NY6 Bowl Predictions
By: Tycen Gray
12/17/18
Bowl season is upon us! After Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma was awarded the top 4 spots in the College Football Playoff (respectfully and controversially) it is finally time to sit back and enjoy some holiday football! Knightlife has our predictions for these bowl matchups right here (and of course we’ll always be right).
12/29 Peach Bowl: #7 Michigan vs. #10 Florida (Atlanta, GA) (12:00 PM ET; ESPN)
Michigan is still trying to recover from the onslaught their vaunted defense received from Ohio State in the final week of the college football season, knocking them out of playoff contention. Florida has soared to unseen heights this season, and are really rolling under first-year head coach Dan Mullen. Mullen is an Urban Meyer disciple and more than likely already has a beat on a Wolverine defense that has a ton of questions to be answered. The Gators are superior in raw talent and will flourish in this southern game.
Prediction: Florida 27, Michigan 23
12/29 College Football Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl: #2 Clemson vs. #3 Notre Dame (Dallas, TX) (4:00 PM ET; ESPN)
The one question that underlies this game is Notre Dame’s strength of schedule. Have they played a team of Clemson’s caliber yet this season? Freshman phenom Trevor Lawrence can make any throw on the field for the Clemson Tigers and the entire defensive line has NFL studs on it. Notre Dame has a dominant defense of their own and explosive playmakers on offense, but Clemson has been smacking teams into obliteration and I do not think they will let off the gas pedal.
Prediction: Clemson 34, Notre Dame 17
12/29 College Football Semifinal at the Orange Bowl: #1 Alabama vs. #4 Oklahoma (Miami, FL) (8:00 PM ET; ESPN)
The Heisman winner, Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray, and the Heisman runner-up, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, will take their spots at the quarterback position and control the helm of two dynamic and explosive offenses. There is one factor of this matchup that will certainly define the game, and it is defensive consistency. Alabama is a defensive nightmare week in and week out in a physical SEC. Oklahoma plays in a Big 12 Conference that is known for its porous defenses, including Oklahoma. Oklahoma may put up a solid amount of points, but the Crimson Tide may score on every possession.
Prediction: Alabama 55, Oklahoma 38
1/1 Fiesta Bowl: #8 Central Florida vs. #11 LSU (Phoenix, AZ) (1:00 PM ET; ESPN)
UCF will be severely missing their Heisman-caliber quarterback, McKenzie Milton, which looked detrimental in their American conference championship game. After beating a Top-10 SEC team last year in the Peach Bowl, UCF gets pitted against a revamped yet atypical LSU team. The Tigers will bring a swarming and nasty defense to Phoenix along with their methodical offensive ways. The Knights tend to prefer an up-tempo game, but they will face tons of adversity as LSU will control the flow of the game.
Prediction: LSU 31, UCF 20
1/1 Rose Bowl: #6 Ohio State vs. #9 Washington (Pasadena, CA) (5:00 PM ET; ESPN)
With Ohio State barely missing the playoffs, and this game being Urban Meyer’s last at the head coaching position for the Buckeyes, the troops will be absolutely pumped and locked-in to win the Rose Bowl. Washington on the other hand has snuck their way back into the Top 10, but questions about their validity arises around a subpar Pac-12 Conference. Ohio State is explosive enough without the extra incentives, and their questionable defense will be good enough to hold off Washington’s offense.
Prediction: Ohio State 38, Washington 34
1/1 Sugar Bowl: #5 Georgia vs. #15 Texas (New Orleans, LA) (8:45 PM ET; ESPN)
Georgia is another time that is steaming from their non-inclusion into the College Football Playoff. They’ll get to face off against an inconsistent Texas Longhorns team that has shown flashes of brilliance and also flashes of disappointment. Jake Fromm is catching fire at the right point for the Bulldogs, and will look to orchestrate the Georgia offense while a fast and physical Bulldog defense should negate a Longhorn spread attack. The score will vary depending on which Texas shows up, but Georgia will find a way to grind it out.
Prediction: Georgia 31, Texas 17
1/7 College Football National Championship: #1 Alabama vs. #2 Clemson
(Santa Clara, CA) (8:00 PM ET; ESPN)
An Alabama-Clemson IV is either what everyone wants to see or the last thing everyone wants to see. However, it will be a battle of the two most dominant team of this year, and possibly this decade. What will be the defining aspect of this game is Clemson’s shaky secondary situation. With Tua in the pocket, any secondary mishap will result in a touchdown in favor of the Crimson Tide. Other than that, this game will be incredibly even, but that one weak spot in the Tigers will ultimately be their demise.
Prediction: Alabama 28, Clemson 27