And… that’s all folks. The final tally is here, and also here: I went 24-17, which seems to be right around my average.

I’m pretty happy with my record, and I did pretty well in ESPN’s confidence system, at least on the picks I was most confident on. Those wound up being, from most to least:

1. Virginia Tech over Tulsa (Independence Bowl)
2. Marshall over Connecticut (St. Petersburg Bowl)
3. California over Air Force (Armed Forces Bowl)
4. Mississippi State over North Carolina State (Belk Bowl)
5. Southern California over Wisconsin (Holiday Bowl)
6. Tennessee over Northwestern (Outback Bowl)
7. Michigan over Florida (Citrus Bowl)
8. Arkansas over Kansas State (Liberty Bowl)
9. Memphis over Auburn (Birmingham Bowl)
10. Georgia over Pennsylvania State (TaxSlayer Bowl)

And how about that title game, huh? It definitely did a lot to make up for the disastrously boring other major bowls over New Year’s.

Anyway, that’s it for now. College football content should resume, as usual, by August at the latest for our preview of the upcoming season’s non-conference scheduling. In the meantime, World Cup qualifying resumes in March, so look for an update about that. Until then…

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Monday, January 11
8:30: Clemson vs. Alabama (College Football Playoff Championship Game @ Glendale, AZ; ESPN): Well, here we are. This was definitely the predicted matchup, with neither of the semifinals presenting much of a challenge. If this were still the BCS era, there wouldn’t have been a controversey over the title game matchup. Fortunately, it isn’t the BCS era, but still.
You likely know the narratives coming into this one, but I find the usual stories probably don’t give Clemson enough credit. I suspect that, “Clemsoning” aside, the Tigers like it that way. The disarmament starts with their head coach. I was there, by sheer coincidence, for Dabo Swinney’s first game as head coach, as they played (and lost to) Georgia Tech. At the time, me and probably most observers figured that the interim tag would be as far as he’d get. However, the hire has turned out to be shrewd. Dabo doesn’t call the plays, heck, with the best paid assistants and coordinators this side of the SEC, who knows how much gameplanning he really does? But he recruits like hell, and as a gameday coach and motivator he’s proven himself to be one of the best. And now it’s showing. Clemson has long had skilled, er, skill players, but what has vaulted this Clemson squad into the elite is their defensive line play. That will be something to watch.
I don’t think I need to say that much about the Crimson Tide. They, too, have elite coaches directing elite talent. However, this Alabama team is not invulnerable, particularly their secondary can be beat. I also don’t think they have much on offense outside of Derrick “El Tractorito” Henry, but that’s a hell of a piece to have.
Well, it’s time for my last prediction until September. I’m picking the Tigers in a slight upset. I think both these teams are great, but I think the Tigers have a slight edge on the offensive side of the ball.
Previous Meetings: It’s not great for the Tigers, as they’re 3-12 all-time against Alabama. Even worse, those three wins came in the first three meetings in 1900, 1904, and 1905. They’ve met intermittently since, with 20-30 year gaps not uncommon. Their last meeting was in 2008, when the Tide won 34-10.
Announcers: Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit

Seriously, folks, it’s starting to become an epidemic. Maybe, just maybe, one of these four games will be close.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Saturday, January 2 
Noon: Pennsylvania State vs. Georgia (Taxslayer Bowl @ Jacksonville, FL; ESPN): Georgia is one of three teams I’ve actually seen in person this year, but if anything, that almost makes me biased against them. Their offense is predictable and stagnant, yet, better than Penn State’s, which is just kind of bad (and sack-prone, to boot). UGA should, unfortunately, have no trouble at all.
Confidence: 33
Previous Meetings: Just one, all the way back in the 1982-1983 Sugar Bowl, which had national title implications. UGA, however, flubbed their shot at grabbing the title, losing 27-23.
Last bowl game: Penn State won last year’s Pinstripe 31-30 over Boston College. This is Georgia’s nineteenth straight bowl game, dating back to the 1997-1998 Outback Bowl, where they beat Wisconsin 33-6. They beat Louisville 37-14 in last season’s Belk Bowl.
Announcers: Allen Bestwick and Dan Hawkins

3:20: Kansas State vs. Arkansas (Liberty Bowl @ Memphis, TN; ESPN): The Razorbacks had one of the worst starts to this season you can imagine outside of Washington State, losing to Toledo 16-12 in Week 2. It didn’t look to get much better from there, as they then lost to old SWC foes Texas Tech and Texas A&M. But then there was a win over a resurgent Tennessee squad, and then staying in the game against Alabama. They then went off, scoring at least 50 points in four of their remaining six games. K-State failed to find any such moments of clarity as they suffered massive struggles on offense. They lost six in a row in the middle of the season, but recovered to close out their last three against Iowa State, Kansas, and West Virginia. This allowed them to go 6-6 to get their bowl bid, though they would’ve been eligible at 5-7 this season. Suffice it to say, I’m going with Arkansas.
Confidence: 35
Previous Meetings: In the battle of the correct way to pronounce “Arkansas”, there have been five previous meetings. The first two where enthralling 5-0 and 3-0 K-State victories back in 1910 and 1911. K-State won again in 1926, but the fun stops there for the folks from the Little Apple. Arkansas won in 1967, and most recently in the 2011-2012 Cotton Bowl by a 29-16 score.
Last bowl game: This is K-State’s sixth straight bowl game, dating back to the 2010 Pinstripe Bowl, where they lost 36-34 to Syracuse. Last season saw a 40-35 defeat to UCLA in the Alamo Bowl. Arkansas defeated Texas 31-7 in last season’s Texas Bowl.
Announcers: Anish Shroff and Ahmad Brooks

6:45: Texas Christian vs. Oregon (Alamo Bowl @ San Antonio, TX; ESPN): Well, this looked like it was going to be a close game. After a sloppy start to the season and injuries to their quarterback, Oregon got a healthy Vernon Adams back and then started looking like their previous selves, winning their last six in a row and upsetting Stanford and Southern Cal in the process. TCU was in the Big 12 mix once again, but their losses to the Oklahoma schools put them here. I picked Oregon anyway, but as I said earlier, I thought this would be close. Instead, TCU’s all-everything quarterback, Trevone Boykin, punched a cop the other night. Suffice it to say, I now really think it’s going to be Oregon.
Confidence: 32
Previous Meetings: Just two. Oregon won 29-24 in 1977, and then TCU returned the favor the next year, 14-10.
Last bowl game: As previously stated, TCU walloped Mississippi in last season’s Peach Bowl, 42-3. This is the Ducks’s eleventh straight postseason, dating to the 2005 Holiday Bowl, where they lost 17-14 to Oklahoma. Last season they memorably defeated Florida State 59-20 in the Rose Bowl, advancing to the College Football Playoff Championship, where they lost 42-20 to Ohio State.
Announcers: Dave Flemming and Mack Brown

10:15: West Virginia vs. Arizona State (Cactus Bowl @ Phoenix, AZ; ESPN): Both these teams had uneven seasons, to say the least. I don’t feel particularly good picking either way in this one. West Virginia’s offense, in particular, worries me, so I’m somewhat reluctantly taking the Sun Devils here.
Confidence: 19
Previous Meetings: Just one, in 1979. The Sun Devils won 42-7.
Last bowl game: The Mountaineers lost 45-37 in last season’s Liberty Bowl. The Sun Devils, meanwhile, have a five game streak dating to the 2011 Las Vegas Bowl, where they got smacked by Boise State 56-24. They defeated Duke in last season’s Sun Bowl 36-31.
Announcers: Dave Neal and Matt Stinchcomb

2016 is here, but we’ve still got 9+1 games to go! I can’t update the main page right now, but the textual descriptions are still below.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Friday, January 1
Noon: Northwestern vs. Tennessee (Outback Bowl @ Tampa, FL; ESPN2): These are both teams coming in having won five in a row, yet I like the Vols a lot more. For starters, even though they have two more losses, none are inexcusable and all are close. By contrast, the Wildcats have only two losses, but they were by 38 and 30 points, respectively. While Northwestern has a better best win, the opening weekend victory over Stanford probably ranks as the season’s most inexplicable win behind Texas upsetting Oklahoma. Also, the most Northwestern has scored against a FBS team this season was in their 30-28 win over Nebraska. I don’t think they’re going to be able to score enough to keep up.
Confidence: 37
Previous Meetings: Just once, in the 1996-1997 Citrus Bowl. Tennessee won 48-28.
Last bowl game: After a couple 5-7 finishes, this is Northwestern’s first bowl since the 2012-2013 Gator Bowl, in which they beat Mississippi State 34-20. Tennessee beat Iowa 45-28 in last season’s Taxslayer Bowl.
Announcers: Mark Jones and Rod Gilmore

1:00:

• Florida vs. Michigan (Citrus Bowl @ Orlando, FL; ABC): Speaking of not being able to score enough, Florida’s Will Grier-less offense has been nothing less than a tire fire. They don’t stand a chance here.
  Confidence: 36
  Previous Meetings: Twice, both in bowl games. In the 2002-2003 Outback Bowl, Michigan won 38-30. In the 2007-2008 edition of this game, Michigan won 41-35.
  Last bowl game: Florida beat East Carolina 28-20 in last season’s Birmingham Bowl. Michigan’s last bowl appearance was in the 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, which they lost 34-14 to Kansas State.
  Announcers: Mike Patrick and Ed Cunningham
• Ohio State vs. Notre Dame (Fiesta Bowl @ Glendale, AZ; ESPN): Boy howdy, in retrospect it sure would’ve been nice to see the Buckeyes against Alabama last night, right? That said, this should be a pretty fun game. Both teams sport capable offenses and above-average defenses, though Ohio State holds a decided advantage in that regard. In the end, I think that will up allowing Ohio State to do a better job of holding serve. This one could get up there in terms of points, though.
  Confidence: 21
  Previous Meetings: Just five, for these Midwestern titans of the sport. Notre Dame won the first in 1935 and 1936, the latter by a electric 7-2 score. The Buckeyes won the next two regular season meetings in 1995 and 1996. The most recent was the 2005-2006 edition of this game, which Ohio State won 34-20.
  Last bowl game: This is Ohio State’s third straight postseason appearance. Last season, of course, they beat Alabama 42-35 in the Sugar Bowl and then defeated Oregon 42-20 in the inaugural College Football Playoff Championship. This is Notre Dame’s sixth straight bowl appearance, dating to the 2008 Hawaii Bowl where they beat Hawaii 49-21. Last season, they beat Louisiana State 31-28 in the Music City Bowl.
  Announcers: Sean McDonough and Chris Spielman

5:00: Iowa vs. Stanford (Rose Bowl @ Pasadena, CA; ESPN): I like Stanford here more than my confidence below might indicate. I’ve never been particularly high on Iowa all season, and after the season has ended I’ve soured on the Hawkeyes even more. They were overrated: their schedule was extremely soft and their best win is probably their win over Wisconsin (they did not play Michigan, Michigan State, or Ohio State in the regular season). I think they caught a break by getting Michigan State instead of Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. At any rate, it’s probably for the best they wound up here. They’ll face a conventional attack in Stanford, but yeah, Stanford doesn’t really care that you think they’re conventional. They will keep handing the ball off until you get tired, at which point they’ll beat you over the top. I expect this formula to play out here.
Confidence: 17
Previous Meetings: This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Last bowl game: This is Iowa’s third straight bowl game. They lost 48-28 to Tennessee in last season’s Taxslayer Bowl. This is Stanford’s seventh straight bowl game, dating to the 2009 Sun Bowl, which they lost 31-27 to Oklahoma. Last season, they ventured down 101 and cut-over on 237 to beat Maryland 45-21 in the Foster Farms Bowl.
Announcers: Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer

8:30: Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi (Sugar Bowl @ New Orleans, LA; ESPN): Both these teams can score, so this nightcap will be pretty even on the offensive side of the ball. The question is the defense. Mississippi might seem better at first glance, but consider their performances against good offensive teams. They gave up 53 to Arkansas, 27 to Mississippi State, 37 to Alabama, and 37 to Memphis. The Rebels stayed in these games by keeping pace, but the Cowboys are capable of matching them blow-for-blow.
Confidence: 31
Previous Meetings: Just two, in the 2003-2004 Cotton Bowl and the 2009-2010 edition of the same. Ole Miss won both, the latter by a 21-7 score.
Last bowl game: This is Oklahoma State’s tenth straight bowl game, dating to the 2002 Houston Bowl, where they beat Southern Mississippi 33-23. Last season, they defeated Washington in the Cactus Bowl 30-22. This is Mississippi’s fourth straight bowl game. They were walloped by TCU 42-3 in last season’s Peach Bowl.
Announcers: Bob Wischusen and Brock Huard

So my last-minute switch to North Carolina didn’t quite work out, but it was mostly a fun game nonetheless. Watching a team that normally will get 600 years in the air do it on the ground was kind of amazing, really.

Anyway, let’s cover today’s games as well as the New Year’s Eve playoff slate which ESPN is desperately hoping you watch instead of Ryan Seacrest and company.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Wednesday, December 30
Noon: Auburn vs. Memphis (Birmingham Bowl @ Birmingham, AL; ESPN): Okay, I’m sure Memphis is probably slightly bummed about their season, even though it managed to propel their head coach to the Virginia Tech job. That said, they already managed to beat a pretty good SEC team this year (at least, one that is definitively better than Auburn) and Auburn’s offense is basically kind of a disaster this year. This game could be high scoring, but I’m thinking Memphis will win by double-digits.
Confidence: 34
Previous Meetings: Just two meetings of these two Tigers, in 1975 and 1976. Memphis won both, 31-20 and 28-27, respectively.
Last bowl game: Auburn’s three game bowl streak is a study in contrasts but also similarities. It dates to the 2013-2014 BCS Championship Game, where they lost 34-31 to Florida State. Last season, they lost… 34-31 to Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. (If Auburn scores 31 in this game with their current offense, well, I’d be surprised.) Memphis beat BYU 55-48 in last season’s Miami Beach Bowl, but perhaps the real victory was getting the Stormin’ Mormons mad enough to spark a brawl afterward.
Announcers: Beth Mowins and Anthony Becht

3:30: North Carolina State vs. Mississippi State (Belk Bowl @ Charlotte, NC; ESPN): The Wolfpack’s schedule this year was an exercise in the fine art of ensuring bowl eligibility. They lost to every superior team they’ve played, and I expect that to continue here. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are not exactly juggernauts, but they’re a solid, middle-of-the-pack SEC. Given their respectively schedules, Miss State’s 8-4 is way more impressive than NC State’s 7-5.
Confidence: 39
Previous Meetings: Five, but none terrible recent. The series dates to 1930,and was followed up on again in 1931 and 1940. The two would then meeting again in the 1963 Liberty Bowl, and most recently in the 1995 Peach Bowl, which the Wolfpack won 28-24. Overall, they also hold a 3-2 lead in the series.
Last bowl game: NC State won last year’s St. Petersburg Bitcoin Bowl 34-27 over Central Florida. Miss State is currently riding a six game streak which dates to the 2010-2011 Gator Bowl, where they beat Michigan 52-14. They lost 49-34 in last year’s Orange Bowl to Georgia Tech.
Announcers: Clay Matvick and John Congemi

7:00: Louisville vs. Texas A&M (Music City Bowl @ Nashville, TN; ESPN): This is a battle of teams that never quite got it going this year, and two teams that I’ve probably failed to predict correctly multiple times. Louisville lost their first three games, but no one (at the time, anyway) would blame them, as those teams were Auburn (ranked sixth in the pre-season!), Houston, and Clemson. From there, they managed to go 5-3 in the ACC overall but lack any signature wins. TAMU is in the same boat, though. Their best win is probably over Arizona State, and while they did beat Arkansas and Miss State they lost to Alabama, Mississippi, (somehow) Auburn, and LSU. And then it seems like all their quarterbacks have transferred in the weeks since the regular season ended. Is something rotten in College Station? I don’t know, but I still have the Aggies here.
Confidence: 28
Previous Meetings: Three of ’em, from 1992-1994. Louisville lost all of them, with the most recent score 26-10 in TAMU’s favor.
Last bowl game: Louisville is also riding a six game bowl streak, dating to 2010’s Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl, which they won 31-28 over Southern Mississippi. TAMU is doing them one better, though. Their current run started in the 2009 Independence Bowl with a 44-20 loss to Georgia. They beat West Virginia in last year’s Liberty Bowl 45-37.
Announcers: Tom Hart and Andre Ware

10:30: Wisconsin vs. Southern California (Holiday Bowl @ San Diego, CA; ESPN): It’s the mini-Rose Bowl! Much like Iowa, the Badgers managed to dodge all the good teams from the Big Ten East, so while they went 6-2 in conference, it’s not exactly an inspiring slate. (The two losses were to Northwestern and, of course, Iowa.) USC is a team that has some of the marks of a team that “figured it out” as the season went on. After losing a close game to Notre Dame, the Trojans went out and knocked Utah off their bandwagon and went on a bit of a run before getting beat by a healthy Vernon Adams (and his Oregon teammates). However, they then beat the tar out of their crosstown rivals and gave Stanford all they wanted in the Pac-12 title game. USC should be able to do enough on offense to get past the Badgers, who I think will have a hard time keeping up, literally and figuratively.
Confidence: 38
Previous Meetings: Southern Cal holds a robust 6-0 lead in this series. The first meeting was in the 1952-1953 Rose Bowl. They followed that up with regular season meetings in 1955 and 1956, and then it was back to Pasadena to kick off 1963, followed again by meetings in 1965 and 1966. (I sense a pattern here, perhaps?)
Last bowl game: For Wisconsin’s 14-game bowl streak, we have to flash all the way back to the 1993-1994 Rose Bowl, where they beat UCLA 21-16. They beat Auburn in last season’s Outback Bowl 34-31. This is USC’s fourth straight bowl game, dating to the 2012 Sun Bowl, which they lost 21-7 to Georgia Tech. They beat Nebraska 45-42 in last year’s edition of this game.
Announcers: Adam Amin and Kelly Stouffer

Thursday, December 31
Noon: Houston vs. Florida State (Peach Bowl @ Atlanta, GA; ESPN): This is the least confidence I have in any game that doesn’t have any weird or otherwise extenuating circumstances. For starters, how good is Houston actually? Their Power Five wins are over an okay Louisville team and an abysmal Vanderbilt squad. Their record is unblemished except for a disaster suffered at UConn, in which the otherwise potent Cougar offense imploded with four turnovers. The Seminoles, meanwhile, did basically everything right this season. Their two losses are to a Clemson team that was clearly better than them and my favorite fluke of the season. But other than that, none of FSU’s win truly inspire. They beat Florida by 25, yes, but the Gators essentially had no offense by the end of the season. Will FSU’s defense be able to shut Houston down? Will Houston’s passing offense be the difference against FSU’s Dalvin Cook-based offense? I have no idea, but I picked FSU anyway.
Confidence: 5
Previous Meetings: Sixteen of ’em, and a record that would shock you until you remembered that, as per EDSBS, football in the state of Florida didn’t really exist before 1980. Indeed, Houston holds a 12-2-2 advantage, but all the games took place between 1960 and 1978. The Cougars won the most recent edition 27-21.
Last bowl game: Houston had a three game bowl streak going. They beat Pitt 35-34 in last season’s Armed Forces Bowl. Florida State, of course, owns the largest active bowl streak in the country (and it’s not especially close). It’s now at 34 straight seasons, dating back to the 1982 Gator Bowl where they beat West Virginia 31-12. However, they also went 6-5 in 1981 and 8-3 in 1978, so suffice it to say under the modern bowl regime they’d be able to add five more games to that list. The lost last season’s Rose Bowl (and playoff semifinal) 59-20 to Oregon.
Announcers: Dave Pasch and Brian Griese

4:00: Clemson vs. Oklahoma (Orange Bowl @ Miami Gardens, FL; ESPN): SO IT BEGINS. The Tigers are undefeated, and while their schedule wasn’t great, they did beat Notre Dame and Florida State, so it’s legitimate. Oklahoma beat all the contenders in the Big 12, they just, well, I still have no real idea how they lost to Texas. But if that’s what the Sooners needed to light a fire under them, then it worked, as they absolutely torched the opposition they played next, outscoring Kansas State, Texas Tech, Kansas, and Iowa State (two good to okay teams, two bad teams) 232-50. They then cleared the dual hurdles of Baylor and TCU and resumed the clobbering against Oklahoma State. Baylor and TCU are definitely much closer to Clemson than any other team on their schedule, and so while the Sooner defense rates highly due to several shutouts or near-shutouts, they definitely tend to give some points to an offense with a pulse. The Tigers definitely have a pulse. I think Clemson’s defense can do the job here. I have the Tigers headed to Arizona.
Confidence: 6
Previous Meetings: The first two were in 1963 and 1972, both Clemson losses. The Tigers won the 1988-1989 Citrus Bowl 13-6, as well as last season’s meeting in the Russell Athletic Bowl 40-6.
Last bowl game: Both is an 11-game bowl streak, dating to the 2005 Champs Sports Bowl, where they beat Colorado 19-10. (And if they’d gone to a bowl in 2004 at 6-5, they’d be able to add 6 more to the list.) This is Oklahoma’s seventeenth straight bowl, dating to their 27-25 loss to Mississippi in the 1999 Independence Bowl. The Sooners got pasted by these very Clemson Tigers in last year’s Russell Athletic Bowl, 40-6.
Announcers: Brad Nessler and Todd Blackledge

8:00: Alabama vs. Michigan State (Cotton Bowl @ Arlington, TX; ESPN): The Spartans are about the closest Alabama can come to playing their own defense, basically. Indeed, this game will probably hinge on the Tide’s offense, and I don’t see a lot of scoring either way. The closest things the Spartans have probably seen to the Crimson Tide in terms of potency are probably Michigan and Ohio State. Assuming that Nick Saban won’t criminally underuse his best player (a la Urban Meyer), I’m giving a slight edge to Alabama here.
Confidence: 7
Previous Meetings: Just once, in the 2010-2011 Capital One Bowl. Alabama won 49-7.
Last bowl game: Alabama’s twelve game bowl streak mostly takes me back to happier times, when they were terrible and doing things like going 6-6 and losing to Minnesota 20-16 in the 2004 Music City Bowl. The Tide lost 42-35 to Ohio State in last season’s Sugar Bowl (and playoff semifinal). Sparty’s nine-game streak dates to the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, which they lost 24-21 to Boston College. They beat Baylor 42-41 in last season’s Cotton Bowl.
Announcers: Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit