2015-16 College Football Bowl Picks

Here are my picks for the 2015-16 College Football Bowl games (with the exception of the College Football Playoff, which are coming soon).

December 19th, 2015
Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Arizona (6-6; 3-6) vs New Mexico (7-5; 5-3)- 2:00, ESPN: The Wildcats had a disappointing .500 season meanwhile the Lobos had a nice year. Not to take anything away from the Lobo's success this season, but the Wildcats are just the better team here and they should win this one.
Pick: Arizona

Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl: BYU (9-3) vs Utah (9-3; 6-3)- 3:30, ABC: The Cougars very quietly had a nice season meanwhile the Utes inserted themselves in the College Football Playoff conversation by starting 6-0, but ended up losing three of their final six games. This is Bronco Mendenhall's final game as BYU coach as he goes to become the boss at Virginia, but the Utes led by Travis Wilson will get the win to close out a great year for the program.
Pick: Utah

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl: Ohio (8-4; 5-3) vs Appalachian State (10-2; 7-1)- 5:30, ESPN: The Bobcats and Mountaineers both had solid years this season. The 'Neers defense has been decent all season and they should be able to slow down the Bobcats offense en route to a bowl win.
Pick: Appalachian State

Cure Bowl: San Jose State (5-7; 4-4) vs Georgia State (6-6; 5-3)- 7:00, CBSSN: The Spartans are a sub .500 team, but they wound up in a bowl game thanks there not being enough .500 teams. The Panthers have overachieved this season and wound up in a bowl game thanks to ending the regular season on a four game winning streak. I do believe that winning streak ends because I feel the Spartans are the more superior team here and that the Panthers benefited from playing in a weaker Sun Belt conference.
Pick: San Jose State

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Arkansas State (9-3; 8-0) vs Louisiana Tech (8-4; 6-2)- 9:00, ESPN: This is actually a sneaky good bowl game. The Red Wolves ended the season hot by winning their final eight regular season games and the Bulldogs had a solid year as well, despite not winning their division. This was a tough call, but give me the Wolves to close out the season winning nine in a row.
Pick: Arkansas State

December 21st, 2015
Miami Beach Bowl: Western Kentucky (11-2; 9-0) vs South Florida (8-4; 6-2)- 2:30, ESPN: The Conference USA champion Hiltoppers come into this winning five straight games and the Bulls had a very solid season and come in winning four straight and seven of their last eight. Brandon Doughty has been great all season long and I simply cannot pick against him and his team at this point although it's tempting to do so considering how good the Bulls have been.
Pick: Western Kentucky

December 22nd, 2015
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Akron (7-5; 5-3) vs Utah State (6-6; 5-3)- 3:30, ESPN: The Zips had a very solid season and earned this bowl berth as the Aggies has somewhat of a disappointing season by only going .500 on the season. The Aggies are the more superior team here so they're my pick for this bowl.
Pick: Utah State

Marmot Boca Raton Bowl: Toledo (9-2; 6-2) vs Temple (10-3; 7-1)- 7:00, ESPN: This is a pretty good bowl game we got here. The Rockets had a solid season, despite not winning their division and not making it to the MAC Championship game. Meanwhile, the Owls did make the AAC Championship game but lost to the Houston Cougars. The Rockets are the pick here because I don't think the Owls have the offensive fire to keep up.
Pick: Toledo

December 23rd, 2015
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Boise State (8-4; 5-3) vs Northern Illinois (8-5; 6-2) 4:30, ESPN: The Broncos had somewhat of a disappointing season since they normally would win a double digit number of games over the last few years. The Huskies had a nice season as well, despite a disappointing showing in the MAC Championship game against the Bowling Green Falcons. Both of these teams are solid, but I'll go with the Broncos here.
Pick: Boise State

GoDaddy Bowl: Georgia Southern (8-4; 6-2) vs Bowling Green (10-3; 7-1)- 8:00, ESPN: The Eagles have been solid this season as well as the Falcons. The Falcons have been an offensive machine all season and that continues here as they'll earn a bowl win.
Pick: Bowling Green

December 24th, 2015
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee (7-5; 6-2) vs Western Michigan (7-5; 6-2)- 12:00, ESPN: The Blue Raiders closed out the season by winning four straight games. The Broncos had a solid season as well, even though they lost two of their final three games. Both teams are solid on both ends, but I feel that the Broncos are the slightly better team here.
Pick: Western Michigan

Hawaii Bowl: San Diego State (10-3; 8-0) vs Cincinnati (7-5; 4-4)- 8:00, ESPN: The Aztecs have had a solid season and won the MWC Championship. Meanwhile the Bearcats have been a bit disappointing this season, despite a winning record. The Aztecs are the better team here and are solid on both ends.
Pick: San Diego State

December 26th, 2015
St. Petersburg Bowl: Connecticut (6-6; 4-4) vs Marshall (9-3; 6-2)- 11:00AM, ESPN: The Huskies had a solid season, despite having a .500 record and the Herd had a solid season as well despite not playing in the C-USA title game. I like the Herd here to win this one.
Pick: Marshall

Hyundai Sun Bowl: Miami (8-4; 5-3) vs Washington State (8-4; 6-2)- 2:00, CBS: Very quietly, The U played decent football after firing Al Golden. Wazzu had a very solid season and knocked off some ranked teams. I like the Cougars to close out the season with a win.
Pick: Washington State

Zaxby's Heat of Dallas Bowl: Washington (6-6; 4-5) vs Southern Miss (9-4; 7-1)- 2:20, ESPN: The Huskies are a solid team and the Golden Eagles made grata strides this season and were the runner ups in the C-USA. The Eagles can score but I don't know if they can stop the Huskies or not.
Pick: Washington

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Indiana (6-6; 2-6) vs Duke (7-5; 4-4)- 3:30, ABC: The Hoosiers started off well and fell apart during conference play. The same could be said for the Blue Devils as well. The Hoosiers are a very solid offensive team and I believe they'll get it done here.
Pick: Indiana

Camping World Independence Bowl: Tulsa (6-6; 3-5) vs Virginia Tech (6-6; 4-4)- 5:45, ESPN: a Both of these teams come in with .500 records as the Golden Hurricane overachieved a bit and the Hokies somewhat underachieved. It would be fitting if Frank Beamer closed out his coaching career with a bowl win and I believe he will.
Pick: Virginia Tech

Foster Farms Bowl: UCLA (8-4; 5-4) vs Nebraska (5-7; 3-5)- 9:15, ESPN: The Bruins could have played in the Pac-12 championship game if they had beaten the Trojans on rivalry weekend or if their defense was healthy the whole season. The Cornhuskers had a weird season in which they knocked off the playoff bound Spartans and lost to a horrible Boilmakers team. The Bruins defense is banged up, but it will be the Josh Rosen show as he'll lead his team to a bowl win to a erratic Huskers team.
Pick: UCLA

Monday, December 28th
Military Bowl: Pittsburgh (8-4; 6-2) vs Navy (10-2; 7-1)- 2:30, ESPN: The Panthers had a solid first season under Pat Narduzzi. The Midshipmen had a great season in their inaugural season in the AAC. Keenan Reynolds had a phenomenal season and I don't think a good Pitt defense can stop him and his running ability.
Pick: Navy

Quick Lane Bowl: Central Michigan (7-5; 6-2) vs Minnesota (5-7; 2-6)- 5:00, ESPN2: The Chippewas overachieved this season and ended up having a nice season in a deep MAC conference. The Golden Gophers underachieved and ended up sub .500 and wound up in a bowl game. This was a tough call, but I like the upset here with the Chippewas.
Pick: Central Michigan

Tuesday, December 29th
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: California (7-5; 4-5) vs Air Force (8-5; 6-2)- 2:00, ESPN: The Golden Bears wound up losing four of their final six games after a 5-0 start. The Falcons had nice season and ended up the runner up in the MWC. I like Jared Goff to have a great game to rise his draft stock and lead Cal to a win.
Pick: California

Russell Athletic Bowl: North Carolina (11-2; 8-0) vs Baylor (9-3; 6-3)- 5:30, ESPN: The Tar Heels had an amazing season and ended up the runner ups in the ACC. The Bears started off great and then they lost Seth Russell for the season due to injury. The Tar Heel improved defense will be the difference in this one since the Bears haven't been the same offensively of late.
Pick: North Carolina

NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl: Nevada (6-6; 4-4) vs Colorado State (7-5; 5-3)- 7:30, Campus Insiders: Here we got a rare intra conference bowl matchup but these two teams did not meet up in the regular season. The Wolf Pack went .500 this season and the Rams took a step back from last season. I like the Rams here to win this bowl game.
Pick: Colorado State

AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl: LSU (8-3; 5-3) vs Texas Tech (7-5; 4-5)- 9:00, ESPN: The Tigers were  in the hunt for the College Football playoff, but then ended up losing three of their final four games. The Red Raiders had a solid season, despite having a horrible defense. Expect Leonard Fournette to take advantage of that bad Raider defense and lead his team to a bowl win.
Pick: LSU

Wednesday, December 30th
Birmingham Bowl: Auburn (6-6; 2-6) vs Memphis (9-3; 5-3)- 12:00, ESPN: Here we have the battle of the Tigers. Auburn was perhaps the biggest disappointment in the country this season as they were a popular pick to win the National Championship. Memphis was a nice surprise this season as they started unbeaten then wound up losing three of their final four games. Expect a big game from Paxton Lynch, who could very well be a first round pick in the upcoming NFL draft, to lead Memphis to a bowl win.
Pick: Memphis

Belk Bowl: NC State (7-5; 3-5) vs Mississippi State (8-4; 4-4)- 3:30, ESPN: I'm sure we will see a ton of points in this game. The Wolf Pack had a nice season as well as the Bulldogs, who took a step back this season. Like I said, a ton of points will be put up, but Dak Prescott will lead the Dogs to a bowl win.
Pick: Mississippi State

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Texas A&M (8-4; 4-4) vs Louisville (7-5; 5-3)- 7:00, ESPN: The Aggies got off to a hot start, then wounded up losing four of their last seven games. The Cardinals had a disappointing season this season despite ending up in this bowl. The Aggies are the better team here and they should win this one.
Pick: Texas A&M

Holiday Bowl: USC (8-5; 6-3) vs Wisconsin (9-3; 6-2)- 10:30, ESPN: The Trojans had a disappointing season by their standards even though they played in the Pac-12 championship game. The Badgers were somewhat of a disappointment this season as well since they didn't win their division. Expect a big game from Cody Kessler to lead the Trojans to a nice bowl win over a solid Badger team.
Pick: USC

Thursday, December 31st
Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl: Houston (12-1; 7-1) vs Florida State (10-2; 6-2)- 12:00, ESPN: The Cougars had an amazing season and they absolutely deserve a New Years Six bowl. The Seminoles had a nice season as well even though they didn't win the ACC. Expect Dalvin Cook to have a big game on the ground to the Noles to a bowl win.
Pick: Florida State

Friday, January 1st
Outback Bowl: Northwestern (10-2; 6-2) vs Tennessee (8-4; 5-3)- 12:00, ESPN2: The Wildcats had a great season by winning ten games thanks to their solid defense for the most part. The Volunteers were somewhat of a disappointment despite winning their final five games. This was a very tough call but, thanks to a big game from Josh Dobbs, I like the Vols here, although both teams have finished the season red hot.
Pick: Tennessee

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl: Michigan (10-2; 6-2) vs Florida (10-3; 7-1)- 1:00, ABC: These two teams were among the big surprises this season. Jim Harbaugh and Jim McElwain deserve a ton a credit for getting ten wins out of their clubs in their first seasons with their respective schools considering how bad their teams were a year ago. Expect a low scoring game and the Wolverines to win it because they have more on offense than the Gators.
Pick: Michigan

BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame (10-2) vs Ohio State (11-1; 7-1)- 1:00, ESPN: This is such a fun game featuring two great teams. The Irish have been ravaged by injuries all season and it's pretty remarkable that they got to a New Years Six bowl. The Buckeyes did not live up to hype despite losing once all season. I like Ezequiel Elliott to have a big day on the ground to lead the Buckeyes to a New Years Six bowl win.
Pick: Ohio State

Rose Bowl: Stanford (11-2; 8-1) vs Iowa (11-1; 8-0)- 5:00, ESPN: The Cardinal had a great season despite not making the playoff, but they did win the Pac-12. The Hawkeyes were the biggest surprise in the country this season by ending up the runner ups in the Big-10 and absolutely deserve to be in the Rose Bowl. Expect Christian McCaffrey, who should have won the Heisman, to have a big game to lead the Cardinal to a nice bowl win over a great Hawkeye team.
Pick: Stanford

AllState Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma State (10-2; 7-2) vs Ole Miss (9-3; 6-2)- 8:30, ESPN: The Cowboys had a great season by starting unbeaten, but ended up losing their final two games. The Rebels had a solid season as well and were in the playoff hunt until losing two of their final six games. You can make a case for either team here, but I like the Rebels here because I don't think the Cowboys can stop the Rebels on offense.
Pick: Ole Miss

Saturday, January 2nd
TaxSlayer Bowl: Penn State (7-5; 4-4) vs Georgia (9-3; 5-3)- 12:00, ESPN: The Lions have earned their second straight bowl berth after being banned from bowl eligibility for a couple years. The Bulldogs had a disappointing season by their terms which led to the firing of Mark Richt. The Lions are not very good offensively so give me the Dogs.
Pick: Georgia

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Kansas State (6-6; 3-6) vs Arkansas (7-5; 5-3)- 3:20, ESPN: The Wildcats disappointed this season and only finished .500. The Razorbacks finished the season hot by winning five of their final six games. Give me the Razorbacks, without a question over a team in the Cats who haven't been the same team in years past.
Pick: Arkansas

Valero Alamo Bowl: Oregon (9-3; 7-2) vs TCU (10-2; 7-2)- 6:45, ESPN: The Ducks had somewhat of a disappointing year despite finishing the season with six straight wins. The Horned Frogs were in the playoff conversation until dropping two of their final three games. Expect a ton of scoring in this one, but for Vernon Adams Jr to lead the Ducks to a bowl win.
Pick: Oregon

Motel 6 Cactus Bowl: West Virginia (7-5; 4-5) vs Arizona State (6-6; 4-5)- 10:15, ESPN: The Mounatineers have been up and down all season but finished the season strong by winning four of their last five games. The Aztecs took a step back this season but won two of their final three to earn a bowl berth. I like the Aztecs in this one because I'm not sure if the 'Neers defense can stop the Aztecs offense.
Pick: Arizona State