Bowl Game Predictions: College Football Picks for Every Bowl Game in 2022-23
College football’s 2022-23 bowl season kicks off on Friday, Dec. 16, and continues until the national championship in Inglewood, Calif., on Jan. 9. With the bowl lineup set and confidence pools and pick’em contests set to start on Dec. 16, three editors for Athlon Sports share predictions for every bowl.
Related: Ranking All 41 College Football Bowl Games From Must-See to Must-Miss
Two games are scheduled for Friday, six are slated for the first Saturday of action, and eight other matchups (including the New Orleans, Armed Forces, Boca Raton and Hawaii Bowls) are on tap before Christmas. No games are set to be played on Christmas Day, but the bowl slate resumes on the 26th with one contest and continues with matchups on Dec. 27-31 and again on Jan. 2. The usual New Year's Day slate falls on Jan. 2 this year, including the Cotton, Citrus and Rose Bowl.
The ninth College Football Playoff starts on Dec. 31, with Michigan taking on TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. The Peach Bowl caps the semifinal round with a showdown between Ohio State and Georgia.
Note: Number in parentheses indicates confidence in the prediction. A No. 41 ranking indicates more confidence in the prediction, while a lower number indicates less confidence in a pick. Keep track of the opt-outs, injuries and transfers that could impact bowl games here
Athlon Sports’ editors make their picks for every bowl game on the slate, including the national championship. Note: These picks may be updated throughout bowl season due to injury or opt-out information.
College Football's 2022-23 Bowl Predictions and Picks
| Steven Lassan | Mark Ross | Ben Weinrib | |
|---|---|---|---|
Bahamas: Miami (Ohio) vs. UAB | UAB (25) | UAB (25) | UAB (39) |
Cure: UTSA vs. Troy | UTSA (11) | Troy (3) | UTSA (4) |
Fenway: Cincinnati vs. Louisville | Cincinnati (7) | Cincinnati (5) | Cincinnati (16) |
Las Vegas: Florida vs. Oregon State | Oregon State (34) | Oregon State (32) | Oregon State (19) |
Jimmy Kimmel LA: Washington State vs. Fresno State | Fresno State (23) | Fresno State (24) | Washington State (23) |
LendingTree: Rice vs. Southern Miss | Southern Miss (31) | Southern Miss (29) | Southern Miss (37) |
New Mexico: SMU vs. BYU | BYU (6) | BYU (16) | SMU (22) |
Frisco: North Texas vs. Boise State | Boise State (36) | Boise State (37) | Boise State (26) |
Myrtle Beach: Marshall vs. UConn | Marshall (30) | Marshall (34) | Marshall (38) |
Potato: Eastern Michigan vs. San Jose State | San Jose State (18) | San Jose State (17) | San Jose State (14) |
Boca Raton: Liberty vs. Toledo | Toledo (8) | Toledo (22) | Toledo (1) |
New Orleans: Western Kentucky vs. South Alabama | South Alabama (33) | South Alabama (33) | South Alabama (30) |
Armed Forces: Baylor vs. Air Force | Air Force (10) | Baylor (13) | Baylor (29) |
Independence: Louisiana vs. Houston | Houston (35) | Houston (36) | Houston (13) |
Gasparilla: Wake Forest vs. Missouri | Wake Forest (9) | Wake Forest (14) | Wake Forest (9) |
Hawaii: Middle Tennessee vs. San Diego State | San Diego State (22) | San Diego State (23) | San Diego State (12) |
Quick Lane: New Mexico State vs. Bowling Green | Bowling Green (20) | Bowling Green (20) | New Mexico State (17) |
Camellia: Georgia Southern vs. Buffalo | Georgia Southern (19) | Georgia Southern (19) | Georgia Southern (18) |
First Responder: Memphis vs. Utah State | Memphis (21) | Memphis (9) | Memphis (41) |
Birmingham: Coastal Carolina vs. East Carolina | East Carolina (29) | East Carolina (30) | East Carolina (5) |
Guaranteed Rate: Wisconsin vs. Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State (5) | Wisconsin (6) | Oklahoma State (15) |
Military: UCF vs. Duke | Duke (12) | Duke (15) | Duke (7) |
Liberty: Kansas vs. Arkansas | Arkansas (17) | Arkansas (21) | Arkansas (36) |
Holiday: Oregon vs. North Carolina | Oregon (37) | Oregon (38) | Oregon (40) |
Texas: Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss | Ole Miss (28) | Ole Miss (28) | Ole Miss (31) |
Pinstripe: Syracuse vs. Minnesota | Minnesota (24) | Minnesota (26) | Minnesota (32) |
Cheez-It: Oklahoma vs. Florida State | Florida State (39) | Florida State (39) | Florida State (2) |
Alamo: Texas vs. Washington | Washington (13) | Washington (12) | Texas (25) |
Duke's Mayo: Maryland vs. NC State | NC State (3) | NC State (4) | Maryland (21) |
Sun: Pitt vs. UCLA | UCLA (32) | UCLA (31) | UCLA (27) |
Gator: Notre Dame vs. South Carolina | South Carolina (2) | South Carolina (2) | South Carolina (6) |
Arizona: Ohio vs. Wyoming | Wyoming (2) | Ohio (7) | Ohio (20) |
Orange: Tennessee vs. Clemson | Clemson (27) | Clemson (27) | Clemson (8) |
Sugar: Alabama vs. Kansas State | Alabama (26) | Kansas State (1) | Alabama (28) |
Music City: Iowa vs. Kentucky | Kentucky (4) | Kentucky (8) | Kentucky (10) |
Fiesta (CFP Semifinal): TCU vs. Michigan | Michigan (40) | Michigan (41) | Michigan (35) |
Peach (CFP Semifinal): Ohio State vs. Georgia | Georgia (41) | Georgia (40) | Georgia (33) |
ReliaQuest: Mississippi State vs. Illinois | Illinois (16) | Illinois (18) | Illinois (3) |
Cotton: Tulane vs. USC | USC (14) | USC (10) | USC (24) |
Citrus: LSU vs. Purdue | LSU (38) | LSU (35) | LSU (34) |
Rose: Penn State vs. Utah | Penn State (15) | Utah (11) | Penn State (11) |
