The 2019-20 bowl season begins Friday afternoon with Buffalo taking on Charlotte in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl. Although most of the attention will naturally go to the prestigious New Year’s Six Bowls, there are numerous other bowls that should shape up to be great games. Here are the top five most intriguing matchups this bowl season, excluding New Year’s Six Bowls.
Outback Bowl: Minnesota vs. Auburn
This season’s Outback Bowl is the first of two New Year’s Day matchups included in this list. The 18th-ranked Golden Gophers will rely on their high-powered offense which averaged over 34 points per game this season to try to upset the 12th-ranked Tigers. Quarterback Tanner Morgan and star wide receiver Rashod Bateman will lead Minnesota as they try to bounce back from a 38-17 loss to a tough Wisconsin team in the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Auburn is coming off of a huge win in the Iron Bowl against Alabama. The Tigers’ defense is headlined by projected top 10 NFL Draft pick and star defensive tackle, Derrick Brown. Quarterback Bo Nix has also been very impressive this season as a true freshman. Auburn has the better overall team, but P.J. Fleck has done a great job with Minnesota’s program, and the Gophers will come out hot. I see Auburn edging their Big Ten opponents in a close, high scoring game.
Paul’s Pick: Auburn 34, Minnesota 28
Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Alabama
At the beginning of the season, Alabama was seen as a lock for the College Football Playoffs, and Michigan surely was expected to be a New Year’s Six Bowl team. Instead, these two underachieving programs will play in a fantastic Citrus Bowl matchup on the first day of the new year. The No. 14-ranked Wolverines and the No. 13-ranked Crimson Tide are incredibly similar teams. Both have top coaches in John Harbaugh for Michigan and Nick Saban for Alabama. Both have talented all-around teams but questionable quarterbacks. Shea Patterson has been mediocre at best during his time at Michigan, and inexperienced quarterback Mac Jones will start in place of star Tua Tagovailoa for Alabama. Even though both teams are comparable on the defensive end, I’m easily taking the Tide in this one, mainly due to their wide receiving core. Jaylen Waddle, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, and Devonta Smith are essentially uncoverable. Alabama’s passing offense will eventually overwhelm Michigan’s secondary and win comfortably.
Paul’s Pick: Alabama 41, Michigan 26
Alamo Bowl: Utah vs. Texas
While Utah has exceeded expectations this year, Texas has certainly not. The Longhorns were tipped by many to win the Big 12 and even make the College Football Playoff. Instead, they finished 7-5 and un-ranked. The No. 11-ranked Utes were one win away from the College Football Playoff but fell to Oregon in the PAC 12 Championship Game. Utah’s defense, led by defensive lineman Bradlee Anae and safety Julian Blackmon, has been stellar this season. Texas was supposed to be one of the best offensive teams in the nation, but that never came to fruition. Preseason Heisman hopeful Sam Elingher did not have the senior season he had hoped for. Nevertheless, the Texas offense is still stacked with talent. Elingher will have towering wide receiver Collin Johnson to throw to as both players will aim to improve their draft stocks. The passion of Texas shows in last year’s Sugar Bowl upset over Georgia, and it will show again this year in another upset win.
Paul’s Pick: Texas 27, Utah 23
Holiday Bowl: USC vs. Iowa
These teams are perfect representatives of the brands of football for their respective conferences. The No. 22-ranked Trojans run a prolific air raid offense and run the ball rarely. They also have a talented but sometimes undisciplined defense that struggles on occasion. The No. 16-ranked Hawkeyes are a typical pro-style team. With an experienced coach in Kirk Ferentz, a fantastic offensive line, and a powerful pass rush led by defensive end AJ Epenesa, Iowa looks to overwhelm teams physically and mentally. Quarterback Nate Stanley is decent, but he will need to rely on his running game to move the ball. USC is a typical PAC 12 high-scoring college team, while Iowa resembles many old school NFL teams. In this game, the offensive team will prevail. Freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis has been a mainstay this year, and he will be supported by an insane group of receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Michael Pittman, Jr., and Tyler Vaughns. The Hawkeyes simply cannot keep up with that.
Paul’s Pick: USC 38, Iowa 21
Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington
It seems that Boise State is in the Las Vegas Bowl every year. Anyways, this is the earliest bowl game included in this list, taking place on Saturday, Dec. 21. Boise State narrowly missed out on a New Year’s Six Bowl bid as the highest-ranked non-Power Five team. However, the No. 19-ranked Broncos were edged out by Memphis. Washington was ranked to start the year but finished the season at 7-5. Although the Huskies did not have the season many had thought they would have, they showed their talent in spurts and were plagued by inconsistency. Quarterback Jacob Eason had a decent year in his first time playing since transferring from Georgia. He will most likely be an early-round pick in the NFL Draft. Eason won’t have it easy though as he’ll be under constant pressure from Curtis Weaver, an All-American edge rusher. In the end, Washington will get the win. They have more pure talent and a difficult schedule, unlike the Broncos who didn’t play a ranked team all year.
Paul’s Pick: Washington 20, Boise State 17
As always, let me know what you think. Did you agree with my predictions? Were there any other bowl games that you thought I should have included but didn’t?
