College Football Predictions – Page 8

Ole Miss vs Texas Tech TaxAct Texas Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Ole Miss vs Texas Tech game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday, December 28

Ole Miss vs Texas Tech prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. TaxAct Texas Bowl, Wednesday, December 28

Ole Miss vs Texas Tech TaxAct Texas Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Ole Miss vs Texas Tech How To Watch

Date: Wednesday, December 28
Game Time: 9:00 pm ET
Venue: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Ole Miss (8-4), Texas Tech (7-5)
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Ole Miss vs Texas Tech TaxAct Texas Bowl 5 Things To Know

TaxAct Texas Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– It seems like it’s all just starting for Texas Tech. Head coach Joey McGuire came up with a good first run, the team got on a roll in the final three games to get here – beating Oklahoma in the regular season finale was fun – and now it’s got a chance to make a big statement going into what should be an interesting offseason.

The offense should crank up even more, the weapons are still around, and the team should put a giant number on the board against a questionable Ole Miss defense.

– Talk about transitional phases, Ole Miss is undergoing some massive changes when it comes to the depth, but considering all of the players who jumped into the transfer portal, there aren’t many killer departures.

The team comes in on a rough three game losing streak and with the seven game winning run to start the season well in the rearview mirror. Whatever – the offense is a blast, the ground game is among the best in America, and the will should be there because …

– Ole Miss was a dud in last year’s Sugar Bowl loss to Baylor after then-QB Matt Corral got hurt. The 21-7 loss was a bit for one of the best bowl programs going over the last 30 years, going 14-4 since losing the 1990 Gator to Michigan. Since 1968, Ole Miss is 19-6 in bowls.

– Going back to the run under the late Mike Leach, Texas Tech is also fantastic in these things. going 10-4 since taking down Clemson in the 2002 Tangerine. Last year’s team crushed Leach’s Mississippi State squad in a 34-7 Liberty Bowl win, but this is the first time up for McGuire. Win, and it’ll be the program’s first eight-win season since 2013 under Kliff Kingsbury.

– The Texas Bowl is relatively new, starting out in 2006, and it needs a good one. Terrific for a few years – with three of the four from 2016 to 2019 decided by a touchdown or less. The 2020 version was sacked thanks to COVID, and last year’s game was a total disaster with players wearing LSU uniforms – but hardly the team that played through the season – getting destroyed by Kansas State 42-20.

CFN Experts CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why Ole Miss Will Win The TaxAct Texas Bowl

Run, run, and run some more.

Quinshon Johnson came up with a massive freshman season with close to 1,500 yards and 16 scores, and with QB Jaxson Dart adding some pop on the ground. The Rebels lost to Arkansas even though it ripped off 463 rushing yards, but they’re 6-1 overall when running for 200 yards or more.

The Texas Tech run defense isn’t bad – the D generates a whole lot of plays behind the line – but there’s a problem when it struggles. The team is 1-3 when giving up more than 210 rushing yards – Ole Miss should get there.

On the other side, there’s just enough of a pass rush to keep Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough from getting comfortable. The Rebels are used to getting thrown on and it usually doesn’t matter – it’s the cost of doing business for this team to give up yards against teams trying to keep up.

But …

Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking Bowl Games So Far

Why Texas Tech Will Win The TaxAct Texas Bowl

Here comes the Texas Tech passing game.

Tyler Shough has all the NFL pro passing talent the offense could want, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. It’s his show now with Donovan Smith transferring and Behren Morton hurt, and he showed what he could do with 436 yards and two scores in the shootout win over Oklahoma.

The Red Raiders don’t have to throw to win, but it certainly helps. They don’t necessarily care about the time of possession battle, but they don’t operate at warp speed.

Ole Miss – even with its running game – wants to go fast, fast, fast, but in this, the Red Raiders should be able to maintain control throughout. That’s going to matter.

There’s one big problem, though.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

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Oregon vs North Carolina San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Oregon vs North Carolina game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl on Wednesday, December 28

Oregon vs North Carolina prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl, Wednesday, December 28

Oregon vs North Carolina San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Oregon vs North Carolina How To Watch

Date: Wednesday, December 28
Game Time: 8:00 ET
Venue: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
How To Watch: FOX
Record: Oregon (9-3), North Carolina (9-4)
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Oregon vs North Carolina San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl 5 Things To Know

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– Yeah, Oregon is losing a boatload of talent, and yeah, the focus is on head coach Dan Lanning and all the talent coming in, but the offense gets back star QB Bo Nix for this and next year, and whatever happens here is just a game to get through before preparing for what should be a monster 2023.

– Like Oregon, North Carolina has lost a ton of main guys. It hurts to not have WR Josh Downs – he’s off to the NFL – and way too many parts of the defense are done. It’s not like the D could afford to lose much, and it just did. However, also like Oregon, it gets its fantastic quarterback back with Drake Maye retuning instead of bolting through the transfer portal.

– The Tar Heels have been awful in bowl games whether it’s Mack Brown, or Larry Fedora, or Butch Davis. The program has dropped the last two bowls – including last year’s Duke Mayo to South Carolina – and five of the last six and eight of the last 11.

– For all of the good things Oregon has done, it’s having a tough time in bowl games. It was missing players and got rolled by Oklahoma in last year’s Alamo as part of a run of five losses in the last seven bowls. Even the two wins – 7-6 over Michigan State in the 2018 Redbox and 28-27 over Wisconsin in the 2019 season’s Rose Bowl – were tight.

– The Holiday is back. It was canceled in 2020, and last year it was halted at the last moment with UCLA having COVID issues. Before that it was a clunker for a few years with three straight relative blowouts – all decided by 11 or more – and eight of the last 11 weren’t close. This one should at least be a blast.

CFN Experts Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why Oregon Will Win The San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl

North Carolina’s defense gets a wee bit of a bad rap. Its job is to hold serve once in a while, and it’s not bad at doing that.

To a point.

It’s still a bad D overall with absolutely no pressure whatsoever generated into the backfield, not enough takeaways to make up for the problems, and with no discernible ability to stop anyone from throwing – partly because of the lack of pressure.

Statistically it was the ACC’s worst defense in both yards and scoring, and now to make things even more fun, several of the main defensive backs are done.

Even with a few parts gone, Oregon QB Bo Nix should be able to do whatever he wants. On the other side, the North Carolina offense should still work, but it won’t have star WR Josh Downs or new Wisconsin offensive coordinator Phil Longo.

But …

Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking Bowl Games So Far

Why North Carolina Will Win The San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl

Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham is off being the new Arizona State head coach. That doesn’t mean Nix won’t be great, but things might not be quite as smooth.

For all of the dogging the North Carolina defense receives, Oregon’s isn’t exactly the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.

It generates even less of a pass rush than the Tar Heels do, it’s even worse on third downs, and the last time out it. was hammered on by the Oregon State running game for 268 yards and five touchdowns.

Of course Drake Maye is one of the headliners, but the Tar Heels can run a little bit. They’re 3-0 when running for more than 165 yards and 8-1 when coming up with more than 120 – and. 1-3 when they don’t.

The North Carolina offense will still work, Maye is Maye, and …

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

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Kansas vs Arkansas AutoZone Liberty Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Kansas vs Arkansas game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Wednesday, December 28

Kansas vs Arkansas prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Wednesday, December 28

Kansas vs Arkansas AutoZone Liberty Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Kansas vs Arkansas How To Watch

Date: Wednesday, December 28
Game Time: 5:30 ET
Venue: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Kansas (6-6), Arkansas (6-6)
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Kansas vs Arkansas AutoZone Liberty Bowl 5 Things To Know

AutoZone Liberty Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– Whatever happens in this, Kansas has already won. Lance Leipold took the woeful football program to its best season in a long, long time, with the six wins the most in a season in the last 14 years. Win, and it’ll be the first winning season and first bowl win since taking the Insight in 2008.

It hasn’t always been a smooth campaign, but it was the story of the first half of the year. The offense is fun, the defense is … the offense is fun, and the coaching is as good as any in the bowl season.

– Arkansas knows what it’s like to have to fight back from a rough run. Last season was the first winning season since 2016, and head coach Sam Pittman followed it up with a good 6-6 campaign, but an unfulfilling one. There were too many close, tough losses, but it’s here with a chance for back-to-back winning seasons.

The Hogs are missing a whole lot, including defensive coordinator Barry Odom, who’s off to live the life as new the head coach at UNLV. QB KJ Jefferson is back, but there are a slew of key starters transferring or sitting out. The depth is about to be challenged.

– There haven’t been a ton of bowls for Arkansas. over the last ten years, but it’s good when it gets there. The Hogs have won four of their last five – including the Outback last year against Penn State – and five of the last seven.

– Kansas beat Minnesota in the 2008 Insight. That was a long time ago, but the program comes in this on a three-game winning streak and winning five of its last six after dropping the 1981 Hall of Fame to Mississippi State.

– One of the longest running bowls before the big ones, the Liberty has been rolling since 1959. It was on a run of fantastic games with four straight by five points or fewer, and six in seven by eight points or fewer. And then Texas Tech blew past the late Mike Leach’s Mississippi State team – it was missing a few key offensive linemen – 34-7 in last year’s clunker.

CFN Experts Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why Kansas Will Win The AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Like all Power Five programs, Kansas is missing a few of its players who made the season solid, but again, it’s nothing compared to what the Hogs lost.

The biggest killers missing are in the defensive back seven. Star linebacker Drew Sanders and Bumper Pool were the team’s top two tacklers, and the secondary is undergoing a few major changes. Kansas should be able to take advantage of all the new guys.

The Jayhawks led the Big 12 in third down conversions – Arkansas, even with all its parts and despite being amazing at getting to the quarterback, was awful defensively on third downs. They can hit the deep shots, and QB Jalon Daniels and company will keep the offensive pressure on.

Daniels and the ground game should get moving, too. The Hogs were 1-4 when giving up 190 rushing yards or more, the Jayhawks were 5-1 when getting that many or more and …

Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking Bowl Games So Far

Why Arkansas Will Win The AutoZone Liberty Bowl

The Jayhawks were 1-5 when they didn’t get to 190 rushing yards, but that’s not their problem.

Arkansas might not be anything special defensively other than generate sacks, but the Kansas D really doesn’t stop anyone’s ground game and can’t come up with enough third down stops. The effort is there, and sometimes there are enough takeaways to survive, but there aren’t any tackles for loss.

Arkansas might have lost a ton, but other than C Ricky Stromberg – sort of a big one – the line is intact and the backfield is as solid as any in the bowls. The Kansas D can’t generate the pressure needed to bother KJ Jefferson or slow down star RB Raheim Sanders.

The Jayhawks are 0-5 when allowing 230 rushing yards or more – that shouldn’t be a problem for the Hogs.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

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UCF vs Duke Military Bowl Presented by Peraton Prediction Game Preview

UCF vs Duke game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Military Bowl Presented by Peraton on Wednesday, December 28

UCF vs Duke prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Military Bowl Presented by Peraton, Wednesday, December 28

UCF vs Duke Military Bowl Presented by Peraton Prediction Game Preview

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UCF vs Duke How To Watch

Date: Wednesday, December 28
Game Time: 2:00 ET
Venue: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: UCF (9-4), Duke (8-4)
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UCF vs Duke Military Bowl Presented by Peraton 5 Things To Know

Military Bowl Presented by Peraton Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– It’s been a while since Duke has made any sort of football noise. After three losing seasons, it’s back in the bowl mix with a strong winning season under first year head man Mike Elko.

The offense has been balanced, the defense has been good enough, and the team comes into this winning four of its last five games. The team isn’t missing much of anything compared to the regular season version, unlike …

– UCF is going to have to do some shuffling. The offense lost a slew of key receivers and parts from the defensive back seven, and QB John Rhys Plumlee is coming off a leg injury and is very, very questionable to go in this.

It was a good season for the Knights, but they came up short in the AAC Championship loss to Tulane and it wasn’t quite the dominant season to get back to a New Year’s Six game like they were hoping for. However, they’ve won nine games, they have a way of rising up in the moment, and …

– It’s UCF in a bowl game. Gus Malzahn’s bunch took down Florida in last year’s Gasparilla, and over the last several years the program has been large in good post-season performances. Malzahn, though, has been just okay in bowl games going 2-5 at Auburn before getting last year’s win over the Gators.

– Bowl games aren’t a regular thing for Duke. This is just the 15th in the program’s history, but after a rough start it’s been good when it gets to the post-season. It hasn’t been to a bowl since beating Temple in the 2018 Independence – the game that took Daniel Jones’ NFL stop up a few notches – but it won three straight after losing five in a row since the 1960 Cotton.

– We’re finally getting a Military Bowl again after the last two were canceled with COVID issues. Before that it was a bit of a rough run for the game over the 12 versions with just two decided by seven points or fewer.

CFN Experts Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why UCF Will Win The Military Bowl Presented by Peraton

The Knights might be taking a hit to the passing game with the lost parts, but the running attack should still be able to get going from the start.

John Rhys Plumlee was the team’s most dangerous runner when it tried to take off, but RB Isaiah Bowser is good enough to take over if he can get into a groove. He didn’t have any monster games, but he was steady throughout the year.

Now he has to be a workhorse against the Duke defensive front. It’s been good against the run, but it has a rough time on third downs and has a bigger issue against teams that can throw.

Again, UCF probably isn’t going to get moving much through the air, but as long as it’s able to connect on the midrange throws – and get Bowser and the rotation of backs moving – the offense might be okay.

Against FBS teams, Duke is 0-4 when allowing more than 106 yards and 7-0 when allowing fewer. UCF ran for fewer than 130 just one in the loss to Navy, but …

Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking Bowl Games So Far

Why Duke Will Win The Military Bowl Presented by Peraton

UCF really does have to get going on the ground, or else.

On the flip side of what happens when the Duke run defense doesn’t hold up against the running game is what happens when USC doesn’t run wild. It’s 0-3 when it doesn’t get to 160 yards and is 2-3 when it doesn’t come up with at least 250 yards – and 7-0 when it does.

Duke hasn’t allowed more than 217 all year.

The Blue Devils get the job done by controlling the clock, owning third downs, and dominating in the turnover battle. That’s going to be an issue for the other side.

UCF might have had the best offense in the American Athletic Conference, but it also had a big problem with turnovers with two or more in six of the last 11 games and seven in the last three.

Duke turned it over just ten times all season and was +14 on the year in turnover margin going 5-2 when coming up with two or more takeaways.

Military Bowl Presented by Peraton Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

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Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Guaranteed Rate Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Tuesday, December 27

Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Tuesday, December 27

Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Guaranteed Rate Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State How To Watch

Date: Tuesday, December 27
Game Time: 10:15 pm ET
Venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Wisconsin (6-6), Oklahoma State (7-5)
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Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Guaranteed Rate Bowl 5 Things To Know

Guaranteed Rate Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– Here’s the big test to see just how much the Wisconsin system works. It was a massively disappointing season with an early loss to Washington State, Paul Chryst being fired after an ugly loss to Illinois, and with losses to Iowa and Minnesota ruining the hope of possibly slipping into the Big Ten Championship in a mediocre West.

Jim Leonhard is still around to be the interim head coach, but it’s Luke Fickell’s show from here on – and he’s already bringing in the talent. Unfortunately for the Badgers, the new guys aren’t there yet, and way too many key players are gone either opting out, hurt, or transferring.

– It’s not quite as bad for Oklahoma State, but a season that started out great with at 5-0 – and 6-1 with a strong 43-40 loss to TCU as the only blemish – went south fast. The offense stopped, the team lost four of the last five, and now it comes in limping with opt-outs and transfers hitting the defensive side and QB Spencer Sanders and RB Dominic Richardson taking off through the transfer portal.

– Oklahoma State is one of the best bowl teams in the business going 21-11 since beating TCU in the 1944 Cotton. Head coach Mike Gundy has been a massive part of that, leading the way to five wins in the last six, and six of the last eight, including a wild comeback win over Notre Dame in the 2021 Fiesta.

– Wisconsin has been an even better bowl team lately, but that was mostly under Paul Chryst. It dropped the 2020 to Justin Herbert and Oregon in the Rose Bowl, but that’s been the only blip going 7-1 in the last eight including a grinding 20-13 win over Arizona State in last year’s Las Vegas.

– The bowl was the Cheez-It, and the Insight, and the Cactus, and the Buffalo Wild Wings, and the Copper. This is the second year as the Guaranteed Rate with the 2020 game canceled and Minnesota running over West Virginia 18-6 last year.

Considering the 10-7 TCU overtime win over Cal in the 2018 version might have been the ugliest sporting event ever – seriously – the 43-42 West Virginia over Arizona State in 2016 was the lone strong game since 2012.

CFN Experts Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why Wisconsin Will Win The Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Remembering that the Badgers are without a whole team full of players, they should still be able to blast a bit.

For all of the good things the Oklahoma State defense all year – great on third downs, solid at getting into the backfield – it can be run on. Kansas went off, West Virginia ran for 250 yards, and on the year, the team is 1-5 when allowing 150 rushing yards or more.

As mediocre as Wisconsin has been all year, it ran for 150 yards or more against everyone but Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. When the team got to 175 yards it went 6-1 with the lone loss coming to Ohio State.

Get the big guys up front into a groove, hand it off to anyone who’s back there – hopefully for the Badgers it’s Braelon Allen – and then rely on a defense that’s not going to have too many problems with the struggling Oklahoma State offense.

With all of that said …

Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking Bowl Games So Far

Why Oklahoma State Will Win The Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Seriously? You think this Wisconsin team that sputtered and coughed all year is going to suddenly be better after losing a boatload of top veterans and talents?

Yeah, the Badgers will want to get running right away, but it’s not like Oklahoma State – and everyone else in the building – doesn’t know that. At some point there needs to be a completed forward pass, and that’s asking for veteran Chase Wolf to at least be okay.

And no, the Badger defense isn’t going to be its normal self – the loss of Keeanu Benton on the inside is a killer. Even without RB Dominic Richardson around, the Cowboys are going to still be grinding it out with the offensive line a possible plus and because …

Guaranteed Rate Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

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Memphis vs Utah State SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Memphis vs Utah State game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Tuesday, December 27

Memphis vs Utah State prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, Tuesday, December 27

Memphis vs Utah State SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Memphis vs Utah State How To Watch

Date: Tuesday, December 27
Game Time: 3:15 ET
Venue: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Memphis (6-6), Utah State (6-6)
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Memphis vs Utah State SERVPRO First Responder Bowl 5 Things To Know

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– Memphis crashed down the stretch with a four game losing streak against the tough teams on the AAC slate, and it didn’t help to close the regular season with a loss to SMU. Basically, the Tigers beat the bad teams and lost to the good ones. Even so, it’s a fun offensive team, there’s enough explosion to hit a slew of big plays, and now it’s here and as close to intact as reasonable, unlike …

– Utah State isn’t exactly a mess, but it’s missing a bunch. It’s going to be very, very thin at the skill spots with the loss of 1,043-yard rusher Calvin Tyler to the NFL world a big hit.

The Aggies started out 1-4, pulled up out of the nosedive to go 5-1 as the offense got sharper and the turnovers slowed, and close with a blowout loss to Boise State. They’re not the Mountain West Champion-level team of last year, but they’re dangerous enough to make this a fight.

– Utah State was one of the surprises of the 2021 bowl season, dropping Oregon State with relative ease in a 24-13 LA Bowl win. It won two of its last three bowls, but the program has been hit-or-miss going just 2-3 since 2014.

– Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield was on a bit of a hot seat at the end of the year. He’s expected to be back, but it would be a big positive to pull off this win. His Tigers rolled by Florida Atlantic in last year’s Montgomery Bowl, breaking the run of five straight bowl losses and a rough 1-7 run since 2005 for the program. It was supposed to play in the Hawaii Bowl last year, but it got canceled.

– The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl was sacked in 2018 because it was stormy, and apparently there weren’t any indoor football stadiums in the greater Dallas metropolitan area to play in. The bowl gods made up for it with three straight good battles all decided by a touchdown or less. Four of the last five First Responders have been one score games.

CFN Experts Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why Memphis Will Win The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

The Tigers know how to throw the ball and should have enough success to push for 250 yards. They’ve got the veteran quarterback in Seth Henigan, they have the weapons to keep the offense moving, and they should be able to own third downs.

This is hardly a rock-solid Memphis team, but it’s able to get the chains moving. On the flip side, Utah State is awful on third converting just 32% of its chances. If this is any sort of a back-and-forth shootout, even a little bit of a blink will be big.

On the other side, the Memphis defense is hardly a rock, but it should be able to hold up. Teams are able to throw against it, but the run defense has held up fine. Utah State is 0-4 when it doesn’t get to 130 yards on the ground, and Memphis has only allowed that many yards four times.

However …

Why Utah State Will Win The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

With all the lost pieces in the Utah State backfield, getting time to work will mean everything. That’s not a problem against a Memphis defense that doesn’t generate a pass rush and fails to produce enough tackles for loss.

It might be ugly at the Utah State skill spots when it comes to depth and veterans, but the offensive line should be okay. The game has to be about blasting away for the ground game, keeping the mistakes to a minimum, and getting a huge performance out of a defense that needs to generate at least two takeaways.

Utah State had a problem this year in turnover margin, but it’s 4-1 when forcing multiple takeaways. Memphis is 1-3 when turning it over two times or more.

But …

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

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Buffalo vs Georgia Southern Camellia Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Buffalo vs Georgia Southern game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Camellia Bowl on Tuesday, December 27

Buffalo vs Georgia Southern prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Camellia Bowl, Tuesday, December 27

Buffalo vs Georgia Southern Camellia Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Buffalo vs Georgia Southern How To Watch

Date: Tuesday, December 27
Game Time:12:00 ET
Venue: Crampon Bowl, Montgomery, AL
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Buffalo (6-6), Georgia Southern (6-6)
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Buffalo vs Georgia Southern Camellia Bowl 5 Things To Know

Camellia Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– Get ready to hear the name Kyle Vantrease a whole lot. Good at Buffalo over his five years, he transferred to Georgia Southern and helped change up the program under head coach Clay Helton.

All of a sudden, the Eagles went from being known for its option offense to finishing fourth in the nation in passing. It was a grind late in the year, but a wild 51-48 win over Appalachian State – with 389 yards from Vantrease – booked the bowl ticket.

– Buffalo has done okay for itself without Vantrease, too – even if it took a LOT of work to get here. It started 0-3 – including a Hail Mary loss to Holy Cross, won five straight, lost three straight, and it was out of the mix after the Akron game was postponed thanks to a blizzard. It was a dogfight, but the 23-22 Bull win was enough to get bowl eligible.

– This just the sixth bowl game in Buffalo history. It’s actually the seventh, but the 1958 team turned down its invitation to the Tangerine Bowl. The program lost its first three bowls starting in 2008, but under now-Kansas star coach Lance Leipold it won the last two in 2019 and 2020 – the latter the Camellia against Marshall.

– It’s the fifth bowl for Georgia Southern, winning three of the four since making the first appearance in the 2015 GoDaddy. The last appearance was a dominant 38-3 blasting of Louisiana Tech in the 2020 New Orleans.

– The Camellia Bowl has been in a few different locations over the years, but it’s now settled in at Montgomery. It’s also been one of the most consistently awesome bowl games over the last eight seasons with the first seven all decided by eight points or fewer before Georgia State blasted Ball State 51-20 last year.

CFN Experts Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why Buffalo Will Win The Camellia Bowl

The defense has to crank up the takeaways.

The offense is too inconsistent and the special teams are awful, but the defense knows how to force mistakes.

For all of the good things Georgia Southern does, it’s got a problem when it starts turning the ball over. It’s 2-3 when giving it away multiple times – and the two wins were by the skin of its teeth in shootouts. UB takes it away in bunches with four or more turnovers forced in four games.

If that doesn’t work, it’s all about controlling the clock.

No, Buffalo’s offense isn’t great, but at least it operates with a deliberate pace to stay in control. Georgia Southern doesn’t care about that, moving quickly to keep defenses on their heels. There’s going to be a problem if the Eagles work fast and make mistakes, but …

Why Georgia Southern Will Win The Camellia Bowl

With a few rare exceptions, this isn’t the type of Buffalo team that did a good job of keeping up in shootouts. It could score here and there, but it was just 2-6 when it didn’t come up with more than 31 points and 1-6 when allowing more than 27.

The Georgia Southern offense has the ability to turn out the lights in a hurry if it comes up with a few early scoring drives. The offensive line is fantastic at keeping defenses out of the backfield – that’s partly because of the pace of the attack – and the offense keeps on cranking up yards through the air.

Buffalo is 0-3 when giving up 283 passing yards or more. Georgia Southern got there in every game but four.

Camellia Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

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East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Prediction Game Preview

East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl on Tuesday, December 27

East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl, Tuesday, December 27

East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina How To Watch

Date: Tuesday, December 27
Game Time: 6:45 ET
Venue: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: East Carolina (7-5), Coastal Carolina (9-3)
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East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl 5 Things To Know

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– Coastal Carolina came close to having a special season, and it could still be a ten-win campaign. It started 6-0 and then 9-1, got rocked by James Madison, and rolled in the Sun Belt Championship by Troy.

Head coach Jamey Chadwell decided he’d rather be working at Liberty, Grayson McCall entered the transfer portal, and now the program is in a holding pattern for the Tim Beck era to begin. On the plus side, McCall is still playing in this before leaving.

– East Carolina had an interesting year. It was wildly inconsistent – good enough to blowout UCF and win at BYU, and flaky enough to get destroyed by Houston and lose to Navy – but it’s still going to be a winning season. The balanced offense knows how to crank up the yards. But …

– East Carolina has been a bowl game nightmare. Since getting by Boise State in the 2007 Hawaii it lost four of the last five and went 4-9 since 1992. It was supposed to play Boston College in last year’s Military, but it got canceled thanks to COVID.

– This is just the third bowl game for Coastal Carolina, with all coming in the last three seasons under Chadwell. The Chanticleers lost a thriller of a 2020 Cure Bowl to Liberty, and last year hung on for dear life to beat Northern Illinois in the 2021 Cure.

– The 2020 Birmingham Bowl – coming at the end of the 2019 season – was a rough 36-6 Cincinnati blowout over Boston College, and the 2020 season version was canceled. Other than that, this has been one of the consistently best bowls of the season. Four of the last five were thrillers including Houston’s win over Auburn last season in the final moments.

CFN Experts Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why East Carolina Will Win The TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl

Coastal Carolina’s missing parts are more of a problem than East Carolina’s. But even at full strength, the Pirates have the style to give the Chanticleers problems.

ECU is usually dominates the turnover battle, it’s great offensively on third downs, and it’s going against a team that’s struggles on defense at getting off the field.

The Pirates haven’t turned the ball over since October 8th, going six straight games without a mistake and with eight games on the year with no turnovers. Coastal Carolina struggled over the last three games – two losses and a close call against Southern Miss – partly because it gave it up seven times.

Combined the lack of turnovers with almost no issues with penalties, and East Carolina isn’t going to beat itself.

Combine all of that with what East Carolina is about to do against a Coastal Carolina pass defense that was the worst in the Sun Belt, and it’s a nice mix. However …

Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking Bowl Games So Far

Why Coastal Carolina Will Win The TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl

Grayson McCall, have a day.

Assuming he’s really and truly going to still play in this – and not be off being a Florida Gator or something – he going to crank up huge numbers against a Pirate secondary that allowed a nation-worst 299 passing yards per game.

From Houston and Clayton Tune pushing for 435 yards, to Temple rolling up 527 yards and five scores in a loss, to everyone by Navy and BYU coming up with at least 200 yards, everyone got fat on the East Carolina secondary.

Even with McCall out for a few games with a foot injury, the offense still worked. One of the most efficient passing games in America should be able to fire at will, but …

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

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Coaches Poll Top 25 Projection College Basketball Rankings Prediction Week 8

What will the latest Coaches Poll Top 25 college basketball poll possibly be on December 26th? We make our best guess prediction before the real poll comes out on Monday morning

What will the latest 2022-2023 Coaches Poll potentially be? It’s our predicted best guess on the early college basketball rankings after Week 8

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Note that this is NOT the actual 2022-2023 college basketball Coaches Poll – it’s our prediction and projection of what it might be before it’s released.

Coaches Poll College Basketball Rankings Prediction Week 8

Number in parentheses is where each team finished in last week’s rankings.

25. West Virginia Mountaineers 10-2 (NR)

24. Virginia Tech Hokies 11-2 (20)

23. Illinois Fighting Illini 8-4 (T16)

22. Auburn Tigers 10-2 (18)

21. Maryland Terrapins 9-3 (23)

– Coaches Final Regular Season Football Rankings

20. Mississippi State Bulldogs 11-1 (15)

19. Duke Blue Devils 10-3 (14)

18. TCU Horned Frogs 10-1 (19)

17. Miami Hurricanes 12-1 (22)

16. Indiana Hoosiers 10-3 (21)

– AP College Basketball Top 25 Prediction

15. Wisconsin Badgers 9-2 (18)

14. Kentucky Wildcats 8-3 (T16)

13. Baylor Bears 9-2 (13)

12. Gonzaga Bulldogs 10-3 (12)

11. Tennessee Volunteers 10-2 (11)

– AP Final Regular Season Football Rankings

10. Alabama Crimson Tide 10-2 (10)

9. Virginia Cavaliers 8-2 (6)

8. UCLA Bruins 11-2 (9)

7. Arkansas Razorbacks 11-1 (8)

6. Texas Longhorns 10-1 (7)

5. Arizona Wildcats 12-1 (5)

4. Kansas Jayhawks 11-1 (4)

3. Houston Cougars 12-1 (3)

2. UConn Huskies 13-0 (2)

1. Purdue Boilermakers 12-0 (1)

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Coaches Poll College Football Rankings
All-Time Coaches Poll Rankings | AP All-Time Rankings

Bowling Green vs New Mexico State Quick Lane Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Bowling Green vs New Mexico State game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Quick Lane Bowl on Monday, December 26

Bowling Green vs New Mexico State prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Quick Lane Bowl, Monday, December 26

Bowling Green vs New Mexico State Quick Lane Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Bowling Green vs New Mexico State How To Watch

Date: Monday, December 26
Game Time: 2:30 ET
Venue: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Bowling Green (6-6), New Mexico State (6-6)
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Bowling Green vs New Mexico State Quick Lane Bowl 5 Things To Know

Quick Lane Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– So, you want a bowl game with two teams that are really, really going to care? These two programs came into the season ranked among the lowest teams in college football, no one expected either one to have a shot at a winning season, and bowls are special for them no matter what, especially New Mexico State.

The Aggies got a break from the NCAA because a tragedy at San Jose State forced a cancelation of a midseason game. The played a 12th game anyway to have a Senior Day, rolling Valparaiso 65-3 to get to six wins, even though that made it two of the six wins coming against FCS teams, and … whatever. Head coach Jerry Kill’s team is in a bowl, and it’s rolling offensively.

– This is just the fifth bowl game for the New Mexico State program. It won the Arizona in 2017, but before that the previous bowl appearance was in the 1960 Sun. Bowling Green is 1-5 in its last six bowl games going back to 2004, with the last appearance a blowout loss to Georgia Southern in the 2015 GoDaddy.

– Bowling Green started out the season 1-3 in what seemed like another lost year, and it closed rough losing two of its last three games. In between, though, it went on a nice midseason run, shocked eventual MAC champion Toledo on the road, and now it brings its fun passing game to Detroit.

– The Quick Lane is a reboot of other Detroit bowl games, getting going in 2014 with a mixed bag of games. The 2020 version was canceled, four were ugly blowouts, and three were entertaining. Last year was the first time a Power Five team wasn’t playing in it. This keeps that going.

CFN Experts Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why Bowling Green Will Win The Quick Lane Bowl

The passing game has been fun.

The Falcons might not run all that well, and they offensive line is miserable in pass protection, but Matt McDonald is able to get the offense moving through the air when it gets on a little bit of a roll.

It’s a simple formula. When the offense gets to 247 passing yards it has a shot – it’s 4-2 when it gets there and 2-4 when it doesn’t.

The other side is hit or miss, but the pass rush was as strong as any in the MAC and should be disruptive enough to force a few mistakes. New Mexico State doesn’t have big problems giving the ball away, but the D isn’t great at generating mistakes.

However …

Why New Mexico State Will Win The Quick Lane Bowl

It’s a Jerry Kill team, so in a perfect world it would like to start running and get physical. The program isn’t there yet in its Kill’s first season, but his offense has been crushing it over the last month.

QB Diego Pavia was supposed to be questionable, but he’s expected to give it a go. The offense takes on a different look if he’s able to go. He might not wing it around too much, and he might not be consistent, but he threw seven touchdown passes in his last two games and 11 over the last five – and he can run a little bit, too.

Bowling Green will give up 200 yards through the air. It’s not awful against the run, and it has a great pass rush, but the New Mexico State offensive front is good in pass protection. The quarterbacks get time to take shots down the field, and in the perfect conditions indoors, the O will stretch the field.

Quick Lane Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

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