Here are our picks for week 3 of the college football postseason. Point spreads matter.
| Date | Bowl Game | Matchup | Jeff | Brian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 31 | Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl | Northwestern vs. Texas A&M (-10) | Northwestern | Northwestern |
| Dec. 31 | Sun Bowl | Georgia Tech (-3) vs. Utah | Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech |
| Dec. 31 | Liberty Bowl | Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt (-3) | Cincinnati | Cincinnati |
| Dec. 31 | Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl | Illinois (-3) vs. UCLA | UCLA | Illinois |
| Dec. 31 | Chick-fil-A Bowl | Virginia vs. Auburn (-1) | Auburn | Auburn |
| Jan. 2 | TicketCity Bowl | Penn State vs. Houston (-5.5) | Penn State | Houston |
| Jan. 2 | Outback Bowl | Michigan State vs. Georgia (-3.5) | Michigan State | Michigan State |
| Jan. 2 | Capital One Bowl | Nebraska vs. South Carolina (-2.5) | Nebraska | Nebraska |
| Jan. 2 | Gator Bowl | Ohio State vs. Florida (-1.5) | Florida | Florida |
| Jan. 2 | Rose Bowl | Wisconsin vs. Oregon (-6.5) | Wisconsin | Wisconsin |
| Jan. 2 | Fiesta Bowl | Oklahoma State (-3.5) vs. Stanford | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State |
| Jan. 3 | Sugar Bowl | Michigan (-2) vs. Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech | Michigan |
| Jan. 4 | Orange Bowl | Clemson (-3.5) vs. West Virginia | Clemson | Clemson |
| Jan. 6 | Cotton Bowl | Kansas State (+7.5) vs. Arkansas | Kansas State | Arkansas |
To the bonus picks!
Jeff:
3. Florida (-1.5) vs. Ohio State. This is a battle of two 6-6 teams, but 6-6 in the SEC does not equal 6-6 in the Big Ten. Ohio State also got destroyed by Miami this season while Florida's losses came to the #1, 2, 9, 18 and 25th ranked teams. Not to mention at the defending national champions Auburn.
4. Stanford v. Oklahoma State (-3.5). Oklahoma State is not Oklahoma. If Oklahoma had been left out of the BCSNCG I would say bet against them but OSU has everything to prove and will put a hurting on Stanford.
5. Michigan State (+3.5) vs. Georgia. Why is MSU not favored in this game? Georgia might strike first but they have no depth to beat many legitimate bowl teams this season.
Brian:
3. Georgia Tech (-3) vs. Utah. Utah managed to go 4-5 in the Utes' first season in the Pac-12 AND that was after missing the top two teams in the Pac-12 North -- Oregon and Stanford. Utah needed OT to beat 4-win Washington State and lost to 3-win Colorado in the regular season finale. Not exactly playing their best football down the stretch. Similarly, Georgia Tech isn't going into the Sun Bowl on a high note as the Jackets have lost 2 of 4 and 4 of last 6. Georgia Tech has been terrible in bowl games in recent years, as the Yellow Jackets are on a six game bowl losing streak that dates back to 2004. I like GT to get back in the win column dispatching a 'meh' Pac-12 team.
4. Virginia vs. Auburn (-1). This feels like a trap game ATS, but I just don't think UVa is all that good. The 'Woos beat Indiana by a field goal, needed OT to beat Idaho and let lesser teams like Duke and Maryland hang around. Virginia also lost to North Carolina, Southern Miss, N.C. State (by two TDs) then proceeded to get waxed by the Hokies (who in turn, got waxed by Clemson ... twice) in the regular season finale. I realize Auburn isn't the team they were a season ago, but the Tigers' 7-5 record is a bit deceiving considering Auburn faced six ranked teams this season and played in the toughest division in the country.