Bowl Picks: Staff predictions for each game, the College Football Playoff

Sports Illustrated writers and editors made picks for the College Football Playoff and every bowl game.

College football fans will spend the next couple of weeks waiting for the College Football Playoff semifinals. But there are plenty of other interesting games taking place before and after the highly anticipated matchups between No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Washington, and No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Ohio State. Some of the 40 bowl games scheduled this postseason may not offer much intrigue, but the majority of them provide at least one compelling reason to watch. Plus, these games are a good way to pass the time while hanging out with your relatives during the holidays. We’ve already rated each bowl according to its watchability. Now it’s time to try to predict winners and losers. A panel of Sports Illustrated writers and editors (Andy Staples, Pete Thamel, Lindsay Schnell, Brian Hamilton, Joan Niesen, Colin Becht, Gabriel Baumgaertner) made its picks for every game.

College football bowl games schedule: All 2016–17 games, matchups, TV channels

College Football Playoff semifinals

Bowl	Staples	Thamel	Schnell	Hamilton	Niesen	Becht	Baum- gaertner
(1) Alabama vs. (4) Wash.
(2) Clemson vs. (3) Ohio State

All other bowls

Game	Staples	Thamel	Schnell	Hamilton	Niesen	Becht	Baum- gaertner
New Mexico vs. UTSA (New Mexico Bowl)
Houston vs. SDSU (Las Vegas Bowl)
App. St. vs. Toledo (Camellia Bowl)
UCF vs. Ark. St. (Cure Bowl)
USM vs. ULL (New Orleans Bowl)
CMU vs. Tulsa (Miami Beach Bowl)
Memphis vs. WKU (Boca Raton Bowl)
BYU vs. Wyoming (Poinset. Bowl)
Idaho vs. Colo. St. (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)
EMU vs. ODU (Bahamas Bowl)
La. Tech vs. Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
Ohio vs. Troy (Dollar General Bowl)
Hawaii vs. MTSU (Hawaii Bowl)
Miami (OH) vs. Miss. St. (St. Pete. Bowl)
Maryland vs. BC (Quick Lane Bowl)
NC St. vs. Vandy (Indep. Bowl)
Army vs. North Tex. (Heart of Dallas Bowl)
Temple vs. Wake (Military Bowl)
Minn. vs. Wash. St. (Holiday Bowl)
Boise St. vs. Baylor (Cactus Bowl)
Pitt. vs. NU (Pinstripe Bowl)
W. Va. vs. Miami (Russell Athletic Bowl)
Indiana vs. Utah (Foster Farms Bowl)
TAMU vs. Kan. St. (Texas Bowl)
USF vs. S. Car. (Birm. Bowl)
Ark. vs. Va. Tech (Belk Bowl)
Okla. St. vs. Colo. (Alamo Bowl)
Georgia vs. TCU (Liberty Bowl)
Stanford vs. UNC (Sun Bowl)
Neb. vs. Tenn. (Music City Bowl)
So. Ala. vs. Air Force (Arizona Bowl)
Mich. vs. FSU (Orange Bowl)
LSU vs. Louisville (Citrus Bowl)
Ga. Tech vs. UK (Taxslayer Bowl)
Florida vs. Iowa (Outback Bowl)
W. Mich. vs. Wisco. (Cotton Bowl)
USC vs. Penn St. (Rose Bowl)
Auburn vs. Okla. (Sugar Bowl)