College Bowl Picks: Previewing Top Non-BCS Games
The Christmas songs on the radio claim that this is the most wonderful time of the year, and they’re right. Not because of the string of holidays, but because college football bowl season is officially beginning.
Now it’s time to reveal the picks for every bowl game.
Here are the predicted winners in each battle and a preview of the biggest non-BCS matchups on the schedule:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| Bowl | Date | Matchup | Predicted Winner |
| BCS Title Game | Jan. 6 | Florida State vs. Auburn | Florida State |
| Orange | Jan. 3 | Clemson vs. Ohio State | Clemson |
| Sugar | Jan. 2 | Alabama vs. Oklahoma | Alabama |
| Fiesta | Jan. 1 | Baylor vs. UCF | Baylor |
| Rose | Jan. 1 | Michigan State vs. Stanford | Stanford |
| Bowl | Date | Matchup | Predicted Winner |
| GoDaddy.com | Jan. 5 | Ball State vs. Ark. State | Ball State |
| BBVA Compass | Jan. 4 | Vanderbilt vs. Houston | Houston |
| Cotton | Jan. 3 | Oklahoma State vs. Missouri | Missouri |
| Outback | Jan. 1 | Iowa vs. LSU | LSU |
| Capital One | Jan. 1 | Wisconsin vs. South Carolina | South Carolina |
| Heart of Dallas | Jan. 1 | UNLV vs. North Texas | UNLV |
| Gator | Jan. 1 | Nebraska vs. Georgia | Georgia |
| Chick-fil-A | Dec. 31 | Duke vs. Texas A&M | Texas A&M |
| Liberty | Dec. 31 | Rice vs. Miss. State | Rice |
| Sun | Dec. 31 | Virginia Tech vs. UCLA | UCLA |
| AdvoCare V100 Independence | Dec. 31 | Arizona vs. Boston College | Arizona |
| Holiday | Dec. 30 | Arizona State vs. Texas Tech | Arizona State |
| Alamo | Dec. 30 | Texas vs. Oregon | Oregon |
| Music City | Dec. 30 | Georgia Tech vs. Ole Miss | Ole Miss |
| Armed Forces | Dec. 30 | Middle Tennessee St. vs. Navy | Navy |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Dec. 28 | Kansas State vs. Michigan | Michigan |
| Russell Athletic | Dec. 28 | Louisville vs. Miami (FL) | Louisville |
| Belk | Dec. 28 | Cincinnati vs. North Carolina | Cincinnati |
| Pinstripe | Dec. 28 | Notre Dame vs. Rutgers | Notre Dame |
| Fight Hunger | Dec. 27 | Washington vs. BYU | BYU |
| Texas | Dec. 27 | Syracuse vs. Minnesota | Syracuse |
| Military | Dec. 27 | Maryland vs. Marshall | Maryland |
| Poinsettia | Dec. 26 | Utah State vs. Northern Illinois | Utah State |
| Little Caesars | Dec. 26 | Bowling Green vs. Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh |
| Hawaii | Dec. 24 | Oregon State vs. Boise State | Boise State |
| Beef O'Brady's | Dec. 23 | Ohio vs. East Carolina | Ohio |
| New Orleans | Dec. 21 | La.-Lafayette vs. Tulane | Tulane |
| Famous Idaho Potato | Dec. 21 | Buffalo vs. San Diego State | Buffalo |
| Las Vegas | Dec. 21 | Fresno State vs. USC | USC |
| New Mexico | Dec. 21 | Colorado State vs. Washington State | Colorado State |
No. 9 South Carolina (10-2, 6-2 SEC) vs. No. 19 Wisconsin (9-3, 6-2 Big Ten)
After a heartbreaking loss to the Tennessee Volunteers on Oct. 19, the South Carolina Gamecocks finished the season with five straight wins, including huge victories over ranked programs like Missouri and Clemson.
Wisconsin is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Penn State. The program had six straight wins going into the battle with the Nittany Lions, but the success of the Badgers this season had more to do with the easy Big Ten schedule and less to do with the talent on the roster.
South Carolina boasts one of the best defensive units in the tough SEC. As good as the team is at limiting the potency of its opponent’s offense, the Gamecocks’ own offensive unit, led by senior quarterback Connor Shaw, will put up enough points to secure the win.
With a balanced offense that can hurt Wisconsin through the air and on the ground, South Carolina should be able to control the clock and secure a win in the Capital One Bowl.
Predicted Final Score: South Carolina 34, Wisconsin 24
No. 8 Missouri (11-2, 7-1 SEC) vs. No. 13 Oklahoma State (10-2, 7-2 Big 12)
In an incredibly underrated matchup, the Oklahoma State Cowboys will square off against one of the most dangerous teams in the SEC, the Missouri Tigers, in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.
While Missouri doesn’t have the rich prestige as many of the other programs in the conference, there is no questioning the raw talent of a team that has beat four out of the six ranked teams it played this season. The Tigers even played admirably in the two losses.
As good as the Cowboys have been this season, their level of competition in the Big 12 doesn’t hold a candle to the schedule Missouri faced in the SEC East.
Led by dual-threat quarterback James Franklin, star wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham and running back Henry Josey, the Missouri offensive unit will push Oklahoma State to its limit and walk away with the victory.
Predicted Final Score: Missouri 42, Oklahoma State 33
No. 18 Louisville (11-1, 7-1) vs. Miami (FL) (9-3, 5-3 ACC)
The Miami Hurricanes started the season with seven straight wins, but a devastating loss to Florida State and two subsequent defeats have put the program behind the eight ball against the dangerous Louisville Cardinals in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
Louisville started the season with six wins of its own before a tough loss to UCF. The major difference between these two schools was the Cardinals’ ability to rebound and finish the season with five straight victories.
With momentum squarely on Louisville’s side, a potent offense led by the Heisman Trophy candidate Teddy Bridgewater and a defense that is ranked third in the nation allowing just 12.4 points per game, the Cardinals have the inside track to a bowl victory.
Predicted Final Score: Louisville 41, Miami 31
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
