Oklahoma (12-1) vs. Alabama (13-0)Location: Miami, FL
Date: December 29
One of the top offenses in the country meets the juggernaut. Back in the day, the juggernaut would have been Oklahoma, but in the last ten years, it's been all Bama all the time. Luckily the Sooners got some fortune in their favor as a number one seed has never won the College Football Playoff.
Unfortunately, the Oklahoma defense is suspect and even if Tua Tagovailoa is hurt, Jalen Hurts will still give a defense problems.
Players to Watch, Oklahoma: QB-Kyler Murray (241-340, 4,053 yards, 40 TD, 7 INT, 892 yards rushing, 11 TD)
PTW Alabama: QB-Tua Tagovailoa (199-294, 3,353 yards, 37 TD, 4 INT, 5 Rush TD)
Prediction: Alabama 41-Oklahoma 38
Notre Dame (12-0) vs. Clemson (13-0)Location: Arlington, TX
Date: December 29
Notre Dame and Clemson have plenty of common opponents as the Irish practically play in the ACC, but the two haven't faced off since 2015 when the Tigers narrowly escaped 24-22. The Irish have plenty of talented skill players in Miles Boykin and Dexter Williams,but the Tigers can counter with Travis Etienne and Tee Higgins.
It will likely come down to quarterback play as Ian Book and Trevor Lawrence both represent a mid-season restart at the position for each team. Unlike Clemson, who had Kelly Bryant leave the team, Brandon Wimbush can make plays in the event of Book's downfall. In the end all things tend to end in trilogies.
PTW Notre Dame: RB-Dexter Williams (142 carries, 941 yards, 12 TD, 1 Rec TD)
PTW Clemson: RB-Travis Etienne (176 carries, 1,463 yards, 21 TD, 1 Rec TD)
Prediction: Clemson 27-Notre Dame 20
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Date: January 7
I'm going with Clemson vs Alabama for the third straight year in the playoffs. I like the Tigers which usually means Alabama wins, but hey nobody gets these things 100 percent right.
Prediction: Clemson 34-Alabama 28
Florida (9-3) vs Michigan (10-2)Location: Atlanta, GA
Date: December 29
Jim Harbaugh is just 1-2 in bowl games, but that one victory came in 2015 against Florida. Also, the last two years the Wolverines have choked in their final game of the year. The Gators have had an up and down year with a big win over LSU, but a pummeling at the hands of Drew Lock and Missouri.
They offer a 1-2 punch in Lamical Perine and Jordan Scarlett who have both run for over 700 yards this year. Michigan will not have Rashan Gary on the defensive side, but look for the Wolverines to take out their disappointing season finish out on Florida.
PTW Florida: QB-Feleipe Franks (175-299, 2,284 yards, 23 TD, 6 INT, 6 Rush TD)
PTW Michigan: RB-Karan Higdon (224 carries, 1,178 yards, 10 TD)
Prediction: Michigan 24-Florida 10
LSU (9-3) vs UCF (12-0)Location: Glendale, AZ
Date: December 29
I love UCF, I love the 25 game win streak. but after the gruesome McKenzie Milton injury, it's tough to see them hanging with an SEC, but then again, the they've done it before. The Tigers are the best defense team the Knights will see all year, but LSU isn't exactly the most prolific offense. High scoring favors UCF, but low scoring favors LSU and this looks like a low scoring affair. Greedy Williams will not suit up in the Tigers secondary.
PTW LSU: RB-Nick Brossette (211 carries, 922 yards, 14 TD)
PTW UCF: RB-Greg McCrae (123 carries, 1,101 yards, 9 TD, 1 Rec TD)
Prediction: LSU 14-UCF 12
Washington (9-3) vs. Ohio State (12-1)Location: Pasadena, CA
Date: January 1
One bad loss faces failed expectations in a nice consolation prize. They don't call the Rose Bowl the grand daddy of them all for nothing and those in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest know how big this venue is. The Huskies play defense, the Buckeyes put up points and the last time Ohio State saw a top ten defense, they scored 62.
The Buckeyes aren't big fans of defense, but Jake Browning is known to give the ball away in some big moments. It's also Urban Meyer's final game and first Rose Bowl, so look for Ohio State to come out fast.
PTW Washington: RB-Myles Gaskin (235 carries, 1,147 yards, 10 TD)
PTW Ohio State: QB-Dwayne Haskins (348-496, 4,580 yards, 47 TD, 8 INT, 4 Rush TD)
Prediction: Ohio State 38-Washington 17
Texas (9-4) vs Georgia (11-2)Location: New Orleans, LA
Date: January 1
In the runner up game, Georgia lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship, Texas lost to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship as both rivals will face one another in the CFP. The Bulldogs had their shot to get in, but let things fall apart at the end of the game for a second straight year against Alabama.
Texas was the lone blemish on the Sooners record, but couldn't make it happen twice in one season. If Georgia comes out to their full potential, look for a lopsided affair as Texas struggles to stop the Bulldogs rushing attack. Shout out to two of the best live mascots in college football.
PTW Texas: QB-Sam Ehlinger (256-398, 3,123 yards, 25 TD, 5 INT, 418 rush yards, 13 rush TD)
PTW Georgia: RB-D'Andre Swift (155 carries, 1,037 yards, 10 TD, 267 Rec yards, 2 Rec TD)
Prediction: Georgia 34-Texas 17
North Texas (9-3) vs Utah State (10-2)Location: Albuquerque, NM
Date: December 15
Two of the most under the radar quarterbacks, Jordan Love (UST) and Mason Fine (NT) have come up big throughout the season. Love nearly stunned Michigan State at home before rattling off ten straight wins. Fine and the Mean Green were able to take their money and run against Arkansas. Points a plenty in this one.
PTW North Texas: QB-Mason Fine (259-457, 3,734 yards, 27 TD, 5 INT, 2 Rush TD)
PTW Utah State: QB-Jordan Love (246-374, 3,208 yards, 28 TD, 5 INT, 6 Rush TD)
Prediction: Utah State 45-North Texas 35
Louisiana (7-6) vs Tulane (6-6)Location: Orlando, FL
Date: December 15
A match-up I had set for the New Orleans Bowl, this game instead will be played in the sunny skies of Orlando. The Ragin' Cajuns played in the inaugural Sun Belt Championship and lost to Appalachian State. The Green Wave won four of their last five to become bowl eligible including a gutsy two-point conversion call at the end of the Navy game to win 29-28. Running backs will be on full display for both teams.
PTW Louisiana: RB-Trey Ragas (197 carries, 1,141 yards, 8 TD, 2 Rec TD)
PTW Tulane: RB-Darius Bradwell (166 carries, 984 yards, 9 TD)
Prediction: Tulane 28-Louisiana 20
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Date: December 15
The Sun Devils will be without receiver N'Keal Harry w ho will skip their bowl game to focus on the draft. That's a much needed weapon against a stingy Fresno State defense that allowed 14 points or less in eight games this season. They have two common opponents with both beating UCLA while Arizona State lost to San Diego State, and Fresno State did not. The Mountain West Champs have their eyes on their second PAC-12 victory this season.
PTW Fresno State: QB-Marcus MacMaryion (279-399, 3,453 yards, 25 TD, 3 INT, 7 Rush TD)
PTW Arizona State: RB-Eno Benjamin (277 carries, 1,524 yards, 15 TD, 2 Rec TD)
Prediction: Fresno State 24-Arizona State 20
Eastern Michigan (7-5) vs Georgia Southern (9-3)Location: Montgomery, AL
Date: December 15
After a 2017 where the Eagles couldn't buy a victory in a close game, the 2018 version seemed to suffer the same fate before winning five of their last six. Georgia Southern runs the option which is also featured by Army, the last loss for EMU.
The Eagles also pulled off a Top 25 victory over Sun Belt Champion Appalachian State.Eastern will be without Shaq Vann to help keep the ball away on offense. Can EMU stop the option or will Wesley Fields and Shai Werts run all day in Alabama?
PTW EMU: DE-Maxx Crosby (7.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, INT, TD)
PTW Georgia Southern: QB-Shai Werts (65-109, 954 yards, 10 TD, 0 INT, 829 Rush yards, 13 TD)
Prediction: Georgia Southern 24-EMU 17
Middle Tennessee State (8-5) vs Appalachian State (10-2)Location: New Orleans, LA
Date: December 15
The Blue Raiders came up just short in the Conference USA Championship against UAB while Appalachian State still has never to Louisiana when they beat them in the Sun Belt Championship. As football tends to do, the quarterbacks will be on full display, but with two different skill sets, it should be a fun game.
PTW MTST: QB-Brent Stockstill (301-427, 3,214 yards, 28 TD, 8 INT, 2 Rush TD)
PTW Appalachian State: QB-Zac Thomas (144-230, 1,862 yards, 18 TD, 4 INT, 476 Rush yards, 10 TD)
Prediction: Appalachian State 31-Middle Tennessee State 27
Northern Illinois (8-5) vs UAB (10-3)Location: Boca Raton, FL
Date: December 18
Four years ago UAB decided to get rid of football, two years ago they brought it back. Now the Blazers are in their second straight bowl game and are Conference USA Champions. Their prize is one of the toughest defenses in the Group of 5 schools in MAC Champion, Northern Illinois.
The Blazers don't score a lot of points as they put up more than 28 just five times this year. The Huskies have surrendered fewer than 28 points in 10 games this season including six where their opponent scored 17 or less.
PTW NIU: DE-Sutton Smith (MAC Player of the Year, 13 Sacks, 21 Tackles for Loss, 2 TD, 2 Blocked Punts, 4 Forced Fumbles, 3 Fumble Recoveries)
PTW UAB: RB-Spencer Brown (247 Carries, 1,149 Yards, 16 TD)
Prediction: UAB 17-NIU 13
San Diego State (7-5) vs Ohio (8-4)Location: Frisco, TX
Date: December 19
If you want to make a bowl game, it might be best to attend either one of these schools. Since Frank Solich took over at Ohio, the Bobcats have now been to ten bowl games with Solich posting a 5-9 record in his bowl career.
Rocky Long is taking San Diego State to their eighth straight bowl game under his guidance, but his is just 4-8 all-time in bowls. Running the football will be key, but the Aztecs have a secret weapon in kicker John Baron II, who is 5/5 on kicks of 50 yards or longer, but surprisingly 10/15 on kicks from 30-49 yards.
PTW Ohio: RB-A.J. Ouellette (184 carries, 1,142 yards, 12 TD, 2 Rec TD)
PTW San Diego State: RB-Juwan Washington (180 carries, 870 yards, 10 TD)
Prediction: Ohio 42-San Diego State 35
Marshall (8-4) vs USF (7-5)Location: Tampa, FL
Date: December 20
In what's essentially a home game for the Bulls, it's a disappointing finish for a USF team that began the year 7-0. Some people are even calling for the firing of Charlie Strong. His boys will look to avoid six straight losses, but Doc Holliday is 5-0 in bowl games while coaching Marshall. The Thundering Herd had won five of six before getting shellacked in a make-up game against Virginia Tech to end the year.
PTW Marshall: WR-Tyre Brady (66 Rec, 914 yards, 9 TD)
PTW USF: QB-Blake Barnett (203-327, 2,493 yards, 11 TD, 11 INT, 313 Rush Yards, 8 TD)
Prediction: Marshall 31-USF 17
Toledo (7-5) vs FIU (8-4)Location: Nassau, Bahamas
Date: December 21
The Rockets are here because of a tough non-conference schedule and losses to the top dogs of the MAC, NIU and Buffalo. Toledo also lost to Eastern Michigan for the first time since 2007 despite rallying late in the game. The Panthers meanwhile were hoping to play in the Conference USA Championship Game, but instead dropped a tough 28-25 game to Marshall in the final game of the year to send Middle Tennessee State in their place.
FIU and Toledo do have one common opponent in the Miami Hurricanes. The Panthers lost to their inner-city rival 31-17 while Toledo lost 49-24.
PTW Toledo: RB-Bryant Koback (139 carries, 875 yards, 13 TD, 6.3 YPC)
PTW FIU: QB-James Morgan (2,727 yards, 26 TD, 7 INT, 157.6 QBR, 1 Rush TD)
Prediction: Toledo 31-FIU 27
Western Michigan (7-5) vs BYU (6-6)Location: Boise, ID
Date: December 21
Perhaps my least favorite match-up, I had the Cougars missing a bowl and Western Michigan is never a team I want to watch. Still the game will be played on the blue turf of Boise to add some excitement.
Since the injury of Jon Wassink, the Broncos are just 1-3, but did end with a tough win against NIU. BYU also played that same Huskies team at lost at home 7-6. WMU doesn't have much of a defense, but then again the Cougars don't have much of an offense at times, scoring 20 points or less five times this season.
PTW WMU: RB-Jamauri Bogan (156 carries, 702 yards, 15 TD)
PTW BYU: DE-Corbin Kaufusi (56 Tackles, 8.5 TFL, 8.5 Sacks, 1 Blocked Kick)
Prediction: BYU 24-Western Michigan 13
Memphis (8-5) vs Wake Forest (6-6)Location: Birmingham, AL
Date: December 22
There are plenty to be found in this game. Wake Forest had five games with at least 30 points while Memphis had 10. Both teams also feature a top tier player in Memphis running back Darrell Henderson and Wake wide receiver Greg Dortch. Last year the Tigers high powered offense was grounded by Iowa State while the Demon Deacons played in one of the best bowls of 2017 when they outlasted Texas A&M 55-52.
PTW Memphis: RB-Darrell Henderson (214 carries, 1,909 yards, 22 TD, 3 Rec TD)
PTW WF: WR-Greg Dortch (89 Rec, 1,078 yards, 8 TD)
Prediction: Wake Forest 48-Memphis 45
Houston (8-4) vs Army (9-2)Location: Fort Worth, TX
Date: December 22
No Ed Oliver and no D'Eriq King for Houston spells trouble for the Cougars. Plenty of high powered offenses have been grounded by Army, not because of defense, but because of an efficient offense that holds the ball. On average the Black Knights control the ball for nearly two thirds of the game (39 minutes) to limit their opponents scoring chances. Look for Army to control this one.
PTW Houston: RB-Patrick Carr (143 carries, 816 yards, 5 TD)
PTW Army: QB-Kelvin Hopkins Jr. (44-81, 895 yards, 6 TD, 3 INT, 179 carries, 783 yards, 10 TD)
Prediction: Army 27-Houston 21
Buffalo (10-3) vs Troy (9-3)Location: Mobile, AL
Date: December 22
Two top tier Group of 5 teams that notched wins against Power 5 schools face each other in this one. The Bulls knocked off Rutgers on their way to a 9-1 start, but they've dropped two out of three including a blown lead in the MAC Championship. The Trojans stunned Nebraska and had tough luck against Boise State and Appalachian State, but have a head scratching loss to Liberty. It should be an intriguing match-up.
PTW Buffalo: WR-Anthony Johnson (52 Rec, 944 yards, 11 TD)
PTW Troy: RB-B.J. Smith (199 Carries, 1,093 yards, 12 TD)
Prediction: Buffalo 38-Troy 28
Hawai'i (8-5) vs. Louisiana Tech (7-5)Location: Honolulu, HI
Date: December 22
Once upon a time, La Tech and Hawai'i had the longest distance to travel for a conference game when they two played in the WAC. The rivalry is renewed this year as the Bulldogs hit the airport and head to the islands to take on the Rainbow Warriors. Hawai'i nearly blew their shot after a 6-1 start turned into four straight losses. They rebounded with a bowl clinching win over UNLV and then knocked off San Diego State on the road in overtime. The Bulldogs watched their Conference USA title shot go up in flames with a narrow loss to Southern Miss and an inexplicable loss to Western Kentucky.
PTW Hawai'i: WR-John Ursua (89 catches, 1,343 yards, 16 TD, 1 Rush TD)
PTW La Tech: WR-Adrian Hardy (69 catches, 1,052 yards, 6 TD)
Prediction: Hawai'i 40-La Tech 37
Boston College (7-5) vs Boise State (10-3)Location: Dallas, TX
Date: December 26
Two teams with larger aspirations head into an interesting showdown. Brett Rypien and the Boise State Broncos couldn't get their signature Power 5 win against Oklahoma State and failed to hold off Fresno State in the Mountain West Championship.
Boston College caught the nation's attention with a big performance against Wake Forest, but then as Purdue had a tendency to do in 2018, put them back in their place. The Eagles struggled to three straight losses including a poor showing at Florida State.
PTW Boston College: RB-A.J. Dillon (227 carries, 1,108 yards, 10 TD, 1 Rec TD)
PTW Boise State: QB-Brett Rypien (301-447, 3,705 yards, 30 TD, 7 INT)
Prediction: Boise State 28-Boston College 20
Minnesota (6-6) vs Georgia Tech (7-5)Location: Detroit, MI
Date: December 26
The Minnesota Golden Gophers needed to snap a 14 game losing streak to Wisconsin in order to become bowl eligible and did just that. They even put a hurt on Purdue just two weeks before. However, the focus will be on Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson as he will be coaching in his final game. Johnson's option attack is spearheaded by quarterbacks TaQuon Marshall and Tobias Oliver.
PTW Minnesota: WR-Tyler Johnson (74 Rec, 1,112 yards, 10 TD)
PTW Georgia Tech: QB-TaQuon Marshall (44-100, 824 yards, 5 TD, 4 INT, 194 carries, 896 yards, 11 TD)
Prediction: Georgia Tech 21-Minnesota 14
Cal (7-5) vs TCU (6-6)Location: Phoenix, AZ
Date: December 26
Some say defense wins championships, others might say it gets you to a mid-level bowl game. The latter is where TCU and Cal have ended up. The Bears have been streaky at times, but did beat Washington and nearly did the same to Washington State. The Horned Frogs had to win three of their last four games to stay alive after a disastrous loss to Kansas.
PTW Cal: LB-Jordan Kunaszyk (133 Tackles, 11 TFL, 4 Sacks, 5 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumble Recovery)
PTW TCU: WR-Jalen Reagor (72 Rec, 1,061 yards, 9 TD, 2 Rush TD)
Prediction: Cal 13-TCU 9
Temple (8-4) vs Duke (7-5)Location:Shreveport, LA
Date: December 27
Two seasons could not have started differently. The Blue Devils can boast that they are the only team not named Oklahoma to beat Army. Temple lost to inner-city rival Villanova (FCS) and then dropped a contest with Buffalo. The Owls would finish 8-2 down the stretch including a win against No. 20 Cincinnati. Duke struggled to a 2-4 finish including back-to-back losses to finish the year. They were outscored in those games 94-13.
PTW Temple: RB-Ryquell Armstead (210 Carries, 1,098 yards, 13 TD)
PTW Duke: QB-Daniel Jones (207-351, 2,251 yards, 17 TD, 7 INT, 98 carries, 325 yards, 2 TD)
Prediction: Temple 35-Duke 17
Wisconsin (7-5) vs Miami, FL (7-5)Location: Bronx, NY
Date: December 27
Disappointment in abundance as two preseason ranked teams fell to the middle of their respected conferences. Wisconsin had a tough loss to BYU and then were embarrassed by Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, and rival Minnesota. The Hurricanes dropped four straight conference games to Virginia, Duke, Boston College, and Georgia Tech, all once winable games for Miami. Who will show up to this game and will the locker room/Mark Richt survive if they lose? At least they can enjoy the venue of Yankee Stadium.
PTW Wisconsin: RB-Jonathan Taylor (280 carries, 1,989 yards, 15 TD)
PTW Miami: RB-Travis Homer (154 carries, 969 yards, 4 TD)
Prediction: Wisconsin 23-Miami 17
Baylor (6-6) vs Vanderbilt (6-6)Location: Houston, TX
Date: December 27
The Bears won a must win game over Texas Tech and Vanderbilt knocked off Tennessee to get into this game otherwise this match-up could've easily been Red Raiders vs Volunteers. The Commodores had the much better finish to the season going 3-1 while Baylor was just 2-4 down the stretch. Both have played good teams close, but allowed lesser teams to hang around. Baylor will be without their leading receiver Jalen Hurd because of injury.
PTW Baylor: QB-Charlie Brewer (219-356, 2,635 yards, 17 TD, 8 INT)
PTW Vanderbilt: RB-Ke'Shawn Vaughn (144 carries, 1,001 yards, 10 TD, 2 Rec TD)
Prediction: Vanderbilt 24-Baylor 21
Purdue (6-6) vs Auburn (7-5)Location: Nashville, TN
Date: December 28
Jeff Brohm is staying as the coach of Purdue, but Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is forgoing his senior year to join the NFL. In his swan song, the Tigers get a hard to figure out Purdue team. The Boilermakers blew out Ohio State, but also lost in ugly fashion to Minnesota and Eastern Michigan. Auburn is looking for just their second bowl win under Gus Malzahn in six attempts.
PTW Purdue: WR-Rondale Moore (103 Rec, 1,164 yards, 12 TD, 203 Rush Yards, Rush TD)
PTW Auburn: RB-JaTarvious Whitlow (143 carries, 777 yards, 4 TD, 1 Pass TD, 1 Rec TD)
Prediction: Purdue 38-Auburn 34
No. 16 West Virginia (8-3) vs No. 20 Syracuse (9-3)Location: Orlando, FL
Date: December 28
Dino Babers team can play defense, but aside from Iowa State, no one has slowed Will Grier and the West Virginia offense. High end quarterback play will be in full effect in this game and points should be plentiful as the Mountaineers do not play defense. These two were definitely hoping for a bigger bowl landing spot than this one.
PTW West Virginia: QB-Will Grier (266-397, 3,864 yards, 37 TD, 8 INT)
PTW Syracuse: QB-Eric Dungey (205-341, 2,565 yards, 17 TD, 7 INT, 167 carries, 732 yards, 15 TD)
Prediction: West Virginia 51-Syracuse 49
No. 24 Iowa Sate (8-4) vs No. 13 Washington State (10-2)Location: San Antonio, TX
Date: December 28
A stingy defense vs one of the best mustaches in college football. The Cyclones already grounded West Virginia and Oklahoma's high flying offenses and the Huskies gave sort of the blueprint to do it. Of course there won't be any snow in the Alamo Dome, so Iowa State can rule that out. Hopefully the Cyclones show up with more spirit against Washington State than they did in the final game against Drake (FCS) in which they only won by three. Mike Leach will try to even his bowl record as he currently sits at 6-7 after winning PAC-12 Coach of the Year.
PTW Iowa State: RB-David Montgomery (231 carries, 1,092 yards, 12 TD)
PTW Washington State: QB-Gardner Minshew (433-613, 4,477 yards, 36 TD, 9 INT, 3 Rush TD)
Prediction: Iowa State 24-Washington State 19
South Carolina (7-5) vs Virginia (7-5)Location: Charlotte, NC
Date: December 29
The Gamecocks have plenty of offense to take it to Virginia, but they'll be without top receiver Deebo Samuel, who will focus on the NFL Draft. It will be interesting to see how the Cavaliers rebound from the devastating loss to rival Virginia Tech which marked their third loss in the last four games.
PTW South Carolina: QB-Jake Bentley (223-349, 2,953 yards, 27 TD, 12 INT, 2 Rush TD)
PTW Virginia: QB-Bryce Perkins (203-318, 2,472 yards, 22 TD, 9 INT, 197 carries, 842 yards, 9 TD)
Prediction: South Carolina 27-Virginia 17
Arkansas State (8-4) vs Nevada (7-5)Location: Tucson, AZ
Date: December 29
The Red Wolves roll into to bowl season on fire as they've won four straight and five out of their last six. The Wolfpack were stunned by rival UNLV and struggled against lowly San Jose State the week before. If Jordan Love (Utah State) and Mason Fine (North Texas) were under the radar quarterbacks, the two in this game are off the grid, but should come out to shine in this one for a fun night in the desert.
PTW Arkansas State: QB-Justice Hansen (260-388, 3,172 yards, 27 TD, 6 INT, 121 carries, 396 rush yards, 6 TD)
PTW Nevada: QB-Ty Gangi (250-409, 3,131 yards, 23 TD, 11 INT, 3 Rush TD)
Prediction: Arkansas State 37-Nevada 30
Cincinnati (10-2) vs Virginia Tech (6-6)Location: Annapolis, MD
Date: December 31
The Bearcats won six games to start the year, the Hokies needed a rescheduled makeup game to notch their sixth win. That win kept the longest active bowl streak alive at 26 straight years for Virginia Tech. At one point they lost six of eight after a bizarre beatdown at the hands of Old Dominion. Cincinnati was only derailed by Temple and UCF this year and has four wins against bowl bound teams.
PTW Cincinnati: RB-Michael Warren II (224 carries, 1,163 yards, 17 TD, 1 Rec TD)
PTW Virginia Tech: QB-Ryan Willis (193-333, 2,497 yards, 22 TD, 8 INT, 101 carries, 321 yards, 3 TD)
Prediction: Cincinnati 23-Virginia Tech 20
Location: El Paso, TX
Date: December 31
Stanford underachieved their way to an 8-4 season thanks in part to a very hampered Bryce Love. Pitt surprised many when they made their way to the ACC Championship Game. The Panthers lost back-to-back games to finish the season after winning five out of six while Stanford finished on a three-game win streak. The Pitt defense can be exploited as they've allowed 37 points or more, six times this year, but they can also control the ball with two 1,000 yard rushers.
PTW Stanford: WR- JJ Arcega-Whiteside (60 Rec, 969 yards, 14 TD)
PTW Pitt: RB-Qadree Ollison (189 carries, 1,190 yards, 11 TD)
Prediction: Stanford 31-Pitt 20
Michigan State (7-5) vs Oregon (8-4)Location: Santa Clara, CA
Date: December 31
It might be best to avert your eyes when watching the Michigan State offense. In their last three games they've scored just 26 total points. The Ducks dropped 55, 31, and 25, in their last three games alone. Justin Herbert will play in this game which spells bad news for Sparty as they pray their defense can keep them close.
PTW Michigan State: DL-Kenny Willekes (76 tackles, 20.5 TFL, 8.5 sacks, 12 hurries, forced fumble, fumble recovery, Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year)
PTW Oregon: QB-Justin Herbert (221-371, 2,985 yards, 28 TD, 8 INT, 2 Rush TD)
Prediction: Oregon 35-Michigan State 10
No. 23 Missouri (8-4) vs Oklahoma State (6-6)Location: Memphis, TN
Date: December 31
It's been a while since Missouri has cracked the Top 25, but winning five of their final six, including one against No. 11 Florida, has put them their. The Tigers put up points in a conference that usually doesn't allow them. The Cowboys also have their big wins, but also bad losses. They only know how to score points.
Missouri averages 37 points per game and unlike LSU and Texas A&M scored against Alabama, but still seven less than The Citadel. OKST averages 38 and could've had better bowl odds had they not dropped bad games to Texas Tech, Kansas State, Baylor, and TCU. Also there's Mike Gundy's mullet, which is always a sight to see.
PTW Missouri: QB-Drew Lock (252-399, 3,125 yards, 25 TD, 8 INT, 6 Rush TD)
PTW OKST: QB-Taylor Cornelius (262-441, 3,642 yards, 28 TD, 11 INT, 10 Rush TD)
Prediction: Missouri 42-OKST 41
No. 22 Northwestern (8-5) vs No. 17 Utah (9-4)Location: San Diego, CA
Date: December 31
This game is the defensive ying to the game above's offensive yang. No offensive explosions here, just good old fashioned hard hitting football. Kyle Whittingham and Pat Fitzgerald are two of the best coaches in America and may not necessarily get the recognition they deserve.
Whittingham is an impressive 11-1 in bowl games and while Fitzgerald is just 3-5 in his bowl bids, Northwestern had only been to six total before he arrived. In fact he played in two bowl games as a top notch defensive player for the Wildcats in the Mid-90's so without him their is no success at Northwestern in football.
The Utes will be without their leading rusher Zack Moss after he was ruled out for the season. This comes after they lost starting quarterback Tyler Huntley earlier this year. The Wildcats are familiar will that issue as top rusher Jeremy Larkin retired from football after a serious medical issue.
PTW Northwestern: QB-Clayton Thorson (278-459, 2,942 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT, 9 Rush TD)
PTW Utah: LB-Chase Hansen (115 Tackles, 22 TFL, 5 Sacks, 2 INT, Fumble Recovery, TD)
Prediction: Utah 17-Northwestern 13
NCST (9-3) vs No. 19 Texas A&M (8-4)Location: Jacksonville, FL
Date: December 31
It might be hard to find a tougher schedule than Texas A&M as they had to navigate a tough SEC West and then played Clemson out of conference. Unlike Alabama's scheduling of The Citadel in the second to last week, (probably by accident) they faced the eventual Conference USA Champion UAB Blazers.
NCST began their season with a 5-0 start, but unlike the Aggies who lost by two to Clemson, the Wolfpack were clobbered by 34. That began a skid of three losses in four games, but they did finish on a three game win streak. Unfortunately, they'll be without Kelvin Harmon and his team high 1,186 yards receiving.
PTW NCST: RB-Reggie Gallaspy II (214 carries, 1,012 yards, 18 TD, 1 Rec TD)
PTW Texas A&M: RB-Trayveon Williams (252 carries, 1,524 yards, 15 TD, 1 Rec TD)
Prediction: Texas A&M 27-NCST 17
No. 18 Mississippi State (8-4) vs Iowa (8-4)Location: Tampa, FL
Date: January 1
The Bulldogs pulled off some enormous wins this year with victories over then No. 8 Auburn and No. 16 Texas A&M. Their only two losses in their last seven games were to Top 5 opponents and all their losses are to teams currently ranked. It's also the final game for senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald.
The Hawkeyes will be without on of their top tight ends as Noah Fant is focusing on the NFL Draft. Iowa was missing that signature win against a ranked opponent this year, but did start the season with wins over MAC Champion, Northern Illinois, and Big 12 thorn and in-state rival Iowa State. Even without Fant in the lineup, they still have T.J. Hockenson, who won the Mackey Award for the nation's top tight end, joining Dallas Clark as the only Iowa player to do so.
PTW Mississippi State: QB-Nick Fitzgerald (131-249, 1,615 yards, 15 TD, 7 INT, 201 carries, 1,018 yards, 12 TD)
PTW Iowa: TE-T.J. Hockenson (46 Rec, 717 yards, 6 TD)
Prediction: Mississippi State 31-Iowa 20
No. 14 Kentucky (9-3) vs No. 12 Penn State (9-3)Location: Orlando, FL
Date: January 1
The Kentucky Wildcats have not won a bowl game since 2008, but get a tough draw in Penn State. Kentucky has already shredded expectations with big wins over Florida, Mississippi State and nearly had a shot at the SEC East before losing their final two conference games. They ride in on a two game win streak.
For Kentucky's optimism, Penn State is full of disappointment. They needed overtime to avoid an upset by the Sun Belt Champions, Appalachian State, and then lost to Ohio State, Michigan State, and Michigan. Against the Spartans and Buckeyes, the Nittany Lions held late fourth quarter leads.
PTW Kentucky: RB-Benny Snell Jr. (263 carries, 1,305 yards, 14 TD, 1 Pass TD)
PTW Penn Staet: QB-Trace McSorley (175-328, 2,284 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT, 151 carries, 723 yards, 11 TD)
Prediction: Penn State 24-Kentucky 21
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