Well, those semi-finals were a bit of a let down, eh? At least there’s still a chance Georgia won’t win the national title.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Saturday, January 1

12:00: Pennsylvania State vs. Arkansas (Outback Bowl @ Tampa, FL; ESPN2): Penn State is probably not super happy with their season, but it was still pretty good overall. Arkansas should be thrilled with the response they got their bruising style of play and a reminder of what is good about college football. I have Penn State as a slight favorite, but I could go either way here.
SP+ line: Penn State by 2.3
Vegas line: PSU by 1.5
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: Penn State’s last bowl appearance was a 53-39 win over Memphis in the 2019 Cotton Bowl. Arkansas’s last bowl game was the 2016 Belk Bowl, a 35-24 loss to Virginia Tech.
Announcers: Dave Flemming and Rod Gilmore

1:00: Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State (Fiesta Bowl @ Glendale, AZ; ESPN): Notre Dame had an excellent season on their own, but I’m sort of glad someone got to lose to Alabama instead of them. Instead, they get a Oklahoma State team that will remind a national audience that they do in fact play defense in the Big 12 now. The departure of Brian Kelly won’t, strangely, have a huge effect on this team. I think the Irish will be able to do enough to ultimately pull this out in the end.
SP+ line: ND by 4.1
Vegas line: ND by 1.5
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: Notre Dame has been to five straight bowl games, dating to the 2017-18 Citrus Bowl, where the beat LSU 21-17. Last season they lost 31-14 to Alabama in the “Rose” Bowl. Oklahoma State has been to 16 straight bowl games, dating to a 34-31 win over Alabama in the 2006 Independence Bowl. Last season they beat Miami 37-34 in the Cheezi-It Bowl.
Announcers: Bob Wischusen and Dan Orlovsky

1:00: Iowa vs. Kentucky (Citrus Bowl @ Orlando, FL; ABC): This is definitely the battle of a fun offensive team versus a stodgy defensive team, and in that contest, I’ll take the offensive team every time. I like Kentucky here.
SP+ line: Kentucky by 2.4
Vegas line: Kentucky by 2.5
Watchability tier: III
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: Iowa had been on a seven game bowl streak, but they didn’t go bowling last year, so their last appearance was a 49-24 win over Southern Cal in the 2019 Holiday Bowl. Kentucky has been to six straight bowl games, dating to the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl, where they lost 33-18 to Georgia Tech. Last season they beat NC State 23-21 in the Gator Bowl.
Announcers: Dave Pasch, Dust Dvoracek, and Tom Luginbill

5:00: Ohio State vs. Utah (Rose Bowl @ Pasadena, CA; ESPN): The Buckeyes were last seen getting pound into dust by Michigan, and the Utes will definitely present plenty of problems: after all, through Oregon they have a 2x transitive victory over the Buckeyes. Nonetheless, even with Olave out, I think the Buckeyes will be able to overpower the Utes with their talent. Either way, Southern California should still look like the reason why we love this sport.
SP+ line: Ohio State by 12.7
Vegas line: Buckeyes by 6.5
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: In a reminder that the Utes have not always been a power conference team, the Buckeyes shellacked them 64-6 back in 1986.
Last bowl game: The Buckeyes are on a nine game postseason appearance streak, dating to a 40-35 loss to Clemson in the 2013-14 Orange Bowl. Last season they beat Clemson 49-28 in the Sugar Bowl, and then lost to Bama 52-24 in the national championship game. For the Utes, their last bowl appearance was a 38-10 loss to Texas in the 2019 Alamo Bowl.
Announcers: Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit

8:45: Baylor vs. Mississippi (Sugar Bowl @ New Orleans, LA; ESPN): Finally, the wrap-up to the day is in New Orleans. I don’t know what’s going to happen in this one, I just hope there’ll be some points. I did apparently pick Ole Miss, so let’s go with that.
SP+ line: Ole Miss by 2.8
Vegas line: Baylor by 1.5
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: Back in 1975, Baylor won 20-10.
Last bowl game: Baylor’s last bowl appearance was the 2019-20 Sugar Bowl, where they lost 26-14 to Georgia. Ole Miss beat Indiana 26-20 in last season’s Outback Bowl.
Announcers: Joe Tessitore and Greg McElroy

Tuesday, January 4

9:00: Kansas State vs. Louisiana State (Texas Bowl @ Houston, TX; ESPN): Honestly, the betting line on this game should be whether ESPN spends more time (for a game that kicks off at NINE PM EASTERN!) talking about the playoff or the game itself. As for the game itself, the send-off for Coach O was really the victory over Texas A&M back in November, and he won’t be coaching in this game. I don’t expect LSU to really be here, if you know what I mean.
SP+ line: K-State by 5.8
Vegas line: EVEN
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: Just one, a 21-0 LSU win in 1980.
Last bowl game: K-State’s last bowl appearance was the 2019 Liberty Bowl, a 20-17 loss to Navy. LSU had a 20 season streak before the pandemic, but they didn’t go a bowl last season at 5-5. Their last postseason appearance was thus the 2019 national title run: a 63-28 win over Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl, and then a 42-25 win over Clemson in the national title game.
Announcers: Dave O’Brien and Tim Hasselbeck

By the time this post goes up, I should have updated the main bowl webpage with the latest stats and bowl re-shuffling. If not, well, the previews for New Year’s Eve-Eve and New Year’s Eve are below. Enjoy!

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Thursday, December 30

11:30: North Carolina vs. South Carolina (Mayo Bowl @ Charlotte, NC; ESPN): These occasional rivals meet in the most Carolina bowl of them all. I kinda feel for South Carolina in some ways because they were having a swimmingly good season under Shane Beamer, beat Auburn, rolled in with some momentum into the Palmetto Bowl, and then… got completely waxed 45-0 by Clemson. Same old same old. I like UNC here.
SP+ line: UNC by 7.1
Vegas line: UNC by 6.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: These two were tied at the hip in the Southern Conference and ACC for a time. Their first meeting was in 1913, a 17-0 UNC win. Starting in 1922, they were conference-mates, up until South Carolina’s departure from the ACC after 1971. They most recently met in an out-of-conference game in 2019, a 24-20 UNC win. The Tar Heels lead the overall series 33-19-4.
Last bowl game: The Tar Heels are currently on a three game bowl streak. In 2019, they beat Temple 55-13 in the Military Bowl, and last season they lost 41-27 to Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl. The last bowl appearance for the Gamecocks was a 28-0 loss to Virginia in the 2018 Belk Bowl.
Announcers: Anish Shroff and Mike Golic Jr

3:00: Purdue vs. Tennessee (Music City Bowl @ Nashville, TN; ESPN): I thought Purdue kind of had a somewhat better season, but the Vols are solid favorite here. The Vols mostly won and lost the games they should’ve. Overall, I view this as fairly even with a slight lean toward the Vols.
SP+ line: Vols by 9.2
Vegas line: Vols by 4.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: Just one. The Boilermakers won the 1979 Bluebonnet Bowl 27-22.
Last bowl game: Purdue’s last bowl game was the 2018 Music City Bowl, a 63-14 loss to Auburn. Tennessee’s last appearance was the 2019-20 Gator Bowl, a 23-22 win over Indiana.
Announcers: Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, and Cole Cubelic

7:00: Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh (Peach Bowl @ Atlanta, GA; ESPN): My enthusiasm for this game is somewhat tempered by the fact Kenneth Walker and Kenny Pickett won’t play, but this should still a sold, physical matchup. However, without Pickett I really worry about Pitt’s ability to generate offense, and if it’s really a war of attrition, I think that favors Sparty.
SP+ line: Pitt by 8.3
Vegas line: Sparty by 1.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: There’s been 7 meetings between these teams, and it’s been all Sparty. They won the first game in 1945 12-7. The most recent was a 2007 regular season meeting, where a Pitt team that would later become famous for other reasons lost 17-13. Michigan State leads the overall series 6-0-1 (the tie was 7-7 in 1960).
Last bowl game: Sparty’s last bowl game was a 27-21 win over Wake Forest in the 2019 Pinstripe Bowl. Pitt didn’t play in a bowl game last year, so their last appearance was the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl, a 34-30 win over Eastern Michigan.
Announcers: Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III, and Quint Kassenich

10:30: Wisconsin vs. Arizona State (Las Vegas Bowl @ Las Vegas, NV; ESPN): Welcome to the shiny, upgraded Las Vegas Bowl, which swapped a Mountain West team for a Big Ten team. Unlike some other bowl destinations, Wisky won’t be able to drain Vegas of its booze, and they are solid favorites here in my mind.
SP+ line: Wisky by 6.3
Vegas line: Wisky by 6.5
Watchability tier: III
Previous meetings: The Badgers have considered Arizona State in four previous regular season matchups. The first was a 42-16 Sun Devils win in 1967. The most recent was a 32-30 Arizona State win in 2013, giving them a 3-1 series lead.
Last bowl game: The Sun Devils last appeared in the 2019 Sun Bowl, a 20-14 win over Florida State. Wisky has been to 20 straight bowl games, going all the way back to 2002 Alamo Bowl, where they defeated Colorado 31-28. Last season the Badgers pasted Wake in the Mayo Bowl, 42-28.
Announcers: Beth Mowins and Kirk Morrison

Friday, December 31

11:00: Wake Forest vs. Rutgers (Gator Bowl @ Jacksonville, FL; ESPN): Rutgers got called in as a replacement last week, and while I’m sure they’re happy to make a bowl again, I can’t imagine they’re all that excited about facing one of college football’s wackiest offenses on a week’s notice. I like Wake big here.
SP+ line: Wake by 11.6
Vegas line: Wake by 12.5
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: Just two. The first was in 1997, a 28-14 Wake Forest win. The next was in 1999, a 17-10 Wake Forest win.
Last bowl game: Rutgers makes their first bowl game since the 2014 Quick Lane Bowl, a 40-21 win over North Carolina. Wake has made six straight bowl games, going back to 34-26 win over Temple in the 2016 Military Bowl. Last season they lost 42-28 to Wisconsin in the Mayo Bowl.
Announcers: Taylor Zarzour and Matt Stinchcomb

12:30: Central Michigan vs. Washington State (Sun Bowl @ El Paso, TX; CBS): Similarly, CMU replaced Miami here. If Wazzu shows up for this, they’ll be big favorites.
SP+ line: Wazzu by 8.1
Vegas line: Wazzu by 8
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: The Chips were last seen in the postseason in the 2019 New Mexico Bowl where they lost 48-11 to San Diego State. Wazzu had a mini-streak interrupted by the pandemic, so they were last in a bowl game in the 2019 Cheez-It Bowl (Arizona version), where they lost 31-21 to Air Force.
Announcers: Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson

3:30: Alabama vs. Cincinnati (Cotton Bowl @ Arlington, TX; ESPN): And here we go. Bama-Cincy being the early game was a decision for sure, but honesty I’m here for both of these matchups. I think Cincy’s defense can hang with Bama, but I just can’t intellectually convince myself of taking the upset. I do think it’ll be closer to the SP+ margin below than the Vegas margin.
SP+ line: Bama by 4.2
Vegas line: Bama by 13.5
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: There’s been four previous meetings between these teams, and you get no bonus points for guessing that Bama is 4-0 in those games. The first one was a 21-3 win in 1982, and the most recent was a 45-7 win in 1990.
Last bowl game: Cincy has made four straight bowl games, dating to the 2018 Military Bowl, where they beat Virginia Tech 35-31. They lost 24-21 to Georgia in last season’s Peach Bowl. Bama has made 18 straight bowl games, dating to the 2004 Music City Bowl, where they lost 20-16 to Minnesota. Last season they beat Notre Dame 31-24 in the “”Rose”” Bowl and beat Ohio State 52-24 in the national championship game.
Announcers: Sean McDonough and Todd Blackledge

7:30: Michigan vs. Georgia (Orange Bowl @ Miami Gardens, FL; ESPN): I watched Michigan-Ohio State, Michigan-Iowa, and Georgia-Bama in the last two weeks of the season. (I did also watch Georgia-Georgia Tech, but unfortunately we’re not good enough for that to be instructive in any way, shape, or form.) What I saw does not convince me that Georgia has the offensive capability to overcome Michigan’s defense, and I don’t think the opposite is true. I have Michigan in what is technically an upset.
SP+ line: UGA by 5.8
Vegas line: UGA by 7.5
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: There’s been two previous meetings, and they were both in the Big House. Michigan won 26-0 in 1957, but #10 UGA edged out #7 Michigan 15-7 in 1965.
Last bowl game: Michigan’s last bowl game was the 2019 Citrus Bowl, a 35-16 loss to Alabama. UGA now owns the country’s longest bowl streak after Virginia Tech didn’t go to a bowl last season, which is now 25 straight seasons. (VPI went 5-6 last season, so I’ll count that as interrupting the streak.) The UGA streak began with a 33-6 win over Wisconsin in the 1997-98 Outback Bowl. Last season they beat Cincinnati 24-21 in the Peach Bowl.
Announcers: Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit

It’s been pretty even for me so far with the bowl predictions. For the latest on that and what games are going to be played, see here.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Monday, December 27

11:00: Nevada vs. Western Michigan (Quick Lane Bowl @ Detroit, MI; ESPN): I’m mostly just basing this prediction on the general idea that MWC > MAC, and assuming that Nevada will take care of business.
SP+ line: Nevada by 6.9
Vegas line: WMU by 3.5
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: This is the fourth straight bowl game for the Wolfpack. While most aren’t excited about going to Detroit, this team has been to two straight Potato Bowls, so at least this is in a dome. The first game of their streak was the 2018 Arizona Bowl, a 16-13 win over Arkansas State. Last season they beat Tulane 38-27 in the Potato Bowl. Western Michigan’s last bowl game was the 2019 First Responder Bowl, a 23-20 loss to Western Kentucky.
Announcers: Mike Couzens and Dustin Fox

Tuesday, December 28

12:00: Houston vs. Auburn (Birmingham Bowl @ Birmingham, AL; ESPN): I maybe could’ve gone a “III” on the Watchability Tier for this one, but let’s face it, I can’t imagine Auburn is super motivated to go to UAB’s stadium and play a Houston team that probably wants it way more than them. Could definitely be another UCF-over-Florida scenario.
SP+ line: Cougs by 0.2
Vegas line: Auburn by 2.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: There’s been 11 meetings between these two teams. They met for the fisrt time in 1956, a 12-0 Auburn win. The most recent was a 7-0 Auburn win in 1973. Overall, Auburn leads the series 5-1.
Last bowl game: The Tigers are on a 9 game bowl streak. It started back in the 2013 BCS Championship Game, a 34-31 loss to Florida State. Last season they were whooped 35-19 by Northwestern in the Citrus Bowl. Houston’s last bowl appearance was last season’s New Mexico Bowl, a 28-14 loss to Hawaii.
Announcers: Wes Durham and Eric Mac Lain

3:15: Air Force vs. Louisville (First Responder Bowl @ Dallas, TX; ESPN): This one could well be pretty close. Louisville did well to get here, but these AF teams are always tough to play. I have the Cardinals by a smidge.
SP+ line: Louisville by 0.7
Vegas line: Louisville by 1.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: Air Force’s last bowl appearance was the 2019 Cheez-It Bowl (the Arizona version), a 31-21 win over Wazzu. For the Cardinals, it was the 2019 Music City Bowl, a 38-28 win over Miss State.
Announcers: Chris Cotter and Mark Herzlich

6:45: Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State (Liberty Bowl @ Memphis, TN; ESPN): SP+ likes the Bulldogs way more than I do, so I’ll take them over the coachless Texas Tech. (And isn’t kind of wild that a team that makes a bowl for the first time since 2017 fired their coach? Maybe that’s just me.)
SP+ line: Bulldogs by 5.3
Vegas line: Miss State by 8.5
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: There’s been 7 previous meetings between these teams. The first was a 27-20 Tech win in 1953. The most recent was a 20-16 Miss State win in 1970. Overall, Miss State leads the series 4-2-1.
Last bowl game: This is the 12th-straight bowl game for the Bulldogs, which is really kind of amazing considering their historical lot in life. The streak started with a 51-14 win over Michigan in the 2010-11 Gator Bowl. Last season, they beat Tulsa 28-26 in the Armed Forces Bowl. For the Red Raiders, their last bowl appearance was a 38-34 loss to South Florida in the 2017 Birmingham Bowl.
Announcers: Dave Neal and Deuce McAllister

8:00: North Carolina State vs. California-Los Angeles (Holiday Bowl @ San Diego, CA; FOX): Add this one to “bowl games in baseball stadiums” because San Diego State’s new stadium isn’t ready yet. Until then, unlike almost every San Diego-based football event, this game will actually be played in San Diego. At any rate, I think this game could be fun, but ultimately I think NCSU is just a plain better team.
SP+ line: NCSU by 6.8
Vegas line: EVEN
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: There’s been just two previous meetings between these teams, which were back-to-back UCLA victories in 1959 and 1960. They won the first 21-12 and the second 7-0.
Last bowl game: NC State’s last bowl game was a 23-21 loss to Kentucky in the 2020-21 Gator Bowl. UCLA’s last bowl appearance was a 35-17 loss to Kansas State in the 2017 Cactus Bowl.
Announcers: Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt

10:15: Minnesota vs. West Virginia (Guaranteed Rate Bowl @ Phoenix, AZ; ESPN): I gotta say, I could use some late-night weirdness here. I don’t think Minnesota is as good as SP+ does, but they did beat Wisconsin at the end of the season, so there may be some sizzle there.
SP+ line: Gophers by 12.6
Vegas line: Gophers by 3.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: For the Golden Gophers, this is their first bowl appearance since the 2019-20 Outback Bowl, a 31-24 win over Auburn. The Mountaineers beat Army 24-21 in last season’s Liberty Bowl.
Announcers: Dave Flemming and Rod Gilmore

Wednesday, December 29

2:15: Virginia Tech vs. Maryland (Pinstripe Bowl @ New York, NY; ESPN): VPI fired their coach and Maryland is just… not very good. Hence the low watchability rating. That said, I do like Tech here but I don’t feel super great about it.
SP+ line: VPI by 2.2
Vegas line: EVEN
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: As one might guess from their proximity and a couple of stints of being in the same conference (the Southern Conference from 1921 through 1953, and the ACC from 2004 through 2014), they’ve met 31 times. The first was back in 1919, a 6-0 VPI win. The teams played yearly from then until 1936, and then reumed the series from 1945 through 1950. They then played some one off games in the early 90’s and 5 games as ACC members. The last one of those was their last meeting in 2013, a 27-24 Maryland win. The overall series is tight, with the Terps holding a 16-15 edge.
Last bowl game: For the Terps, this is their first bowl appearance since the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl, a 36-30 loss to Boston College. For the Hokies, they missed a bowl for the first time since 1992 due to the pandemic.They lost 37-30 to Kentucky in the 2019 Belk Bowl.
Announcers: Matt Barrie and Roddy Jones

5:45: Clemson vs. Iowa State (Cheez-It Bowl @ Orlando, FL; ESPN): Now we’re going. These teams both fell short of expectations this season, and in the closing month of the season Clemson definitely figured some things out on offense while maintaining their usual high standard on defense. The Cyclones have been wreaked by injuries, but this is still a talented, well-coached team that can give DJ and Co. fits. I’m still going with the Tigers, but what I’m really rooting for is a fun game.
SP+ line: Clemson by 5.3
Vegas line: EVEN
Watchability tier: III
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: The Tigers have apperaed in 17 straight bowl games, dating to a 19-10 win over Colorado in the 2005 Champs Sports Bowl. Last season they lost 49-28 to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. The Cyclones have appeared in 5 straight bowl games, dating to a 21-20 win over Memphis in the 2017 Liberty Bowl. Last season they beat Oregon 34-17 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Announcers: Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, and Tom Luginbill

9:15: Oklahoma vs. Oregon (Alamo Bowl @ San Antonio, TX; ESPN): And if the above game is going to be fun, well, turn on the afterburners here because this one could be great. Both these teams love speed and offense. Expect a shootout. I like the Sooner’s mass on the lines in the end, though.
SP+ line: Sooners by 2.7
Vegas line: Sooners by 4.5
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: These teams have met 7 times. The first was a 6-0 Sooners win in 1958, with the most recent featuring the infamous botched onside kick call in 2006. Aided by the call the Ducks stormed back and won 34-33. The Sooners, though, have the last laugh: the lead the overall series 6-1.
Last bowl game: The Sooners have been to 23 (twenty-three!) straight bowl games. The streak started with a 27-25 loss to Ole Miss in the 1999 Independence Bowl. Last season, they beat Florida 55-20 in the Cotton Bowl. Oregon has been to 5 straight bowl games, dating to a 38-28 loss to Boise State in the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl. Last season they lost 34-17 to Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Announcers: Jason Benetti, Andre Ware, and Paul Carcaterra

I’m heading into Christmas week 0.500 overall to this point. I’d say all my misses are upsets so far, so there’s at least that.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Monday, December 20

2:30: Tulsa vs. Old Dominion (Myrtle Beach Bowl @ Conway, SC; ESPN): Tulsa getting bowl eligible snuck up on me somewhat, and the same kind of goes for ODU. But it turns out that Tulsa’s close-but-not-quite wins against quality AAC opponents adds up to an advantage for them, and I’m inclined to agree with the math.
SP+ line: Tulsa by 11.1
Vegas line: Tulsa by 9.5
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: Tulsa lost to Miss State 28-26 in last season’s Armed Forces Bowl. ODU’s previous, and to this point only, bowl appearance was a 24-20 win over Eastern Michigan in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl.
Announcers: Kevin Brown, Huston Mason, and Marty Smith

Tuesday, December 21

3:30: Wyoming vs. Kent State (Potato Bowl @ Boise, ID; ESPN): The forecast for Boise on Tuesday appears to be pretty cold and a little windy, but no snow until after the game. Darn. At any rate, Wyoming was too inconsistent on the year for me to be able to pick them here, so I’m going with the Flashses.
SP+ line: Wyoming by 4.5
Vegas line: Cowboys by 2.5
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: Wyoming’s last bowl game was a 38-17 win over Georgia State in the 2019 Arizona Bowl. Kent’s last bowl game was a 51-41 win over Utah State in the 2019 Frisco Bowl.
Announcers: Bill Roth and Kelly Stouffer

7:30: Texas-San Antonio vs. San Diego State (Frisco Bowl @ Frisco, TX; ESPN): Now here we go. We have UTSA’s fun-ask-heck offense versus San Diego State’s defense and punter. The problem for the Road Runners is likely to be that SDSU is just more talented than them, but I still think this could be a fun one.
SP+ line: SDSU by 0.1
Vegas line: Meep Meep by 2.5
Watchability tier: III
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: The Road Runners’s lost to Louisiana 31-24 in last season’s First Responder Bowl. The Aztec’s last bowl appearance was a 48-11 romp over Central Michigain in the 2019 New Mexico Bowl.
Announcers: Clay Matvick and Rocky Boiman

Wednesday, December 22

8:00: Missouri vs. Army (Armed Forces Bowl @ Fort Worth, TX; ESPN): Army’s loss to Navy was pretty shocking, but they’re getting a supremely mediocre Mizzou team here that could well not care for getting knees hit for 4 quarters. I’ll still take Army here.
SP+ line: Army by 5.2
Vegas line: Army by 3.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: “These teams have met four times. The first meeting was in 1968, a 7-3 Mizzou win. The most recent was A 23-10 Mizzou win in 1982. Mizzou leads the series 3-1.”
Last bowl game: Army lost 24-21 in last season’s Liberty Bowl to West Virginia. Mizzou’s last bowl appearance was also the Liberty Bowl. In 2018 they lost 38-33 to Oklahoma State.
Announcers: Tiffany Greene and Jay Walker

Thursday, December 23

3:30: Miami vs. North Texas (Frisco Football Classic @ Frisco, TX; ESPN): After all of the other bowls were announced, there was still an extra team. So this game was created so that MAC Miami and 6-7 Hawaii could go to bowl games. Why it got called a “Classic”, which it didn’t even exist a month ago, remains a mystery. Since it also kicks off less than 4 hours before the Gasparilla Bowl, that also makes it likely to delay that game. Great. At any rate, the Mean Green weren’t terribly good this year, and SP+ has the Redhawks as an 8 point favorite, so I’ll go with them.
SP+ line: Miami by 7.8
Vegas line: Miami by 2.5
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: UNT played in last season’s Myrtle Beach Bowl and lost 56-28 to App State. Miami lost 27-17 to Louisiana in the 2019/20 Mobile Alabama Bowl.
Announcers: Clay Matvick and Rocky Boiman

7:00: Central Florida vs. Florida (Gasparilla Bowl @ Tampa, FL; ESPN): UF should win this game. The problem for the Gators, and ultimately for Dan Mullen, is that there were many games this year they should have won. They are also facing a foe is not unfamiliar with the Gators with Gus Malzahn over on the Golden Knight’s sideline. Plus, the game is in Tampa, the vertex of a very humid triangle with Orlando and Gainesville. I still will pick the Gators, but I have zero confidence about it.
SP+ line: Florida by 8.9
Vegas line: Gators by 6.5
Watchability tier: III
Previous meetings: These teams have met twice. Florida won the first meeting, a 58-27 win in 1999, and again 42-0 in 2006.
Last bowl game: This is the fourth straight bowl game for the Gators. The streak started with a 41-15 win over Michigan in the 2018 Peach Bowl. Last season they got waxed 55-20 by Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
Announcers: Wes Durham and Roddy Jones

Friday, December 24

8:00: Memphis vs. Hawaii (Hawaii Bowl @ Honolulu, HI; ESPN): Memphis was definitely down this year, but Hawaii just wasn’t, like, good. But hey, it’ll be a home game for them. I’m still picking Memphis though.
SP+ line: Memphis by 0.6
Vegas line: Memphis by 6.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: This is Memphis’s eighth consecutive bowl appearance. Their streak dates to the 2014 Miami Beach Bowl, a punchy (literally) 55-48 win over BYU. Last season they beat FAU 25-10 in the Montgomery Bowl. Hawaii has made four straight bowl games, starting with a 31-14 loss to Louisiana Tech in the 2018 Hawaii Bowl. They beat Houston 28-14 in last season’s New Mexico Bowl.
Announcers: Jason Benetti, Andre Ware, and Paul Carcaterra

Saturday, December 25

2:30: Ball State vs. Georgia State (Camellia Bowl @ Montgomery, AL; ESPN): I don’t know anything about this Ball State team, and the Panthers are nearly a two-score favorite. Plus, this game is during the day on Christmas Day. Will anyone actively watch this?
SP+ line: GSU by 9.3
Vegas line: Panthers by 4.5
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: These teams have met twice. The first was a 31-19 Georgia State win in 2015. In 2016, Ball State won 31-21.
Last bowl game: Ball State beat San Jose State 34-13 in last season’s Arizona Bowl. Georgia State has made three straight bowl games. They lost 38-17 to Wyoming in the 2019 Arizona Bowl and beat Western Kentucky 39-21 in last season’s Lendingtree Bowl.
Announcers: Roy Philpott and Huston Mason

Oh hey, we’re back on this this thing. I have to admit it snuck up on a me a bit this year, but not only are we here early, we’ve also got eight games to cover! We really need to get crackin’!

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Friday, December 17

12:00: Toledo vs. Middle Tennessee State (Bahamas Bowl @ Nassau, Bahamas; ESPN): Toledo happened run into NIU’s luck-driven bandsaw in the MAC Championship game, but fortunately for them here MTSU is both kind of bad and not terribly lucky.
SP+ line: Toledo by 13.2
Vegas line: Toledo by 9.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: Toledo’s last bowl game was this game in 2018, where they lost 35-32 to FIU. MTSU also hasn’t been to a bowl game since 2018, where they lost 45-13 to App State in the New Orleans Bowl.
Announcers: Matt Barrie and Booger McFarland

6:00: Coastal Carolina vs. Northern Illinois (Cure Bowl @ Orlando, FL; ESPN2):

Yes I know who you remind me of
A girl I think I used to know
Yes I’d see her when the day got colder
On those days when it felt like snow

You know I even think that she stared like you
She used to just stand there and stare
And roll her eyes right up to heaven
And make like I just wasn’t there

And she used to fall down a lot
That girl was always falling
Again and again
And I used to sometimes try to catch her
But I never even caught her name

And sometimes we would spend the night
Just rolling about on a floor
And I remember
Even though it felt soft at the time
I always used to wake up sore

You know I even think that she smiled like you
She used to just stand there and smile
And her eyes would go all sort of far away
And stay like that for quite a while

And I remember she used to fall down a lot
That girl was always falling
Again and again
And I used to sometimes try to catch her
But I never even caught her name

Yes I sometimes even tried to catch her
But I never even caught her name

Ahem. Speaking of the Huskies, here they are! Basically every statistical framework is agreement that they are, indeed, very lucky, but the simplest one is that they won nine games have a negative scoring margin on the season. They are, indeed, the Anti-Nebraska. You will also note that the Chanticleers, despite not being terribly great this year themselves, are 20 point favorites in this game. I’m inclined to agree.
SP+ line: Coastal Carolina by 20.2
Vegas line: Cosatal Carolina by 9.5
Watchability tier: III
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: This is Coastal’s second ever bowl game. The first was a 37-34 last season in the Cure Bowl. NIU was last seen in a bowl game in 2018’s Boca Raton Bowl, where they got beat 37-13 by UAB.
Announcers: Mike Morgan and Kirk Morrison

Saturday, December 18

11:00: Appalachian State vs. Western Kentucky (Boca Raton Bowl @ Boca Raton, FL; ESPN): Well, the “transplanted offense” thing didn’t help WKU win Conference USA, but by all indications this should be a close one in Boca. I still kinda like App though.
SP+ line: WKU by 1
Vegas line: Appalachian State by 2.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: This will be seven in a row for App State, as one of the group of teams that actually played a bowl game last season. The stream started with a 31-29 win over Ohio in the Camellia Bowl. Last season they beat North Texas 56-28 in the Myrle Beach Bowl. For the Hilltoppers, this makes three in a row. In 2019 they beat Western Michigan 23-20 in the First Responder Bowl, and then lost 39-21 to Georgia State in last season’s Lendingtree Bowl.
Announcers: Clay Matvick and Rocky Boiman

2:15: Texas-El Paso vs. Fresno State (New Mexico Bowl @ Albuquerque, NM; ESPN): UTEP is a fun, feel-good story this year, and they’re gonna get pasted by Fresno.
SP+ line: Fresno by 15.3
Vegas line: Fresno State by 11.5
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: These teams have met 9 times, with Fresno owning a 6-2-1 series lead. Their first meeting was in 1992, a 43-18 Fresno win, and the most recent was a 24-21 UTEP win in 2004.
Last bowl game: This will be UTEP’s first bowl game since a 21-6 loss to Utah State in the 2014 New Mexico Bowl. Even beyond their limited bowl game appearances, they also have lost 5 bowl games in a row. Their last win was a 14-7 win over Ole Miss in the Sun Bowl. Given their general competence, I find it somewhat surprising that this will be Fresno’s first bowl game since a 31-20 win over Arizona State in the 2018 Las Vegas Bowl.
Announcers: John Schriffen and Rene Ingoglia

3:30: Alabama-Birmingham vs. Brigham Young (Independence Bowl @ Shreveport, LA; ABC): Provided they’re motivated, de facto Pac-12 South champs BYU should be able to roll the Blazers.
SP+ line: BYU by 0.2
Vegas line: BYU by 6.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: UAB was last seen in the postseason losing 31-17 to App State in the New Orleans Bowl. BYU has now made is four straight bowl appearances. The streak started with a 39-18 win over Western Michigan in the 2018 Potato Bowl, and they also beat UCF 49-23 in last season’s Boca Raton Bowl.
Announcers: Roy Philpott, Cole Cubelic, and Paul Carcaterra

5:45: Eastern Michigan vs. Liberty (Lendingtree Bowl @ Mobile, AL; ESPN): I want Liberty to lose, but they probably won’t.
SP+ line: Liberty by 13.4
Vegas line: Liberty by 9.5
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: EMU’s last bowl game appearance was the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl, a 34-30 loss to Pitt. Libery, meanwhile, gets a chance to play in a game that isn’t the Cure Bowl. In 2019 they beat Georgia Southern 23-16 and last season they beat Coastal Carolina 37-34.
Announcers: Chris Cotter and Mark Herzlich

7:30: Oregon State vs. Utah State (LA Bowl @ Los Angeles, CA; ABC): The new and (vastly) improved Aggies should pose a big challenge, and I actually feel somewhat weary about picking the Beavers here, but I’m going to go ahead and do so.
SP+ line: Oregon State by 9.7
Vegas line: Beavers by 6.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: Just twice, and they were both narrow Beaver victories. The first was 24-16 in 1997 and 20-16 in 1998.
Last bowl game: This will be the first bowl game for the Beavers since beating Boise State 38-23 in the 2013 Hawaii Bowl. Utah State’s last bowl apperance was the 2019 Frisco Bowl, where they lost 51-41.
Announcers: Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer

9:15: Marshall vs. Louisiana (New Orleans Bowl @ New Orleans, LA; ESPN): This game looks like it should be pretty close, but considering the location, I’ll give a pretty solid edge to the Cajuns.
SP+ line: Marshall by 1.2
Vegas line: Cajuns by 4.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: The Herd has has now made 5 bowl games in a row. The streak started with a 31-28 win over Colorado State in the 2017 New Mexico Bowl. Last season they lost 17-10 to Buffalo in the Camellia Bowl. The Cajuns have now also raged into four straight bowls, starting with the 2018 Cure Bowl, a 41-24 loss to Tulane. Last season they beat UTSA in 31-24 in the First Responder Bowl.
Announcers: Anish Shroff and Mike Golic Jr