The Hawai’i Bowl overtime record didn’t last long at all.
The GameAbove Sports Bowl, formerly known as the Quick Lane, Little Caesar’s, and for the real OGs, Motor City Bowl, watched the Christmas Eve battle and promptly replied, “hold my beer.”
All of the Boxing Day action was exciting, raising the stakes a little higher for the games on Friday to keep things going in the right direction.
Let’s take a look at the games taking place on Friday.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Navy vs. Oklahoma (Friday, 12 PM ET – ESPN)
The Sooners learned just how rough life in the SEC can be, falling from 10 wins to six this season and finishing thirteenth in the conference. Oklahoma was dismal offensively, and that reality was enough for quarterback Jackson Arnold, who was periodically benched throughout the season, to transfer out of the program. In Arnold’s place for this game will be true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., who filled in for Arnold during the regular season benching and who has publicly voiced his commitment to staying at Oklahoma. This game is an excellent opportunity for Hawkins to continue his development, and the reality is that it can’t get much worse for the Sooners offensively. Brent Venables’ squad approached Navy-esque levels in the passing game, averaging just 167 yards per game through the air (compared with Navy’s 126 passing yards per game) without the triple option approach to justify it.
Unlike Oklahoma, the Midshipmen had a surprisingly successful regular season, shooting out to a 6-0 start and brief Top 25 ranking before superior competition and some poor defensive performances brought the team back to Earth. Navy did manage to upset Army in the Army-Navy game, however, and for that reason it is acceptable to wonder whether the main goal has already been achieved. Defensively, the Midshipmen are good enough to hang around if Hawkins struggles to throw the ball and the Sooners are predictable with their play-calling. There is still a stark difference in size and talent between the two squads, though, and with ample time to have prepared I think Coach Venables will have an answer for what Navy wants to do offensively. It might be a defensive battle but ultimately the Sooners will avoid their second losing season in the last three years.
My Pick: 21-16 Oklahoma
Bowl Mania Confidence: 22 points
Birmingham Bowl
Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt (Friday, 3:30 PM ET – ESPN)
I told a friend after the bowl matchups were announced that this game was one of my most anticipated to watch. Both teams have experienced some incredible highs this season, knocking off multiple Top 10 opponents and coming painstakingly close to a few more. In particular, Georgia Tech was a few bounces away from nine wins and Vanderbilt lost all but two of its games by a touchdown or less. In both cases, gritty dual threat options at quarterback made the Yellow Jackets and Commodores a handful for opposing defenses, and the leadership of those players always left the teams feeling like the close ones could go their way. Though they won’t physically square off against one another, the battle between Georgia Tech’s Haynes King and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia should be really fun watch.
King suffered some minor injuries this season and wasn’t always playing at 100 percent health, but has confirmed he will play in this game and will probably suit up again for Georgia Tech next season. King’s ability with his legs is well documented, but he is an underrated passer and takes incredibly good care of the football, throwing just one interception all season. Turnover margin is one of the areas where Vanderbilt is one of the best in the SEC, but takeaways will be hard to come by for the Commodores in this one. Diego Pavia recently won an injunction allowing him to play college football next season, and you better believe this gamer will be ready to play on Friday afternoon. His grit makes up for deficiencies in other areas, and that mentality is why Vanderbilt shouldn’t be counted out in this game despite being at a disadvantage from a defensive standpoint. While I think the defensive woes will ultimately cost the Commodores this game, I expect Pavia to do everything in his power to give Vanderbilt a shot to win this game late.
My Pick: 26-24 Georgia Tech
Bowl Mania Confidence: 15 points
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Arkansas vs. Texas Tech (Friday, 7 PM ET – ESPN)
A former Southwest Conference rivalry will be renewed in Memphis when the Razorbacks and Red Raiders square off at the Liberty Bowl on Friday night. The two programs played each other annually from 1957 to 1991 but have only played twice since that time, with Texas Tech taking three of the last four. It could be tough sledding for the Red Raiders in this one, which will be without starting quarterback Behren Morton (injured) and very much so rely on a potent passing attack to put points on the board. In Morton’s place will be true freshman Will Hammond, making his first collegiate start. The status of Texas Tech’s stud running back and all-time rushing leader for the program, Tajh Brooks, is still uncertain, though if he decides not to play then this game will have a very different feel.
I felt that Sam Pittman did an excellent job this season with the Razorbacks, managing to earn bowl eligibility despite a gauntlet of an SEC schedule. Under Pittman the offense flourished, and quarterback Taylen Green blossomed as a passer after transferring in from Boise State. He maintained his dangerous nature as a runner as well. The Razorbacks would have had their hands full defensively slowing down both Morton and Brooks, but with potentially both players out, I don’t see how the Texas Tech offense doesn’t suffer at least a little bit, unless Hammond proves to be yet another prolific passer to come through Lubbock. Because neither team really knows how to win any other way, I still expect this game to produce a lot of points. However, I feel more comfortable backing Green than Hammond in this battle and think the Razorbacks will get the job done, adding another victory to what has all-time been a lopsided rivalry in Arkansas’ favor.
My Pick: 42-34 Arkansas
Bowl Mania Confidence: 13 points
DIRECTV Holiday Bowl
#21 Syracuse vs. Washington State (Friday, 8 PM ET – FOX)
This game had the opportunity to feature two certified gunslingers in Syracuse’s Kyle McCord and Washington State’s John Mateer, who are both tied for fifth in the country with 29 touchdown tosses, but Mateer will enter the transfer portal and won’t suit up for the Cougars in this one. Mateer’s decision mirrors that of Washington State’s former head coach, Jake Dickert, who left for the Wake Forest job and will be replaced by assistant head coach Pete Kaligis as the interim shot caller. How much these two departures affect the team in this game is hard to predict – the Cougars were already in an unusual spot this season, hanging around as a technical member of the Pac-12 and thus the players who have stuck around are already a resilient bunch.
As good a decision as it seems to have been for Kyle McCord to come to Syracuse, the ghosts of his past have still shown up at times this season. Take, for example, his five interception outing against Pittsburgh, which with 20/20 vision goggles on may have cost the Orange a chance at a Playoff spot. Such occurrences were rare, however, and McCord did rank as the most prolific passer in the country in terms of yards per game. Frankly, Washington State will need to hope it can turn over McCord in similar fashion, as it will need all the help it can get to avoid being overwhelmed by the Syracuse offense without Mateer to respond accordingly. The Cougars were one of the better teams in the country at forcing turnovers, but McCord is aware of his shortcomings and for the most part did a good job making it a regular issue this season. I don’t think Washington State has the firepower necessary to keep up with an Orange offensive attack that should be motivated to put on one final show.
My Pick: 35-17 Syracuse
Bowl Mania Confidence: 39 points
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Southern Cal vs. Texas A&M (Friday, 10:30 PM ET – ESPN)
Typically a laundry list of opt outs would be expected for a matchup such as this one, but for the most part things have been surprisingly quiet in that department. Each team loses a quarterback that started games in 2024, but both Texas A&M and Southern Cal had effectively moved on from those players prior to the end of the regular season. In particular, Marcel Reed was a revelation for the Aggies and Jayden Maiava flashed signs that he can be the quarterback of the future for the Trojans during his action in the team’s last three games. Outside of that, the only other major absences will be on the Texas A&M defensive line, an area that was talented but did struggle this year stopping the run and getting to the quarterback in passing scenarios.
It is hard to believe that heading into next season, Lincoln Riley may be on the hot seat. But unfortunately for the head coach, who has been known for some time for his offensive brilliance, things have not translated as expected in Los Angeles. The Trojans were young at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball this year as well, and the transition to the Big Ten was not easy as a result. The extra practices were a great gift for Southern Cal, and I expect we may see some experimentation from the Trojans in this game. Texas A&M seemingly has a better grasp on its identity at the moment, and Reed is one of the most dynamic players in any bowl game this season. The Trojans have had a rough year and I think the result of this game may be a summation of that experience, but we may see glimpses of a brighter future from Maiava & Co. on the offensive side.
My Pick: 34-28 Texas A&M
Bowl Mania Confidence: 33 points
