Bowl Game Schedule 2014-15: Full Odds and Predictions for Marquee Matchups
Saturday is the official start of the 2014-15 bowl season. It consists of 39 games over 23 days, culminating with the first-ever College Football Championship Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on January 12. While there's a long wait between now and then, at least the football gods have provided plenty of intriguing matchups in the interim.
The interesting thing about this year's slate of bowl games is how many marquee matchups there are outside of the College Football Playoff. No one will deny the allure of Alabama-Ohio State and Oregon-Florida State, but the Cotton Bowl features a battle between two top-10 teams in Michigan State and Baylor.
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It's a testament to the depth in college football this season that you can build a list of matchups worth watching without including the College Football Playoff, though everyone will be focused on those games because the stakes are significantly higher.
Whatever game you have your eye on, here is a look at the full schedule for this bowl season and a closer look at the top matchups.
| December 20, 2014 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| New Orleans Bowl | Nevada vs. Louisiana-Lafayette | 11 a.m. | ESPN |
| New Mexico Bowl | Utah State vs. UTEP | 2:20 p.m. | ESPN |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Utah vs. Colorado State | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Potato Bowl | Western Michigan vs. Air Force | 5:45 p.m. | ESPN |
| Camellia Bowl | South Alabama vs. Bowling Green | 9:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| December 22, 2014 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Miami Beach Bowl | BYU vs. Memphis | 2 p.m. | ESPN |
| December 23, 2014 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Boca Raton Bowl | Marshall vs. Northern Illinois | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Poinsettia Bowl | Navy vs. San Diego State | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| December 24, 2014 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Bahamas Bowl | Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky | 12 p.m. | ESPN |
| Hawai'i Bowl | Fresno State vs. Rice | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| December 26, 2014 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Heart of Dallas Bowl | Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech | 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| Quick Lane Bowl | Rutgers vs. North Carolina | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| St. Petersburg Bowl | NC State vs. Central Florida | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| December 27, 2014 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Military Bowl | Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech | 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sun Bowl | Arizona State vs. Duke | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| Independence Bowl | Miami vs. South Carolina | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Boston College vs. Penn State | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Holiday Bowl | Nebraska vs. USC | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| December 29, 2014 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Liberty Bowl | Texas A&M vs. West Virginia | 2 p.m. | ESPN |
| Russel Athletic Bowl | Oklahoma vs. Clemson | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Texas Bowl | Arkansas vs. Texas | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| December 30, 2014 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Music City Bowl | Notre Dame vs. LSU | 3 p.m. | ESPN |
| Belk Bowl | Georgia vs. Louisville | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Foster Farms Bowl | Maryland vs. Stanford | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| December 31, 2014 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Peach Bowl | Mississippi vs. TCU | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Fiesta Bowl | Boise State vs. Arizona | 4 p.m. | ESPN |
| Orange Bowl | Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| January 1, 2015 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Outback Bowl | Auburn vs. Wisconsin | 12 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Cotton Bowl Classic | Michigan State vs. Baylor | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Citrus Bowl | Missouri vs. Minnesota | 1 p.m. | ABC |
| Rose Bowl | Oregon vs. Florida State | 5 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sugar Bowl | Alabama vs. Ohio State | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| January 2, 2015 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Armed Forces Bowl | Houston vs. Pittsburgh | 12 p.m. | ESPN |
| TaxSlayer Bowl | Iowa vs. Tennessee | 3:20 p.m. | ESPN |
| Alamo Bowl | Kansas State vs. UCLA | 6:45 p.m. | ESPN |
| Cactus Bowl | Washington vs. Oklahoma State | 10:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| January 3, 2015 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| Birmingham Bowl | East Carolina vs. Florida | 12 p.m. | ESPN |
| January 4, 2015 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| GoDaddy Bowl | Toledo vs. Arkansas State | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| January 12, 2015 | Matchup | Start Time (ET) | Network |
| College Football Playoff National Championship | TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | ESPM |
Rose Bowl: Oregon (-9.5) vs. Florida State
The first of the two College Football Playoff games is hard to forecast simply because of the way Florida State plays. Oregon looks like a clear favorite and the oddsmakers feel that way, as evidenced by the spread, but the Seminoles have knocked down every obstacle in their path thus far.
It's easy to say that Florida State doesn't win pretty. Seven of its 13 wins have come by six points or fewer, including each of the last four. The Seminoles have given the opposition plenty of chances to win, yet it never happens.
Why will this time be different?
As Jared Shanker of ESPN.com pointed out, Florida State has the talent on the defensive line to contain Marcus Mariota:
"Defensive backs Ronald Darby, Jalen Ramsey and P.J. Williams are all first-day NFL talents in the traditional sense, and up front Mario Edwards Jr. and Eddie Goldman are among the country's most athletic 300-pound linemen. The linebacking corps is suspect, but there are more than enough pieces to contain Mariota.
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However, it's one thing to have NFL talent. It's another thing entirely when talking about execution. Remember that this Florida State defense allowed Everett Golson to throw for 313 yards, Will Gardner dropped 330 and Brad Kaaya had 316 yards.
None of those quarterbacks is in the same ballpark as Mariota in terms of talent or performance. The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner had a historic season, which ESPN Stats & Info tried to put in perspective with this note:
While Oregon's offense is always the focal point, don't forget about Mark Helfrich's defense. The Ducks held an Arizona offense that averages nearly 35 points per game to 13 in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
At some point Florida State has to rely on Jameis Winston to win a game, which has led to mixed results this season. The controversial quarterback has thrown 17 interceptions this year, tied for the fourth most by an FBS player.
Winston has stepped up when Florida State needs him most, notably in the ACC Championship Game against Georgia Tech, but Oregon is easily the best team he will face this year. Those mistakes are going to cost him eventually.
The Seminoles have walked a tightrope all year, but that luck will run out against a superior Oregon team in the Rose Bowl.
Oregon 41, Florida State 27
Sugar Bowl: Alabama (-9) vs. Ohio State
It's strange the way betting odds work, because most people would assume that Ohio State is a bigger underdog against Alabama than Florida State is against Oregon. After all, the Buckeyes are on their third quarterback who only has one career start.
You can spin Cardale Jones' performance against Wisconsin however you want, though it's going to be positive because of his results (257 passing yards, three touchdowns). He's going up against an entirely different beast when Alabama takes the field.
The Crimson Tide are fourth in the nation in scoring defense (16.6 points per game). Jones will have to make plays with his arm because you can't run on Nick Saban's defense. They finished second in rushing yards allowed per game (96.4) and yards per attempt (2.9), per TeamRankings.com.
Jones only had to throw the ball 17 times against Wisconsin. It would be shocking if the Buckeyes got away with that again.
Ohio State is also going up against an offense that's more diverse than Wisconsin. The Badgers are easy to game-plan for because Melvin Gordon is their only playmaker, as evidenced by the team averaging 150.8 pass yards per game.
Alabama is 22nd in passing and 36th in rushing, which doesn't even tell you that Amari Cooper is a matchup nightmare for everyone. While opposing coaches know the Heisman finalist is going to be a focal point, no one has been able to stop him, as these numbers from the SEC Network illustrate:
There's no denying that this has been one of Urban Meyer's best seasons as a coach, but there's only so much one can do with a third-string quarterback in his second start.
Alabama 34, Ohio State 14
Cotton Bowl: Michigan State vs. Baylor (-2.5)
In terms of pure fun, there might not be a better bowl matchup than Michigan State against Baylor. The Bears were on the cusp of a playoff spot, but some last-minute trickery from the selection committee left them on the outside looking in.
Meanwhile, Michigan State has quietly been chugging along in the top 10 for the second consecutive season. Say what you want about the Spartans not being able to win "big" games this year, but Mark Dantonio has built one of the best programs in the country.
What's more, the Spartans are more complete this year than the team that won the Rose Bowl last year. Connor Cook has grown into a tremendous quarterback with 2,900 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.
The rushing attack is among the best in the country thanks to the two-headed monster of Jeremy Langford (1,360 yards, 19 touchdowns) and Nick Hill (596 yards, nine touchdowns). A lot of that success comes from playing behind one of the best offensive lines in the country, as Penn State's James Franklin told Joe Rexrode of The Detroit Free Press:
While Michigan State's defense still rates among the best in the country overall, don't expect many punts in this game. The Spartans did struggle in their two biggest games of the year, allowing 95 total points to Oregon and Ohio State.
Now, they are going against a Baylor offense that leads the nation in scoring with 48.8 points per game. One thing to note about the Spartans' defensive woes in big games is they were against versatile quarterbacks like Mariota and J.T. Barrett.
Bryce Petty isn't that kind of quarterback. He stands in the pocket and fires the ball all over the field, which could play into the hands of Michigan State's defense. One thing the Baylor star has going for him is a short memory, via Max Olson of ESPN,com:
“Obviously I’d want it different,” Petty told ESPN.com. “Shoot, I’d love to be No. 1 on the Heisman list. I’d love to be the No. 1 pick coming out. I’d love to have 40 touchdowns, no picks.”
Being able to get over the letdown of not being in the playoff is going to be critical for Baylor. This team has been unstoppable virtually all year, save for one hiccup against West Virginia. Art Briles' offense has been tremendous, making its opponents one-dimensional.
The Spartans will keep it close, but Petty and co. will be too much to handle down the stretch.
Baylor 45, Michigan State 35
Odds via OddsShark.com
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