God Bless us Everyone!
Pick results summary here. Part 2 of Bowl Season is still underway but the results from Part 1 are formally in. Currently YankeeJacket leads the way with 8 correct picks on the bowl season. kjjrb is in second place with 7 correct picks and we have a four-way tie for third between mrbuzz1885, Edgarina, gtsam97, and yofftalk. Plenty of game left so we will see how the rest of the bowl season goes.
There has been a lot going on in the GT world since we entered the offseason, many of those goings on have not been ideal. As some of you noted in the comments last week, we lost Faulkner and Philo to Florida, which are big disappointments and cast some doubt on how we will perform with a tougher schedule next year. This seems to be more of a regular theme in the current football landscape, you just can’t assume anyone will stick around forever.
I don’t blame Philo or Faulkner for leaving, and I recommend that other fans try not to cast aspersions on them. Fact of the matter is that they contributed greatly to the success of the GT program while they were here, but they found new opportunities to help their future career paths, and they felt they had to take those opportunities regardless of the potential risk. Am I sour about it? Of course, because I love my team. Would I have done the same in their shoes? I’d like to think I would stay at GT, but that’s easy to say when I’m not getting offered millions to play at one of the most prestigious schools in the most prestigious conferences in the NCAA.
Despite the pain, I wish them the best of luck. This is the holiday season after all and good will towards men is kind of a recurring theme. Faith is also a big theme during this time of year, and I think we all need to have faith that Brent Key knows what he is doing. Key was the one who brought Faulkner here in the first place and that worked out pretty well. I believe Key, possibly with some help from Santa, will have a good OC for us to unwrap before the new year is over.
Take the time this season to grant the GT football team some grace and grant yourself some peace. The season didn’t end how we wanted it to after all the potential from how we started, but we do need to keep in perspective that this was still a 9-win season with plenty of joy and wonder for GT fans. We should be happy we have so much to celebrate from this year and be hopeful for more joy in years to come. So, to all of you readers I wish you a Happy Holidays and hope you enjoy the rest of the offseason even if all the news isn’t silver and gold for the GT program.
picks:
JLab Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern Eagles (-6.5) v Appalachian State Mountaineers
Logan: A rivalry game and a bowl game all wrapped into one? What a great concept! I wish I got to see this more often. This was a super close game the first time it was played, I think App State can cover the spread here.
Logan’s pick: App State
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers v Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (-9.5)
Logan: Because someone had to go to Shreveport. Louisiana Tech basically gets a home game here, which could mean a lot for prep time for this game. The spread feels high in this game considering both teams seem to utilize high scoring offenses to keep them in games. Since I don’t know much about either team I will take Louisiana Tech to win by 10 because I don’t think Coastal Carolina will be motivated to play in Shreveport.
Logan’s pick: LA Tech
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl: Tennessee Volunteers (-2.5) v Illinois Fighting Illini
Logan: Most of the games following this game are likely going to come down to who shows up. Tennessee should be the better team is pretty much every way, but how many players are going to opt out of the game here? Illinois will likely see some opt outs as well, so this game becomes quite a confusing pick. I will take Tennessee as they have more depth and should have more players sticking around for a game in Tennessee, but this one could go either way.
Logan’s pick: Tennessee
Valero Alamo Bowl: #16 USC Trojans (-6.5) v TCU Horned Frogs
Logan: USC doesn’t seem to have too much talent sitting out, and TCU doesn’t seem to matchup well against the USC defense on paper. I guess I will side with USC.
Logan’s pick: USC
ReliaQuest Bowl: #23 Iowa Hawkeyes v #14 Vanderbilt Commodores (-5.5)
Logan: Diego Pavia’s last game after barely losing the Heisman Trophy? I wouldn’t bet against the Commodores here.
Logan’s pick: Vandy
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Arizona State Sun Devils v Duke Blue Devils (-3.5)
Logan: We can know Duke for being a 8-5 team, but they were fighters who won when they needed to. Jeff Sims should be the QB in this game, and I don’t expect things to go well for him if the Blue Devil defense looks like it did in the ACC Championship. I will go with the Blue Devils.
Logan’s pick: Duke
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: #18 Michigan Wolverines v #13 Texas Longhorns (-7.5)
Logan: Michigan is in a weird spot after losing their coach. I think Texas had a better ability to move the ball against Michigan before all this off the field turmoil for Michigan. I just don’t see this game going well for the wolverines.
Logan’s pick: Texas
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska Cornhuskers v #15 Utah Utes (-16.5)
Logan: Nebraska is going to be dealing with some large scale player turnover with Dylan Raiola leaving. barring something miraculous I think the spread is accurate for Utah.
Logan’s pick: Utah
CFP Quarterfinal: #10 Miami Hurricanes v #2 Ohio State Buckeyes (-9.5)
Logan: Why am I picking Miami now, it feels so weird after being the guy who expected them to choke all season. Miami’s defense is legit and the environment at a neutral site will be much easier for the ‘Canes than playing in a tough road environment. If Miami doesn’t win, I have to believe they will at least cover in this matchup.
Logan’s pick: Miami
CFP Quarterfinal: #5 Oregon Ducks (-1.5) v #4 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Logan: This is the game I have no real read on. I can see it going either way depending on how the turnovers break. I think Texas Tech has a shot but I don’t think the team is ready for this level of a game, whereas the Oregon coaches and players have been in this environment before on both the good and bad side of results. I guess I feel Oregon will be ready for what the game can bring. I will take Oregon to win.
Logan’s pick: Oregon
CFP Quarterfinal: #9 Alabama Crimson Tide v #1 Indiana Hoosiers (-6.5)
Logan: I can’t get my Bama picks right this season. In this case I’m back to going with the opposite of my head. I think Alabama has a real shot in this game, and since I can’t trust my brain I will take Indiana.
Logan’s pick: Indiana
CFP Quarterfinal: #6 Ole Miss Rebels v that school in athens (-6.5)
Logan: nothing bad happens to uga… At least not yet.
Logan’s pick: uga
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Rice Owls v Texas State Bobcats (-11.5)
Logan: … I have no idea on what is going on with either of these teams. My understanding from NCAA26 memes is that it is difficult to run Rice’s offense correctly, I think? I will take Texas State for the sake of simplicity in my offense.
Logan’s pick: Texas State
Autozone Liberty Bowl: Navy Midshipmen (-6.5) v Cincinnati Bearcats
Logan: Every time I trusted the bearcats this year they let me down, whereas Navy always treated me well. I will take Navy solely for that reason.
Logan’s pick: Navy
Trust & Will Holiday Bowl: #17 Arizona Wildcats (-2.5) v SMU Mustangs
Logan: SMU struggled badly against the BIG 12 this year. I doubt things will change here as this game means much more to Arizona than it does to the mustangs.
Logan’s pick: Arizona
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest Demon Deacons v Mississippi State Bulldogs (-2.5)
Logan: The spread here is pure disrespect to the ACC. To be fair the ACC probably deserves that, but I don’t know if Wake does. Wake played a great season and consistently seemed to punch up against their opponents, I think the Deac’s will come out fighting to prove they shouldn’t be written off for being an ACC team.
Logan’s pick: Wake Forest
Category: General Sports
