I'm not going to play the national title game betting-wise so I can enjoy it either way -- I'm a Midwest Catholic, so I can't possibly have an unbiased opinion on Notre Dame against either one of these two hated teams and my late grandpa was an ND grad so no way -- but I think the only advantage UT has here is a semi-close location to campus. I tend to think Texas ATS covers (at least on this number) but also that OSU wins outright. But I got nothing right last night so ... see you in August for the rematch.

Penn State sure seems to have the advantages here in health and rest with that ND game pushed back one day due to the New Orleans issue. The Irish lost star pass-rusher Rylie Mills to injury in Round 1 and a few other guys left the Georgia quarterfinal win banged up. No. 1 running back Jeremiyah Love is clearly not 100 percent as he had only six carries against the Dawgs. As a fan, I want the Irish to win it all as I don't care for the other three schools left standing, but it simply feels like a lot of things going against them on Thursday from Miami. I'm half tempted to drive over and attend.

Was simply waiting for official word that Penn State star defender Abdul Carter would play -- and he will. We stay under the important number of 45 (24-21) but I'm not sure this game even gets into the 40s barring OT. Something like 20-17 maybe. It's fairly chilly here in South Florida and I don't think that hurts our chances. Should be a lot of running plays and a lot of running clock.

Rematch of the 2021 FCS title game from Frisco, Texas. I generally defer to ESPN's Bill Connelly on FCS games, and he has Montana State about 3.5 points better, which just so happens to be the spread. The Bobcats are now the nation's only unbeaten team (FBS/FCS) and largely have been smashing people this season. Their offense has been unstoppable led by dual-threat QB Tommy Mellott. NDSU has a couple losses and a few close calls.

We crush Liberty in this matchup if college football had a commissioner/any rules whatsoever. I'm not gonna sit here and be one of those "get off my lawn" guys but it's blatantly stupid the portal is open during bowl season. Liberty lost most of its best players in it and unlike some other bowls, we know they aren't playing led by QB Kaidon Salter (Colorado).

A great bowl season came crashing back to earth yesterday when I backed two dogs and neither covered. Silly me. I assume there is a reason that Gunner Stockton has been UGA's backup QB the past two years as he starts today with Carson Beck out injured. The little I know about Stockton is that he can run some but isn't near the passer Beck is. The Irish have been college football's best team since that stunning Week 2 loss to NIU. I tried to consider whether the postponement for some reason benefited either team, and don't really see one. It does seem to me, though, that teams who played in Round 1 have an advantage so far as they have rolled in the quarters.

Told myself I was just going to enjoy this game and not bet it ... told myself I was just going to enjoy this game and not bet it. Then Oregon got to +3. So yeah. The Ducks definitely got hosed by the draw, but this makes no sense. Oh how I hate ... Ohio State.

Talk about no respect for Boise State. Sure, I expect Penn State to win but tend to think this is a close slugfest as the Broncos continue to run Ashton Jeanty into the teeth of that excellent PSU defense. Remember, Jeanty tore up Oregon earlier this season and Boise State nearly knocked off the Ducks in a true road game. The Broncos might have the majority of fan support in Glendale. PSU coach James Frankly is an ugly 5-14 career in AP top-15 matchups.

LSU at full strength probably wins this fairly easily, but how excited will the Tigers be to play a lower-tier bowl in Houston down starting receivers Kyren Lacy and CJ Daniels, tight end Mason Taylor, offensive linemen Will Campbell and Emery Jones, and safeties Major Burns and Sage Ryan? Baylor won its final six to likely save Coach Dave Aranda's job and it just feels like a team trying to build momentum for 2025 with very few opt-outs or transfer guys.

Iowa lost its best offensive player by far to an opt out in All-American running back Kaleb Johnson and because Johnson was so good, Iowa only averaged 13.5 pass attempts per game in November. Missouri lost All-American WR Luther Burden, but four-year starting QB Brady Cook is playing in his finale and will be plenty motivated to finish as a winner. Iowa has lost its past eight games against ranked foes.

Was on hottest college football streak of my life ... until Texas A&M remembered it was Texas A&M. Can't spell Aggies without GAG. Guess I can't complain as I was on the right side of some pretty big comebacks there for a while. It's almost as if leading by double digits in a bowl is a bad thing this year. As we have seen, bowls are all about motivation. There are a bunch of Cabin Fevered people living in Lincoln who have been dying to plan a bowl trip for the first time since 2016. Because, I mean, Lincoln in the winter (yes I've been there). So yeah I think this matters to the Huskers.

So I'm not a horn-tooter/marketer. Just not me. Obviously got lucky landing with SportsLine to where I don't have to in order to make a living. But that's nine straight bowl wins for me, which is crazy because I consider home-field advantage pretty important. But after watching Heretic last night (really different; my dawg Hugh Grant went quite off-book for him), I also now believe we might be all living in a simulation so ... A&M simply is in much, much better shape via opt outs/transfers. That team feels like it is going up under Mike Elko where USC is going down under Lincoln Riley. And don't even think about hiring Riley, Da Bears.

Was waiting for the final bowl opt out list for OU and it appears their last receiver with really any experience who hasn't transferred, Deion Burks, will not play. So the team's WR room is now apparently eight freshmen. Several other guys are also out all over the roster. The Sooners are still the more talented roster but how much do they really want to be here? Navy hasn't won a bowl this decade so it likely means a bit more. And I think we are far enough out now from the Army game to where no letdown here.

Do I think Bowling Green is the better team and wins here? Yep, but not double digits better than Arky State. Three Falcons named first-team All-MAC may not play as they are in the portal led by RB Terion Stewart (160-890-6) and top tackler Joseph Sipp. I say may not play but you hear noise that they might. Not sure how that works since they signed with other schools. A-State appears to have lost just one defensive back starter in terms of the portal or opt outs. The Red Wolves are 5-0 when allowing teams to complete fewer than 64% of their passes, and BGSU has been at 64% or under seven times this year.

I'll be buying the hook but Pittsburgh has been gutted by injuries/transfers (their starting QB is iffy due to injury and the backup already left town) and the like and has lost five straight as it is. Beating a power conference school is a big deal for Toledo, which can actually beat two in a season for only the second time in school history.