Bowl Season

Bowl Predictions Part V

 

      Happy New Year! And wow, what a game for Duke last night! Oh wait, they blew it down the stretch.... but still, Duke played a great game. It was a solid day for my picks. I am 12-7 this bowl season. Since it's January 1, 2014, you know the bowl games are starting to get a little more interesting.... No more Little Caesars Bowl, or Royal Purple Bowl.....

 

     Plenty of games on tap for today, so let me get to my picks....

 

Gator Bowl: Nebraska vs Georgia

     There is no excuse why Nebraska shouldn't win this game. Georgia is banged up across their depth chart.... For some reason, though, I still have trouble picking Nebraska in this one. I think the difference in the game will be SEC talent. It may be an ugly game, but I have to give Georgia the benefit of the doubt. My Pick: Georgia 20 Nebraska 14.

 

Heart of Dallas Bowl: UNLV vs North Texas

     No reason to spend too much time on this game.... especially since it will be going on during the Gator Bowl, which is a much more interesting game.... My Pick: North Texas 24 UNLV 20.

 

Outback Bowl: Iowa vs LSU

    Just how motivated is LSU? More importantly, how banged up are they? It has been one strange season for the Tigers..... And what about Iowa? The Hawkeyes have played tough all season long. This game will be a good one..... And I think this is another game where the SEC depth will be a factor. My Pick: LSU 27 Iowa 17.

 

Capital One Bowl: Wisconsin vs South Carolina

     Whew, this is a tough game to pick. South Carolina is pretty dynamic when Connor Shaw is playing his best. Wisconsin as a team is no push over when they are on their game as well. And of course, we can't leave Clowney out of the conversation. Will he give 100% in this game? Or will he hold back and play soft? It's hard to tell with Clowney. On one hand I would think he would want to go out there and give one more HUGE performance to impress the NFL scouts..... and on the other, I think the NFL scouts know what he is capable of and he doesn't have to push himself. My Pick: South Carolina 27 Wisconsin 20

 

Rose Bowl: Stanford vs Michigan State

     Now we are talking.... This is a great matchup, and of course it's the start of the BCS Bowls.... These are two very strong teams up front. The Spartans have a solid defense, as we saw against Ohio State. Stanford has a nasty power run game..... These two teams are going to come out and just try to smash each other. And this is going to come down to the battle in the trenches.... We have under-estimated Michigan State all season long.... But not today...  My Pick: Michigan State 28 Stanford 21.

 

Fiesta Bowl: UCF vs Baylor.

   Get ready! Baylor has been flying high for most of the season, but when they have played some tougher opposition, they have buckled under the pressure. UCF is 11-1.... Crazy, right? Their one loss? It was against South Carolina.....and it was a very close game too. Don't overlook UCF here.... My Pick: UCF 31 Baylor 21.

 

    Whew! Those are just the games on New Years Day. There is plenty of football left leading up to the BCS Championship. Check back for more updates. Don't forget to send in your BCS Title Game predictions for this week's Reader Questions Segment. Send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com.