Bowl Game Predictions: College Football Picks for Every Bowl Game in 2021-22
Predictions for every college football bowl game in 2021-22
College football’s 2021-22 bowl season kicks off on Friday, Dec. 17, and continues until the national championship in Indianapolis, Ind., on Jan. 10. With the bowl lineup set and confidence pools and pick’em contests set to start on Dec. 17, three editors for Athlon Sports share predictions for every bowl.
Related: Ranking All 42 College Football Bowl Games From Must-See to Must-Miss
Two games are scheduled for Friday, six are slated for the first Saturday of action, and seven other matchups (including the Armed Forces, Gasparilla and Hawaii Bowls) are on tap before Christmas. One game (Camellia) is set to be played on Christmas Day, while the bowl slate resumes on the 27th with two games and continues with matchups on Dec. 28-29 and again from Dec. 30-Jan. 1. The New Year's Day schedule features five games, including the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl.
The eighth College Football Playoff starts on Dec. 31, with Alabama taking on Cincinnati. The Orange Bowl caps the semifinal round with a showdown between Michigan and Georgia.
Note: Number in parentheses indicates confidence in the prediction. A No. 42 ranking indicates more confidence in the prediction, while a lower number indicates less confidence in a pick.
Athlon Sports’ editors make their picks for every bowl game on the slate, including the national championship. Follow us on Twitter: (@AthlonSports)
College Football's 2021-22 Bowl Predictions and Picks
| Bowl | Steven Lassan | Mark Ross | Ben Weinrib |
|---|---|---|---|
Bahamas: Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo | Toledo (36) | Toledo (42) | Toledo (40) |
Cure: Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina | Coastal Carolina (41) | Coastal Carolina (38) | Coastal Carolina (42) |
Boca Raton: WKU vs. App. State | App State (6) | WKU (22) | App State (5) |
New Mexico: UTEP vs. Fresno State | Fresno State (35) | Fresno State (40) | Fresno State (41) |
Independence: UAB vs. BYU | BYU (34) | BYU (30) | UAB (2) |
LendingTree: EMU vs. Liberty | Liberty (22) | Eastern Michigan (20) | Liberty (35) |
LA: Utah State vs. Oregon State | Oregon State (8) | Oregon State (8) | Oregon State (26) |
New Orleans: Louisiana vs. Marshall | Marshall (4) | Louisiana (25) | Marshall (9) |
Myrtle Beach: ODU vs. Tulsa | Tulsa (31) | Tulsa (33) | Tulsa (34) |
Potato: Kent State vs. Wyoming | Kent State (3) | Kent State (39) | Wyoming (14) |
Frisco: UTSA vs. San Diego State | UTSA (18) | UTSA (5) | UTSA (1) |
Armed Forces: Missouri vs. Army | Army (15) | Army (36) | Army (18) |
Frisco Football Classic: North Texas vs. Miami (Ohio) | Miami (Ohio) (17) | North Texas (23) | Miami (Ohio) (22) |
Gasparilla: UCF vs. Florida | Florida (23) | Florida (13) | Florida (34) |
Hawaii: Memphis vs. Hawaii | Memphis (16) | Hawaii (35) | Memphis (11) |
Camellia: Georgia State vs. Ball State | Georgia State (19) | Ball State (32) | Georgia State (25) |
Quick Lane: WMU vs. Nevada | Western Michigan (33) | Western Michigan (11) | Nevada (20) |
Military: Boston College vs. ECU | Boston College (14) | Boston College (24) | Boston College (6) |
Birmingham: Houston vs. Auburn | Houston (9) | Houston (3) | Auburn (4) |
First Responder: Air Force vs. Louisville | Air Force (13) | Air Force (17) | Louisville (10) |
Liberty: Miss. State. vs. Texas Tech | Mississippi State (42) | Mississippi State (41) | Mississippi State (21) |
Holiday: UCLA vs. NC State | NC State (28) | NC State (21) | NC State (27) |
Guaranteed Rate: WVU vs. Minnesota | Minnesota (21) | West Virginia (14) | Minnesota (38) |
Fenway: SMU vs. Virginia | Virginia (26) | SMU (19) | SMU (3) |
Pinstripe: Maryland vs. Virginia Tech | Maryland (1) | Virginia Tech (18) | Virginia Tech (7) |
Cheez-It: Clemson vs. Iowa State | Clemson (12) | Iowa State (10) | Clemson (30) |
Alamo: Oregon vs. Oklahoma | Oklahoma (25) | Oklahoma (7) | Oklahoma (19) |
Duke's Mayo: North Carolina vs. South Carolina | North Carolina (24) | North Carolina (27) | North Carolina (28) |
Music City: Tennessee vs. Purdue | Tennessee (38) | Tennessee (31) | Tennessee (29) |
Peach: Pittsburgh vs. Michigan State | Michigan State (20) | Michigan State (12) | Pittsburgh (24) |
Las Vegas: Wisconsin vs. Arizona State | Wisconsin (37) | Wisconsin (29) | Wisconsin (23) |
Gator: Wake Forest vs. Texas A&M | Texas A&M (7) | Texas A&M (28) | Texas A&M (37) |
Sun: Washington State vs. Miami | Miami (10) | Washington State (4) | Miami (17) |
Arizona: CMU vs. Boise State | Boise State (32) | Boise State (34) | Boise State (33) |
Cotton (CFP Semifinal): Cincinnati vs. Alabama | Alabama (39) | Alabama (37) | Alabama (36) |
Orange (CFP Semifinal): Georgia vs. Michigan | Georgia (29) | Georgia (15) | Georgia (31) |
Outback: Penn State vs. Arkansas | Penn State (5) | Arkansas (2) | Penn State (13) |
Citrus: Oklahoma State vs. Notre Dame | Notre Dame (39) | Oklahoma State (6) | Notre Dame (15) |
Fiesta: Iowa vs. Kentucky | Kentucky (30) | Kentucky (16) | Kentucky (8) |
Rose: Utah vs. Ohio State | Ohio State (11) | Ohio State (1) | Ohio State (39) |
Sugar: Baylor vs. Ole Miss | Ole Miss (27) | Ole Miss (9) | Ole Miss (12) |
Texas: LSU vs. Kansas State | Kansas State (2) | LSU (26) | Kansas State (16) |
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CFP National Championship | Alabama over Georgia | Alabama over Georgia | Alabama over Georgia |
