Bowl picks
It’s not like filling out a March Madness bracket, but picking bowl winners can be fun,
No one sheet of paper can match the fun of the NCAA basketball tournament bracket, but picking the bowl games by confidence level isn’t half bad. There are 40 games including the College Football Playoff semifinals, so you put 40 points on the predicted winner you’re most confident in, all the way down to a single point for the game you find toughest to choose.
If you don’t already do this, try it with your friends. But remember, please don’t gamble. And if you do, please investigate some of my past predictions before using this as a guide.
GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL
New Mexico over Texas- San Antonio Confidence points: 28 Comment: Bowl game rule: If a team is playing on its home field, go with that team.
LAS VEGAS BOWL PRESENTED BY GEICO
Houston over San Diego State
Confidence points: 18 Comment: The Cougars just lost their coach and a tough game to Memphis, but the guess here is a prideful response for the superior team.
RAYCOM MEDIA CAMELLIA BOWL
Appalachian State over Toledo
Confidence points: 23 Comment: The last time I saw Appalachian State, it should have beat top-10 power and destined SEC East champ Tennessee, so I’m going with Appalachian State.
AUTONATION CURE BOWL
Central Florida over Arkansas State Confidence points: 35 Comment: Scott Frost has engineered quite a turnaround at UCF and will cap it with a win in a virtual home game.
R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Louisiana-Lafayette over Southern Mississippi Confidence points: 7 Comment: Gotta go with the Ragin’ Cajuns in New Orleans. That’s my analysis.
MIAMI BEACH BOWL
Tulsa over Central Michigan Confidence points: 27 Comment: The state of Oklahoma gets Central Michigan back for the way that Oklahoma State game ended.
BOCA RATON BOWL
Memphis over Western Kentucky Confidence points: 14 Comment: Memphis has momentum and Western Kentucky coach Jeff Brohm is moving on. Both offenses will have success.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL
BYU over Wyoming Confidence points: 17 Comment: It’s too bad electric but injury-plagued Taysom Hill won’t get to play in his final game, but BYU is still better.
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
Idaho over Colorado State Confidence points: 3 Comment: How do you pick against Idaho in the Potato Bowl?
POPEYES BAHAMAS BOWL
Old Dominion over Eastern Michigan Confidence points: 34 Comment: Popeyes chicken, football and the Bahamas — matches made in paradise.
LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCES BOWL
Louisiana Tech over Navy Confidence points: 13 Comment: Rough finish for a banged-up Navy team that nearly found its way to the Cotton Bowl.
DOLLAR GENERAL BOWL
Ohio over Troy Confidence points: 2 Comment: Tickets might actually go for less than the cost of a mop head at Dollar General.
HAWAII BOWL
Hawaii over Middle Tennessee State
Confidence points: 1 Comment: Slight, slight edge to the home team, which isn’t excited to be there, over the veryexcited-to-be-there visiting team with the quarterback nursing a broken collarbone. Hawaii should get the Pinstripe Bowl some year, just so it can have a better appreciation for having to stay home.
ST. PETERSBURG BOWL
Mississippi State over Miami (Ohio)
Confidence points: 26 Comment: The Bulldogs surged late, though they have nothing on the Redhawks — who have won six straight after a 0-6 start.
QUICK LANE BOWL
Maryland over Boston College
Confidence points: 6 Comment: What do you mean, Detroit won’t care about this matchup? That’s Big Ten country, ready to embrace Maryland’s rich Big Ten tradition.
CAMPING WORLD INDEPENDENCE BOWL
Vanderbilt over N.C. State
Confidence points: 12 Comment: Although a win in the Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl would mean a cooler trophy, the Commodores gladly take a 7-6 season and a vault toward an exciting 2017.
ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL
North Texas over Army
Confidence points: 33 Comment: If you’re wondering just how bloated the bowl season has become, here’s a matchup of a 5-7 team (North Texas) against a 6-5 team that it already beat 35-18 on the road this season.
MILITARY BOWL PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN
Temple over Wake Forest Confidence points: 36 Comment: Temple football, legitimate program. It’s a thing these days.
NATIONAL FUNDING HOLIDAY BOWL
Washington State over Minnesota Confidence points: 25 Comment: We’re inching closer and closer to a bowl game sponsored by The Human Fund.
MOTEL 6 CACTUS BOWL
Boise State over Baylor Confidence points: 32 Comment: To Baylor fans who are still crying about Art Briles: Locate a clue. We’ll leave a light on for you.
NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL
Pittsburgh over Northwestern
Confidence points: 22 Comment: Pat Narduzzi has a win against a Playoff team (Clemson) and the closest non-Playoff team (Penn State), and he’ll get No. 9 against the Wildcats.
RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL
Miami (Fla.) over West Virginia
5 Give it to the Hurricanes in Orlando, despite their erratic body of work, which includes a win against Florida State and a loss to notorious doormat Notre Dame.
FOSTER FARMS BOWL
Utah over Indiana
Confidence points: 38 Comment: This is a bad matchup for the Big Ten, and not just because the most successful Indiana coach in a quarter century just got fired. ADVOCARE V100 TEXAS BOWL
Kansas State over Texas A&M
Confidence points: 11 Comment: Kansas State is nothing special and the game is in Houston, but how can you believe in the Aggies after four losses in six games (and an ugly 23-10 win against Texas-San Antonio)?
BIRMINGHAM BOWL
South Florida over South Carolina Confidence points: 37 Comment: South Florida is on a hot streak. Also, Muschamp (to be pronounced in sad trombone style, “womp-womp.”)
BELK BOWL
Virginia Tech over Arkansas
Confidence points: 31 Comment: Bret Bielema is probably grateful to get away from such SEC powers as Missouri and Texas A&M, but the Hokies won’t offer much of a break.
VALERO ALAMO BOWL
Colorado over Oklahoma State Confidence points: 21 Comment: Anyone else reminiscing over Barry Sanders, Eric Bieniemy and the old Big 8?
AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL
Georgia over TCU
Confidence points: 4 Comment: Highly disappointing seasons for both, but you figure Georgia will at least get some fans to Memphis. Kirby Smart could use a win heading into the offseason.
HYUNDAI SUN BOWL
Stanford over North Carolina Confidence points: 30 Comment: A reputation for academic excellence vs. a reputation for academic ... creativity.
FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL
Tennessee over Nebraska
Confidence points: 16 Comment: Despite the unpleasant experience they just had in Nashville, Vols fans will show up again and watch their team win a shootout.
NOVA HOME LOANS ARIZONA BOWL
Air Force over South Alabama
Confidence points: 20 Comment: Air Force is another team that might soon need a new coach, but that’s because Troy Calhoun has done a great job.
CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL
Michigan over Florida State
Confidence points: 10 Comment: Strangely, there were national pundits touting Michigan’s chances of hanging with Alabama in a Playoff game shortly after the Wolverines exploded for 13 points against Iowa. Look for Jim Harbaugh to win a good game here or calmly explain why it was the officials’ fault if he doesn’t.
BUFFALO WILD WINGS CITRUS BOWL
LSU over Louisville
Confidence points: 19 Comment: It will be fun to watch expected Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson against LSU’s defense. It will be more fun for LSU’s offense to get to play against Louisville’s defense.
TAXSLAYER BOWL
Georgia Tech over Kentucky
Confidence points: 24 Comment: If you like rushing offense, this one’s for you! Look for around 800 combined rushing yards, 80 combined points, no punts and two hours of elapsed time.
OUTBACK BOWL
Florida over Iowa Confidence points: 9 Comment: If you like final scores of 9-7, this one’s for you!
GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC
Wisconsin over Western Michigan
Confidence points: 39 Comment: Western Michigan under P.J. Fleck is a great story about to encounter a terrible matchup. The Badgers are just too strong up front.
ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL
Southern California over Penn State Confidence points: 8 Comment: Penn State’s second-half turnarounds have been incredible, but USC has the horses to get ahead and stay ahead.
ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL
Oklahoma over Auburn Confidence points: 29 Comment: A red-hot Oklahoma team against the second-best team the SEC has to offer sounds great. In most years.
CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL SEMIFINAL
Alabama over Washington
Confidence points: 40 Comment: There might be less-competitive matchups out there and Washington might be able to hang in for quite a while. But I just can’t see Alabama losing this in a virtual home game in Atlanta.
PLAYSTATION FIESTA BOWL SEMIFINAL
Clemson over Ohio State
Confidence points: 15 Comment: If you’ve watched Ohio State all year, you’ve seen a young, inconsistent team with an unreliable offense. Yes, there have been outbursts, most notably against Oklahoma and Nebraska. But Deshaun Watson and Clemson will make more big plays and earn a title-game rematch.
BONUS: NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Alabama over Clemson
Comment: It would be great to think something unpredictable will happen in the Playoff. But it just isn’t sound to think so. And no, it doesn’t matter at all if Lane Kiffin isn’t there to call the plays.