I just got the bowl page updated. While I don’t have tracking for my correct vs. incorrect picks yet, it at least has the correct Orange Bowl and shows all of my predictions.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Thursday, January 1
12:00: Texas Tech (#4) vs. Oregon (#5) (Orange Bowl @ Miami Gardens, FL; ESPN): This is probably the most intriguing of all the playoff matchups. In some ways, you’d probably expect that from the 4 vs. 5 game, but still. The dynamics in play are “new money” versus “even newer money”, as Texas Tech was the most aggressive team in the transfer portal last year, with this the intended result. This will be, by far, the stiffest test the Red Raiders have faced on both sides of the ball. That said, Oregon lost their only game this year when the faced a team of a similar caliber (Indiana), so those challenges also apply to the Ducks. Suffice it to say, this game is pretty much a coin flip, and I’m going to go with Texas Tech.
SP+ line: TTU by 2.5
Vegas line: TTU by 1.5
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: Just three. The first was a 28-13 Oregon win in 1991, and the most recent was… two years ago, a 38-30 Ducks win. Oregon is 3-0 overall.
Last bowl game: TTU has a five season streak, dating to a 34-7 win over Mississippi State in the 2021 Liberty Bowl. Last season they lost 39-26 to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl. A couple of Saturdays ago, Oregon beat James Madison 51-34 to advance.
Announcers: Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George, and Stormy Buonantony

4:00: Indiana (#1) vs. Alabama (#9) (Rose Bowl @ Pasadena, CA; ESPN): This game shouldn’t be close. Indiana is clearly the best team in the country, and Bama arguably shouldn’t even be in the playoff. But I have the nagging feeling that somehow, Bama will finally play offense for the first time in two months and finally have a version of Ty Simpson that looks like he’s played quarterback before. It might rain at the Rose Bowl (or, at least, the parade) and that could also equalize things. That said, the Hoosiers get it done on both sides of the ball, and they should be able to handle business. Hopefully.
SP+ line: Hoosiers by 13.1
Vegas line: Hoosiers by 7
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: This is the first meeting between these teams.
Last bowl game: Indiana loast 27-17 to Notre Dame in the first round of last season’s playoff. To get here, Bama got revenge on Oklahoma 34-24.
Announcers: Chris Folwer, Kirk Herbstret, Holly Rowe, and Kris Budden

8:00: Georgia (#3) vs. Mississippi (#6) (Sugar Bowl @ New Orleans, LA; ESPN): I think this is where the fun stops for the Rebels, and the real cleanup in the post-Kiffin era truly begins. I suppose the “it’s hard to beat a team twice” gods may intervene here, but overall I don’t see a path forward for Mississippi.
SP+ line: uga by 0.3
Vegas line: uga by 7
Watchability tier: IV
Previous meetings: As is usual with the Mississippi schools and SEC history, there’s probably not as many meetings between these teams as you’d expect. They first met in 1940, a 28-14 Mississippi win. They met just three more times in the 1940’s and just once in the 1950’s. With Georgia Tech and Tulane leaving in 1963 and 1965, they began to play more often in the 10-team SEC, playing every year from 1966 through 2002. Georgia feasted during that time, piling up wins against mostly hapless Rebel teams to a 34-14-1 overall record, including the most recent 43-35 Georgia win in Athens back in October.
Last bowl game: Unfortunately, Georgia owns the longest streak of postseason appearances, dating to a 33-6 win over Wisconsin in the 1997-98 Outback Bowl. Last season in the playoff, Georgia was one of the teams that got the bye and then promptly fell on their face, losing 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal. The Rebels took care of business 41-10 over Tulane in the first round to get here.
Announcers: Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath, and Laura Rutledge

Friday, January 2
1:00: Rice vs. Texas State (Armed Forces Bowl @ Fort Worth, TX; ESPN): It’s a bowl game, so anything could happen, but this should be the Bobcats all the way.
SP+ line: TxSt by 14.5
Vegas line: TxSt by 11.5
Watchability tier: I
Previous meetings: Just one, at least with teams being considered “top” level teams: a 45-21 Texas State win in the 2023 First Responder Bowl.
Last bowl game: This is Rice’s first postseason appearance since the 2023 First Responder Bowl, a 45-21 loss to Texas State. For Texas state, they’re presumably happy to playing somewhere else in the Metroplex after also beat North Texas in last season’s First Responder Bowl, 30-28.
Announcers: Lowell Galindo, Aaron Murray, and Lauren Sisler

4:30: Navy vs. Cincinnati (Liberty Bowl @ Memphis, TN; ESPN): This one could be fun. Cincy comes in off a solid-but-not-great season, and any game involving the service academies can be interesting. I like Cincy here but keep an eye on it.
SP+ line: Cincy by 2
Vegas line: Navy by 6.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: These teams met for the first time in 1956, a 13-7 Navy win. Since then, they played somewhat regularly as members of the American from 2017-2022, a period dominated by Cincy. Overall the Bearcats have a 3-2 record.
Last bowl game: Last season, Navy beat Oklahoma 21-20 in the Armed Forces Bowl. For Cincinnati, this is their first postseason appearance since a 24-7 win over Louisville in the 2022 Fenway Bowl.
Announcers: TV: Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison, and Dawn Davenport

8:00: Southern Methodist vs. Arizona (Holiday Bowl @ San Diego, CA; FOX): This game should be relatively even. SMU, of course, was last seen suffering a brutal loss in Berkeley. Arizona had a relatively good year and is coming off a Territorial Cup win. I’ve got SMU, but I expect it to be close.
SP+ line: Zona by 0.3
Vegas line: Zona by 2.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: Just twice, and considering these are one-off regular season games, it’s kind of surprising. The first was a 29-7 SMU win in 1938, and the other was a 28-6 Arizona win in 1985.
Last bowl game: SMU would have a seven game bowl streak dating to the 2019 Boca Raton bowl, but skipped 2020 and the 2021 Fenway Bowl was canceled. Last season they lost 38-10 to Penn State in the opening round of the playoff. This is Arizona’s first bowl game since a 38-24 win over Oklahoma in the 2023 Alamo Bowl.
Announcers: Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt

8:00: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State (Mayo Bowl @ Charlotte, NC; ESPN): While I cover the playoff games like bowl games, this is last true exhibition on this list. And maybe appropriately, this game doesn’t have a lot of juice. Wake Forest is… Wake Forest, and Miss State is a 5-7 SEC team in a bowl season that’s seen the non-elite tiers of the SEC really get exposed so far.  I like Wake in this one, but honest I just hope it’s a decent game.
SP+ line: Wake by 0.6
Vegas line: MissSt by 3.5
Watchability tier: II
Previous meetings: Just once, a 23-17 Miss State win in the 2011 Music City Bowl.
Last bowl game: Wake’s last postseason appearance was a 27-17 win over Mizzou in the 2022 Gasparilla Bowl. Similarly, this is the first postseason game for the Bulldogs since a 19-10 win over Illinois in the 2022-23 ReliaQuest Bowl.
Announcers: Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, and Paul Carcaterra

Sunday, January 4
8:00: Wisconsin-River Falls vs. North Central (“Stagg Bowl”; NCAA Division III National Championship Game @ Canton, OH; ESPN)

Monday, January 5
7:30: Illinois State vs. Montana State (NCAA Division I National Championship Game @ Nashville, TN; ESPN)