Friday’s college football bowl game previews and picks
Any team that passes on Cook is basically saying they don’t want Devonta Freeman, the Falcons Pro Bowl tailback, who Cook has outshined on every level. Cook is a rare blend of balance, agility and speed. His stop-start style and knack for accelerating through holes helped him gain 4,464 rushing yards and score 48 touchdowns in his three seasons at FSU. However, there are a few off-the-field issues that might scare off some teams.
Friday’s bowl games
Liberty: Texas Christian (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5), at Memphis, Tenn., 9 a.m., ESPN — TCU Coach Gary Patterson has a record of 8-2 in his last 10 bowl games, but if he wins here it would be his team’s first quality win of the season. While it’s true the Horned Frogs defeated Baylor when it was nationally ranked, the Bears ended with six consecutive losses. TCU’s other wins: lower-level South Dakota State, 3-9 Iowa State, 5-7 Southern Methodist, 2-10 Kansas and 5-7 Texas. Georgia’s slate includes wins over five bowl teams: North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn and Louisiana Lafayette. Georgia should be able to run with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, and it will have to in order to take pressure off freshman quarterback Jacob Eason. The pick: Georgia, 27-17.
Sun Bowl: North Carolina (8-4) vs. No. 18 Stanford (9-3), at El Paso, Texas, 11 a.m., Channel 2 — This game lost some marquee appeal when Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey chose to skip it in order to protect his status as an NFL draft prospect. That was a big hit to the Cardinal, who weren’t the same when McCaffrey was dinged up earlier this season, and it helps North Carolina, which struggled to defend the run, giving up an average of 235.5 yards rushing per game. The Tar Heels also have the best quarterback in the game, Mitch Trubisky, who has passed for 3,468 yards and 28 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He could be the first quarterback taken in the next NFL draft. His favorite target is Ryan Switzer, who has 91 catches for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns. The pick: Stanford, 24-23.
Music City: Nebraska (9-3) vs. No. 21Tennessee (8-4), at Nashville, 12:30 p.m., ESPN — These teams each had high hopes halfway through the season. Tennessee opened with five consecutive wins, then went on a three-game tailspin, including a confounding 24-21 loss to South Carolina. The Volunteers then rallied for three consecutive wins, before another confounding loss, 45-34, against Vanderbilt. Nebraska opened with seven victories, then started facing good teams. The Cornhuskers played Wisconsin close, but got walloped by Ohio State and Iowa. Both defenses will try to contain a dual-threat quarterback. Tennessee has senior Josh Dobbs, who has passed for 2,655 yards and also leads the Volunteers in rushing with 713 yards. Nebraska has senior Tommy Armstrong Jr., who has passed for 2,180 yards and run for 512. The pick: Tennessee, 30-24.
Arizona: South Alabama (6-6) vs. Air Force (9-3), at Tucson, 2:30 p.m. — Which South Alabama team shows up, the one that defeated Mississippi State in its opener and then San Diego State when the Aztecs were ranked No. 19, or the one that required overtime to nip Nicholls by a point and a final-seconds field goal to edge 3-9 Georgia State? South Alabama gave up 304 yards rushing in a loss to Georgia Southern early this season, and Air Force’s option is better than that. The Falcons have five players who have rushed for 475 yards or more, comprising the nation’s No. 3 ground attack, which is averaging 322.8 yards rushing per game. Air Force doesn’t throw often, but when it does look out for Jalen Robinette. He has 33 of the team’s 61 receptions, with five touchdowns. The pick: Air Force, 38-20.
Orange: No. 11 Florida State (9-3) vs. No. 6 Michigan (10-2), at Miami Gardens, Fla., 5 p.m., ESPN — It has been difficult to trust Florida State since it was demolished, 63-20, by Louisville and Lamar Jackson in Week 3. But after their loss to North Carolina two weeks later, the Seminoles’ only hiccup was a 37-34 loss to Clemson at the end of October. Florida State hammered Florida, 31-13, in its regular-season finale. Michigan’s two losses — to Iowa and Ohio State — were by a total of four points. The Wolverines have the nation’s No. 2 defense in yards allowed (252.7) and points allowed (12.5) per game, trailing only Alabama in each category. But Michigan will have its hands full trying to contain Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, who has run for 1,620 yards and 18 touchdowns. This game may turn on how the quarterbacks handle the pass rush. Florida State has 47 sacks; Michigan has 44. Wilton Speight, Michigan’s junior quarterback, has completed 62.5% of his passes for 2,375 yards and 17 touchdowns with six interceptions. Deondre Francois, a freshman, has completed 60.6% of his passes for 3,128 yards and 18 touchdowns with six interceptions for Florida State. The pick: Florida State, 25-24.
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
