College Football Bowl Blitz: Picks and Previews for December 29

The college football bowl season is in high gear, and Friday, December 29, will feature four games. The action begins at noon with the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and continues through the 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff between Missouri and Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. 

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The ACC and SEC clash in Jacksonville as Clemson and Kentucky play in the Gator Bowl. The Clemson Tigers closed the season well with wins over Notre Dame, North Carolina, and South Carolina to finish 8-4. Kentucky knocked off Louisville to reach seven wins again under Mike Stoops. Wildcat quarterback Devin Leary will be playing his final collegiate game. He played Clemson three times while at North Carolina State (winning once). Both teams are likely to lean into running the ball. Star running backs for both teams are expected to play (Ray Davis for UK, Phil Mafah and Will Shipley for Clemson), and receiver is not a strength for the Wildcats or the Tigers. Clemson has some absences on defense, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Nate Wiggins are both opting out to prepare for the NFL Draft, but several young players are ready to step up for the Tigers. Taking the under on the total of 45.5 and Clemson to cover are the picks.

Both teams are dealing with a multitude of personnel losses. Notre Dame’s offensive line will be without nearly all its regular starters. Sam Hartman and Audric Estime are absent from this contest. Oregon State is dealing with a change in the coaching staff, and DJ Uiagalelei and backup Aidan Chiles have transferred out. Damien Martinez is not playing this game either, so leaning on the running game won’t be as easy. How is either team going to produce any offense? Oregon State’s defense is primarily intact going into the game. This game could be wild, as knowing what to expect with so much change afoot is impossible. The smart pick is taking the points and going with the Beavers.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl – Memphis vs. Iowa State (-9.5) – 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

The Iowa State Cyclones and Memphis Tigers meet in the Liberty Bowl. The Cyclones enter at 7-5 after closing the season with a significant win on the road against Kansas State. Iowa State made a change midway through the season as Matt Campbell chose to entrust freshman quarterback Rocco Becht and moved to a downfield aerial attack. That change made a big difference and helped Iowa State close much better than it began in 2023. Memphis has a potent offense that propelled them to a 9-3 record. They averaged 38.2 points per game and have a 3,000-yard passer and a 1,000-yard rusher. The Tigers are primarily intact as a roster with minimal defections to the transfer portal. The Memphis defense is by far the weakest unit in this game, which is why Iowa State is favored by nearly ten points. Taking the over (57.5) makes a lot of sense. If you are taking a side, Memphis has not proven they can beat good teams, so take Iowa State to run away with this one.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic – Missouri vs. Ohio State (-1) – 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

The first top-ten matchup of the bowl season pits Missouri against Ohio State. This is one of the biggest games in Missouri’s history. They can finish a storybook season firmly in the top ten if they can knock off a weakened Ohio State squad. Kyle McCord is now at Syracuse, so Devin Brown will be the quarterback for Ryan Day‘s team. Marvin Harrison Jr. was rumored to be playing in this game, but he was not in uniform at the most recent practice for Ohio State. The Tigers know they will have quarterback Brady Cook, running back Cody Schrader, and wide receiver Luther Burden III. The Buckeyes will have difficulty slowing this attack down, and they’ll need to generate more pressure on the quarterback to succeed. OSU has only 22 sacks this season, and they’ll need a few against Cook. There is a sense that Ohio State will be focused and ready to play; if that ends up being the case, they’ll have the edge. Take Ohio State to win and cover.

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