The first day of bowl games, Dec. 21, I picked all four games and went 0-4. USC beat Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Colorado State surprised Washington State in the New Mexico Bowl, overcoming a 15-point deficit in about four minutes. San Diego State crushed Buffalo in the Idaho Potato Bowl. Louisiana-Lafayette edge Tulane in the New Orleans Bowl.
Since then, there have been four other bowl games I did not pick. East Carolina downed Ohio in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl. Oregon State defeated Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl. Pittsburgh edged Bowling Green in the Little Caesar's Bowl to move the ACC to 1-0 in the bowl season. And Utah State beat Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl.
Today's games:
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman
Maryland (7-5) vs. Marshall (9-4)
Annapolis, Md. - 2:30 p.m. ESPN
Maryland will try to upend Marshall in its final game as a member of the ACC. I think this game is pretty even. The ACC has been better than Conference USA this year but Marshall has won more games. The Thundering Herd should have beaten Virginia Tech but lost 29-21 in triple OT. They were blown out by Rice in the CUSA championship game but their two other losses were tight as well, by three points to Ohio and two to Middle Tennessee. Maryland began its year 5-0 but ended it 2-5. Florida State emphatically handed the Terrapins their first loss, 63-0. Maryland was then blown out by a Wake Forest team that ended up 4-8, defeated by Clemson by 13 points and Syracuse by 17 points. They beat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in OT, lost to Boston College by three, and then beat a terrible N.C. State team, 41-21. I like Marshall in this game. It will look at this as a big game, a chance to knock off a BCS conference team, a team that is moving to the Big Ten. And, despite the fact that Annapolis is about 29 miles from Maryland's campus, there are expected to be lots of Marshall fans there as well.
Marshall 34, Maryland 27
Texas Bowl
Syracuse (6-6) vs. Minnesota (8-4)
Houston - 6 p.m. ESPN
I think the ACC will fall to 1-2 in bowl games in this one. Syracuse needed a three-point victory over BC to get bowl eligible at the end of the year. Minnesota has been bowl eligible since Oct. 26. The Golden Gophers have wins over Penn State, 24-10, and Northwestern, 20-17. Syracuse lost to those same two teams, 23-17, and 48-27, respectively.
Minnesota 20, Syracuse 17
Fight Hunger Bowl
BYU (8-4) vs. Washington (8-4)
San Francisco - 9:30 p.m. ESPN
This should be a competitive game featuring two pretty good defenses. Washington is without coach Steve Sarkisian, who took the job at USC. Marques Tuiasosopo, a former Rose Bowl hero, is the Huskies' interim coach. I think he will have the team focused and motivated. BYU has arguably better wins but it was not put through the ringer this year like Washington was in the Pac-12, a conference which many considered almost on par with the SEC this season. The Huskies offense is better than the Cougars offense, which does most of its work on the ground with dual-threat QB Taysom Hill. Washington can look to the air with QB Keith Price or try to pound the rock with RB Bishop Stankey.
Washington 31, BYU 24
Since then, there have been four other bowl games I did not pick. East Carolina downed Ohio in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl. Oregon State defeated Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl. Pittsburgh edged Bowling Green in the Little Caesar's Bowl to move the ACC to 1-0 in the bowl season. And Utah State beat Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl.
Today's games:
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman
Maryland (7-5) vs. Marshall (9-4)
Annapolis, Md. - 2:30 p.m. ESPN
Maryland will try to upend Marshall in its final game as a member of the ACC. I think this game is pretty even. The ACC has been better than Conference USA this year but Marshall has won more games. The Thundering Herd should have beaten Virginia Tech but lost 29-21 in triple OT. They were blown out by Rice in the CUSA championship game but their two other losses were tight as well, by three points to Ohio and two to Middle Tennessee. Maryland began its year 5-0 but ended it 2-5. Florida State emphatically handed the Terrapins their first loss, 63-0. Maryland was then blown out by a Wake Forest team that ended up 4-8, defeated by Clemson by 13 points and Syracuse by 17 points. They beat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in OT, lost to Boston College by three, and then beat a terrible N.C. State team, 41-21. I like Marshall in this game. It will look at this as a big game, a chance to knock off a BCS conference team, a team that is moving to the Big Ten. And, despite the fact that Annapolis is about 29 miles from Maryland's campus, there are expected to be lots of Marshall fans there as well.
Marshall 34, Maryland 27
Texas Bowl
Syracuse (6-6) vs. Minnesota (8-4)
Houston - 6 p.m. ESPN
I think the ACC will fall to 1-2 in bowl games in this one. Syracuse needed a three-point victory over BC to get bowl eligible at the end of the year. Minnesota has been bowl eligible since Oct. 26. The Golden Gophers have wins over Penn State, 24-10, and Northwestern, 20-17. Syracuse lost to those same two teams, 23-17, and 48-27, respectively.
Minnesota 20, Syracuse 17
Fight Hunger Bowl
BYU (8-4) vs. Washington (8-4)
San Francisco - 9:30 p.m. ESPN
This should be a competitive game featuring two pretty good defenses. Washington is without coach Steve Sarkisian, who took the job at USC. Marques Tuiasosopo, a former Rose Bowl hero, is the Huskies' interim coach. I think he will have the team focused and motivated. BYU has arguably better wins but it was not put through the ringer this year like Washington was in the Pac-12, a conference which many considered almost on par with the SEC this season. The Huskies offense is better than the Cougars offense, which does most of its work on the ground with dual-threat QB Taysom Hill. Washington can look to the air with QB Keith Price or try to pound the rock with RB Bishop Stankey.
Washington 31, BYU 24
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