My lean is New Mexico, but Fleck is excellent in bowls, going 6-0 at Minnesota with a Rate Bowl victory in 2021. They will, thanks to a last-minute field goal from the “Tokyo Toe,” Kansei Matsuzawa. The Hilltoppers have been a bit erratic on offense but can lean on their defense in this one. But Louisville should be engaged enough to finish things with a win. The Rockets’ path to success is through their defense, which ranks fourth nationally in points allowed (12.2 ppg).
Another field goal lifts Houston to 16-7 lead
Coach Butch Jones leads Arkansas State into its third consecutive bowl game, and is 5-1 in his past six bowls. The Ragin’ Cajuns won their final four games to get bowl-eligible, all by single digits, and will find a way in another tight one behind a balanced rushing attack. The game location certainly favors Louisiana, which makes its eighth consecutive bowl appearance and 13th since 2011, but is just 1-3 under coach Michael Desormeaux.
Coaches Kalani Sitake (BYU) and Brent Key (Georgia Tech) are true believers in physical play and out-toughing your opponent. The Panthers seemingly have a bright future with quarterback Mason Heintschel, running back Ja’Kyrian Turner and others set to return in 2026. UTSA has the talent edge with quarterback Owen McCown and others, but will it be truly motivated?
End of third quarter: Colorado 31, Texas Tech 20
That led coach Deion Sanders to consider starting Staub vs. Houston. Salter is a dual threat quarterback who led Liberty to a 13-1 record in 2023. Colorado coach Deion Sanders has been open about his health issues since having his cancerous bladder removed in May. If he starts as expected, it would be his second career start and first since a loss at Utah to end the regular season in 2023. He also was listed on top of the depth chart distributed in the press box before the game. The game will be televised on ESPN and also is available on Fubo.
After the Red Raiders punt, Colorado will take over at its own 31-yard line. The Buffs’ defense gets a much-needed stop, forcing Texas Tech into a three-and-out after an incomplete pass from Behren Morton on a third-and-7. Texas Tech goes three-and-out, with whatever hopes it had of a productive drive dashed by Arden Walker, who sacked Behren Morton for a 9-yard loss on a second-and-1. It nearly turned out worse for the Red Raiders, with Behren Morton getting picked off by Travis Hunter on an acrobatic play in which he high-pointed the ball perfectly, but it was negated by an offsides call on the Buffs.
Four plays later, Sanders connects with LaJohntay Wester on a short pass, with Wester getting to the edge and receiving a key block from Travis Hunter to give him some open space along the sideline for a 23-yard score. The Red Raiders had an opportunity to tack on some points in the waning seconds of the first half after a J’Koby Williams 57-yard kick return got his team down to the Colorado 42. Regardless, the Buffs got a first down and capitalized with a touchdown three plays later. The drive is capped off by a 7-yard touchdown run from Shedeur Sanders, who has shown off his legs a bit today. The Red Raiders hadn’t scored on any of their previous four drives, a stretch in which they racked up just 20 total yards.
Quarterback Ryan Staub led his team downfield with passes of 36 and 25 yards before scrambling for 19 yards to the goal line and nearly scoring a touchdown to end the first half. Sanchez this time hit from 49 yards, his fifth field goal of the game. Louisiana Tech’s offense has had a few no-shows this season, but scored a total of 76 points in its past two games and has a deep and balanced rushing contingent with four ball carriers eclipsing 450 yards. To be fair, Miami won this bowl game last year, and coach Chuck Martin’s teams are always at the line of scrimmage. UConn aims for its second straight win in the game, and its first 10-win season, and will be led by interim coach Gordon Sammis, the team’s offensive coordinator, following Jim Mora’s departure to Colorado State.
Shedeur Sanders TD pass to Will Sheppard gives Colorado lead
Old Dominion standout quarterback Colton Joseph, a dynamic dual threat, is set to enter the transfer portal and won’t play in the bowl. Both teams had very strong seasons, taking down Power 4 opponents in Florida (South Florida) and Virginia Tech (Old Dominion). Jacksonville State has been a bit more consistent and will ride running back Cam Cook, the MVP of C-USA with 1,659 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, to a victory. The Panthers are coming in hot and win a close one behind the defense and dynamic wide receiver Jyzaiah Rockwell, who catches two touchdown passes. Jeremiah Smith, who grew up near Hard Rock Stadium, shows why he’s the best player in the sport with two second-half touchdown catches, as Ohio State repeats as national champion for the first time.
Indiana likely without DE Stephen Daley for CFP
- The Trojans clearly improved this season, despite once again falling short of the CFP.
- Toledo, meanwhile, lost longtime coach Jason Candle to UConn and defensive coordinator Vince Kehres to Syracuse.
- Kudos to Appalachian State, which said yes when many others did not, and gave Georgia Southern an opponent to close out the season.
- The game will be televised on ESPN and also is available on Fubo.
- A bit of a chaotic sequence ends a Texas Tech drives and gives Colorado the ball back early in the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead.
- For the first time in the brief life of the Fenway Bowl, two teams based in the Northeast will meet at the iconic baseball venue.
Without further ado, from Bowl Predictions HQ in downtown Indianapolis, here are the breakdowns and picks for every college football postseason game. James Madison is a surprise inclusion to the CFP, and coach Bob Chesney will lead the Dukes before departing for UCLA. The annual coaching carousel always impacts the postseason, but this year has seen moves that have impacted the CFP unlike ever before.
CFP Anger Index: An absurd farce over Notre Dame, MiamiDavid Hale
The Red Raiders go 66 yards in nine plays, capped off by a Tahj Brooks 2-yard rushing touchdown on fourth-and-1. With Shedeur Sanders leading the way, the Buffs go 73 yards in seven plays. Following a 16-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders to Will Sheppard on the first play, Colorado’s drive stalls out a bit, with the Buffs gaining only eight more yards. Shedeur Sanders continued a stellar senior season, completing 30 of his 43 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns, along with a 7-yard rushing touchdown.
According to a forecast from The Weather Channel, it will be sunny and clear in Lubbock, Texas on Saturday, with a high temperature of 67 degrees and winds blowing WSW at 10 to 20 miles per hour. “Travis gets my vote,” he said. “Travis is the best player in college football. Texas Tech takes over at its own 47-yard line after a 27-yard punt from Mark Vassett. What has been an explosive Buffs offense for so much of the season has had trouble getting much of anything going so far today against Texas Tech.
Colorado, Shedeur Sanders punt again
BYU felt it had a playoff-worthy profile, while Georgia Tech seemingly had a CFP path before losing three of its final four regular-season games. FIU won its final four games, including a triumph over Jacksonville State, to secure bowl eligibility under first-year coach Willie Simmons, who won the Celebration Bowl in 2023 at Florida A&M. The best unit on the field is Western Michigan’s defense, as first-year coordinator Chris O’Leary has overseen a group that ranks 14th nationally in points allowed and 15th in yards allowed.
Kentucky vs Murray State weather update
The Buffs will face a tough running back for Houston, Dean Connors, who is averaging 91 yards per game and 6.5 yards easymarkets broker per carry. He barely played except for the final regular season game of 2023, when Shedeur was injured. Colorado quarterback Ryan Staub warmed up with the first-team offensive line about 30 minutes before the game. Ryan Staub indeed did start the game for Colorado at quarterback, but his first drive petered out when he underthrew a pass over the middle on third down and 12 from the Houston 47-yard line. A Colorado defender apparently fell on his leg, leading to a stoppage in play as he was helped onto the cart and taken off the field.
- Two years ago, I picked Boise State in this game but UCLA took down the Broncos even though coach Chip Kelly had one foot out the door.
- TCU can somewhat quietly finish with consecutive nine-win seasons.
- The best matchup of the entire CFP could come in the desert, featuring teams that have combined for three of the past four national championships.
- Regardless, the Buffs got a first down and capitalized with a touchdown three plays later.
- The best unit on the field is Western Michigan’s defense, as first-year coordinator Chris O’Leary has overseen a group that ranks 14th nationally in points allowed and 15th in yards allowed.
Two of the nation’s best defenses will go at it in Atlanta with a spot in the national championship game on the line. The best matchup of the entire CFP could come in the desert, featuring teams that have combined for three of the past four national championships. I love this Ole Miss team, but I don’t see Georgia exiting the playoff so soon again. Alabama will need some type of offensive balance to win this one, and I don’t see it happening against coordinator Bryant Haines’ ferocious defense. Indiana had barely capped off the most magical night in recent program history before coach Curt Cignetti turned his attention toward preparing (and humbling) his team before the CFP. Oregon has the quarterback edge with Dante Moore, who should have more wide receivers at his disposal as he faces a top-five defense in Texas Tech.
Texas Tech’s slim hopes of a comeback win have now vanished. After punting on their first four drives, the Buffs got points on six of their next seven possessions, four of which ended with touchdowns. Interestingly, Hunter did not record any statistics on defense, though he had a leaping, acrobatic interception negated due to an offsides penalty. The Red Raiders, at 6-3 entering the matchup, had the best record of any team remaining on Colorado’s schedule. Buy Kentucky football tickets this season with StubHub