Before I get to today's game picks, let's do a little bookkeeping.
College picks record through the conference championship games: 82-39
Bowl picks record so far: 2-4
Overall college football picks record: 84-43
Boca Raton Bowl in Boca Raton, Fla., 6 p.m. ESPN
Marshall (12-1) vs. Northern Illinois (11-2)
Both teams have high-powered offenses, Marshall both running and passing while NIU makes its hay on the ground. The Thundering Herd defense has better numbers than the Huskie defense. Northern Illinois challenged itself much more in the non-conference schedule with games against Northwestern and Arkansas. It beat Northwestern, 23-15, and lost to the Razorbacks, 52-14. Marshall's best non-conference contest was against a 6-6 Ohio team. I would say, though, Marshall's conference schedule was more challenging in CUSA this season than NIU's was in the MAC. These teams have a shared history in the MAC with Marshall being in that conference for several years up until 2005. This year, both played Ohio and Miami of Ohio, NIU in the CUSA slate and Marshall in the non-conference schedule. NIU won both games, 51-41 over Miami and 21-14 over Ohio, while Marshall won both by wider margins, 42-27 and 44-14. Marshall's only loss was a 67-66 thriller in OT to Western Kentucky. Marshall blew out most of its opponents but did show some cracks at the end of the year with that loss and a five-point win over UAB and a three-point victory over La. Tech in the conference title game. NIU's other loss came by a 34-17 score vs. Central Michigan. In the end, I'll take Marshall in what should be a fairly high-scoring affair.
Marshall 30, Northern Illinois 28
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, 9:30 p.m. ESPN
Navy (7-5) vs. San Diego State (7-5)
SDSU has to stop the run against Navy, which of course is one of the best running teams in the country, as usual. The Aztecs rank 28th in the country in that category so I think they will be ok there. They also played a much tougher schedule in the Mountain West than the FBS Independent Midshipmen. I like SDSU in what is essentially a home game for it.
San Diego State 38, Navy 26
College picks record through the conference championship games: 82-39
Bowl picks record so far: 2-4
Overall college football picks record: 84-43
Boca Raton Bowl in Boca Raton, Fla., 6 p.m. ESPN
Marshall (12-1) vs. Northern Illinois (11-2)
Both teams have high-powered offenses, Marshall both running and passing while NIU makes its hay on the ground. The Thundering Herd defense has better numbers than the Huskie defense. Northern Illinois challenged itself much more in the non-conference schedule with games against Northwestern and Arkansas. It beat Northwestern, 23-15, and lost to the Razorbacks, 52-14. Marshall's best non-conference contest was against a 6-6 Ohio team. I would say, though, Marshall's conference schedule was more challenging in CUSA this season than NIU's was in the MAC. These teams have a shared history in the MAC with Marshall being in that conference for several years up until 2005. This year, both played Ohio and Miami of Ohio, NIU in the CUSA slate and Marshall in the non-conference schedule. NIU won both games, 51-41 over Miami and 21-14 over Ohio, while Marshall won both by wider margins, 42-27 and 44-14. Marshall's only loss was a 67-66 thriller in OT to Western Kentucky. Marshall blew out most of its opponents but did show some cracks at the end of the year with that loss and a five-point win over UAB and a three-point victory over La. Tech in the conference title game. NIU's other loss came by a 34-17 score vs. Central Michigan. In the end, I'll take Marshall in what should be a fairly high-scoring affair.
Marshall 30, Northern Illinois 28
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, 9:30 p.m. ESPN
Navy (7-5) vs. San Diego State (7-5)
SDSU has to stop the run against Navy, which of course is one of the best running teams in the country, as usual. The Aztecs rank 28th in the country in that category so I think they will be ok there. They also played a much tougher schedule in the Mountain West than the FBS Independent Midshipmen. I like SDSU in what is essentially a home game for it.
San Diego State 38, Navy 26
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