Vanderbilt lobbied aggressively for CFP inclusion, even though the team never entered serious consideration. Opt-outs will be a storyline for USC with star wideout Makai Lemon and others not playing, but the Trojans should have enough to outlast the Horned Frogs. They bring in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class and should retain several key foundational players from this year’s roster. The Trojans clearly improved this season, despite once again falling short of the CFP.
- Some Big Ten teams wouldn’t get up for a post-Christmas bowl visit to Detroit and a MAC opponent, but not Northwestern.
- NC State had a tough midseason stretch but won three of its final four games, including an upset of Georgia Tech.
- One of the top early bowl matchups features the Conference USA champ (Kennesaw State) and the MAC champ (Western Michigan), as well as two promising coaches to know in Jerry Mack and Lance Taylor.
- Arch Manning accounts for three touchdowns, and Texas shuts down Underwood and U-M.
Nikhai Hill-Green interception gives Colorado the ball
Ndukwe sat up in the cart and waved to the crowd as he left. He completed an 8-yard pass but then threw an incompletion on third down and 2. Colorado’s only first downs in the game came on its first series. The Buffaloes under new quarterback Ryan Staub have gone three-and-out on three straight possessions while Houston has scored on all three of its possessions. A pass interference call against Houston enabled it when Colorado faced third down from its own 7-yard line early in the series. The kick gives the Cougars a 16-7 lead after Colorado scored on the previous drive.
The Hurricanes force a late takeaway and get out of Aggieland with a win. Now the Hurricanes must draw from making their first CFP appearance against another CFP newcomer in Texas A&M, which is coming off its first loss of the season. Coach Kalen DeBoer and the Tide are no strangers to this stage, and they’ll find a way to win a close one in Norman. Alabama was clearly worn down toward the end of the season, not looking impressive in its victory at Auburn, and being held scoreless for more than 47 minutes against Georgia in the SEC championship. All this makes predicting the bowl/CFP outcomes right after the pairings are revealed kind of insane, but also fun! Jon Sumrall, meanwhile, will lead Tulane into its first CFP before focusing fully on his new job at Florida.
By the time he left the game in the second half, Colorado led 31-7 after Staub had led the team on three touchdown drives in four possessions, highlighted by touchdown passes of 21 and 71 yards. Through his team’s first nine games, Brooks had 1,047 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. The Buffaloes rank among the nation’s bottom 30 teams in total defense, first-downs defense and rushing defense (202 rushing yards allowed per game). Neither team is particularly strong on defense, but Georgia Southern boasts star power on offense with wide receiver Camden Brown, who has 1,049 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, and adds to those totals in a win.
Final: Colorado 41, Texas Tech 27
A lot can happen to both rosters between now and Jan. 2, but this appears to be one of the more evenly matched pairings in bowl season. Despite a 5-7 record, Mississippi State competed much better this season under coach Jeff Lebby, and has the offensive talent to give Wake Forest some problems. From Egg Bowl disappointment to Mayo Bowl mania, Mississippi State is in the postseason as a fill-in team. Rice has wins over UConn and Louisiana but really struggled defensively late in the season, which Texas State should be able to expose. The Utes still should handle a Nebraska team that seems very much in flux, with its roster and coaching staff. Michigan capped 2024 with a surprise bowl win against an SEC opponent, but I really don’t see it happening again.
Announcers for Colorado vs Houston
Without further ado, from Bowl Predictions HQ in downtown Indianapolis, here are the breakdowns and picks for every college football postseason game. James Madison is a surprise inclusion to the CFP, and coach Bob Chesney will lead the Dukes before departing for UCLA. The annual coaching carousel always impacts the postseason, but this year has seen moves that have impacted the CFP unlike ever before.
After Iowa State fell to Kansas Saturday, the Buffs are in sole possession of second place in the league standings, meaning that if they win out, they’ll reach the Big 12 championship game. We’ll see if the game plays out as expected this afternoon, when the Wildcats welcome the Racers to Kroger Field. “It’s his first year there. He has work to do, but he’s been in player personnel at some of the best places in the country. He’s coached with some great coaches. He knows what he’s doing.
- Salter is a dual threat quarterback who led Liberty to a 13-1 record in 2023.
- Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. connects for two second-half touchdown passes as Washington pulls away late.
- Ultimately, location and motivation swing the arrow toward Houston, which gets its 10th win and evens the all-time series with LSU at 2-2.
- Navy doesn’t take these games lightly, having won six of its past seven bowl games, including last year’s Armed Forces Bowl.
- Louisiana Tech’s offense has had a few no-shows this season, but scored a total of 76 points in its past two games and has a deep and balanced rushing contingent with four ball carriers eclipsing 450 yards.
College GameDay crew makes Colorado vs Texas Tech picks
Nebraska’s defense likely will have several problems with Devon Dampier. Star running back Emmett Johnson is off to the NFL, and coach Matt Rhule has made several staff changes. Arch Manning accounts for three touchdowns, and Texas shuts down Underwood and U-M. ASU will counter with quarterback Jeff Sims, who began his career at Georgia Tech before a challenging journey that culminated with a solid finish. But Pavia and the Vanderbilt offense will be too much in this one, as the Commodores secure a once-unthinkable 11th win and a possible top-10 finish.
How to watch Colorado vs Houston
Then, the Tigers lost coach Ryan Silverfield and others to Arkansas. One of the top early bowl matchups features the Conference USA champ (Kennesaw State) and the MAC champ (Western Michigan), as well as two promising coaches to know in Jerry Mack and Lance Taylor. Missouri State, meanwhile, reached the postseason in its first year as an FBS member under promising coach Ryan Beard. The Blue Hens have notable wins against UConn and Louisiana Tech but were pretty uneven this season, losing to Sam Houston on Nov. 15. Delaware, meanwhile, is going bowling in its first season as an FBS member.
Old Dominion standout quarterback Colton Joseph, a dynamic dual threat, is set to enter the transfer portal and won’t play in the bowl. Both teams had very strong seasons, taking down Power 4 opponents in Florida (South Florida) and Virginia Tech (Old Dominion). Jacksonville State has been a bit more consistent and will ride running back Cam Cook, the MVP of C-USA with 1,659 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, to a victory. The Panthers are coming in hot and win a close one behind the defense and dynamic wide receiver Jyzaiah Rockwell, who catches two touchdown passes. Jeremiah Smith, who grew up near Hard Rock Stadium, shows why he’s the best player in the sport with two second-half touchdown catches, as Ohio State repeats as national champion for the first time.
Standout quarterback Drew Mestemaker made his first career start in North Texas’ last bowl game, passing for 393 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in a loss to Texas State. Fresno State thrives in the postseason, winning five of its past six bowl games, and first-year coach Matt Entz won two FCS national championships at North Dakota State. Both teams feature talented running quarterbacks in Haynes King, who is playing his final college game, and Bear Bachmeier, a true freshman with 11 rushing touchdowns. South Carolina State quarterback William Atkins IV, who had 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions this season, faces a Prairie View A&M defense that allowed fewer than 10 points in five of its final seven games. Stockton had his best game of the season Oct. 18 against Ole Miss, completing 26 of 31 passes for 289 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in a win. Texas Tech makes the most of the short field Mark Vassett’s poor punt gave it, going 43 yards in just six plays, with Behren Morton finishing it off with a 21-yard touchdown pass to easymarkets broker Jalin Conyers.
Coach Butch Jones leads Arkansas State into its third consecutive bowl game, and is 5-1 in his past six bowls. The Ragin’ Cajuns won their final four games to get bowl-eligible, all by single digits, and will find a way in another tight one behind a balanced rushing attack. The game location certainly favors Louisiana, which makes its eighth consecutive bowl appearance and 13th since 2011, but is just 1-3 under coach Michael Desormeaux.
Horvath has back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, while Sorsby finished the regular season with 2,800 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. One of the last bowl games could be among the most fun, especially with the quarterback matchup of Navy’s Blake Horvath and Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby. The team opt-outs opened an opportunity for Rice, which will complete its first season under coach Scott Abell and seek the team’s first bowl victory since 2014. Whittingham dominated the postseason earlier in his career (11-1 in first 12 bowl games) but has struggled lately (five straight losses, including the 2023 Las Vegas Bowl). The Longhorns have a much better profile than Michigan, which lost by double digits to the best three teams it faced and didn’t take advantage of a favorable schedule in quarterback Bryce Underwood’s freshman season. Coach Eliah Drinkwitz has won his past two bowl games with Missouri and should get a third, as the Tigers win a lower-scoring game.
Houston leads at halftime 16-14
Will the Rainbow Warriors open the season with a win against Stanford and close with a win over Cal? The quarterback matchup of UNLV’s Anthony Colandrea and Ohio’s Parker Navarro should be fun, but given the uncertainty around Ohio, the Rebels get the win. Toledo, meanwhile, lost longtime coach Jason Candle to UConn and defensive coordinator Vince Kehres to Syracuse. Louisville’s last trip to South Florida brought its best moment of the season, a win against then-No. Utah State had a nice road win against Fresno State, and played better defensively down the stretch. The Wolfpack haven’t won a bowl game since 2017 (Sun) and shouldn’t lack motivation in this one.
Gino Garcia boots home 53-yard FG for Texas Tech, extends lead to 10-0
Two years ago, I picked Boise State in this game but UCLA took down the Broncos even though coach Chip Kelly had one foot out the door. The Broncos didn’t return to the College Football Playoff, but they still found a way to win the Mountain West for the third consecutive season. Go perfect in your bowl picks and win up to $1 million, plus more prizes! I could certainly see this going either way, but Indiana has a fairly substantial advantage at quarterback with Mendoza, and an underrated run game to provide balance. Each scoring chance will be critical, as both defenses rank in the top five nationally in red zone touchdowns allowed.
Another three-and-out for Colorado, which managed only four yards on its three offensive plays. A 19-yard completion from Shedeur Sanders to Will Sheppard got Colorado past midfield for the first time. The big play for Texas Tech was a Behren Morton 20-yard pass to Josh Kelly that got his team to the Colorado 42.
Troy held a second-half lead at Clemson and a really nice start to Sun Belt play, but its offense struggled to score late, including in the conference championship. The runners-up from the Conference USA (Jacksonville State) and Sun Belt (Troy) championship games meet in their home state for what should be a well-attended and fun environment in Montgomery. Washington is a young, talented and somewhat confounding team, but I like the Huskies to use the bowl as a springboard toward 2026.