DECEMBER 27

QUICK LANE BOWL – 8AM PT/11AM ET [ESPN]

WESTERN MICHIGAN (7-5) VS. NEVADA (8-4)

Western Michigan and Nevada meet in Detroit with a potential high-scoring affair. Western Michigan had a decent season with an upset win over Pittsburgh to keep on their resume. Nevada was off to a great start and came close to playing in the Mountain West title game. My alma mater went through coaching changes after Jay Norvell left for Colorado State. How much it affects the team is unknown, but Western Michigan is likely more prepared being close to home.

MY PICK: WESTERN MICHIGAN

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

BOSTON COLLEGE (6-6) VS. EAST CAROLINA (7-5)

Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec announced his return for 2022, and that motivates the team. East Carolina made big improvements in their win total from three in 2020 to seven this season. It’s also their first bowl appearance since 2015. Both teams are strong offensively and have playmaking quarterbacks and running backs. It might be a close game but Boston College should come away with the victory.

MY PICK: BOSTON COLLEGE

DECEMBER 28

BIRMINGHAM BOWL – 9AM PT/12PM ET [ESPN]

#20 HOUSTON (11-2) VS. AUBURN (6-6)

This is the seventh all-time meeting since 1973, but Auburn doesn’t have coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan (six meetings) nor does Houston have coach Bill Yeoman (last four meetings). They came up short against their last opponents, which play each other in the College Football Playoff (Cincinnati and Alabama). Auburn lost the last four games and they lose quarterback Bo Nix and running back Tank Bigsby to the transfer portal. Auburn is also 2-6 in bowl games since the BCS Championship in 2012. Houston’s defense and special teams are difference makers with Marcus Jones, which could be enough to close out their season on a high note against an SEC team.

MY PICK: HOUSTON

FIRST RESPONDER BOWL – 12:15PM PT/3:15PM ET [ESPN]

AIR FORCE (9-3) VS. LOUISVILLE (6-6)

Coach Troy Calhoun’s Air Force are aiming for their 10th win for the fourth time in eight seasons. Louisville is in their second bowl game in three seasons under coach Scott Satterfield. Calhoun won the last two bowls while Satterfield is undefeated in bowl games with Louisville and App State combined. The game is likely to be competitive, but Air Force has the edge because of their strong time-of-possession offense and a nationally stout defense.

MY PICK: AIR FORCE

LIBERTY BOWL – 3:45PM PT/6:45PM ET [ESPN]

MISSISSIPPI STATE (7-5) VS. TEXAS TECH (6-6)

The Liberty Bowl should be called the Mike Leach Bowl. His current team, Mississippi State, faces his former team, Texas Tech. The Bulldogs were temporarily alive for an SEC West title, but failed to defeat three teams above them (Arkansas, Ole Miss, Alabama). Texas Tech had a tough Big 12 season, but they won three of them while going 3-0 in non-conference play to make a bowl. The Red Raiders have potential, but it won’t be this season. Mississippi State is 3-1 in the Liberty Bowl and should likely win their fourth one too.

MY PICK: MISSISSIPPI STATE

HOLIDAY BOWL – 5PM PT/8PM ET [FOX]

UCLA (8-4) VS. #18 NC STATE (9-3)

UCLA and NC State both come in after playing well this season. UCLA shocked the world with an upset win over LSU and a couple of chances for big wins. NC State cut down Clemson with an overtime upset win and came close to playing in the ACC title game. UCLA plays physical on offense, led by quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, while NC State has impact players on defense, led by linebacker Drake Thomas. It could be a very interesting bowl game to watch with how physical the game might get, but UCLA has a bit more variety on offense to break down the Wolfpack’s defense.

MY PICK: UCLA

GUARANTEED RATE BOWL – 7:15PM PT/10:15PM ET [ESPN]

WEST VIRGINIA (6-6) VS. MINNESOTA (8-4)

West Virginia started their season 2-4 before the bye, and ended it at 4-2 after the bye. They were inconsistent offensively but defeating once ranked Virginia Tech and Iowa State was enough to help them become bowl-eligible. Minnesota is a Big Ten team than their record shows. Despite a couple of key game losses and losing their best running to injury, they still ran through their schedule to finish the season behind Iowa and in front of their rival, Wisconsin. Minnesota definitely plays better football than West Virginia and should run away with this one.

MY PICK: MINNESOTA

DECEMBER 29

FENWAY BOWL – 8AM PT/11AM ET [ESPN]

SMU (8-4) VS. VIRGINIA (6-6)

SMU’s four of five seasons became a trend. They start the season strong and sputter late to the end. They were in AAC title position before Houston ruin their hopes, which led to four of the last five losses. Virginia had similar chances in the ACC Coastal before BYU ruin their hopes, which led to four straight losses. SMU and Virginia are good on offense, but SMU has the better defense since Virginia’s defense is too beat up and vulnerable to slow anyone down.

MY PICK: SMU

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

MARYLAND (6-6) VS. VIRGINIA TECH (6-6)

Former ACC opponents meet up for the first time since 2013. They won their sixth game in the last game to become bowl-eligible. Maryland makes their first bowl since 2016 but both teams lost their last three bowl games. Maryland’s offense is entertaining to watch, and Tua Tagovailoa’s brother, Taulia, should be the quarterback to watch. Virginia Tech looked like an ACC Coastal contender starting at 3-1, but then they lost five of their last eight. Both offenses at times are inconsistent but Virginia Tech may have leverage with the essence of Beamer ball involving defense and special teams.

MY PICK: VIRGINIA TECH

CHEEZ-IT BOWL – 2:45PM PT/5:45PM ET [ESPN]

#19 CLEMSON (9-3) VS. IOWA STATE (7-5)

Clemson and Iowa State ended their season on different paths since October 30th. Clemson ended on a five game winning streak while scoring 30 plus points consistently in all of them. Iowa State lost three of their last five games while struggling in all three road games and losing out on a Big 12 title opportunity. Clemson lost a few players to the transfer portal and the NFL, and coordinators Brent Venables and Tony Elliott leave for new head coaching jobs. These changes shouldn’t stop Clemson from still playing good football.

MY PICK: CLEMSON

ALAMO BOWL – 6:15PM PT/9:15PM ET [ESPN]

#14 OREGON (10-3) VS. #16 OKLAHOMA (10-2)

Oregon and Oklahoma both had playoff opportunities shattered before December. Oklahoma suffered in the hands of Baylor and Oklahoma State, while Oregon twice suffered in a double beat down by Utah in two of the last three weeks. Both teams were also shocked by coaching changes, but Oklahoma seems more optimistic with Bob Stoops coaching a bowl and Brent Venables returning to Norman as the new head coach. The motivation overall in this bowl game favors Oklahoma.

MY PICK: OKLAHOMA

DECEMBER 30

DUKE’S MAYO BOWL – 8:30AM PT/11:30AM ET [ESPN]

NORTH CAROLINA (6-6) VS. SOUTH CAROLINA (6-6)

The All-Carolina Bowl…in Carolina. They play each other for the second time in three seasons. The Tarheels and the Gamecocks alternated wins and losses on their schedule since Weeks 4 and 5. UNC’s season was disappointing after being named preseason Coastal division favorites while South Carolina is happy to go bowling for the first time in two seasons under first year coach Shane Beamer (Frank’s son). South Carolina plays their second bowl game in North Carolina, but they don’t have the roster capable of beating UNC with veteran quarterback, Sam Howell.

MY PICK: NORTH CAROLINA

MUSIC CITY BOWL – 12PM PT/3PM ET [ESPN]

TENNESSEE (7-5) VS. PURDUE (8-4)

Tennessee managed a seven-win season after key players from last year’s roster transferred and underwent coaching changes. Key players that transferred into Tennessee made immediate impacts for the program. Purdue snuck up on two Top 3 Big Ten teams for big upset wins and won eight games. It should be entertaining to watch, but Purdue could pull off a big win over Tennessee.

MY PICK: PURDUE

LAS VEGAS BOWL – 7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET [ESPN]

WISCONSIN (8-4) VS. ARIZONA STATE (8-4)

The Las Vegas Bowl should be a good thing for this matchup, but they were expected to go to their conference title games this season. Unfortunately, both came up short and now are in Sin City instead. Wisconsin has one of the top defenses in the nation, but their offense (especially passing) failed to meet expectations. Arizona State had high hopes of a great season, but they were inconsistent, quarterback Jayden Daniels played under his standards in 2021, and the program was dealing with possible recruiting violations. Between the two, Wisconsin has the better defense and their offense still plays better physical football.

MY PICK: WISCONSIN

DECEMBER 31

GATOR BOWL – 8AM PT/11AM ET [ESPN]

#17 WAKE FOREST (10-3) VS. #25 TEXAS A&M (8-4)

Wake Forest had a nice run before November hit them hard, and they lost two in that month and the ACC title in December. Wake has a lethal offense, but their defense is vulnerable despite making an impact sometimes. Texas A&M had chances for an SEC West title after upsetting Alabama and even owning the state of Alabama by defeating Auburn. But losing to the rest of the West didn’t help their chances. Texas A&M has the defense to do more damage to Wake and the offense is good enough to attack Wake’s defense in return.

MY PICK: TEXAS A&M

SUN BOWL – 9:00AM PT/12:00PM ET [CBS]

WASHINGTON STATE (7-5) VS. MIAMI (FL) (7-5)

Washington State and Miami ended their regular season on a high note with more wins starting around October. Despite issues with their head coaches, they overcame them and their young starting quarterbacks proved to have a bright future. Miami will be happy to have Mario Cristobal on the staff, but it won’t be until next season. Right now, Wazzu may be the better team as long as quarterback Jayden de Laura is the starter.

MY PICK: WASHINGTON STATE

ARIZONA BOWL – 11:00AM PT/2:00PM ET [BARSTOOL SPORTS]

CENTRAL MICHIGAN (8-4) VS. BOISE STATE (7-5)

Central Michigan and Boise State were close to being division champs in their conference if the rest of the scenarios would have followed through. Central Michigan went 6-2 in the conference and their young backfield improved each week. Boise State was decent under new head coach Andy Avalos. Some of their wins turned into quality wins later on, but three conference losses cost them a Mountain division title. Central Michigan will be formidable against Boise State, but the Broncos are more experienced and wiser after a tough 2021 schedule.

MY PICK: BOISE STATE

JANUARY 1

OUTBACK BOWL – 9AM PT/12PM ET [ESPN2]

PENN STATE (7-5) VS. #21 ARKANSAS (8-4)

Both teams come in undefeated in non-conference play while surviving their toughest division schedule in their conference. Penn State is one of the toughest defensive teams in the nation. Their offense is alright when quarterback Sean Clifford is healthy and active. Arkansas had one of their best seasons in a few years. They were surprisingly alive for the West division title after Texas A&M’s upset win over Alabama. This could be a low-scoring game, but Penn State’s defense could make an impact.

MY PICK: PENN STATE

CITRUS BOWL – 10AM PT/1PM ET [ABC]

#15 IOWA (10-3) VS. #22 KENTUCKY (9-3)

Iowa won the Big Ten West thanks to Minnesota’s big win over Wisconsin to get there. They lean heavily on their defense and special teams to make plays. Kentucky finished behind Georgia in the SEC East in surprising fashion. Kentucky relies about the same as Iowa, but their running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. carries the offense with the help of quarterback Will Levis, and receivers Wan’Dale Robinson and Josh Ali. Iowa was formidable and were once ranked #2 in the country, but their offense plays as good as New Mexico’s or Rice’s offense (not a good thing). Kentucky has a slight edge in all facets of the game.

MY PICK: KENTUCKY

JANUARY 4

TEXAS BOWL – 6PM PT/9PM ET [ESPN]

LSU (6-6) VS. KANSAS STATE (7-5)

LSU had a down year but managed to make the bowl with an important win over Texas A&M. Roster changes and key injuries in two seasons affected them to the point where the school parted ways with coach Ed Orgeron. Kansas State had a rollercoaster 2021. They won three straight games to only lose three straight. Then, they won four straight games to only lose the last two at the end. The Big 12 conference was no cakewalk, and that led to their 4-5 Big 12 record. LSU is talented but their in too much of a flux to tell who they are. Kansas State sees this as a winnable matchup, but having quarterback Skylar Thompson on the field may increase their chances.

MY PICK: KANSAS STATE