Published Dec 30, 2022
Staff Picks and Viewing Guide for Bowl Week 3
Stephen Anderson  •  GamecockScoop
Staff Writer
Twitter
@GCScoopStephen

It's Alan Cole's world and the rest of us just live in it, at least this is true when it comes to picking college football games. Give Alan a follow on Twitter if you aren't already, let's see if we can make him the celebrity guest picker next time Gameday comes to town.

Bowl season really picks up the latter half of the third week. All NY6 bowls and the playoff semifinals are go this week. The Gamecocks and Irish are this week. Chances are you already what games you are watching this week but if you are still on the fence, here is our viewing guide.

Advertisement

Duke's Mayo Bowl: NC St -1 v. Maryland (Charlotte) Friday 12:00 on ESPN

Is too late to sub North Carolina for Maryland for next season's opener in Charlotte? Let's hope a certain 5-star prospect watches the Duke's Mayo Bowl and the Gator Bowl and compares the crowds of two of his finalists. We usually don't have a rooting interest in the games we pick for Gamecock Scoop, but in this case. Go PACK!

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: UCLA -7 v. Pitt (El Paso) 2:00 on CBS

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Notre Dame -3.5 v. South Carolina 3:30 on ESPN

Gamecock Scoop will have every aspect of this game live from the ground in Jacksonville. We are hoping to see about 40,000 Gamecock fans fill up Jacksonville to secure Carolina's eighth 9+ win season in program history.

Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl: Ohio -2.5 v. Wyoming (Tucson) 4:30 on Barstool Network 

Capital One Orange Bowl: Clemson -4.5 v. Tennessee (Miami) 8:00 on ESPN

The great thing about this game is someone is going to lose and that someone is going to be one of South Carolina's 3-4 biggest rivals in a season where the Gamecocks beat them both. Tennessee is going to without its three best offensive players with Hendon Hooker's injury and both Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman opting out for the draft. The Vols are also down their best linebacker in Jeremy Banks. Tennessee has been the better team all season and Josh Heupel has had a month to get ready for a vastly overrated Clemson defense.

Cole Klubnik's era officially begin in Miami. Two of Clemson's highest projected draft picks are out with DE Myles Murphy and LB Trenton Simpson preparing for the next level.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Alabama -6.5 v. Kansas State (New Orleans) Saturday 12:00 on ESPN

Bryce Young and Will Anderson, Jr., are playing. Usually when Alabama loses a non-playoff postseason game, its fair to question their motivation. It certainly appears that if two Top 5 NFL Draft picks are playing, the Tide are coming to win despite being hit hard by the transfer portal. Meanwhile the Wildcats come into this game fully loaded.

This should be a fun matchup but Alabama has too much firepower to lose in Young and Anderson's final colligate game.

TransPerfect Music City Bowl: Iowa -2 v. Kentucky (Nashville) 12:00 on ABC

Mark Stoops has won a whole lot of football games with a pounding run game, stout defense, and average quarterback play. Will Levis, who always seemed pretty average to me, if not playing. Despite your thoughts on Levis, he was head and shoulders better than anybody else under center for Kentucky. Chris Rodriguez has opted out of this game and Kavosiey Smoke is in the portal. The Wildcats are going to need a lot out of third string back Jutahn McClaine. The Wildcats have won their last four bowl games including a 20-17 over Iowa on New Year's Day 2022 in the Citrus Bowl.

Iowa, whose offense was awful all season, is turning this game over to Joey Labas, who has never attempted a pass. There is a reason the total in this game is 31.

CFP Semifinal Fiesta Bowl: Michigan -7.5 v. TCU (Glendale) 4:00 on ESPN

For comprehensive coverage of this semifinal matchup head over to our sister site the Maize and Blue Review.

CFP Playoff Semifinal Peach Bowl: Georgia -6.5 v. Ohio St 8:00 on ESPN

For comprehensive coverage of this semifinal matchup head over to our sister sites UGASports and DottingTheEyes.

ReliaQuest Bowl: Mississippi St -1 v. Illinois (Tampa) Monday 12:00 on ESPN2

This matchup has received more attention than it normally would have and rightfully so. Mike Leach was truly one of a kind and his absence from college football will be missed.

Both teams will be without keys players, but for different reasons. Mississippi State will be missing leading receiver Rara Thomas and second leading rusher Dillon Johnson due to portal deflections. Illinois will be missing P5 leading rusher Chase Brown, his twin brother (safety) Sydney Brown, and award winning cornerback Devon Witherspoon to the NFL draft.

The two teams will also be dealing with coaching staff shakeups. Zach Arnett has been promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach for the Bulldogs. Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters is now the head coach at Purdue and took several Illinois assistants with him.

Due to the different men leading the charge in various capacities, some tweaks will surely be made in how the plays are called. Despite that, both teams will continue to play physically on defense and produce big plays on offense. Mississippi State sports a form of the air raid offense, while Illinois will exhibit a pro style somewhat similar to what Carolina fans are used to seeing on game days.

Mississippi State will count on junior quarterback Will Rogers to lead the charge and add to his already impressive year of 3,713 yards passing and 34 touchdowns. The Bulldogs still have a slew of talented wide receivers that will fill in after Thomas’ departure. Senior linebacker Nathaniel Watson and Emanuel Forbes are names to watch on defense.

Illinois has been preparing for the potential personnel losses since about midseason and will rely on a rotation of Josh McCray and Reggie Love at running back and several talented young players at defensive back. The Illini have a massive offensive line and a gun slinger at quarterback with Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito. Defensively, sophomore defensive lineman “Johnny” Newton, freshman outside linebacker Gabe Jacas, and defensive back “Quan” Martin are players to know.


Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: So Cal -2 v. Tulane (Arlington) 1:00 on ESPN

Cheez-It Bowl: LSU -14.5 v. Purdue (Orlando) 1:00 on ABC

There is a reason that this spread is one of the largest of the bowl season. Purdue's roster was decimated in their coaching change. The Boilermakers are down QB Aidan O’Connell, WR Charlie Jones, TE Payne Durham, LG Spencer Holstege and CB Cory Trice, all starters. All but Holstege declared for the draft and opted-out – Holstege is transferring to UCLA.

O’Connell, a second-team All-Big Ten selection, led the conference in the regular season with 290.8 YPG passing. He finished with 22 TD and 3,490 yards this fall.

Jones led the nation with 110 catches, adding 1,361 yards receiving and 12 TD, in his first year at the school after transferring from Iowa. Jones was a semifinalist for the 2022 Biletnikoff Award.

LSU was hit hard as well, but QB Jaylen Daniels is coming back. He will be a top 10 Heisman candidate next year. LSU's best receiver, Kayshon Boutte seems to change his mind daily about his draft status, but as of yesterday he is sitting this game out and declaring for the draft.

The Rose Bowl: Utah -2 v. Penn State (Pasadena) 5:00 on ESPN

 Staff Bowl Picks w/ Confidence
*bold indicated that the pick was correct
GameCaleb AlexanderAlan ColePerry McCartyStephen Anderson

Miami OH vs. UAB

UAB 5

UAB 32

UAB 1

UAB 35

UTSA vs. Troy

UTSA 8

UTSA 5

UTSA 2

Troy 8

Cincinnati vs. Louisville

Louisville 3

Lville 2

Lville 3

Lville 9

Florida vs. Oreg St

OSU 43

Oreg St 43

Oreg St 4

Oreg St 37

Wash St vs. Fresno St

WSU 22

Fresno 19

WSU 5

WSU 20

Rice vs. USM

USM 10

USM 42

USM 6

USM 19

SMU vs. BYU

SMU 18

SMU 10

SMU 7

BYU 18

UNT vs. Boise St

Boise 30

Boise 34

Boise 8

Boise 34

Marshall v. UCONN

Marshall 35

Marshall 33

UCONN 9

Marshall 17

Jackson St v. NC Central

NC Central 4

NC Central 1

JSU 10

JSU 38

Liberty vs. Toledo

Toledo 31

Toledo 26

Toledo 11

Toledo 28

EMU v. San Jose St

EMU 27

EMU 20

EMU 12

SJ St 6

WKU vs. USA

USA 7

South Alabama 36

USA 13

WKU 7

Baylor v. AFA

Baylor 2

Baylor 27

Baylor 14

AFA 1

Louisiana v. Houston

Houston 41

Louisiana 3

Houston 15

Hou 29

Wake vs. Mizzou

Mizzou 6

Wake 35

Mizzou 16

Miz 21

Mid Tenn St vs. SD St

MTSU 11

MTSU 4

SD St 17

SD St 16

NM St vs. BG

NM St 17

Bowling Green 11

NM St 18

NM St 30

GA Southern v. Buffalo

GASO 12

GASO 13

Ga Southern 19

GA So 11

Memphis vs. Utah St

Memphis 42

Memphis 28

Memphis 20

Memphis 27

Coastal vs. ECU

Coastal 39

ECU 25

ECU 21

Coastal 2

Wisc vs. OK St

Ok State 9

OK St 15

Ok St 27

Ok St 15

UCF v. Duke

UCF 1

Duke 17

UCF 26

UCF 6

KU vs. Ark

Ark 21

Ark 22

Ark 32

Ark 22

Oreg v. UNC

Oregon 19

Oreg 41

Oreg 28

Oreg 39

TTU vs. Ole Miss

Ole Miss 38

TTU 7

Ole Miss 33

Ole Miss 12

Cuse vs. Minn

Minn 34

Minn 29

Minn 25

Minn 36

OU vs. FSU

FSU 40

FSU 40

FSU 34

FSU 40

Texas v. Wash

Texas 13

Texas 8

Texas 23

Wash 3

ND vs. SC

SC 14

SC 14

SC 43

SC 26

MD vs. NCST

NC ST 15

MD 9

NC St 22

MD 14

Pitt vs. UCLA

UCLA 16

UCLA 30

UCLA 29

UCLA 31

Ohio vs. Wyoming

Wyoming 20

Ohio 37

Wyoming 30

Wyoming 4

Tenn vs. Clemson

Tenn 23

Clem 24

Clemson 31

Tenn 13

Bama vs. KSU

Bama 24

Bama 23

Bama 41

Bama 25

Iowa vs. UK

UK 25

Iowa 16

UK 35

UK 24

TCU vs. Mich

Mich 26

Mich 38

Mich 40

Mich 43

Ohio St vs. UGA

UGA 28

UGA 39

UGA 42

UGA 42

Miss St vs. Illinois

Miss. St. 29

Miss St 6

Illinois 39

Miss St 32

Tulane v. So Cal

So Cal 32

So Cal 21

So Cal 38

So Cal 23

LSU v. Purdue

LSU 33

LSU 31

LSU 36

LSU 41

Penn St v. Utah

Utah 36

Utah 18

PSU 24

Utah 33

Title Game

UGA 37

UGA 12

UGA 37

UGA 10

Total PTS

257

291

179

272