COLUMN: Bowl picks 2017

     It’s bowling season and that means Pete Temple and myself will go head to head with our picks in our annual battle for $1. This used to be enjoyable, that is until there became 40 bowls.

     Here is my opinion on bowl games, cut it down to 25. For shortening up my column I will attempt to leave off the official sponsor of each bowl. Let’s get started!

     Celebration Bowl champs are North Carolina A&T and the New Orleans Bowl goes to Troy. Georgia St. wins the Cure Bowl and Boise St. claims the Las Vegas Bowl. The New Mexico Bowl will be a Colorado St. victory over Marshall.

     Look for Arkansas St. to win the Camellia Bowl and Florida Atlantic over the Akron Zips in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Frisco Bowl goes to Louisiana Tech and the Gasparilla Bowl to FIU. This far in and one could easily eliminate 8 bowls.

     UAB will be victorious in the Bahamas Bowl and CMU as well in the Potato Bowl. USF will win the Birmingham Bowl and San Diego St the Armed Forces Bowl, even though Army is the sentimental favorite. Appalachian St. will win their bowl over Toledo. I didn’t even know Appalachian St. existed.

     The Hawaii Bowl goes to Fresno St., the Heart of Dallas Bowl is a Utah win. Duke takes the classic Quick Lane Bowl and Kansas St. knocks off UCLA in the Cactus Bowl. I’m taking Florida St. in the Independence Bowl (The first bowl I recognize to this point). Iowa will get back to bowl victory lane in the Pinstripe Bowl played in the not so tropical weather of New York City. Purdue will continue the Big Ten charge over Arizona in the Foster Farms Bowl.

     Look for Missouri to win the Outdoors Bowl and Navy the Military Bowl. Oklahoma St. tops Virginia Tech in their bowl matchup. Michigan St. makes it three in a row for the Big Ten in the Holiday Bowl, a tough match-up with Washington St.

     Remember the Alamo? TCU will after a victory over Stanford. The Belk Bowl goes to Wake Forest and the Sun Bowl to NC State. The Music City Bowl, which is where I hoped the Hawks ended up, will continue the Big Ten streak at four with a Northwestern win.

     Look for Utah St. to win the Arizona Bowl. USC stops the Big Ten streak in the Cotton Bowl with a wild win over Ohio St. Louisville wins the Taxslayer Bowl and Iowa St., who drew a tough assignment playing Memphis in their hometown, wins the Liberty Bowl.

     Penn St. gets the Big Ten back on track by defeating Washington in the Orange Bowl. South Carolina and Miami (FL) abruptly ends that by defeating Michigan and Wisconsin respectively. Auburn wins the Peach bowl and LSU the Citrus Bowl.

     For the playoffs I am taking Georgia over Oklahoma and Alabama over Clemson. Georgia will be your 2017-2018 National Champions!