Due to the New Year’s Day falling on a Sunday during the NFL season, there will be no bowl games played on New Year’s Day, which is quite upsetting for college football fans. While bowl season has started, the best bowl games have yet to be played and will be spread out throughout the next few weeks. Most people do not have time to watch all the bowl games, so I am giving my list of the most intriguing games left, along with my picks for them.
1. Fiesta Bowl: 3 TCU vs 2 Michigan
It does not get much better than a game between two undefeated teams with a chance to play in the National Championship on the line. Although they may have had some close calls, both teams fought through the season and their conference championships to get to this point. With the way they play, the first half is set to be slow, with a crazy second half. If TCU gets down big early, you can not count them out. I would highly suggest betting the first half under and second half over.
TCU has a high flying offense, but the Michigan defense will be their toughest challenge yet. The offense spreads the ball out down the field, but Max Duggan is also so dangerous because of his legs. Michigan will need to be strong in the trenches, something they have done this season, in order to give JJ McCarthy plenty of time to make the big plays he is capable of.
I see Michigan jumping out to a big lead, with TCU slowly clawing back in during the second half. For once, though, the Horned Frogs will not be able to complete the comeback, and Michigan will move on to the National Championship. While Michigan will win, TCU will surely cover the 8 point spread.
2. Rose Bowl: 9 Penn State vs 7 Utah
This is one of the last times the “granddaddy of them all” will be the Pac 12 vs Big 10 and not a playoff game. The sun setting behind the San Gabriel Mountains at the Rose Bowl makes it a game like no other, and the teams on the field are set to deliver as well. Utah is coming off the Pac 12 championship, while Penn State finished the season on a four game winning streak, most of which were blowouts.
This will be Sean Cliffords last game (a thousand years later), but he will be without his top receiver, Parker Washington. Penn State got blown out by OSU and Michigan, but besides those two games had a very successful season. The defense limits opponents, but Utah will provide a tougher challenge than many Big 10 teams.
Utah has played great in some games, but other times the team seems to forget to show up. After their heartbreaking loss last year in the Rose Bowl, I think we will see the same Utah team that beat USC twice. I am going to pick the Utes to win their first ever Rose Bowl.
3. Peach Bowl: 1 Georgia vs 4 OSU
For very casual college football fans, this is the top bowl game. It is two big name brands pitted against each other for a National Championship berth. However, when you take a closer look at both teams, there is a pretty big possibility for a blowout. Besides the close call against Missouri, Georgia has dominated the rest of their opponents. Losing half their team to the NFL draft did not seem to make a difference, as the Bulldogs have a top ten defense and offense this season.
Although both quarterbacks were Heisman finalists, I think they both have plenty of flaws. CJ Stroud can not handle pressure and Stetson Bennet is still more of a game manager. Stroud’s main target will be Marvin Harrison Jr. and Bennet likely will target TE Brock Bowers. In order for Ohio State to pull off the upset, they will need to throw the ball frequently and early. CJ Stroud can not hold the ball, or the Georgia line will get to him.
I think this game will be close in the first half, but Georgia and the help of their run game will pull away in the second half. Georgia has the ability to slowly suck the life out of a team, which they will do to this Buckeye team that is just happy to be there.
4. Orange Bowl: 6 UT vs 10 Clemson
Despite so many of the ridiculously stupid bowl names, the Orange Bowl fits so perfectly for these two teams. To make the stakes even higher, I think the loser should not be allowed to wear orange next season.
In terms of the football side of things, it is very hard to predict how this game is going to go because both teams are without their starting quarterbacks. Tennessee lost Hendon Hooker to an ACL injury and Clemson starter DJ Uiagalelei has already transferred to Oregon State. There is also a decent amount of opt-outs, including Tennessee’s leading receiver, Jalyn Hyatt.
Clemson has a much better defense, but the Vols offense has the ability to get behind their safeties and light up the scoreboard. This depends on how accurate Joe Milton can be with his passes. Milton was not very accurate against Vanderbilt, but he has the incentive of trying to prove he should be the 2023 starter in this game.
Without Tennessee’s best two players, Hendon Hooker and Jalyn Hyatt, Clemson is a better team than the Volunteers. Cade Klubnick is a better quarterback than Joe Milton, and Clemson’s defense will make plenty of stops. I would take Clemson to win this game.
5. Music City Bowl: Iowa vs Kentucky
This game is going to be so ugly it will be enjoyable. It’s actually a rematch of last year’s Citrus Bowl, where Kentucky won by three. Iowa has a comically bad offense, and Kentucky has had their starting quarterback and top running back opt out. The total of 31.5 is the lowest of all bowl games this season. This game seems destined to end in a 10-3 score.
I think this is a must watch because of how painfully it will be to watch both offenses try to put up points. Both defenses are top 20. This game will likely be decided by the kickers.
Iowa fans are desperate for a win after having to deal with Brian Ferentz all season and having the No. 1 offensive tackle in the class of 2023, Kadyn Proctor, flip to Alabama on national signing day after being committed to his hometown Hawkeyes.
I believe this game will go under and Iowa will win on a walk-off field goal, possibly keeping Brian Feretnz around for another season.
6. Citrus Bowl 16 LSU vs Purdue
While on paper this game might not seem like the most interesting, these teams had similar seasons. Both were supposed to be so-so teams, but managed to make their conference championship games, surprising many people.
Before Jeff Brohm took the Louisville job, I had this game ranked higher. Due to Brohm’s departure, quarterback Aiden O’Connel and wide receiver Charlie Jones have opted out. The Boilermaker’s will be led by Brohm’s brother, but he is also leaving once the bowl is over to be on the Louisville staff. Despite all this, I think people are counting out Purdue too much. The Boilermakers always play hard, and the spread towards LSU has gotten way too large. I would be betting Purdue to cover.
LSU is the better team, and do not have too many opt-outs. Jalen Daniels will be under center, and will be looking to top off an impressive rebound season after arriving from Arizona State via the transfer portal. While I think LSU will win, I don’t think it will be as much as a blowout as Vegas thinks it will be.
7. Birmingham Bowl: East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina
A battle for Carolina will be going down in Birmingham tonight as East Carolina and Coastal Carolina try to prove who is the better Carolina team. Coastal lost their head coach to Liberty, but will try to prove that their three year run under Jamey Chadwell does not need to come to an end.
Coastal’s star quarterback, Grayson McCall has announced he will be entering the transfer portal, but is still going to be playing in this game. I do not know how this does not make things awkward in the locker room, but good for him for sticking with Coastal for the entire season.
East Carolina is a hard team to figure out because they will get a good win and then turn around and lose by 30 points. Their offense has to score frequently because the defense is so bad. They gave up 88 points in their last two games combined.
I see this game being a shootout, but Coastal Carolina will win.
Thanks for reading, I hope everyone had a great holiday!
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