Alex Bowl Predictions: 9-1
Nate Bowl Predictions: 6-4
Jared Birmingham Bowl
Memphis vs. Wake Forrest
Alex
This game should yield a lot of offense and a lot of points. Both offenses love to rack up the points as the Tigers average 43.6 points per game while the Demon Deacons average 32.5. Star wideout Greg Dortch for the Demon Deacons could give Memphis some headaches, but the main factor of this game is the rushing attack of the Tigers. Memphis averages 285 rush yards per game, and Junior RB Darrell Henderson is #2 in the nation when it comes to rushing yards, averaging just under 9 yards per carry. He has 22 TDs on the season and only needs 91 yards in the bowl game to eclipse 2,000! With Wake Forest ranking 91st in the nation in rush defense, I expect Memphis to roll BIG in this game. Tigers dominate on the ground and win this one 42-17.
Nate
Memphis falls just short of upsetting UCF a few weeks ago,
and unfortunately they have to spend their bowl season in Birmingham Alabama. A
sad ending. But, they can still win the football game at least. What hasn’t
been said about Darrell Henderson? He has lead the Tigers to close to total
three thousand yards rushing, and multiple 200 yards per game on the ground. Wake
forest will probably hang, but I’m picking the Tigers. Memphis: 31, Wake Forest 28
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Houston vs. Army
Alex
No star Defensive Tackle and no star Quarterback. This is not a recipe for success and I doubt it will work today. The Cougars are absolutely atrocious on defense, giving up 34.4 points per game and nearly 500 yards of total offense. Army averages just under 300 rush yards per game, ranking second in the nation, so I doubt they'll have many issues in this one. Army rolls right on past Houston with a 34-17 victory.
Nate
Turns out when you don’t have your best player on offense or on defense, you don’t win. Ed Oliver and D’Eriq King are both out, and with Houston’s horrid defense allowing 34 rushing touchdowns this season, good for 122nd in the nation. Not good for a team that has to face the monstrous rushing attack of Army, a team that almost beat a team in the playoffs.
Army 28, Houston: 24
Dollar General Bowl
Buffalo vs. Troy
Alex
Two tough G5 teams who were near the top spots of their respective conferences this season square off down in Mobile, Alabama. Buffalo has 10 wins on the season, but lost the MAC title game to the Huskies of Northern Illinois. Troy is a tough team that was bested by App. State, falling short of a division title. Both of these teams are fairly well matched, but the Bulls offense has the advantage on paper. They average 417 yards per game and score just under 35 points. Troy's defense has been tough this season, giving up no more than 21 points in their last 5 games. Having watched them in person, I know this is a talented team that will put up a fight in every game. Their Linebackers are a fantastic unit, and I think they'll have the edge in this game. Troy wins 31-27.
Nate
Buffalo is coming off of a depressing loss in their
conference championship game, and will be looking to rebound against a feisty
Troy team. Buffalo has faltered when they play tougher competition, losing to
teams like Army and Ohio, and this match-up should be no different, expect Troy
to pound the rock early, then expose the Bull’s secondary late.
Troy: 38, Buffalo: 29
Sofi Hawai'i Bowl
Hawai'i vs. Louisiana Tech
Alex
The Rainbow Warriors get to stay at home for the holidays as they take on Louisiana Tech in the Hawai'i Bowl. Hawai'i's offense has been up and down all year, but has potential to light up the scoreboard on any given day. Sophomore QB, Cole McDonald, has thrown for nearly 3,800 yards to go along with his 35 TDs and just 8 picks. He's very good at escaping pressure in the pocket and should make it difficult for the Bulldogs to contain him in this one. LA Tech doesn't have much to offer on the offensive side of the ball and not having to travel gives Hawai'i a huge advantage. I'm taking the Rainbow Warriors with a 33-21 victory in their home bowl game.
Nate
Hey another home game for one of these teams! Hawaii has
alternated between “Oh man this team might be special” to “Uh oh, not so much”.
Hawaii’s Run and Shoot offense can look impressive, but against the 5 best
defenses that they have played, they’ve only scored an average of 21 points.
And LaTech is no defensive slouch. I’ll take the team from Louisiana in this
one.
LaTech: 24, Hawaii: 20
Servpro First Responder Bowl
Boston College vs. Boise State
Alex
I think this is one of the more interesting match-ups of all of bowl season. The Eagles have hung around with some top teams and have a Heisman-caliber Running Back to hand the ball to. Boise State is always lurking as one of the top G5 teams you never want to play, and QB Brett Rypien has been stellar in his senior campaign, throwing for more than 3,700 yards with 30 TDs and just 7 picks. BC will look to ground and pound with AJ Dillion, who averages 5 yards per carry. On the flip side, the Broncos have a start RB of their own, and his 1,415 yards and 17 TDs on the year should not be overlooked. Alexander Mattison is an absolute workhorse (pun intended) for Boise State, as he carried the rock 40 times in their Mountain West Championship loss to Fresno State. I've enjoyed watching both of these teams all year, and they're tough to play for anyone, but I like Boise State in this one. I think Mattison has another big game, even against the stiff Eagles defense, and there's no way Brett Rypien is losing in his final game as a Bronco.
Boise State 35, Boston College 28.
Nate
Honestly, the stats and momentum all favor Boise. BC has
lost 3 straight to end the season, including two games they were favored in.
Boise ended strong, even though they lost their conference championship. I
however think this is one of those games where a mid tier P5 Team beaks a top
tier G5 team by like 20. I expect AJ Dillon and the rest of the Golden Eagle
crew to put a statement win, and take some comfort into the off-season.
Boston College: 38, Boise St: 20
Quick Lane Bowl
Georgia Tech vs. Minnesota
Alex
Our first Power 5 game comes with the Gophers taking on the Yellow Jackets in what will be Paul Johnson's final game before retirement. He's won 82 games as the Yellow Jackets' head coach over 11 seasons and will likely ground an pound one last time with the triple option attack. The Gophers squeaked into bowl season with big victories over Purdue and Wisconsin late in the year, giving them so building momentum under PJ Fleck. Their team is so hot and cold it's hard to keep up with, but one staple is star wideout Tyler Johnson. He earned 1st Team BIG 10 honors with over 1,100 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. He will give headaches to Georgia Tech's 56th ranked pass defense. On the other side, it's all about the ground attack. GT is the top ranked rushing offense in the nation, averaging 335 yards on the ground per game. Nebraska racked up 383 on Minnesota when I saw them in Lincoln and I imagine a similar situation occurring in this game. The Gophers have struggled to stop the run all year long and that will prove costly against a team like Georgia Tech. Paul Johnson gets his 3rd straight bowl victory on his way to retirement and Georgia Tech wins the Quick Lane Bowl 34-23.
Nate
The last throws of triple option comes to roost in this
game, as Paul Johnson retires after this
one. It will be up to Minnesota to prevent his swan song, but their
frightfully inconsistent defense tries to step up. They have held 6 opponents to
under 100 yards rushing in a game, but 4 to over 300. Which Minnesota will
show up? I’m betting on the good one. Minnesota 24, Georgia Tech: 20
Cheez-It Bowl
Cal vs. TCU
Alex
At the beginning of this season, I would be extremely hyped for this match-up. While I'm still excited, injury-plagued TCU vs. an underwhelming Cal offense isn't quite as exciting as the early-year potential of these teams. Nonetheless, there is a game to be played and key factors to look at. Statistically, both programs are extremely well matched, so I would not be surprised with a tight game, maybe even overtime! Both QBs have struggled with their accuracy this season, but have dynamic play-makers around them to spread the ball to. TCU is a very talented team and I never like to go against Gary Patterson when it comes to predictions. He's building this team back up to the top in another couple years, and that will start with a big bowl victory. Cal was my sleeper/upset-minded team in the Pac-12 this year, but Patterson is 6-0 all time against the conference, so I'm going with the Frogs. Look for Jalen Reagor to have a big night out in Phoenix!
Horned Frogs: 26, Golden Bears 24.
Nate
Good for TCU for sneaking into bowl eligibility! I doubt
however, that it will continue the good feelings in the Cheez-It Bowl.
(tangent, but cheez-its are disgusting, yuck). TCU has scored under 17 points
in 8 of their games this season, and even with great players like Jalen Reagor,
it will be tough for them to score on a tough Cal secondary, I like the bears.
Cal: 29, TCU: 17
Thank you for reading our predictions and stay tuned for more to come as we get to the bigger bowl game. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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