TDB Bowl Contest 2024/2025

TDB 2024/2025 Bowl Contest  –   Good Luck to Everyone and let’s have some fun.

The Current Reigning Bowl Champion is: MrsSteveg. 

 You must pick a winner for each game. There are no points or wagering involved. The person who picks the most winners, wins the prize.

Please use the ballot at the end of this post to make your selections

Please read the contest rules carefully. Ask questions if you are uncertain. You can also email me at: john@trojandailyblog.com 

1. Scooters Coffee Frisco Bowl (Dec. 17, 6 p.m., ESPN)  West Virginia (6-6) vs. Memphis (10-2)

The Mountaineers will be led by an interim coach after Neal Brown’s firing. Memphis was the quietest 10-win team in the country after its September win over Florida State lost a lot of luster because of FSU’s struggles. The Tigers have scored at least 20 points in every game this season.

2. LA Bowl (Dec. 18, 6 p.m., ESPN) Cal (6-6) vs. UNLV (10-3)

Cal’s bowl destination is far, far closer than any of its road games in the ACC were this season. The Bears won three of their final five games to get bowl-eligible after a four-game losing streak. UNLV will be without coach Barry Odom after he took the head coaching job at Purdue. Two of UNLV’s three losses this season came to Boise State and the other was a three-point loss at Syracuse.

3. New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 19, 4 p.m., ESPN)    Georgia Southern (6-6) vs. Sam Houston (9-3)

The Eagles beat Coastal Carolina and App State in the final weeks of the season to get bowl-eligible. JC French throws to three different targets with at least 550 receiving yards and LB Marques Watson-Trent is all over the field with 110 tackles in 11 games. Sam Houston coach K.C. Keeler is heading to Temple after leading the Bearkats to a nine-win season in their second year at the top level of college football.

4. Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (Dec. 20, 12:30 p.m., ESPN)  Florida (7-5) vs. Tulane (10-3)

This is an intriguing matchup despite Tulane’s late slump. The Green Wave lost to Memphis and Army to end the season. The Gators have found their footing with freshman QB DJ Lagway and finished the season with a winning record thanks to a late-season upset win over Ole Miss. This game would be higher if Tulane QB Darian Mensah hadn’t entered the transfer portal on Sunday.

5. CFP – No. 10 Indiana vs. No. 7 Notre Dame (Dec. 20, 5p.m. ESPN)                                                                                                                                                                Is this a bigger game for the state of Indiana than any AFC title game hosted by the Colts? It doesn’t seem like a crazy question given the separate football worlds these programs have operated in. Indiana wants to show it is for real after it’s faced questions about its schedule. Notre Dame, meanwhile, is red hot after having the worst loss of any playoff team.

6. CFP – No. 9 Tennessee vs. No. 8 Ohio State (Dec. 21, 5 p.m. ESPN)

You can understand why ESPN chose this for its prime-time matchup. Ryan Day may be in a national title-or-bust situation at Ohio State after losing to Michigan again. Tennessee has a dominant defensive front and an offense that can be explosive but is also inconsistent. The winner of this game will play Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Imagine telling someone 20 years ago that Ohio State could play Oregon in the Rose Bowl in the second round of the College Football Playoff and that both teams would be in the same conference.

7. CFP – No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 5 Texas (Dec. 21, 1 p.m. TNT)

Just how dangerous is a Clemson team playing with house money? The Tigers escaped the ACC title game with a 34-31 win over SMU to get into the playoff. Texas wasn’t dinged for its second loss to Georgia, and, well, the Longhorns have been unbeatable against anyone not named Georgia this season. Clemson also had its own issues with Georgia. The Tigers lost 34-3 to the Bulldogs in Week 1.

8. CFP – No. 11 SMU vs. No. 6 Penn State (Dec. 21, 9am, TNT)

The Mustangs’ reward for being the last team in the playoff is a trip to State College. Penn State has a manageable road to the semifinals with a home game and a potential matchup with Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. A win over SMU will go a long way for James Franklin after his record fell to 3-18 against top-10 teams on Saturday.

9. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Dec. 23, 1130 am, ESPN)  Northern Illinois (7-5) vs. Fresno State (6-6)

It was not a Cinderella year for NIU after beating Notre Dame in Week 2. The Huskies lost two straight after the victory over the Fighting Irish. QB Ethan Hampton started that win and nine other games. He’s now in the transfer portal. So is Fresno State QB Mikey Keene. He started all 12 games for the Bulldogs after throwing for nearly 2,900 yards and completing 70% of his passes.

10. Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 24, 6 p.m., ESPN)  South Florida (6-6) vs. San Jose State (7-5)

The team that’s given Alabama trouble the past two seasons needed to win two of its last three games to get bowl-eligible. USF is very boom-or-bust. The Bulls have scored at least 35 points six times. They’ve also scored 16 or fewer five times. The Spartans beat Stanford in the final week of the season to guarantee a winning record in former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo’s first season. Nick Nash is one of the best wide receivers in college football. He has 104 grabs for 1,382 yards and 16 TDs.

11. Game Above Sports Bowl (Dec. 26, 11a.m., ESPN)  Pittsburgh (7-5) vs. Toledo (7-5)

The Panthers have lost five straight after a 7-0 start. It’s been rough for Pitt after a rollicking game vs. Syracuse. That streak included the loss of starting QB Eli Holstein to a leg injury. He’s been replaced by Nate Yarnell. The Rockets beat Mississippi State a week before losing to Western Kentucky and also lost to Akron to end the season.

12. Rate Bowl (Dec. 26, 2:30 p.m., ESPN)  Rutgers (7-5) vs. Kansas State (8-4)

Both teams love to run the ball and are pretty good at it. Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai has 256 carries for 1,279 yards and 13 TDs this season. K-State RB DJ Giddens is explosive with 1,343 yards on just 205 carries, while Avery Johnson has rushed for 548 yards. This may be the one bowl game that doesn’t take four hours to complete.

13. 68 Ventures Bowl (Dec. 26, 6 p.m., ESPN)  Arkansas State (7-5) vs. Bowling Green (7-5)

ASU coach Butch Jones was rewarded with a contract extension at the end of the season as the Red Wolves are making back-to-back bowl appearances following five wins over the last two seasons combined. The ASU defense is leaky, however. Arkansas State has allowed 6.9 yards per play this season. Hopefully TE Harold Fannin Jr. plays in the game. He has 100 catches for 1,342 yards and nine TDs.

14. Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dec. 27, 9am, ESPN)  Navy (8-3) vs. Oklahoma (6-6)

Remember, Navy still has to play Army on Saturday before the bowl game. QB Blake Horvath has 895 rushing yards and 13 TDs on just 133 carries. Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold is in the transfer portal, so the Sooners will be led by freshman QB Michael Hawkins. It’ll be a good audition for him ahead of 2025 as Oklahoma could look to the transfer portal for a quarterback.

15. Birmingham Bowl (Dec. 27, 12:30 p.m., ESPN)  Vanderbilt (6-6) vs. Georgia Tech (7-5)

This is not a glamorous matchup but it’s a fun one for college football sickos who want to see effective grind-it-out offenses. Diego Pavia is the most chaotic player in college football, and Haynes King may not be that far behind. The Commodores have lost four of their last five games after starting 5-2, while Georgia Tech knocked off Miami and nearly took down Georgia.

16. AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Dec. 27, 4 p.m., ESPN)  Texas Tech (8-4) vs. Arkansas (6-6)

This could be the chaos bowl and we’re here for it. Tech averages 39 points a game and gives up nearly 35. Behren Morton throws the ball over 40 times a game and RB Tahj Brooks has over 1,500 rushing yards and 17 rushing TDs. The Arkansas offense averages 6.4 yards a play with QB Taylen Green as a dual-threat, but the Razorbacks struggle with turnovers. It’ll be surprising if this game isn’t entertaining.

17. DirecTV Holiday Bowl (Dec. 27, 5 p.m., Fox)  Washington State (8-4) vs. Syracuse (9-3)

The Cougars are looking to stop a late-season slide after losses to New Mexico, Oregon State and Wyoming. QB John Mateer does it all. He’s thrown for over 3,100 yards and rushed for over 800 with 44 total TDs. At Syracuse, QB Kyle McCord has been fantastic outside of a disastrous game at Pitt, throwing for over 4,300 yards. This could have the highest over/under of bowl season.

18. SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m., ESPN)  USC (6-6) vs. Texas A&M (8-4)

Both teams moved to their backup quarterbacks during the season and the Week 1 starters are now in the transfer portal. Miller Moss was replaced by Jayden Maiava at USC, while Conner Weigman was sidelined for Marcel Reed in College Station. USC’s attempts to fix its defense are still a work in progress. The Aggies have lost two straight and fell out of SEC title contention as a result.

19. Wasabi Fenway Bowl (Dec. 28, 8 a.m., ESPN)  UConn (8-4) vs. North Carolina (6-6)

UConn is in its second bowl in the last three seasons under coach Jim Mora. A bowl win would give the Huskies their first nine-win season since 2007. UNC will be coached by Freddie Kitchens — yes, the former Browns coach — following the firing of Mack Brown. The game in Boston will give Patriots fans a look at a team that will be coached by Bill Belichick next season. Kidding. We think.

20. Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 28, 9am, ABC)  Boston College (7-5) vs. Nebraska (6-6)

Bill O’Brien’s first year at BC resulted in a bowl game as Grayson James replaced Thomas Castellanos at quarterback. The Huskers are finally in a bowl game for the first time since 2016. We’ll let you think about the symmetry of a once-great program like Nebraska playing at the home stadium of a storied baseball team looking for its first World Series win in 15 years against a team from Boston.

21. Isleta New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 28,11:15 a.m., ESPN)  TCU (8-4) vs. Louisiana (10-3)

The Horned Frogs have won five of their last six games and two of their four losses came by a combined four points. This is a team that wasn’t far from the Big 12 title game. Jack Bech has 62 catches for 1,034 yards and nine TDs. The Ragin’ Cajuns got rolled by Marshall in the Sun Belt title game and scored a shocking three points in the loss.

22. Pop-Tarts Bowl (Dec. 28, 12:30 p.m., ABC)  Miami (Florida) (10-2) vs. Iowa State (10-3)

When you narrowly miss out on your conference title the reward is the possibility of eating a giant Pop-Tart if you win your bowl game. Not sure how fair it is, but this is college football. Hardly anything makes sense and yet that entire first sentence also made total sense. We’ll see how many players for Miami opt out ahead of the bowl game.

23. Go Bowling Military Bowl (Dec. 28, 2:45 p.m., ESPN)  NC State (6-6) vs. East Carolina (7-5)

It’s a shame this game isn’t being played in North Carolina, though Annapolis isn’t ridiculously far away from either campus. The Wolfpack will be without leading receiver Kevin Concepcion as he’s entered the transfer portal. ECU rebounded to make a bowl game after firing coach Mike Houston during the season. The Pirates were 4-1 under interim coach Blake Harrell and he’s been named the team’s permanent coach.

24.Valero Alamo Bowl (Dec. 28, 4:30 p.m., ABC)  Colorado (9-3) vs. BYU (10-2)

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has said that both Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders will play in the bowl game. We’ll see if he’s telling the truth, but we’re ranking this game like he is. Even though this is a Big 12 game, this has the potential to be entertaining. BYU doesn’t play in dull games.

25. TransPerfect Music City Bowl (Dec. 30, 11:30 a.m., ESPN)  Missouri (9-3) vs. Iowa (8-4)

These neighbors head to Tennessee to play each other in a Music City Bowl that was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. The Tigers’ Luther Burden III and Armand Membou have already opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Mizzou will have QB Brady Cook as he caps off his career and hopes to lead the Tigers to back-to-back 10-win seasons. Iowa will likely start QB Jackson Stratton, but the offense runs through RB Kaleb Johnson anyways.

26. ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, 9am, ESPN)  Alabama (9-3) vs. Michigan (7-5)

This is not the Rose Bowl rematch that either team envisioned at the beginning of the season. But here we are after both teams missed the College Football Playoff. There will be opt-outs on both sides as each team looks ahead to 2026. Will it simply be a battle of which team is most motivated?

27. Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (Dec. 31, 11a.m., CBS)  Louisville (8-4) vs. Washington (6-6)

The Cardinals have been bolstered by a career season from former Oregon and Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough. He has been healthy and has thrown for nearly 3,200 yards and 23 TDs. Issac Brown has also rushed for over 1,000 yards and 11 TDs. The Huskies turned to freshman QB Demond Williams Jr. in the final week of the season after Will Rogers had been the starter for most of the season.

28. Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (Dec. 31, 12 p.m., ABC)  South Carolina (9-3) vs. Illinois (9-3)

The Citrus Bowl has the first pick in the SEC after the College Football Playoff and went with an energized fan base. Illinois fans should be excited too after the Illini finished the season ranked in the top 25. This could be a relatively low-scoring game.

29. Texas Bowl (Dec. 31, 12:30 p.m. ESPN)  Baylor (8-4) vs. LSU (8-4)

The Bears reeled off six straight wins to end the season and Dave Aranda will be back for the 2025 season. QB SawyerRobertson has thrown for 26 TDs and rushed for four more in 11 games. LSU could have a host of opt-outs. Will Garrett Nussmeier be one of them?

30. TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Jan. 2, 4:30 p.m., ESPN)  Ole Miss (9-3) vs. Duke (9-3)

The Rebels had playoff aspirations and instead head to Jacksonville to play a Duke team that defied preseason expectations in Manny Diaz’s first season. Jaxson Dart has thrown for nearly 3,900 yards and rushed for 452 but his interceptions at the end of the Rebels’ loss to Florida sealed the team’s playoff fate. Duke closed the season on a three-game win streak that was capped by an incredible last-second TD pass from Maalik Murphy to Jordan Moore to beat Wake Forest.

31. Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Jan. 3, 4:30 p.m., ESPN)  Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. Minnesota (7-5)

32. CFP Sugar Bowl – Georgia vs Winner of Notre Dame/Indiana U.  01/01/25

33. CFP Fiesta Bowl – Boise State vs Winner of Penn St/SMU  12/31/24

34. CFP Rose Bowl – Oregon vs Winner of Ohio St/Tennessee  01/01/2025

35. CFP Peach Bowl – Arizona vs Winner of Texas/Clemson   01/01/2025

36. CFP Orange Bowl Semi-Final – Winner of game 32 vs Winner of game 33  01/09/25

37. CFP Cotton Bowl Semi-Final – Winner of game 34 vs Winner of game 35   01/10/25

38. CFP Championship Game – Winner of game 36 vs winner of game 37  01/20/25  Mercedes Benz Stadium 

Tie Breaker:

Pick the total final score of championship game:

Person with the closest score will win the tie breaker

 Contest Rules:

Please remember, this is supposed to be about fun and Trojan camaraderie.
There are no entry fees.

You must pick the straight up winner of every game. There are no points involved. If you do not pick a team for a bowl game, that will be considered a loss.

You must post your picks to the blog by December 16^th at 5pm PT.

The contest will end at the conclusion of the College Football Championship game played on January 20, 2025.
The winner will be determined by who has picked the most winning teams. If there is a tie, the winner will be determined by which person guessed the total final score of championship game. If no one guesses the exact score the winner will be the person who guessed the number closest to the final total score.

First Prize is: 100.00
Second Prize is: 50.00
Third Prize is: 25.00
If two people end up in first place, then the first and second prize will be added together and that amount will be split between the two winners.
I will handle all disputes and my decision will be final.
Anyone can be removed from the contest for exhibiting poor sportsmanship, as determined by me.
By submitting entries to pick bowl winners you acknowledge you agree to these rules.
John Weld

TDB Bowl 2024/2025 Scorecard

Once you have determined your picks, copy and paste this to the blog. Leave the game number and then keep the team that you want to win and delete the team you think is going to lose.

1. West Virginia (6-6) vs. Memphis (10-2) Frisco Bowl (Dec. 17, 6 p.m., ESPN)
2. Cal (6-6) vs. UNLV (10-3) LA Bowl (Dec. 18, 6 p.m., ESPN)
3. Georgia Southern (6-6) vs. Sam Houston (9-3) (Dec. 19, 4 p.m., ESPN)
4. Florida (7-5) vs. Tulane (10-3) (Dec. 20, 12:30 p.m., ESPN)
5. No. 10 Indiana vs. No. 7 Notre Dame (Dec. 20, 5p.m. ESPN)
6. No. 9 Tennessee vs. No. 8 Ohio State (Dec. 21, 5 p.m. ESPN)
7. No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 5 Texas (Dec. 21, 1 p.m. TNT)
8. No. 11 SMU vs. No. 6 Penn State (Dec. 21, 9am, TNT)
9. Northern Illinois (7-5) vs. Fresno State (6-6) Potato Bowl (Dec. 23, 1130 am, ESPN)
10. S. Florida (6-6) vs. San Jose State (7-5)Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 24, 6 p.m., ESPN)
11. Pittsburgh (7-5) vs. Toledo (7-5) (Dec. 26, 11a.m., ESPN)
12. Rutgers (7-5) vs. Kansas State (8-4) (Dec. 26, 2:30 p.m., ESPN)
13. Arkansas State (7-5) vs. Bowling Green (7-5) (Dec. 26, 6 p.m., ESPN)
14. Navy (8-3) vs. Oklahoma (6-6) (Dec. 27, 9am, ESPN)
15. Vanderbilt (6-6) vs. Georgia Tech (7-5) (Dec. 27, 12:30 p.m., ESPN)
16. Texas Tech (8-4) vs. Arkansas (6-6) (Dec. 27, 4 p.m., ESPN)
17. Washington State (8-4) vs. Syracuse (9-3) Holiday Bowl (Dec. 27, 5 p.m., Fox)
18. USC (6-6) vs. Texas A&M (8-4Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m., ESPN)
19. UConn (8-4) vs. North Carolina (6-6) (Dec. 28, 8 a.m., ESPN)
20. Boston College (7-5) vs. Nebraska (6-6) (Dec. 28, 9am, ABC)
21. TCU (8-4) vs. Louisiana (10-3) (Dec. 28,11:15 a.m., ESPN)
22. Miami (Florida) (10-2) vs. Iowa State (10-3) (Dec. 28, 12:30 p.m., ABC)
23. NC State (6-6) vs. East Carolina (7-5) (Dec. 28, 2:45 p.m., ESPN)
24. Colorado (9-3) vs. BYU (10-2) (Dec. 28, 4:30 p.m., ABC)
25. Missouri (9-3) vs. Iowa (8-4) (Dec. 30, 11:30 a.m., ESPN)
26. Alabama (9-3) vs. Michigan (7-5) Dec. 31, 9am, ESPN)
27. Louisville (8-4) vs. Washington (6-6) Sun Bowl (Dec. 31, 11a.m., CBS)
28. South Carolina (9-3) vs. Illinois (9-3) (Dec. 31, 12 p.m., ABC)
29. Baylor (8-4) vs. LSU (8-4) (Dec. 31, 12:30 p.m. ESPN)
30. Ole Miss (9-3) vs. Duke (9-3) (Jan. 2, 4:30 p.m., ESPN)
31. Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. Minnesota (7-5) (Jan. 3, 4:30 p.m., ESPN)
32. Sugar Bowl – Georgia vs Winner of Notre Dame/Indiana U.    01/01/25
33. Fiesta Bowl – Boise State vs Winner of Penn St/SMU             12/31/24
34. Rose Bowl – Oregon vs Winner of Ohio St/Tennessee              01/01/25
35. Peach Bowl – Arizona vs Winner of Texas/Clemson                 01/01/25
36. Orange Bowl Semi-Final – Winner of game 32 vs Winner of game 33   01/09/25
37. Cotton Bowl Semi-Final – Winner of game 34 vs Winner of game 35    01/10/25
38. Championship Game – Winner of game 36 vs winner of game 37         01/20/25

Please be very careful when selecting your answer for games 36, 37 & 38. I have posted a picture of the CFP bracket to assist you.

Tie Breaker:  What will be the total score for both teams in the Championship Game: ________