [Memphis] vs. great defense [Penn State]" trope. And both teams are missing their offensive coordinators- Wait. BOTH teams lost their offensive coordinators?! Well, in that case you should bet the under...)
My prediction: PENN STATE 23-17 (...and take the Lions.)
​

And after those games, we get to see the CFP semis. *yawn* I'll be back later with those exciting picks.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Saturday's picks (Part 2- The CFP semis)

...Let's just get this over with. It's time to pick who goes to the CFP title game (All times are Eastern, and both games on ESPN):

Peach Bowl: Oklahoma vs. LSU [4:00]
(Just mention Joe Burrow vs. Jalen Hurts, and people will tune in to watch this. Let's also mention the fact that Oklahoma's defense is a lot better than it was last year. And that both the Tigers and Sooners has awesome weapons for their QB's to use: Oklahoma has CeeDee Lamb, and LSU has Ja'Marr Chase and Clyde Edwards-Helaire- Wait. Clyde might be out for this game?
...Anyway, my mother just wants both of these teams to have a fun day... while silently poking needles into her SEC doll.)
My prediction: LSU 48-41

Playstation Fiesta Bowl: Clemson vs. Ohio State [8:00]
(Everybody is picking both of these teams, saying "[This team] simply doesn't respect [the other team]!". I could waste your time breaking these two teams down, but in reality I just want this game to begin already so that I can enjoy it. As for picking the winner, the eyes don't lie.)
My prediction: Ohio State 41-38
​

So now my picks are complete for today! Did I forget something?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

12/27 recap (Part 1- Texas and Pinstripe)

We did get a couple close games yesterday. There was the Pinstripe Bowl, where Michigan State annoyingly found enough offense to silence Wake Forest.

Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M - Game Summary - December 27, 2019 - ESPN And then in the Texas Bowl, Texas A&M got a HUGE win over the Cowboys as Kellen Mond was the big hero.

Rating for the Pinstripe Bowl: 2.75 stars
Rating for the Texas Bowl: 2.75 stars

 

[CaptainStubing]

I wish they didn't wait 16 days to play the championship game. These guys have already had a couple of weeks off. Why do they need a couple of more weeks?

9 days is plenty

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

12/27 recap (Part 2- The other bowls)

As for the other bowls yesterday...

Temple didn't even bother to show up in the 2nd half of that Military Bowl as UNC won going away.
In the Holiday Bowl, USC's defense was a HUGE letdown for me...and to the USC athletic department who chose to keep Clay Helton. At least Ihmir Smith-Marsette turned himself into a star here.

And as for the Cheez-It Bowl, Washington State burns me on my bowl picks. AGAIN!

Rating for the Holiday Bowl: 2.5 stars
Rating for the Military Bowl: 2 stars
Rating for the Cheez-It Bowl: 3 stars

 

[Across The Field]

I wish they didn't wait 16 days to play the championship game. These guys have already had a couple of weeks off. Why do they need a couple of more weeks?

9 days is plenty

I think 6 days would be pretty awesome.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Playoff recap

And now, a dumbed-down version of how the CFP semifinals went.
In the Peach Bowl, Joe Burrow went absolutely ape-shit in the 1st half. And then, the LSU running game just took care of the rest.

Clemson vs. Ohio State - Game Summary - December 28, 2019 - ESPN But the Fiesta Bowl, now THAT was awesome. A strong comeback, Travis Etienne and Trevor Lawrence making big plays, and a fair share of controversy. Finally, we get ANOTHER good semifinal to go along with Ohio State/Alabama 5 years ago.

Rating for the Peach Bowl: 2.25 stars
Rating for the Fiesta Bowl: 4.25 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

What else happened on December 28th?

Well, there was the Camping World Bowl! ...But it turned out to be a dud, as Notre Dame was 100% focused and the Cyclones paid the price.

Clemson vs. Ohio State - Game Summary - December 28, 2019 - ESPN But, hey! We got a great Cotton Bowl! Memphis played their hearts out, but Penn State just made one play too many.

Rating for the Camping World Bowl: 2 stars
Rating for the Cotton Bowl: 4 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowl picks (Part 8 [I think]- December 30th)

Don't worry, I'll look up how many parts I made once this is over. I just want to get Monday's bowl picks up as soon as possible (All times are Eastern, and all games on ESPN unless noted):

Servpro First Responder Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Western Kentucky [12:00]
(Hey, kids! Did you know that Colin Cowherd allegedly hates directional colleges? So I'm willing to bet that he REALLY won't watch this bowl game in Dallas.
It's a shame, really; he'll miss out on a sneakily good bowl matchup. These 2 schools are almost similar in their approach to the game, and Western Kentucky is trying to go from 3 wins last year to 9 wins this year. And, does WMU's RB LeVante Bellamy really have 23 TD's? And also, why do I see the Hilltoppers finding a way to stop him?)
My prediction: WESTERN KENTUCKY 33-28

Music City Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Louisville [4:00]
(Actually, this game is pretty easy to predict. Bulldogs coach Jim Moorhead says "This game is critical to us on many levels". ...I don't know, people like Cameron Dantzler and Brian Cole II aren't agreeing with him as they're sitting out this game. Plus, I've heard a few rumblings about Miss. State's QB problems, whilst Louisville has been nice and quiet AND has a good offense.)
My prediction: LOUISVILLE 38-31

Redbox Bowl: California vs. Illinois [4:00, FOX]
(Yep! Your favorite bowl game based off a DVD rental box that you find at your local Walmart is back! And I think that they've found a way to capture an audience for this bowl: Bring together the most inept offenses from the Big 10 and the PAC-12, and that'll bring in fans of actually good college defenses!
All kidding aside, this DOES have all the making of a defensive fight. Cal doesn't really know who their starting QB is, but they've won 3 of their last 4 games and they're playing close to home. And Illinois isn't really coming in with a lot of momentum, but at least they know who THEIR starting QB will be.)
My prediction: CAL 24-17

Capital One Orange Bowl: Florida vs. Virginia [8:00]:
(Florida is making their first Orange Bowl appearance since 2001. Good for them! And their QB Kyle Trask has been pretty solid for the Gators, too. But most of the hype for this game has gone to the Cavs and their amazing QB Bryce Perkins.
Note to Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall: STOP TIPPING YOUR HAND; that vicious Florida defense can see what you're doing!)
My prediction: Florida 30-20
​

And now I'm off to count just exactly how many bowl pick segments I've actually done! I'll check back later...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

12/30 recap

It turns out, I HAVE done 8 bowl pick segments (another one is coming up soon, by the way). Anyway, let's see what happened yesterday.

In the Orange Bowl, we actually DID get a pretty fun game. But in the immortal words of Lee Corso "Florida wins it, but closer than the experts think".

In the Music City Bowl, Louisville simply had a better rhythm on offense than Miss. State did, and it results in a Cardinals bowl win. This caps off a great first year under Scott Satterfield.
In the Redbox Bowl, Chase Garbers made a proud return for Cal as he guided the Bears to the win.

Western Kentucky vs. Western Michigan - Game Summary - December 30, 2019 - ESPN And the First Responder Bowl was a pretty standard affair... until the Hilltoppers started to play mind games with the Broncos. And it worked!

Rating for the Orange Bowl: 3 stars
Rating for the First Responder Bowl: 3.25 stars
Rating for the Music City Bowl: 2.75 stars
Rating for the Redbox Bowl: 2.5 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowl picks (Part 9- New Year's Eve)

I have nothing witty to say here; right now I'm just glad that this year (and this decade) will soon be over. Here are the games that'll help to pass the time before the ball drops (All times are Eastern):

Belk Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky [12:00, ESPN]
(Kentucky's passing numbers are appalling this year. But then again, last year's Kentucky team had an appalling passing game and they went on to win the Citrus Bowl. Plus, RB Lynn Bowden Jr. has been doing wonders for the Wildcats since he gave up being a QB. So, stopping him will be paramount for Bud Foster, who will be retiring after this game.
But the X-factor here will be the Hokies offense; it HAS been doing better over the last 8 games.)
My prediction: VIRGINIA TECH 27-20

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Florida State vs. Arizona State [2:00, CBS]
(Oh, boy. The most tragically-named bowl of the 2019-20 season is finally here. And Florida State does have SOME form of motivation for this game; people like Marvin Wilson and Tamorrion Terry had just announced that they're staying in Tallahassee to help with the rebuild.
But to me, that news is "too little, too late". ASU most definitely has a plan to stop FSU's RB Cam Akers. And the Sun Devils has been playing a lot of youngsters this year, so there's no chance of chemistry issues here!)
My prediction: ARIZONA STATE 30-17

Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Kansas State [3:45, ESPN]
(This is gonna be the hardest bowl game I'll pick this year. Chris Klieman has done great work in his first year at K-State, and his defense should be ready to go. But Navy is 10-2 this year for a REASON: Malcolm Perry and his fine work at QB. Wait, make that TWO reasons: Navy's defense is hard as nails.
...Ah, I'll go with Kansas State and their more balanced offense and see what happens.)
My prediction: KANSAS STATE 28-26

Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl: Wyoming vs. Georgia State [4:30, CBS Sports Network]
(Both teams has a proud rusher on their squad, so that won't decide the game. But Wyoming's passing game WILL decide who wins in Tucson; it has pretty poor numbers, but if it can pick on Georgia State's defense the Cowboys will be fine. If they CAN'T, however...)
My prediction: GEORGIA STATE 38-20

Valero Alamo Bowl: Utah vs. Texas [7:30, ESPN]
(Dammit, Texas! Despite all of the mistakes you made this season, I'm still tempted to pick you in this bowl game. That's because I don't know how motivated Utah is after losing the PAC-12 title game and missing the CFP. But Utah does still have a top-tier defense, and right now I can't trust Texas's defense as far as I can throw it.)
My prediction: UTAH 24-17

Great. Now my brain is tired from all of this thinking. I'm leaving to gorge on sweets, and I'll see you tomorrow.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

12/31 recap (Part 1)

God... I go 4-0 with my bowl picks 2 days ago, and then yesterday I go 1-4. Stupid Texas and Wyoming offenses, waking up at the worst possible time.
And the one bowl pick I got right? That was only because Florida State had 6 turnovers. JESUS.

Rating for the Arizona Bowl: 2.25 stars
Rating for the Alamo Bowl: 2.25 stars
Rating for the Sun Bowl: 2.5 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

12/31 recap (Part 2)

Navy vs. Kansas State - Game Summary - December 31, 2019 - ESPN Oh, there WERE some good moments yesterday. I'm not too mad about the Liberty Bowl result (it was a pick-em anyway) as Malcolm Perry caps off a beautiful season by leading the Middies to victory.

Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky - Game Summary - December 31, 2019 - ESPN But the best/worst result came in the Belk Bowl. I'm not saying that Bud Foster was phoning it in for his last game, but how did he forget that Lynn Bowden Jr. was a former QB?!

Rating for the Liberty Bowl: 2.75 stars
Rating for the Belk Bowl: 3.5 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowl picks (Part 10- New Year's Day)

Okay. Hopefully I can avoid a New Year's hangover and actually get some bowl picks right today. Let's get to the drama of the bowls on January 1st! (All times are Eastern, and all games on ESPN unless noted)

Outback Bowl: Auburn vs. Minnesota [1:00]
(In terms of offensive numbers, Minnesota has the slight edge. But with BOTH of these teams breaking in new offensive coordinators today, that fact may be meaningless. Nope, instead it looks like defense is gonna carry the day here in Tampa.
To be honest, I'm just hoping for a great game between these two well-coached teams; a good chunk of my reputation as a bowl ranker is at stake.)
My prediction: AUBURN 30-27

Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Alabama [1:00, ABC]
(The coaches here are Harbaugh and Saban. That alone will get the casual fan to watch this awesome-looking game. And as for the hardcore fans, they'll be paying attention to Alabama's QB situation and how the Alabama staff handles it. This is also a game that my dear mother will NOT be watching, 'cause she is scared that Michigan's defense will be unable to handle the Tide attack.
And what's this about the ESPN staff saying "This is a must-win for Michigan"? Dudes! That's gonna make my mom feel even worse when Michigan fails in Orlando.)
My prediction: ALABAMA 38-24

Rose Bowl Game: Oregon vs. Wisconsin [5:00]
(Most of the people here on SportsHoopla have been telling me that aside from the CFP, this bowl is the one they're most interested in. Two proud defenses going at it in Pasadena. Two solid running backs leading their teams [CJ Verdell for Oregon, and Jonathon Taylor for Wisconsin]. And Justin Herbert playing his last game for the Ducks.
We all know that Herbert will be ready to play, but what about Wisconsin's QB Jack Cohn? His play will be the X-factor in the 107th edition of this bowl.)
My prediction: WISCONSIN 34-31

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. Baylor [8:45]
(Baylor has returned to the spotlight of the "New Year's Six" bowls... something that Bears fans thought they wouldn't see for a long time after the Art Biles "female violence" scandal. And Baylor's QB Charlie Brewer will surely enjoy testing his skills against Georgia's defense. Georgia's QB Jake Fromm has to be stoked as well; he can help the Bulldogs exorcise the demons of last year's Sugar Bowl [which they lost].
The X-factor here is how Georgia is gonna cope with about a dozen players missing the game for various reasons. Coach Kirby Smart says "I'm not fazed; it's a part of football. We have depth, we'll be fine." Oh, we'll find out soon enough.)
My prediction: GEORGIA 42-35
​

So anyway, hope you guys have a Happy New Year! I'll check back later...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

January 1st recap (Part 1)

Good news in the Citrus Bowl! Michigan was able to stay in lockstep with the Tide!
Bad news! That lockstep only lasted for 3 quarters, as Mac Jones would break through and put the Wolverines away.

Minnesota vs. Auburn - Game Summary - January 1, 2020 - ESPN And hey! How about the Outback Bowl, eh? It was full of tension and great plays, and Minnesota pulled off the upset. I'm so proud of these guys...

Rating for the Citrus Bowl: 2.75 stars
Rating for the Outback Bowl: 3.5 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

January 1st recap (Part 2)

...Now on to the Sugar Bowl-
My dark side: "Hold up! What about the Rose Bowl?"
Me: "...what about it?"
Dark side: "Well, the people here were screaming at you for ranking it lower than the Outback Bowl a month ago, so..."
Me: "Ah, it was probably a Wisconsin blowout or something."

Oregon vs. Wisconsin - Game Summary - January 1, 2020 - ESPN

Me: "...Dammit."
Dark side: "...Ah, don't feel bad. At least the Outback was better than that stupid Sugar Bowl. Georgia's defense was too good!"

Rating for the Rose Bowl: 4.25 stars
Rating for the Sugar Bowl: 2.5 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowl Picks (Part 11- January 2nd)

So the Outback Bowl didn't suck, but the Rose Bowl DID end up being the better game. While I complicate this mixed blessing, let's look at January 2nd's bowl games (All times are Eastern, and both games on ESPN):

Ticketsmarter Birmingham Bowl: Boston College vs. Cincinnati [3:00]
(Don't get too excited about the sponsor; it's just another ticket-seller site. Anyway, Cincinnati is here in Birmingham after missing out on the "New Year's Six", but since they're facing another "Power 5" team they should be up for it. Oh, and here's a surprising fact. Did you know that Boston College's defense actually sucks? No, really [over 480 yards given up a game]!)
My prediction: CINCINNATI 34-28

Taxslayer Gator Bowl: Indiana vs. Tennessee [7:00]
(So what if Indiana didn't beat a bowl team this season? And so what if Tennessee fans wanted to kill Jeremy Platt back in October? Both the Volunteers and Hoosiers are here now, and experts are calling for a close game. And both teams has good QB's, so quite a few points will be scored here. But I'm looking at Tennessee, and I'm like "Can the Vols offense be explosive enough to keep up with the Hoosiers?")
My prediction: INDIANA 38-35

I'll get the rest of the bowl games tomorrow, OK?

 

[BamaDude]

Playoff recap

And now, a dumbed-down version of how the CFP semifinals went.
In the Peach Bowl, Joe Burrow went absolutely ape-shit in the 1st half. And then, the LSU running game just took care of the rest.

Clemson vs. Ohio State - Game Summary - December 28, 2019 - ESPN But the Fiesta Bowl, now THAT was awesome. A strong comeback, Travis Etienne and Trevor Lawrence making big plays, and a fair share of controversy. Finally, we get ANOTHER good semifinal to go along with Ohio State/Alabama 5 years ago.

Rating for the Peach Bowl: 2.25 stars
Rating for the Fiesta Bowl: 4.25 stars

I guess you forgot about the excellent semifinal game between Oklahoma & Georgia two years ago?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

1/2 recap

It was a range of emotions for me yesterday. First I thought I was gonna start 0-0-1 on my picks. Then the Birmingham Bowl resumed and Cincinnati dominated, so I was 1-0.

Indiana vs. Tennessee - Game Summary - January 2, 2020 - ESPN And then I thought I was gonna go 2-0 when Indiana led 22-9... and then that stupid onside kick happened.

Rating for the Birmingham Bowl: 2 stars
Rating for the Gator Bowl: 3.25 stars

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowl picks (Part 12- The rest of the bowls)

Man... I completely forgotten how stupid Ronyell was on that "Maury" episode where... Huh?! Oh! Sorry, my mind was wandering again. On to business: There are still some bowl games left before we get to LSU's home game against Clemson. So let me predict those 3 games right now (All times are Eastern, and all games on ESPN):

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio vs. Nevada [3:30 today]
(How in the world can a 6-6 Ohio team be a favorite against Nevada?! Is it because of Ohio's QB Nathan Rourke, who's having another solid year? Or is it because of the uncertainty around the Wolfpack program [They have an all-new defensive coaching staff and 3 players sitting out the game]? If Nevada can hang around with Ohio in the first half, they'll have a better chance of winning.)
My prediction: OHIO 34-24

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Southern Miss vs. Tulane [11:30 A.M tomorrow]
(These two teams used to be rivals when Tulane was in C-USA, and the series was called "The Battle for the Bell". The Bell may be defunct, but Tulane and Southern Miss are still playing for something here. Southern Miss got stiffed for a bowl berth last year and wants to savor this one, while Tulane is trying to have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1997-98. And the Green Wave will fulfill their goal if the Golden Eagles can't stop their rushing attack.)
My prediction: SOUTHERN MISS 27-20

Lendingtree Bowl: Miami-Ohio vs. UL-Lafayette [7:30 Monday]
(The Ragin' Cajuns have never had a season like this EVER. This is their first ever 10-win season, and they have that wicked offense of theirs to thank for it. But Miami-Ohio will not roll over and die in this game; they're off their first MAC title win in several years. To me, the Redhawk defense will be the key; they have GOT to slow down Levi Lewis and Elijah Mitchell to have any chance here.)
My prediction: LOUISIANA 47-27

...and I'm done! All 40 bowls has been examined and predicted! ...All that's left to do is wait for the 13th for the ultimate clash.