Media by Associated Press – Georgia Southern quarterback Kyle Vantrease (6) throws during an NCAA football game against Louisiana Lafayette on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Lafayette, La. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
College Bowl season is in mid-swing as we hit the holiday weekend. The New Year’s Six, including the College Football Playoff, is still a week away, but there are plenty of good games and enticing matchups this week. Let’s take a look at four bowl games to bet on between now and January 1.
Washington +6
In the Alamo Bowl on December 29, Washington’s best player is playing, while Texas’ best player is not. The Huskies +6 got a big boost when quarterback Michael Penix Jr. announced he was coming back for a sixth season. The Rutgers transfer leads the nation with 4,354 passing yards, and he has just seven interceptions to go with 29 touchdowns on the season.
Meanwhile, Texas running back Bijan Robinson opted out to get ready for the NFL draft. His backup Roschon Johnson is also skipping the Alamo Bowl, as is linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. Backup quarterback Hudson Card is one of six Longhorns to enter the transfer portal already.
This will be the first-ever bowl game for Penix. Look for him to put on a show for an offense that averages over 40 ppg. The Huskies also have the coaching advantage in this game and are more motivated to grab a win.
Georgia Southern -3.5
The Georgia Southern offense is spectacular, with senior quarterback Kyle Vantrease leading the way. He faces his former team, Buffalo, in the Camellia Bowl on December 27 with 3,901 passing yards and 25 touchdowns on the season. The 6-6 Eagles average 33.7 ppg and 500 yards this season, which spells trouble for 6-6 Buffalo.
The Bulls allow 27.2 ppg and have given up 128 points in their last four games. They are 1-3 in that span, with a 23-22 win over Akron in a make-up game on December 2. They played that game without two of their top three running backs who were injured, and starting wideout Jamari Gassett has entered the transfer portal.
The Eagles scored 51 points in their final game of the season, a double OT thriller to beat Appalachian State and get bowl eligible. Vantrease threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns in the game and will look to beat his former team in the bowl game.
Florida State -7.5
This is a big game in terms of program names, but this isn’t the Oklahoma Sooners we are used to seeing. The first season post-Lincoln Riley was a disaster in Norman, with the Sooners at 6-6 and staring at their first losing season since 1998.
Standing in their way is a pretty darn good Florida State team, looking to grab win No. 10 and show they are a team to reckon with next year. The Seminoles have tons of motivation in the Cheez-It Bowl, even if they are only down the road in Orlando.
While Oklahoma had multiple opt-outs and transfer portal entries, Florida State got a boost when quarterback Jordan Travis announced he was coming back for 2023. The Noles have won five games in a row with at least 38 points in all of those games. Meanwhile, Oklahoma allows over 450 yards per game, and they are 1-3 in their last four games.
Take the Noles and lay the points as Florida State grabs their 10th win in convincing fashion.
Air Force +3.5
Getting ready for the triple option is never fun, and doing so without much time over the holidays and finals is even worse. That’s what faces a Baylor team that, quite frankly, had a very disappointing 2022 season. Now they face a motivated Air Force team that is getting 3.5 points and is looking to run all over the Bears in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Baylor was picked to win the Big 12 this year by the media, and they finished in sixth place with an overall record of 6-6. It is hard to see them being overly motivated for a pre-Christmas bowl game that is in their home state.
The weather in Fort Worth on Thursday will be miserably cold. That favors Air Force which is used to the cold weather and ready to run the ball and then run it some more. Baylor ranks 96th in the nation in yards per rush, and they rumbled for 271 yards in their last game, a win over San Diego State.
The Falcons are motivated to beat a Power 5 team and cap a 10-win season. They rush for 331 yards per game at 5.4 ypc, and look for them to cover the 3.5 in the Armed Forces Bowl.
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