The college football season is over and we now know who is “in” for the new college football playoffs. Many out there are really looking forward to watching the playoffs. I am too, but there are also some really good bowl games that will be some fun to watch. So instead of going over the playoffs or complain about how the committee got the four teams wrong (which they did not) I am going to give you a couple of bowl games to watch.
Let’s get one of the obvious ones out of the way with the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. No. 8 Michigan State will face off against No. 5 Baylor, with a high flying offense of Baylor going up against one of the punishing defense of Sparty. The Bears were first in points scored this season and had the fifth in passing this season with senior quarterback Bryce Petty lead the charge. The Spartans are known for their great defense but they can also score a lot of points too. Michigan State is No. 7 in scoring offense this season and quarterback Conner Cook had 2900 yards passing this year with 22 touchdowns. Many NFL teams who are looking for a quarterback will also watch this bowl game. Conner Cook is currently the third ranked quarterback and Bryce Petty is the fifth ranked quarterback on ESPN’s quarterback draft ratings. Sparty will probably win this game because they have the defense to back up their offense.
The second bowl game to watch is the AutoZone Liberty Bowl where Texas A&M take on West Virginia. If you like watching games where a lot of passing takes place then this is the game for you. West Virginia is ninth in passing and the Aggies are twelfth. This game will feature a couple of young quarterbacks that will be one of their first times being on a big stage. For a NFL draft stand point, watch out for is senior wide out Kevin White. He’s a big receiver at 6-foot-3 who had 102 receptions and 1318 yards receiving this year. This game is going to come down to who has the ball last because both of these teams are just awful at playing defense.
The final bowl game to watch this year is the Duck Commander Independence Bowl. This game will feature the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Miami Hurricanes. This season was a bit of a letdown for the Gamecocks as they were ranked ninth in the AP preseason rankings. They did pretty well on offense, but had a very uncharacteristic defense this season. There have also been some rumors flouting around that Steve Spurrier could not return as head coach for SC, which probably is not true, but you never know. This could be the Head Ball Coach’s last game and the teams that he has coached have always been some of my favorite to watch. For Miami, they also had a letdown season by losing their final three games of the year. So basically this is the Disappointment Bowl. Miami has a running back that will be looking to make a final statement before he decides on heading into the draft. Junior Duke Johnson comes into the game with over 1500 yards rushing on the year and averages 7.0 yards per carry. I do not know how this game will end, but if it is Spurrier’s last game I hope he goes out with a bang.
Those are some games to watch, take it or leave it. There are lots to choose from and plenty to keep you entertained. Let the season of bowls begin.
