2023 Bowl Games Part I Picks Recap
Bowl Games Part I – 7/10 thanks to Ohio, Appalachian State, Fresno State, UCLA, Texas Tech, Western Kentucky, and UTSA
Overall picks – 7/10 which is one deviation above the mean
2023 All Picks Recap
Top 5 games to watch – 57/65
Top 5 upsets that could happen – 28/65
Conference Championship Games – 5/10
Bowl Games Part I – 7/10
Overall picks – 97/150 which is one standard deviation above the mean
College Football Bowl Games Part II
10. Birmingham Bowl: Troy vs. Duke
Afternoon kickoff (12:00 PM EDT) on 12/23/23 from Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. Trojans had an impressive 2023 season going 11-2, with quality losses to Kansas State (43-14) and James Madison (16-14). Currently riding a ten game winning streak. Top tier teams of the Sun Belt Conference are starting to get national attention. New head coach Gerald Parker will be watching his squad closely to plan for the 2024 season. Blue Devils started the season 4-0, before fading to a 7-5 finish. Literally ran out of gas the last two months of the season caused by injuries at key positions. Due to starting QB Riley Leonard already transferring to Notre Dame, backup QB Grayson Loftis will try to manage the line of scrimmage and the huddle.
Prediction: Ho-hum game that Troy wins by 8+ points due to roster depth.
9. Camellia Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois
Afternoon kickoff (12:00 PM EDT) on 12/23/23 from Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. Red Wolves finished 6-6 and were extremely inconsistent from week to week. Freshman QB Jaylen Raynor (2300 passing yards, 15 passing TDs), is raw but has some skills in running an offensive unit. RB Ja’Quez Cross (688 rushing yards, 7 rushing TDs) is trending up at the right time. Huskies also ended up 6-6 and are a streaky team, due to having an early season four game losing streak. Former Michigan State QB Rocky Lombardi (2074 rushing yards, 10 passing TDs), has found a temporary home in Normal, Illinois. RB Antario Brown (1164 rushing yards, 10 TDs) will be highlighted early and often during this game.
Prediction: Hard game to analyze and predict, with Northern Illinois finding a way to win by 4 points.
8. Armed Forces Bowl: James Madison vs. Air Force
Late afternoon kickoff (3:30 PM EDT) on 12/23/23 from Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The Dukes had a memorable season going 11-1, with quality wins over Virginia (36-35), Troy (16-14), and Coastal Carolina (56-14). Senior QB Jordan McCloud (3400 passing yards, 32 passing TDs, 311 rushing yards, 8 rushing TDs), will be ready to pick apart an average Falcons defense. James Madison is incredibly balanced with two RBs who have eclipsed 500+ rushing yards and two WRs with 1000+ receiving yards. Air Force was cruising at high altitude speed with an undefeated record of 8-0, and then hit some unexpected turbulence. Currently on a four game losing streak and have forgotten how to get the ball into the endzone. Senior QB Zac Larrier will have to show some patience and let the game come to him, instead of trying to push the tempo.
Prediction: James Madison can play with almost any team in the country this season and they win by 10+ points.
7. Potato Bowl: Georgia State vs. Utah State
Late afternoon kickoff (3:30 PM EDT) on 12/23/23 from Albertson’s Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Upon closer inspection, this is one of those bowl games that makes this blogger scratch his head. Panthers were 4-0 after September 2023, but are currently on a five game losing streak. Four of those losses were in blow out fashion by 17+ points. Talk about a team that is trending down. RB Marcus Carroll (1350 rushing yards, 13 rushing TDs) will carry the offensive load. Aggies ended up 6-6 and seem to focus on two games at a time. Don’t have a signature win this season, but historically play well when the betting line has them listed as an underdog (+2.0 points). QB Cooper Legas will be throwing a lot of deep out routes to WRs Jaylen Royals (1023 receiving yards, 14 TDs) and Terrell Vaughn (847 receiving yards, 10 TDs).
Prediction: Utah State has just enough offense to win by 6+ points.
6. Ventures Bowl: South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan
Evening kickoff (7:00 PM EDT) on 12/23/23 from Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Jaguars went 6-6 and had a seismic road upset at Oklahoma State (33-7) in Week 3. QB Carter Bradley (2660 passing yards, 19 passing TDs) is a pure pocket passer. Helps to have a dependable safety valve with RB La’Damian Webb (1007 rushing yards, 16 rushing TDs). WR Caullin Lacy stretches the field on every possession (1316 receiving yards, 7 receiving TDs). Eagles also went 6-6 and are riding a two game winning streak. Rely on QB Austin Smith, RB Samson Evans, and WR Tanner Kune to move the chains. Can’t figure out the +17.0 point underdog betting line prior to kickoff.
Prediction: Upset city baby, with Eastern Michigan capitalizing on turnovers to win by 3 points.
5. Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs. Northwestern
Late evening kickoff (7:30 PM EDT) on 12/23/23 from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. 2023 will be the “what-if” season for the Utes. What if starting QB Cameron Rising had played this season instead of being injured? What if Oregon State hadn’t upset Utah in Week 5 (21-7) to start an up and down stretch run? Head coach Kyle Willingham has an innate skill in motivating his squad to be ready for every game and very focused in bowl games. Wildcats were galvanized in 2023 after the off-season firing of head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Went 7-5 and finished with a flourish by beating Wisconsin, Purdue and Illinois to close out the regular season. Led by the trio of QB Ben Bryant, RB Cam Porter, and WR Cam Johnson. First year head coach David Braun will be in demand if he continues to have winning seasons in Evanston, Illinois.
Prediction: Entertaining game for three quarters and then Utah pulls away to win by 10+ points.
4. Hawaii Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose State
Late evening kickoff (10:30 PM EDT) on 12/23/23 from Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, Hawaii. Chanticleers will probably hit the local golf courses after this game, since they also have a solid men’s golf team. Went 7-5 with a signature win over Appalachian State (27-24) in Week 6. QB Grayson McCall will play pitch and catch with WR Sam Pinckney (904 receiving yards, 7 TDs). Defensive is stingy due to allowing 380.0 yards and 24.7 points per game. Spartans are also 7-5 and riding a robust six game winning streak into this matchup. Senior RB Kairee Robinson (1127 rushing yards, 20 total TDs), could be a NFL Draft Day steal in 2024. San Jose State’s offense is clicking by averaging 406.0 yards and 33.3 points scored per game.
Prediction: Most entertaining game of the Part II Bowl Games and Coastal Carolina wins in walk off fashion by 3 points.
3. Quick Lane Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Minnesota
Afternoon kickoff (2:00 PM EDT) on 12/26/23 from Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Falcons went 7-5 and are rewarded with a matchup against the only losing team in all of the bowl games, with the Golden Gophers coming in at 5-7. Bowling Green runs a ball control offense with QB Connor Bazelak, RB Terion Stewart, and TE Harold Fannin Jr. Defensive unit is active with 33 sacks, 16 INTs, and 11 fumble recoveries. Minnesota had a forgettable season and is mired in a four game losing streak. Starting QB Athan Kaliakmanis has entered the transfer portal, so head coach P.J. Fleck will need to dig deep to field and motivate his team. Really want to pick an upset, but there’s way too many issues for Minnesota to even be competitive.
Prediction: Bowling Green wins an ugly game by 6 points.
2. First Responder Bowl: Texas State vs. Rice
Evening kickoff (5:30 PM EDT) on 12/26/23 from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Bobcats are 7-5 and participating in their first bowl game in program history. Beat Baylor (42-31) in Week 1 and had a bad bookend loss in Week 13 to Arkansas State (77-31). Starting QB TJ Finley had a monster statistical season with 3287 passing yards, 24 passing TDs, 92 rushing yards, and 5 rushing TDs. Still wondering why Finley didn’t pan out at LSU and Auburn. Transfer portal holds more mysteries than truths these days. RB Ismail Mahdi (10 TDs) and WR Joey Hobert (8 TDs) both have a nose for the endzone. Owls took a step forward in 2023 by finishing 6-6 and heading to their second straight bowl game. Transfer portal QB JT Daniels (22 TDs) and WR Luke McCaffery (12 TDs) have made Rice relevant this season. Head coach Mike Bloomgren continues to hone his craft in anonymity, but will get some attention for job openings during the next two to three off-seasons.
Prediction: Texas State rides their offensive playmakers to a 7+ point win.
1. Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas vs. UNLV
Late evening kickoff (9:00 PM EDT) on 12/26/23 from Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. This could have been the dream matchup in the 1991 Final Four Championship Game in Indianapolis, Indiana, but Duke decided to change the course of history by upsetting an undefeated UNLV team. Whoops…this blogger got college football and basketball mixed up again. Jayhawks went 8- 4 and had a season defining win over Oklahoma (38-33) in Week 9. Offensive squad improved when backup QB Jason Bean took over the job due to injuries in Week 5. Junior RB Devin Neal (1209 rushing yards, 15 TDs) would be an ideal Denver Broncos rookie in 2024. Rebels went 9-4 and are coming off a loss to Boise State (44-20), in the Mountain West Conference Championship game. Have an high scoring offense led by QB Jayden Maiava (17 TDs), RB Jai’Den Thomas (12 TDs), and WR Ricky White (7 TDs). Game could either blowup the scoreboard or be full of turnovers. Check change $20.
Prediction: Kansas is solid team and they win by 10+ points.
Storylines to follow heading into Bowl Games Part III
- Crank up the hype for the third part of the 2023 bowl season and the CFP kicking off on 1/1/24
Same bat time, same bat channel next week. I’ll review the results of College Football Bowl Games Part II on 12/27/23 and try again in Bowl Games Part III.
Never walk away from the table when you’re on a heater in Vegas!
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