College Football: 2014-15 Bowl Game Predictions
It’s the best time of the year. College bowl season will make the transition from the controversial BCS era to the new and hopefully improved College Football Playoff system.
The new College Football Playoff will include six bowl games, with two of them being semifinal games. This season, the New Year’s Six will start with the Peach, Fiesta and Orange Bowls on Dec. 31 and be followed by the Cotton, Rose and Sugar Bowls on Jan. 1. The Rose and Sugar Bowl will hold semifinal games consisting of the top four teams. The two winners in those games will play for the College Football Playoff Championship on Jan. 12 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Regarding the other lower-tier bowl games, the Bahamas, Boca Raton, Camellia, Miami Beach and Quick Lane Bowls have been added to the bowl schedule this season.
With an exciting college football season just one day away, who will win the 2014-15 national title?
Chick-Fil-a Peach Bowl
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Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl
When: Wed., Dec. 31, 2014
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Who: South Carolina vs. Marshall
Steve Spurrier never quite reached a BCS bowl game with South Carolina, but he will finally get an opportunity to compete in a major bowl game this season. The Gamecocks have the talent surrounding senior quarterback Dylan Thompson to be one of the best teams in the country.
Matching up with the Gamecocks in Atlanta will be the Marshall Thundering Herd, who will play in their first major bowl game, after finishing the regular season as the highest ranked Group of Five team. The Thundering Herd will look to all-conference senior quarterback Rakeem Cato to lead the way, along with senior wide receiver Tommy Shuler. An undefeated regular season would give Marshall its best season since 1999.
If Cato can find ways to get into the end zone against a physical South Carolina defense, the nation could witness a mid-major underdog upset an SEC team in a major bowl game for the third time in seven years, the last being when TCU knocked off Wisconsin 21-19 in the Rose Bowl in 2011.
Fiesta Bowl
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Fiesta Bowl
When: Wed., Dec. 31, 2014
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Who: Oklahoma vs. Stanford
It will be a rematch from the 2009 Sun Bowl, as the Sooners and Cardinal will battle it out in the desert.
Oklahoma will head to Glendale with its third Big 12 title in five years and be out to prove that it was snubbed in the first College Football Playoff. Sophomore quarterback Trevor Knight will likely have his biggest test of the season against a stingy Stanford defense that has given up an average of 19 points in its last two bowl games.
The Cardinal will be the second team selected from the Pac-12 to play in one of the six major bowl games, with Oregon being the other. Fourth-year head coach David Shaw will have his Cardinal in their fifth consecutive major bowl game and in hope of another 11-win season.
While Oklahoma will air it out and look to outscore Stanford, the Cardinal will slow the game down as usual and try to wear out a Mike Stoops-coached defense.
Orange Bowl
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Orange Bowl
When: Wed., Dec. 31, 2014
Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Who: Virginia Tech vs. Auburn
It will be exactly a decade ago that these two teams faced off in the Sugar Bowl.
Auburn, after playing for a national championship a year ago, will find itself playing in a major bowl game again. Led by senior quarterback Nick Marshall, the Tigers will boast an explosive offense that is capable of racking points up again this season.
While much of the focus will be on Auburn’s offense, Virginia Tech will make its way to Miami for the first time since 2010, after surprising the country with a second-place finish in the ACC. Defense will again be key for the Hokies' success, but watch for Texas Tech transfer Michael Brewer to be a solid replacement for an underachieving Logan Thomas.
If Frank Beamer’s team can keep Auburn from finding the end zone, it could be an intense, low-scoring matchup decided late in the fourth quarter.
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Cotton Bowl
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Cotton Bowl
When: Thurs., Jan. 1, 2015
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Who: Baylor vs. Ohio State
Jerry World will welcome two teams that know how to light up a scoreboard.
Baylor will make the short trip to Arlington in hope of winning its first major bowl game in school history, after being outscored by Central Florida, 52-42, in the Fiesta Bowl exactly a year ago. The Bears offense, which will consist of senior quarterback Bryce Petty and senior wide receiver Antwan Goodley, will look to be an offensive juggernaut against the Buckeye defense.
With the loss of dual-threat quarterback Braxton Miller for the season, Ohio State will play in the Cotton Bowl rather than be in the final four of the College Football Playoff. Redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett, who should lead the Buckeyes to at least 10 wins during the regular season, will need to rely on playmakers Corey Smith and Devin Smith to help the offense score points against a Baylor defense led by linebacker Bryce Hager.
While Buckeye nation will make the trip down south, this game is basically in Baylor’s backyard. Fans should be in for a good ol’ Texas shootout on New Year’s Day.
Semifinal: Rose Bowl
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Semifinal: Rose Bowl
When: Thurs., Jan. 1, 2015
Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Who: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Michigan State
The Crimson Tide will be back in contention for their fourth national championship in six years under Nick Saban. Replacing a star quarterback in AJ McCarron is never easy, but somehow Jake Coker or Blake Sims will help lead Alabama to this point. It also helps that both quarterbacks have playmakers in T.J. Yeldon and Amari Cooper. The defense, though, will likely be the main factor in this matchup.
Michigan State, much like Alabama, has focused on being tough defensively and keeping opponents off the scoreboard. In the past three seasons, both programs have had top-10 defenses.
Sparty, led by junior quarterback Connor Cook, will crack the top four of the College Football Playoff rankings with its second straight Big Ten title. It will be another New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl for a physical Michigan State squad that not only has a stout defense, but a fine offense as well.
Semifinal: Sugar Bowl
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Semifinal: Sugar Bowl
When: Thurs., Jan. 1, 2015
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Who: No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 4 Oregon
Down in New Orleans, it will be two of the best quarterbacks in the country squaring off in what could be a shootout.
Jameis Winston and Co. will come in riding high after another ACC championship. The toughest part for Florida State is that it will have to go through a dangerous Oregon squad just to advance to the College Football Playoff Championship.
Marcus Mariota and the Ducks will be the last team to make the playoff by edging out Oklahoma. The Pac-12 champions hope to advance to their second national title since 2010, but will the offense be as dynamic against stronger competition?
Expect a high-scoring affair that will be decided by a key defensive stop in the fourth quarter. This has the makings to be one of the best bowl games of the season.
College Football Playoff National Championship
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College Football Playoff Championship
When: Mon., Jan. 12, 2015
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Who: Florida State vs. Alabama
The 'Noles will get their chance to take down the SEC, as well as the state of Alabama, for the second year in a row. The biggest matchup in the first College Football Playoff Championship will be Florida State’s explosive offense against Alabama’s stout defense.
Unlike last year’s BCS championship, Winston is going to have his hands full against potentially the best defense he’s faced since starting for the Seminoles. Not to mention, he could be up against former backup quarterback Jacob Coker, which would be a major storyline leading up to this game.
With a lot on the line, Famous Jameis will go down to the Crimson Tide when it’s all said and done because of another solid defensive performance. It will be the third consecutive Alabama starting quarterback to win a national championship and the eighth time in nine seasons the SEC will be a national champion.
The Rest of the Bowl Games
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New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 20, 2014
UL-Monroe vs. North Texas
New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 20, 2014
Middle Tennessee vs. San Diego State
Las Vegas Bowl
Dec. 20, 2014
Boise State vs. Oregon State
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Dec. 20, 2014
Northern Illinois vs. Colorado State
Camellia Bowl
Dec. 20, 2014
South Alabama vs. Ohio
Miami Beach Bowl
Dec. 22, 2014
BYU vs. East Carolina
Boca Raton Bowl
Dec. 23, 2014
Buffalo vs. Texas-San Antonio
Poinsettia Bowl
Dec. 23, 2014
Fresno State vs. Navy
Bahamas Bowl
Dec. 24, 2014
Toledo vs. SMU
Hawaii Bowl
Dec. 24, 2014
Utah State vs. Western Kentucky
Heart of Dallas Bowl
Dec. 26, 2014
Rice vs. Indiana
Quick Lane Bowl
Dec. 26, 2014
Minnesota vs. Duke
St. Petersburg Bowl
Dec. 26, 2014
Pittsburgh vs. UCF
Military Bowl
Dec. 27, 2014
Georgia Tech vs. Houston
Sun Bowl
Dec. 27, 2014
Washington vs. Miami (FL)
Independence Bowl
Dec. 27, 2014
Vanderbilt vs. NC State
Pinstripe Bowl
Dec. 27, 2014
Maryland vs. Louisville
Holiday Bowl
Dec. 27, 2014
Iowa vs. USC
Liberty Bowl
Dec. 29, 2014
Florida vs. Oklahoma State
Russell Athletic Bowl
Dec. 29, 2014
Texas vs. Notre Dame
Texas Bowl
Dec. 29, 2014
Texas A&M vs. TCU
Music City Bowl
Dec. 30, 2014
Missouri vs. North Carolina
Belk Bowl
Dec. 30, 2014
Mississippi State vs. Clemson
San Francisco Bowl
Dec. 30, 2014
Northwestern vs. Arizona State
Capital One Bowl
Jan. 1, 2015
Georgia vs. Wisconsin
Outback Bowl
Jan. 1, 2015
Michigan vs. LSU
Armed Forces Bowl
Jan. 2, 2015
Tulane vs. Washington State*
TaxSlayer Bowl
Jan. 2, 2015
Nebraska vs. Ole Miss
Alamo Bowl
Jan. 2, 2015
Kansas State vs. UCLA
Cactus Bowl
Jan. 2, 2015
Texas Tech vs. Arizona
Birmingham Bowl
Jan. 3, 2015
Tennessee vs. Cincinnati
GoDaddy Bowl
Jan. 4, 2015
Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Bowling Green
* - indicates fill-in team
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