2021-2022 Bowl Game Predictions Part One
Here's who I think is going to win each bowl game this bowl season.
Bowl season is quite possibly the best time of the year where different conferences clash and battle to win the final game of the season. Here is who I think will win every bowl game this year.
9/17, Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs Toledo:
What a bowl game to play in. The Bahamas seems like an unreal place to play the final game of the season especially if you’ve been playing in Toledo all year. With that being said, I’m picking the Toledo Rockets to beat Middle Tennessee in the Bahamas Bowl.
Toledo has wins over UMass, Western Michigan, and Bowling Green this year and a three point loss to the number five Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Rockets offense if averaging 6.6 yards a play which ranks fourteenth in FBS.
I think Toledos offense causes problems for the Blue Raiders and the Rockets win the Bahamas Bowl.
9/17, Cure Bowl: Northern Illinois vs Coastal Carolina
I picked one MAC team to win a bowl game today, but for the Cure Bowl, I’m picking against the MAC and taking Coastal Carolina.
The Chanticleers have the seventh best offense in the nation and rank second in yards per play with 7.62 yards. With Grayson McCall at the helm throwing to Isaiah Likely and Javion Heiligh, I don’t think Coastal loses this game against the MAC Champs.
9/18, Boca Raton Bowl: Appalachian State vs Western Kentucky
High powered offenses seem to be the theme of these first few bowl games and I’m going to pick the high powered offense and ride with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the Boca Raton Bowl.
WKU has an unreal offense that has dominated the Conference USA this season and ranks second in the nation behind Ohio State. The Hilltoppers are averaging 7.07 yards a play and have put up 6,857 yards.
I don’t think that App State will be able to stop WKU quarterback Bailey Zappe, who has thrown for 5,545 yards and 56 touchdowns this season. Hilltoppers win this game by over ten points.
9/18, Celebration Bowl: Jackson State vs South Carolina State
Deion Sanders and Jackson State have not lost a game since September 18th, and in their wins since then, they’ve won by an average margin of 18.7 points per game.
The X-Factor in this game will be Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He’s been consistent this season as he’s passed for 3,056 yards and 29 touchdowns with only 6 picks. If Sanders balls out, then Jackson State walks away with a W.
9/18, New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State vs UTEP
I’ve been extremely high on this Fresno State team ever since they gave Oregon a run for their money and topped UCLA. I think that the Bulldogs will pullout a big time win over the Miners to cap off a solid season.
The Bulldogs have the fourteenth ranked offense in all of FBS with transfer quarterback Jake Haener in control. He’s tossed for 32 touchdowns and only 9 picks to go with his 3,810 passing yards.
They do have a tough task agains UTEPs defense which is ranked thirty first in the FBS, but Haener has been on his A game lately leading Fresno State to wins over San Jose State and San Diego State. That is why I’m picking Fresno State.
9/18, Independence Bowl: #13 BYU vs UAB
This bowl game looks like it is flat out unfair, but it’s going to be a lot closer than many think. BYU is ranked thirteenth in the nation with the seventeenth ranked offense, but UAB has the sixteenth ranked defense in the country which could cause some issues for the Cougars.
UAB has struggled this year dropping games to UTSA, Rice, and Liberty so this feels like a redemption game, but BYU has a high powered offense that is averaging 6.77 yards per play and is putting up 457.1 yards a game.
With that being said, I think BYUs offense will be too much for the Blazers defense and the Cougars will win the Independence Bowl.
9/18, LendingTree Bowl: Eastern Michigan vs Liberty
I’m a big fan of Liberty football and quarterback Malik Willis so I’m going to take the Flames to beat the Eagles in the LendingTree Bowl.
Willis is a weapon to run and pass as he’s racked up 820 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns and 2,626 passing yards to go with 24 touchdowns. In addition to this, Eastern Michigans defense ranks one hundred and first in the nation giving up 6.11 yards a play.
9/18, Los Angeles Bowl: Oregon State vs Utah State
There is a major X-Factor in this game and it is the Oregon State offensive line which is one of the four best units in the country. If they play the way I know they can, then they’ll easily beat the Aggies from Utah State.
To go with that, Utah State has the seventy eight ranked defense in the country and hasn’t been great vs the run so I think the Beavers run away with this one.
9/18, New Orleans Bowl: #23 Louisiana vs Marshall
Louisiana is getting some type of home field advantage in this matchup because it’s the New Orleans bowl so I think this will be a factor because not many other bowl games have the wrinkle of home field advantage.
The Ragin Cajuns have been very good this year with big time wins over Liberty, Appalachian State, and Arkansas State. I don’t think this game will be close with how balanced Louisiana is and Marshall having to go into a hostile environment.
I’m picking the Ragin Cajuns.
12/20, Myrtle Beach Bowl: Old Dominion vs Tulsa
Here’s a game between two teams that I don’t know too much about so my pick is solely off that fact that I think Old Dominion has more impressive wins this year. ODU has beaten Louisiana Tech, Florida Atlantic, and Middle Tennessee.
And for that reason I’m picking Old Dominion.
