So many bowl games, so little time. It’s truly a Herculean task to have a feel for every single game during bowl season. Thankfully, college football experts know their stuff and are more than willing to impart their knowledge by virtue of who they think will come out on top. With that said, let’s take a look at who some of the top experts have picked for all 40 bowl games this season.
For more great bowl season coverage, check out our predictions for the College Football Playoff here, as well as the top 10 non-CFP bowl games here.
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2015-16 Bowl Season Expert Picks
SB Nation
BOWL GAME
Matt Brown
Bill Connelly
Bud Elliott
Spencer Hall
Jason Kirk
New Mexico
New Mexico
Arizona
Arizona
Arizona
New Mexico
Las Vegas
Utah
Utah
Utah
Utah
BYU
Camellia
App State
App State
App State
App State
App State
Cure
Ga State
SJSU
SJSU
SJSU
Ga State
New Orleans
Ark State
La Tech
Ark State
Ark State
La Tech
Famous Idaho
WKU
WKU
WKU
WKU
WKU
Potato
Utah State
Utah State
Utah State
Utah State
Akron
Boca Raton
Temple
Temple
Toledo
Temple
Temple
Poinsettia
NIU
Boise St
Boise St
Boise St
Boise St
GoDaddy
BGSU
BGSU
BGSU
BGSU
Ga Southern
Bahamas
W. Michigan
W. Michigan
W. Michigan
W. Michigan
W. Michigan
Hawaii
SDSU
SDSU
SDSU
SDSU
SDSU
St. Petersburg
Marshall
UConn
Marshall
UConn
UConn
Sun
WSU
Miami
Miami
WSU
Miami
Heart of Dallas
Washington
Washington
Washington
Washington
Washington
Pinstripe
Indiana
Indiana
Indiana
Indiana
Indiana
Independence
Va Tech
Va Tech
Va Tech
Va Tech
Va Tech
Foster Farms
UCLA
UCLA
UCLA
UCLA
Nebraska
Military
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Quick Lane
Cent. Michigan
Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota
Armed Forces
Cal
Cal
Cal
Cal
Air Force
Russell Athletic
UNC
Baylor
UNC
UNC
Baylor
Arizona
Colorado St
Colorado St
Colorado St
Colorado St
Nevada
Texas
LSU
LSU
LSU
LSU
LSU
Birmingham
Memphis
Memphis
Auburn
Memphis
Memphis
Belk
Miss State
Miss State
Miss State
Miss State
Miss State
Music City
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Louisville
Louisville
Holiday
USC
USC
USC
USC
Wisconsin
Peach
Florida St
Florida St
Florida St
Houston
Florida St
Orange
Oklahoma
Clemson
Clemson
Clemson
Clemson
Cotton
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Michigan St
Outback
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
N’western
Tennessee
Citrus
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Fiesta
Ohio State
Ohio State
Ohio State
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Rose
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
Iowa
Sugar
Ole Miss
Oklahoma St
Ole Miss
Ole Miss
Oklahoma St
TaxSlayer
Georgia
Penn State
Georgia
Penn State
Penn State
Liberty
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
Alamo
Oregon
Oregon
Oregon
TCU
Oregon
Cactus
WVU
WVU
WVU
WVU
WVU
National
Champion
Oklahoma
Alabama
Alabama
Clemson
Michigan St
[sc:NCAA240banner ]SB Nation polled 10 of its college football experts for the winner of each and every bowl game, but we’ve taken the picks of five of their most prominent staffers. As you study their picks, it won’t take long to discover that Spencer Hall and Jason Kirk have some of the biggest balls of the five.
Hall picked Houston, Northwestern, Notre Dame, and Iowa – who are all underdogs by a touchdown or more – to spring some big bowl upsets. Northwestern and Iowa have very rugged defenses, which should help them to stay close and possibly cover the spread against Tennessee and Stanford, respectively. However, both offenses are also suspect, making it tough to see both teams winning outright.
Meanwhile, Kirk also went out on a limb by picking BYU, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Michigan State to win their bowl games. BYU, Wisconsin and Nebraska are all underdogs against Pac-12 opposition, which goes to show how little faith Kirk has in that conference if he sees all three winning.
Kirk, though, has faith in Michigan State as a massive +10 underdog to bring down mighty Alabama. Not only that, but Kirk also has the Spartans going all the way and winning the national championship.
It would really be something if the Spartans, who are the highest priced playoff team at +650 to win the national title, can pull off that feat. But after enduring so many close calls throughout the season – most notably against Oregon, Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa – Sparty’s luck has to run out at some point.
ESPN
BOWL GAME
Adam Rittenberg’s Pick
Cure Bowl: San Jose State vs. Georgia State
Georgia State, 38-27
New Mexico Bowl: Arizona vs. New Mexico
Arizona, 31-30
Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. Utah
Utah, 20-17
Camellia Bowl: Ohio vs. Appalachian State
Appalachian State, 34-27
New Orleans Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Louisiana Tech
Arkansas State, 44-41
Miami Beach Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. South Florida
Western Kentucky, 34-28
Potato Bowl: Akron vs. Utah State
Utah State, 28-27
Boca Raton Bowl: Toledo vs. Temple
Temple, 27-20
Poinsettia Bowl: Boise State vs. Northern Illinois
Boise State, 30-21
GoDaddy Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Bowling Green
Bowling Green, 45-42
Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan
Western Michigan, 35-31
Hawai’i Bowl: San Diego State vs. Cincinnati
San Diego State, 31-24
St. Petersburg Bowl: Connecticut vs. Marshall
Marshall, 26-20
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Miami vs. Washington State
Washington State, 41-30
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Washington vs. Southern Miss
Washington, 31-27
Pinstripe Bowl: Indiana vs. Duke
Indiana, 41-35
Independence Bowl: Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech, 28-24
Foster Farms Bowl: UCLA vs. Nebraska
UCLA, 45-24
Military Bowl: Pitt at Navy
Navy, 31-21
Quick Lane Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Minnesota
Central Michigan, 34-27
Armed Forces Bowl: California vs. Air Force
Air Force, 38-36
Russell Athletic Bowl: North Carolina vs. Baylor
North Carolina, 44-35
Arizona Bowl: Nevada vs. Colorado State
Colorado State, 32-28
Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Texas Tech
LSU, 38-27
Birmingham Bowl: Auburn vs. Memphis
Memphis, 40-33
Belk Bowl: NC State vs. Mississippi State
Mississippi State, 37-31
Music City Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Louisville
Louisville, 28-20
Holiday Bowl: USC vs. Wisconsin
USC, 28-20
Peach Bowl: Houston vs. Florida State
Florida State, 31-27
Orange Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Clemson
Oklahoma, 34-31
Cotton Bowl : Michigan State vs. Alabama
Alabama, 27-20
Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Tennessee
Tennessee, 24-20
Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Florida
Michigan, 27-13
Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
Ohio State, 38-31
Rose Bowl Game: Iowa vs. Stanford
Stanford, 34-28
Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss
Ole Miss, 44-31
Taxslayer Bowl: Penn State vs. Georgia
Penn State, 24-20
Liberty Bowl: Kansas State vs. Arkansas
Arkansas, 37-21
Alamo Bowl: Oregon vs. TCU
Oregon, 45-37
actus Bowl: West Virginia vs. Arizona State
Arizona State, 35-31
College Football Playoff National Championship: Alabama vs. Oklahoma
Oklahoma, 26-24
ESPN’s college football expert Adam Rittenberg submitted his complete picks for all 41 bowl games (including the national championship), but none of his picks are exactly controversial. Perhaps his most outside-the-box pick was Oklahoma bringing down Clemson, which isn’t exactly an upset considering that the Sooners are actually -4 favorites over the No. 1 seed.
Rittenberg then has the Sooners (+200) going all the way and taking out Alabama in the title game. No team has been able to stop Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry this season, but Rittenberg cites the quarterback play as the deciding factor in this matchup. He sees Baker Mayfield coming up big in the clutch to deliver another national title to Norman.
Bleacher Report
BOWL GAME
Ryan McCrystal’s ATS Pick
Ben Kercheval’s SU Pick
Arizona (-10) vs. New Mexico
Arizona
New Mexico
BYU vs. Utah (-3)
Utah
BYU
Ohio vs. Appalachian St. (-8)
Appalachian St.
Appalachian St.
San Jose St. (-3.5) vs. Georgia St.
Georgia St.
Georgia St.
Arkansas St. vs. Louisiana Tech (-2)
La. Tech
La. Tech
Western Kentucky (-3) vs. USF
USF
USF
Akron vs. Utah St. (-6.5)
Utah St.
Utah St.
Toledo vs. Temple (-1)
Temple
Temple
Boise St. (-7.5) vs. No. Illinois
Boise St.
Boise St.
Ga. Southern vs. Bowling Green (-7.5)
Bowling Green
Ga. Southern
Mid. Tennessee vs. W. Michigan (-3)
Mid. Tennesssee
W. Michigan
San Diego St. vs. Cincinnati (-1.5)
San Diego St.
San Diego St.
UConn vs. Marshall (-4.5)
Marshall
Marshall
Miami (FL) vs. Washington St. (-3)
Washington St.
Miami
Washington (-8.5) vs. Southern Miss
Southern Miss
Washington
Indiana (-2) vs. Duke
Duke
Indiana
Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech (-13.5)
Tulsa
Virginia Tech
UCLA (-7) vs. Nebraska
UCLA
UCLA
Pittsburgh vs. Navy (-3.5)
Navy
Navy
Central Michigan vs. Minnesota (-5.5)
Central Michigan
Central Michigan
California (-7) vs. Air Force
Cal
Air Force
North Carolina vs. Baylor (-3)
Baylor
Baylor
Nevada vs. Colorado St. (-3)
Nevada
Colorado St.
LSU (-7.5) vs. Texas Tech
LSU
LSU
Auburn (-2.5) vs. Memphis
Auburn
Memphis
NC State vs. Mississippi St. (-5.5)
Mississippi St.
North Carolina St.
Texas A&M (-2.5) vs. Louisville
Louisville
Louisville
USC (-3) vs. Wisconsin
USC
USC
Houston vs. Florida St. (-7)
Florida St.
Houston
No. 4 Oklahoma (-4) vs. No. 1 Clemson
Clemson
Clemson
No. 3 Michigan St. vs. No. 2 Alabama (-10)
Michigan State
Alabama
Northwestern vs. Tennessee (-8)
Tennessee
Tennessee
Michigan (-4) vs. Florida
Michigan
Michigan
Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (-7)
Ohio State
Ohio State
Stanford (-7) vs. Iowa
Iowa
Stanford
Oklahoma St. vs. Ole Miss (-7)
Oklahoma St.
Oklahoma St.
Penn State vs. Georgia (-7)
Penn State
Georgia
Kansas State vs. Arkansas (-11)
Arkansas
Arkansas
Oregon vs. TCU (Even)
Oregon
Oregon
West Virginia vs. Arizona St. (Even)
Arizona St.
Arizona St.
Bleacher Report featured columnist Ryan McCrystal has peeked into his crystal ball and made his picks for all bowl games against the spread. There are hardly any shocks in his picks, although he does see the two underdogs in both national semifinals – Michigan State (+10) and Clemson (+4) – covering the spread.
It’s pretty safe to say that the Spartans won’t be blowing Alabama out, but Clemson is certainly capable of dealing Oklahoma a sizable defeat. The Tigers didn’t go undefeated for nothing, and with Deshaun Watson, they have one of the few players in the nation that can take over a game single-handedly.
Meanwhile, college football lead writer Ben Kercheval shares the love for Clemson, as he even has the Tigers (+500) going all the way to win the national title over Alabama. The Tide have historically had their troubles with mobile quarterbacks who can extend plays (see: Manziel, Johnny), and Watson has the ability to do the same.
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