Capital One Bowl Mania 2015

Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the confetti on the field following the Ohio State Buckeyes win against the Oregon Ducks 42-20 in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Here are all the ESPN Capital One Bowl Mania 2015 picks!

Bowl season is upon us once again. The college football season is not done just yet! I still have 42 more picks to make, 41 of which I will make against the spread. More on that later.

More from College Football Odds

Are you in a bowl pool where you need to make all of your bowl picks before the games begin? Or do you play ESPN’s Capital One Bowl Mania? In case you do, this is the place to get every game picked before they all begin. I will place them in order of confidence for those of you that play that format.

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Since it doesn’t make sense to pick all of these games against the spread right now, those will be done at a later date. This is just for those of us that need to pick all at once. These are in order from least confidence (1) to most (42). Because, you know, it’s more dramatic that way.

Next: Let's Get Started!

Nov 28, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes running back Joe Williams (28) runs with the ball during the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah won 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

(1)North Carolina A&T over Alcorn State

We really have nothing to go on here. I haven’t picked FCS schools at all this year, but at least North Carolina A&T played a FBS school (a 53-14 loss to North Carolina). That counts for something, right? Alcorn State being Steve McNair’s alma mater wont help the Braves more than two decades later.

(2)Penn State over Georgia:

This may be the ugliest game of bowl season. Neither of these teams really played well this season. Georgia has had quarterback issues all season, and the loss of Nick Chubb hurt more than anyone could have imagined. I still think Christian Hackenberg is below average for a college quarterback, but he is light years ahead of Virginia transfer Grayson Lambert. Oh, and the Nittany Lions have a better defense. Sony Michel will keep the game close, but he can’t do it by himself.

(3)Air Force over California:

I am really on the fence about this one. Air Force has proven they can throw the ball if they have to, and Jalen Robinette is a force to be reckoned with at WR. Honestly, I am taking the Falcons because of Cal’s porous defense. Jared Goff is the wild card though. He may be good enough to lead the Bears to a win despite the defense, hence the very low confidence score in this one. This could be one of the better games of bowl season!

(4)BYU over Utah:

One of the fiercest rivalries west of the Mississippi, the Holy War, is rekindled in Sin City of all places. You can’t say that the people behind these bowls don’t have a sense of humor about them. This will be a great game as usual. I say they put a camera on the fans on the Vegas Strip before and after the game and make a highlight reel out of it. That could be just as entertaining as the game! All kidding aside, these teams hate each other. It is kind of ridiculous that the teams have to travel to Vegas to play this one, but it will still have the same atmosphere as it did in Salt Lake City, even though this is the first time the Holy War has been fought on a neutral field. Expect a great game, but I just don’t see Utah winning without DaVontae Booker.

(5)National Championship Game (TBD):

I won’t spoil it for you by putting my picks in here. You are just going to have to read on for my picks for this game. I think it will be a really good game no matter who makes it. I debated putting this higher so as to have more points at my disposal to try and win, and who knows, it might be moved once we find out for sure who will be participating in the game. There isn’t much separation between the top four this year. You could argue that three of them have made a case for the number one seed, and I would have a hard time disputing that. So no matter the opponents, it should be a closely contested game.

Next: Up Next: 6-10

Nov 22, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Georgia State Panthers quarterback Nick Arbuckle (4) passes the ball during the second quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

(6) Connecticut over Marshall:

This is an interesting one. Marshall is not the high-flying offense that they were last year, but there is still plenty of talent here. The problem is their matchup. Connecticut gave up over 30 points just once (to Cincinnati), and held seven more opponents under 20 points. One of those was Houston, who made a New Year’s Six bowl. In fact, UConn was the only team to beat Houston. Yes, Greg Ward was beat up in that game and was far less than 100%, but it was still a quality win. Far more of a quality win than Marshall put together. I take UConn in a close one.

(7)Temple over Toledo:

This is another tough one since both schools have had a really good season. Toledo even took down SEC heavyweight Arkansas back in September. That said, Temple took down a Memphis team that beat the Ole Miss team that beat Alabama. I realize that isn’t say a lot but this is: Memphis has arguably the best pro QB prospect in college this year, and Temple held the Memphis offense to four field goals. That kind of defense wins you games.

(8)Arkansas State over Louisiana Tech:

If Florida fans want to feel even more sick to their stomachs, they can tune in here and watch what Florida transfer Jeff Driskel has done for Louisiana Tech this year. Driskel is the driving force behind the Bulldog offense that scored 30 or more points in nine of their 12 games. That includes games against Kansas State and Western Kentucky. This will likely be another one of those games. Arkansas State has scored 50 or more in each of their last three games. There will be plenty of fireworks to go around here. This will be a fun one to watch, but a tougher one to pick. The Red Wolves are rolling, having won eight straight since a loss to Toledo on September 26. That gives them a slight edge.

(9)Appalachian State over Ohio:

If the only time you watched the Mountaineers play since their move to FBS was their opener against Michigan last year, you are missing out on a very good team. One of their two losses was to number one Clemson. The other was to Sun Belt champion Arkansas State. Meanwhile, Ohio finds itself in its seventh straight bowl game. Don’t sleep on the Mountaineers. They won ten games in just their second FBS season, and have more offensive talent than Ohio does.

(10)Georgia State over San Jose State:

I like SJSU running back Tyler Ervin quite a bit, but I can’t go against the Panthers after what they just did to statistically the best rushing offense in college on Thanksgiving weekend in Georgia Southern. The Panthers proved they can stop the run, and San Jose State is every bit as one-dimensional as Georgia Southern is. This game will be worth watching for Ervin and Georgia State quarterback Nick Arbuckle, who has had an outstanding season. Georgia State was 1-23 in coach Trent Miles’ first two seasons. They reward him and the university here with a bowl win!

Next: Up Next: Games 11-15!

Nov 28, 2015; Auburn, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) races past Auburn Tigers defenders and scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter to beat the Auburn Tigers 29-13 Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

(11)North Carolina over Baylor:

I reserve the right to change this pick if Jarrett Stidham is not back from his broken ankle by game time. If he is, I like the Bears. If not? Well, this could get ugly. Baylor’s defense has been torched by dynamic playmakers all year such as Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and Chris Warren. North Carolina’s Marquise Williams and Elijah Hood fit the mold. That and the Tarheels came within a blown call of possibly knocking off Clemson. Oh, and I’m superstitious. Baylor has not performed well in bowl games at all lately, losing to Central Florida and Blake Bortles two years ago, and blowing a huge lead against Michigan State last year. Carolina it is!

(12)Louisville over Texas A&M:

Neither team is really that settled at quarterback, which is a large reason for the disappointing seasons for both schools. Texas A&M was a trendy sleeper pick in the SEC West, especially after dumping Arizona State in the opener. They sleeper status never really panned out largely due to ineffectiveness from quarterbacks and running backs. I had initially picked A&M in this game, but with the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart transferring within a week, they simply can’t recover. Christian Kirk is going to be a big time playmaker, but he needs someone to get him the ball. I don’t see that happening in this game anymore.

(13)Ohio State over Notre Dame:

Notre Dame was really a team that got derailed by injuries. They handled the first few while barely missing a beat, but the last rash of injuries has hurt them badly. Nobody can be expected to survive the injuries that the Irish have had this year and still finish with ten wins. Brian Kelly should probably be the coach of the year for that alone. Now comes an Ohio State team that feels slighted. They feel that they belong in the playoffs, but will that be a good or a bad thing? We have seen teams that felt slighted (Baylor, Oregon) look awful in their bowl game. Will Ohio State be the next? I would say yes except that I think Elliott will be ready in his last college game.

(14)Minnesota over Central Michigan:

Spoiler alert: The Gophers are the only 5-7 team that I am picking to win their bowl game. Why? Mitch Leidner will be fully healthy for the first time since the TCU game in late August. It look like the switch flipped for Leidner late in the season, and the Gophers were playing their best football of the year until injuries slowed him again. I also like Minnesota’s defense to clamp down on the Chippewa run game. This will be close, but the Gophers have the edge.

(15)Alabama over Michigan State:

I have this game a lot lower than most people will. Why? Michigan State is going to get tired of hearing how overmatched they are. They are going to be ready for this one. They can get pressure on Jake Coker the same way Ole Miss did and force him into mistakes. The main reason that I am taking Alabama though is because I don’t trust Connor Cook to win this game for the Spartans, and he would have to. Michigan State won’t be able to run the ball at all. They will need big plays in the passing game, and I don’t quite think they will get enough. For what it’s worth, I doubt Bama covers the spread, which currently sits at -10.

Next: Up Next: We finish the bottom 20!

Oct 23, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs running back Donnel Pumphrey (19) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Utah State Aggies at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

(16)Boise State over Northern Illinois:

I would have this higher, but the Broncos have had growing pains as their freshman quarterback Brett Rypien has. I still think that Jeremy McNichols is the best player in the game, and Northern Illinois doesn’t have a good enough defense to keep him under wraps for the entire game. The Boise losses to New Mexico and Air Force do make me somewhat apprehensive, though not nearly enough to take the Huskies.

(17)San Diego State over Cincinnati:

Keep an eye on this one to see if San Diego State quarterback Maxwell Smith is able to play. He wont be the difference maker in the contest, but he will help take pressure off of the San Diego State backs. Cincinnati has a solid run defense, but BYU is probably the closest rushing attack that they have seen to San Diego State, and they lost that game by two touchdowns. At some point Donnel Pumphrey and Chase Price will take over the game, but not before Gunner Kiel turns this into a higher scoring game than San Diego State fans are used to.

(18)Washington over Southern Mississippi:

The Golden Eagles only won four games combined over the previous three seasons. This senior class has seen it all, from a winless 2012 season to a berth in the conference championship game this year. They loss to Western Kentucky, but the Eagles had the best turnaround of any team this year. Their reward? A matchup against a stifling Washington defense. Washington QB Jake Browning is growing up more and more each time he takes the field, and super freshman Myles Gaskin is one of the more electric players in the Pac 12, which is saying a lot. The Eagles will hang around, but I don’t see them winning this outright.

(19)Oklahoma over Clemson:

Maybe this is my homerism taking over. Maybe it is wishful thinking. Take it for what you will, but I do have reasons to back this up. I know Clemson destroyed us 40-6 in the Russell Athletic Bowl last year. Most of this year’s team remembers it too. They wont let it happen again. That is not to say that Clemson is going to make it easy. They most definitely will not. Deshaun Watson is a tough matchup for anyone, but Oklahoma’s play on the defensive line might be the best Clemson has faced this year. They also wont be able to key on Samaje Perine like they did last year. We couldn’t throw last year. This year we have a quarterback that can spread the field and extend plays on his own. I expect a good game, and I expect a different result this year.

(20)Western Kentucky over South Florida:

The Bulls had a very nice year this year after winning only nine games over the last three seasons. They drew a tough game here. The Hilltoppers boast a really good offense that beat a SEC team (Vanderbilt) and hung 20 points on a pretty good LSU defense. LSU was the last team to really test them, but they will likely get tested here. South Florida’s defense was one of the keys to their breakout season. So was QB Quinton Flowers. The Hilltoppers will give up their share of points, but the Bulls haven’t seen a polished passing attack like this.

Next: The Stakes Are Getting Higher!

Nov 14, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Luke Falk (4) celebrates after the NCAA football game against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Washington State defeated UCLA 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

(21)Mississippi State over North Carolina State:

I know, its hard to pick the Bulldogs after they got punished in the Egg Bowl. It is harder for me to pick a North Carolina State team whose best win was against Boston College. They lost to every team with a winning record that they played. That wont change here. This game could get out of hand. You know that the Bulldogs want to send Dak Prescott out in style. I expect them to do just that.

(22)Bowling Green over Georgia Southern:

This game may feature the largest contrast of styles in any of the bowl games. Georgia Southern had statistically the best rushing offense in FBS. Bowling Green’s quick strike offense was a nightmare for the MAC, especially when the Falcons figured out that pesky defensive part. Considering the Eagles were blasted by Georgia State and their quick passing attack, I feel much more confident that NFL hopeful Matt Johnson can lead his offense to victory as well.

(23)Tennessee over Northwestern:

Does anyone else realize that Northwestern won ten games this year? Hey, don’t sleep on the Wildcats. They knocked off Pac 12 Champion Stanford this year. That said, their offense has been a patchwork quilt for most of the year. Can they hold the explosive Tennessee offense? I think they will to some extent. I just question Northwestern’s ability to score on a SEC defense. I should probably have this lower because I have been overrating Tennessee for most of the year, it seems. That said, the Vols almost took down not one, but TWO teams in the playoff. That boosts my confidence!

(24)Washington State over Miami:

With Luke Falk under center (okay….standing somewhere behind center) the Cougars were almost good enough to win the Pac 12 North this year after dropping an inexcusable one to Portland State to open the season. Mike Leach’s teachings have finally taken hold in Pullman, and the scary part is that this defense is by far the best that the Pirate has ever had. This game will be a stepping stone to next year, and the Cougars will begin the year as the trendy pick to not only win the Pac 12, but to host College Gameday. Imagine the party that will happen in Pullman should either of those things happen!

(25)USC over Wisconsin:

On paper, I should have way more confidence in this one. Wisconsin has struggled to find confidence in their running game for much of the year, and Joel Stave is still nothing more than a mistake-prone game manager. He has had a few bright spots this year, but not enough to make up for the other shortcomings on offense. The Badger defense will be able to pressure Cody Kessler, but USC has more balance on the offensive end. They have NFL-caliber players on both lines, at WR, and at QB, not to mention the secondary. The only NFL bound skill player for the Badgers might be Dare Ogbunwale. He won’t be able to do it on his own.

Next: Missing These Could Hurt Your Chances Of Winning

Nov 28, 2015; Logan, UT, USA; Utah State Aggies quarterback Chuckie Keeton (16) looks down the field against the Brigham Young Cougars during the third quarter at Romney Stadium. Brigham Young won the game 51-28. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

(26)Utah State over Akron:

The Zips have been mostly unimpressive this year until you look at the fact that Akron hasn’t had a winning season since 2005. This team is going to be amped up to be playing in just its third bowl game in history. Speaking of amped up, Utah State will have quarterback Chuckie Keeton back for his final game barring him filing for a medical redshirt. Keeton is a great dual threat, and made a lot of noise in his first two seasons before losing half or more of the last three years to various injuries. It was an unceremonious junior and senior season for Keeton. He will look to erase those memories – and get the attention of NFL scouts who may have forgotten about him – here in his final collegiate game.

(27)Stanford over Iowa:

The Hawkeyes haven’t been to a Rose Bowl since 1990, and haven’t won one since the year my mother was born (1959). The Hawkeye defense has been impressive all year long, but they have not had to deal with anyone as dynamic as Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey. If the Hawkeyes can contain McCaffrey and make Kevin Hogan beat them, they have a chance to prove they belong and deserve respect for their 12-1 season. That is a big if though. Iowa is going to have a hard time moving the ball much like they did against Michigan State. The difference here is that I really doubt Iowa gets deep behind the Stanford defense. This should be a low scoring game, but I see Iowa coming up short again.

(28)Florida State over Houston:

Greg Ward is going to have a very tough time trying to run on the Florida State defense. The Seminole defense was largely outstanding this year. It was the offense, particularly the quarterback position, that kept this team from reaching its potential. That alone means Houston will likely keep this game close. The difference will be Florida State’s ability to run the ball with Dalvin Cook. Houston won’t get blown off the field – Greg Ward will make sure of that – but they wont be able to stop Cook either.

(29)Arizona over New Mexico:

I am a little nervous about having this one all the way up here considering the Lobos will essentially be at home, and they beat Boise State, Air Force, and Utah State down the stretch. However, Arizona should be at full strength for the first time since the season opener, and they weren’t even at full strength that entire game. Injuries derailed the season for the Wildcats, and on paper they are still far superior to the Lobos. The only thing I question is whether they want to be there. We will find out!

(30)Colorado State over Nevada:

If you want proof that there are too many bowl games, and the three 5-7 teams that made it weren’t obvious enough, then take a look at the matchup in the Arizona Bowl. It features two teams from the Mountain West Conference. Sure, they didn’t play each other during the regular season, but still, they couldn’t come up with anything better than this? The Rams have played better down the stretch, but it was Nevada’s losses to UNLV and Wyoming – two of the bottom ten FBS teams – that make this one easier to pick. I am willing to overlook Colorado State’s shortcomings here.

Next: Now We Are Getting To The Higher Points!

Apr 6, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; General view of fans arriving for the game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

(31)Indiana over Duke:

Okay, let me get this straight: two basketball schools are playing football in a baseball stadium? Why not just move this game to Madison Square Garden? In all seriousness, this score might look like a basketball score. Indiana can put up points in a hurry, but they give them up almost as fast. Duke doesn’t have what you would call a prolific offense, but it will border on one playing Indiana’s defense. Indiana had Ohio State and Michigan both on the ropes before letting it slip away. Duke didn’t even hang with teams that talented. Indiana should pull away late.

(32)West Virginia over Arizona State:

The only reason this game isn’t higher is because of West Virginia’s loss to Kansas State in their last game. Arizona State might have the worst defense that the Mountaineers have faced this year, and that is saying a lot. They play in the Big 12 and faced, Kansas, Texas Tech, and Texas, who were all in the bottom 30 in total defense. The Sun Devils gave up an average of 32.7 points per game this season. That isn’t even counting the bushels of yards they gave up. West Virginia at least plays decent defense. That should win them the game.

(33)Navy over Pittsburgh:

This is the last college game for Keenan Reynolds. If you don’t know what all the hype is about, watch this game! The rushing touchdown leader in NCAA history could put on another good show against Pittsburgh. The Panthers have a solid defense, and Qadree Ollison has been a capable fill-in for James Conner, but I just don’t see them stopping the Navy option. Then again, I didn’t see Army hanging with Navy….

(34)Michigan over Florida:

The Florida offense has been a fine mess since the suspension of Will Grier. On the other hand, so has Michigan’s offense for much of the year. They don’t do anything particularly well, and have a mistake prone quarterback running the offense. Yes, Jake Rudock is a lot better than he was at Iowa, but I still don’t trust him to win a game if he has to. If he makes mistakes against Florida, the Gator defense is going to make him pay. Most of these guys will be playing on Sunday. Michigan’s defense is plenty good enough to shut down an awful Florida offense, but this game could be closer than we think.

(35)Oregon over TCU:

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the scores. This game will be no exception. Combined these teams are averaging 85 points per game. Averaging! The fact that this game is in the state of Texas worries me some, but Oregon was arguably the best team down the stretch. TCU has the offense to hang in this for a while and neither team impressed with their defense this year. When it comes down to it, Oregon simply has too many athletes for them not to pull away.

Next: Will Beamer Go Out In Style?

Nov 28, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) carries the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies during the second half at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Texas A&M Aggies 19-7. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

(36)Western Michigan over Middle Tennessee State:

The Broncos have two really good receivers in Corey Davis and Daniel Braverman. Quarterback Zach Terrell is good enough to get them the ball, even against better teams. Braverman went over 100 receiving yards against Ohio State and Davis duplicated the feat against Michigan State. MTSU is nowhere near good enough to contain these receivers. That doesn’t even account for running backs Jarvion Franklin and Jamauri Bogan. This could get ugly.

(37)LSU over Texas Tech:

Texas Tech’s run defense was steamrolled by several backs this year, but none were as talented as Leonard Fournette. Western Kentucky hung 20 on LSU with an average offensive line and a very good quarterback. That is pretty much what the Red Raiders will be throwing at them. This is the best matchup that LSU could have hoped for. The Tigers would have been in trouble if they were going to have to throw successfully to win. They wont here. They can likely run 60 times if they want to.

(38)Memphis over Auburn:

For those of you worried about Memphis playing a SEC team, don’t be. The Tigers knocked off Ole Miss, the team that beat the mighty Alabama, this year. Auburn’s defense is marginally better than terrible, which is where it began the season. Paxton Lynch is the number one quarterback on a lot of draft lists right now. If you don’t know why, you will see it here. Auburn doesn’t have the defense to slow him down, much less stop him.

(39)Mississippi over Oklahoma State:

Oklahoma State ended the season by being blasted by Baylor with a third string quarterback and by arch-rival Oklahoma. Not exactly how the Cowboys thought it would go after starting 10-0. Mississippi was the only team to beat Alabama, and they had to play nearly a flawless game to get that done. Chad Kelly is simply a playmaker, much like Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield. Ole Miss’s receivers are right up there with Oklahoma’s receiving corps as well. This looks like a nasty game on paper for the Cowboys. Of course, if Robert Nkemdiche ends up getting suspended, I will move this one down some.

(40)Virginia Tech over Tulsa:

The Hokie defense has not been their usual invincible selves this season, and some may say that is why Frank Beamer is stepping down. That defense will be tested by a strong Tulsa offense, but the Golden Hurricane defense has been bad all season long. Not just below average. Bad. Beamer returns to where his consecutive bowl games streak started 23 years in Shreveport, Louisiana for his final game as Hokie head coach. There is no way the Hokies lose this game.

Next: Who Are The Top Two?

Nov 21, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) looks to pass during the second half against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. UCLA won 17-9. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

(41)UCLA over Nebraska:

The only reason that this game is not in the top spot is because UCLA didn’t look good in a couple of losses this year. The reason it is this high is because Nebraska has lost games in a plethora of ways so far this season, and at least half of them have to do with fails by the coaching staff in one way or another. This is a mismatch on paper, and that should carry over to the field as well. Nebraska’s pass defense is still a mess, and UCLA can throw the ball around when they need to. Want another reason? Nebraska’s Tommie Armstrong threw nine interceptions in the team’s last three games.

(42)Arkansas over Kansas State:

For the second straight year, the Razorbacks were the team that no one wanted to face down the stretch in the SEC West. They took down Mississippi and LSU on the road in back to back weeks before losing a one point heartbreaker to Mississippi State. Kansas State’s offense has been a work in progress at best for most of the season. They used a WR at QB long before Baylor had to. That’s how little they trust their backups. This is going to be nasty if you are a Kansas State fan!

Next: Check Out The Fantasy CPR Basketball Mailbag For This Week!

Stay tuned for my in depth bowl previews and each game picked against the spread all throughout bowl season!

ESPN Capital One Bowl Mania 2015 Picks

By Mike Marteny | Dec 15, 2015

Here are all the ESPN Capital One Bowl Mania 2015 picks!