DECEMBER 17

BAHAMAS BOWL – 9AM PT/12PM ET [ESPN]

MIDDLE TENNESSEE (6-6) VS. TOLEDO (7-5)

Mid Tenn is 0-3 all-time against MAC foes in bowl games while Toledo is 1-2 against C-USA foes in bowls. Toledo is 0-3 in bowls under coach Jason Candle, including their last one in the Bahamas Bowl in 2018. However, it’s possible Toledo could end that skid because their rushing offense could trump Mid Tenn’s defense.

MY PICK: TOLEDO

CURE BOWL – 3PM PT/6PM ET [ESPN2]

NORTHERN ILLINOIS (9-4) VS. COASTAL CAROLINA (10-2)

Coastal Carolina makes their second straight bowl appearance (second Cure Bowl) and all-time since joining the FBS. Northern Illinois returns to a bowl game after a two-year drought. They are looking for their first win since 2011. Coastal Carolina had some slip ups that led to two losses, including quarterback Grayson McCall being injured. But he’s healthy and the team is still strong for their first bowl win ever.

MY PICK: COASTAL CAROLINA

DECEMBER 18

BOCA RATON BOWL – 8AM PT/11AM ET [ESPN]

WESTERN KENTUCKY (8-5) VS. APPALACHIAN STATE (10-3)

First meeting between these two since 2000, but they meet at FBS level for the first time. Both also arrive at Boca Raton after losing in their conference title game. Western Kentucky turned into one of the most dangerous offenses in the country with quarterback Bailey Zappe leading the way. Appalachian State is undefeated in bowl games (7-0), and are looking for the eighth with a well-balanced team. Western Kentucky will score some points, but Appalachian State is still more talented and should be favored to win.

MY PICK: APPALACHIAN STATE

CELEBRATION BOWL – 9AM PT/12PM ET [ABC]

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (6-5) VS. JACKSON STATE (11-1)

The Celebration Bowl will be very intriguing because Jackson State head coach Deion “Primetime” Sanders will be there for the first time. In two seasons, he turned Jackson State into a formidable team and his record stands at 15-4. South Carolina State started 1-4 and finished down the stretch with a 5-1 record and defeated Norfolk State to make their first Celebration Bowl appearance. Norfolk relies solely on defense, but it’s not enough to compete with Jackson State’s overall play.

MY PICK: JACKSON STATE

NEW MEXICO BOWL – 11:15AM PT/2:15PM ET [ESPN]

UTEP (7-5) VS. FRESNO STATE (9-3)

UTEP and Fresno State make their third New Mexico Bowl appearance. UTEP made a drastic turnaround this season after starting 6-1. Unfortunately they ran into tough competition and finished at 7-5 overall, which is still enough to make their first bowl in six years. Fresno State had a great season and were a San Diego State loss away from a conference title appearance. Unfortunately, they lose Kalen DeBoer to Washington, but quarterback Jake Haener backs out of the transfer portal and will play with the team. With that said, Fresno State is far better in this matchup over UTEP.

MY PICK: FRESNO STATE

INDEPENDENCE BOWL – 12:30PM PT/3:30PM ET [ABC]

UAB (8-4) VS. #13 BYU (10-2)

UAB plays their fifth bowl game all-time, but they haven’t succeeded well (1-3 all-time). BYU plays their fifth bowl game under coach Kilane Sitake and they are more successful with him (3-1). Both have good defensive backgrounds but BYU’s better on offense while UAB is better on special teams. The only difference is quarterback play. BYU has several of them while UAB has one decent starter who took over for injured Tyler Johnston III. Dylan Hopkins is not bad, but he’ll probably be overwhelmed by BYU’s defense.

MY PICK: BYU

LENDINGTREE BOWL – 2:45PM PT/5:45PM ET [ESPN]

EASTERN MICHIGAN (7-5) VS. LIBERTY (7-5)

Eastern Michigan appears in their fourth bowl game in six seasons under coach Chris Creighton, but they are 0-3 unfortunately. Liberty appears in their third straight bowl and plays their first non-Cure Bowl game. The Flames had a good season, but the loss to UL Monroe is suspecting. Eastern Michigan hasn’t won a bowl game since 1987, but every loss was by four points or less. The Eagles may have another loss because of their terrible run defense, and Liberty’s offense is centered around quarterback Malik Willis, who is very difficult to stop.

MY PICK: LIBERTY

LA BOWL – 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET [ABC]

UTAH STATE (10-3) VS. OREGON STATE (7-5)

Oregon State and Utah State meet for the fourth time, but the Beavers are 3-0. Utah State had their best season since 2018, including their first conference title win over San Diego State. Oregon State snaps their seven-year bowl drought after winning seven games for the first time since 2013. Both have impressive offenses and suspecting defenses. The only difference is that Oregon State is 1-5 against teams that score 30 points or more.

MY PICK: UTAH STATE

NEW ORLEANS BOWL – 6:15PM PT/9:15PM [ESPN]

#23 LOUISIANA (12-1) VS. MARSHALL (7-5)

Louisiana plays their sixth New Orleans Bowl all-time (4-1) and first as a ranked team. Their only loss was back in 2016. Marshall makes their fifth straight bowl appearance but lost the last two. A senior and super senior-laden Louisiana team hasn’t lost a game since losing to Texas in the first game. Louisiana basically lives in that bowl and should continue their success on Bourbon Street. Marshall quarterback Grant Wells is good, but his downfall is interceptions and that leads to a loss outright.

MY PICK: LOUISIANA

DECEMBER 20

MYRTLE BEACH BOWL – 11:30AM PT/2:30PM ET [ESPN]

OLD DOMINION (6-6) VS. TULSA (6-6)

Myrtle Beach seems fitting for both teams after their slow starts turned into strong finishes. Old Dominion was in a pinch with a 1-6 start, but a sudden quarterback change led to their five game-winning streak to avoid elimination. Tulsa’s situation was similar, but their run game picked up and a late run in November with an SMU upset win helped them reach a bowl game. Tulsa is experienced but turnovers were a problem. Their potential weak spot is the passing game, and Old Dominion may plan to shut down the run and dare them to pass more.

MY PICK: OLD DOMINION

DECEMBER 21

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL

12:30PM PT/3:30PM ET [ESPN]

KENT STATE (7-6) VS. WYOMING (6-6)

Kent State plays their third bowl game since 2012 while Wyoming makes their second F.I.P.B. appearance in five seasons. Kent State came up short in the MAC title game, but have an impressive offense led by quarterback Dustin Crum. Wyoming is a good run team and effective on defense. The matchup is 50/50. Kent State plays fast-paced offense while Wyoming controls time of possession. If Kent State failed to stop Northern Illinois from running the ball in the MAC championship, it’s possible that they can’t stop Wyoming either.

MY PICK: WYOMING

FRISCO BOWL – 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET [ESPN]

UTSA (12-1) VS. #24 SAN DIEGO STATE (11-2)

UTSA comes off their C-USA title win while San Diego State comes off their Mountain West title loss. UTSA coach Jeff Traylor leads his experienced core to their second straight bowl season in his tenure. San Diego State is a defensive nightmare to nearly any team in the country. A low-scoring struggle is a possibility, but one team that’s able to break away for more opportunity is UTSA in their home state.

MY PICK: UTSA

DECEMBER 22

ARMED FORCES BOWL – 5PM PT/8PM ET [ESPN]

MISSOURI (6-6) VS. ARMY (8-4)

Missouri and Army meets for the first time since 1982 and fifth time overall. Army appears in their fourth Armed Forces Bowl and are unbeaten there. Everyone knows about Army’s triple-option, stout defense, and long time-of-possession, but they have also thrown the ball a little more too. Missouri dealt with tough competition and metaphorically scratched and clawed their way to six wins for bowl-eligibility. Missouri will likely struggle against the triple-option due to their bad run defense.

MY PICK: ARMY

DECEMBER 23

FRISCO FOOTBALL CLASSIC – 12:30PM PT/3:30PM ET [ESPN]

NORTH TEXAS (6-6) VS. MIAMI (OH) (6-6)

This is the first annual bowl game to fit the last two 6-6 teams. North Texas clinched a bowl berth after upsetting UTSA in the last game of the season. A former pass-heavy team focused more on the run and gained nearly 3,000 yards this season. Miami (OH) had a successful MAC season and were a win away from reaching a conference title game. Miami (OH) has leverage on offense and defense. As long as they contain North Texas on special teams, they should be fine.

MY PICK: MIAMI (OH)

GASPARILLA BOWL – 4PM PT/7PM ET [ESPN]

UCF (8-4) VS. FLORIDA (6-6)

UCF and Florida play each other for the third time in Florida, but it’ll be in Tampa this time. UCF coach Gus Malzahn meets Florida for the third time (1-1 all-time). UCF lost quarterback Dillon Gabriel to an injury after Louisville, but their backup Mikey Keene ran the show to make the Top 3 in the AAC. Florida started well at 4-2 before doing a u-turn and finishing at 2-4. Getting destroyed by Georgia, losing to South Carolina, and allowing 52 points against an FCS school was enough to fire Dan Mullen. It’s unclear how motivated the Gators will be in a bowl game after a disappointing season.

MY PICK: UCF

DECEMBER 24

HAWAI’I BOWL – 5PM PT/8PM ET [ESPN]

MEMPHIS (6-6) VS. HAWAI’I (6-7)

Hawai’i plays their 12th game all-time in their home land of Honolulu (6-5). They were technically not supposed to be there, but the Fresno State upset and six wins (despite seven losses) was enough to be the last team to qualify for a bowl. Memphis won their sixth game after defeating Tulane in the last game to qualify too. After starting 3-0 (including an upset over Mississippi State), they heavily struggled to a 3-6 finish. Memphis and Hawai’i may not be deserving of a bowl appearance, but it could make one heck of a game for one or both. Hawai’i may slip by with a win because they are at home and have a depth chart full of upperclassmen.

MY PICK: HAWAI’I

DECEMBER 25

CAMELLIA BOWL – 11:30AM PT/2:30PM ET [ESPN]

GEORGIA STATE (7-5) VS. BALL STATE (6-6)

Ball State appears in their second straight bowl after winning five of the last eight games while Georgia State won six of their last seven. Ball State had a down year after a MAC title win in 2020. Georgia State started 1-4 before finishing their regular season with a 6-1 stretch. Ball State is 0-2 in Alabama bowl games while Georgia State won one last season. It could make for a fun game, but Georgia State possibly comes away with it in familiar territory.

MY PICK: GEORGIA STATE