CFB Wednesday 12/31
- Kyle Kirms
- Dec 30, 2025
- 6 min read
IOWA VS VANDERBILT - 12 PM
Exciting times to be a Vanderbilt fan. First 10 win season. 5 star QB flips from Georgia.
Big Ten vs SEC. First ever meeting between Vanderbilt and Iowa. These teams were formed in 1889 and 1890... they've never played.
Iowa has actually lost their bowl game to an SEC team in back to back years. The two years before this, they actually beat Kentucky twice.
Right off the bat, we know Vanderbilt's defense matches up pretty well against Iowa. All they do is run the football.
Vanderbilt played an SEC schedule... and they've really been rock solid against the run all year.
I gotta ask though... how many SEC rushing attacks have they seen? Have they seen a single physical downhill rushing attack like Iowa?
Look at Vanderbilt's defensive numbers against the only two offenses they've seen that are comparable to Iowa. Both these games were at home.
We've seen Iowa run the ball on some good teams... but we've also seen some elite defenses take the run away from Iowa.
I wouldn't be surprised if Gronowski makes some throws in this game also. The weather's supposed to be great in Tampa. It's his last game as a College Football player. Vanderbilt's secondary has been really shaky this year.
On the other side, can Iowa stop Pavia? VAN QB COACH GARRETT ALTMAN WILL REMAIN WITH THE TEAM FOR THE BOWL GAME. TE ELI STOWERS OPTING OUT. IOWA CB1 TJ HALL SET TO RETURN FROM INJURY AFTER MISSING LAST 2 GAMES.
Missing Stowers is definitely huge. In terms of NFL talent, this is the best player on the team.
Iowa's defense held its own against elite competition.
Vanderbilt's 4 toughest games by far were the 4 times they saw great defenses. Iowa hasn't seen a mobile QB this year.
IOWA +5.5. I think this number should be 3/3.5.
ARIZONA STATE VS DUKE - 2 PM
The ACC Champions. Crazy how Duke won the ACC for the first time since 1962 and it somehow doesn't feel like a great season.
Big 12 vs ACC.
Duke's first trip to El Paso since 2014.
We know the story with Duke. Explosive offense... awful defense. EDGE Bryce Davis injured. CB Kimari Robinson injured. CB Moussa Kane is injured. LB Nick Morris Jr. injured. LB Elliott Schaper injured.
Duke did play a great defensive game in the ACC Championship. But now Duke EDGE Vincent Anthony Jr. opt out. CB Chandler Rivers opt out. EDGE Wesley Williams declared for the NFL draft but he is expected to play.
Here's the thing... despite missing all those starters... is Duke still in a position to play a good defensive game? Because this Arizona State offense is depleted. QB Sam Leavitt is injured and in the transfer portal. Star WR Jordyn Tyson opted out. Star RB Raleek Brown opted out. RBs Kyson Brown and Kanye Udoh are out with injuries. LT Josh Atkins is in the transfer portal. RT Max Iheanachor opted out. I believe RG Kyle Scott opted out. C Ben Coleman has been out for the year since Week 7. TE Chamon Metayer opted out.
The weakness of this Duke defense all year has been the secondary. They have two elite DTs and they're both playing in this game. They've been decent against the run... and that's really all Arizona State does with Sims at QB.
The other side of the ball is where we have a much better matchup. Duke OT Brian Parker II opt out. Mensah has announced he's staying with Duke and will be playing in this game. ASU CB1 Keith Abney II opted out. CB2 Javan Robinson is in the portal. Remember their main DB Xavion Alford has been out for the year since September. CB5 Rodney Bimage is out with an injury. LB and leading tackler Keyshaun Elliott opted out. EDGE Clayton Smith is out with an injury.
Duke's offense definitely fell off a cliff down the stretch when they saw some tougher defenses... but with Arizona State's defense missing so many pieces, I would imagine they can score in this one.
Supposed to be nice weather in El Paso... certainly helps Duke as the team that wants to throw the ball.
Duke -3.
Arizona State OC said in an interview that the bowl game is "practically spring ball reps". Dillingham said he's supporting whatever his players' decisions are.
MICHIGAN VS TEXAS - 3 PM
We know the situation.
Keep in mind... we weren't expecting a ton outta Michigan in the bowl game last year either with Davis Warren and Alex Orji at QB. But they beat Alabama outright.
Big Ten vs SEC.
Bryce Underwood's gonna play. LG Giovanni El-Hadi opted out. Texas defense is crushed. LB Liona Lefau (4th leading tackler) opted out. S Michael Taaffe (2nd leading tackler) opted out. LB Anthony Hill Jr. (3rd leading tackler) opted out. Their top 2 CBs Muhammad and Guilbeau both opted out. EDGE rushers Trey Moore and Ethan Burke opted out. EDGE Colin Simmons is gonna play though.
DC KWIATKOWSKI FIRED.
On the other side of the ball, we've got more missing players. MICH EDGE Derrick Moore and EDGE Jaishawn Barham both opted out (team's 2 leaders in sacks and TFLs). LB and leading tackler Ernest Hausmann is not playing in this game. S Mason Curtis is injured.
Texas offense missing players also. Top 2 RBs both are in the transfer portal (Wisner and Baxter). LG Connor Stroh is in the transfer portal as well (he's been injured anyway).
This game is Arch Manning vs Bryce Underwood. If you forced me to bet it, I'd take the +7 but I have no interest.
NEBRASKA VS UTAH - 3:30 PM
I have very little interest in this game. No Raiola for Nebraska although Lateef is gonna play and I suppose he wasn't terrible. RB Emmett Johnson declared for the NFL draft. UTA EDGE Logan Fano opted out. EDGE John Henry Daley entered the transfer portal (most likely to Michigan).
Matt Rhule got rid of a lot of his staff. OL Coach, Def line coach, DC John Butler.
Lateef did show some signs of life in the UCLA game.. the Penn State and Iowa games got pretty ugly. I would imagine Nebraska really struggles to move the ball here without Raiola and Emmett Johnson.
On the other side, Nebraska has been terrible against the run all year and Utah's got one of the most dynamic rushing attacks in the country. UTA Both OTs Lomu and Fano opted out. NEB LB Dasan McCullough is injured. S DeShon Singleton is injured.
The front 7 just fell apart down the stretch.
Ever since the Texas Tech game... Utah's been steam rolling everybody on the ground.
I guess Utah -14.
MIAMI VS OHIO STATE - 7:30 PM
Rematch of the game. Fiesta Bowl. Last time these two teams met. Miami is 4-0 against ranked opponents this year.
So we know this is gonna be a real tough matchup for Carson Beck and the Miami offense. Ohio State hasn't allowed more than 16 points in a game this season.
Miami's offense couldn't do anything against Texas A&M's defense. Now this was at Kyle Field instead of a neutral site... but still, Ohio State's defense is a step above Texas A&M's in my opinion. Mark Fletcher Jr. had 172 yards rushing in this game... very seriously doubt the run's gonna be there against Ohio State.
Ohio State may have lost the Big Ten Championship game... but it wasn't because of the defense. They still held Indiana to 13 points.
Miami is not a big play offense and Ohio State doesn't allow big plays... so if Miami is able to sustain drives in this game... it's gonna be slow.
And speaking of slow...
On the other side of the ball, Ohio State's offense needs to make a statement here because that was not a good showing in the Big Ten Championship game. Miami still missing CB Damari Brown... but they got CB OJ Frederique Jr. and CB Keionte Scott back from injury last week. LB Mohamed Toure got banged up in the A&M game is on track to play.
Miami hasn't allowed an opponent to score more than 20 points in regulation since 10/17.
What Miami's defense just did in the 1st round was impressive.
And Ohio State's offense kinda just got exposed. Starting RG Tegra Tshabola got injured in this game and is doubtful.
Ryan Day is taking over the playcalling duties with Hartline having one foot out the door.
Now on paper, Julian Sayin should be equipped to handle Miami's pass rush.
But we saw Indiana putting pressure on Sayin and he was not handling it well. He was sacked 5 times in this game.
And you wanna know another QB that's been elite at handling pressure this year? Marcel Reed... Miami had him in a coffin.
Comments