It’s bowl season, which also means it’s bowl pick ’em season. Opt-outs, transfers and coaching decisions make predicting bowl games difficult, but several members of The Athletic ’s college football staff have made picks for every bowl game and the four first-round College Football Playoff games.

P.J. Fleck hasn’t lost a bowl game in five trips with the Gophers, but their past four bowl wins have been decided by an average of fewer than nine points. This season, six of their past eight games were decided by single digits. The Hokies haven’t lost a game by more than 10 points this season.

SportsLine's advanced computer model has revealed its 2024-25 college football bowl game picks and predictions, including projections for the College Football Playoff quarterfinals

The Alabama vs. Michigan game starts at 12 p.m. ET, and can be seen on ESPN. Playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the game will take place Tuesday, Dec. 31 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

College Football Playoff picks, predictions, win probabilities for Ohio State vs Texas in Cotton Bowl, Notre Dame vs Penn State in Orange Bowl.

Most expected two blowouts in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff. The routs, however, were anticipated in the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl. Instead, the Rose Bowl between (8) Ohio State and (1) Oregon turned into one of the biggest mismatches of the entire CFP.