Bowl Games 2015-16: Predictions for Most Exciting Matchups on the Schedule
The most wonderful time of the year is right around the corner, as college football's bowl season kicks off on Dec. 19.
Sure, there might be some bad matchups mixed into the ever-expanding bowl field, but with the season almost over, let's just savor each and every one. After all, bad football still beats no football.
Below is the list of every bowl matchup, spread and against-the-spread prediction followed by a breakdown of a few of the most intriguing non-playoff matchups.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| Sat, Dec 19 | |||
| New Mexico | 2 p.m. | Arizona (-10) vs. New Mexico | ARIZ |
| Las Vegas | 3:30 p.m. | BYU vs. Utah (-3) | UTAH |
| Camellia | 5:30 p.m. | Ohio vs. Appalachian St. (-8) | APP |
| Cure | 7 p.m. | San Jose St. (-3.5) vs. Georgia St. | GAST |
| New Orleans | 9 p.m. | Arkansas St. vs. Louisiana Tech (-2) | LT |
| Mon, Dec 21 | |||
| Miami Beach | 2:30 p.m. | Western Kentucky (-3) vs. South Florida | USF |
| Tue, Dec 22 | |||
| Famous Idaho Potato | 3:30 p.m. | Akron vs. Utah St. (-6.5) | USU |
| Boca Raton | 7 p.m. | Toledo vs. Temple (-1) | TEM |
| Wed, Dec 23 | |||
| Poinsettia | 4:30 p.m. | Boise St. (-7.5) vs. No. Illinois | BSU |
| GoDaddy | 8 p.m. | Georgia Southern vs. Bowling Green (-7.5) | BGSU |
| Thu, Dec 24 | |||
| Bahamas | 12 p.m. | Mid. Tennessee vs. W. Michigan (-3) | MTSU |
| Hawaii | 8 p.m. | San Diego St. vs. Cincinnati (-1.5) | SDST |
| Sat, Dec 26 | |||
| St. Petersburg | 11 a.m. | UConn vs. Marshall (-4.5) | MRSH |
| Sun | 2 p.m. | Miami (FL) vs. Washington St. (-3) | WSU |
| Heart of Dallas | 2:20 p.m. | Washington (-8.5) vs. Southern Miss | USM |
| Pinstripe | 3:30 p.m. | Indiana (-2) vs. Duke | DUKE |
| Independence | 5:45 p.m. | Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech (-13.5) | TULS |
| Foster Farms | 9:15 p.m. | UCLA (-7) vs. Nebraska | UCLA |
| Mon, Dec 28 | |||
| Military | 2:30 p.m. | Pittsburgh vs. Navy (-3.5) | NAVY |
| Quick Lane | 5 p.m. | Central Michigan vs. Minnesota (-5.5) | CMU |
| Tue, Dec 29 | |||
| Armed Forces | 2 p.m. | California (-7) vs. Air Force | CAL |
| Russell Athletic | 5:30 p.m. | North Carolina vs. Baylor (-3) | BAY |
| Arizona | 7:30 p.m. | Nevada vs. Colorado St. (-3) | NEV |
| Texas | 9 p.m. | LSU (-7.5) vs. Texas Tech | LSU |
| Wed, Dec 30 | |||
| Birmingham | Noon | Auburn (-2.5) vs. Memphis | MEM |
| Belk | 3:30 p.m. | NC State vs. Mississippi St. (-5.5) | MSST |
| Music City | 7 p.m. | Texas A&M (-2.5) vs. Louisville | LOU |
| Holiday | 10:30 p.m. | USC (-3) vs. Wisconsin | USC |
| Thu, Dec 31 | |||
| Peach | Noon | Houston vs. Florida St. (-7) | FSU |
| Orange | 4 p.m. | No. 4 Oklahoma (-4) vs. No. 1 Clemson | CLEM |
| Cotton | 8 p.m. | No. 3 Michigan St. vs. No. 2 Alabama (-10) | MSU |
| Fri, Jan 1 | |||
| Outback | Noon | Northwestern vs. Tennessee (-8) | TENN |
| Citrus | 1 p.m. | Michigan (-4) vs. Florida | MICH |
| Fiesta | 1 p.m. | Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (-7) | OSU |
| Rose | 5 p.m. | Stanford (-7) vs. Iowa | IOWA |
| Sugar | 8:30 p.m. | Oklahoma St. vs. Ole Miss (-7) | OKST |
| Sat, Jan 2 | |||
| TaxSlayer | Noon | Penn State vs. Georgia (-7) | PSU |
| Liberty | 3:20 p.m. | Kansas State vs. Arkansas (-11) | ARK |
| Alamo | 6:45 p.m. | Oregon vs. TCU (Even) | ORE |
| Cactus | 10:15 p.m. | West Virginia vs. Arizona St. (Even) | ASU |
Notable Bowls
Russell Athletic Bowl: North Carolina vs. Baylor (-3)
Get your popcorn ready for this one, as two of the highest-scoring teams in the nation square off.
While there are plenty of storylines in this matchup, the most important one is Baylor's health.
The Bears are coming off a season-ending loss to Texas in which Lynx Hawthorne, whose primary role had previously been as Baylor's punt returner, was forced to take over at quarterback.
Fortunately for Baylor, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who missed the end of the season with a chipped bone in his leg, may be cleared to play by Dec. 29, according to the Dallas Morning News' Shehan Jeyarajah.
Head coach Art Briles told the newspaper: "Next Monday [Dec. 14], we'll know a lot more. He's going to have another bone scan. If it shows where it's healed, then I think he can start his rehab, which would be about the time we start bowl prep."
If Stidham returns, the bowl game could be a starting point for a Baylor quarterback controversy in 2016.
Seth Russell led Baylor to a 7-0 start before an injury also ended his season, but Stidham, one of the most highly touted recruits in school history, appears to be ready for a starring role. A standout performance from Stidham against the Tar Heels would certainly help his case.
Prediction (assuming a healthy Stidham): Baylor 42, North Carolina 31
Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (-7)
Predicting the outcome of this matchup presents the classic bowl dilemma: pick the more talented team, or pick the team that might actually want to be here?
Based purely on talent, Ohio State should cruise to a victory against an overachieving Notre Dame squad that was destroyed by injuries this year.
But how much motivation does Ohio State have left?
The Buckeyes were expecting to advance to the College Football Playoff and defend their national title, but now numerous stars, such as Ezekiel Elliott and Joey Bosa, are seemingly counting down the days until their first NFL paycheck.
That's where the Urban Meyer factor comes into play.
Normally, it's a safe bet to take the underdog in these scenarios, but Coach Meyer has a proven track record of getting his team up for bowl games, regardless of the circumstances.
Meyer boasts an impressive 8-2 mark in bowl games and should be able to sell the Buckeyes on winning this game to set the tone for another title run in 2016.
Prediction: Ohio State 38, Notre Dame 21
Valero Alamo Bowl: TCU vs. Oregon (Even)
One of the final bowl games of the season might prove to be the highest-scoring affair of the year.
Defense has seemingly been optional for both teams this year, and with quarterbacks Trevone Boykin and Vernon Adams Jr. both back to full strength, this should be a shootout from start to finish.
The advantage in this game goes to Oregon, which has been one of the most impressive teams in the nation since Adams returned from an early-season injury.
In the six games since Adams returned, the Ducks are 6-0 with an average of 568 yards of total offense per game—a stretch that included victories over both Pac-12 division winners Stanford and USC.
Prediction: Oregon 48, TCU 35
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
