College football bowl predictions for the coming week

This coming week will be a great one for college football fans in the reading audience as there are 20 bowl games on tap to be played between tomorrow (Friday) and Thurs., Jan. 3.

Some of these games will be very predictable while others could be very close. For what it’s worth, here are my predictions on how those games will turn out. (The network carrying each game is noted in parentheses.)

Look for Louisiana-Monroe to beat Ohio in the Independence Bowl, which will kick off tomorrow at 1 p.m. in Shreveport, La. (ESPN)

Expect Virginia Tech to defeat Rutgers in the Russell Athletic Bowl, which will start tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. in Orlando, Fla. (ESPN)

I figure Texas Tech will best Minnesota in the Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl, which will begin tomorrow at 8 p.m. in Houston. (ESPN)

I predict Air Force will outgun Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl, which will kick off Saturday at 10:45 a.m. in Fort Worth, Texas. (ESPN)

Look for West Virginia to down Syracuse in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, which will start at 2:15 p.m. in New York’s Yankee Stadium. (ESPN)

Expect Arizona State to beat Navy in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, which will begin Saturday at 3 p.m. in San Francisco. (ESPN2)

I figure Oregon State will best Texas in the Alamo Bowl, which will kick off Saturday at 5:45 p.m. in San Antonio. (ESPN)

I predict TCU will down Michigan State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, which will start Saturday at 9:15 p.m. in Tempe, Ariz. (ESPN)

Look for Vanderbilt to beat North Carolina State in the Music City Bowl, which will begin Monday at 11 a.m. in Nashville, Tenn. (ESPN)

Expect USC to defeat Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl, which will kick off Monday at 1 p.m. in El Paso, Texas. (CBS)

I figure Iowa State will best Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl, which will begin Monday at 2:30 p.m. in Memphis, Tenn. (ESPN)

I predict LSU will blast Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which will start Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Atlanta. (ESPN)

Look for Mississippi State to whip Northwestern in the Gator Bowl, which will start Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Jacksonville, Fla. (ESPN2)

Expect Oklahoma State to defeat Purdue in the Heart of Dallas Bowl, which will begin Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Dallas. (ESPNU)

I figure South Carolina will maul Michigan in the Outback Bowl, which will kick off Tuesday at noon in Tampa, Fla. (ESPN)

I predict Georgia will beat Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl, which will start Tuesday at noon in Orlando. (ABC)

Look for Stanford to best Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, which will begin Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Pasadena, Calif. (ESPN)

I will be surprised if Florida State doesn’t beat Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl, which will kick off at 7:30 p.m. in Miami. (ESPN)

Look for Florida to edge by Louisville in the Sugar Bowl, which will start next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in New Orleans. (ESPN)

Last, but not least, I expect Oregon to down Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl, which will begin next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Glendale, Ariz. (ESPN)