2019 College Football Bowl Picks – Military Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Texas Bowl, Holiday Bowl and Cheez-It Bowl: The 2019 College Bowl season is ramping up heading into the weekend, and we have a five-game Friday slate to kick things off. We are starting to see more Power 5 teams in action, and we even have a battle between top 25 teams on tap. Let’s take a closer look at the Military Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Texas Bowl and Cheez-It Bowl.
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Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman: North Carolina (-5.5) vs. Temple
Temple’s defense has been its calling card, and while the Owls picked up wins over some Power 5 bottom feeders and handed Memphis its only loss of the year, this is a bad matchup. Granted, North Carolina is just 6-6, but all six losses came by a touchdown or less, and Mack Brown’s bunch is the only team that has been able to scare Clemson this year. More importantly, Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell has delivered an impressive freshman campaign, topping 3,000 yards and tossing 35 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Temple’s weakness has been strong quarterback play. The Owls lost 45-21 to SMU, allowing 457 yards and six touchdowns to Shane Buechele, and they lost 63-21 to UCF, allowing Dillon Gabriel to fire three touchdowns and average 10.9 yards per attempt. Howell should have a big day in a North Carolina win.
Prediction: North Carolina Tar Heels (-5.5) Cover the Spread
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Michigan State (-4) vs. Wake Forest
We will see which side can get up from the mat after both teams struggled to the finish line. The Spartans dropped five consecutive Big Ten games before picking up wins over cupcakes Maryland and Rutgers, and the Demon Deacons lost three of their last four games after a 7-1 start. Michigan State’s defense has once again been stout, ranking in the top 20 nationally in yards allowed, but the Spartans haven’t been able to find any consistency on offense. Wake Forest has had the opposite issue, putting up plenty of points behind quarterback Jamie Newman and 1,000-yard receiver Sage Surratt, but the Demon Deacons have allowed almost 30 points per game to opponents. Normally, I’d pick the Spartans to pound out a win behind their running game and defense, but MSU hasn’t been able to establish the run this year. I’ll take the points and the superior offensive playmakers of the Demon Deacons.
Prediction: Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+4) Cover the Spread
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl: No. 25 Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M (-5.5)
After entering the year with decent expectations, it would be easy to dismiss the 7-5 Aggies. However, all five of their losses came to teams ranked eighth or better at the time, and all five of those teams are still ranked in the top 15 nationally with three ranked in the top five. Texas A&M is a better team than its record suggests, and they are a big, physical team, underrated in the trenches. Yes, Oklahoma State boasts the leading rusher in the country in Chuba Hubbard, but the Cowboys don’t have the dynamic passing attack we have become accustomed to seeing. I think the Aggies can limit Hubbard’s explosive plays and move the ball consistently against an Oklahoma State defense that has been average, at best.
Prediction: Texas A&M Aggies (-5.5) Cover the Spread
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl: No. 22 USC vs. No. 16 Iowa (-1)
The Trojans have been rolling in recent weeks, winning five of their last six games behind a potent passing attack. Kedon Slovis has stabilized the quarterback spot, and Michael Pittman Jr. leads a talented group of receivers that make up the fifth-best passing offense in the country. As good as Slovis and company have been, I think they are going to have their work cut out for them against Iowa. The Hawkeyes have the fifth-best scoring defense in the country, allowing just 13.2 points per game, and they rank in the top 10 nationally at defending the pass. Iowa’s three losses this year all came to teams currently ranked in the top 15, and all three losses came by a touchdown or less. The Hawkeyes haven’t allowed more than 24 points in a game all year, and they should be able to keep the Trojans in check while grinding out enough points against a USC defense that is allowing 27.8 points per game.
Prediction: Iowa Hawkeyes (-1) Cover the Spread
Cheez-It Bowl: Air Force (-2) vs. Washington State
It has been business as usual for Mike Leach’s pass-happy offense this season, and Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon leads the country with 5,228 passing yards and ranks second with 45 touchdowns. However, the Cougars don’t play a lot of defense, allowing 31.4 points and 456.8 yards of offense per game. Enter an Air Force team that reeled off seven straight wins to finish 10-2. The Falcons boast the country’s third-best rushing offense, and they have three backs with more than 700 yards on the year to go with dual-threat quarterback Donald Hammond III. They are also allowing less than 20 points per game. Air Force should be able to move the ball on the ground and control the tempo against a Washington State defense that can’t stop anybody, taking the air out of Gordon and the Cougars passing attack.
Prediction: Air Force Falcons (-2) Cover the Spread
