After a really strong 2013 (81.4%), my regular season predictions took a slight step back this season. Don’t get me wrong, 71.1% is still pretty good, and probably better than most of you, but I demand better. And I’m not really sure how, but I picked about 40 less games this year. Chalk it up to four losses and fatherhood. But no more! 39 games this bowl season. Let’s do this.
Bowls: 9-1 (90.0%)
Regular Season: 96-39 (71.1%)
Overall: 105-40 (72.4%)
12/20
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (10 a.m. ESPN)
Nevada vs. UL-Lafayette – The Ragin’ Cajuns travel a few miles across the state to play in the spot of one of the first ever College Football Playoff semifinal games. Nevada will travel a lot further. There won’t be many people there.
UL-Lafeyette 34, Nevada 31
UL-Lafeyette 16, Nevada 3 – SUCCESS!
Gildan New Mexico Bowl (1:20 p.m. ESPN)
Utah State vs. UTEP – Is it bad that only two games into the bowl picks I’m already bored with the games? I mean, yeah, football is football, but the names of the teams and the names of the bowls. Buzz, your girlfriend… woof.
Utah State will forever be okay to me because they almost beat Auburn in 2011. There’s your pick.
Utah State 28, UTEP 17
Utah State 21, UTEP 6 – SUCCESS!
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (2:30 p.m. ABC)
Utah vs. Colorado State – Geez, can we get out of the Mountain West, please?! I don’t know and I don’t care. Colorado State doesn’t have a coach, so they’ll lose. There.
Utah 38, Colorado State 14
Utah 45, Colorado State 10 – SUCCESS!
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (4:45 p.m. ESPN)
Western Michigan vs. Air Force – Finally, we move East with the mighty… Western Michiganers? Oh, and another team from the Rockies. Yay. 2014 bowl season is aflame with great football. Go America, Go Air Force.
Air Force 27, Western Michigan 17
Air Force 38, Western Michigan 24 – SUCCESS!
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (8:15 p.m. ESPN)
South Alabama vs. Bowling Green – A bowl game in Montgomery? Think about all those cool attractions like Patterson Field, hank Williams’s grave, and the RCA building! I want Auburn to go there next year. Y’all think South Alabama enjoyed the ride up 65? Their first bowl game won’t end well.
Bowling Green 49, South Alabama 20
Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28 – SUCCESS!
12/22
Miami Beach Bowl (1 p.m. ESPN)
BYU vs. Memphis – There’s a Miami Beach Bowl? News to me. Sounds awesome, though. And it’s played in the Marlins stadium? Does that little dolphin display spin after every touchdown, too?
Somehow Memphis was decent this year. I say decent in that they only lost three games, but I had no idea. BYU continues the streak of teams from the mountains. They’ll lose because Miami and Mormons don’t exactly mix.
Memphis 27, BYU 20
Memphis 55, BYU 48 – SUCCESS!
12/23
Boca Raton Bowl (5 p.m. ESPN)
Marshall vs. Northern Illinois – Marshall lost one game this season. It was a one-point, 67-66 loss to Western Kentucky on a successful two-point conversion by the Hilltoppers. Northern Illinois fed on the MAC as they usually do and ended the season 11-2. That’s pretty even, but We Are… Marshall.
Marshall 34, Northern Illinois 31
Marshall 52, Northern Illinois 23 – SUCCESS!
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsetta Bowl (8:30 p.m. ESPN)
Navy vs. San Diego State – The world’s longest bowl name is back with it’s hometown team taking on a team of players that will most likely spend a good bit of their service there as well. (San Diego is the home of one of the U.S.’s largest naval base.)
Navy barely beat a bad Army (that sounds weird) just a week ago, while San Diego State was sitting at home and will be playing at home. The Aztecs will beat the Navy. There’s something you’ve never heard.
San Diego State 24, Navy 21
Navy 17 San Diego State 16 – FAILURE
12/24
Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl (11 p.m. ESPN)
Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky – Explain to me how a team that went 7-5 in the MAC and a team that already got the gift of Bobby Petrino leaving them at the end of last season gets to go to the Bahamas for a football game. I know it’s on Christmas Eve, but seriously? These two teams? I mean, the video of Central Michigan finding out is awesome, but we can do better next year, Popeye’s.
Western Kentucky 37, Central Michigan 24
Western Kentucky 49, Central Michigan 48 – SUCCESS!
Hawai’i Bowl (7 p.m. ESPN)
Fresno State vs. Rice – So I guess if you play on Christmas Eve, you just get the best bowl destinations. Makes sense I guess. Except the fact that Fresno State has a 6-7 record. Congrats, here’s a free trip to Honolulu. Rice is delicious and they’ll win the undeserving Bulldogs.
Rice 56, Fresno State 10
Rice 30, Fresno State 6 – SUCCESS!
Now that I’ve picked the bowls, you should go join the bowl pick’em. Just make sure you have them in prior to each game, but go ahead and do them all so you don’t have to worry about it. There’s prizes and stuff.
