Bowl Record: 7-3

Overall: 180-70 (73%)

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs(8-5) vs. Illinois Fighting

Illini(6-6)

Cotton Bowl, Dallas

1 ET PM/ Noon CT

ESPN

Talent: Mike Corey, Charles Arbuckle, Kayce Smith

Refs: Pac-12, Land Clark head stripe

Line: La Tech by 7

La. Tech running back rushed for 1,236 yards and 21 TDs this season. The Fighting Illini are 123rd out of 128 teams in rushing defense. La Tech head coach Skip Holtz and first year defensive coordinator Manny Diaz have the Bulldogs playing much better defense and they gave Marshall a pretty solid game in the C-USA championship game losing only 26-23. Like the La Tech Bulldogs to get the job done here.

La Tech 28, Illinois 17

Quicklane Bowl

North Carolina Tar Heels  (6-6) vs. Rutgers

Scarlet Knights (7-5)

Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

4:30 PM ET/3:30 PM CT

ESPN

Talent: Mark Neely, Ray Bentley,  Niki Noto

Refs: SEC, Marc Curles, lead whistle

Line: UNC by 3 1/2

Should be an entertaining game. Pretty explosive offenses. Like the Heels to get over the top in this one.

UNC 38, Rutgers 34

Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl

North Carolina State Wolfpack (7-5) vs. Central

FloridaKnights (9-3)

Tropicana Field, St. Pete, Florida

8 PM ET/7PM CT

ESPN

Talent: Adam Amin, John Congemi, Kaylee Hartung

Referees: Mid American Conference, Don Willard, lead whistle

Line: UCF by 2 1/2

The Knights go for their fourth 10 win season in five years under George O’Leary. That’s impressive. I say they get it here with good run defense against a rush attack of NC State that is their strength. Knights are pretty tough against the run, 5th in the country in rush defense (97.4 yards per game) and have created 27 turnovers. They will generate enough offense to pull out this one in their semi home turf.

Central Florida 24, NC State 20