CFB Bowl Game Picks

Without Spencer Sanders, the OK State offense takes a huge hit. Against an offense that’s not prolific in any sense, I expect the Cowboys to play ball control, run the ball, and attempt to play keep-away from the Badgers. And that’s all Wisconsin does is play conservative, keep-away football. Checks out as a slower paced, low-scoring affair.

In games where competition is relatively even, the Terps have played really well this year. NC State is in a state of flux right now, while this game probably means more to a MD team that has way more explosive potential on offense, particularly through their passing game. If the Wolfpack show up lifeless at all, and I think they might, Maryland can take advantage and then it’ll be tough for NC State to catch up. Go Terps!

I don’t necessarily trust my numbers all the time, especially not in college football, but the UCLA Bruins are considerably more talented than Pitt, in my opinion. This should be a 7-8 point spread, especially since it looks like Dorian Thompson-Robinson is playing. Pitt could take advantage of UCLA’s lackluster pass defense, but then again can they? Probably not, since there’s nothing exceptional about their own passing attack. With several key defensive players missing, I love the Bruins to take home this prize with ease.

We’ve seen the Irish grow and grow into a formidable outfit this season, on both sides of the ball, while the ol’ Gamecocks are sort of this pedestrian, middle of the road SEC team who can take advantage of teams in a letdown spot. This is no such spot for the Irish. I think this game and this season means a lot to Marcus Freeman and the growth of their team, while SC probably isn’t as excited or motivated, especially they sort of already won their championship by beating two top teams in the SEC to finish their season. The Irish cover.

Bryce Young and his supporting cast are suiting up for one final time, for the pride of their program, and I think that’s “all she wrote” for this contest. Kansas State is talented on both sides of the ball but this is shaping up to be a Bama-statement-game and I’d rather not be on the other side of that just to try and feel sharp. Not overthinking it– Bama wins easy.

The Wolverines might be the best team in the country and I don’t expect their elevated level of play to come to a halt in the final two games of their season. Now that Michigan’s offense has explosive potential, the talent disparity and opportunities for Michigan to pull ahead should be too much for a Cinderella team like TCU to overcome.

I said long before the Ohio State-Michigan game that I’m unimpressed by the Buckeyes and that remains true. Georgia has been able to assert themselves in the most impressive way all season when they’re in a big game and this is the definition of that, since Ohio State-Georgia is what many had to be the final game of the CFB season. Ohio State’s all-world speed and talent still isn’t consistent enough and I’m not a CJ Stroud believer. I am a believer in Stetson Bennett, who’s been with the Bulldogs since 2019, and a defense that proved it’s as close to an NFL unit as any unit in CFB this season Ohio State disappoints, again, and Georgia remains undefeated.

Purdue had a great finish to their season before a predictable loss to Michigan at the end, but this is a team that can hang in games and hurt you with a dynamic passing attack. Brian Kelly is a great shit-the-bed coach, I’ve seen it plenty before in his stint with the Irish, and 15 points is way too many in a game that might mean a lot more to the Boilermakers.

All I needed to see was that Caleb Williams expects to play, and the value is with USC. I’m sure this game with be closer than we expect, but USC’s potent passing attack and while the Green Wave has its own degree of potency on offense, I don’t think they’ll have the talent to score at will like the Trojans should be able to in this matchup. Tulane’s sack-rate is what really concerns me (100th in the country), which will give Williams plenty of time to slice and dice their sub-optimal secondary. USC or nothing for me.