Biscuits Bowl Bonanza previews part VI: New Years Day (almost) bowls
This incredible bowl season is winding down so soak in the last few games while you can.
By: Bossman Slim, The Hammer, The Waco Kid
After how bad our picks were all year, it's only fitting that we keep that trend going into bowl season. As usual, bowl season has been full of pure chaos and mayhem. In our defense, picking bowl games has become exponentially harder in recent years with the influx of opt outs, transfer portal departures and the coaching carousel. That said, The Hammer and Bossman Slim are putting up some of the worst picks imaginable. Just horrific results so far with little to no time remaining to right the ship.
Let's get into the final games before we touch on the national title game later this week!
ReliaQuest Bowl, Monday 1/2
#22 Mississippi State vs Illinois - 12:00 ET on ESPN2 (Illini -2)
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay
Bossman Slim: Swing your sword. It’s time to win one for the pirate. This one will be interesting for its stark contrast in styles. State with the throw it 40-50 times a game Air Raid and Illinois with the smash mouth ground and pound favored by Bret Bielema. Both of these teams are solid and notched big wins this year and stayed on the fringes of the top 25 for much of the year. What will likely be overlooked by casual fans are these defenses. Illinois boasts the 2nd best defense in the country behind Air Force, but they are missing two of their top defensive backs which will hurt against the air-it-out Bulldogs. Mississippi State has the 40th-best defense in the country and 5th best in the SEC. I think this one comes down to time of possession. State will need to stop the run and get Illinois off the field early, otherwise the Illini will churn clock and could nullify the Bulldogs offensive firepower. Hail State is also without leading WR RaRa Thomas, who transferred to Georgia. I know emotion will play into this one big time, and that can’t really be measured. My gut tells me Illinois wins, but my heart tells me to go with State to win one more for Mike Leach.
#22 Mississippi State 28
Illinois 27
The Hammer: This one will be a little bit difficult to watch. The passing of Mike Leach is still reverberating through college football, and this will be the first time without the Pirate on the sidelines. I have no idea what to expect in this one. I hope to see a riled up Bulldog team, ready to win a bowl game in honor of their fallen coach. But you never know. They could just as easily be flat and slightly unprepared given all the off the field stuff they’ve been put through. I think Zach Arnett was a good hire, and he should help steady the ship in the short term, hopefully including the bowl game. On the field, Mississippi State will be missing some players, like RaRa Thomas, who entered the portal. But their most impactful players, such as QB Cowboy Will Rogers, will be suiting up. Illinois is no slouch of an opponent though. The Illini finished 8-4 and had a stout defense, hence why their DC Ryan Walters is now the head coach at Purdue. Illinois was hit with a tough opt out last week as leading rusher Chase Brown declared for the NFL draft and will forgo the bowl game. Brown ran for 1,643 yards and 10 TDs this year. Without Brown, I’m not sure how much Illinois will be able to move the ball. This one should be close, but I’ll take the Bulldogs to pull out the win in honor of Coach Leach.
#22 Mississippi State 23
Illinois 20
The Waco Kid: This is the one all of college football has been waiting for since that fateful December 12th morning when it was announced that Mike Leach had passed away. The final goodbye and swing of the sword in an ode to an era that was like no other that the NCAA has seen. We saw the birth of the Air Raid, the emergence of an entrancing figure that will live throughout football history, and heard stories of pirates and big foot that hypnotized a nation for decades only to be yanked from our grasp prematurely. This bowl game will honor the Captain and create a platform for all those that were touched by the presence of Mike Leach. This game is bigger than football, it will be an emotional resurgence of all that has made college football great and remind the nation that this great sport of ours is not just about the scoreboard at the end of the game but about the unity and love that holds the very foundation of America from crumbling at our feet. In that spirit, I do not believe we see anything but a Mississippi State victory. I think Will Rogers comes out and plays like the mad genius he has been taught to be and I think that defense does not allow for more than 20, just like their previous predecessor would expect. Illinois had a great season but they are up against more than just a good team in this bowl game. They are up against a predetermined destiny. A destiny that Mike Leach and the Bulldogs were meant to fulfill on January 2, 2023. An ushering in of the new year, a new era, and a new hope. As we say goodbye to one legend we open the door for many others to follow and by his example we are allowed an opportunity that the majority of the world may never see in their lifetime. An opportunity to be better and be the change we want to see.
#22 Mississippi State 100
Illinois 3
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Monday 1/2
#17 LSU vs Purdue - 12:00 ET on ESPN2 (LSU -14.5)
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
Bossman Slim: There are some real weird rumors swirling about LSU right now in regards to the Kayshon Boutte situation, which could be a distraction for the players heading into the Citrus Bowl. By the way, who thought it would be a good idea to name this the “Cheez-it Citrus Bowl''? I struggle to find a more disgusting combo than toasted cheese crackers and citrus flavor. I’m good. Purdue is no slouch, and hung with Michigan for a while in the Big 10 championship game. However, LSU has much of their firepower coming back in this one, minus a couple of important NFL opt-outs. The Tigers can replace Boutte on the outside, Jayden Daniels is playing, and most importantly, Purdue just lost their coach to Louisville, so I don’t expect that Boilermaker locomotive to be on track. I expect the LSU offense to enjoy a solid day on their way to a fairly comfortable win, but I think Purdue covers.
#17 LSU 41
Purdue 28
The Hammer: Another SEC vs Big Ten bowl game that will result in fans of whichever team/conference wins claiming superiority, and spouting off silly takes. Unfortunately, bowl games are not a measure of conference strength any longer, but that won’t stop twitter trolls from spewing out ridiculous takes. I chose to ignore that rhetoric and just enjoy the games. Who the hell cares about “what it means” if LSU whoops Purdue, or if Purdue finds a way to win? It’s not an indictment on any team, conference, coach, etc. It’s one game. Okay, rant over. LSU received great news a few weeks ago with QB Jaden Daniels announcing he will return to school this coming year rather than enter the NFL. Kayshon Boutte originally made that announcement, too. But then put that in reverse and has ultimately decided to enter the NFL draft and won’t play in this game. I don’t see that mattering much at all, because he was non-existent in multiple LSU games this fall. The Tigers will be fine without him. If Brian Kelly has LSU motivated and ready to actually play, they should win comfortably. Purdue’s coach just left for goodness sake. If Purdue were to win, I think they will need some key turnovers from LSU and Aidan O’Connell will need to hit big plays, which he is very capable of doing. I don’t trust the Purdue defense to hold up here for 4 quarters. I expect this one to be competitive for a while before LSU takes control in the second half.
#17 LSU 38
Purdue 27
The Waco Kid: I’m not sure how LSU lucked out with this match up. I mean Purdue is 8-5 but they have lost to every team I would have expected them to and the only teams they have beaten are scrubs and a very bad Nebraska team. They did beat Maryland which may be their defining win of the season but that’s not saying much. LSU has had a rough season too, they lost some that they probably should have won, then ended up winning the West by beating Alabama, then got trounced by an A&M team that had a real down year. Both of these teams were all over the map this year so maybe this game makes more sense than I originally thought. Still Purdue is a basketball team and not one that has all of the sudden gotten good at football as well. They benefited from a conference who had a down year and I suspect that will become obvious in their bowl game against the Tigers. The Bayou Boys still feature an SEC West team loaded with talent specifically at the quarterback position. Jayden Daniels has played some of his best ball against the nations best competition and when you have a competitor like that, the likes of Purdue will probably not give you too much of a fit. I expect this to be a blowout and for the SEC to enter 2023 with two bowl wins and a National Championship.
#17 LSU 42
Purdue 17