Due to the holidays, traveling to the Little Caesars Bowl, and going to Ohio, I have to make a lot of these picks early. I also have to make them short. Here are a whole bunch of picks for the next few days and I will see you for New Years!
The Military Bowl - San Jose State VS Bowling Green
For San Jose, watch for QB David Fales to be the biggest threat. He has over 3,500 yards and 31 touchdowns. He will be matching up against one of the best defenses in the MAC. Bowling Green doesn't have much offense, but their defense only allowed an average of 15.8 points per game in the high scoring MAC. I think this will be a close one, but Bowling Green will use there hot defense to snuff out the Spartan's offense and win 24-20.
The Belk Bowl - Cincinnati VS Duke
Duke is in a bowl game for the first time since 199 and from the looks of it, they are going to have a hard time. The Blue Devils have a terrible running game and defense which is a dreadful combination. Cincinnati has a terrible defense too, but they have a better offense. I see running back George Winn, who has 12 touchdowns, leading the Bearcats to a 31-30 win.
The Holiday Bowl - Baylor VS UCLA
This is an interesting match up. It pairs up two great offenses. Baylor has one of the best offenses in the nation. QB Nick Florence, RB Glasco Martin, and WR Terrence Williams have been tearing up the Big 12. The problem is, they haven't faced a good defense and they don't have a defense of their own. UCLA may not have an offense as potent as Baylor, but the Bruins can still put up some points. They also have a better defense and a tougher defense than a lot of teams in the Big 12. I see UCLA scoring their way to a 40-30 win.
The Independence Bowl - Ohio VS UL-Monroe
Both of these teams are lower level conference beasts. UL-Monroe beat Arkansas early in the year and almost beat Auburn and Baylor. Ohio was able to beat Penn State this year as well. It will be a close game because both teams are similar. ULM has a dual threat QB with Kolton Browning. He leads Monroe in both rushing and passing yards. Ohio QB Tyler Tettleton is also a dual threat, but he has more play makers around him. I think that's what give Ohio the edge in this one. They will win a close one by a score of 27-23.
Russel Athletic Bowl - Rutgers VS Virginia Tech
Virginia underachieved this year. After leading his team to the Sugar Bowl, QB Logan Thomas had a bad year. He threw 14 interceptions this year with only 17 touchdowns. The offense has been down in general this year. They can't score enough to beat the teams they should and I think this will continue against the stout Scarlet Knight defense. Rutgers have also had offensive troubles, but I think their defense gives them a chance to win this game. The Scarlet Knights will squeak by in this one 13-10.
Meineke Car Care Bowl Of Texas - Minnesota VS Texas Tech
Minnesota is in a bowl game again, but the problem is that they are facing Texas Tech. Minnesota has a abysmal offense and an okay defense. The Red Raiders have an incredible passing game and a defense that should be able to stop the Golden Gopher offense. I think that short description should tell the entire story for this game. I got Texas Tech winning 41-20.
The Armed Forces Bowl - Rice VS Air Force
This game pits two 6-6 teams together. Both teams have a good run game and rely on it heavily. Both teams also have mobile QBs. Rice has Taylor McHargue who has scored 11 TD's through the air and matched that number on the ground. He is a little careless with the football, but he should have a good day against the Air Force defense. Air Force has Connor Dietz. He is a force on the ground, but doesn't throw it much. It will be a good old fashioned football game with a lot of running, but Rice's ability to pass will help them win the game 26-21.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl - West Virginia VS Syracuse
This Big East flashback should be a good one. West Virginia comes in with one of the best offenses in the nation. QB Geno Smith has had a heck of a year throwing the ball. He has over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns this year. Syracuse has a pretty good offense as well. QB Ryan Hassib will be able to shine against the Mountaineer's bad defense. The problem is that I don't think he will be able to keep up with West Virginia. The Mountaineers will win this shoot out 45-39.
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl - Navy VS Arizona State
Two great running teams face off in this match up. Navy is historically loyal to the run. Once again, they have one of the top ranked rushing attacks just because of how much they run. They also play good defense. ASU has a great running game with Mashall and Grice, but they also have a passing game with Taylor Kelly. Their defense is just as good as the Navy defense and have proven themselves against better teams.If you look at Navy's schedule, they lost against all the good teams they played. I think their 8-4 record is a bit inflated and that will show when they go up against ASU. I think Arizona State wins this game 34-20.
Alamo Bowl - Texas VS Oregon State
This is one of the better early bowl games. Oregon State came out of nowhere this year and really became a great team. Between QBs Sean Mannion and Cody Vas, the Beaver passing game has risen to great heights. Between the two of them they have 26 TDs. The Beavers also have a great defense. They allowed over 40 points just once and that was to Oregon. Texas has been pretty good throughout the Big-12 season. At times they look like one of the top teams in the nation, but at other times they look like a 6-6 team. They don't have a very good defense, which should allow Oregon State to put up some points. The offense, led by QB David Ash, has shown that they too can put up some points. I think the Longhorn defense will have a lot of difficulties against the Beaver defense which will allow Oregon State to win the game 33-28.
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl - Michigan State VS TCU
Michigan State has had such an up and down year. Their 6-6 record can mostly be credited to their strong defense. When a team only allows an average of 16.3 points per game, it should be easy to win a lot of games. Gholston has been a beast on the defensive line and he will cause a whole lot of issues for the Horned Frogs. The Spartans problem is that they can only score about 20 points per game. QB Andrew Maxwell has been shaky at best and RB Le'Veon Bell has been a ghost of the player he was last year. TCU has had a rough year as well. They lost a lot of players in the offense and during the season, but have been able to adapt. QB Trevone Boykin hasn't been great, but in the 8 games he played a major part in he has been efficient. He has an interception issue, but he makes up for it with his ability to extend the play. TCU is going to win this game because they have a better offense and a defense that can hang with MSU's. I think TCU wins 23-10 in a hard hitting game.
Thanks for reading!
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