Man, today I wanna talk about something that’s been on my mind lately – the projections for bowl games. I’ve been digging into this stuff, and let me tell you, it’s quite a ride.
So, I started by checking out what some of the big names in sports were saying. You know, like the folks at CBS Sports. I found this one expert, Jerry Palm, he’s like the bowl game guru, and he’s already picking out who he thinks will make it to the National Semi-final. That got me hooked!
Then I went down the rabbit hole of individual players and teams. I read about this guy Jeanty, who’s apparently a beast on the field, averaging some crazy number of rushing yards per game. That’s gotta influence how people see his team’s chances, right?
Next, I hit up Sporting News. They have this whole guide to the college football bowl season for 2024-25. It’s massive! I spent a good chunk of time just browsing through their predictions and the different matchups. It gave me a good overview of the whole landscape.
I also found some specific dates and games that are already set. Like, there’s the Hawaii bowl on December 24th and the New Orleans Bowl on the 19th. Knowing those dates really helped me get a timeline in my head.
I found this panel of experts, who get together and try to predict the outcome of each game. It’s wild to see how they analyze everything. It gave me some insight into how hard it is to make predictions in this business.
Some Specific Matchups Caught My Eye
- Peach Bowl: I saw a prediction for Texas vs. Arizona State. The comment about Arizona State being good at “winning at the margins” made me think about how small things can make a big difference in these games.
- Valero Alamo Bowl: Apparently, these two big-shot players from the Colorado Buffaloes, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, are expected to play. That’s gonna be a game to watch for sure.
- Isleta New Mexico Bowl: This one’s interesting because it’s Louisiana vs. TCU, and they’ve never played each other before. Plus, it’s one of those Group of 5 vs. Power 4 matchups, which are always exciting.
- Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Illinois is in, which is cool. They haven’t been in a New Year’s bowl game since 2023.
- Art of Sport LA Bowl: This is gonna be Cal against UNLV, who are number 24. That should be a good one.
I also thought about all those teams with six or more wins. Where are they gonna end up? Who gets to play that extra game? I guess that’s part of the fun, seeing who gets rewarded for a good season.
After all this digging, I realized that making bowl game projections is like putting together a giant puzzle. You gotta look at individual players, team performance, expert opinions, and even historical data. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also super interesting.
At the end of the day, I’m just a guy who loves college football and enjoys diving into these predictions. I wanted to share my little adventure with you all, hoping you’d find it as fascinating as I did. It’s not about being right or wrong; it’s about the excitement of the game and the anticipation of what’s to come.
