Bowl season has been geared up for a week, but Saturday’s contests are the start of significant bowl games. There are 4 games on tap tomorrow that are relevant. Here is a look at those four games along with predictions as the Blog cranks up for the 2023-24 bowl season that will be capped off by the New Year’s Six games and the Playoff games with the No.4 Crimson Tide squaring off with the No.1 Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl followed by the No.2 Washington Huskies and the No.3 Texas Longhorns at the Sugar Bowl. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena will kickoff at 4 PM CT, and the Sugar Bowl kicks off at 7:45 PM. Both games are on Monday, January 1st, 2024. ESPN will televise both. The winners will play for the National Championship on Monday, January 8th, 2024 at NRG Stadium in Houston at 6:30 PM CT on ESPN. Some classic games prior to the penultimate contests in college football and the national championship game. More on those games and the New Year’s Six matchups coming up on the Blog next week. Here’s a look at tomorrow’s slate.

Regular Season record: 194-46, 81%

ATS: 113-122, 48%

Saturday’s games

All times CT

The Birmingham Bowl

Troy (11-2) vs. Duke (7-5)

Protective Stadium, 47,100

11 AM

ABC

Tom, Cole, Taylor Davis

Laundry: Mountain West, Nolan Dumas

Troy by 7

Troy put together another prolific season as they won the Sun Belt Conference once again under stellar coach Jon Sumrall, who took the job at Tulane last week. Gerad Parker, the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame this past season, will take over in 2024. First year defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato will be Troy’s interim head coach. The Trojans are led by terrific running back Kimani Vidal, who rushed for 1,582 yards and 14 TDs. Quarterback Gunnar Watson threw for 3,339 yards, 27 TDs against only 5 ints. Duke lost quarterback Riley Leonard to the transfer portal where he ended up at Notre Dame. Coach Mike Elko left for Texas A&M where he tries to rebuild what has been a disaster area in college football. Trooper Taylor of Auburn and SEC fame will be the interim coach for Duke. Manny Diaz will be the new head coach at Duke in 2024. Diaz, who was head coach at Miami before being fired, just finished up his tenure as defensive coordinator at Penn State, where he did well. Duke had several more transfers besides Leonard. It’s just too much to ask and the Trojans just keep truckin’ along every year. New coach, same success. Larry Blakeney, Neil Brown, who’s now at West Virginia and finally turning it around as the Mountaineers finished 2023 at 8-4 and face North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte on Wednesday, and Sumrall. It’s quite a program. Wow, they can hire good coaches.

Troy 24, Duke 16

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

James Madison (11-1) vs. Air Force (8-4)

Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, 45, 000

2:30 PM

ABC

Anish Shroff, Andre, Carc

Yello: American, Nate Black

JMU by 2

It was a stellar season for the Dukes under coach Curt Cignetti. Cignetti, however, left for the Indiana job. With the turnover in the coaching staff and transfers, give me Coach Troy Calhoun and his Falcons to pull off the slight upset.

Air Force 23, James Madison 20

68 Ventures Bowl

South Alabama (6-6) vs. Eastern Michigan (6-6)

Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, 24,450

6 PM

ESPN

Taylor, Stinch, Alyssa

Stripes: Mountain West, Cal McNeill

USA by 17

Give me the Jags to win in a home game at their on campus stadium, built in 2020. I don’t see them covering, however.

South Alabama 31, Eastern Michigan 17

SRS Distribution? Las Vegas Bowl

Northwestern (7-5) vs. Utah (8-4)

Allegiant Stadium, Vegas, 65,000

6:30 PM

ABC

Sean, Gregory, Stormy Buonantony

Whistles: Big 12, Kevin Boitman

Utah by 6 1/2

It’s hard to pick against Kyle Whittingham and Utah in their bowl game as they are 11-5 under Whittingham in the postseason. But they limped home during the regular season, lost a lot in the transfer portal, and Northwestern is one of the best stories in college football. They fired coach Pat Fitzgerald before the season for a hazing scandal. They rallied under interim coach David Braun, who is now the permanent head coach for the Wildcats, winning 4 of their last 5 games. Give me the Wildcats to pull off the upset.

Northwestern 27, Utah 24

I’ll be back Wednesday with those games and the rest of the bowl season contests. Merry Christmas.