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With bowls starting this weekend, we can again finally SAY: Here’s what’s happening in college football as of Saturday…
Bowl guide for Saturday
Miami (Ohio) – App State, UCLA – Boise State Weekend Highlights
Here’s a quick look at every match tomorrow, including the picks our staff has picked.
- Myrtle Beach Bowl: Georgia Southern (6-6) vs. Ohio (9-3), 11 a.m. on ESPN (Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.): Even the Bobcats have faced plenty of moves on the transfer portal, including stars QB Curtis Rourke, who announced his commitment to Indiana State yesterday. Georgia Southern is a 3.5-point favorite, picked by 71 percent of our staff to win.
- New Orleans Bowl: Jacksonville State (8-4) vs. Louisiana (6-6), 2:15 PM on ESPN (Caesars Superdome): Jacksonville State’s performance in its first FBS season was impressive and lifted the Gamecocks to a bowl despite being technically ineligible (shoutout to the lack of six-win teams). This is a unanimous pick to win against Jacksonville State, favored by 2.5 points.
- Cure Bowl: Miami (Ohio) (11-2) vs. App State (8-5), 3:30 PM on ABC (FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando): The RedHawks had an impressive season, culminating in a MAC Championship win over Toledo. But QB Avion Smith, who started in place of the injured Brett Gabbert, is in the portal. However, 57 percent of our game pickers picked Miami (Ohio) to pull off the upset as a 6.5-point underdog.
- New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico State (10-4) vs. Fresno State (8-4), 5:45 p.m., on ESPN (University Stadium, Albuquerque): Aggies’ QB Diego Pavia In a familiar area. He graduated from Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque and is expected to play despite suffering a shoulder injury in his team’s loss to Liberty in the Conference USA title game. Most of our employees chose New Mexico for this state.
- Los Angeles Bowl: UCLA (7-5) vs. Boise State (8-5), 7:30 PM on ABC (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.): Both teams will be limited at QB as starters. Dante Moore (University of California) and Taylin Green (Boise State) is in the portal. Boise State received the staff’s pick as a 4.5-point underdog.
- Independence Bowl: Cal (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (6-6), 9:15 PM on ESPN (Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana): Cal takes credit for beating Washington State, Stanford and UCLA to earn bowl eligibility. But Texas Tech is a firm favorite, and our employees agree.
The Rose Bowl will feature Alabama vs. Michigan on January 1. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Bowl of excellence
Your voices are there…
We asked for your thoughts on the dishes and got some good ideas:
Best bowl name: The Rose Bowl team received the majority. It’s a classic. I get it. But I was disappointed to see minimal love for Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl came in second place, followed by the Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl, the famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Best food: Not surprisingly, the mayonnaise dump at Duke’s Mayo Bowl takes the cake. This year, either West Virginia coach Neil Brown or North Carolina coach Mack Brown will honor everyone’s favorite food-themed bowl tradition.
The Cheez-It Depot (Cheez-It Bowl) and French Fries Landfill (the famous Idaho Potato Bowl) received honorary mentions, while one voter wasn’t afraid to vote for a tradition we haven’t seen yet: The Pop-Tarts Bowl edible mascot. “It’s new but great.” (Yes, the previous Cheez-It Bowl just got sillier.)
The best site: More love for icons! The historic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, was everyone’s favorite. A Hawaiian party in Honolulu received some love with one strange favorite… Boise, Idaho? I have some questions there.
For true fans, a trip to Alabama might be their best bet this season. “The fact that there are three separate bowl games at Alabama on the same day sums up the absurdity of a bowl season,” one voter wrote.
With the Camellia Bowl (Arkansas State and Northern Illinois in Montgomery) and the Birmingham Bowl (Troy-Duke in Birmingham) tipping off at noon on Dec. 23, you can’t get to both. But you can get to the 68 Ventures Bowl (South Alabama – East Michigan in Mobile) by 7pm that night.
Best match: This concludes a near-total sweep of the Rose Bowl, which once again received the most votes in the Michigan-Alabama matchup. The Sugar Bowl (the other CFP semifinal) between Texas and Washington was next in line followed by Georgia State-Florida (Orange Bowl) and Missouri State-Ohio (Cotton Bowl).
Honorable mentions: James Madison-Air Force (Armed Forces Bowl), NC State-Kansas State (Pop-Tarts Bowl), Ole Miss-Penn State (Peach Bowl), and Texas A&M-Oklahoma State (Texas Bowl).
Unsubscribe from the conference call
Who moves?
With the advent of the league season, here are the most prominent players who will not play:
Championship weekend
Title game previews D-II and D-III
There are two championship games this weekend!
- Division Three: North Central (LLL); Cortland, New York 7 p.m. Friday, ESPNU (Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia). North Central is a team I know well (representing the Chicago suburbs!) and the Cardinal will be competing in their fourth straight D-III title game. They enter this game as the defending champions while Cortlandt is vying for its first title.
- Division II: Colorado School of Mines v. Harding (Arkansas), 1 p.m. Saturday, ESPNU (McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas): This is the first title game between undefeated teams since 2018. The Orediggers lost in the tournament last year to Ferris State, and neither of those teams has won the tournament . . They both rank in the top three in scoring offense and scoring defense.
Quick shots
The FCS playoffs are down to four teams playing this weekend: Albany-South Dakota; North Dakota-Montana.
Mitch Sherman updates Nebraska’s QB chaos. with Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord Reportedly outside the picture, the Huskers have placed all their chips Five-star recruit Dylan Raiola In a decision that may change the program.
How ex William and Mary OL John Pius Make the jump from FCS to the Big Ten? What will his commitment bring to the Badgers? Jesse Temple has another gate crashing behind the scenes today.
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(Top image by Clay Helton: Stephen Branscombe/Getty Images)
Get ready for some exciting college football action as we gear up for the upcoming games, including three highly anticipated matchups taking place at the University of Alabama. Fans can expect to witness thrilling plays and fierce competition as teams take to the field to battle it out for a shot at victory. With the energy and atmosphere of college football game days, these upcoming matchups are sure to be ones you won’t want to miss. So mark your calendars and get ready to cheer on your favorite teams as they prepare to face off in these exciting games.