2018 College Football Playoff, bowl game predictions with confidence picks
AUTONATION Cure Bowl
Tulane (6-6) vs Louisiana (7-6)
Orlando, Florida
December 15 – 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBSSN
This feels like a true toss-up game, and it would be foolish to wager a lot of confidence points on it as a result.
Willie Fritz has the ball rolling at Tulane, but the Green Wave were still Jekyll-and-Hyde during the season. They did finish the year on a hot streak, though, winning four of their last five games to reach a bowl game for the first time since 2013, and just the second time since 2002.
Louisiana captured the Sun Belt West division in Billy Napier’s first season on the sideline, but did so with only seven wins. The Ragin’ Cajuns acquitted themselves nicely in the conference championship game against Appalachian State, but didn’t have enough to overcome the Mountaineers.
The Green Wave run a version of the triple-option, but they throw the ball more with LSU transfer Justin McMillan than most option schools do. Even still, it’s a tough offense to prepare for when you aren’t used to seeing it, and they’ll look to grind it out and keep the ball out of the hands of Louisiana’s playmakers like Trey Ragas.