College Football Bowl Picks 2018: Predictions for Most Underrated Games on Slate
With so many games on the college football bowl schedule, it's easy to look past a few matchups.
Most of the top games occur at the back part of the bowl schedule because of the higher quality of teams, but there are a few contests in the next week worth watching as well.
Some of the most underrated games on the bowl slate are hidden gems, but once you look at how the programs match up against each other, you'll get excited to watch them.
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Not only are there on-the-field stories to watch in the underrated games, there are a few off-field narratives that add intrigue as they inch closer.
Bowl Schedule and Predictions
All Times ET. Predictions in bold against the spread.
Tuesday, December 18
Boca Raton Bowl: UAB (-2.5) vs. Northern Illinois (7 p.m., ESPN)
Wednesday, December 19
Frisco Bowl: San Diego State vs. Ohio (-2.5) (8 p.m., ESPN)
Thursday, December 20
Gasparilla Bowl: Marshall (-2.5) vs. South Florida (8 p.m., ESPN)
Friday, December 21
Bahamas Bowl: Florida International vs. Toledo (-6) (12:30 p.m., ESPN)
Idaho Potato Bowl: Western Michigan vs. BYU (-12.5) (4 p.m., ESPN)
Saturday, December 22
Birmingham Bowl: Memphis (-3.5) vs. Wake Forest (noon, ESPN)
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Army (-3.5) (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Dollar General Bowl: Buffalo (-2) vs. Troy (7 p.m., ESPN)
Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii (-1) vs. Louisiana Tech (10:30 p.m., ESPN)
Wednesday, December 26
First Responder Bowl: Boston College vs. No. 25 Boise State (-3) (1:30 p.m., ESPN)
Quick Lane Bowl: Minnesota vs. Georgia Tech (-6) (5:15 p.m., ESPN)
Cheez-It Bowl: California vs. TCU (Even) (9 p.m., ESPN)
Thursday, December 27
Independence Bowl: Duke vs. Temple (-3.5) (1:30 p.m., ESPN)
Pinstripe Bowl: Miami (-4) vs. Wisconsin (5:15 p.m., ESPN)
Texas Bowl: Baylor vs. Vanderbilt (-4) (9 p.m., ESPN)
Friday, December 28
Music City Bowl: Purdue vs. Auburn (-3.5) (1:30 p.m., ESPN)
Camping World Bowl: No. 16 West Virginia (-1.5) vs. No. 20 Syracuse (5:15 p.m., ESPN)
Alamo Bowl: No. 24 Iowa State vs. No. 13 Washington State (-3.5) (9 p.m., ESPN)
Saturday, December 29
Peach Bowl: No. 10 Florida vs. No. 7 Michigan (-7.5) (noon, ESPN)
Belk Bowl: South Carolina (-4) vs. Virginia (noon, ABC)
Arizona Bowl: Arkansas State (-1.5) vs. Nevada (1:15 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
Cotton Bowl (Playoff Semifinal): No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Clemson (-11.5) (4 p.m., ESPN)
Orange Bowl (Playoff Semifinal): No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Alabama (-14) (8 p.m., ESPN)
Monday, December 31
Military Bowl: Cincinnati (-5) vs. Virginia Tech (noon, ESPN)
Sun Bowl: Stanford (-6.5) vs. Pittsburgh (2 p.m., CBS)
Redbox Bowl: Michigan State vs. Oregon (-3) (3 p.m., Fox)
Liberty Bowl: No. 23 Missouri (-8) vs. Oklahoma State (3:45 p.m., ESPN)
Holiday Bowl: No. 22 Northwestern vs. No. 17 Utah (-7) (7 p.m., FS1)
Gator Bowl: NC State vs. No. 19 Texas A&M (-6) (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Tuesday, January 1
Outback Bowl: No. 18 Mississippi State (-7) vs. Iowa (noon, ESPN2)
Fiesta Bowl: No. 11 LSU (-7.5) vs. No. 8 UCF (1 p.m., ESPN)
Citrus Bowl: No. 14 Kentucky vs. No. 12 Penn State (-6.5) (1 p.m., ABC)
Rose Bowl: No. 9 Washington vs. No. 6 Ohio State (-6.5) (5 p.m., ESPN)
Sugar Bowl: No. 15 Texas vs. No. 5 Georgia (-11.5) (8:45 p.m., ESPN)
Predictions For Most Underrated Games
Army 31, Houston 24
The Armed Forces Bowl would have been one of the best bowl games if Houston had its full complement of stars.
While there might not be a ton of attention on the clash between the Cougars and Army now, it's still a game worth watching, especially from a stylistic standpoint.
Army runs an option-based offense in which the majority of the plays are runs, while Houston has no trouble airing it out on every occasion it gets.
Army's combination of Kelvin Hopkins Jr. and Darnell Woolfolk will bludgeon the Houston defense, especially with Oliver sitting out as he focuses on the NFL draft.
What makes the Black Knights' offensive approach more intriguing in the Armed Forces Bowl is they like to methodically drive down the field by chipping away at the defense, which is the exact opposite strategy the Cougars usually employ.
Houston is capable of striking as fast as anyone in the nation, but Major Applewhite's team has to think a little bit about holding on to the ball on a few long drives just to keep its defense fresh.
With King injured, Clayton Tune is running the show on offense, and he's thrown seven touchdowns and two interceptions in his last two contests against Tulane and Memphis.
Army has the potential to silence Tune and the Cougars, as it boasts the 15th-best passing defense that gives up 185.3 passing yards per game.
Both teams will play to their strengths and find the end zone on a few occasions, but Army comes out on top by putting together one final lengthy drive of the season that ends with a touchdown with less than a minute remaining.
Georgia Tech 34, Minnesota 24
While we're on the topic of option-based offenses, let's talk about Paul Johnson's last hurrah at Georgia Tech in the Quick Lane Bowl.
Playing in Detroit on the day after Christmas isn't the ideal send-off for the retiring Yellow Jackets head coach, but his team will be motivated to end his career with a win nonetheless.
While Johnson's retirement is the main headline going into the ACC versus Big Ten clash, both the Yellow Jackets and Minnesota Golden Gophers enter with plenty to play for.
In addition to ending Johnson's career on a high note, the Georgia Tech players are looking to impress new head coach Geoff Collins while trying to close out the season with five wins in six games.
Minnesota entered its bowl preparation with a whirlwind of momentum after earning its first win over Wisconsin since 2003.
On paper, the Quick Lane Bowl doesn't appear to be the most intriguing game, but with both teams carrying a ton of confidence and a few playmakers on each side of the ball, it'll be surprisingly entertaining.
Georgia Tech relies on quarterback TaQuon Marshall to make the majority of its big plays on the ground, while Minnesota's standout player on offense is wide receiver Tyler Johnson, who recorded 1,112 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The two sides will trade scores in the first half, but Georgia Tech will eventually wear down P.J. Fleck's defense in the second half to open up a 10-point advantage and send Johnson off in style.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
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