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

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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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Barry Lewis previously served as managing editor and publisher of KillerFrogs FanNation, now TCU Horned Frogs On SI. During his tenure, he oversaw a team covering TCU athletics and contributed reporting and analysis across football, basketball, baseball, men’s tennis and other Horned Frog sports.
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