Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! Did you know: one year ago today, I decided to start this blog. It’s not the one-year anniversary of the site going live, which I will write about tomorrow. Anyways, both semifinals of the College Football Playoff are today, along with the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. I will make my picks for the rest of the non-CFP bowl games tomorrow. Here are my picks for today’s games:
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Washington State (7-5) (-7) vs. Central Michigan (8-4)
Washington State is 2-0 when playing in the Sun Bowl, but they have never faced Central Michigan before. Much like Rutgers, Central Michigan wasn’t supposed to play in this game and took the spot under short notice. This was due to the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl being canceled. Central Michigan may average more points per game than Washington State, but it’s the Cougars’ defense that helps them win today.
Tune into the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl at 12 PM ET on CBS.
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: #17 Wake Forest (10-3) (-17.5) vs. Rutgers (5-7)
Rutgers accepted a spot on this game on short notice. Wake Forest was supposed to play Texas A&M today, but the Aggies had issues with COVID-19. The Omicron variant has had a major impact on sports recently. Sam Hartman will come into this game with a chip on his shoulder nonetheless. Hartman didn’t play his A-game against Pittsburgh in the ACC Championship Game. No matter the opponent, Hartman wants to prove the haters wrong. For Rutgers, they can be the “Rocky” of college football. No one expects the Scarlet Knights to win, but I do think they can keep up with the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest’s defense has been extremely inconsistent, which Rutgers can take advantage of. However, Wake Forest wins big.
Tune into the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at 11 AM ET on ESPN.
CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: #4 Cincinnati (13-0) vs. #1 Alabama (12-1) (-13.5)
Cincinnati puts their undefeated record on the line in the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Alabama, who has had more success in these games than any other team. Alabama will be without star wide receiver John Metchie III, but it will be the next man up since every Alabama team is full of talent. Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young will have Jameson Williams as a top target in this game. Having one of the top defenses in college football, led by linebacker Will Anderson Jr., I don’t see Alabama losing this game. Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell was Ohio State’s defensive coordinator when #4 Ohio State upset #1 Alabama in the 2014 College Football Playoff. They ended up winning the National Championship. But, as I said, I’m taking Alabama to punch their ticket to Indianapolis.
Tune into the CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at 3:30 PM ET on ESPN*
CFP Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl: #3 Georgia (12-1) (-7.5) vs #2 Michigan (12-1)
This matchup is the hardest I have had to pick this year. Both teams are known for having top defenses, with defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker David Ojabo leading Michigan’s defense, and defensive tackle Jordan Davis and linebacker Nakobe Dean leading Georgia’s defense. Georgia has the best defense and it isn’t even close. They average 7.5 points against per game, while Michigan averages 16.5. That is incredible, especially when you look at who the Bulldogs have played this year. Georgia was the #1 team in the country for most of the season, but Alabama took over that role when the Crimson Tide beat Georgia in the SEC Championship. Even though Georgia statistically has the better scoring offense, I’ve enjoyed watching Michigan’s this year more. The all-time series is tied at 1-1, with both matchups played in Ann Arbor. When you look at the history for both teams, Michigan is 8-8 against SEC teams in bowl games, with a 25-11-1 all-time record against the SEC. They have won six of their last 12 bowl games in Florida, with a 9-9 overall bowl record in the Sunshine State. Georgia holds a 2-1 record in the Orange Bowl, while Michigan holds a 1-2 record. I’ll take Michigan with the upset as I don’t want a rematch of the SEC Championship.
Tune into the CFP Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN*.
*ESPN will have the main telecast for both CFP Semifinal games. ESPN2 will broadcast the Command Center version of the game. The Command Center will have four different angles of the game at all times, with statistics shown on the side. ESPNU will have the SkyCast version of the game. SkyCast will have views from above the action and behind the offense, with replays regularly shown. Anish Shroff and Roddy Jones will call the SkyCast version. ESPNNEWS will have All-22, which is how the players and coaches watch for film, with all 22 players shown on the screen. SEC Network will telecast the game with the Alabama and Georgia hometown radio calls. All hometown radio stations can be heard on the ESPN App, along with the Halftime Marching Bands.
Calhoun's Corner 