Red Beans and Life’s College Football Bowl Preview

The college football bowl season kicks off Saturday December 20th. There are too many bowl games and most of them are not worth watching unless you have a connection to the schools participating. So instead of wasting your time previewing all of them, we’re going to narrow it down to the ones that would be of legitimate interest.

music bowl

Music City Bowl, Notre Dame vs LSU, Dec 30th:

It’s definitely not the bowl fans of both teams had in mind at the beginning of the season. LSU and Notre Dame each come into the game with question marks at the quarterback position. While LSU will probably stick with Anthony Jennings as they have all season. Notre Dame has recently announced they will be using two quarterbacks against the Tigers. Everett Golson, the Irish’s starter for most of the season, struggled mightily with turnovers to the tune of 26 combined interceptions and fumbles on the year. He will be splitting duties with sophomore Malik Zaire. Notre Dame boasts a prolific offense, averaging over 440 yards and 33 points per game during the regular season. LSU holds a significant advantage on the defensive end – the Tigers rank third in the nation in points per game while Notre Dame is 66th.

Prediction: LSU wins 24-10.

chickfila bowl

Peach Bowl, Ole Miss vs TCU, Dec 31st:

It will be interesting how TCU shows up in this game after being shut out of the College Football Playoff. It will be a long night for them if they come out the same way Alabama did against Oklahoma last year, but this game could be an instant classic if they’re up for the challenge. The Horned Frogs boast the country’s second-most prolific scoring offense with nearly 47 points a game and they’ll be facing an Ole Miss defense that gave up fewer points than any other FBS team. However, TCU also has a strong defense, ranking 16th, and they have faced more high-powered offenses playing in the Big XII.

Prediction: TCU wins 21-14

cotton bowl

Cotton Bowl, Michigan State vs Baylor, Jan 1st:

Much like TCU, Baylor got the shaft from the Playoff Committee and a lot will depend on their mindset coming into the game. The Bears are another offensive juggernaut from the Big XII, leading the FBS with an eye-popping 48.8 points per game to go along with almost 580 yards. But they are not quite the defensive team TCU is. The Spartans can also score on anyone, ranking seventh in points per game and can move the ball bot through the air and on the ground. They also have a defense to match their offense, but it should be noted that the Big Ten is one of the weaker “Power Five” conferences, although MSU does have several highly-ranked draft prospects on the defensive side.

Prediction: Baylor wins 31-27rose bowl

Rose Bowl, Oregon vs Florida State, Jan 1st:

This is the game for the entire season. It will not only determine who plays in the National Championship, but it also features the last two Heisman Trophy winners and the likely top two quarterbacks in next May’s NFL draft. Marcus Mariota and the Ducks run a fast paced offense that can be a challenge for anybody to defend against and they very rarely turn the ball over. Jameis Winston’s Seminoles have had a flare for the dramatic all season, frequently pulling off seemingly impossible second half comebacks in most of their games. FSU can’t afford to get off to another slow start in this game because Oregon can run away from them very quickly.

Prediction: Oregon wins 34-28

sugar bowl

Sugar Bowl, Alabama vs THE Ohio State University, Jan 1st:

This game will probably be a complete slaughter, but who doesn’t like seeing Ohio State get beat to a pulp.

Prediction: Alabama wins in a blowout. Who cares about the score?

There you have it. Share your predictions with us and let us know where your allegiances lie!

About Paul

Paul was born and raised in the New Orleans area. His current hobbies include sports, reading, gaming and second-guessing Les Miles' clock management.

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