2014 College Football Bowl Picks: Peach Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl Odds and Predictions – Free College Football Picks 12/31/2014

2014 College Football Bowl Picks: Peach Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl Odds and Predictions – Free College Football Picks 12/31/2014: Let the real games begin. The BCS era is officially over, before the college football playoff begins, three of the six major bowls will be played Wednesday. No surprisingly, all six teams that will be action are currently ranked in the top 20, and four teams are ranked in the top 10. On that note, here is a closer look at the first three major bowls in the post-BCS era.

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No. 6 TCU Horned Frog

It will be a classic battle of offense versus defense when these top 10 teams meet in the Peach Bowl. Both teams were in the mix for a spot in the college football playoff throughout the year, and while the Rebels own the top scoring defense the country, the Horned  Frogs own the second-best scoring offense led by dual threat QB Trevone Boykin, who finished fourth in the Heisman balloting. Granted, TCU’s defense also ranks in the top 20 in points allowed, but the Horned Frogs consistently allowed 30-plus points to tougher opponents, including 61 points in their loss to Baylor, so the Rebels should be able to move the ball. Look for Ole Miss’ physical, athletic defense to keep the Horned Frogs offense in check and the game close. However, Boykin and company should still have enough offensive firepower to outlast an Ole Miss offense that scored seven points or less in two of its last four SEC games.

Prediction: TCU Horned Frogs (-3.5) Cover the Spread

Vizio Fiesta Bowl: No. 20 Boise State Broncos vs. No. 10 Arizona Wildcats

You might as well call the Fiesta Bowl the battle of underdogs this year. The Broncos went 11-2 to secure the automatic bid to one of the six major bowls by being the highest ranked team from a non-power five conference. Meanwhile, the Wildcats came out of nowhere to win the Pac-12 South and finish the year ranked in the top 10. Both teams boast stout offenses. Boise State is led by quarterback Grant Hedrick and running back Jay Ajayi, and the Broncos enter the matchup with the ninth-best scoring offense in the country. Meanwhile, Arizona’s offense is led by the combo of QB Anu Solomon and RB Nick Wilson.

Neither team has a great defense so there should be some points scored, but the Wildcats do have linebacker Scooby Wright, who won just about every honor possible this year and makes game-changing plays on a routine basis. On top of that, the Broncos offense struggled to just 13 points in a loss to Ole Miss to open the year, and while Arizona’s defense is not on the same level as the Ole Miss defense, the Wildcats have held their own against the likes of Oregon, USC, UCLA and Arizona State while the Broncos have been relatively untested. The Broncos always seem to find a way to make things interesting on the big stage, but the Wildcats have the weapons on both side of the ball to pull out a win.

Prediction: Arizona Wildcats (-3) Cover the Spread

Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 7 Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. No. 12 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

When the season began, few people expected either of these teams to be playing in a major bowl. However, QB Dak Prescott emerged as a Heisman candidate for the Bulldogs, and Mississippi State actually sat atop the polls for much of the year before road losses to Alabama and Ole Miss in the final weeks dashed the team’s title hopes. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets triple-option attack took off with QB Justin Thomas at the helm, and Georgia Tech won the ACC Coastal Division, beating Clemson and Georgia down the stretch before falling by just two points to Florida State in the conference title game. In other words, these upstarts earned their way to the big stage.

This particular game could come down to how well the Bulldogs can defend Georgia Tech’s option attack. Mississippi State ranks 10th in the country in points allowed, but numbers can sometimes go out the window when facing an unconventional offense. However, the Bulldogs have one of the biggest and most experienced defensive fronts in the country, and they held the dynamic rushing attack of Auburn to just 23 points in a win earlier this year. By winning the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs should eventually wear down the Yellow Jackets and score the win.

Prediction: Mississippi State Bulldogs (-7) Cover the Spread