Predicting every college football bowl game 2022-2023

You’re on one side or the other of this annual debate - there’s either too many bowls or not enough.

Put me solidly on the not enough side. Yes, it should be a reward for deserving teams, but also I would absolutely still watch and gamble on more bowl games if it included 5-7 teams. Moreover, the “only including one FCS win” clause should just be eliminated or teams could count two FCS wins toward its bowl total.

Be honest with yourself - if Texas A&M and Vanderbilt were playing each other right now, wouldn’t you at least be somewhat interested in which 5-7 SEC team got its sixth win of the season? No? Just me? OK, I’m fine with that.

My infatuation with bowl games started early on as my family would pick every game, and we’d follow them through the holiday season every year. Maybe its the tradition, maybe its just that there’s not much else on TV, or maybe its the lowkey gambling on teams we only know a little bit about - that’s definitely what it is.

OK, enough nostalgia thinking about the Poulan Weed Eater Bowl and the anticipation of five gallons of mayo being dunked on a coach’s head in the Duke’s Bowl coming up soon. Here’s the picks for every bowl game of the season (predictions are in italics, final scores are bold and italics).

Friday, Dec. 16

Bahamas Bowl

Miami (Ohio) vs. UAB

11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN

Pick: UAB (UAB won 24-20)

Cure Bowl

No. 24 Troy vs. No. 25 UTSA

3 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Troy (Troy won 18-12)

Saturday, Dec. 17

Fenway Bowl

Cincinnati vs. Louisville

11 a.m., ESPN

Pick: Cincinnati (Louisville won 24-7)

Celebration Bowl

Jackson State vs. N.C. Central

12 p.m., ABC

Pick: Jackson State (NC Central won 41-34)

Las Vegas Bowl

No. 14 Oregon State vs. Florida

2:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Oregon State (OSU won 30-3)

LA Bowl

Washington State vs. Fresno State

3:30 p.m., ABC

Pick: Washington State (Fresno St. won 29-6)

LendingTree Bowl

Rice vs. Southern Mississippi

5:45 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Southern Miss (USM won 38-24)

New Mexico Bowl

SMU vs. BYU

7:30 p.m., ABC

Pick: BYU (BYU won 24-23)

Frisco Bowl

Boise State vs. North Texas

9:15 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Boise State (BSU won 35-32)

Monday, Dec. 19

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Marshall vs. UConn

2:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Marshall (Marshall won 28-14)

Tuesday, Dec. 20

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Eastern Michigan vs. San Jose State

3:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: San Jose State (EMU won 41-27)

Boca Raton Bowl

Liberty vs. Toledo

7:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Toledo (Toledo won 21-19)

Wednesday, Dec. 21

New Orleans Bowl

South Alabama vs. Western Kentucky

9 p.m., ESPN

Pick: South Alabama (WKU won 44-23)

Thursday, Dec. 22

Armed Forces Bowl

Baylor vs. Air Force

7:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Air Force (Air Force won 30-15)

Friday, Dec. 23

Independence Bowl

Houston vs. Louisiana

3 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Houston (Houston won 23-16)

Gasparilla Bowl

Wake Forest vs. Missouri

6:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Wake Forest (Wake won 27-17)

Saturday, Dec. 24

Hawai’i Bowl

Middle Tennessee State vs. San Diego State

8 p.m., ESPN

Pick: San Diego State (MTSU won 25-23)

Monday, Dec. 26

Quick Lane Bowl

Bowling Green vs. New Mexico State

2:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Bowling Green (NMSU won 24-19)

Tuesday, Dec. 27

Camellia Bowl

Buffalo vs. Georgia Southern

12 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Georgia Southern (Buffalo won 23-21)

First Responder Bowl

Memphis vs. Utah State

3:15 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Memphis (Memphis won 38-10)

Birmingham Bowl

Coastal Carolina vs. East Carolina

6:45 p.m., ESPN

Pick: East Carolina (ECU won 53-29)

Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Oklahoma State vs. Wisconsin

10:15 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Oklahoma State (Wisconsin won 24-17)

Wednesday, Dec. 28

Military Bowl

Duke vs. UCF

2 p.m., ESPN

Pick: UCF (Duke won 30-13)

Liberty Bowl

Arkansas vs. Kansas

5:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Arkansas (Arkansas won 55-53)

Holiday Bowl

No. 15 Oregon vs. North Carolina

8 p.m., FOX

Pick: Oregon (Oregon won 28-27)

Texas Bowl

Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss

9 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Ole Miss (TTU won 42-25)

Thursday, Dec. 29

Pinstripe Bowl

Minnesota vs. Syracuse

2 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Minnesota (Minnesota won 28-20)

Cheez-It Bowl

No. 13 Florida State vs. Oklahoma

5:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Florida State (FSU won 35-32)

Alamo Bowl

No. 12 Washington vs. No. 20 Texas

9 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Washington (Washington won 27-20)

Friday, Dec. 30

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

No. 23 NC State vs. Maryland

12 p.m., ESPN

Pick: NC State (Maryland won 16-12)

Sun Bowl

No. 18 UCLA vs. Pitt

2 p.m., CBS

Pick: UCLA (Pitt won 37-35)

Gator Bowl

No. 19 South Carolina vs. No. 21 Notre Dame

3:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Notre Dame (Notre Dame won 45-38)

Arizona Bowl

Ohio vs. Wyoming

4:30 p.m., Barstool

Pick: Wyoming (Ohio won 30-27)

Orange Bowl

No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Clemson

8 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Clemson (Tennessee won 31-14)

Saturday, Dec. 31

Fiesta Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal)

No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU

4 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Michigan (TCU won 51-45)

Peach Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal)

No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State

8 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Georgia (Georgia won 42-41)

Music City Bowl

Iowa vs. Kentucky

12 p.m., ABC

Pick: Iowa (Iowa won 21-0)

Sugar Bowl

No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 9 Kansas State

12 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Alabama (Alabama won 45-20)

Monday, Jan. 2

ReliaQuest Bowl

No. 22 Mississippi State vs. Illinois

12 p.m., ESPN2

Pick: Mississippi State (MSU won 19-10)

Citrus Bowl

No. 17 LSU vs. Purdue

1 p.m., ABC

Pick: LSU (LSU won 63-7)

Cotton Bowl Classic

No. 10 USC vs. No. 16 Tulane

1 p.m., ESPN

Pick: USC (Tulane won 46-45)

Rose Bowl Game

No. 8 Utah vs. No. 11 Penn State

5 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Utah (PSU won 35-21)

Monday, Jan. 9

College Football Playoff National Championship Game

7:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Georgia