2021 CFP Preview and Bowl Results

I had initially planned to preview all of the NY6 Bowls, but it has been a busy holiday season and I decided to use the time to spend with family rather than guess if teams cared about their bowl game. I was a great season of college football and the CFP should be super fun as well.

College Football Playoff
Cotton Bowl Semifinal: 4Cincinnati vs 1Alabama
I think we are all hopeful that Cincinnati has a good showing in this game. That being said, I think Alabama is the better team. I also think that Alabama feels like the underdog in this game because pretty much everyone is rooting for Cincinnati to win. I’ve been able to watch both of these teams play a lot of games and they are strong teams that play to their competition. Alabama has been tested by a much better schedule this season, but that could also go in the Bearcat’s favor. I hope it is a close game, but I learned my lesson during the conference championship: don’t pick against Nick Saban.
I am picking Alabama
Final: 1Alabama 27 4Cincinnati 6

Orange Bowl Semifinal: 3Georgia vs 2Michigan
I am worried about this Georgia team. We spent all year hyping them up as one of the best defenses to ever play the game and then Alabama came out and 41 points against them after never giving up more than 17 points in a game. I do think Georgia knew they didn’t need to win that game to make the CFP so they might’ve been flat. They might have a chip on their shoulder in this game. Michigan was very quietly a great team this season. Their defeat of Ohio State was completely unexpected. I think they will play well in this game and it will be a relatively low scoring affair. It should be a very competitive game.
I am picking Georgia
Final: 3Georgia 34 2Michigan 11

A little note about me: I am writing this preview while looking out over the Pacific Ocean from my hotel room in Maui. My husband and I were finally able to go on our honeymoon after postponing for a year because of COVID restrictions.
I feel I haven’t put the same effort into my previews this past season because I was either busy being lazy (not in a bad way, but in a refreshing and self-care way), assistant coaching my 10u rec softball undefeated championship team, or driving a few hundred miles to Arkansas football games. Writing about football was not as big of a priority this season for me, and it was nice. Thanks for reading my blog this season, and I look forward to next year!

National Championship: 1Alabama vs 3Georgia
We finally made it to the CFP National Championship. Once again, the two best teams in the land come from the SEC. As an SEC gal, this makes me extremely happy as I survive on the tears and whining of the other Power 5 conferences’ fans. Georgia was the best team during the regular season while Alabama has been the best of the post season.
One of my rules is not to pick against Nick Saban and on the rare chance I break this rule, I have usually been wrong. This is a hard pick for me, so let me first give you the reason I think either team will win:
I am of the opinion that Georgia was not mentally ready for the SEC Championship game because they knew they didn’t need to win. In the Orange Bowl, however, they absolutely demolished what we are pretty sure was a great Michigan team. They looked like the Georgia team we’ve been watching all season. I find it hard to believe that Georgia will give up 40+ points again and their stellar defense will be why Georgia wins this game.
Now to Alabama. If I am being completely honest, I think Georgia is the better team in every respect but one. That “one” is the Head Coach. Saban has proved time and again that he doesn’t need to have the better team to win games, he just has to have the harder working and better prepared team. Cincinnati fought Bama hard in the Cotton Bowl and proved they deserved to be there. (Any Notre Dame fan who says they deserved it more needs to take a look at their record, take a look in the mirror, and sit down.) Alabama will be ready for this game. They have the blueprint to beat the Dawgs. A high scoring affair will lead to an Alabama win.
Who do I think will win this game? I have absolutely no idea. Georgia is the better team, but Bama has the better coach. The Alabama offense can score like nobody’s business, but the Georgia defense is one of the best I’ve ever seen.
I am going to break my rule again. I am going to pick Georgia. They know what to expect this time around and it really means something. I expect this game to be close and hard-fought. I hope it is as exciting as the last time these two teams matched up for a CFP National Championship.
I am picking Georgia

Bowl Results
Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee 31 Toledo 24
Cure Bowl: Coastal Carolina 47 Northern Illinois 41
Independence Bowl: UAB 31 13BYU 28
New Orleans Bowl: 23Louisiana 36 Marshall 21
Boca Raton Bowl: Western Kentucky 59 Appalachian State 38
New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State 31 UTEP 24
LendingTree Bowl: Liberty 56 Eastern Michigan 20
LA Bowl: Utah State 24 Oregon State 13
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Tulsa 30 Old Dominion 17
Frisco Bowl: 24San Diego State 38 UTSA 24
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Wyoming 52 Kent State 38
Armed Forces Bowl: Army 24 Missouri 22
Frisco Classic: Miami (OH) 27 North Texas 14
Gasparilla Bowl: UCF 29 Florida 17
Hawaii Bowl: Memphis vs Hawaii CANCELED
Camellia Bowl: Georgia State 51 Ball State 20
Quick Lane Bowl: Western Michigan 52 Nevada 24
Military Bowl: Boston College vs East Carolina CANCELED
Birmingham Bowl: 20Houston 17 Auburn 13
First Responder Bowl: Air Force 31 Louisville 28
Liberty Bowl: Texas Tech 34 Mississippi State 7
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Minnesota 18 West Virginia 6
Holiday Bowl: 18NC State vs UCLA CANCELED
Alamo Bowl: 16Oklahoma 47 14Oregon 32
Cheez-It Bowl: 19Clemson 20 Iowa State 13
Pinstripe Bowl: Maryland 54 Virginia Tech 10
Fenway Bowl: SMU vs Virginia CANCELED
Peach Bowl: 10Michigan State 31 Pittsburgh 21
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: South Carolina 38 North Carolina 21
Music City Bowl: Purdue 48 Tennessee 45 F/OT
Las Vegas Bowl: Wisconsin 20 Arizona State 13
Gator Bowl: 17Wake Forest 38 Rutgers 10
Sun Bowl: Central Michigan 24 Washington State 21
Arizona Bowl: Central Michigan vs Boise State CANCELED
Outback Bowl: 21Arkansas 24 Penn State 10
Citrus Bowl: 22Kentucky 20 15Iowa 17
Fiesta Bowl: 9Oklahoma State 37 5Notre Dame 35
Rose Bowl: 6Ohio State 48 11Utah 45
Sugar Bowl: 7Baylor 21 8Ole Miss 7
Texas Bowl: Kansas State 42 LSU 20