Bowl Games 2014-15: Latest Odds, Predictions for Entire Schedule
Let the College Football Playoff experiment begin.
Following weeks of heated debate over which four schools should participate in the inaugural postseason bracket, the selection committee finally locked down the representatives on Sunday. SportsCenter shows the final rankings entering bowl season.
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While three-quarters of the quadrant crushed their way into the final four, Florida State tested its fortune one more time with a close call. Even as the bite-sized tournament's lone undefeated team, the Seminoles wield the worst probability of capturing another title, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Tensions will rise until the two playoff contests occur on New Year's Day, but football fans can fill the void with the myriad of other bowl games. At this rate, it's probably rarer to find a company not sponsoring one of these showdowns.
| R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl | Nevada vs. Louisiana-Lafayette | NV -1 | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 11 a.m. | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| Gildan New Mexico Bowl | Utah State vs. UTEP | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 2:20 p.m. | Utah State | |
| Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl | Utah vs. Colorado State | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Colorado State | |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Western Michigan vs. Air Force | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 5:45 p.m. | Air Force | |
| Raycom Media Camellia Bowl | South Alabama vs. Bowling Green | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 9:15 p.m. | South Alabama | |
| Miami Beach Bowl | BYU vs. Memphis | Monday, Dec. 22 | 2 p.m. | BYU | |
| Boca Raton Bowl | Marshall vs. Northern Illinois | Tuesday, Dec. 23 | 6 p.m. | Marshall | |
| San Diego County CU Poinsettia Bowl | Navy vs. San Diego State | Tuesday, Dec. 23 | 9:30 p.m. | Navy | |
| Popeyes Bahamas Bowl | Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky | Wednesday, Dec. 24 | 12 p.m. | Western Kentucky | |
| Hawaii Bowl | Fresno State vs. Rice | Wednesday, Dec. 24 | 8 p.m. | Fresno State | |
| Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl | Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech | Friday, Dec. 26 | 1 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | |
| Quick Lane Bowl | Rutgers vs. North Carolina | Friday, Dec. 26 | 4:30 p.m. | North Carolina | |
| BITCOIN St. Petersburg Bowl | NC State vs. UCF | Friday, Dec. 26 | 8 p.m. | NC State | |
| Military Bowl | Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 1 p.m. | Cincinnati | |
| Hyundai Sun Bowl | Arizona State vs. Duke | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 2 p.m. | ASU | |
| Duck Commander Independence Bowl | Miami vs. South Carolina | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 3:30 p.m. | South Carolina | |
| New Era Pinstripe Bowl | Boston College vs. Penn State | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 4:30 p.m. | Boston College | |
| National University Holiday Bowl | Nebraska vs. USC | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 8 p.m. | USC | |
| AutoZone Liberty Bowl | Texas A&M vs. West Virginia | Monday, Dec. 29 | 2 p.m. | Texas A&M | |
| Russell Athletic Bowl | Oklahoma vs. Clemson | Monday, Dec. 29 | 5:30 p.m. | Clemson | |
| AdvoCare Texas Bowl | Arkansas vs. Texas | Monday, Dec. 29 | 9 p.m. | Arkansas | |
| Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl | Notre Dame vs. LSU | Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 3 p.m. | LSU | |
| Belk Bowl | Georgia vs. Louisville | Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 6:30 p.m. | Stanford | |
| Foster Farms Bowl | Maryland vs. Stanford | Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 10 p.m. | ||
| Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl | Ole Miss vs. TCU | TCU -3 | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 12:30 p.m. | TCU |
| Vizio Fiesta Bowl | Boise State vs. Arizona | ARI -4 | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 4 p.m. | Boise State |
| Capital One Orange Bowl | Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech | MSU -7 | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 8 p.m. | Mississippi State |
| Outback Bowl | Auburn vs. Wisconsin | AUB -6.5 | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 12 p.m. | Auburn |
| Goodyear Cotton Bowl | Michigan State vs. Baylor | BAY -1.5 | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 12:30 p.m. | Baylor |
| Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl | Missouri vs. Minnesota | MO -6.5 | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 1 p.m. | Missouri |
| Rose Bowl Game | Oregon vs. Florida State | ORE -8.5 | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 5 p.m. | Oregon |
| Allstate Sugar Bowl | Alabama vs. Ohio State | ALA -9 | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 8:30 p.m. | Alabama |
| Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl | Houston vs. Pittsburgh | Friday, Jan. 2 | 12 p.m. | Houston | |
| TaxSlayer Bowl | Iowa vs. Tennessee | Friday, Jan. 2 | 3:20 p.m. | Iowa | |
| Valero Alamo Bowl | Kansas State vs. UCLA | Friday, Jan. 2 | 6:45 p.m. | Kansas State | |
| TicketCity Cactus Bowl | Washington vs. Oklahoma State | Friday, Jan. 2 | 10:15 p.m. | Washington | |
| Birmingham Bowl | East Carolina vs. Florida | Saturday, Jan. 3 | 12 p.m. | Florida | |
| GoDaddy Bowl | Toledo vs. Arkansas State | Sunday, Jan. 4 | 9 p.m. | Oregon | |
| College Football Championship Game | Rose Bowl Winner vs. Sugar Bowl Winner | Monday, Jan. 12 | 8:30 p.m. | Arkansas State |
Odds via Odds Shark as of Monday (Dec. 8) at 2 p.m. ET
College Football Playoff Preview
Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State
A crushing injury to freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett figured to expel Ohio State from the playoff picture, but a 59-0 beatdown of Wisconsin propelled the Big Ten champions into the main event.
TCU and Baylor both have axes to grind, but ESPN Stats & Info gives the Buckeyes a major advantage in their level of opposition.
Starting the season as a third-stringer behind Braxton Miller and Barrett, Cardale Jones delivered 257 passing yards and three touchdowns to top the Badgers on Saturday. Per NFL.com's Albert Breer, the performance left head coach Urban Meyer convinced his squad would make the cut.
The defense deserves just as much credit after containing Heisman Trophy hopeful Melvin Gordon to 76 rushing yards on 26 carries, his first output below 120 yards since Week 2. With a long run of 13, the Wisconsin star failed to rattle off a 20-yard rush in a game for the first time this season.
Yet the Buckeyes will once again be tasked with shutting down an offensive monster. This time, it's Amari Cooper, who has caught 25 passes for 307 yards and three scores over his last two games against Auburn and Missouri.
The junior's dominant display set a pair of SEC records on Saturday, per the SEC Network's Twitter page:
While Ohio State scores 45.2 points per game, good for fourth in the FBS, the Crimson Tide have averaged 48.3 points over their past trio of contests. Quarterback Blake Sims quietly touts a fourth-best 9.2 yards per attempt heading a potent passing attack.
Alabama produces 130.2 more passing yards per game than Wisconsin, and a defense surrendering 14.6 points a contest creates a ferocious challenge for Jones in just his second start. The Crimson Tide are used to steep competition after combating the SEC, so look for them to return to the national championship game.
Prediction: Alabama 34, Ohio State 20
Rose Bowl: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Florida State
Think ESPN likes this matchup? Top quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston will audition for bottom-dwelling NFL clubs as Oregon battles to usurp Florida State's grasp on the NCAA throne.
In all likelihood, this is a collision between last year's Heisman winner and this year's Heisman victor. The committee might as well spare some expenses and send Mariota the trophy after he scored five touchdowns against Arizona during the Pac-12 title clash.
ESPN's John Buccigross demonstrates how Mariota has already exceeded the accomplishments of both Johnny Manziel and Winston.
Meanwhile, Winston has thrown a dozen interceptions during the last seven games. During that stretch, the Seminoles sustained a 6.1-point margin of victory. Through the same time frame, Oregon has decimated all its opponents by an average of 28 points per contest.
The Ducks have won all but one game by double digits this year; the Seminoles have claimed seven victories by six points or less. Sure, a win is a win, but their inclination to salvage close victories reflects their shortcomings on both ends.
They relinquish 378 total yards per game, shunning them from the FBS top 50. Oregon fares even worse at No. 82 with 414 yards allowed, but it also averages 111 more yards than FSU on the other side. Points will come plenty in this shootout, but Jimbo Fisher's squad won't be able to contain Mariota's powerhouse.
Anyone who scoffs at the Seminoles not brandishing the No. 1 rank will quickly realize why when they get outclassed by a superior team.
Prediction: Oregon 45, Florida State 27
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