The heart of the bowl season is upon us as many of the power 5 conference bowl games are on the calendar this week starting with six games on Saturday and running through Wednesday night before we get to the New Year’s Six bowl games. Our experts John Bava, Steen Kirby, Yesh Ginsburg, and Mike Loveall are once again on hand to preview and predict all of the games, and Yesh had the best results in the first week of the bowl season.
The key games this week include a pair of 8-4 teams gunning for a solid nine wins in a true neutral site game as Washington State travels to Texas to face Miami in the Sun Bowl. Navy going for an 11 win season in the Military Bowl at home vs. Pitt. An SEC vs. ACC showdown as Mississippi State faces NC State in the Belk Bowl. A pair of disappointed teams, USC and Wisconsin, in the Holiday bowl, and the crown jewel game this week, 11-2 North Carolina vs. 9-3 Baylor in the Russell Athletic Bowl. A game between two of College Football’s fastest improving programs.
College Football Bowl Season Week 2 Predictions Including North Carolina-Baylor
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Miami (8-4) vs. Washington State (8-4) (Saturday 12/26/2015 2:00 P.M. EST in El Paso, TX) Line: Washington State by 2.5
John:
Miami finished the season winning four of their final five games after parting ways with Al Golden. A bowl win over Washington State in El Paso would go a long way towards establishing even more positive momentum within the program after hiring former Georgia head coach Mark Richt. If the Canes can get solid quarterback play out of Brad Kaaya, who led the ACC in passing, they’ll be in good shape.
After four seasons in Pullman, head coach Mike Leach finally has Wazzu heading in the right direction. Despite a disastrous early season loss to Portland State, the Cougars were mightily impressive in Pac-12 play. They finished 6-3, defeated Oregon, Arizona and UCLA on the road and nearly upset eventual conference champion Stanford. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Cougs led the nation in passing offense with quarterback Luke Falk averaging 387.8 yards per game.
The Canes were halfway decent defending the pass in 2015, finishing third in the ACC with 15 interceptions. I think they figure out a way to slow down Washington State’s explosive passing attack.
Prediction: Miami 34, Washington State 30
Steen:
Miami lost just once to ACC Coastal champions North Carolina after firing Al Golden, and all four of their losses came at the hands of bowl eligible teams, thus the perception of this Hurricanes team is arguably worse than reality. QB Brad Kaaya should continue to sling the ball against a Washington State defense that ranks in the bottom half of the country defensively.
The good news for Washington State is they have nothing to lose in this game and should be highly motivated to taste bowl success for the first time in their college careers. QB Luke Falk along with WR River Cracraft will feast on Miami’s own weak defense, and this should be a shootout. Miami has more talent though and Washington State slumped late in the season after a quality win against UCLA.
Prediction: Miami 38, Washington State 31
Yesh:
This is an intriguing bowl matchup. Miami has talent that they have shown flashes of at times, but overall the season has to be pretty disappointing. The record says 8-4, but we all know that they really should have lost that game to Duke.
Washington State has taken the air raid offense up a notch with Mike Leach, as Luke Falk is setting all kinds of passing (and attempts) records. If he stays healthy and not-concussed, he should throw the ball all over the field, even if Miami’s defense is faster than most others they’ve seen all season.
Prediction: Washington State 41, Miami 34
Mike:
Mike Leach has turned around the Washington State program over the past few years from perennial PAC 12 bottom-feeders to contenders. The Cougars offense can sling it, as you would expect from a Mike Leach team. My biggest concern with Washington State is consistency. With wins over UCLA and close losses to Cal and Stanford, the Cougars look solid. But a loss to FCS Portland State and an end-of-season dud loss to arch-rival Washington by 35 points (45-10) must cause some hesitation. The Hurricanes have finished the season strong after a tumultuous start that saw the firing of Al Golden. The loss of safety Jamal Carter and defensive tackle Courtel Jenkins will make an already porous defense too vulnerable to the Air Raid Cougars. Leach gets his team refocused for this game.
Prediction: Washington State 45, Miami 32
Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman: Pittsburgh (8-4) vs. #21 Navy (10-2) (Monday 12/28/2015 2:30 P.M. EST in Annapolis, MD) Line: Navy by 3
John:
The Midshipmen get a glorified home game for their bowl, hosting the Panthers at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. It will be quarterback Keenan Reynolds final collegiate game and he may have some unfinished business. He currently sits two touchdowns behind Louisiana Tech running back Kenneth Dixon in career touchdowns after Dixon’s four score performance in the New Orleans Bowl. You have to think the Middies will try and get him the ball to cap off his sensational college career in style.
Pittsburgh appears to have found their man in Pat Narduzzi. The former Michigan State defensive coordinator had an immensely successful first year as head coach. The Panthers finished second in the ACC Coastal and their four losses on the year came by just an average of 7.5 points. They finished the regular season in the top 20 nationally defending the run so they may yet be able to contain the Navy triple option. Still, it’s too tantalizing a story for me to count out Reynolds closing out his account with a big game.
Prediction: Navy 28, Pittsburgh 24
Steen:
Ken Niumatalolo decided to stay on at Navy and continue the fantastic job he’s done with this program that is limited recruiting wise by being a military academy. The entire Midshipmen team goes above and beyond the idea of service before self, and get a home game in the Military Bowl. Navy’s Keenan Reynolds is the star as he has had one of the greatest college careers of all time as a dual-threat option QB and gets one final showcase game.
Pitt has the same physical mentality that Pat Narduzzi instilled at Michigan State for years and this is a run first team, even though they have a great All-ACC receiver in Tyler Boyd. The Panthers have over performed this year but the long season took its toll on them late as they started 6-1, with that lone loss coming on a field goal to top 10 Iowa, and finished 2-3.
This should be a physical and plodding game, Navy beat five bowl eligible teams this year including Memphis and I see them getting to 11 wins in this one.
Prediction: Navy 31, Pitt 27
Yesh:
Keenan Reynolds had two of his worst games of the season towards the very end of the year, but he runs that option incredibly well. Pitt has a few weeks to prepare (and they played Georgia Tech during the regular season), so this game will come down to Pitt’s defensive discipline.
Prediction: Navy 31, Pittsburgh 21
Mike:
Usually triple option attack offenses are difficult to prepare for, but with four full weeks of practice the Pitt Panthers should be prepared as far as their assignments on defense are concerned. Both of these teams are probably better than most think, with a total of six losses to teams with a combined record of 63-10. For those math challenged, that means that between all the teams that Navy and Pitt lost to this year, they average less than two losses per team. But I’m not sold on Pittsburgh, especially after their performance against Miami. And Navy is playing at home. Look for Navy to come out sharp and execute their offense well, but Pittsburgh keeps it close until the final whistle.
Prediction: Navy 35, Pittsburgh 34
Russell Athletic Bowl: #10 North Carolina (11-2) vs. #17 Baylor (9-3) (Tuesday 12/29/2015 5:30 P.M. EST in Orlando, FL) Line: North Carolina by 2 .5
John:
The Bears come into this game having lost three of their last four and not in the best of shape health-wise. Both quarterback Jarrett Stidham and wide receiver Corey Coleman will be out against North Carolina. Want to know how important Coleman is: he led the nation with a whopping 20 touchdown receptions.
They face a Tar Heel team that, despite losing the ACC title game to Clemson, gave the top-ranked Tigers quite the game. Dual-threat quarterback Marquise Williams finished second in the ACC behind Clemson’s Heisman finalist quarterback Deshaun Watson with 3,696 total yards. And UNC is 26th nationally defending the pass, something that could help them against a shorthanded Baylor aerial attack. This one has the potential to finish firmly in the favor of the Heels.
Prediction: North Carolina 38, Baylor 17
Steen:
It’s a shame that Baylor isn’t healthy, especially on offense, otherwise we could be looking at the game of the bowl season. The Bears are solid but without their weapons they lost to rivals TCU and Texas down the stretch and appear likely to bottom out in this game to end up with a rather disappointing season when they had a case for #1 mid-season.
UNC is the surprise team of the season (along with Iowa), and gave #1 Clemson all they could handle in the ACC title game after reeling off eleven straight wins to get there. Their defense is underrated, and the Marquise Williams/Elijah Hood duo on offense, along with the ACC’s career best punt returner WR Ryan Switzer, should wreck Baylor. Look for the Heels to romp.
Prediction: North Carolina 45, Baylor 28
Yesh:
This could have been a great game. North Carolina’s defense is probably good enough to keep Baylor close enough if the Bears were healthy. But with Baylor missing their top two quarterbacks and best receiver, this game unfortunately won’t be close. The Bears couldn’t score much on Texas with this offense, and North Carolina’s defense is better.
Prediction: North Carolina 45, Baylor 17
Mike:
North Carolina showed the nation that they weren’t as bad as everyone thought in their ACC Championship Game performance. Baylor, on the other hand, lost to Texas in the last game of the regular season and have went through quarterbacks this season like the Red Army went through soldiers in World War II. Look for Marquise Williams to show the value of a mobile quarterback against Baylor’s defense. And with uncertainty and little-to-no experience at quarterback, it’s unlikely the Baylor offense can keep up with their Tar Heel counterparts.
Prediction: North Carolina 31, Baylor 24
Belk Bowl: NC State (7-5) vs. Mississippi State (8-4) (Wednesday 12/30/2015 3:30 P.M. EST in Charlotte, NC)
Line: Mississippi State by 5.5
John:
Dak Prescott has clearly flew under the radar in 2015 after he was in the Heisman discussion for a good portion of last season. Yet the Mississippi State senior quarterback finished in the top 20 nationally in passing yards per game and also finished with 25 touchdowns to just four interceptions. This year’s Belk Bowl will be one of his last chances to impress NFL scouts ahead of next year’s draft.
On the other side of the field is another quarterback in NC State’s Jacoby Brissett who will be looking close out his college career with an impressive performance. Much like Prescott, he threw just four picks all year. Under third-year head coach Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack have finished 7-5 in the regular season for the second straight year. It remains to be seen whether this program can take the next step and become an upper-echelon ACC team.
Prediction: Mississippi State 31, NC State 20
Steen:
A pair of under the radar teams, NC State started 4-0 against weak competition and then looked weak against other bowl eligible ACC teams, with the exception of a shootout against Clemson where they put up 41 but gave up 56 against the Tigers.
Mississippi State’s best win was a 51-50 thriller over Arkansas, and like NC State they struggled against the better teams in the SEC as the talent gap was evident. Dak Prescott and Jacoby Brissett are both fun to watch. This is a relative home game for NC State, but the Mississippi State defense has the advantage over the Wolfpack defense, and that should be the difference.
Prediction: Mississippi State 38, NC State 24
Yesh:
This game is interesting. NC State hasn’t shown us much of anything, except for their game against Clemson where they put up a ton of points and kept things relatively close. Mississippi State has had their ups and downs this year, but has had a solid season overall. NC State probably isn’t physical enough on defense to slow down the Bulldogs, but this game could be surprisingly close if the Wolfpack can put together a strong performance on defense.
Prediction: Mississippi State 38, NC State 28
Mike:
Dan Mullen and the Mississippi State Bulldogs have been playing with a chip on their shoulder the entire season after being picked last in the SEC West in the preseason. Dak Prescott continues to carry the Bulldogs to a level of program consistency not seen before in Starkville. NC State has been playing under the radar this season, in the shadow of North Carolina and Clemson. NC State has seen Deshaun Watson and North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams, so they will be experienced against the mobile, quality passing quarterback type they’ll face in Prescott. This game will be a key litmus test for the SEC and the ACC. This could be the upset the ACC is looking for.
Prediction: NC State 35, Mississippi State 24
National Funding Holiday Bowl: #25 USC (8-5) vs. Wisconsin (9-3) (Wednesday 12/30/2015 10:30 P.M. EST in San Diego, CA) Line: USC by 3.5
John:
Trojan fans have been through a lot this season. All looked lost when they fired Steve Sarkisian after starting the season 3-2 and then falling to Notre Dame a week later. But after Clay Helton was named interim coach they won five of their final six games and ended up winning the Pac-12 South before falling to Stanford in the conference title game. Helton’s interim tag has since been lifted.
They face a Wisconsin team that, despite the coaching turmoil they’ve had to deal with in recent years, remain one of the Big Ten’s elite programs. In Paul Chryst’s first year as head coach, they lost just two games in Big Ten play by a combined ten points. Much of their success in 2015 has been attributed to a defense that allowed just 267.1 yards per game, good for third best in FBS.
USC will likely have a partisan crowd behind them in San Diego looking to send senior quarterback Cody Kessler out with a win. However, Wisconsin is phenomenal defending the pass, with quarterback turned cornerback Tanner McEvoy finishing second in the Big Ten with six interceptions. That could be the difference.
Prediction: Wisconsin 20, USC 17
Steen:
Two vastly different teams in this game. Wisconsin operates under the radar and has maximized their talent level once again this season. USC once again underperformed with the spotlight on them this season, though Clay Helton did seem capable of righting the ship after a slow start, as he got them to the PAC-12 championship game. USC looked great against quality teams like Utah and UCLA this year, but terrible against the better teams in the PAC-12 north.
Wisconsin lost twice in low scoring Big 10 conference games simply because they couldn’t find enough offense to score two touchdowns. The Badgers defense play like rabid badgers, but I don’t expect them to find enough offense to hang with USC unless the Trojans simply fail to show up. Pac-12 style should trump Big-10 style, and playing in Southern California also gives the Men of Troy a crowd edge.
Prediction: USC 24, Wisconsin 17
Yesh:
It’s really hard to know much about Wisconsin or USC, even after a full season. USC has a ton of talent but has played some surprisingly poor games. Wisconsin is not a team known for having great and fast defenses, but that is what they have this year. Of course, USC is a level of speed they haven’t seen all year. Wisconsin nullified Alabama’s speed pretty well in the season opener, though Alabama just had superior talent and ran away with the game. Basically, I have no idea how to predict this game.
Wisconsin was more consistent over the season, but season-long consistency is often a very false indicator of bowl potential. It will come down to which team is happy to be here more, which is always very difficult to guess until the game is actually played. If USC is at their potential, they will win easily. The odds of them actually playing that well are not high.
Prediction: USC 41, Wisconsin 38
Mike:
With USC, who really knows? The Trojans have been the most up-and-down major power all season, and with the talent on that team you’ve got to consider them one of the disappointments of the season.The PAC-12 is probably the strongest conference to play through this year, especially with the ninth conference game. Wisconsin has is the opposite; they’ve been consistently mediocre all season. Look for USC to come out with something to prove to the national audience. A key difference between coach Clay Helton and his predecessors will be his ability to get his team in a workman-like mentality and focused for the entirety of the season. This game will be a measure of how much Helton can change the personality of this Trojans team.
Prediction: USC 42, Wisconsin 24
Other Bowl Games Predictions (ordered by kickoff time)
Saturday 12/26 Bowl Games
St. Petersburg Bowl: UConn (6-6) vs. Marshall (9-3)
Line: Marshall by 5
John:
Marshall looks to clinch its third straight ten win season if they can upend UConn. The Huskies boast a stingy defense that they used to good effect in handing Houston its only loss of the year.
Steen:
UConn deserves credit for clawing back from a 3-5 start to go 3-1 and make a bowl game. Playing in Florida clearly favors Marshall though who lost all three of their games to bowl eligible teams. The Thundering Herd are an under appreciated team this season. Prediction: Marshall 35, Uconn 21
Yesh:
UConn has some surprisingly good performances this year, but Marshall is still a better team.
Prediction: Marshall 45, UConn 20
Mike:
I still have no idea how UConn beat Houston. Marshall is slowly becoming a consistently good G5 team.
Prediction: Marshall 34, UConn 23
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl: Washington (6-6) vs. Southern Miss (9-4)
Line: Washington by 8.5
John:
Third-year head coach Todd Monken has Southern Miss back to winning ways after a few down years. The C-USA West Division champs face a Washington team that boasts the Pac-12’s best defense.
Yesh:
Chris Petersen teams have a weird tendency to not show up in minor bowl games. He got away with that in Boise; he can’t keep that up for long in Washington. Prediction: Washington 35, Southern Miss 17
Steen:
Washington has a talent level above the average 6-6 team, as four of their wins came against bowl eligible teams this season (including USC and Washington State), however it’s taken time for them to gel it seems, and they have struggled to be consistent. Southern Miss went from one of the worst FBS teams, to the C-USA title game in just one season. The Golden Eagles are playing with house money, and this high scoring offense that averages over 40 points per game should pull a surprise. Prediction: Southern Miss 42, Washington 35
Mike:
Southern Miss’ offense can move the ball. Watch out for the upset from Conference USA, as this could be the PAC- 12’s one blemish on an otherwise stellar bowl season. Prediction: Southern Miss 30, Washington 27
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Indiana (6-6) vs. Duke (7-5)
Line: Indiana by 3
John:
Not since 1995 Ohio State has a team led the Big Ten in total offense, passing offense and points per game. Indiana is in such a position heading into their tilt with Duke, who have a supremely skilled defensive back in ACC player of the year Jeremy Cash.
Steen:
Indiana’s best win came out of conference (against C-USA champs Western Kentucky), but they did play Ohio State and Iowa close. Duke’s awful 1-4 record down the stretch doesn’t bode well for them in this game. With both teams being at a similar talent level. RB Jordan Howard and the Hoosiers should be more motivated.
Prediction: Indiana 31, Duke 21
Yesh:
This should be a very competitive game. Last one to score wins. Prediction: Indiana 31, Duke 28
Mike:
Duke has been another of the more disappointing teams this season. Indiana is closer to the weak bottom of the Big Ten than it is to the tough top. Prediction: Duke 34, Indiana 30
Camping World Independence Bowl: Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. Tulsa (6-6)
Line: Virginia Tech by 14
John:
The Hokies will look to send Frank Beamer off with one last victory in Shreveport which ironically enough was the sight of his first bowl win as coach of Virginia Tech way back in 1993.
Steen:
Tulsa was in the AAC’s tougher west division and also lost to top 5 Oklahoma, but going 6-6 in the AAC isn’t impressive. Frank Beamer put VA Tech on the map, building this program himself, and the fact this is his final game is why it’s worth watching. The Hokies should send their legendary coach out with an emotional bowl victory.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Tulsa 17
Yesh:
Frank Beamer will get a perfect sendoff with a bowl blowout. Prediction: Virginia Tech 41, Tulsa 10
Mike:
Frank Beamer goes out with a win, but not without some late game drama. Would the Hokies have it any other way? Prediction: Virginia Tech 35, Tulsa 31
Foster Farms Bowl: UCLA (8-4) vs. Nebraska (5-7)
Line: UCLA by 6.5
John:
The Huskers are one of three teams that qualified for a bowl at 5-7 thanks to solid performance in the classroom. Don’t let their record fool you, though. Four of their losses came by five or fewer points. They face a UCLA team that boasts a talented young quarterback in true freshman Josh Rosen.
Steen:
Call me crazy but Nebraska was just a handful of plays from having a 1 loss or less season, as six of their seven losses this season were by one possession or fewer, and the seventh was by 10 points. Mike Riley has been punished mightily in his first season as Cornhuskers coach, and really could use a win here to justify progress this season. UCLA underperformed this year and has had a wildly inconsistent season. Look for the Bruins defense to again let them down and Nebraska to win this one, just like how they shocked Michigan State, in nothing less than one possession fashion, at some point they have to get a break. Prediction: Nebraska 38, UCLA 35
Yesh:
UCLA has a lot of reasons to not want to be here. Nebraska wants to end this snake-bitten season with a big win.
Prediction: Nebraska 31, UCLA 30
Mike:
The two most unpredictable teams in the country. Do not put money on this game. UCLA’s talent and Nebraska’s quarterback turnover problems make the difference. Prediction: UCLA 38, Nebraska 27
Monday 12/28 Bowl Game
Quick Lane Bowl: Central Michigan (7-5) vs. Minnesota (5-7)
Line: Minnesota by 5
John:
Minnesota is another 5-7 team that qualified for a bowl due to a high APR score and face the MAC’s best defense in Central Michigan. Prediction: Minnesota 27, Central Michigan 17
Steen:
Central Michigan went 6-2 in the MAC, but didn’t beat an FBS opponent out of conference. Minnesota was poor against quality teams this year, but the Big 10 is simply better than the MAC and the Gophers should grab a win in large part thanks to their defense. Prediction: Minnesota 24, Central Michigan 13
Yesh:
Unfortunately for Central Michigan, they are up against a 5-7 team that is just better than them.
Prediction: Minnesota 35, Central Michigan 24
Mike:
Look for Central Michigan’s offense to find success against the Gophers. Another game where turnovers by the favorite might make the difference. Prediction: Central Michigan 27, Minnesota 24
Tuesday 12/29 Bowl Games
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Cal (7-5) vs. Air Force (8-5)
Line: Cal by 7
John:
Air Force has made a bowl game in eight of Troy Calhoun’s nine seasons as head coach. They’ll have to find a way to contain the nation’s fourth best passer in Cal’s Jared Goff. Air Force 34, Cal 28
Steen:
Cal started 5-0 and finished 2-5 as Sonny Dykes will be staying as their coach, but will be under pressure to perform next season. QB Jared Goff is a future NFL talent, while Air Force has the aptly named safety Weston Steelhammer on the other side of the ball. The Mountain West conference finalists should snap a two game losing streak with a surprise win in this one thanks to their ball control option attack. Prediction: Air Force 38, Cal 31
Yesh:
This Air Force defense struggles against the pass. That’s not a good sign against Jared Goff.
Prediction: Cal 38, Air Force 21
Mike:
The Falcons’ discipline on defense keeps Jared Goff in check and their ball control offense shortens the game. Cal’s promising start fades all the way to the end of the season. Prediction: Air Force 33, Cal 30
Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl: Nevada (6-6) vs. Colorado State (7-5)
Line: Colorado State by 3
John:
Why this bowl decided to pick two teams from the same conference is beyond me, but here we are. The Rams, led by former Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, face a Nevada team that needed to win their final two games to get bowl eligible. Colorado State 34, Nevada 24
Steen:
Nothing like Mountain West conference football in late December! Colorado State beat Air Force and New Mexico this year and finished the season 4-0. Nevada is a mediocre team and should finish the year on a three game losing skid. Prediction: Colorado State 21, Nevada 14
Yesh:
Colorado State is the more talented team, but neither one will really be up for this game. Expect it to be ugly.
Prediction: Colorado State 13, Nevada 7
Mike:
A conference game in bowl season. Both of these teams deserve better. Prediction: Colorado State 30, Nevada 26
Advocare V100 Texas Bowl: #20 LSU (8-3) vs. Texas Tech (7-5)
Line: LSU by 7
John:
LSU running back Leonard Fournette really fell off the planet late in the season. He should be able to rebound nicely against Texas Tech which finished the regular season as the Big 12’s worst team defending the run. LSU 34, Texas Tech 23
Yesh:
Texas Tech is awful against the run. They need to put 9 in the box and pray they can tackle.
Prediction: LSU 41, Texas Tech 24
Steen:
LSU started 7-0, got deflated losing to Alabama, strongly considered firing their highly successful coach until a rush of fan, player, and media support squashed the effort, and ended up in this mid-tier bowl game. In the meantime they still have one of the best players in the country in RB Leonard Fournette, a solid defense, and lack a passing game. Texas Tech can throw but is lacking in other facets. The Red Raiders beat Arkansas this year but otherwise lack marquee wins, and LSU should be able to break them down physically with the run game assuming the Tigers care about winning this game. Prediction: LSU 28, Texas Tech 24
Mike:
Texas Tech beat an Arkansas team that featured a run-first offensive mentality, and they’ve shown an ability to score points on many teams. This game is closer than many will guess, but I think LSU pulls it out.
Prediction: LSU 28, Texas Tech 27
Wednesday 12/30 Bowl Games
Birmingham Bowl: Auburn (6-6) vs. Memphis (9-3)
Line: Auburn by 2.5
John:
Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch will look to boost his draft stock against an Auburn pass defense that ranked 76th nationally. Memphis 38, Auburn 31
Steen:
Two teams that are struggling and in turmoil. Memphis lost their coach as Justin Fuente went to VA Tech, and after an 8-0 start and a 1-3 finish they ended up in Birmingham instead of Atlanta. Auburn gets an extra home game but they are one of the most disappointing teams in the nation this season as the feast or famine years continue. Inconsistent QB play and a weak defense should continue to plague War Eagle as Memphis QB Paxton Lynch, a top NFL prospect, should dominate just as he did against a better SEC West team in Ole Miss.
Prediction: Memphis 45, Auburn 31
Yesh:
Auburn being favored in this game is the biggest shock of the bowl season so far.
Prediction: Memphis 42, Auburn 20
Mike:
It’s been a rough season on the Plains, and Auburn come into the bowl with a understaffed defensive coaching unit as Will Muschamp is now at South Carolina. Memphis have an entirely re-tooled coaching staff as Justin Fuente took his talents to VA Tech. Gus Malzahn’s mind is the difference. Prediction: Auburn 31, Memphis 27
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Texas A&M (8-4) vs. Louisville (7-5)
Line: Louisville by 4.5
John:
Texas A&M’s quarterback situation is a veritable soap opera with both Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray announcing their intention to transfer. Jake Hubenak will likely get the nod against Louisville, who won five of their last six to close out the regular season. Louisville 28, Texas A&M 23
Steen:
TAMU started 5-0 and ended up with another ho-hum season after it began with such promise. Now College Station is also in turmoil as their top two QB’s are both transferring, shocking the program and thrusting an untested QB into the role of starter for this bowl game. Louisville was left for dead after starting 0-3 this season, but went 7-2 from then on, with both of those losses coming at the hands of bowl eligible teams. The Cardinal defense will feast on a rattled Aggie offense.
Prediction: Louisville 24, Texas A&M 10
Yesh:
Louisville is a bit of an enigma. They have talent, but some weird results. Of course, Texas A&M doesn’t have a quarterback. Prediction: Louisville 28, Texas A&M 21
Mike:
This should be pretty easy for Louisville as Texas A&M apparently doesn’t have a quarterback that wants to play in this game. Prediction: Louisville 27, Texas A&M 20
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