College Football Picks: Bowl Picks Part I

Can you hear that? It's the sound of silence.

For the first time in the history of college football, there are no complaints. OK, so that's a stretch, but admit it, there isn't much, if anything, to complain about concerning those teams eligible to win the national championship this year.

What happens from here is anybody's guess. My best guess will come out in Part 2 of the Bowl Preview. For now, let's focus on the games prior to New Year's Eve.

As in year's past, the format of the Bowl Preview will be a little different from the regular season as I am picking a side or total in every bowl game. Games are listed in chronological order, but each will be noted as "Cream of the Crop" (CC), "Best of the Rest" (BR) or "Passing Thoughts" (PT).

As always, I'll tweet any insights I come up with post-article each week. You can follow me at @gregvara.

DECEMBER 19

New Mexico Bowl
Albuquerque

Arizona vs. New Mexico

Expectations were high entering the season for Arizona, and, obviously, they weren't met. New Mexico quietly had a solid season and again finds itself at home for another bowl game. Arizona has more talent, but talent doesn't always win out in bowls. Motivation is often a bigger factor in games like this, and that is clearly on the side of New Mexico.

Side: New Mexico +8 (BR)

Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas

BYU vs. Utah

At different points this season, each of these teams reached a fairly high level, but neither could sustain that play throughout the season. As such, both are relegated to playing on Dec. 19. There probably isn't a motivational edge here, so I'm going to side with Utah, which has a higher upside than BYU.

Side: Utah -2.5 (BR)

Camellia Bowl
Montgomery, Ala.

Ohio vs. Appalachian State

It seems strange to see Appalachian state in a bowl, but there it is. With that in mind, you can imagine motivation will be extremely high for Appalachian State entering this game.

Side: Appalachian State -7.5 (PT)

Cure Bowl
Orlando, Fla.

San Jose State vs. Georgia State

Yikes. This is about as bad as it gets. There are teams with losing records in Bowl games this season, but most of them are from solid conferences. That can't be said for these two teams. In a game where anything and I mean anything can happen, I'm going to take the points.

Side: Georgia State +3 (PT)

New Orleans Bowl
New Orleans

Arkansas State vs. Louisiana Tech

As much as I look forward to bowl season each year, I'll be happy to see the Dec. 19 slate end. Fortunately for us, the nightcap should be fun to watch. Both of these teams can light it up and points should come in bunches.

Total: Over 67.5 (CC)

DECEMBER 21

Miami Beach Bowl
Miami

Western Kentucky vs. South Florida

Had WKU been paired with a better opponent, I would probably have faded it, but South Florida does not provide the challenge that a power-5 conference foe would. WKU has a prolific offense, and it will be on display. South Florida will likely have an advantage in the stands, but as we all know, the stands aren't exactly filled for these early bowls.

Side: WKU -2.5 (CC)

DECEMBER 22

Potato Bowl
Boise, Idaho

Akron vs. Utah State

Motivation is probably on the side of the Zips, but talent is on the side of Utah State, and as strange as it might sound, familiarity with the locale of the game might help Utah State, as well.

Side: Utah State -7 (PT)

Boca Raton Bowl
Boca Raton, Fla.

Toledo vs. Temple

A couple of surprising upstarts, but while Temple will look to cap off a solid season, Toledo will be trying to figure out what the future looks like without its head coach. In a game so evenly matched, something like a coaching change can be the difference.

Side: Temple -1 (CC)

DECEMBER 23

Poinsettia Bowl
San Diego

Boise State vs. Northern Illinois

The talent disparity between these two teams is not as wide as you might think, but it will still come down to whether Boise State comes prepared for this game. The Broncos reputation leads me to believe that they'll be ready for any challenge, but the number is a bit too high for my liking.

Side: NIU +8.5 (PT)

GoDaddy Bowl
Mobile, Ala.

Georgia Southern vs. Bowling Green

Bowling Green has a high-powered offense, but the perception of its offense might be skewing the line. Bowling Green is from the MAC, and its best win this season was against a middling Purdue team. Georgia Southern doesn't have a better resume than Bowling Green, but it does have something more important -- motivation. After being shut out of bowl season last year, Georgia Southern will be highly motivated to play well.

Side: Georgia Southern +8 (BR)

DECEMBER 24

Bahamas Bowl
Nassau, Bahamas

Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan

I love bowl games, but did every MAC team make a bowl this year? And the Bahamas? Look, you can analyze games like these for days, but there's simply no way to tell which team is going to come to play and which is going to be more interested in the scenery. That's just a fact of life when you have two mediocre teams with little history to go on. With that in mind, I will take the points.

Side: Middle Tennessee State +3 (PT)

Hawaii Bowl
Honolulu

San Diego State vs. Cincinnati

A couple of quality teams, with not much separation, but there is one key factor that might decide this one ... San Diego State has already traveled to Hawaii this year. Look, this time of year there are more factors in play than just how good a team is. Motivation has already been mentioned several times, but another factor is the distraction level and preparation. Cincinnati is a good team, but with not much to play for, it wouldn't be surprising to see them unprepared for this game.

Side: SDSU -1 (CC)

DECEMBER 26

St. Petersburg Bowl
St. Petersburg, Fla.

Connecticut vs. Marshall

This one isn't going to be pretty, neither team has much of an offense and both teams can play some defense. While I generally like to avoid totals in the 40s, I simply don't see a lot points in this game.

Total: Under 44 (BR)

Sun Bowl
El Paso, Texas

Miami vs. Washington State

It's been a disappointing season for Miami, but to their credit, the Hurricanes finished the season 4-1 following a 58-0 thumping at the hands of Clemson. Although the Hurricanes have underachieved, their offense has been pretty reliable for the most part this season. Washington State also underachieved this season, but like the Hurricanes, the offense was rarely the problem. Expect a lot of points.

Total: Over 62.5 (CC)

Heart of Dallas Bowl
Dallas

Washington vs. Southern Miss

Southern Miss ended the season with a good record, but its competition this season was less than stellar. Washington, meanwhile, faced several strong opponents and more often than not, met the challenge. I'm not fond of laying a large number like this in a bowl, but Washington appears to clearly be the better team.

Side: Washington -9 (BR)

Pinstripe Bowl
Bronx, N.Y.

Indiana vs. Duke

Motivation will clearly be on the side of Indiana, as the Hoosiers are not accustomed to playing in bowls and Duke's raised expectations were not met this season. I can't back a team that doesn't play defense. I'll focus on the total, with is high but attainable.

Total: Over 68 (CC)

Independence Bowl
Shreveport, La.

Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech

I was quite honestly shocked to see the line in this game set so high. Virginia Tech is the better team, but the Hokies have been a less than reliable product for the better part of the last five years. Nearly everything will have to go right for the Hokies to cover a number like this against a decent Tulsa team.

Side: Tulsa +13 (BR)

Foster Farms Bowl
Santa Clara, Calif.

UCLA vs. Nebraska

Two highly unpredictable teams will meet as the Bruins and Cornhuskers look to finish disappointing seasons on a high note. The Bruins appear to be the better team on paper, but I have a feeling Nebraska is going to be more motivated. In addition, the Huskers have played just about everyone tight this year, and the six points might come in handy.

Side: Nebraska +6 (BR)

DECEMBER 28

Military Bowl
Annapolis, Mary.

Pittsburgh vs. Navy

Navy received more attention this season for the Keenan Reynolds-for-Heisman kerfuffle than it has in any season in recent memory, but lost in all of that was that the Midshipmen had a pretty solid season. I'm a little worried about the line movement in this game -- it's moved two points toward Pittsburgh -- and I don't like the way Navy played against Army, but nonetheless, I will lay the points.

Side: Navy -3 (PT)

Quick Lane Bowl
Detroit

Central Michigan vs. Minnesota

I'm not sure how excited Minnesota will be to play in a bowl after going 5-7 this season, but considering this is a team looking toward the future, the Gophers might use this game as a springboard for next season. In addition, the Gophers have played their best football over the last month, and if this line stays under seven, I'll lay the points.

Side: Minnesota -6 (CC)

DECEMBER 29

Armed Forces Bowl
Ft. Worth, Texas

California vs. Air Force

California has a high-powered offense, and Air Force has been no stranger to high-scoring games this season. Add to that, the total have moved a couple points higher since it opened. Expect a lot of points.

Total: Over 65.5 (CC)

Russell Athletic Bowl
Orlando, Fla.

North Carolina vs. Baylor

Speaking of points, this game may end up being the highest scoring game of the bowl season. The Tar Heels can score on anyone, and as long as the Bears can square away their QB situation, the score should end up in the 80s, at least.

Total: Over 69.5 (CC)

Arizona Bowl
Tucson, Ariz.

Nevada vs. Colorado State

Side rant here: isn't it an awful idea to match teams from these two conferences in a bowl? This looks like a MWC game from a couple years ago. In other words, it's not very intriguing. Anyhow, if momentum can carry over to bowl season, CSU should come out on top as the Rams have won five in a row.

Side: CSU -3 (PT)

Texas Bowl
Houston

LSU vs. Texas Tech

Motivation will clearly be on the side of the Red Raiders, as LSU appeared to throw in the towel after a loss to Alabama a couple months back. Add to that, there's always extra motivation to knock off teams from the SEC. This game will come down to pride for LSU. Hopefully the Tigers show up, but chances are, they're already looking ahead to next year.

Side: Texas Tech +7

DECEMBER 30

Birmingham Bowl
Birmingham, Ala.

Auburn vs. Memphis

This is a tough game to peg as one team enters off a largely disappointing season and the other enters off a disappointing finish to the season. Auburn has the talent edge, but the Tigers have been impossible to figure out all season. Again, though, motivation will be on the side of Memphis as the Tigers will be attempting to knock off a big brother from the SEC.

Side: Memphis +2.5

Belk Bowl
Charlotte, N.C.

North Carolina State vs. Mississippi State

Mississippi State played second-fiddle to Ole Miss for most of the season, but this will be a chance to break out of the Rebel shadow with a good showing against a quality opponent in N.C. State. While the Bulldogs failed to beat a ranked opponent this season, they did beat every team they were supposed to and they are supposed to win this game.

Side: Mississippi State -5 (CC)

Music City Bowl
Nashville

Texas A&M vs. Louisville

The status of Texas A&M's starting QB Kyler Murray is in the air. Unfortunately, his status is the largest determining factor in this game. That said, it looks like there's a decent chance he will play, which provides a decent opportunity to take advantage of the current line. At this writing, the game is a "pick 'em" and the total is set at only 50. If Murray plays, you will get some nice value.

Total: Over 50 (BR)

Holiday Bowl
San Diego

USC vs. Wisconsin

Which Wisconsin team will show up? Which USC team will show up? Wisconsin has a history of playing well in bowls, and while personnel changes each year, there is a mindset that carries over from year to year. In addition, the Big Ten teams always have a chip on their shoulder during bowl season.

Side: Wisconsin +3.5 (BR)