It’s bowl game season for college football fans
We’re goin’ bowlin’!
Yup, it’s that time again. We’re excited about the season at hand, even if it’s becoming somewhat irrelevant these days because stars are opting out of bowl games to keep themselves healthy for the NFL draft and because it’s all about the final four these days.
Expansion to make it an eightteam College Football Playoff can’t come soon enough. There may suddenly be a movement afoot with a growing number of the bigger schools in NCAA football backing the idea of an expanded playoff.
But until then … it’s bowl game season, so let’s get the ball rolling on the 40-game FBS slate and a bonus with the Division III championship game.
NORTH CAROLINA A&T (-7.5) vs. ALCORN STATE
Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl (Division III championship)
Saturday, noon ET, ABC, in Atlanta
A&T’s the defending champ, but this title game won’t be decided by more than a TD.
PICK: ALCORN STATE
TULANE (-3.5) vs. LOUISIANA
AutoNation Cure Bowl Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET, in Orlando, Fla.
Tulane hasn’t exactly dominated a weak schedule, while Louisiana can run the ball.
PICK: LOUISIANA
UTAH STATE (-7.5) vs. NORTH TEXAS
New Mexico Bowl Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, TSN2, in Albuquerque, N.M.
Gotta love QB Jordan Love and a dominant Utah State team that finished the year 10-2.
PICK: UTAH STATE
ARIZONA STATE (+5) vs. FRESNO STATE
Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC, in Las Vegas
Fresno State has enjoyed a resurgence, but Herm Edwards’ crew is a game Pac-12 club.
PICK: ARIZONA STATE
GEORGIA SOUTHERN (-2.5) vs. EASTERN MICHIGAN
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET, TSN2, in Montgomery, Ala.
Georgia Southern’s option attack controls an Eastern Michigan team that’s just happy to be there.
PICK: GEORGIA SOUTHERN
MIDDLE TENNESSEE (+6.5) vs. APPALACHIAN STATE
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Saturday, 9 p.m. ET, TSN2, in New Orleans
App State lost its coach, but their season-long dominance remains over a weaker opponent.
PICK: APPALACHIAN STATE
UAB (-2.5) vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, TSN, in Boca Raton, Fla.
Seen enough of Northern Illinois offence to know they’ll have troubles matching up with UAB.
PICK: UAB
SAN DIEGO STATE (-3) vs. OHIO
DXL Frisco Bowl Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET, TSN2, in Frisco, Texas
Two teams going in opposite directions, but Ohio’s got star RB A.J. Ouellette.
PICK: OHIO
MARSHALL (-2.5) vs. SOUTH FLORIDA
Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl
Thursday, 8 p.m. ET, TSN, in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Ugly end of campaign for South Florida. Marshall is solid.
PICK: MARSHALL
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL (+5.5) vs. TOLEDO
Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Friday, Dec. 21, 12:30 p.m. ET, TSN2, in Nassau, Bahamas
Two high-scoring teams take this one down to the wire. Last drive wins this contest.
PICK: FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
WESTERN MICHIGAN (+12) vs. BYU
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Friday, Dec. 21, 4 p.m. ET, TSN2, in Boise, Idaho
BYU hung tough — and even won twice — in a handful of games against Power 5 competition.
PICK: BYU
QUICK HITS
They like Steve Addazio at Boston College (7-5). Instead of getting the axe after a lousy finish — three straight losses — to a promising season, the head coach was given a two-year contract extension though 2022 … Head coach Dino Babers was also given an extension, with terms undisclosed, for his work with No. 20 Syracuse (9-3) … Manny Diaz is moving from his job as Miami’s defensive co-ordinator to his first head-coaching gig at Temple (8-4) after sidelines boss Geoff Collins left for Georgia Tech … Appalachian State (10-2) is bringing on Eli Drinkwitz as the new head coach on a fiveyear deal. Drinkwitz was the N.C. State offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach.
THE LAST WORD
Nice to see DT Dre’Mont Jones will play in the Rose Bowl for Ohio State, despite declaring for the NFL draft. It’s not happening enough. Guys like West Virginia QB Will Grier are skipping the bowl season to ensure they don’t get injured before the draft. That said, they’re turning their backs on the college programs that have given them the stage to prepare for Sunday football. Jones’ tweet about the subject: “I’m playing in the Rose Bowl. I have to finish what my brothers and I started.”… Others on the list of players intentionally sitting out bowl games for their own NFL interests include: Houston DL Ed Oliver, N.C. State LB Germaine Pratt, South Carolina WR Deebo Samuel, Iowa TE Noah Fant, Michigan DL Rashan Gary, Arizona State WR N’Keal Harry, N.C. State WR Kelvin Harmon, Minnesota OT Donnell Green, Oklahoma State RB Justice Hill, and West Virginia OT Yodny Cajuste. They’d all be playing if they were in the playoff … The best name on that list? LSU CB Greedy Williams. Just sayin’.