The College Football Playoff commences today at 2:30 PM CT with the Goodyear Cotton Bowl featuring the No.1 Alabama Crimson Tide squaring off with No.4 Cincinnati. The first semifinal will be followed by the Capital One Orange Bowl pitting the No.2 Michigan Wolverines versus No.3 Georgia. Will be a terrific afternoon/evening of college football.

The narrative in Alabama-Cincinnati is David versus Goliath and in Georgia-Michigan, can a 7 1/2 point underdog Michigan team upset a Georgia team that was reeling after being blasted by the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game.

It’s a must see College Football Day today. Here are Previews and Predictions for today’s spectacular slate.

Bowls So Far

Straight up, 7-5, Overall Season, 228-104, 69%

ATS, 8-4, 171-158, 52%

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl

No.1 Alabama (12-1) vs. No.4 Cincinnati (13-0)

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX, 80,000

2:30 PM CT

ESPN

Sean, Todd, Molly, Laura

Whistles, PAC-12, Steve Strimling

Bama by 13 1/2

Bryce Young is a spectacular quarterback and also a spectacular young guy. His poise is like a 10 year NFL veteran. He’s more like Tom Brady than he is a sophomore in college. The Heisman Trophy winner has completed 314-of-462 passes, 68%, for 4,322 yards, 43 TDs against only 4 ints. He single handedly defeated Auburn in 4 OTs, and dominated what was considered an impenetrable Georgia defense in the SEC Championship Game. But he has good talent around him despite the fact that superb wide receiver John Metchie III is out for the season after injuring his leg in the Georgia game. Jameson Williams is lightning in a bottle. Willams has caught 68 passes for 1,445 yards and 15 TDs. He’s also taken two kicks back to the house, one for 100 yards. Williams is a house call waiting to happen every time he touches the ball. The great Brian Robinson Jr. has rushed for 1,114 yards and 14 TDs. The trifecta of Young, Williams and Robinson is quite lethal. With Metchie out, guys like Slade Bolden, 32-133, 2 TDs, tight end Cameron Latu, 20-299, 6 TDs, and tight end Jahleel Billingsley, 16-244, 3, will need to step up. I look for guys like Traeshon Holden, 15-211, 1, and JoJo Earle, a game time decision with injury, 12-148, Ja’Corey Brooks, 5-79 1 TD, with that touchdown maybe being the biggest one of the year against Auburn late in the last minute of the game which tied it at 10 and sent the game into overtime in which the Crimson Tide won 24-22 in overtimes, are key players as well, so Bryce can spread the wealth and keep the Bearcats on their heels. Javon Baker is another, 7-101, 1. I watched all these guys back in the spring game and was extremely impressed with this arsenal. They are more than capable. The offensive line, led by 6’7”, 350 pound left tackle Evan Neal, dominated the vaunted Jordan Davis and the Georgia defensive front in the SEC title game. It was a statement game for the Bama O Line. They are primed and ready. On defense, Will Anderson was the Bronco Nagurski Award winner and had a phenomenal season leading the country in tackles for loss with 32 1/2 for -136 yards and sacks with 15 1/2 for -96 yards. Why Will wasn’t in New York for the Heisman is a mystery. He should be there next season with a repeat performance. He’s such a focused guy too. He said this week that the team, taking precautions against COVID, stayed in the team hotel and just went down to the players’ lounge and played cards, watched sports and played video games. Kirby Smart said he wanted his Georgia players to get out in Miami. He didn’t want them just staying inside. S’s response to that was classic. He said players aren’t going to remember 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years from now what they did on a Tuesday Night in the Dallas or Miami. They’ll remember how they fared in the game, and if they win it all, they’ll remember that for a lifetime.

Linebacker Henry To’o To’o has quietly led the teams in tackles with 101, added 8 tackles for loss of -39 and 4 sacks for -29 yards. He’s prolific. Big defensive end Phid Mathis, 6’4”, 312, has racked up 10 tackles for loss of 49 yards and 8 sacks for -46 yards. Dallas Turner is a super freshman who stepped in at linebacker due to injuries and has performed superbly posting 7 TFLs for -42 yards and 5 1/2 sacks for -36 yards. Strong Safety Jordan Battle leads the secondary with 3 ints for 111 yards including 2 house calls, one huge one against Georgia. Free Safety DeMarcco Hellams leads the secondary with 74 tackles and Battle added 73. Senior corner Josh Jobe is out with injury so stellar freshman Kool-Aid McKinstry will get the start there.

Will Reichard has connected on 16-of-20 field goals with a long of 52. He can connect from 58 if needed. Punter James Burnip is averaging 39 yards per punt.

So this team has come into its own. It’s tuned up for the Playoff.

Cincinnati is led by quarterback Desmond Ritter, who has completed 234-of-355 passes, 66%, for 3,190 yards with 30 TDs and 8 ints. Ritter also rushed for 361 yards and 6 TDs. Running back Jerome Ford, an Alabama transfer, has rushed for 1,242 yards and 19 TDs. Ridder’s leading receivers are Alex Pierce, 50-867, 8 TDs, Tyler Scott, 26-477, 5, and Josh Whyle, 25, 320, 6. On defense, Cincy is undersized on the defensive front, which could be a problem against the Crimson Tide O line, but they have good players nonetheless. Defensive tackle Curtis Brooks, 6’2”, 285, recorded 12 1/2 tackles for loss of 59 yards and 7 1/2 sacks for -46 yards, both stats led the team. Linebacker Joel Dublanko led the team in tackles with 106, has 11 TFLs for -43 yards and 5 1/2 sacks. Everybody likes Cincy’s cornerbacks, Ahmad “Sauce?’ Gardner. 3 ints, and Coby Bryant, 3 ints, both have taken an int back to the house. They’re considered prolific, so we’ll see how they fare against Williams and company.

Decision

I don’t see how the Bearcats can hang with the Tide. They’ve had a very good season, but the competition hasn’t been that fierce. I like Young and his offensive teammates to do well and the Bama defense to shut down Cincy for most of the game. Give me the Crimson Tide to advance to Indianapolis’s Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday January 10th, 2022, at 7 PM CT on ESPN to play for their 7th National Championship under the great Nick Saban.

Alabama 31, Cincinnati 14

Semifinal 2, The Capital One Orange Bowl

No.2 Michigan (12-1) vs. No.3 Georgia (12-1)

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 75,000

6:30 PM CT

ESPN

Chris, Kirk, Holly, Marty

Stripes, Big 12, Scott Campbell

Georgia by 7 1/2

The big question for Georgia is how will Stetson Bennett play. He’s completed 148-of-231 passes, 64% for 2,325 yards, 24 TDs against 7 ints, but he threw 2 picks against Alabama, one Jordan Battle took back to the house. He’s a big question mark. How well he and Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara (199-of-308, 64%, 15 TDs, 4 ints) play could determine the outcome of this game. Brock Bowers is another X factor in this game for the Bulldogs. The stellar freshman tight end has caught 47 passes for 791 yards and 11 TDs. Wide receiver Ladd McConkey has added 28 passes for 430 yards and 5 TDs. Jermaine Burton posted 23 receptions and for 4 TDs. I like 6’7”, 250 pound tight end Darnell Washington to be more of a factor for the Bulldogs tonight. He’s a total weapon. And the great George Pickens is back after having come back from a torn ACL last season in the Peach Bowl versus Cincinnati and played in the last 2 games of the season. He could very well be more of a factor tonight. Zamir White and James Cook are an excellent one-two punch on the ground for the Bulldogs. White has rushed for 718 yards and 10 TDs and the stellar Cook has rushed for 619 yards and 7 TDs and is a weapon catching the ball out of the backfield with 21 receptions for 157 yards and 3 TDs.

The Georgia defense has big Jordan Davis up front, all 6’6″, 360 pounds of him, but he was controlled by the Crimson Tide O line and Michigan has an allegedly stellar O line. I like linebacker Nakobe Dean, who has posted 8 1/2 tackles for loss of 51 yards and 5 sacks for 39 yards. He’s their leader. Their secondary was torched by Bryce Young and Jameson Williams, so they’ll have to step it up against the Michigan offense.

Michigan has a very nice running back tandem of Hassan Haskins, 1,288 yards, 20 TDs, he’s awesome, and Blake Corum, 939 yards and 11 TDs. They’ll have to run against what is considered a pretty stout Georgia run defense, but the Wolverines offensive line has a solid resume. Cornelius Johnson is the Wolverines’ leading receiver with 38 receptions for 609 yards and 3 TDs. Tight end Erick All is a weapon with 34 receptions for 374 yards and 2 TDs. He could be another X factor in this game.

On defense, the Wolverines are led by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who posted 15 1/2 tackles for loss of 75 yards and 14 sacks for -73 yards. Outside linebacker David Ojabo is another force as he’s posted 12 tackles for loss of 91 yards and 11 sacks for -88 yards. They are X factors in this game against the Georgia offensive line, which will be tasked with containing them when Bennett drops back to pass. If Georgia can run the ball effectively that would help their cause tremendously. The Georgia offensive line will be tested by these 2 players. Michigan has 8 ints on the season as a team and the Bulldogs have 12.

Decision

Michigan’s had a really good year and Jim Harbaugh, though a weird cat, has done an excellent with this team. But is the Big Ten that good? I like the Georgia offense to do well led by Bowers and company, and the defense to lock down the Wolverines for the most part. Give me the ‘Dawgs.

Georgia 31, Michigan 21

After Auburn’s 17-13 loss to Houston yesterday in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl, a friend of mine called Bryan Harsin, “a lightweight.” I agree and I’ll go a little further and call him a featherweight. Auburn Athletics Director Allen Greene wanted to go outside the the box with his football hire after firing Gus Malzahn and he certainly did that and brought in a guy who is clearly in over his head.

The Auburn defense under Derek Mason played well, and deserved to win, but the inept play-calling by Harsin and the inept play of quarterback TJ Finley, were too much for the Tigers to overcome.

Auburn’s going to have to find a quarterback if they want to have a decent season next year. There is 4 star Dematrius Davis, who was redshirted this year as a freshman, and incoming 4 star freshman Holden Geriner, so maybe one of those 2 can step up. The new offensive coordinator from the Seattle Seahawks, 32 year old Austin Davis, has his hands full.

If you look at his record at Boise State, Harsin was pretty average. He had some good seasons and some mediocre seasons, similar to what Malzahn did at Auburn. Chris Peterson put Boise State on the map and made them a stellar program that Harsin inherited and did OK with. He looks out of his league at Auburn, but he may be OK with some of the rest of these programs in the SEC struggling. The SEC is 0-4 in bowls so far. I hope that’ll improve. Mike Leach did a terrible job getting his Mississippi State team ready to play Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl and, as a result, his team lost 34-7. That’s a joke. Leach looks in over his head as well. On the other side of that, 40 year old Sonny Cumbie, the interim Red Raiders Coach who is now head coach at LA Tech, did an awesome job getting his team ready to play. They were spectacular, and dominated State the entire game. He should get a lot of credit for that and LA Tech fans should be excited.

Eli Drinkwitz had his backup quarterback playing against Army and the Cadets proved to be too mentally strong for Drinkwitz and his team. Drinkwitz hasn’t done much of anything, but can it even be done at Missouri? He’s got a top 15 class in 2022, so maybe they’ll get better.

In defense of Harsin and Auburn, the Michael Mothershed PAC-12 crew had two blatant missed calls on Houston’s game winning drive. The last 2 plays of the drive. On the first play, Houston quarterback Clayton Tune clearly committed intentional grounding. With the Auburn pass rush coming after him, he threw it way out of bounds and he was in the pocket. So that should have been penalty at the spot of the foul and loss of down. That would have been third down. Then on the game winning play, the Houston offensive lineman was clearly holding Auburn’s defensive tackle as he was rushing Tune. So, really bad officiating by the Mothershed crew that cost the Tigers the game. And, in Finley’s defense, there were a couple of key drops on Auburn’s final drive. The Auburn receiver dropped a first down pass on fourth down and that was it. So, not all Finley’s fault.

Harsin has the 13th ranked class in 2022, so far, so I’ll give him somewhat of a mulligan, but that was pathetic yesterday. He needs to improve markedly next season or he could be another Auburn coach who’s shown the door. It’s a tough deal at Auburn. They just can’t seem to get the coaching hire right. Maybe Harsin will surprise next season. Hope so for Auburn fans’ sake.

Here are today’s and tomorrow’s predictions.

Today

Cheez-It Bowl

Iowa State (7-5) vs. No. 19 Clemson (9-3)

Camping World Stadium, Orlando, 60.219

4:45 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Lugues

Yella, PAC-12, Chris Coyte

Clemson by 1 1/2

Clemson ended up winning 9 games and could get double digit victories in what was a struggling year for them. They lost DC Brent Venables to Oklahoma (head coach) and OC Tony Elliott to UVA (head coach), and, in the case of Elliott, I’m not sure that’s a bad thing for Dabo and company. Give me the Tigers here.

Clemson 24, Iowa State 20

Valero Alamo Bowl

No. 14 Oregon (10-3) vs. No.16 Oklahoma (10-2)

Alamodome, San Antone, 64,000

8:15 PM CT

ESPN

Jason Benetti, Andre, Carc

Laundry, ACC, Mike Roche

OU by 7

Bob Stoops is taking the place of the traitor, Lincoln Riley, in this game, so he’ll try to motivate the Sooners while Bryan McClendon does the same for the Ducks with Mario Cristobal defecting to Miami. I don’t like the players bailing on bowl games, can’t stand it, but what about these coaches bailing on their teams. It’s a dysfunctional system right now. Give me Stoops and OU.

Oklahoma 31, Oregon 23

Thursday

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

North Carolina (6-6) vs. South Carolina (6-6)

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C., 75,523

10:30 AM CT

ESPN

Anish Shroff, Mike Golic Jr. Taylor McGregor

Refs, Big Ten, Reggie Smith

UNC by 9 1/2

I might regret this, but I’ll take Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks in an upset.

South Carolina 31, North Carolina 30

TransPerfect Music City Bowl

Tennessee (7-5) vs. Purdue (8-4)

Nissan Stadium, Nashvegas, 69,143

2 PM CT

ESPN

Tom, JRodg, Cole

Whistles, ACC, Jerry Magallanes

UT by 6

Give me quarterback Hendon Hooker and the Vols to build off a solid season and get ready for a promising 2022.

Tennessee 31, Purdue 24

New Year’s Six Bowl, First One

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

No. 10 Michigan State (10-2) vs No. 12 Pittsburgh (11-2)

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, ATL., 71,000

6 PM CT

ESPN

Mark Jones, RGIII, Quint

Stripes, SEC, Steve Marlowe

Spartans by 2 1/2

This is a great matchup despite Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett and Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III both sitting it out for the draft. I don’t think Mel Tucker is a good coach, I think he’s a great coach. I’ll take Sparty in a lower scoring game. Quarterback Payton Thorne and the Spartan offense do enough and the defense plays well. So does Pitt. I like this very close.

Michigan State 23, Pitt 20

Friday’s Lineup

Playoff Games

No.1 Alabama (12-1) vs. No.4 Cincinnati (13-0), 2;30 PM CT, ESPN

No.2 Michigan (12-1) vs. No.3 Georgia (12-1), 6:30 PM CT, ESPN

A lot to talk about then.

In a tumultuous time, nothing like bowl games to take a break from this drudgerous virus. So, here’s a look at tomorrow’s matchups featuring the Auburn Tigers at 11 AM CT taking on the Houston Cougars in the prolific Protective Stadium here in B’ham in the 15th TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl. It’s an excellent matchup. The Birmingham Bowl will be followed by the ServPRO First Responder Bowl pitting Air Force and Louisville, then Mississippi State takes on Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl and and UCLA vs NC State caps it off in the Holiday Bowl. So, awesome day of action tomorrow on the college gridiron slate.

Here’s a look at today’s games along with predictions.

Record So Far,

Straight up, 2-2, Overall, 223-101, 69%

ATS, 3-1, 166-155, 52%

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl

Auburn (6-6) vs. No.20 Houston (11-2)

Protective Stadium, Magic City, 47, 100

11 AM CT

ESPN

Wes Durham, Eric Mac Lain, Taylor Davis

Whistles, PAC-12, Mike Mothershed, usually a lot of yella with this crew

AU by 2

Bo Nix has departed to the transfer portal, so TJ Finley will be under center for the Tigers against Houston. TJ is a pretty solid quarterback, who, as Spike pointed out earlier this year, throws a more catchable ball than Nix did. The Nix tenure was marked by inconsistency. He never could get the Tigers to where they wanted to go. He showed promise his freshman season, but never seemed to develop that well. After the season was over with, Coach Harsin fired Mike Bobo as OC and has hired Austin Davis, a 32 year old coach who comes to Auburn after serving as Quarterbacks Coach for the Seattle Seahawks. Could be a real boost to the Tigers’ offense. They need it. The Tigers played the Crimson Tide as closely as a team possibly can play the Crimson Tide before falling 24-22 in the fourth overtime. It was a gut wrenching defeat for Auburn, one they could have won, but this is a reset for 2022 for Harsin and his players. Finley has completed 51 of 91 passes, 56%, for 600 yards, 5 TDs against 1 int. With it raining at the start of the game, Tank Bigsby will be relied upon and that’s always a good thing. Tank rushed for 1,003 yards and 10 TDs this season. I’m also high on Jarquez Hunter, who rushed for 576 yards, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, and 4 TDs. I could see Jarquez taking one to the house from deep. The Tigers leading receiver is Kobe Hudson who has registered 40 receptions for 523 and 3 TDs. Demetris Robetson has added 35 for 474 and 4 TDs. Linebacker Zakoby McClain had a nice year for the Tigers leading the defense with 95 tackles and 8 TFLS for -18 yards, but he’s opting out. Defensive end Derrick Hall led the team in TFLS and Sacks with 12 for -56 yards and 9 for -49 yards respectively. Roger McCreary co-led the team in ints with 2 along with Bydarrius Knight, but he’s not playing as he’s opting to get ready for the NFL draft. So a bit of a hole in the Auburn secondary. Jaylin Simpson, Smoke Monday and Donovan Kaufman will play though.

Houston is led by quarterback Clayton Tune, who’s completed 261-of-380 passes, 69%, for 3,263 yards, 29 TDs against 9 ints. Alton McCaskill leads the running game having rushed for 883 yards and 16 TDs. Ta’zhawn Henry added 526 yards and 7 TDs. In the receiving game, Nathaniel Dell caught 80 passes for 1,179 yards and 12 TDs. Houston has averaged 37.3 points per game and limited opposing teams to 297.23 yards per game, per Athlon Sports, which, along with Bama, Georgia, Michigan, Coastal Carolina and Cincy, are the only teams in the top 15 nationally in both categories. Derek Parish and Logan Hall lead the Cougars with 10 1/2 tackles for loss and Parish, Hall and D’anthon Jones lead the defense in sacks with 5 1/2. Hall also leads the team in interceptions with 5. Auburn has 92 tackles for loss and 35 sacks along with 7 ints, and Houston has 85, 38 and 14 respectively.

Final Analysis and Decision

With rain forecast for the first quarter of the game, it’s going to be harder to pass, but Houston does that pretty well. Houston’s great return man, Marcus Jones, who has returned 2 punts and 2 kickoffs for sevens this season, is sitting this one out waiting to play in the NFL. So, that hurts the Cougars. I like the Tigers to get a good day from Tank and Jarquez and for TJ to do enough and the defense to hold off Houston and send the seniors off on a winning note and get the team motivated for 2022. Harsin finished with the 13th ranked recruiting class in 2022, so that was quite a comeback from where they were in October-November when they were in the 50’s. Tigers pull it off behind Tank, Hunter and defense. Anders Carlson is injured still at kicker, so give me a Ben Patton field goal of the 35 yard variety to win it. It’ll be great to be an Auburn Tiger at 2:30 PM CT tomorrow. Houston’s a good team, so any victory will be a pretty victory. Like the home field advantage for the Tigers, too.

Auburn 27, Houston 24

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

Air Force (9-3) vs. Louisville (6-6)

Gerald R. Ford Stadium, Dallas, 45,000

2:15 PM CT

ESPN

Talent, Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Jaylin Johnson

Yella, SEC, James Carter

Ville by 1 1/2

Air Force led the country rushing for 342 yards per game, wow. Running back Brad Roberts led the charge with 1,279 yards and 13 TDs. Quarterback Haaziq Daniels rushed for 705 yards and accounted for 14 total TDs. Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham is a stud also. He threw for 18 TDs this season and rushed for 968 yards and 19 TDs, which led the ACC. Air Force linebacker Vince Sanford led the Falcon defense with 56 tackles and 9 1/2 sacks. He and defensive tackle Jordan Jenkins, who posted 7 sacks this season, will be tasked with stopping the electric Cunningham.

Taking talent to….

It’s hard to stop Cunningham, but it’s also hard to stop that Air Force rushing attack. I like Air Force to pound it on the ground and keep the ball out of Cunningham’s hands enough to secure the slight upset and their 10th victory of the season under their excellent coach, Troy Calhoun.

Air Force 31, Louisville 28

Autozone Liberty Bowl

Texas Tech (6-6) vs. Mississippi State (7-5)

Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, River City, 59,308

5:45 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Neal, Deuce McCallister, Andraya Carter

Laundry, ACC, Riley Johnson

MS,. State by 10

Will Rogers had a huge year for the Bullies completing 473-of- 630 passes, 75%, for 4,449 yards, 35 TDs and 8 ints. His leading receiver is Maklai Polk who caught 98 Rogers’ passes for 989 yards and 9 TDs. Jaden Walley added 52 receptions for 610 yards and 6 TDs. Ja’quavious Marks rushed for 415 yards and 6 TDs. I like Rogers and his receiving corps and Marks to have big days. Mike Leach, who coached at Texas Tech and says they still owe him salary from a 10 win season in 2009 and is suing Tech for $2 million for it, and his team are going to take it out on the Red Raiders. The Bulldogs passing game is averaging 385.5 yards per game, good for 3rd nationally. The disappointing loss to Ole Miss at home notwithstanding, though Ole Miss is a high quality team, State has had a nice year and the future looks bright in Starkvegas. Give me Leach and the Bullies.

Mississippi State 45, Texas Tech 17

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl

No. 18 NC State (9-3) vs. UCLA (8-4)

Petco Park, San Diego, 40, 019

7 PM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

Laundry, Big 12, David Alvarez, could be some controversy with this crew

NC State by 2

I’m expecting a shootout here, and I like the Wolfpack to emerge barely in a thrilluh.

NC State 42, UCLA 38

Was really looking forward to seeing us compete for a championship at the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, but Stanford had to withdraw due to COVID issues on their team. So we’re de facto champions. We sure played like champions in our first 2 victories over Hawai’i and BYU. BYU defeated Liberty in the third place game, so that looked good for us.

So, very successful trip for our team to Hawai’i. Our guys played well, we played 2 hard fought games and came out victorious, and now have momentum heading into Arkansas a week from Tuesday, Jan. 4th, 2022 on the SEC Network at 7:30 PM CT. Can’t wait to see the guys compete there. Maybe we’ll get Liam Robbins, our 7’er, back soon. That would help, too. But, nonetheless, Quentin Millora-Brown, Q, is doing an awesome job underneath for us, and with Scotty, Jordan Wright, Trey Thomas and the other guys, we’re a highly competitive team that can make some noise in March. We’ve got a shot to make the NCAA’s with the effort and competitiveness we put forth on the court. Just gotta defend, rebound and make shots, and we’ll be a factor in this conference. I love how Stack has developed this team. We’ve got talent that is starting to reach their potential. Can’t wait for conference play. After @Arkansas, we play South Carolina at home on Saturday, Jan. 8th, 2022, at 11 AM CT on ESPNU. Then the Wildcats come to Memorial Tuesday, 1-11-22, at 6 PM CT on ESPN or ESPN2. Will let you know when the network is announced. Then we’re at Georgia, Saturday, 1-15-22 at 6 PM CT on ESPN2. So those are the first four on the SEC slate.

Some really cool news. Stack, in a team dinner last night in Hawai’i, awarded senior Drew Weikert a scholarship. It was a powerful moment. So awesome for our young guy from Nashville and Montgomery Bell Academy to get a scholarship. Drew is quite a marksman and Stack likes the way he plays defense now, so great stuff for Drew. Highly deserved.

We have a really exciting, developing basketball team, and when they’re at home in Memorial, we need to pack the gym and support these guys. Vanderbilt basketball has a tradition of excellence and Stack is building a winner. Please go out and support our fellas.

I’ll be in touch soon. Going to try and get out stuff on our 2022 football signing class, and, of course, stay on top of basketball. Guess it’s time to say Happy New Year now. Hoping 2022 can be a banner year for Vandy Basketball, then Vandy Baseball, Vandy Men’s Golf and Vandy Women’s Tennis. Stay safe from COVID and we’ll talk soon.

Our basketball team played terrifically last night in outlasting a very good BYU team, that should be tourney bound in March, 69-67, in the semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu.

With the victory, we move to 8-4 on the season and face 8-4 Stanford in the final tomorrow night (Saturday) at 7:30 on ESPN2. BYU dropped to 10-3.

Junior Scotty Pippen Jr once again excelled for us pouring in 23 points on 8 of 16 from the field, 1-of-3 from trifecta, and 6 of 9 from the line. Scotty usually shoots free throws better than that, so that’ll improve. But SPJ just took over at the end of the game. He had some very good help from his teammates as well. Sophomore Myles Stute has become a prolific 3 point shooter for us and brings a ton of athleticism to the court. Myles had 14 last night and 7 boards. He was 3-of-7 from triple country. He also had a beautiful dunk in the second half and is becoming a better defender every game he plays. Junior Jordan Wright showed his immense ability scoring 13 and pulling down 4 boards. Senior Quentin Millora-Brown played an awesome game for us. Q only scored 4, but he pulled down 10 rebounds, blocked 2 shots, and took several charges. He was terrific. Q is really blossoming into an excellent player. Will be good to get our 7’er back, hopefully in January, Liam Robbins, our transfer from Minnesota, but Q is more than capable. Like Stack said, we’re going with the players we’ve got, and Q is answering the bell. Trey Thomas, our spitfire pure heart guard, scored 8 including 2 of 5 from trifecta. Trey finished maybe the best offensive possession we’ve had all season when we whipped it around the court with 5 passes with stud freshman Shane Dezonie firing a pass to Trey in the right corner, which Trey gathered and buried the trifecta on a nothing but nylon shot. Trey is a very important player for us. He’s shown a pretty good propensity to drive and score and when’s he’s draining the rock, he’s a force for us. Good to have Rodney Chatman back in the lineup. He just joined the team on the floor at the beginning of this tournament and our graduate transfer from Dayton is an excellent floor general. Like what Rodney brings to our team. Terren Frank always does good things and Tryin Lawrence and Gabe Dorsey are good contributors.

Stack is using a lot of players right now, and getting a lot of contributors. He may cut that rotation down as the SEC season moves along. We start SEC play @ Arkansas on Tuesday, January 4th at 7:30 PM CT on the SEC Network. Arkansas is 10-2.

But first things first. We’ve got a tournament to win. Huge game with Stanford tomorrow night at the Diamond Head. Stanford is big, a lot of size. They’ve got several 6’9” guys and a couple of seven footers. Really big. So we have our work cut out for us. We forced 19 turnovers last night against BYU, so that was big. Need to do some of that again, shoot well, hold our own on the boards and really defend. BYU is an excellent shooting team and they sank their share of 3’s , 8 of them, but we held them in check with them only connecting on 8 of 20. It was just a superb effort all around and a really good college basketball game along with an awesome victory for the team.

Will recap Saturday Night’s game on Sunday. We are a 1 point favorite as of now. Will be a war with Stanford. Looking forward to it. Let’s get this done.

Football Recruiting

I thought Clark did a stellar job with this 2022 class. We got 2 quarterbacks, high 3 star A.J. Swann and solid 3 star Drew Dickey. A.J. is rated a 4 star by Rivals. We got several defensive backs, 3 offensive linemen, 3 or 4 long, athletic defensive ends. A couple of wide receivers, 2 excellent running backs, a couple of linebackers and a solid tight end. I’ll have a lot more on this class at the beginning of the year when bowl season is over, before the national championship game, the week of January 3rd, with a lot more in depth about each player. Some really terrific players in this class. Love Clark’s first real recruiting class. And we should add to it. We have 22 signees and 2 commits, safety Jeffrey Ugo and athlete KD Hutchinson, and we could very well get a commit from 4 star linebacker Daniel Martin out of Georgia at an All American Game in early January. Believe it’s the Army All American game. A guy I really like in this class is running back Maurice Edwards out of Gurnee, Illinois. Maurice is 6’0″, 195 pounds and rushed for over 1,400 yards and 15 TDs this past season. He’s going to really help Rocco Griffin and the young, great Patrick Smith next season. But, I’ll have a lot more on each player in January. Our class is 35th by 247 sports and 34th by Rivals, so very solid. The addition of Martin, our 2 commits, and maybe a couple of others will help that ranking. Also, and very interestingly, we got a linebacker transfer from Clemson, former 4 star Kane Patterson. Kane is 6’1”, 234, and can play inside for us. His younger brother, Langston, is an 88, 3 star linebacker signee for us in this 2022 class and is 6’1”, 220. We can use them both inside with the great Anfernee Orji and the solid Ethan Barr, among others. Langston and Kane are from Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville, better known as CPA.

So Clark with some outstanding stuff in recruiting. Will have a lot more in January. Clark said in his press conference that the present players are totally invested and ready to do well in 2022. A lot of work ahead of us, but that’s always the case, and the mindset on the team is phenomenal. And we already have a 3 star quarterback committed for 2023. Reese Mooney, an 86, 3 star out of Louisiana. Really charged up about what Clark’s got going. We’re going to be A LOT better next season and we’re building. I like a bowl next season and building it from there.

Have a Very Merry Christmas, Anchor Down, God Bless and Go Commodores!

UAB with a sparkling performance against BYU in a 31-28 Independence Bowl victory. Super stuff from the Blazers. A key fumble off a big pass play late in the game by BYU cost them, and the Blazers made some clutch plays on offense late in the game, none bigger than the 4th and 7, 14 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dylan Hopkins to wide receiver Trea Shropshire with 6:17 late in the game for what was the game winning TD. DeWayne McBride also rushed for 183 yards on 28 carries, which included a 64 yard house call. He is just a sophomore, Hopkins is a junior, and Shropshire is a junior. Stud tight end Gerrit Price is a senior and he’ll have interest from the NFL. A lot to be excited about if you’re a UAB fan. An excellent 9-4 season, a highly promising 2022, an American Conference affiliation in 2024, and an outstanding, brand new home venue, Protective Stadium. So, excellent stuff on the Southside.

Here are predictions for the next 3 bowl games.

Tonight

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl

UTSA (12-1) vs. San Diego State (11-2)

Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas

6:30

ESPN

Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman, Tiffany Blackmon

SDSU by 3

I was all ready to pick UT-San Antonio, the Conference USA championship winner, after UAB impressively defeated BYU and Western Kentucky blasted App State in their respective bowl games, UAB in the Independence Bowl and Western KY in the Bahamas Bowl. But 1,400 yard rusher Sincere McCormick has decided to opt out of this game, so I’ll take the favorite in this one. The line has swung from UTSA by 2 1/2 to SDSU by 3

SDSU 28, UTSA 24

Tomorrow

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Missouri (6-6) vs. Army (8-4)

Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX.

7 PM CT

ESPN

Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker, Kris Budden

Army by 5 1/2

I’m going to take the Cadets in a close one.

Army 34, Mizzou 31

Thursday

Union Home Mortgage Gaspirilla Bowl

UCF (8-4) vs. Florida (6-6)

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

6 PM

ESPN

Wes Durham, Roddy Jones, Taylor Davis

FL by 6 1/2

The Gators may not be as motivated, but they’ll have enough to defeat the Knights.

Florida 31, UCF 28

The bowl season has already cranked up, but I’ve decided on the 24 of what I consider the highest quality bowls this season that I will preview and predict. First up is tomorrow’s matchup between the UAB Blazers and the BYU Cougars in the Independence Bowl. Here’s a look at that game along with “the decision.”

Reg Season, 221-99, 69%, ATS, 163-154, 51%

Radiance Technology Independence Bowl

UAB (8-4) vs. BYU (10-2)

Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA.

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Roy Philpott, Cole, Carc

BYU by 6 1/2

The guys from the Southside had a nice regular season with some good victories, but some tough defeats as well. They’re playing now in the state of the art Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham, and that’s got to be a big boon for recruiting. The resources are in place for Bill Clark to do well. They just need to start winning important matchups.

Unfortunately for the Blazers, they’ll be without 1,185 yard, 12 TD rusher DeWayne McBride against BYU. He’s injured and not available. So they’ll rely on Jermaine Brown on the ground and Brown is capable. He has rushed for 584 yards and 7 TDs. Dylan Hopkins will try to get something done through the air, and he’s certainly capable, the only problem is it’s predicted to rain during the game with winds up to 15 MPH, so it may be tougher for Hopkins and his talented receiving corps of Gerrit Price (32-656, 8 TDs) and Trea Shropshire (25-683, 6 TDs) to execute as efficiently and create explosive plays. Hopkins has had an excellent year completing 136-of-212 passes, 64%, for 2,085 yards, 15 TDs against 6 Ints. Inside linebacker Noah Wilder leads the defense in tackles with 86 and has an int. Outside backer Alex Wright leads the team in tackles for loss with 7 1/2 and sacks with 6. Safety Grayson Cash has 3 ints to lead the team and has taken one of those back to the house.

BYU is a formidable opponent. Running back Tyler Allgeier has rushed for 1,414 yards and 20 TDs. He’s a load. Quarterback Jaren Hall has completed 189 of 296 passes, 64%, for 2,583 yards, 20 TDs against 5 ints. He’s also rushed for 307 yards and 3 TDs. His favorite targets are Neil Pau’u (46-526, 6 TDs) and Puka Nacua (42-796, 6). Gunner Romney is also a weapon with 31 receptions for 539 yards and 3 TDs. He’s been hurt some, but is a prolific receiver as well. Linebacker Ben Bywater leads the defense with 93 tackles. Safeties Malik Moore and Jakob Robinson lead the defense with 3 ints apiece.

Final analysis and Decision

You never know with weather forecasts, but as of now, it looks like it’s going to be rainy and windy some of this game, which is going to lead to more of a ground and pound contest than an aerial one. It’s hard to go against BYU’s physical style of play though the Blazers are a physical team, too. I like Allgeier and Hall to be the difference in the game where there may be some turnovers that turn out to be critical. I like the Cougars in Shreveport.

BYU 21, UAB 14

Bryce Young will receive the 87th Heisman Trophy tonight in New York City at the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center based on his spectacular season for the Crimson Tide, which included a historic 97 yard drive against the Auburn Tigers in a 24-22 Alabama 4 overtime victory, and a beyond stellar performance against the Georgia Bulldogs last Saturday in the SEC Championship Game in a remarkable and another memorable performance in Crimson Tide lore, a 41-24 victory over the previously No.1 Dawgs. Bryce was 26 of 44 for 421 yards, 3 TDs 0 ints, 3 carries for 40 yards, which included a phenomenal 15 yard scamper for 7. Bryce has completed 314-of-462 passes, 68%, for 4,322 yards, 43 TDs against only 4 ints. He was amazing throughout the season and put on his best performances when it mattered most against the Tigers and the Bulldogs. And what a humble, stellar guy. Highly deserving. The controversy to me is why Will Anderson is not there and C.J. Stroud, the quarterback of Ohio State is? Will led the country in tackles for loss with 32 1/2, and sacks with 15. Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan got in ahead of Will. Makes zero sense and is robbery. Hoping next year, Will is there.

Next up for the No.1 Crimson Tide is a matchup with the No.4 Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincy has an excellent quarterback in Desmond Ritter and a very good running back in Jerome Ford, an Alabama transfer. Their defense is good, especially their secondary. The Tide sure is playing well right now, so they’ll tough to beat, as always. Losing John Metchie III was a blown and hoping for John to have a full recovery and come back for his senior season to have another big team year and improve his draft status even more like DeVonta, Najee and Mack did. John will excel next year if he decides to return. Jameson Williams has been beyond exceptional and can carry much of the load. Williams has 68 receptions for 1,445 yards and 15 TDs. He’s been sensational. Slade Bolden stepped up in the championship game and is a key weapon with Metchie III out, Guys like Ja’Corey Brooks and Traeshon Holden need to develop for the playoffs. Certainly highly rated players who can excel. Cameron Latu and Jahleel Billingsley can be major factors for the Tide in the playoffs. JoJo Earle may be back from injury for the Cotton Bowl, which will take place Friday, Dec.31st at 2:30 PM CT on ESPN from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. No.2 Michigan plays No.3 Georgia in the Orange Bowl at 6:30 that night on ESPN in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. So some really excellent football coming up. The New Year’s Six games look terrific and there are some nice bowl matchups as well. All starts next Friday, 12-17.

The Bama basketball team earned a major victory over the previously top 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs at Gonzaga last Saturday Night with a 91-82 victory in Seattle. Jaden Shackelford was beyond superb knocking down 28 points, including 10-16 from the field and 6 of 8 from trifecta. Jaden is lighting it up. Jahvon Quinerly, another stud from last season’s team, added 17. Freshman point guard JD Davidson also chipped in 20. He’s really good too. Shackelford pulled down 9 boards. Jaden is averaging 19.3 ppg and 6.8 rebounds. Quinerly is averaging 14.9 and Keon Ellis, another stellar player from last season, is averaging 12.1 ppg. So a really fine team that is ranked No.9 in the country and is 7-1 with the only loss coming to Rick Pitino and Iona, 68-72. The Tide hosts No.14 Houston tonight at 9 on ESPN2. Houston is 8-1 and is outstanding. Should be a spectacular game.

This is a Crimson Tide team that looks like Final Four material. They have everything a team needs to get there. Just got to keep progressing this season. The talent is there. Auburn has an excellent team, too. The SEC will be interesting. Alabama and Auburn look like the best teams, but you can’t count out Kentucky, Tennessee, a very good Arkansas team, LSU etc… It’ll be quite a spectacle this season in the SEC, and the Crimson Tide and the Tigers will be right there come February-March, playing for SEC Championships and beyond that.

Army vs. Navy

MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford New Jersy

2 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

Army by 7

365 days a year at Annapolis it’s, “Beat Army!” And 365 days a year at West Point it’s “Beat Navy!” It doesn’t get any bigger than this. Guys who will ultimately be brothers in arms are bitter rivals today in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This is the 122nd meeting between the 2 academies with the Navy holding a 61-53-7 advantage.

It’s really hard for me to go against the Navy. My late grandfather is a Naval Academy grad and fought for the Navy in WWI, the great war. My late great dad, I think about him every day, was the first one in line in Nashville when he was at Vanderbilt and Pearl Harbor happened. The next day, he was there at 6 in the morning. He was a fighter pilot in the Pacific theater and fought the Jap Zero pilots, a formidable, ferocious group of warriors, but so were my dad and his squadron, and they got the better end of the battle and claimed freedom for their country against the oppressive regimes of HItler and Japan. Quite a lot of heroes from WWII. The Greatest Generation should never be forgotten.

So it’s hard to go against the Midshipmen. So I’m not going to this time. Give me my grandfather, my father, my uncle and all their friends who served for the Navy. Army is 8-3 and Navy is 3-8, but throw those records out the window. Give me Navy to, “Beat Army!”

Navy 14, Army 10

Atlanta, GA. takes center stage on Saturday in the Southeastern Conference and nationally as the game of the year takes place at 3 PM CT on CBS with the No.3 Alabama Crimson Tide squaring off with the No.1 Georgia Bulldogs. Bryce Young versus the Georgia defense. Stetson Bennett versus the Alabama defense, which he struggled against last season, but he’s improved markedly and the Crimson Tide defense has had issues at times though Will Anderson and Henry To’oTo’o have not. The Crimson Tide has had Georgia’s number and Kirby Smart, along with every other assistant, besides Jimbo Fisher, has not defeated the great one.

Other key conference championship matchups with several of these games with playoff implications. The Crimson Tide must win. If they do, both Alabama and Georgia will go to the Playoff. If Georgia wins in a close game, it could be precarious for the Tide, but there’s always the chance of chaos on Saturday.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s games.

Last Week, 18-8, Overall, 217-94, 70%

ATS, Last Week, 10-15, Overall, 160-148, 52%

SEC Championship

No.3 Alabama (11-1, 7-1) vs. No.1 Georgia (12-0, 8-0)

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, ATL.

3 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie, “Coach, what’s the problem?” Maybe one of the dumbest, rudest questions she could have asked Coach Saban at halftime of the Auburn game.

Dawgs by 6 1/2

It’s very unusual for the Crimson Tide to be an underdog. It’s the first time in 92 games, and Coach Saban is 24-1 against his former assistants, including 3-0 against Kirby Smart. As much as I’d like to pick Alabama for my Alabama readers, I can’t do it. The offensive line might struggle mightily against the Georgia defensive front of Jordan Davis and company, and the secondary could have problems with the great Georgia tight end Brock Bowers and the Georgia receiving corps. George Pickens is back at wide receiver for the Dawgs, but not sure how effective he’ll be coming off his ACL tear from last season. He played last Saturday versus Tech and caught 1 pass for 5 yards. Bryce Young is spectacular, but he might be on the run a lot on Saturday. Smart might employ Auburn’s defensive game plan from last Saturday, which almost throttled the Tide’s hopes of having a shot at the Playoff. If Young has time, he can find Jameson Williams and John Metchie for explosive plays. B Rob is questionable with a lower body injury. He’s pulled something, but Saban won’t be any more specific than that. If it’s a groin, it’ll be very hard, and if it’s hamstring, that’ll be hard too. Trey Sanders is the No.1 running back if that’s the case and he did some good things against the Tigers last Saturday. Backup is uncertain, though the Tide may use 3rd string quarterback Jalen Milroe in that role. He’s quite a runner.

The Crimson Tide secondary played pretty well last Saturday. The run defense is still solid. Georgia’s 3 man backfield attack of Zamir “Zeus” White, James Cook, and Kenny McIntosh is effective, but they’ll be tested by the Tide defense. Will Anderson will have to play a big role in getting his team over the top. He’s had a Bednarik Award season for sure, given to the nation’s top defensive player, and has a shot at the Heisman, though Young, with a good game, could lock that up Saturday. But listen to these numbers, Anderson leads the nation in tackles for loss with 27 1/2 for -113 yards, and is second in the country in sacks with 13 1/2 for -79 yards. What a year. There’s a very good argument for this young stud to get the Heisman. It’ll be an interesting vote. It could go to a defensive player this season. Aiden Hutchinson for Michigan is having a huge year as well at defensive end, so he could be a factor. Anderson has the dominant numbers though. If I had a vote, I’d vote for Will.

But this is a tough matchup for the Crimson Tide. Georgia has just been dominant in all 3 phases of the game. I like the Dawgs in Atlanta. It may be tough for the Tide to make the playoff this year.

Georgia 31, Alabama 21

Big Ten Championship

No.2 Michigan (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) vs. No. 13 Iowa (10-2, 7-2)

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis

7 PM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

MIch by 11

I like the Wolverines, but I like it closer than projected. Michigan qualifies for the Playoff as the No.2 seed.

Michigan 24, Iowa 17

American Conference Championship

No. 21 Houston (11-1, 8-0 American) @ No.4 Cincinnati (12-0, 8-0)

Nippert Stadium, Cincy

3 PM CT

ABC

Tess, Gregory, Katie

Bearcats by 11 1/2

The Bearcats become the first group of 5 team to make the Playoff. at No.4.

Cincinnati 31, Houston 24

Big 12 Conference Championship

No.9 Baylor (10-2, 7-2, Big 12) vs. No.6 Oklahoma State (11-1, 8-1)

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX.

11 AM CT

ABC

Sean, Todd, Molly

Cowboys by 5 1/2

This should be a compelling game. The Cowboys defeated the Bears the first time they met at Stillwater, 24-14, but I like the Bears to make this a highly competitive game this time around. Give me the Cowboys to emerge victorious and make the playoff as the No.3 seed ahead of Cincy. Michigan at No.2, Georgia at No.1 and Cincy at No.4. I’m not buying this Notre Dame garbage once again. Their best victory is over Wisconsin and Wisconsin is not even in the top 25 and is 8-4, which is fine, and they’re solid, but if that’s the best you’ve got Notre Dame, I’m sorry, you don’t belong. Now their coach, Brian Kelly, is heading to LSU, which is hard to understand why LSU would hire him. His teams aren’t tough and he keeps getting hammered by the Crimson Tide in the BCS Championship Game and playoff games, so why would they hire him? Maybe they just ran out of choices. They could have done better. Jimbo, who the jury is still out on also, decided to stay at A&M, and I’m not sure about Lane. He may be the coach of Oklahoma by the end of this column, though in his tweets, he seems pretty committed to Ole Miss. They’re going to offer him a handsome contract, but Lane is kind of a vagabond, so it’ll be interesting to see how the next 5 or 6 days unfolds. It has been reported that Notre Dame may offer the job to 35 year old defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. Luke Fickell would seem like the obvious candidate, so I want to see how this plays out today. Fickell will be paid pretty handsomely at Cincy, and he’s proven you can make the playoff there, if he wins Saturday, so he could want to stay longer. Will be interesting to monitor.

Baylor could be missing star quarterback Gerry Bohanon, who’s struggling with a hamstring injury, but he has practiced this week, so he could very well play.

OK. State 34, Baylor 31

Friday

PAC-12 Championship

No. 10 Oregon (10-2, 7-2) vs. No. 17 Utah (9-3, 8-1)

Allegiant Stadium, Vegas

7 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Holly

Utah by 2 1/2

I like the more physical team. The Utes blasted the Ducks 38-7 in Salt Lake 2 weeks ago, and I just like their power and toughness here. Tavion Thomas has rushed for 978 yards and 18 TDs and TJ Pledger has added 651 yards and 5 TDs for the Utes. Oregon has an excellent running back of their own in Travis Dye, who’s rushed for 1,036 yards and 14 TDs. Quarterback Anthony Brown of Oregon has rushed for 642 yards and 9 TDs, and passed for 2,536 yards, and 15 TDs against only 4 ints. Utah quarterback Cameron Rising has passed for 2,109 yards, 17 TDs against 3 ints. He’s also rushed for 346 yards and 5 TDs. Give me the Utes in a very good game in that epic stadium.

Utah 31, Oregon 27

Saturday

ACC Championship

No. 15 Pitt (10-2, 7-1) vs. No.16 Wake Forest (10-2, 7-1)

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte

7 PM CT

ABC

Mark, RG III, Quint

Panthers by 3

I’ll take Sam Hartman and the Demon Deacons in a shootout. Wake could make a New Year’s Six Bowl with a victory, though they’d need some help sitting at No.16.

Wake 42, Pitt 41

Sun Belt Championship

App State (10-2, 7-1) @ No.24 Louisiana (11-1, 8-0)

Cajun Field, Lafayette, LA.

2:30 PM CT

ESPN

Dave, Dusty, Lugues

App State by 3

Billy Napier has done a remarkable job at Louisiana, and has earned a job as the Florida head football coach. That’s a big step, but he’s a good coach. But coaching in this game may be tough for his team. They know he’s leaving and that has to take away some of the excitement of playing in this one. It’s hard on a team when their coach leaves. I’m sure some of them understand this is a tremendous opportunity for their him, but others resent him for leaving. So I’ll take the Mountaineers due to that fact.

App State 31, Louisiana 27

Mountain West Championship

Utah State (9-3, 6-2) @San Diego State (11-1, 7-1)

Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA.

2 PM CT

FOX

Joe Davis, Brock Huard, Bruce Feldman

SDSU by 6

I’m pretty bullish on this Aztecs team after they came back from a 14-0 deficit to defeat Boise State last Friday at Dignity Health, 27-16. It was impressive. Give me the Aztecs to finish off the season 12-1 and head to a solid bowl game.

San Diego State 27, Utah State 17