Northwestern Mutual Rose Bowl Odds And Prediction

Nov 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during a NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC defeated Notre Dame 45-27. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Northwestern Mutual Rose Bowl Odds And Prediction

Bowl season winds down with four games today. Then we only have the championship game left on January 9th. It has been a wild ride during bowl season so far. What does today have in store for us? Next up is the Northwestern Mutual Rose Bowl.

More from College Football Odds

You will still get my picks against the spread and point wagers just like I did all season long. I didn’t have a great regular season, but I can make it look a whole lot better with a strong bowl season! It was a decent start on Saturday, but just in case you missed any:
Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Geico Las Vegas Bowl
Raycom Camellia Bowl
AutoNation Cure Bowl
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Miami Beach Bowl
Boca Raton Bowl
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Dollar General Bowl
Hawaii Bowl
St. Petersburg Bowl
Quick Lane Bowl
Camping World Independence Bowl
Zaxby’s Heart Of Dallas Bowl
Northrup Grumman Military Bowl
National Funding Holiday Bowl
Motel 6 Cactus Bowl
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Russell Athletic Bowl
Foster Farms Bowl
AdvoCare V100 Bowl
Birmingham Bowl
Belk Bowl
Valero Alamo Bowl
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Hyundai Sun Bowl
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Capital One Orange Bowl
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Chick Fil A Peach Bowl
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Outback Bowl
Goodyear Cotton Bowl

Nov 26, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley (26) reacts following his touchdown run with teammate tight end Mike Gesicki (88) against the Michigan State Spartans during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /

(9)USC(-7.5) vs. (5)Penn State at Pasadena, CA(2):

USC(9-3, 7-2 Pac 12):

Wins: vs. Utah State(45-7), vs. Arizona State(41-20), vs. Colorado(21-17), at Arizona(48-14), vs. California(45-24), vs. Oregon(45-20), at Washington(26-13), at UCLA(36-14), vs. Notre Dame(45-27)

Losses: vs. Alabama(6-52), at Stanford(10-27), at Utah(27-31)

Record vs. bowl teams: 2-3

It wasn’t so much a switch flipping for USC as a quarterback switch. When the team went to Sam Darnold full time against Utah, they didn’t lose again after that Utah game. Opposing teams have locked down Juju Smith-Schuster, which has somewhat limited the Trojans, but not much. They have plenty of other talent on this team. Want to know the scary part? Darnold is only a freshman!

Penn State(11-2, 9-1 Big Ten(14):

Wins: vs. Kent State(33-13), vs. Temple(34-27), vs. Minnesota(29-26), vs. Maryland(38-14), vs. Ohio State(24-21), at Purdue(62-24), vs. Iowa(41-14), at Indiana(45-31), at Rutgers(39-0), vs. Michigan State(45-12), vs. Wisconsin(38-31)

Losses: at Pittsburgh(39-42), at Michigan(10-49)

Record vs. bowl teams: 7-2

This team really regrouped after being blasted by Michigan in week 4. What changed? Trace McSorley started making better decisions. After throwing three interceptions in September, McSorely threw just two more all season, both against Indiana. Saqoun Barkley proved to be a workhorse back that Penn State has ridden to victory more than once. This defense is a very good unit as well. Just ask Ohio State.

Prediction:

It just feels weird to not have this game on New Year’s Day. Thank you NFL! At any rate, USC has been one of those teams that no one wants to face lately. They beat Washington in Seattle to really solidify their presence. USC is peaking maybe a year earlier than most thought, but that isn’t a bad thing. However, the fact that the Trojans played more than half of their schedule against teams that didn’t make a bowl may inflate their totals a bit.

Penn State is also trending upward. The core of this offense, and a lot of the defense will be back next year from a team that hasn’t lost since the last week of September, just like USC. They beat a team in the playoff, just like USC. However, I think Penn State is a little more tested. This stays close.

Pick: Penn State

Next: 2016 Capital One Bowl Mania Picks

Stay tuned for the rest of the bowl picks against the spread, and our DFS picks for the NBA, NFL, and even some NHL action! We have something for everyone.