From Ball State to Florida State, Baylor to Buffalo, Rice to Rutgers, the college football bowl season is just around the corner. The Kirkwood Call staffers Sam Balmer, Adam Rose and Reese Anderson predict the winner of each game, along with offering input on why either team in the given bowl will emerge victorious.

Gildan New Mexico
Washington State vs. Colorado State
Balmer: Washington State
Rose: Colorado State
Anderson: Washington State

Why Colorado State will win:
Washington State this past season ranked 92 out of 120 FBS teams in terms of points scored against them, so Rams quarterback Garrett Grayson, who threw for 3,327 yards and 21 touchdowns should find success.

Why Washington State will win:
The cougars boasted the number four passing offense in the FBS, with wins over USC and Arizona (both away games), along with playing Auburn (who is in the National Championship) close, losing 31-24.

Royal Purple Las Vegas
Fresno State vs. USC
Balmer: Fresno State
Rose: Fresno State
Anderson: Fresno State

Why Fresno State will win:
With the number one passing offense in the country and the fifth highest scoring average per game, the Bulldogs will surge past the Trojans, who are coming off of a 35-14 loss to rival UCLA.

Why USC will win:
Even with interim head coach Ed Orgeron’s departure, the Trojans, who averaged over 30 points in their nine wins, face the 81 ranked defense, who played the fifth easiest schedule in the FBS in terms of strength of schedule.

Famous Idaho Potato
Buffalo vs. San Diego State
Balmer: San Diego State
Rose: Buffalo
Anderson: Buffalo

Why San Diego State will win:
In Buffalo’s four losses they gave up an average of roughly 46 points. On top of that the Aztecs have won four of their last five, averaging 30 points in that span.

Why Buffalo will win:
After starting 0-2 (playing Ohio State and Baylor), the Bulls won eight of their last ten, scoring over 40 points in five of those games, giving up a shade over 14 points per game in that
stretch.

R+L Carriers New Orleans
Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Balmer: Louisiana-Lafayette
Rose: Louisiana-Lafayette
Anderson: Louisiana-Lafayette

Why Louisiana-Lafayette will win:
At one point in the season the Ragin’ Cajuns went over a month without losing, averaging over 42 points per game. Louisiana-Lafayette also has two rushers with over 800 yards on the campaign in Alonzo Harris and Elijah McGuire.

Why Tulane will win:
Along with having the 19th ranked scoring defense this past season (allowing 21.2 points per game), the Green Wave play a team who has lost their final two games by a combined score of 61-36.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg
East Carolina vs. Ohio
Balmer: ECU
Rose: ECU
Anderson: ECU

Why East Carolina will win:
The Pirates ranked tenth in the FBS with 331.5 pass yards per game and eleventh in terms of scoring with 40.4 points per game. Their opposition has lost three of its past four games, giving up an average of 36.5 points.

Why Ohio will win:
The Bobcats are coming off a 51-23 win over UMASS, the sixth time during the season in which they scored over 30 points (all wins). Senior quarterback Tyler Tettleton threw for 2,623 yards and 20 touchdowns during his last term as Ohio’s signal caller.

Sheraton Hawaii
Boise State vs. Oregon State
Balmer: Oregon State
Rose: Boise State
Anderson: Oregon State

Why Oregon State will win:
Led by quarterback Sean Mannion, the Beavers attained the third ranked passing offense in the FBS, with over 380 yards per game. During a six game winning streak, Oregon State averaged over 43 points per contest.

Why Boise State will win:
The Broncos are riding a four game bowl winning streak, including a Fiesta Bowl victory over rival TCU. Their 17 ranked scoring offense faces the Beavers, who lost their final six games by a combined score of 186-105.

Little Caesars Pizza
Pittsburgh vs. Bowling Green
Balmer: Bowling Green
Rose: Bowling Green
Anderson: Bowling Green

Why Bowling Green will win:
The Falcons concluded their season on a six game winning streak and a MAC championship, defeating, then ranked, number 14 Northern Illinois. Bowling Green’s defense ranked fifth in the country, allowing 14.8 points per contest. Sophomore quarterback Matt Johnson threw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns, two of those to running back Travis Greene, who ran for 1,555 yards.

Why Pittsburgh will win:
In their six wins, including a victory over then ranked Notre Dame, Pitt averaged over 31 points. Receivers Tyler Boyd and Devin Street combined for 1,855 yards and 14 touchdowns from transfer quarterback Tom Savage, who threw for 2,834 yards and 21 scores.

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia
Utah State vs. Northern Illinois
Balmer: Northern Illinois
Rose: Northern Illinois
Anderson: Northern Illinois

Why Northern Illinois will win:
Following an appearance in the Orange Bowl last January, the Huskies fell short of an undefeated season, losing in the MAC championship. However, Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch led the Northern Illinois offense to the fifth ranked rushing offense (312.5 yards per game) and ninth best scoring output with an average of 41.6 points per contest. Lynch and his team were never held under 20 points while eclipsing 35 eight times.

Why Utah State will win:
Of their final six games, the Aggies won five, with the only loss coming to number 20 Fresno State in the Mountain West championship game by seven points. During that span Utah State outscored opponents by an average of over 18 points. Along with having the seventh best defense in the country, the Aggies boasted two 1,000 yard passers in Chuckie Keeton (1,388 yards, 18 touchdowns) and Darell Garretson (1,325 yards, nine touchdowns).

Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman
Marshall vs. Maryland
Balmer: Marshall
Rose: Maryland
Anderson: Maryland

Why Marshall will win:
Despite losing to Rice in the Conference USA championship by 17, the Thundering Herd won five of their last six games, outscoring opponents by a combined score of 283-140. Quarterback Rakeem Cato threw for 3,579 yards and 36 touchdowns, running back Essray Taliaferro ran for 1,059 yards and nine scores and wide receiver Tommy Shuler totaled 1,097 yards and 9 touchdowns, enough for Marshall to have the seventh best scoring offense in the land.

Why Maryland will win:
During their first five games of the season, the Terrapins averaged a shade under 40 points per contest, while their opponents had a mean of just over ten. Running back Brandon Ross and quarterback C.J. Brown combined for 1,198 yards and 16 touchdowns with Brown throwing for 2,045 yards and 11 scores (both career highs).

Texas
Syracuse vs. Minnesota
Balmer: Minnesota
Rose: Minnesota
Anderson: Minnesota

Why Minnesota will win:
Over the course of the season the Golden Gophers went on a pair of four game winning streaks, outscoring opponents 167-80 during the first and 110-89 during the second. Three of their four losses came to ranked teams Michigan and Michigan State on the road and number 19 Wisconsin at home. Junior running back David Cobb ran for 1,111 yards and seven touchdowns.

Why Syracuse will win:
Coming off a win over Heisman finalist Andre Williams, the Orange are looking for their third straight bowl victory. Prince Gulley and Jerome Smith combined for 1,280 rushing yards and 15 scores, averaging 193.8 yards per game on the ground.

Fight Hunger
BYU vs. Washington
Balmer: Washington
Rose: BYU
Anderson: Washington

Why Washington will win:
To finalize their 2013 campaign, the Huskies won four of their last five games, scoring over 40 points in their wins. Led by running back Bishop Sankey, who ran for 1,775 yards and 18 touchdowns, Washington finished with a top 20 rushing offense in the country with 243.1 yards per contest. Senior Keith Price threw for 2,843 yards and 20 touchdowns along with five scores on the ground.

Why BYU will win:
Led by Taysom Hill and (1,211 yards) and Jamaal Williams (1,202 yards), BYU finished the season as the tenth best rushing team, averaging over 270 yards per game. The Cougars have won four straight bowls by a combined score of 143-71. In their last meeting in 2010, BYU defeated Washington 23-17, holding the Huskies to zero points in the second half.

New Era Pinstripe
Rutgers vs. Notre Dame
Balmer: Notre Dame
Rose: Notre Dame
Anderson: Notre Dame

Why Notre Dame will win:
All four of the Irish’s losses either came to a ranked opponent and/or on the road, at then ranked 17 Michigan, to number 11 Oklahoma, at Pitt and at number five Stanford. Senior quarterback Tommy Rees is coming off of a career year, throwing for 2,938 yards and 27 scores (both career highs). TJ Jones, senior receiver, did the most damage off of those passes for 1,042 yards and nine touchdowns. In their four meetings throughout history, Notre Dame has defeated Rutgers as many times.

Why Rutgers will win:
Out of their last six bowl games, the Scarlet Knights have won five of them by a combined score of 200-113. On the flip side, Notre Dame has lost its last two bowl games, including a blowout in last year’s national championship game at the hands of Alabama, 42-14. Rutgers is led by junior quarterback Gary Nova, who threw for 2,159 yards 18 touchdowns on the campaign.

Belk
Cincinnati vs. North Carolina
Balmer: Cincinnati
Rose: Cincinnati
Anderson: North Carolina

Why North Carolina will win:
After a shaky start, the Heels won five of their last six by a combined score of 245-117. North Carolina ranked in the top 25 in the country in terms of passing yards per game using two quarterbacks, Bryn Renner (1,765 yards and ten touchdowns) and Marquise Williams (1,527 yards and 14 scores).

Why Cincinnati will win:
All three of the Bearcats’ losses came either on the road and/or to a ranked opponent; at Illinois, at South Florida, and to number 18 Louisville. Cincinnati ranked 15th in passing yards, much due to senior quarterback Brendon Kay, who threw for 3,121 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Bearcats also finished with the 12th ranked defense, giving up a shade under 20 points per game.

Russell Athletic
Miami vs. Louisville
Balmer: Louisville
Rose: Miami
Anderson: Louisville

Why Louisville will win:
The sole hiccup in the Cardinal’s national championship campaign came at the hands to Fiesta Bowl bound UCF on a last second field goal. Other than that game, Louisville outscored opponents by a combined score of 386-111, averaging over 35 points per contest. Projected number one draft pick Teddy Bridgewater threw for 3,523 yards and 28 scores, completing 70.2% of his passes. Miami was 0-2 vs. opponents who finished in the final top-25 rankings.

Why Miami will win:
The U started the season by winning seven games in a row, never failing to score 20 points, putting up over 30 in four of those contests (Miami finished with six games scoring over 30 points). All three of their losses came to opponents who won eight or more games in Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Duke, two of those games on the road. Senior receiver Allen Hurns totaled 1,138 yards and six touchdowns from quarterback Stephen Morris (2,868 yards, 28 scores).

Buffalo Wild Wings
Michigan vs. Kansas State
Balmer: Michigan
Rose: Kansas State:
Anderson: Michigan

Why Michigan will win:
The record-setting one-two punch of Devin Gardner and Jeremy Gallon proved dynamic for the Wolverines over the 2013 campaign. Gallon caught 80 balls for 1,284 yards and nine touchdowns, including a 14 catch, 369 yard, two touchdown performance against Indiana. Gardner threw for 2,960 yards for 21 touchdowns and rushed for 483 yards and 11 scores. Michigan is 11-7 vs. the Big 12 in its history. Kansas State has lost its last five bowls.

Why Kansas State will win:
To finish the season, the Wildcats won five of their last six, with the only loss coming to Sugar Bowl bound Oklahoma. In their wins, Kansas State averaged a margin of victory of 22 points, including a win over Texas Tech, who was once ranked number ten in the country. Junior receiver Tyler Lockett totaled 1,146 yards and eight touchdowns, mostly from Jake Waters (2,198 yards and 15 scores).

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces
Middle Tennessee vs. Navy
Balmer: Navy
Rose: Navy
Anderson: Navy

Why Navy will win:
As usual Navy finished in the top five for rushing offense (third) with a little over 320 yards per game on the ground. A substantial part of that came from sophomore quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who ran for 1,124 yards and 26 touchdowns, both team-highs. Reynolds also led his squad in passing, with 1,028 yards and eight scores. For the Midshipmen, all four of their losses came on the road; Western Kentucky, Duke, Toledo and Notre Dame (all finished with seven or more wins).

Why Middle Tennessee will win:
The Blue Raiders won their final five games by an average of 21 points, while totaling 213 points during that span. Senior quarterback Logan Kilgore threw for 2,289 yards and 16 touchdowns, he faces the 72 scoring defense in the country in Navy. If Middle Tennessee can corale the Midshipmen’s rushing attack, they will force nation’s third worst ranked passing offense to beat them (Navy’s highest passing output against an FBS opponent was 105 yards).

Franklin American Mortgage Music City
Ole Miss vs. Georgia Tech
Balmer: Georgia Tech
Rose: Ole Miss
Anderson: Georgia Tech

Why Ole Miss will win:
Of Ole Miss’s five losses, four came to teams ranked in the top ten. The Rebels won impressive games against LSU, and on the road against Texas. Ole Miss is quarterbacked by junior Bo Wallace, who led an offense that scored 30 points per game this season. If Ole Miss can stop the triple-option offense ran by Georgia Tech, they force the Yellow Jackets and their 118th ranked passing offense to throw the football.

Why Georgia Tech will win:
Georgia Tech will face an Ole Miss defense that allowed 5.76 yards-per-carry to Arkansas, and 5.1 to Missouri. The Yellow Jackets rushed for 312 per game, ranking 6th nationally in this statistic. This matchup bodes well for Georgia Tech and running back David Sims, who rushed for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns during his senior campaign.

Valero Alamo
Oregon vs. Texas
Balmer: Oregon
Rose: Oregon
Anderson: Oregon

Why Oregon will win:
With the exception of their two losses (both on the road; number five Stanford and Arizona), the Ducks’ third ranked scoring offense scored over 35 points in every contest, including over 50 six times. Oregon is led by sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota, who threw for 3,412 yards and 30 touchdowns, while rushing for 582 yards and nine scores. The Ducks have won their past two bowl games (both BCS), beating Wisconsin in the 2011 Rose Bowl and Kansas State in last year’s Fiesta Bowl.

Why Texas will win:
After a tumultuous start to the season, Texas found itself only one game from the Big 12’s automatic BCS bid the Fiesta bowl, yet fell short to sixth ranked Baylor. Nonetheless the Longhorns went on a six game winning streak in the middle of their 2013 season, scoring over 30 points in every one of those contests, including their first win over arch-rival Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry for the first time since 2009.

National University Holiday Bowl
Arizona State vs. Texas Tech
Balmer: Arizona State
Rose: Arizona State
Anderson: Arizona State

Why Arizona State will win:
Arizona State won eight of its last nine regular season games by a combined score of 404-226, finishing with the nation’s tenth ranked scoring offense. Junior quarterback Taylor Kelly eclipsed 3,500 yards passing, totaling 36 touchdowns overall. Marion Grice ran for nearly 1,000 yards with 14 scores while Jaelen Strong caught 71 passes for 1,094 yards and seven touchdowns. Two of the Sun Devils’ losses came to Stanford, the other at the hands of Notre Dame by three points. They face a squad who lost their final six games

Why Texas Tech will win:
To start the season, Texas Tech averaged over 40 points per game, outscoring opponents 288-131. The FBS’ second best passing offense featured two quarterbacks that both threw for 2,315 yards in Davis Webb (16 touchdowns) and Baker Mayfield (12 touchdowns). Receivers Jace Amaro and Eric Ward also contributed to the cause, combining for 2,144 yards and 15 scores. If the Red Raiders can rekindle their offense from the beginning of the season, they have a shot against Arizona State who gives up an average of 39 points in losses.

AdvoCare V100
Arizona vs. Boston College
Balmer: Arizona
Rose: Boston College
Anderson: Arizona

Why Arizona will win:
With an impressive late season drubbing of Pac 12 foe Oregon, Arizona comes into the bowl with a 7-5 record. Their offense is led by junior, top NFL draft prospect Ka’Deem Carey. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and scored 17 times on the ground this season. Twice this season Carey ran for more than 200 yards in a game, and he ran for over 100 in every game, while only being shut out of a touchdown in two games. Arizona is coming off a bowl win against Nevada last year.

Why Boston College will win:
If one running back stood out more than Carey this year, it was Boston College’s Andre Williams. During his senior season Williams rushed for 2102 yards and 17 touchdowns. During a three game stretch this year, Williams averaged 299 yards per game rushing. Of Boston College’s five losses, two came against top 10 opponents.

Hyundai Sun
UCLA vs. Virginia Tech
Balmer: UCLA
Rose: Virginia Tech
Anderson: UCLA

Why UCLA will win:
In their 2013 season the bruins lost thrice, all to top-fifteen opponents in Stanford, Oregon and Arizona State (Stanford and Oregon were road games). Brett Hundley led the charge, throwing for 2,845 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 587 yards and nine scores. Converted linebacker Myles Jack has emerged down the stretch as a touchdowns machine, scoring in all four games he has appeared in (seven touchdowns on the season).

Why Virginia Tech will win:
The Hokies’ eighth ranked defense carried them to a six game winning streak, allowing just over 11 points per game during that span. After forgoing the NFL draft and returning for his senior season, Logan Thomas, for the third time in his career, threw for over 2,800 yards while completing over 50% of his passes (Thomas totaled 20 touchdowns). Virginia Tech faces UCLA, who has lost their last two bowl games by a combined score of 69-40.

AutoZone Liberty
Rice vs. Mississippi State
Balmer: Rice
Rose: Mississippi State
Anderson: Mississippi State

Why Rice will win:
The Owls are coming in hot, winning their final four games, including a win over Marshall in the Conference USA championship game (their first outright championship since 1957). Senior Charles Ross anchored the 16th best rushing offense in the land with a career highs in yards (1,252) and touchdowns (14). On the contrary, Mississippi State was 0-5 vs. ranked opponents this past year, losing by a combined score of 150-113.

Why Mississippi State will win:
Mississippi State is coming off of their fourth win over arch-rival Ole Miss in the past five Egg Bowls, a high-stakes game that determined their post-season fate. Sophomore quarterback Dak Prescott led the Bulldogs in both passing and rushing, throwing for 1,657 yards and seven touchdowns while running for 751 yards and 11 scores. Mississippi State has also won five of their past six bowl games, including a 52-14 win over Michigan in the 2010 Gator Bowl.

Chick-Fil-A
Duke vs. Texas A&M
Balmer: Texas A&M
Rose: Texas A&M
Anderson: Texas A&M

Why Texas A&M will win:
For the 8-4 Aggies, all of their losses came to ranked opponents; a then number one Alabama, number two Auburn, number 16 LSU and a then fifth ranked Mizzou. Heisman finalist (for the second year in a row) Johnny Manziel improved his stats from his award winning 2012 season, with 3,732 yards through the air with 33 touchdowns and 686 rushing yards paired with eight touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Mike Evans further contributed to the number six scoring offense and seventh best passing offense with 1,322 yards and 12 touchdowns

Why Duke will win:
The Blue Devils are coming off of their best season since 1941 (in terms of win), finishing in the top 25 polls for the first time since 1962. Junior Jamison Crowder caught balls from two different 1,000 yard passers in Anthony Boone (1,833 yards, ten touchdowns) and Brandon Connette (1,212 yards, 13 touchdowns), finishing with 1,197 yards and 11 touchdowns, also tacking on two punt returns for touchdowns. In an eight game win streak Duke defeated a then ranked Virginia Tech on the road, Miami who was ranked 23 and rival North Carolina for the second year in a row.

TAXSLAYER.com Gator
Nebraska vs. Georgia
Balmer: Georgia
Rose: Georgia
Anderson: Georgia

Why Georgia will win:
Even with an injury-plagued team, including senior quarterback Aaron Murray, down the stretch, the Dawgs won four of their last five games, with the only loss coming to number two Auburn. In those games Georgia averaged over 40 points, including a double-overtime win over rival Georgia Tech. Todd Gurley, after a stellar freshman season, totaled 1,247 yards and 15 touchdowns. Last year the Bulldogs beat Nebraska 45-31 in the Capital One Bowl.

Why Nebraska will win:
The Huskers and their 19th ranked rushing offense face the 82nd ranked Georgia defense, the worst rank in recent memory. Junior Ameer Abdullah ran for 1,568 yards and eight touchdowns in his first year as the feature running back. Losing receivers Justin Scott-Wesley and Malcolm Mitchell, running back Keith Marshall, and quarterback Aaron Murray will prove too much for Georgia.

Heart of Dallas
UNLV vs. North Texas
Balmer: North Texas
Rose: North Texas
Anderson: North Texas

Why North Texas will win:
The Mean Green finished the season winning six of their final seven games (8-4 final record). They allowed 18.1 points per contest, ninth in the FBS. Brandin Byrd, senior running back, eclipsed 1,000 yards and found the endzone 11 times on the ground and one touchdown via senior quarterback Derek Thompson, who threw for 2,640 yards.

Why UNLV will win:
By a combined score of 86-40, the Rebels won their final two games against conference foes Air Force and San Diego State (both of whom made bowls). Senior running back Tim Cornett ran for 1,251 yards and 15 touchdowns while quarterback Caleb Herring totaled 2,835 yards and 27 touchdowns for 7-5 UNLV.

Capital One
Wisconsin vs. South Carolina
Balmer: South Carolina
Rose: South Carolina
Anderson: South Carolina

Why South Carolina will win:
To end the season, the Gamecocks went on a five game winning streak, with wins at eighth ranked Mizzou and 12th ranked Clemson. Senior quarterback Connor Shaw gained 2,135 yards through the air and 511 on the ground with 26 total touchdowns and has won two straight bowls. Running back Mike Davis completes the one-two punch, rushing for 1,134 yards and 11 touchdowns this past season.

Why Wisconsin will win:
James White and Melvin Gordon combined for 2,803 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns to lead the Badgers to the eighth best rushing offense in the country. All three of their losses (Arizona State and Ohio State on the road and Penn State at home) were by seven or less, all of which finished with seven or more wins. Wisconsin had the sixth ranked scoring defense, as well, giving up 14.8 points per game.

Outback
Iowa vs. LSU
Balmer: LSU
Rose: LSU
Anderson: LSU

Why LSU will win:
All three of LSU’s losses came on the road, to at the time number nine Georgia, Ole Miss, and a once number one ranked Alabama. Senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger threw for 3,082 yards and 22 touchdowns, leading the Tigers to averaging over 40 points per game in their nine victories. LSU has won 12 of its last 18 bowl games.

Why Iowa will win:
The Hawkeyes won four of their last five with the only loss coming to number 19 Wisconsin. Iowa had the 11th best defense this past year, allowing opponents 18.8 points per game. Along with winning three of their last four bowls, the Hawkeyes beat LSU in their only meeting in history.

Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
Stanford vs. Michigan State
Balmer: Stanford
Rose: Stanford
Anderson: Stanford

Why Stanford will win:
Stanford is going to its fourth straight BCS bowl and second consecutive Rose Bowl, having won last year and over Virginia Tech in the 2010 Orange Bowl. Over the course of the season the Cardinal beat seven ranked opponents (at the time they played them) in Arizona State, Washington, UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, Notre Dame and Arizona State again. Stanford gave up 18.6 points per game, tenth in the country in that regard.

Why Michigan State will win:
The Spartans won their last nine contests, outscoring opponents 272-112 during that span. Allowing 12.7 points per game (fourth in the FBS) Michigan State is coming off a Big Ten Championship Game victory over Ohio State (at the time number two), ending the Buckeyes 24 game winning streak. In their history, the Spartans have won three Rose Bowls.

Tostitos Fiesta
UCF vs. Baylor
Balmer: Baylor
Rose: UCF
Anderson: Baylor

Why Baylor will win:
In all of their first four games Baylor scored over 65 points, en route to the number one scoring offense in the country. The Bears have a 3,844 yard passer in Bryce Petty (30 touchdowns), a 1,060 rusher in Lache Seastrunk (11 touchdowns) and a 1,319 yard receiver in Antwan Goodley (13 touchdowns). On top of that, Baylor had the 19th ranked defense, giving up a little over 20 points per game.

Why UCF will win:
After losing to 12th ranked South Carolina, the Knights won out, including a victory over Louisville, finishing 11-1 to clinch the American Athletic Conference’s automatic bid. They boast the 13th ranked defense in the FBS, allowing 19.6 points per contest. Junior quarterback Blake Bortles threw for 3,280 yards and 22 touchdowns on the campaign.

Allstate Sugar
Oklahoma vs. Alabama
Balmer: Alabama
Rose: Alabama
Anderson: Alabama

Why Alabama will win:
If not for Auburn’s Chris Davis’ last-second field goal return for a touchdown, the 11-1 Crimson Tide would be playing for the national championship. Alabama has won their past four bowl games, however, three of them being BCS titles. Eight times did Alabama give up less than ten points in a game, earning the number two overall defense in the FBS.

Why Oklahoma will win:
Coming off of a win at rival Oklahoma State, the Sooners won five of their last six with the only loss being at the hands of number six Baylor. Oklahoma only failed to score 20 points in three of their games and had the 18 ranked rushing offense in the land with 235.8 yards on the ground per game.

Discover Orange
Clemson vs. Ohio State
Balmer: Ohio State
Rose: Clemson
Anderson: Clemson

Why Clemson will win:
Clemson’s two losses on the season came to a number one Florida State, and a tenth ranked rival South Carolina on the road. Clemson’s 12th ranked passing and scoring offense is led by senior Tajh Boyd, who passed for 3,473 yards and 29 touchdowns. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins is coming off the best season of his career, with 1,237 yards paired with ten touchdowns. Ohio State’s defense is suspect after allowing over 30 points in each of their final two games.

Why Ohio State will win:
If not for a loss in the Big 10 title game, Ohio State would likely be preparing for a National Championship. Even so, the Buckeyes went undefeated in conference, averaging 46 points per contest in those games. The fourth ranked scoring and rushing offense is led by junior quarterback Braxton Miller (1,033 rushing yards, 32 total touchdowns) and senior running back Carlos Hyde (1,408 yards, 14 touchdowns).

AT&T Cotton
Oklahoma State vs. Mizzou
Balmer: Mizzou
Rose: Mizzou
Anderson: Mizzou

Why Mizzou will win:
In their second year in the SEC, Mizzou went 7-1 in conference (11-2 overall), with their two losses coming to ranked opponents (South Carolina and Auburn). The Tigers averaged 39 points per game along with over 230 rushing yards per contest this past season. With a mean height of 6’3, Mizzou’s wide receivers make up the tallest bunch of pass catchers in the country.

Why Oklahoma State will win:
The Cowboys have won their past three bowl games, including with a Fiesta Bowl victory over Stanford in 2011. Over the course of the season Oklahoma State averaged 39.8 points per game on offense (15 in the country) and allowed 20 per contest on defense (14 in the country). Before they had left for the SEC, the Cowboys had beaten Mizzou four of their last five meetings

BBVA Compass
Vanderbilt vs. Houston
Balmer: Vanderbilt
Rose: Vanderbilt
Anderson: Vanderbilt

Why Vanderbilt will win:
Three of the four of the Commodores losses came at the hands of ranked opponents (South Carolina, Mizzou and Texas A&M) along with playing in a conference that has produced the past seven national champions. Vandy won five of their last six, including a victory over Florida for the first time in 25 years.

Why Houston will win:
Led by freshman quarterback John O’Korn, who passed for 2,889 yards and 26 touchdowns, the Cougars ranked 25 in the nation in passing offense. Houston started the season with a five game winning streak, outscoring opponents 199-95.

GoDaddy
Arkansas State vs. Ball State
Balmer: Ball State
Rose: Arkansas State
Anderson: Arkansas State

Why Arkansas State will win:
After winning five of their last seven games, the Red Wolves travel to their third straight GoDaddy bowl, having won in 2013. During their final seven contests, Arkansas State averaged over 30 points per game.

Why Ball State will win:
The 10-2 Cardinals had the ninth best passing offense in the FBS this past season with 333.3 yards through the air per game along with averaging over 40 points. Their only two losses were to North Texas and number 23 Northern Illinois (both on the road).

VIZIO BCS National Championship
No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn
Balmer: Auburn
Rose: Auburn
Anderson: FSU

Why Auburn will win:
Since losing to LSU, Auburn went on a nine game winning streak to finish the season. During their winning torrent, the Tigers beat five ranked opponents (Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia, Alabama and Mizzou). Led by Heisman finalist Tre Mason they boast the number one rushing offense in the land with 335.7 yards per game.

Why Florida State will win:
During the course of the season the number one ranked Seminoles allowed 10.7 points per game, good enough for the number one scoring defense in the country. Florida State also had the number 2 ranked scoring offense, with an average of 53 points per contest led by another Heisman finalist, quarterback Jameis Winston.