Killer Frogs

Fiesta Bowl TCU vs. Michigan: Staff Predictions And Game Previews

Our staff makes their picks as the No. 3 Horned Frogs play the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines in the Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal
Barry Lewis|
Fiesta Bowl TCU vs. Michigan: Staff Predictions And Game Previews
Fiesta Bowl TCU vs. Michigan: Staff Predictions And Game Previews

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TCU Horned FrogsMichigan Wolverines

The No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs (12-1) makes its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoffs when it takes on the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (13-0) in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday, December 31 at 3 p.m. CT. The game will be played at State Farm Stadium and can be seen on ESPN.

Michigan is a -7.5 point favorite, according to SI Sportsbook. But how does our staff feel the game will go?

For the Big 12 Championship Game, our entire staff had TCU winning that game. The loss by the Frogs gave four our writers, along with TCU, their first loss of the season. Derek is currently at the top of the leaderboard with a 12-1 record and three closest score predictions. 

Staff Predictions

We have added each writer's season records (after their names). Here's how the KillerFrogs editorial staff thinks the game will go:

Barry Lewis (11-2; two closest scores) - TCU 31 - Michigan 30

Brett Gibbons (9-4; one closest score) - Michigan 45 - TCU 20

David Tucker (11-2; three closest scores) - Michigan 34 -TCU 24

Derek Lytle (12-1; three closest scores) - TCU 24 - Michigan 21

Ian Napetian (11-2) - TCU 34 - Michigan 31

Jake Peterson (0-1) - TCU 42 - Michigan 38 (He's new to our team - this is just his second prediction)

Nathan Cross (12-1; two closest scores) - TCU 35- Michigan 31

Nick Howard (4-9) -Michigan 24 - TCU 21

Ryann Zeller (12-1; one closest score) - Michigan 30 - TCU 26

Tori Couch (10-3; one closest score) - Michigan 30 - TCU 20

Tyler Brown (12-1) - TCU 50 -Michigan 0 

Zion Trammell (11-2) - TCU 31 - Michigan 28

Previewing the Game

All week, our staff has been providing a preview of the first game of the season. In case you missed some of our earlier coverage, here are some links to those stories:

Watch Party Celebrates Berth in CFP
First Look at Michigan
Predicting Every Bowl Game
WATCH! Big 12 Bowl Prep
I Was Wrong About TCU
Duggan Declares for the Draft
LISTEN! Podcast Previews the Fiesta Bowl
WATCH! Previewing the Fiesta Bowl with Wolverines Digest
Keys to the Game
Fiesta Bowl QB Spotlight -Duggan vs. McCarthy
LISTEN! Podcast Previews the Fiesta Bowl - Part Two
Fiesta Bowl Odds, Over/Under
Dear Opponent - Michigan
WATCH! TCU Facts for Michigan
Know Your Foe - Key Players from Michigan

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Published
Barry Lewis
BARRY LEWIS

Barry is the managing editor/publisher of TCU Horned Frogs On SI and oversees a team of 15+ writers, photographers, and podcasters covering all 22 of TCU’s sports. He writes on football, basketball (men’s and women’s), baseball, men’s tennis, and other sports as needed. His weekly articles include Big 12 Power Rankings and Poll Watching during the football, basketball, and baseball seasons. He is a frequent guest on one of the many podcasts that TCU Horned Frogs On SI writers host covering football, baseball, basketball, and other sports. Barry is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He has represented TCU Horned Frogs On SI at the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, the 2023 College Football National Championship, the 2023 College World Series, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship, Big 12 Football Media Days, and Big 12 Basketball Media Days. Barry has followed TCU sports since the Jim Wacker days. He is an avid sports fan and traveler, and he loves any opportunity to see a sporting event in person. He has been to 18 of the 30 MLB ballparks, experienced game day at 25 college football stadiums, seen 21 NFL stadiums, and been to 16 bowl games.

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