College Football Bowl Games: Wednesday, Dec. 29
Fenway Bowl
The first of two baseball stadium bowl games, the debut of the Fenway Bowl will be an interesting game to watch.
SMU started off the season on fire and then lost four of their final five games to close the season. That was capped off by head coach Sonny Dykes announcing he was heading over to the other side of town to take the TCU job. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai has had a decent season but will be without his top receiver Reggie Roberson in this game.
UVA had a somewhat difficult schedule, and like SMU, finished the season on a down note losing four straight games. This will be the final game for Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who is stepping away from the game to spend more time with family.
Mendenhall is respected by his team, and the emotions will run high for the Cavaliers in this one.
Pick: UVA will “win one for the Gipper” and send their head coach out on a winning note, covering up to 8
Pinstripe Bowl
Virginia Tech vs. Maryland is another example of “why do we need this many bowls?” Two .500 teams that the oddsmakers can’t even decide who wins in a game that’s more about the allure of playing in Yankee Stadium.
Do yourself a favor and save your bet for another game.
Pick: Virginia Tech based on end of season momentum
Cheez-It Bowl
Two big programs who have never played each other is a rarity, but that’s what we’ve got in this year’s Cheez-It Bowl.
The last thing Clemson fans probably thought was that the Tigers would be playing in a less than meaningful late-December bowl game. No. 19 Clemson may only have three losses, but they’ve looked more like a five or six-loss team this season at times.
On top of a disappointing season, head coach Dabo Swinney is losing his top assistants to head coach jobs. All is not well on Howard’s Rock.
Despite all the strife, Clemson still has a top-tier defense, and Swinney is a master at pulling his team together in times of crisis. Iowa State simply doesn’t have the offensive ammunition to put them over the top in this game.
Pick: Clemson by a touchdown
Alamo Bowl
The 2021 Alamo Bowl gives us our first matchup of two ranked teams in No. 15 Oregon vs. No. 14 Oklahoma. Both teams had legitimate shots at winning their conference as well as a spot in the College Football Playoff, but neither could capitalize when it counted.
At times this season, both Oregon and Oklahoma have looked spectacular on offense. The problem is, neither of them has been able to defend the pass, so both quarterbacks will likely have some free shots in this potential shootout.
There’s coaching intrigue in this game. With former head coach Mario Cristobal gone to Miami, The Ducks will be led by interim head coach and passing game coordinator Bryan McClendon – a guy who will probably get some calls for head coaching jobs next season.
Meanwhile, Bob Stoops – yes, that Bob Stoops – is the interim coach for the Sooners. According to the former full-time OU head coach, the coaching will be a “group effort”, with Brian Odom calling the defense and Cale Gundy calling the offense.
The Sooners have a more complete team, and the Ducks will be without their best player – defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has declared for the 2022 NFL Draft – so expect a little redemption for Oklahoma.
Pick: Oklahoma covers up to 7