Predictions for Every SEC Bowl Game
It was a banner year in 2014 for the SEC, as 12 teams earned bowl bids for the first time in conference history.
Headlining that group is top-ranked Alabama, which will take on No. 4 Ohio State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in one of two national semifinals on Jan. 1, 2015.
The Crimson Tide is sitting at the head of the table, but Ole Miss and Mississippi State will also feast over the new year, as they made the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and Capital One Orange Bowl, respectively. That gives the SEC three participants in the "New Year's Six" bowl games.
Let's get down to business with some early picks for the bowl games involving SEC teams.
Duck Commander Independence Bowl: South Carolina vs. Miami
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South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier likely thought his team might be playing in Louisiana over the holidays, but he probably thought more about the Sugar Bowl and a national semifinal than a trip to Shreveport for the Duck Commander Independence Bowl.
It'll still be a solid matchup for the Gamecocks, though. They'll square off with Miami and a Hurricanes defense that's giving up just 327.6 yards per game.
In what will likely be running back Mike Davis' last game, expect a heavy dose of the bruising running back early and then Head Ball Coach to get creative with wide receiver Pharoh Cooper once the 'Canes defense creeps up into the box.
South Carolina's defense has been awful and has its work cut out for it against running back Duke Johnson and quarterback Brad Kaaya. Miami will have the ball late with a chance to win, and for the first time in what seems like forever, the Gamecocks defense will come up big.
Prediction: South Carolina 20, Miami 17
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Texas A&M vs. West Virginia
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Texas A&M's reward for putting together an up-and-down season that culminated with a late loss to an average LSU team is a date with West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl.
Does anybody on Texas A&M's defense want to cover Mountaineers wide receiver Kevin White?
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
This will be a big test for the young Aggies defense and a great way to audition for the new defensive coordinator—whoever he may be.
Offensively, the Aggies sputtered down the stretch, but now that quarterback Kyle Allen—who took over for Kenny Hill during the final month of the season—has a camp-like setting as the starter to improve, he should be able to get the Aggies back on track.
Expect points-on-points-on-points in Memphis.
Prediction: West Virginia 45, Texas A&M 42
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl: Arkansas vs. Texas
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Arkansas was hot down the stretch but ran out of gas during the final game of the season as it fell to Missouri.
Despite that, though, the program is headed in the right direction. It has a chance to continue that momentum in the fertile recruiting ground of Houston against the Texas Longhorns.
Do you want a heavy dose of Razorbacks running backs? You're going to get it.
Texas ranks 66th in the nation in rushing defense (162.08 yards per game), and Hogs running backs Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins combine to form one of the best running back duos in the country.
The month-long layoff will allow the Hogs to heal up, and Texas will have no answer for head coach Bret Bielema's old-school, smashmouth approach.
Prediction: Arkansas 35, Texas 14
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Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: No. 23 LSU vs. Notre Dame
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Is this the game where true freshman Brandon Harris will take over at quarterback for sophomore Anthony Jennings?
It'd better be, if LSU wants to get its future starter some real game work and important experience heading into the second straight offseason of quarterback turmoil in Baton Rouge.
The Tigers will take on a Notre Dame defense that ranks 71st in the nation (401.5 yards per game) and 86th in pass defense (239.8 yards per game). It's the perfect chance for head coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to experiment with their quarterbacks to see what works.
Besides, it's not like this game will be close.
Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson has been a turnover machine down the stretch, and LSU finished with the best defense in the SEC.
Prediction: LSU 31, Notre Dame 14
Belk Bowl: No. 13 Georgia vs. No. 21 Louisville
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The Belk Bowl's first game as an official tie-in to the SEC is a nice one.
Running back Nick Chubb and the Georgia Bulldogs will square off against the Louisville Cardinals, which boast the nation's third-best rushing defense (93.67 yards per game) with the backdrop of current Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Grantham going up against the program he worked for just one year ago.
Hello, Charlotte.
It's a chance for Chubb and the Bulldogs to gain some momentum headed into the offseason after falling to Georgia Tech in the regular season finale for the first time since 2008.
That won't happen.
Louisville's balanced attack led by head coach Bobby Petrino will light up a Georgia defense that's been better lately, but still short on personnel. While Grantham's defense will force some mistakes from Bulldogs quarterback Hutson Mason and lead Louisville to win over an SEC foe.
Prediction: Louisville 28, Georgia 24
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 6 TCU
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In its first year as a big-time bowl, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl got hooked up with a matchup for the ages.
No. 9 Ole Miss will take on No. 6 TCU in a New Year's Eve matinee under the big top at the Georgia Dome in a game that features strength vs. strength.
The Rebels lead the nation in scoring defense (13.8 points per game), are seventh in yards per play (4.61) and 13th in total defense (321.2 yards per game). They'll take on a TCU offense that ranks fourth in the nation in total offense (542.2 yards per game), boasts a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback in Trevone Boykin and a dynamic receiving duo of Josh Doctson and Kolby Listenbee.
This offense vs. Ole Miss' secondary? Get your popcorn ready.
Defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche will enjoy his homecoming to metro Atlanta and pressure Boykin into some late mistakes, and the Rebels offense will capitalize late to pull away for a big win to close out the season.
Prediction: Ole Miss 42, TCU 30
Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 7 Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Georgia Tech
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Mississippi State's phenomenal 2014 campaign will culminate in south Florida, when the seventh-ranked Bulldogs will take on No. 12 Georgia Tech in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
It's not where Mississippi State wanted to be when the leaves started to change color. After all, head coach Dan Mullen's crew ascended to the top spot in all the land for the first time in program history and was in line for the No. 1 seed in the playoff before a loss to Alabama sent the Bulldogs on a detour.
That road takes them to Miami, where they'll see a Georgia Tech team that will challenge the Bulldogs front seven with that triple-option and bring pressure from a variety of places on defense in an attempt to rattle quarterback Dak Prescott.
Jameon Lewis and De'Runnya Wilson are dynamic receivers, and Prescott will find them early and often on New Year's Eve at Sun Life Stadium. The Bulldogs will make a statement and send their veteran roster out on a high note with a romp over the Yellow Jackets.
Prediction: Mississippi State 38, Georgia Tech 17
Outback Bowl: No. 19 Auburn vs. No. 18 Wisconsin
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If you like running backs, the Outback Bowl is your game.
Wisconsin superstar Melvin Gordon will square off with Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne and quarterback Nick Marshall in the first game of 2015 at high noon in Tampa.
The Tigers defense didn't finish off the season well, losing to Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama during the final month of the season. They'll get their revenge in the bowl game, though.
One-dimensional teams get beaten, and the one dimension that doesn't work so well for the Badgers is the passing game—which has been Auburn's nemesis on defense all year. With not much of a threat through the air, Auburn's defense will load the box, slow down Gordon and give its offense plenty of chances to get going at warp speed.
Prediction: Auburn 38, Wisconsin 24
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl: No. 16 Missouri vs. No. 25 Minnesota
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The last time we saw Missouri's offense, quarterback Maty Mauk was heaving up prayers for wide receiver Jimmie Hunt—most of which were answered—in the SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama.
It won't be as stressful for Mauk in the bowl game.
The Tigers will take on a Minnesota pass defense that's giving up 201.5 yards per game through the air and doesn't have a pass rush that's anything close to the one Mauk saw inside the Georgia Dome. He'll find Hunt and fellow receiver Bud Sasser early and often and put together a complete game for the first time since midseason.
Defensively, ends Markus Golden and Shane Ray will harass quarterback Mitch Leidner, force three turnovers and generally make life difficult for the Gophers offense.
Prediction: Missouri 31, Minnesota 13
Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State
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Alabama will square off with Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, with a trip to the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship Game at stake.
Ohio State vs. an SEC school in a bowl game with national-title implications? Yeah, we've seen this movie before.
Alabama's offense has been building throughout the season, and now quarterback Blake Sims—who has evolved from a game manager to a difference-maker during the season, will get a full compliment of bowl practices to prepare for the biggest game of his life as the unquestioned starter for the first time in his life.
"Everybody looks to him as our quarterback," head coach Nick Saban said on Sunday. "We are where we are because of the things he has done."
They're also here because of a front seven that gets after the quarterback, and the man they'll be after in the Mercedes Benz Superdome is Cardale Jones—who will be making just his second career start.
Saban's defense with time to prepare and a quarterback who now has film for the staff to look at?
Yeah, history will repeat itself.
Prediction: Alabama 42, Ohio State 14
TaxSlayer Bowl: Tennessee vs. Iowa
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For the first time since 2010, Tennessee will participate in a bowl game—which is huge for this roster loaded with youth.
Their opponent in Jacksonville, Florida will be the Iowa Hawkeyes, fresh off losses in four of their final six games.
It will be a great chance for quarterback Joshua Dobbs to hit the reset button, get to work as the unquestioned No. 1 starter in a camp-like setting and set the tone for the offseason. The question is: Will anybody block for him?
Iowa isn't really known for putting opponents behind the sticks, but Tennessee seemingly struggles blocking anybody at this point.
This will be a close, low-scoring game and Dobbs will be picked off by a stingy Hawkeyes pass defense (175.8 yards per game) late to seal it.
Prediction: Iowa 21, Tennessee 17
Birmingham Bowl: Florida vs. East Carolina
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New coach Jim McElwain won't be coaching in the Birmingham Bowl vs. East Carolina, but he'll surely be paying attention to which of his new players want to fight to regain their jobs in the offseason.
The Florida defense will do what it always does. The combination of a stifling pass rush and a secondary that features Vernon Hargreaves III will make life difficult for Pirates quarterback Shane Carden and the air-raid offense.
Can quarterback Treon Harris get anything going, though?
Bowl practices will allow Harris to digest more of the playbook and get some things from McElwain, which should create more diversity within the Gator offense. In the end, though, this will be a sloppy game in which running back Kelvin Taylor goes off, Harris has moments and Florida's defense rules the day.
Prediction: Florida 21, East Carolina 10
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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