Bowl season has gotten off to a hot start with some high-quality games that the players playing in are clearly caring about. Memphis won a shootout over West Virginia in the Frisco Bowl, James Madison had its players pulling out crazy celebrations after big plays in the Boca Raton Bowl, and UNLV ran a fake punt to perfection to cap off a historic 11-win season in the LA Bowl.
I am off to a hot start as well in these bowl predictions, going 5-0 in picking winners for the first five bowl games. If you still want the chance to go up against me and other Blitz Sports Media writers and fans, make sure to join our bowl mania group https://fantasy.espn.com/free-prize-games/sharer?challengeId=251&from=espn&context=GROUP_INVITE&edition=espn-en&groupId=06f75701-5341-4217-8881-d803bd4d1758 here is part 2 of my college football bowl predictions
New Orleans Bowl: Sam Houston State Bearkats vs. Georgia Southern Eagles
Game Info: Thursday 12/19, 7ET on ESPN2, New Orleans, LA
Betting Info: Georgia Southern -6, Total 48.5
In their second FBS season, Sam Houston improved from 3-9 to 9-3 and made a bowl game. Their two in-conference losses came to the teams who participated in the CUSA Title Game in Western Kentucky and Jacksonville State. Still, they beat the preseason favorite, Liberty, in their final regular-season game. Their non-conference loss came against UCF, but the Bearkats won their other three non-conference games against Rice, Hawaii, and Texas State. However, the Bearkats have had a good portion of their squad enter the transfer portal after their coach K.C. Keeler left to take the head coaching gig at Temple. Georgia Southern also finished third in their conference and are making their seventh bowl appearance in eleven seasons. The Eagles’ best win was over Sun Belt Champion Marshall, and they would have found themselves in the Conference Championship game over the Thundering Herd if it were not for losses to non-bowl teams Troy and Old Dominion. Georgia Southern’s other losses were to Ole Miss and a close 56-45 loss against playoff team Boise State. The Eagles are led by Quarterback JC French who threw for 2619 yards and a 16-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Their rushing attack is led by Jalen White who had 654 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.
My Pick: Georgia Southern 27-20
Cure Bowl: Ohio Bobcats vs. Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Game Info: Friday 12/20, Noon ET on ESPN, Orlando, FL
Betting Info: Ohio -3, Total 54.5
The Cure Bowl features a matchup of two conference champions, Ohio in the MAC and Jacksonville State in the CUSA, but also teams that will be without the head coach that helped lead them there. Tim Albin left Ohio to take the job at Charlotte, and Rich Rodriguez is leaving Jacksonville State to return to West Virginia, where he was from 2001-2007. The Bobcats rushed for 212 yards per game, which was the 12th highest in the country. Running Back Anthony Tyus III rushed for 1111 yards and nine touchdowns, and Quarterback Parker Navarro was not too far behind with 943 yards and 15 touchdowns. Navarro also threw for 2169 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. His favorite target was Coleman Owen with 1105 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Jacksonville State also has a powerful rushing attack, averaging 267 rushing yards per game, led by 1604 yards and 23 touchdowns by Running Back Tre Stewart and 1343 yards and 14 touchdowns by Quarterback Tyler Huff. Huff also threw for 2179 yards and 13 touchdowns. Both teams are hot coming into this game, as Jacksonville State went 9-1 down the stretch after starting 0-3, the only loss coming to Western Kentucky which they beat the following week in the CUSA Title Game. Ohio went 8-1 in their final nine after starting 2-2, both losses coming against power conference opponents Syracuse and Kentucky. Their only loss in the 8-1 stretch was to Miami Ohio, who they also avenged in their conference title game.
My Pick: Ohio 28-24
Gasparilla Bowl: Tulane Green Wave vs. Florida Gators
Game Info: Friday 12/20, 3:30 ET on ESPN2, Tampa, FL
Betting Info: Florida -13, Total 49.5
After losing their first two FBS home games to Miami and Texas A&M, people thought Florida might lose double-digit games and fire coach Billy Napier. Instead, they went 7-5, finishing off the SEC schedule with ranked wins over LSU and Ole Miss, ruining those two schools’ chances to make the playoff. Tulane was in contention to be the group of five conference teams to make the playoff, being 9-2 and undefeated in AAC play. But then Memphis went on the road and won at Tulane, and then the Green Wave got blown out at Army in the AAC Championship Game. The Quarterback who got Tulane to this point, Darian Mensah, has transferred to Duke and will not play in this game, so the Green Wave will have to rely on Running Back Makhi Hughes, who rushed for 1372 and 15 touchdowns on the year. Mario Williams was the Green Wave top receiver with 940 yards and five touchdowns. Florida is led by Freshman Quarterback DJ Lagway who took over the job fully after Graham Mertz suffered a season-ending injury, the two started the year splitting time at the starting position. Lagway threw for 1610 yards and an 11-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Other offensive notables for the Gators include Running Back Jadan Baugh with 603 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, and Wide Receiver Elijah Badger with 789 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
My Pick: Florida 31-21
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. UTSA Roadrunners
Game Info: Monday 12/23, 11 AM ET on ESPN, Conway, SC
Betting Info: UTSA -9, Total 55.5
Extremely rare to get a home game in a bowl game, but that is what is happening here for Coastal Carolina, playing this game in their home stadium. It might be odd to see them as such a stark underdog in this home game, but Coastal Carolina has had many players enter the transfer portal, including both their Quarterbacks, Ethan Vasko and Noah Kim. Secondary Running Back Christian Washington is also in the transfer portal, so the Chanticleers will have to rely solely on Braydon Bennett, who rushed for 727 yards and 11 touchdowns. Coastal Carolina will also be without defensive star Matthew McDoom, so the roster looks very different on both sides of the ball from the one who beat CUSA champion Jacksonville State in Week 1. UTSA is led by Quarterback Owen McCown, son of former NFL Quarterback Josh McCown. In the regular season, McCown threw for 3170 yards and a 24-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. On the ground, the Roadrunners have a two-headed backfield with Robert Henry and Brandon High Jr., who both rushed for seven touchdowns on the year. UTSA’s best win on the year was a 44-36 home win over Memphis, ruining the Tigers’ chances at winning the AAC.
My Pick: UTSA 31-17
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Fresno State Bulldogs
Game Info: Monday 12/23, 2:30 ET on ESPN, Boise, ID
Betting Info: Northern Illinois -3, Total 39.5
Northern Illinois pulled off the biggest upset of the 2024 season when it went to South Bend and knocked off Notre Dame, a top-ten team. After that win, people thought the Huskies could potentially be in the mix to get the highest-ranked group of five conference champion bids, but they ended up finishing 7-5 and 4-4 in the MAC. NIU will be without their Quarterback Ethan Hampton in this game, as he entered the transfer portal and is going to Illinois next year. Running Back Gavin Williams will have to be the leader for the Huskies’ offense as he rushed for 741 yards and four touchdowns on the year. Jaden Dolphin, who had 56 tackles on the year, will be the leader for the NIU defense that allowed only 18 points per game, including holding Notre Dame to 14 points in their upset win. Fresno State will also be without their Quarterback Mikey Keene in this game, so Wide Receiver Mac Delena, who had 947 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns will have to step up for the Bulldogs offensively. Rushing wise the Bulldogs are led by Elijah Gilliam, who rushed for 466 yards and eight touchdowns. Fresno State’s best win on the year came against 8-4 Colorado State in Week 11, but a 4-3 record in the Mountain West found the Bulldogs around the middle of the mediocre conference.
My Pick: Northern Illinois 20-17