2013 College Football Bowl Picks: AdvoCare V100 Bowl, Sun Bowl, Liberty Bowl and Chick-fil-A Bowl Odds and Predictions – Free College Football Picks 12/31/2013: On the final day of 2013, college football ushers in the New Year with a four-pack of bowl games. Three ranked teams will be in action, including the surprising Duke Blue Devils. Among the non-ranked teams in action are the Rice Owls, who came out of nowhere to win Conference USA. The slate of games will also feature the country’s only 2,000-yard rusher this season as well as last year’s Heisman Trophy winner. Sure, the big games really start in 2014, but Tuesday’s games aren’t a bad warm-up. With that in mind, here is a closer look at all four New Year’s Eve bowl games.
AdvoCare V100 Bowl: Arizona Wildcats (7-5, 4-5 Pac-12) vs. Boston College Eagles (7-5, 4-4 ACC)
Two of the best running backs in the country will face off in this battle of 7-5 teams. Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey currently ranks sixth in the country with more than 1,700 yards while Boston College’s Andre Williams leads the country with more than 2,100. Both players have also scored 17 touchdowns on the ground. While both offenses feature workhorse backs, Arizona features the slightly better passing attack. The Wildcats have also been a little steadier on the defensive side of the ball, and perhaps more importantly, they have actually been respectable against the run lately. In fact, Arizona held the high-powered rushing attack of Oregon to just 16 points in a shocking upset. This matchup figures to be somewhat high scoring, but in the end, the Wildcats just have more balance.
Prediction: Arizona Wildcats (-7 ½) Cover the Spread
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Virginia Tech Hokies (8-4, 5-3 ACC) vs. No. 17 UCLA Bruins (9-3, 6-3 Pac-12)
It will be strength against strength when the eighth-ranked defense of Virginia Tech takes on the top-25 offense of UCLA. Unfortunately, for the Hokies, the Bruins also bring a decent a defense to the table, which includes one of the best pass-rushers in the country in Anthony Barr. On the flip side, Virginia Tech has been an atrocious offensive team. Quarterback Logan Thomas is the only legit weapon for an offense that ranks 97th in scoring, and the Hokies’ offensive gems include a 15-point effort against East Carolina and a 16-point effort against a 2-10 Virginia team. Meanwhile, the Bruins’ three losses this year have all come against teams currently ranked in the top 15, and while Virginia Tech’s defense is legit, UCLA QB Connor Hundley has the Bruins ranked in the top 45 in both rushing and passing. Add it up, and UCLA has enough balance on offense to put enough points on the board to beat a Virginia Tech team that is as offensively challenged as they come.
Prediction: UCLA Bruins (-7) Cover the Spread
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Rice Owls (10-3, 7-1 C-USA) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-6, 3-5 SEC)
Rice came out of nowhere to win Conference USA this season, and while the Owls’ record is certainly more impressive, Mississippi State’s SEC losses are much more impressive than Rice’s C-USA wins. Keep in mind that the Bulldogs lost by just 13 to Alabama, 10 to Texas A&M and four to Auburn. More importantly, Mississippi State held the powerful running attacks of the Crimson Tide and Tigers to just 20 and 24 points, respectively. Rice relies heavily on running back Charles Ross to put points on the board, and the Bulldogs’ defense has already shown it us up to the task when it comes to stopping the run. The Owls have had a great year, but the Bulldogs are just a tough matchup. Mississippi State will win this game in the trenches by bringing the Owls’ offense to a grinding halt.
Prediction: Rice Owls (+7) Cover the Spread
Chick-fil-A Bowl: No. 24 Duke Blue Devils (10-3, 6-2 ACC) vs. No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies (8-4, 4-4 SEC)
Give Duke a lot of a credit. They won the ACC Coastal Division, have amassed 10 wins, and are ranked in the top 25 heading into the bowl game. That being said, the Blue Devils are going to need a miracle to beat the Aggies. Texas A&M ranks fifth in the country in scoring, and quarterback Johnny Manziel is still a one-man wrecking crew, even if he didn’t win the Heisman again this year. By the way, three of the Aggies’ four losses came by seven points or less to teams that are all currently ranked eighth or better, including second-ranked Auburn and third-ranked Alabama. The Blue Devils’ toughest test to date was a meeting with Florida State in the ACC title game, and they were routed 45-7. Granted, the Aggies’ defense is borderline terrible at times, but Manziel and company every bit as talented as the Seminoles on the offensive side of the ball. Duke just isn’t going to be able to keep pace.
Prediction: Texas A&M Aggies (-11 ½) Cover the Spread
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