BIG TWELVE BOWL GAMES
Big Twelve Conference champs Oklahoma goes the Sugar Bowl to play the Auburn Tigers out of the Southeastern Conference and do not let the so-so eight and four record of the War Eagle fool you. The SEC representative will give the Sooners all they want in this battle of storied programs. Can OU continue to move the ball up and down the field? Against the best defense they will play this season (with respect to Ohio State) Auburn will be stout. Can Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon get significant yardage on a defense that can shut down a run game as good as any in the country? Will Baker Mayfield and Dee Dee Westbrook connect on some big plays to open up the run game? This will a severe test for OU and with the Auburn offense in full throttle with the injured starters back, look for a close shave for the winner. Auburn will put up points. Final: Auburn 27, Oklahoma 26.
Oklahoma State gets Colorado in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio and both teams will give the other excellent competition. The Cowboys have much the better firepower and with the game indoors, the weather will not stifle Poke quarterback Mason Rudolph. Look for a high scoring second half after a first half of feeling each other out with OSU pulling away late. Final: Oklahoma State 37 and Colorado 24
Boise State gets the Baylor Bears in the Cactus Bowl in Phoenix tonight and the question is will the Big Twelve’s representative show up. I say no and the Bears get wiped out. Final: Boise State 48 and Baylor 24
West Virginia and Miami, Fla. get it on in Orlando in the Russell Athletic Bowl Wednesday. The former Big East foes will present a watchable game with plenty of excitement. Dana Holgorsen’s Mountaineers will show up and look for a Big Twelve win here. Turnovers will be the deciding factor. West Virginia 31 and Miami 23
Kansas State and Texas A&M meet in the Texas Bowl in Houston. Former Sooner quarterback Trevor Knight will play as he has recovered from a late season injury. The teams are reflective of their coaches and Kevin Sumlin wants this one bad. Knight will have a big game and the Texas Aggies will roll the Bill Snyder’s Wildcats. Final: Texas A&M 32 and Kansas State 20
The Liberty Bowl in Memphis pits TCU and Georgia. Another nice match-up and do not think Gary Patterson’s Horned Frogs will not be ready to play hard and winning football. Patterson’s teams are always up for bowl games and this one I will go with the upset. Look for TCU to win. Final: TCU 30 and Georgia 21
Other Bowls of significance
Orange Bowl: Florida State 26 and Michigan 23
Citrus Bowl; Louisville 24 and LSU 21
Rose Bowl: USC 35 and Penn State 31
Outback: Florida 18 and Iowa 17
National Playoffs
Peach Bowl: Alabama will win the line play on both offense and defense against Washington and will hang on for a close win in the first National semi-final. The Huskies have a fighting chance in this one but they must put points on the scoreboard. Final: Alabama 36 and Washington 28
Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State and Clemson will play in the better of the two games on New Year’s Eve. I think both teams will struggle moving the ball early and turnovers and the kicking game will be deciding factors. Clemson’s experience having been in this game last year makes me thing the Tigers will play their best game of the season. But I will go with Ohio State in the game of the night. Final: Ohio State 20 and Clemson 19
National Championship Game in Tampa: Ohio State and Alabama
Feature Photo: Vincent Taylor, Oklahoma State’s stellar defensive lineman. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)
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that is why it is an upset to me. Yes, Clemson should win. But I just cannot pick them. Ohio State is young, has talent. Getting to see them manhandle Oklahoma in person does influence me. If Ohio State can pass the ball I have to pick them. Venables defense will be under pressure to stop the run.
Hey Fred,
Interesting selections, and I have to admit that I agree with most of them. The Liberty Bowl is really starting to smell to be setting up as another “we’re from the SEC and we won’t lose to that little school that lucked into the Big 12” kind of thing. They need to give Ole Miss a call. Will they ever learn not to discount TCU (and for that matter the entire Big 12)? Next year the Big 12 will NOT be having the same freakish down year that it is suffering through this season, and judging by the talent in the pipeline for next year the Big 12 will be pretty dominant in 2017.
I think your predictions on the Sooners and OSU are spot on. What about poor Baylor – I almost hope that they DO play above their weight and make that a good game, but you are correct in that Boise State is going to wipe the gras….err, the artificial turf with all three phases of Baylor’s team unless they play FAR better than they have the second half of this last season. What happened to the Bears anyway? I guess the fallout from the scandal is finally coming home to fully roost.
How long do you see Baylor being effected from all of the impact of the scandal and related issues, both with football and in the larger picture? It has to hurt their recruiting and their overall program pretty deeply. What do you see the long term effects to be?
I have to take issue with your picks for the CFP (such as it is – talk about an unfair beauty pageant; I never thought anything could or would be worse than the BCS, but the CFP is certainly making a valiant try at it).
If one looks at Washington and Alabama, it seems to me that Washington’s balance, depth and strength is something that is seriously criminally underrated, as is their coach. Maybe it has something to do with the names of coaches that start with a “P” and end with “son” – Peterson and his teams have been chronically underrated for years, as have Coach Patterson’s teams at TCU. Maybe its the name, maybe it is just that the average football fan, and pundit as well for that matter (present company excepted), has absolutely no knowledge of the history of the game or what makes a team good ON THE FIELD. All that seems to matter to many of them is how well known the school is at the moment and what that school did in the past with players who 1) are no longer there and 2) are now completely different teams. Who knows.
I see Washington taking Alabama by at least 3, so just for fun let’s predict Washington 24, Alabama 22 (there will be a weird conversion safety or bench penalty or some kind of craziness that makes the score uneven – seems like there always is in one of these games. 🙂 ) .
As far as Clemson vs. THE ohio state game goes, it is in my view literally too close to call. This may be one of those games where the last possession decides the whole thing. As much as it pains me to type this (and WOW is this painful) I see Tosu winning by 1 or 2, maybe 21-19 or something similarly close, probably in overtime(s).
The College Football Playoff Final will feature Washington and (probably) the Tosu Inedible Poisonous Nuts (that is what a Buckeye is after all), although Clemson being there would not be at all surprising. Washington’s finely balanced team, depth and talent will enable the Huskies to make a meal of either Clemson or The Inedible Nuts, whichever one manages to survive their semi-final slugfest.
Finals Predictions:
Scenario 1: Washington 42, Clemson 24
Scenario 2: Washington 35, Tosu 28
Good work Fred! Keep up the good writing. Let’s compare notes the second week in January and see who was closer in predicting what is admittedly a very difficult set of games to handicap. Good work!
P. S. Merry Christmas, and have a blessed and happy New Year in 2017 my friend!
I sure missed on the Baylor and Boise State game. The Bears came to play….good for the Big Twelve
thank you for the comment David……appreciated. You have a wonderful Holiday Season!
“I sure missed on the Baylor and Boise State game. The Bears came to play….good for the Big Twelve”
Me too – where was THAT team all regular season?
three up and six down coming into Jan. 2 bowl games….not good. But I at least put my picks up for all to see. Clemson is my pick for the Title after they showed a nice mix of offense and defense against the Bucks. Saban releases Kiffin tells me that he was not happy with the play calling against the Huskies.