Preview & Predictions for Every Bowl Game, Including the National Championship

Oct 25, 2014; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers safety Ronald Martin (26) is congratulated by safety Jalen Mills (28) after Martin intercept the ball in front of Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Cody Core (88) with seconds left in the fourth quarter at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Mississippi 10-7. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

December 29-December 30

Liberty Bowl: Texas A&M vs. West Virginia. “I heard you like points. So do we. We like them a lot.” I imagine that’s the pitch by the Liberty Bowl to the viewing public, and that is an effective pitch. Texas A&M averaged 449.2 yards and 34.4 points this season. The Mountaineers averaged 502.1 yards and 33.2 yards this season. However, both teams went 7-5 thanks to poor defensive play. Texas A&M’s defense was so bad that it cost DC Mark Snyder his job. Both teams struggled down the stretch. A&M started 5-0 and finished 2-5. West Virginia started 6-2 and finished 1-3. These teams are pretty much mirror images of each other. I’ll give the edge to the young talent of the Aggies. Texas A&M 45, West Virginia 42

Russell Athletic Bowl: #17 Clemson vs. Oklahoma. For Clemson, 2014 was an up-and-down season. Their losses to Georgia, Florida State and Georgia Tech were disappointing, but Deshaun Watson is a star in the making and the losing streak to South Carolina was finally snapped. For Oklahoma… oh boy. The Sooners were universally seen as the Big 12 favorite, but instead, they lost four games (three at home). They reached a new low in a 48-14 home loss to Baylor. The difference in this game will be Deshaun Watson… as he will not be playing as he recovers from surgery. The Tigers’ offense depends entirely on Watson, and without him, they won’t have enough offense to win this game. Oklahoma 30, #17 Clemson 13 

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Texas Bowl: Arkansas vs. Texas. These are two very good defensive teams. Arkansas allowed just 11 PPG in their final five games, including shutouts against LSU and Ole Miss. Texas’ first season with Charlie Strong was frustrating, but rebuilding struggles were expected, especially since Strong is trying to completely change the program’s culture. The difference in this one will be the Arkansas running game. While both teams are good defensively, Arkansas has a superior rushing attack and a similar-caliber passing attack when compared to Texas. The Razorbacks win a close, low-scoring game. Arkansas 24, Texas 19

Music City Bowl: #23 LSU vs. Notre Dame. On the outside looking in, “LSU vs. Notre Dame” looks amazing. As far as name brands go, it is. But there’s a reason these teams are meeting in the Music City Bowl. LSU did have to slug their way through the SEC West, so it’s hard to knock an 8-4 record, but their offense has been ineffective this season. Notre Dame has fallen apart down the stretch since their loss to Florida State, as they can’t get any defensive stops or stop turning the ball over offensively. The Tigers have the SEC’s top defense, which is terrible news for Everett Golson. #23 LSU 20, Notre Dame 14

Belk Bowl: #13 Georgia vs. #21 Louisville. 2014 is another year of what could have been for Georgia. Despite dominating wins against the likes of Missouri and Auburn, the Bulldogs still finished 9-3 and didn’t win a weak SEC East. If the Bulldogs could have won their winnable games against South Carolina and Georgia Tech, they would have been in the national title picture. Now, the Bulldogs turn their attention towards Bobby Petrinos’ (and former UGA DC Todd Grantham’s) Louisville Cardinals, who also went 9-3 with close losses against Virginia, Clemson and Florida State. If Georgia doesn’t show up motivated, they could lose. The Bulldogs have more talent, though, and Nick Chubb might run wild on a weak Louisville defense. #13 Georgia 33, #21 Louisville 30 (OVERTIME)

Foster Farms Bowl: Stanford vs. Maryland. The Terrapins’ first season in the Big Ten was solid, as they went 7-5 (4-4 in-conference), but they struggled against the conference’s elite teams. Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State combined to beat them 141-46. Now, they face Stanford, who fell woefully short of expectations this year. The Cardinal, considered a national title contender before the season, slugged their way to a 7-5 record. However, this game is a huge mismatch in favor of Stanford. The Cardinal have the nation’s 2nd-best scoring defense (16 PPG) and Maryland’s offense, especially the rushing offense, has been inconsistent all season. Three of the Cardinal’s losses (USC, Notre Dame and Utah) were all by 3 points. I like Stanford to win this game in a huge way. Stanford 34, Maryland 3

Next: New Year's Eve