Bowl Predictions: Monday and Tuesday

The final week of bowl season begins with a half-dozen games in two days.

An old rivalry revives when Navy and Pitt hit the gridiron.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Military Bowl: Navy (7-1 American West) and Pitt (6-2 ACC Coastal) meet for the 40th time when they kick off in Annapolis this afternoon. The two schools played regularly between 1954 and 1989, when both teams were nearby independents. Pitt leads the series with 22 wins to Navy's 14 (three occasions have the teams tied). Incidentally, this year's game will be played on Navy's home field.

Pitt's season has varied, although they usually play opponents closely, regardless of quality. The Panthers nearly beat Iowa and North Carolina, but struggled against Virginia and Georgia Tech. Excellence may not define Pitt, but competence does.

Navy's ten-win record reflects the Midshipmen's success this year. During the season, Navy sunk South Florida and Memphis, but were easily defeated by both Notre Dame and Houston (their two best opponents). Navy swept their two academy rivals, even if they were outplayed by Army in the regular season finale.

Pitt should have their hands full against Navy's highly effective triple-option offense. The Panthers will need a good performance from their own running game to keep up. However, this game should be competitive barring an outbreak of turnovers or catastrophic errors.

• 21 Navy (10-2) over Pittsburgh (8-4), 35-28

Quick Lane Bowl: Detroit hosts two comparably average teams in Central Michigan (6-2 MAC West) and Minnesota (2-6 Big Ten West). Despite their seven losses, Minnesota was granted bowl eligibility due to a shortage of six-win teams. However, perhaps the Golden Gophers should not be dismissed as one of the bowl season's worst teams. The Gophers narrowly lost to TCU, Michigan, and Iowa, although they failed to pick up any impressive victories. Central Michigan also played respectably against good opponents, nearly upsetting Western Michigan and Toledo. The Chippewas' best outing as a 29-19 win over Northern Illinois. Both teams share a similar style; they lack great offenses but each field good defenses. Both teams have trouble moving the ball on the ground (although Central Michigan's more unbalanced with a better passing attack and an inferior ground game). Experience and coaching could be the advantage that gains Minnesota another win.

• Minnesota (5-7) over Central Michigan (7-5), 24-20

Armed Forces Bowl: Offenses will take the spotlight when Air Force (6-2 MW Mountain) faces California (4-5 Pac-12 North) in Fort Worth. Air Force, with their difficult-to-stop triple-option, has one of the country's most productive rushing attacks. Cal's West Coast offense is one of the most prolific aerial attacks. The Golden Bear offense is more balanced, as their ground game is better than the Falcons' passing game. However, the Air Force defense has played better than Cal's this year. Expect a close game that could be decided by a late score.

• Air Force (8-5) over California (7-5), 41-38

Baylor ended the regular season with an embarrassing loss but
can enter the off-season with a solid bowl victory.
JAY JANNER / AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Russell Athletic Bowl: North Carolina (8-0 ACC Coastal) and Baylor (6-3 Big 12) will take the field in Orlando with 20 wins between them. However, this might not be the close game between two successful teams one might hope for.

North Carolina began their season with a turnover-plagued loss to South Carolina. After this inexplicable loss, the Tar Heels reeled off 11-straight wins and won the ACC Coastal. During their run of victories, UNC's performances varied, interspersing solid victories with narrow wins and magnificent blowouts. Clemson ended the Tar Heels' win streak with a 45-37 victory in the ACC title game.

Baylor won their first eight games, but injuries took their toll by the season's end. The Bear's first taste of defeat was against Oklahoma, although they managed to recover with a win over Oklahoma State the next week. An overtime loss to TCU knocked the Bears out of Big 12 title contention while a shocking loss to Texas ended Baylor's regular season on a sour note.

North Carolina has a good defense and an even-better offense. Baylor once had a great offense, but injuries have damaged their ability to compete. UNC should take care of Baylor.

• 10 North Carolina (11-2) over 17 Baylor (9-3), 45-28

Arizona Bowl: Unusually, two teams from the same conference will meet each other in a bowl game. Colorado State (5-3 MW Mountain) and Nevada (4-4 MW West) are both from the Mountain West, but are from opposite divisions and did not play another this season. Colorado State has won 11 of 13 games in this series and 10 of 12 over the last 18 years. Both teams may below below average in the FBS, but should be fairly evenly-matched. A more balanced offense should favor the Rams over the Wolfpack.

• Colorado State (7-5) over Nevada (6-6), 31-24

Texas Bowl: LSU (5-3 SEC West) and Texas Tech (4-5 Big 12) will kick off in Houston for the day's final game.

LSU began the season winning their first seven games. The key to the Tigers' success was their running game, which averaged well over 200 yards per game during this stretch. Their most impressive wins came against Mississippi State on the road and Florida at home. The Tigers even defeated Western Kentucky in a 48-20 rout (the only embarrassing result in an otherwise stellar season for the Hilltoppers). By this time, the Tigers were ranked second in the polls, but then came the Alabama game, in which the Tiger offense was shut down and LSU fell, 30-16. The shell-shocked Tigers dropped their next two games to Arkansas and Ole Miss and were soundly beaten on both occasions. LSU recovered in their season finale, beating Texas A&M 19-7.

By comparison, Texas Tech's season went up-and-down. The Red Raiders beat their first three opponents, including Arkansas, before losing the next two against Baylor and TCU. Tech then beat Iowa State and Kansas, but followed this with losses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia. The Red Raiders out-dueled Kansas State and Texas in their final games to end the regular season with seven wins.

This game will feature a sharp contrast of offensive styles. Texas Tech utilizes an extremely prolific air raid offense, while LSU prefers a traditional, smash-mouth running game. It's unlikely that LSU can completely contain Tech's high-powered offense, although their superior defense should give them the edge in this matchup.

• 20 LSU (8-3) over Texas Tech (7-5), 38-31