College Bowl Predictions


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Here you’ll find my predictions on every bowl game this season.  However, that does not mean these straight up predictions will 100% reflect my picks against the spread for the bowl games.  Betting lines are subject to change, so be sure to check the most up-to-date numbers with our live odds.  You can also click on each bowl name to view a more detailed preview of the matchup (updated often)!

These picks will be used in a friendly contest with two other expert handicappers in Brandon Lee (Info Plays) and Jimmy Boyd (Locksmith Sports).  Just click the link over their names to see their picks in all 35 bowl games.

Date Bowl Matchup & Odds Pick (Straight Up)
BCS Bowls
Jan. 1 Orange Florida State -14 vs N. Illinois O/U 58.5  Florida State
The Seminoles have one of the top-ranked run defenses in the country.  Their ability to stop Jordan Lynch and Northern Illinois’ solid rushing attack will be the difference in this game.
Jan. 1 Rose Wisconsin +7 vs. Stanford O/U 47.5  Wisconsin
After falling in the Rose Bowl the past two years, the Badgers will certainly want to right the ship this time around.  Wisconsin is better than its 8-5 record would indicate as all five of its losses have come by 7 points or less, including four by exactly 3 points.
Jan. 2 Sugar Florida -14 vs. Louisville O/U 45.5  Florida
The Gators will simply have more talent on the field than the Cardinals in this one.  Florida ranks 5th in the country in total defense, and its stop unit will be the difference in this contest.
Jan. 3 Fiesta Kansas State +9 vs. Oregon O/U 75  Oregon
Oregon’s speed will prove to be too much for Kansas State.  This is simply a bad matchup for the Wildcats because of the Ducks’ ability to spread them out and take advantage of their weaknesses.
Jan. 7 BCS National Championship Game Notre Dame +10 vs. Alabama O/U 42  Alabama
Both teams are pretty evenly matched defensively.  However, Alabama clearly has the edge offensively.  AJ McCarron plays his best in big games, and he will make more plays than Everett Golson to lead the Crimson Tide to a second straight National Title.
Non-BCS Bowls
Dec. 15 Famous Idaho Potato Toledo +10 vs. Utah State O/U 59  Utah State
The Aggies have been one of the most underrated teams in the country all season.  They are a 10-point favorite here for good reason as they rank 26th in total offense and 15th in total defense.  Toledo ranks 107th in total defense.  Utah State will come up with more stops and the win.
Dec. 15 New Mexico Nevada +9 vs. Arizona O/U 75  Arizona
The Wildcats should have their way with a soft Nevada defense in this one.  Both teams figure to put up a bunch of points, but I like the overall talent on Arizona’s side a little bit better.
Dec. 20 Poinsettia San Diego State +3 vs. BYU O/U 48.5  BYU
It hasn’t mattered who is under center for BYU this season.  This team simply wins games behind a stop unit that allows just 14.7 points/game while ranking 3rd in the country in total defense.  This stop unit leads the Cougars to victory once again.
Dec. 21 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Ball State +7.5 vs. UCF O/U 61.5  Ball State
The Cardinals have been one of the most underrated teams all season.  This is a 9-win team whose only losses have come against Clemson, Northern Illinois and Kent State, who are all currently ranked in the Top 25.  I like the upset here.
Dec. 22 Las Vegas Boise State -5.5 vs. Washington O/U 46  Washington
The Broncos are clearly down this season and have not been nearly as dominant as in year’s past.  I believe Washington has more talent in this one, and this will be Boise State’s toughest game of the year.
Dec. 22 New Orleans LA-Laffayette -5.5 vs. E. Carolina O/U 64  LA-Lafayette
Not only do the Rajin’ Cajuns have the best nickname in football, they also play the game pretty well.  They come in riding a three-game winning streak and I like them to make it four in a row behind dual-threat quarterback Terrance Broadway.
Dec. 24 Hawaii Fresno State -11.5 vs. SMU O/U 59.5  Fresno State
The Bulldogs have been going under the radar all season.  Two of the best skill players in the country in QB Derek Carr (3,742 Yards, 36 TD, 5 INT) and RB Robbie Rouse (1,468 yards, 12 TD) will lead Fresno State to a win in Hawaii.
Dec. 26 Little Caesars C. Michigan +6 vs. W. Kentucky O/U 58.5  Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers are better than a 7-5 team as four of their losses came by a combined 20 points, and the other came against No. 2 Alabama.  Central Michigan won three straight over cupcakes to become bowl eligible, but it will meet its match on December 26th.
Dec. 27 Belk Cincinnati -7 vs. Duke O/U 59  Cincinnati
The Blue Devils have backed into their bowl game by losing four straight after a 6-2 start.  Their slide continues against a very solid Cincinnati team that has won four of five coming in.
Dec. 27 Holiday UCLA -1.5 vs. Baylor O/U 78.5  Baylor
I look for the Bruins to suffer a hangover from their heartbreaking Pac-12 Championship loss to Stanford.  UCLA likely doesn’t want to be here, while Baylor does.  The Bears had to win two of their last three games against Kansas State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State just to become bowl eligible, and they won all three!
Dec. 27 Military Bowling Green +7.5 vs. San Jose St. O/U 47  San Jose State
This is a great match-up between two teams that have been underrated all season.  I just think the Spartans have the stronger team at 10-2 with their only two losses coming to Stanford (17-20) on the road and Utah State at home.
Dec. 28 Independence Ohio +7 vs. LA-Monroe O/U 60  LA-Monroe
Quarterback Kolton Browning (2,830 yards, 27 TD, 7 INT) is back and healthy for the Warhawks. Remember, this is a team that beat Arkansas in overtime, and it took Auburn to OT while also losing to Baylor by just 5 points.  Ohio has lost three straight coming in and its has been overrated for most of the season.
Dec. 28 Meineke Car Care Texas Tech -13 vs. Minnesota O/U 57  Texas Tech
The Red Raiders simply have too much offensive firepower for the Golden Gophers to keep up.  They are scoring 37.7 points/game while ranking 12th in total offense.  Minnesota is only averaging 21.3 points/game and ranking 109th in total offense.
Dec. 28 Russell Athletic Rutgers +2 vs. Virginia Tech O/U 41.5  Virginia Tech
This extra practice will help a young, underachieving Hokies’ squad grow up as a team.  Rutgers will be deflated after falling to Louisville in its regular season finale.  That loss cost the Scarlet Knights a chance to play in the Sugar Bowl against Florida, and that will be on these players’ minds.
Dec. 29 Alamo Texas +2 vs. Oregon State O/U 56  Oregon State
The Beavers have gone under the radar for most of the season.  Head coach Mike Riley led Oregon State to a 9-win season with its only losses coming on the road to Stanford and Washington, and at home to Oregon.  Texas has quarterback issues that have gone unresolved this season, and its struggles at the position will be the difference in this one.
Dec. 29 Armed Forces Air Force -1.5 vs. Rice O/U 61.5  Rice
The Owls are ecstatic to be here as this will be just their 3rd bowl appearance since 1961.  They won four straight games to close out the season just to become bowl eligible, so they come in with a ton of momentum.  Air Force is reeling after losing three of its final four contests.
Dec. 29 Buffalo Wild Wings TCU -2.5 vs. Michigan State O/U 41.5  TCU
The Horned Frogs are simply the more complete team in this one.  They rank 18th in total defense and 61st in total offense, while Michigan State ranks 86th in total offense.  I look for TCU to be able to make more plays offensively, and to stop the run defensively and win this tightly-contested showdown.
Dec. 29 Kraft Fight Hunger Arizona State -14.5 vs. Navy O/U 56
  Arizona State
The Sun Devils are much improved this season under new head coach Todd Graham.  Having roughly a month to prepare for Navy’s triple-option attack is a huge advantage for ASU.  It has the better talent on both sides of the ball and should win this game with relative ease.
Dec. 29 Pinstripe Bowl
 West Virginia -4 vs. Syracuse O/U 73.5
 Syracuse
The Orange are certainly improved this season and are probably a better team than their 7-5 record would indicate.  They are outgaining opponents by an average of 88.3 yards per game, and they have won three straight coming in, including a 45-26 triumph over Big East champ Louisville.  They also beat West Virginia 49-23 last season as a 14-point underdog.
Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Clemson +4 vs. LSU O/U 58.5  Clemson
Clemson only lost twice this season to Florida State and South Carolina.  It gave both of those teams a run for their money but came up short.  I look for Clemson to get over the hump and pick up that signature win behind QB Tahj Boyd and a much more potent offense than the one LSU will be fielding on New Year’s Eve.
Dec. 31 Liberty Tulsa PK vs. Iowa State O/U 51.5  Tulsa
This is a rematch from the season-opener for both teams on September 1st, which Iowa State won 38-23 at home.  I look for Tulsa to have its revenge as it will be the more motivated team heading into this one.  Iowa State will have a hard time getting up to face a team it has already beaten.
Dec. 31 Music City NC State +6.5 vs. Vanderbilt O/U 51.5  Vanderbilt
Head coach James Franklin has done a wonderful job with this program as the Commodores have exceeded expectations once again.  They won eight games this season, come in riding a six-game winning streak, and this will essentially be a home game for Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Dec. 31 Sun Georgia Tech +10 vs. USC O/U 64  USC
The superior talent for USC will shine through here.  The Trojans have done a pretty good job of stopping the run this season.  With a month to prepare for Georgia Tech’s triple-option attack, they will come up with enough stops defensively to win this one.
Jan. 1 Capital One Nebraska +10 vs. Georgia O/U 57  Georgia
The Cornhuskers have been one of the most overrated teams in the country all season.  They won several games in the final seconds that they had no business winning, and as a result this team is not as good as its 10-3 record would indicate.  Nebraska got exposed in a 31-70 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, and it will get throttled again by an even better Georgia team.
Jan. 1 Gator Northwestern +2 vs. Mississippi St. O/U 51.5  Mississippi State
This one is as simple as it gets folks.  It’s Big Ten vs. SEC, and there’s no question that Mississippi State is the superior team coming in.  It played a much tougher schedule this season as the SEC was very strong, while the Big Ten was certainly down a notch this year.  I like the Bulldogs in this one.
Jan. 1 Outback Michigan +4 vs. South Carolina O/U 48  South Carolina
Once again, another Big Ten vs. SEC matchup where the talent favors the SEC squad.  South Carolina has put together another remarkable 10-win season under Steve Spurrier with its only losses coming on the road to LSU and Florida.  The Gamecocks rank 16th in the country against the run (119 YPG, 3.1 YPC), and the key to stopping the Wolverines is stopping their rushing attack.
Jan. 1 Heart of Dallas Purdue +16.5 vs. Oklahoma State O/U 70  Oklahoma State
There’s not a whole lot to say about this one.  The Big Ten is down this season and Purdue has no chance of staying with an Oklahoma State team that is much, much stronger than its 7-5 record would indicate.
Jan. 4 Cotton Oklahoma +4.5 vs. Texas A&M O/U 72  Texas A&M
Johnny Manziel and company cannot be tamed right now.  They have won five straight coming in, including a win at Alabama.  Their only two losses came to LSU and Florida by a combined 8 points, otherwise there’s a good chance that Texas A&M would be playing for a National Title.  Oklahoma simply cannot win the big game, and it won’t win this one, either.
Jan. 5 BBVA Compass Ole Miss -3.5 vs. Pittsburgh O/U 52  Ole Miss
I have to side with the SEC school with more talent in this one as well.  First-year head coach Hugh Freeze has turned around this Ole Miss football program already, leading the Rebels to their first bowl since 2009.  They beat Mississippi State 41-24 in their finale to become bowl eligible.  Even their road loss to LSU (35-41) and home loss to Texas A&M (27-30) show what kind of potential this team really has.
Jan. 6 GoDaddy.com Kent State +4 vs Arkansas State O/U 61  Arkansas State
The Red Wolves are one of the hottest teams in the country heading into the bowl season.  They have won seven straight coming in, five by double-digits, including a season-ending 45-0 victory over Middle Tennessee State.  Kent State has to be deflated knowing that its overtime loss to Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship cost it a chance to play in the Orange Bowl.  Senior QB Ryan Aplin (3,110 yards, 23 TD, 4 INT) wants to go out a winner to end his Red Wolves’ career as well.
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About the Author: Jack Jones has been ranked in the Top-5 on the Overall Leaderboard for almost all of 2012 here at Betfirms. He has climbed as high as No. 2 while competing against roughly 80 of the best handicappers in the world. He finished as the No. 6 Ranked Basketball Handicapper from 2011-12, which combines pro and college hoops. His $1,000/game basketball players cashed in $22,310 last season. Head on over to Jack's premium pick page to see what he has in store for tonight!
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Comments

8 Responses to “College Bowl Predictions”

  1. kevin carey

    I agree with the majority of your picks except one major concern. Pittsburgh must wonder who or if anybody ifs going to lead them onto the field.

  2. Jack Jones

    I can agree with that, but this is really as much a play against SMU as it is a play on Pitt. The Mustang’s poor strength of schedule, coupled with the fact that they did not perform well to end the season makes me side with the Panthers in this situation.

  3. marty H

    picks are right on!! TCU and Boise St roll big and Rutgers wins hands down. Clemson wakes up and scores 45 to win by 18.

  4. buckeye121

    i am takinig all your picks hope u know what your talking about

  5. Zoomie89

    I like all your upset picks. But I think there will be WAY more even. Add Western Michigan, Utah, Cal and Wisco to the list. Thanks for the detailed analysis Jack!

  6. cottonpicker

    motivation seems to win more often than potential talent…south carolina will shuck the huskers and clemson will fall to the mountaineers

  7. Sandi Martin

    You must have lost your mind on Jan 09….Alabama up by 21 points

  8. Jack Jones

    @Sandi Martin – Everyone is an expert after the game has been played! :) Seriously though, LSU looked terrible. Credit the Alabama defense and coaching. They were ready to play, LSU obviously didn’t know what hit them.

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