It is almost that time of year again: the college football bowl games are to start within the next few weeks to finish a wild football season. There are many intriguing match-ups and a lot of new faces in high profile games.

#2 Michigan vs #3 Georgia 

Rivalry games played a particularly large role in this season’s bowl game selections. In recent years, Ohio State has dominated the Michigan Wolverines as they hadn’t won the matchup in about 10 years. This was a highly anticipated top-10 matchup this year, and it did not disappoint. Michigan came out to play and won 42-27 at the Big House. This knocked Ohio State out of the playoff picture and allowed Michigan to clinch their first playoff berth in their program’s history. Michigan is set to face off against Georgia in an exciting and tough match up. Both of the two teams are heavily reliant on their running game as Michigan has Hassan Haskins (who many believed should have been a Heisman candidate) and the two running back combo at Georgia with Zamir White and James Cook leading their running back room. Quarterback play for both teams has been very inconsistent throughout the year, it seems that whoever is able to stop the running game, will be able to win the game and advance to the National Championship game. 

Prediction: Michigan 34  Georgia 23

#1 Alabama vs #4 Cincinnati 

The other side of the CFP (College Football Playoff) is 1 seed Alabama facing off against 4 seed Cincinnati. This is a monumental game as the Cincinnati Bearcats are the first ever non-power five school to make the playoffs. This game is being overlooked by most because of the supposed skill gap between the two schools, despite the extremely successful and athletic starting Quarterback for Cincinnati, Desmond Ridder. Alabama has been on the inconsistent side this year. For the most part, the Alabama defense has stayed consistent, but the offense has had their patches. Such as scoring only 10 points at the end of regulation vs Auburn and 21 points against a struggling LSU defense. Despite these concerns, some believe Alabama finally figured it out after a 41-24 win over #1 ranked Georgia (who has had a historic defense this season). Cincinnati, on the other hand, have been very solid and consistent throughout the duration of this season.

Prediction: Alabama 31  Cincinnati 10 

Intriguing Lower-Level Bowl Match-ups

Pittsburgh vs Michigan State: Pittsburgh and Michigan State is a bowl game that you should definitely look out for. These are two very high scoring offenses with struggling defenses. Heisman candidate Kenny Pickett will be leading Pitt with his dual threat abilities. He has had 43 passing touchdowns this season which is an ACC record. On the other hand, Michigan State’s offense revolves around their Heisman snub running back Kenneth Walker III. His most notable game would be his 5 touchdowns scored against Michigan. He was the main piece in mounting a 16 point comeback against now #2 Michigan. 

Prediction: Pittsburgh 45  Michigan State 28

Oklahoma vs Oregon: Oklahoma and Oregon may not be as action packed as other games, but it will be very telling of the future for both programs. Both of these two teams have lost their Head Coach in the past few weeks. The two programs have been very successful and the coach’s departures were relatively unexpected. Lincoln Riley was the more unexpected of the two, as he qualified for the playoff 4 times, had endless recruits, and a future in the SEC, yet he left for USC. Mario Cristobal, former Oregon coach, has had ties to Miami as well as other jobs spanning the past few months) and in all reality, this game will probably be a mess. There will be sloppy play, confused players, strange playcalls, and an overall disconnect between players and staff. In the end, the team that turns the ball over less will most likely win. 

Prediction: Oklahoma 23  Oregon 14

Texas A&M vs Wake Forest: Both Texas A&M and Wake Forest have had their ups and downs this season. To begin the season, A&M were 3-2 struggling to find success. Playing against Alabama they were great under-dogs, yet they came out ready to win to claim their season back. Including this game, A&M would win 6 straight games until losing to LSU in the season finale. This team has had a pretty poor offense despite their running back Isaiah Spiller having a career season. The offense has been inconsistent, but their defense has been very consistent, tough, and athletic. Wake Forest, on the other hand, has had an amazing offense this season with one of the worst defenses in the country. Sam Hartman (Wake Forest QB) had a very good season as the team only scored under 30 points twice this season (in which they lost both games). This will come down to Sam Hartman and their ability to produce offense against a physical SEC defense.

Prediction: Texas A&M 21  Wake Forest 17