College Football Exciting Bowl Games Part II 2021

This article covers predicted College Football Exciting Bowl Games Part II (12/27/21-1/4/22). Bowl season officially started on 12/17/21 and 15 games were played by 12/25/21. 21 are scheduled to be played during 12/27/21 – 1/4/22. Time to continue a weekly cadence of highlighting the best games to watch. Hard part about doing this exercise in 2021, is trying to determine if any of the 2020 trends will continue. 2020 was the season of partial team schedules due to Covid-19 impacts, all players getting an extra year of eligibility and transferring schools without having to sit one season.

2021 Bowl Games Part I Picks Recap

Bowl Games Part I (12/17-12/25/21) – 9/15 correct thanks to Coastal Carolina, Western Kentucky, Fresno State, Liberty, Utah State, Louisiana, Tulsa, Army, UCF and the Hawaii Bowl being cancelled

Overall picks – 9/15 which is one standard deviation above the median

2021 All Picks Recap

Week 1 to Week 14 Top 5 games to watch – 43/65 correct

Week 1 to Week 14 Top 5 upsets that could happen – 22/65 correct

Top 10 conference championships – 7/10 correct

Bowl Games Part 1 – 9/15 correct

Overall picks – 81/155 correct which is one standard deviation above the median

College Football Exciting Bowl Games Part II

21. Quick Loan Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Nevada

Early afternoon kickoff (11:00 AM EST) from Ford Field in Detroit, MI on 12/27/21. Broncos enter this game at 7-5 and finished eighth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Season highlight was beating Pittsburgh on the road in Week 3 (44-41). Wolf Pack had a good season at 8-4 and finished fifth in the Mountain West Conference. Quality win over Boise State in Week 4 and lost by two points to Fresno State and San Diego State. This game will be an underrated QB duel with Western Michigan’s Kaleb Eleby (3115 passing yards and 21 TDs) vs. Nevada’s Carson Strong (4186 passing yards and 36 TDs). Broncos will have a small home field advantage due to the game being played in Detroit, but that won’t matter with the Wolf Pack’s aerial attack.

Prediction: Nevada is currently a 7.0 point underdog and will win by 4 points

20. Birmingham Bowl: Houston vs. Auburn

Early afternoon kickoff (12:00 PM EST) from Protective Stadium in Birmingham, AL on 12/28/21. Very intriguing matchup. Cougars opened the season with a loss to Texas Tech, won eleven games in a row, and then lost to Cincinnati in the American Conference Championship game. Houston relies on their QB Clayton Tune (3263 passing yards, 28 TDs), RB Alton McCaskill (883 rushing yards, 16 TDs), and WR Nathaniel Dell (1179 receiving yards,12 TDs). Tigers had an up and down season to finish at 6-6 and near the cellar in the SEC. Three quality wins over LSU, Arkansas and Mississippi that were overshadowed by a four game losing streak to end the season. Auburn had Alabama on the ropes in the Iron Bowl, but didn’t use good clock management or go for a two point conversion in the first OT to send the CFP into chaos.

Prediction: Houston is currently a 2.0 point underdog and will scratch and claw out a win by 4 points

19. First Responder Bowl: Air Force vs. Louisville

Mid-afternoon kickoff (3:15 PM EST) from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX on 12/28/21. Falcons completed a very quiet 9-3 season. Three quality loses to bowl teams (Utah State, San Diego State, Army), clearly show that head coach Brian Calhoun knows what he’s doing in Colorado Springs, CO. Cardinals finished 6-6 and near the middle of the ACC in 2021. One quality win (Mississippi) and three close quality loses (Wake Forest, Virginia, Clemson), makes you wonder which Louisville team is going show up for this bowl game. Junior QB Malik Cunningham is another version of Lamar Jackson and will have a monster statistical game against the undersized Falcons defense.

Prediction: Louisville is currently an 1.5 point favorite and will ride Cunningham’s big game to win by 10 points

18. Liberty Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Texas Tech

Evening kickoff (6:45 PM EST) from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, TN on 12/28/21. Bulldogs finished 7-5 and in the middle of the SEC. Enigmatic head coach Mike Leach led his squad to quality wins over NC State, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Auburn. Sophomore QB Will Rogers had a monster statistical season with 4449 passing yards and 35 TDs. Rogers will probably enter the transfer portal after this game to keep up the movement of big name players changing schools. Red Raiders finished 6-6 and seventh in the Big 12 Conference. Two quality wins over Houston and Iowa State led to ex-head coach Matt Wells being fired in late October 2021. Joey McGuire was hired from Baylor to take over as head coach in 2022 and he’ll be watching the depth chart closely in this game.

Prediction: Mississippi State is currently a 9.5 point favorite and will win by 14+ points

17. Holiday Bowl: UCLA vs. NC State

Evening kickoff (8:00 PM EST) from Petco Park in San Diego, CA on 12/28/21. Bruins had a slight turnaround in 2021 by finishing 8-4. Biggest highlight was physically dominating LSU in a Week 1 victory at the Rose Bowl (38-27). Talking heads starting giving head coach Chip Kelly a lot of press clippings about “fixing” the Bruins program. Bad losses to Fresno State, Arizona State and Utah burst that bubble quickly. Kelly will now have significant recruiting competition from the new head coach at USC (Lincoln Riley).

Wolfpack was one of the biggest surprises going 9-3 and finishing third in the ACC Conference. Head coach Dave Doeren has done a masterful job leading a consistent squad since 2012. Sophomore QB Devin Leary has thrown for 3433 passing yards and 35 TDs. This will be a game worth watching for 60 minutes due to the Bruins WR and TE corps vs. the efficient Wolfpack offense. First team to 50 points wins.

Prediction: NC State is currently a 2.0 point favorite and will win by 9 points

16. Guaranteed Rate Bowl: West Virginia vs. Minnesota

Late evening kickoff (10:15 PM EST) from Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ on 12/28/21. The first of three straight bowl games to be played in MLB stadiums. Is this a coincidence or planned for the NHL Winter Classic to be played at Target Field on 1/1/22? These type of questions keep me awake at night. Mountaineers enter this game at 6-6 after finishing fifth in the Big 12 Conference. Season included three quality wins (Virginia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas State) and one quality loss (Oklahoma) at the buzzer.

Golden Gophers had a solid 8-4 season and finished fifth in the Big Ten. Two quality wins over Purdue and Wisconsin led to head coach P.J. Fleck’s contract being extended to 2028. This game will be a contrast in styles, with the Mountaineers throwing the ball all over the field and the Gophers running the ball between the tackles. Turnover battle will be critical momentum.

Prediction: Minnesota is currently a 5.0 favorite and will win by 3 points

15. Pinstripe Bowl: Maryland vs. Virginia Tech

Mid-afternoon kickoff (2:15 PM EDT) from Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY on 12/29/21. Historically this game is always competitive with the Big 10 vs. ACC matchup. The “new” Yankee Stadium fits a football field comfortably from the third base line to the right field corner. Due to close games in the past, the Pinstripe Bowl seems to signal the real start of good bowl games with higher stakes.

Terrapins come into this matchup at 6-6 and finished in the lower tier of the Big Ten. Junior QB Taulia Tagovailoa has had a good statistical season (3595 passing yards, 24 passing TDs, 2 rushing TDs), but he’s not as talented as his brother Tua. Hokies also went 6-6 and finished sixth in the ACC Conference. One quality win over North Carolina, was followed up by bad losses to Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Boston College. Those loses caused head coach Justin Fuentes to be fired in November. Brent Pry is the new Virginia Tech head coach and he has a ton of work to do to turn the program around.

Prediction: Virginia Tech is currently a 3.5 point underdog and will win by 6 points

14. Cheez-It Bowl: Clemson vs. Iowa State

Early afternoon kickoff (5:45 PM EDT) from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL on 12/29/21. Tigers have good momentum heading into this game with a five game winning streak. Dabo Swinney and his squad aren’t in the CFP for the first time since 2014, but being 9-3 isn’t anything to sneeze at.

Cyclones had a ton of hype heading into the 2021 season, but the train came off the tracks with a bad home loss to Iowa in Week 2. The rest of the season was up and down, with four more losses by 7 points or less. Head coach Matt Campbell was rumored to be in consideration for numerous jobs in 2022, but USC choose and landed Lincoln Riley instead. Campbell will miss junior RB Breece Hall (1428 rushing yards, 20 TDs) due to sitting out this bowl game and prepping for the 2022 NFL Draft. Matchup should be entertaining for 45-60 minutes.

Prediction: Clemson is currently a 1.5 point favorite and will win by 7 points

13. Alamo Bowl: Oregon vs. Oklahoma

Late evening kickoff (9:15 PM EDT) from the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX on 12/29/21. Talk about two teams that don’t want to be playing in December 2021, since they both had their sights on the CFP. Ducks come in with an interim head coach, Bryan McClendon, who is keeping the sideline warm for Dan Lanning in 2022. Oregon looked disorganized and disinterested against Utah in Week 12 and in the PAC-12 Championship Game. It’ll be interesting to watch the Ducks body language during the first quarter, since most of this team quit in Week 12.

Sooners also have an interim coach, Bob Stoops, who was the head coach from 1999-2016. Lincoln Riley took the USC job after losing to Oklahoma State in Week 13. Stoops is keeping the sideline warm for Brent Venables in 2022. Sooners freshman QB Caleb Williams should put on a show in San Antonio and then the entire city of Norman, OK will cross their fingers he doesn’t enter the transfer portal.

Prediction: Oklahoma is currently a 4.5 point favorite and will win by 10+ points

12. Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs. South Carolina

Early morning kickoff (11:30 AM EDT) from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC on 12/30/21. Neighbors square off in this matchup between two teams both at 6-6. Tarheels had a quality win over Wake Forest and finished in the lower tier of the ACC. Gamecocks had late season victories over Florida and Auburn, and finished in the middle tier of the SEC. I’d take Shane Beamer over Mack Brown in any contest that keeps score. Still don’t know how Brown won the 2005 national title with Texas, but that’s a topic for another posting.

Prediction: South Carolina is currently a 9.0 point underdog and will win by 3 points

11. Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Purdue

Late afternoon kickoff (3:00 PM EDT) from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN on 12/30/21. Great matchup of two teams that are on the rise in both of their respective conferences (SEC and Big Ten). Volunteers responded well to new head coach Josh Heupel and finished the season at 7-5. Quality win over Kentucky and two quality losses (Pittsburgh, Mississippi). Boilermakers had two high quality wins (Iowa, Michigan State), that led to an 8-4 record. Two of Purdue’s best players, WR David Bell and DE George Karlaftis won’t play in this game, due to getting ready for the 2022 NFL Draft. Bell’s absence will be almost impossible to overcome for the Boilermakers and the Volunteers will have a home crowd advantage.

Prediction: Tennessee is currently a 5.0 point favorite and will win by 4 points

10. Peach Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Michigan State

Primetime kickoff (7:00 PM EDT) from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA on 12/30/21. If bowl games were food, this matchup would be considered a tasty appetizer to tide over college football fans until the CFP games on 12/31/21. Pittsburgh won the ACC Conference Championship Game and finished at 11-2. Underrated head coach Pat Narduzzi will miss his starting senior QB, Kenny Pickett, as he prepares for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Spartans had one of the biggest turnarounds in 2021 under second year head coach Mel Tucker. Due to taking advantage of the transfer portal and finding a stud RB in Kenneth Walker III (1636 rushing yards, 18 TDs), Michigan State finished at 10-2. Spartan Nation is ecstatic to have a competitive football squad again, instead of just a men’s basketball powerhouse. Narduzzi was the DC at Michigan State in 2013 with the “No Fly Zone” defensive unit that went 13-1. Lots of momentum swings in this game and good old fashioned physical defense.

Prediction: Michigan State is currently a 2.5 point favorite and will win by 7 points

9. Las Vegas Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Arizona State

Late night kickoff (10:30 PM EDT) from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV on 12/30/21. This bowl used to be one of the games that would officially kick off the bowl season. Time and date slot for this game changed with the new Las Vegas Raiders Stadium that opened in 2020. Old fashioned Big Ten vs. PAC-12 matchup. Badgers had a quiet 8-4 season, highlighted by two quality wins over Iowa and Purdue. Sun Devils also finished 8-4, with a quality win over UCLA and a bad road loss to Oregon State in Week 11. Junior QB Jayden Daniels does provide a unique running and passing offense for Arizona State, but he seems to wear down late in games due to only being 185 lbs. PAC-12 used to historically own the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl, but that won’t happen in Las Vegas during the 2021 holiday season.

Prediction: Wisconsin is currently a 6.0 point favorite and will win by 8 points

8. Gator Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Rutgers

Late morning kickoff (11:00 AM EDT) from TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL on 12/31/21. Demon Deacons were preparing to play Texas A&M in this game, but the Aggies had to pull out due to Covid-19, roster and transfer portal impacts. The NCAA allowed Rutgers to be the fill-in team for Texas A&M. Weird matchup of ACC vs. Big Ten, but the head coaches will be highlighted during the game broadcast on television. Dave Clawson led Wake Forest to a 10-3 record and a berth in the ACC Championship Game against Pittsburgh. Greg Schiano is in his second tenure at Rutgers as the head coach. Scarlet Knights were 5-7 on the year and finished with a ghastly 2-7 record over the last nine weeks. This game won’t be close on the scoreboard and on the field. It is what it is.

Prediction: Wake Forest is currently a 14.5 point favorite and will cover easily (21+ points).

7. Sun Bowl: Washington State vs. Central Michigan

Early afternoon kickoff (12:00 PM EDT) from the Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX on 12/31/21. Cougars finished the season at 7-5 and third place in the PAC-12. Highlighted by a big win in the Apple Cup over rival Washington on the road in Week 13 (40-13). Ex-head coach Nick Rolovich was fired on 10/18/21 due to not complying with the state vaccine mandate and Jake Diekert was elevated to interim coach. Diekert rallied the Cougars to a bowl game and was rewarded with a five year contract as the new head coach. Chippewas finished at 8-4 and third in the MAC Conference. Freshman RB Lew Nicholls III, will be showcased by Central Michigan due to running for 1710 yards and 15 TDs. Freshman QB Daniel Richardson threw for 2424 yards and 23 TDs, so the next 3-4 years at Central Michigan are looking promising.

Prediction: Washington is currently a 1.0 point favorite and will win by 3 points

6. Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. Arkansas

Afternoon kickoff (12:00 PM EDT) from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL on 1/1/22. Nittany Lions got off to a quick start with emotional wins over Wisconsin and Auburn. Rumors had James Franklin packing his bags for USC and then Penn State ran into the heart of their Big Ten schedule. Finished 7-5 and in the middle tier of the Big Ten. Four of the losses were by 4 points or less. Razorbacks had a bounce back season, finishing at 8-4 and fifth in the SEC. Quality wins over Texas, Texas A&M and Mississippi State. Big game environments were simply too much for Arkansas this season, due to getting blown out by Georgia. This will be a field position and defensive game. Momentum swings will be slow and deliberate. Worth watching before the big games kick off later on New Years Day.

Prediction: Penn State is currently a 1.0 point favorite and will win by 3 points

5. Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. Kentucky

Afternoon kickoff (1:00 PM EDT) from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL on 1/1/22. Big Ten vs. SEC is usually a no-brainer in terms of picking the winning team. Too much SEC speed and athleticism leave the Big Ten in the dust. Hawkeyes peaked at #2 this season before finishing at 10-3 and a berth in the Big Ten Championship game. Iowa loves to run the ball, use play action to their big TEs and then not screw up on defense. That formula may work against the Wildcats.

Kentucky had a memorable season at 9-3, with big wins over Florida and LSU. Quality and somewhat close losses to Georgia and Tennessee, showed that the Wildcats are getting better inside the SEC. Only problem with playing in a New Years Bowl, is head coach Mark Stoops. Stoops is a rising coach and the brother of interim Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops. Bob Stoops had a terrible bowl game record and hopefully his brother does the exact opposite for success.

Prediction: Iowa is currently a 3.0 point underdog and wins by 6 points

4. Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Notre Dame

Afternoon kickoff (1:00 PM EDT) from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ on 1/1/22. Great matchup between two teams that almost made the CFP. Cowboys finished the season at 11-2 and was runner-up to Baylor in the Big 12 Conference Championship game. Strong team defense is the motto of Oklahoma State and a ball control offense that relies on junior QB Spencer Sanders to make good reads at the line of scrimmage. Fighting Irish finished 11-1 by playing a modified ACC/Independent schedule. Quality win over Wisconsin and a home loss to Cincinnati were the highlights during 2021. Marcus Freeman was the players choice to replace Brian Kelly as head coach and he’ll have his hands full against the Pokes.

Prediction: Oklahoma State is currently a 1.5 point underdog and will win by 4 points

3. Rose Bowl: Utah vs. Ohio State

Early evening kickoff (5:00 PM EDT) from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA on 1/1/22. The most scenic venue in all of college spots welcomes the Utes for the first time in program history. Buckeyes are playing in the “granddaddy of them all” for the 16th time. Utah has overcome the emotional loss of two teammates over the past twelve months. Steamrolled through the regular season and won the PAC-12 Championship game easily over Oregon. Ohio State was trending towards the CFP after a blowout win against Michigan State. Buckeyes were physically dominated at the line of scrimmage in a season ending loss to Michigan. Nothing beats a New Years night sunset over the San Gabriel Mountains during the second half of the Rose Bowl. Enjoy the sites and sounds of college football pageantry during this entire game.

Prediction: Ohio State is currently a 6.5 point favorite and will cover easily (10+ points)

2. Sugar Bowl: Baylor vs. Ole Miss

Late evening kickoff (8:45 PM EDT) from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA on 1/1/22. Big 12 vs. SEC matchup that historically sees the SEC team being favored and then upset by the Big 12. Bears had a magical season finishing 11-2 and winning the Big 12 Conference Championship game over Oklahoma State. Broke through and beat Oklahoma in Week 11, which caused the entire country to pay attention to head coach Dave Aranda. Rebels have become confident and comfortable playing for head coach Lane Kiffin during his second season. Finished 10-2 with quality wins over Arkansas, Texas A&M and Tennessee. Junior QB Matt Corral has burst into stardom in 2021 with 3339 passing yards, 20 passing TDs, 597 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs. Will be an entertaining game with the Baylor running attack trying to offset the Ole Miss passing attack.

Prediction: Baylor is currently a 1.0 point underdog and will win by 7 points

1. Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Kansas State

Late evening kickoff (9:00 PM EDT) from NRG Stadium in Houston, TX on 1/4/22. 2020-2021 bowl season formally concludes with another SEC vs. Big 12 matchup. Tigers finished the season at 6-6, with a quality win over Texas A&M. Head coach Ed Orgeron coached his last game for LSU in Week 13 and Brian Kelly takes the reins in 2022. Tigers were plagued with injuries, bad play calling and a genuine lack of effort in most of their games. Wildcats finished at 7-5 by beating the teams they were supposed to and losing to the better teams. Played close in quality losses to Oklahoma and Baylor. Hard to get a read on this game due to both teams being inconsistent.

Prediction: Kansas State is currently a 3.5 point favorite and will win by 3 points

Same bat time, same bat channel in two weeks. I’ll review the results of College Football Exciting Bowl Games Part II and try again with the College Football Playoff on 12/31/21.

Never walk away from the table when you’re on a heater in Vegas!

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