2014 College Football Bowl Picks: Music City Bowl, Belk Bowl and Foster Farms Bowl Odds and Predictions – Free College Football Picks 12/30/2014

2014 College Football Bowl Picks: Music City Bowl, Belk Bowl and Foster Farms Bowl Odds and Predictions – Free College Football Picks 12/30/2014: The inaugural college football playoff is just a couple of days away from beginning, but in the meantime, there is a trio of bowl games on tap Tuesday. Several big time programs are in action, including three teams ranked in the top 25, along with Notre Dame and Stanford. Here is a closer look at all three bowl games.

Music City Bowl: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 23 LSU Tigers

This game features an interesting battle a Notre Dame team that came apart at the seams down the stretch and a young LSU team that is trying to build some momentum for next season. The Fighting Irish started the year 6-0 before suffering a gut-wrenching loss to Florida State and losing five of their last six. During the slide,    QB Everett Golson imploded into a turnover machine while the defense became a sieve. Meanwhile, LSU has battled offensive issues all year, but they did upset previously unbeaten Ole Miss down the stretch and took Alabama to overtime. Perhaps more importantly, star freshman RB Leonard Fournette appeared to find his rhythm over the final weeks of the regular season. The bottom line is that LSU looks like a program building a bright future while Notre Dame looks a program searching for an identity.

Prediction: LSU Tigers (-7.5) Cover the Spread

Belk Bowl: No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 21 Louisville Cardinals

The winner of this game will reach double-digit wins on the year, and while the Bulldogs will also be playing for a potential spot in the top 10 in the final rankings, the Cardinals will be trying to cap a solid first season in the ACC. Both teams boast scoring defenses that rank in the top 25 nationally, and on the offensive side of the ball, Georgia tends to lean heavily on its power ground game while Louisville uses a balanced approach that highlights big-play WR DaVante Parker. Although both teams have their strengths, the game will likely be decided by Georgia’s strength in the trenches. While the Cardinals struggled to move the ball in a 23-17 loss to the powerful defensive front of the Clemson Tigers, the Bulldogs notched an impressive 45-21 win over the Tigers. Meanwhile, Georgia freshman RB Nick Chubb s riding a streak of seven straight 100-yard games and is looking like a future Heisman candidate. The Bulldogs will outmuscle the Cardinals when all is said and done.

Prediction: Georgia Bulldogs (-7) Cover the Spread

Foster Farms Bowl: Maryland Terrapins vs. Stanford Cardinal

These teams are probably feeling very different emotions heading into the bowl game. After all, Stanford had in the national title mix in recent years and had played in four straight BCS bowls prior to going 7-5 this season. Maryland, on the other hand, held its own in its first year in the Big Ten, and the Terrapins beat a majority of the teams they were expected to beat. Neither of these teams are great on the offensive end, and injuries to Stanford WR Ty Montgomery and Maryland WR Stefon Diggs won’t help either side. That being said, Stanford does have the second-ranked scoring defense to fall back on, and all five of the team’s losses this year have come to ranked opponents, including three losses by three points or less. Meanwhile, the Terrapins were slaughtered by their two toughest opponents, Ohio State and Michigan State, by a combined 50 points. Stanford will clamp down on Maryland’s offense, and the Cardinal will grind their way to a comfortable win.

Prediction: Stanford Cardinal (-14) Cover the Spread