2024 NCAA Bowl Games - December 31
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Dec. 26-30 Bowls
Tuesday, December 31
RellaQuest Bowl
Alabama has probably the more elite athletes, but losing three SEC games would have been unacceptable under coach Saban. It speaks to preparation and commitment, or the lack thereof on the part of the Crimson Tide coaching staff and players.
Looking for Michigan to play tough defense and dominate the line of scrimmage.
Coin Flip: Alabama
Fearless Rick's Pick: Wolverines 24 Crimson Tide 20
Redshirts may play a bigger role in this game. Louisville has plenty of skill players, but not a lot of defense. Of their four losses, three were by a touchdown to each of Miami, Notre Dame, and SMU, some pretty good company. The other was a 38-35 loss at Stanford. The Cardinals were 9th in points scored nationally, at 36.6 ppg.
Washington, last season's national championship runner-up to Michigan, was supposed to fall off significantly. In some ways they did, scoring only 22.5 points per contest, though the defense was usually more or less adequate. They finished 6-6.
Coin Flip: Washington
Fearless Rick's Pick: Cardinals 34 Huskies 18
South Carolina, also 9-3, played a much tougher schedule, their only blowout loss a 27-3 setback against Ole Miss back in October. A 36-33 loss to LSU was controversial because of the many penalties assessed the Gamecocks, and they nearly scored an upset at Alabama, losing 27-25.
The Gamecocks have the making of a top 10 team in 2025 and will strut their stuff here.
Coin Flip: Illinois
Fearless Rick's Pick: Gamecocks 30 Fighting Illini 10
Baylor, like LSU, finished 8-4, though they were never ranked. They've won six straight heading in, though the competition wasn't very challenging other than Kansas, which they blew away, 45-17. Baylor's explosive offense (34.7 ppg) is likely to be more than the Tigers can handle.
Coin Flip: Baylor
Fearless Rick's Pick: Bears 42 Tigers 21
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Sports Home
Results: Rick: 8-8; Flip: 7-9
Cumulative: Rick: 108-133; Flip: 111-130
12:00 pm 11 Alabama (-13.5, 43.5) vs. Michigan (ESPN) - Though this looks like a mismatch, bear in mind that Michigan upended Ohio State in their biggest game of the season, so, if the Wolverines are manned up for this outing, their defense will not allow Jalen Milroe to scamper up and down the field.
Sun Bowl
2:00 pm Louisville (-2, 50) vs. Washington (CBS) - Pretty even match-up of a couple of teams that ended unranked, though with significant upside.
Citrus Bowl
3:00 pm 15 South Carolina (-10, 49) vs. 20 Illinois (ABC) - This looks like an enormous mismatch. Illinois didn't beat any teams that are still ranked in the top 25. Beating Michigan, 21-7, and Nebraska, 31-24, really doesn't impress. Losses to Oregon, 38-9, and Penn State, 21-7, are more in line with the overall quality of the 9-3 Fighting Illini.
Texas Bowl
3:30 pm Baylor (-3, 59) vs. LSU (ESPN) - Really a kind of coin flip game here because both teams were near the rankings throughout the season, and, while LSU was probably overrated, they did show up in some big games and flopped in others. Nearing the end of the season, the Tigers lost, by wide margins in sunsequent weeks, to Texas A&M, Alabama, and Florida. It's not surprising they're underdogs here.
