Hey Football Fans and welcome to the second week of Bowl Games! Unfortunately Covid-19 has taken another game from us in 2020 as the Music City Bowl between Iowa and Missouri has been cancelled due to an increase in cases amongst the Tigers. There's still a lot of great games to watch though, so here are all my predictions for the upcoming games!
Bowl Prediction Record: 8-2
Cheez-It Bowl
#21 Oklahoma State vs. #18 Miami
My prediction nemesis Cowboys square off against the Hurricanes in what could be a complete disaster for either team depending on who comes to play and who doesn't. We already know that star Oklahoma State RB, Chuba Hubbard has opted out to prepare for the draft, along with Miami's star defensive ends Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche. We will have a QB battle though, as D'Eriq King has announced he's returning in 2021 and Spencer Sanders is ready to air it out for the Pokes. The Miami defense fell apart last time we saw them against the Tar Heels, but they'll look to end the season on a positive note. I never have much luck predicting victories for either of these teams, but I'm a sucker of a dual-threat QB like D'Eriq King. Mami wins all the Cheez-Its with a 34-28 victory.
Valero Alamo Bowl
#20 Texas vs. Colorado
Old Big XII foes meet up at the Alamo as the Longhorns and Buffalo collide. Colorado started out 4-0, but fell to Utah in their final regular season game after giving up nearly 200 yards rushing. Texas ran wild in their final game against Kansas State, so you can see where this one is headed. Colorado has a talented RB of their own in Jarek Broussard, who averages 6.3 yards per carry. However, the key factor of this game is Longhorn QB Sam Ehlinger. The Senior will be playing his final game for the burnt orange and there's no way he's going out a loser. I despise Texas, but Ehlinger has been a tremendous player throughout his career, and I'm sure he'll have another great performance in this one. Texas rolls through Colorado 45-20. Hook 'Em.
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin and Wake Forest in a very oddly named bowl game, but what bowl doesn't have a weird name I suppose. The Demon Deacons have been up and down this year, especially since losing their final two games against UNC and Louisville, but Sophomore QB Sam Hartman has been solid all season with more than 1,900 yards and an impressive 10 to 1 TD to INT ratio. His counterpart, Graham Mertz started the season hot, but has gone through his Freshman growing pains with 3 straight losses in the middle of Wisconsin's season. The Badgers are still quite solid on defense, giving up just 15.7 points per game, but their offense has really fallen off this season, especially in the run game. They're averaging fewer rushing yards per game than passing yards for the first time since 2015. Nonetheless, they should have enough offense to out last Wake Forest. I like the Badgers for a 27-14 win in this game.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl
#7 Florida vs. #6 Oklahoma
Our first top 10 matchup of bowl seasons sets the Gators against the Sooners. There should be a lot of points with these dynamic offenses, so the key factor is who can make the stops? Oklahoma's defense has stepped up during the second half of the season, ranking 19th in total defense and giving up just 21.9 points per game on average. The Gators give up 28.6 on average, but that doesn't matter much when you have Kyle Trask and the 9th best offense in the nation. Trask is hoping to get a Hesiman soon as well, but I'm sure he'll have another great performance in this game to add to his 4,125 yards and 43 TDs on the year. OU's Spencer Rattler has done well in his first year as a starter, bouncing back from a rocky start to post impressive numbers with more than 2,700 yards and 25 TDs through the air. There should be quite a few points put up in this one, but few teams can put up points like the Gators this season. Florida wins the Cotton Bowl 45-35.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
#24 Tulsa vs. Mississippi State
Despite winning just 3 games, the Pirate (Mike Leach) and the Bulldogs have accepted a bowl bid to square off against Tulsa. The Golden Hurricanes gave Cincy a run for their money in the American Conference Championship and will look to end their season on a high note with a bowl victory over an SEC team. The Bulldogs found some offense against Mizzou in the final game of the season, scoring 51 points. They will have a difficult time moving the ball on Tulsa though. The Golden Hurricanes rank 24th in total defense and 14th in the nation for opponents 3rd down conversion rate at 32.8 percent. The Bulldogs rank near the bottom at 116th in third down conversion rates, so this will be the stat to watch. I like Tulsa's defense to keep the straps down and win this on 23-14.
Offerpad Arizona Bowl
Ball State vs. #22 San Jose State
The Cardinals are coming off their first ever MAC Championship while the Spartans of San Jose State are also celebrating their first Mountain West Conference Title. Both teams have had impressive seasons, and can move the ball well, both averaging around 450 yards of offense per game. Statistically, these teams match up really well, but the key player to watch is ex-Mississippi State Bulldog, QB Nick Starkel for the Spartans. The transfer has thrown for over 1,900 yards with 16 TDs and just 4 picks, bringing alive a Spartan offense that hasn't had the most success in recent years. Ball State has plenty of playmakers on both sides of the ball, but Starkel is the difference maker, leading San Jose State to a 34-21 victory.
Autozone Liberty Bowl
West Virginia vs. Army
The Black Knights were able to find an opponent to take them on in a bowl game, and it will be the Mountaineers of West Virginia to do so. Army has been very impressive this season, going 9-2 and defeating both Navy and Air Force to win the Commander in Chief's Trophy. They'll be up against a stout WVU defense that is giving up just 20.4 points and 297 yards per game on average. The Mountaineers did have their hinges blown off in a 42-6 beat down at the hands of Iowa State in their final regular season game, so they'll be looking to right the ship after a performance like that. Army is always a difficult team to defend, due to the triple option attack, and with their own defense giving up just 14 points per game going up against a lackluster Mountaineer offense, this could be one of those firs to 24 point games. I like Army to take this one, these boys are motivated and they are a good team. Army wins 24-17.
Mercari Texas Bowl
Arkansas vs. TCU
The Razorbacks and Horned Frogs are two animals you certainly don't want to touch based on their descriptions, but both will have time to shine on Thursday night. Arkansas is trying to stop a 4 game skid that has two blowouts and two close losses mixed in. Ex-Gator QB Feleipe Franks has been good this year, but hasn't quite gotten their offense off the ground. The Hogs are averaging fewer than 400 yars per game. The Horned Frogs have been hot and cold all season long. Dual-threat QB Max Duggan has led the way for them, accounting for 20 total TDs on the season. He'll need to take advantage of this opportunities in this one, as TCU is prone to poor turnovers and penalties. If they can limit the mistakes, the Horned Frogs should be able to walk out with a victory. TCU 31, Arkansas 28.
Thanks for reading my bowl predictions and be sure to watch for a post about all the big games this weekend!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
No comments:
Post a Comment