The Big E College Football Picks: Week #3

The third week of bowl season is here OFD'ers, and this one is the mother load.

I'll waste no more time.

Saturday, December 29th

*Armed Forces Bowl*

Rice (+2.5) at Air Force

11:45 AM ET

Pick: Air Force

Quietly stinky year for Air Force, right? This 6-win season was their lowest since 2006.

Rice won their last 4 games to get to a bowl game, and heck if that isn't a miracle for them. But a historically crappy program going up against a service academy in a military-named bowl game?

Falcons all the way.

*Pinstripe Bowl*

West Virginia (-3.5) at Syracuse

3:15 PM ET

Pick: West Virginia

The 'Neers lost games to Texas Tech, Kansas State, TCU, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma. All in a row. Sure they sucked during that stretch but I don't think Syracuse is better than any of those teams.

The Orange are going to have a hard time keeping up with that 40 points per game pace.

*Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl*

Navy (+14.5) at Arizona State

4:00 PM ET

Pick: Arizona State

Navy versus an up tempo spread offense never ends well for the Middies, particularly if that offense has BCS talent.

Navy's offense still isn't in sync like it has been in the past. They miss Ricky Dobbs!

*Alamo Bowl*

Texas (+3.5) at Oregon State

6:45 PM ET

Pick: Oregon State

I don't know how Mike Riley does it, but he made the Beavers legit this year.

At this point can anyone take the Longhorns against any team with a pulse?

*Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl*

TCU (-2.5) at Michigan State

10:15 PM ET

Pick: Michigan State

I know two things about this MSU team.

1. They play good defense

2. They play in close games

It's always smart to take the points when given these circumstances.

Monday, December 31st

*Music City Bowl*

NC State (+7.5) at Vanderbilt

12:00 PM ET

Pick: Vanderbilt

New coach alert for NC State as they showed TOB the door. Meanwhile Vanderbilt comes in riding a 6-game winning streak.

James Franklin is a big douche but he'll have his team ready to play.

*Sun Bowl*

USC (-8.5) at Georgia Tech

2:00 PM ET

Pick: USC

This line is coming down with the news that Matt Barkley is out with his shoulder injury. Remember when some Irish fans were sure he was playing against us!

So many signs pointing to USC taking a big dump and not playing hard in this game. The Trojans still have so much talent and Georgia Tech's defense is so, so, so bad.

*Liberty Bowl*

Iowa State (-1.5) at Tulsa

3:30 PM ET

Pick: Tulsa

Tulsa won 10 games (again) and is a dog to a 6-6 Iowa State team?

Homie don't play that.

*Chick fil-A Bowl*

LSU (-4.5) at Clemson

7:30 PM ET

Pick: LSU

Remember what happened to Clemson last year in their bowl games?

Yeah, me too.

Tuesday, January 1st

*Gator Bowl*

Mississippi State (-1.5) at Northwestern

12:00 PM ET

Pick: Northwestern

Whoa, Northwestern went 9-3 this year!?? That is enough to tilt the scales in their favor for my pick.

Mississippi State folded as soon as they played good teams and they had to wait until late October to do so. College football: Where you can play games for 2 months without seeing a quality team!

*Dallas Bowl*

Purdue (+16.5) at Oklahoma State

12:00 PM ET

Pick: Oklahoma State

Fired coach going up against an explosive offense. There's a method to the madness here.

*Capital One Bowl*

Georgia (-9.5) at Nebraska

1:00 PM ET

Pick: Nebraska

Neither team likes to tackle so that isn't helping the pick. What does help is that Georgia has a terrible record against good teams over the past few years.

The Bulldogs might pull this one out but it likely won't be by 10 points or more.

*Outback Bowl*

South Carolina (-5.5) at Michigan

1:00 PM ET

Pick: South Carolina

It's the last of the Nard and he'll be running for his life against South Carolina's front 4.

Can't wait.

*Rose Bowl*

Wisconsin (+6.5) at Stanford

5:00 PM ET

Pick: Wisconsin

I'm smelling upset here, and have for a while.

Stanford is tough but went through a brutally physical season. Wisconsin had a crappy season but they are better than their record and they have a lot of momentum coming in to the Rose Bowl.

*Orange Bowl*

Northern Illinois (+13.5) at Florida State

8:30 PM ET

Pick: Florida State

Northern Illinois is really getting up for this game, and well they should. I'm also thinking they burn out early though--maybe take a lead in to the 2nd quarter and then just get demolished the rest of the way.

Wednesday, January 2nd

*Sugar Bowl*

Louisville (+13.5) at Florida

8:30 PM ET

Pick: Florida

Part of me wants to take Louisville because everyone is going to take Florida and that's how you climb the standings. But if there is a defense that can slow down Teddy Bridgewater it is the Gators unit.

The Cardinals also play terrible defense and Florida is going to pound the ball down their throat.

Thursday, January 3rd

*Fiesta Bowl*

Oregon (-9.5) at Kansas State

8:30 PM ET

Pick: Oregon

Ducks all day, no question. Not even a doubt in my mind that Oregon wins by a comfortable margin.

Friday, January 4th

*Cotton Bowl*

Texas A&M (-4.5) at Oklahoma

8:00 PM ET

Pick: Oklahoma

Ahh, the Cotton Bowl.

Still positioning itself late in the bowl season and acting like a top bowl game. Okay, it's the best 2nd tier one, I'll give them that.

I'm taking the Good Big Game Bob to show up. Boomer!

MAKE YOUR PICKS: