College Football Picks: College Football Bowl Game Picks, Part 1 | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Birmingham Bowl: Troy (11-2) vs. Duke (7-5), Noon ET

Duke clearly has the talent to win. Considering the changes happening in Durham, however, it's a great opportunity for Troy to sneak in a Power Five victory. Duke's late-season issues stopping the run aren't reassuring for a clash with Kimani Vidal, the nation's No. 3 rusher.

Prediction: Troy 24, Duke 20

Camellia Bowl: Arkansas State (6-6) vs. Northern Illinois (6-6), Noon ET

Since I've been terrible at predicting these two programs all season, please don't listen to me. Seriously, it's not great. They are thorns in my analytical hopes and dreams. Naturally, here they are squaring off in a virtual coin flip—which officially landed on NIU. Go Huskies?

Prediction: Northern Illinois 26, Arkansas State 23

Armed Forces Bowl: James Madison (11-1) vs. Air Force (8-4), 3:30 p.m. ET

James Madison's rapid FBS excellence is a terrific story, and Air Force closed the season with a winless November. Easy, right? Well, the departures of JMU coach Curt Cignetti and quarterback Jordan McCloud have shifted expectations for this matchup. JMU still wins because of its defense, but Air Force—which has dealt with a ton of injuries and should be healthier—keeps it close.

Prediction: James Madison 20, Air Force 14

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Georgia State (6-6) vs. Utah State (6-6), 3:30 p.m. ET

I'd love the best-case scenario to appear in Boise. Utah State has a suspect defense, so the Potato Bowl could be a high-scoring affair in a hurry. But five straight losses for Georgia State—which gave up 41.8 points per game in that stretch—obviously merits a "concerning" trend.

Prediction: Utah State 38, Georgia State 28

68 Ventures Bowl: South Alabama (6-6) vs. Eastern Michigan (6-6), 7 p.m. ET

South Alabama won 10 games last season, entered 2023 as a Sun Belt favorite and wrecked Oklahoma State in September. Despite a rough finish, the Jaguars are plenty talented. They should cruise to a seventh win after EMU quarterback Austin Smith hit the transfer portal.

Prediction: South Alabama 31, Eastern Michigan 17

Las Vegas Bowl: Utah (8-4) vs. Northwestern (7-5), 7:30 p.m. ET

If you like low-scoring battles, Christmas Eve-Eve is your kind of day. Along with JMU taking on Air Force, the Las Vegas Bowl pits a run-heavy Utah team opposite a shaky Northwestern offense. Both defenses had a couple awful days but typically played decently well. Perfectly juxtaposed against the glitz of Las Vegas, don't expect a flashy game. Utah wins a rock fight.

Prediction: Utah 20, Northwestern 13

Hawai'i Bowl: Coastal Carolina (7-5) vs. San Jose State (7-5), 10:30 p.m. ET

Coastal Carolina has ridden the QB carousel since an injury to Grayson McCall, who is now transferring to North Carolina State. On the other side, SJSU's Chevan Cordeiro—a sixth-year quarterback from Honolulu and a 2022 transfer from Hawaii—gets a homecoming for his college finale. Behind him and a surging rushing attack, San Jose State secures its seventh straight win after a 1-5 start.

Prediction: San Jose State 37, Coastal Carolina 27