On the Line: Bowl Edition

Bowl season is finally here, and The Daily Iowan staff makes its picks for the final games of the college football season.

Katina Zentz

Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley cheers after the football game against Nebraska at Memorial Stadium on Friday, November 29, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Cornhuskers 27-24. Stanley played his last regular season game.

No. 19 Iowa vs. No. 22 USC

Pete Ruden, Pregame Editor (32-28): Iowa — Keith Duncan-Groza Award revenge game. Thirteen field goals.

Anna Kayser, Sports Editor (36-24): Iowa — USC couldn’t beat Iowa even with Urban Meyer as the coach.

Robert Read, Assistant Sports Editor (38-22): Iowa — Iowa would’ve made a 16-team playoff.

Pete Mills, Football Reporter (37-23): Iowa — Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diaaago.

Kade Overton, DITV Sports Director (0-0): Iowa — Last time the Hawks played in California, they wish Stanford was using a Trojan.

Jon Rawson, DITV Director (41-19): Iowa — This is a fitting matchup, unlike the glove. Does the jury agree?

Jason Brummond, Publisher (40-29): Iowa — *checks notes for Holiday Bowl field goal records*

No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 Oklahoma

Ruden: LSU — Mic up Coach O.

Kayser: LSU — The Sooners should bureaux themselves into the ground after this one.

Read: LSU — Joe Burrow wasn’t good enough to play at Nebraska. Interesting.

Mills: LSU — Yeah, good luck beating it in New Orleans if it wins this game.

Overton: LSU — Sooner the game is over, the sooner the Oklahoma players can get back to their cousins.

Rawson: LSU — Every time I think of Joe Burrow I wonder where I went wrong in life.

Brummond: LSU — Nebraska… what could have been?

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Clemson

Ruden: Ohio State — One of these schools has played at least one team with a pulse.

Kayser: Ohio State — I hate to say it, but I want OSU in the championship. I don’t know why.

Read: Ohio State — *Insert popcorn eating gif*

Mills: Ohio State — Step one: Beat Penn State, Michigan, and Wisconsin back-to-back-to-back. Step two: Move down in rankings.

Overton: Ohio State — The battle of who gets to lose in the championship game.

Rawson: Ohio State — This game is irrelevant for two reasons: Joe & Burrow. Please DM me.

Brummond: Ohio State — Root for the conference.

No. 9 Auburn vs. No. 16 Minnesota

Ruden: Auburn — Auburn is the most random color to name a school after.

Kayser: Minnesota — P.J. Fleck annoys me, but I’m being generous with rooting for Big Ten teams.

Read: — P.J. Fleck is coaching in a stadium that has a boat in it.

Mills: Auburn — Took Minnesota 10 wins to get to the Outback Bowl this year. Very cool, guys!

Overton: Auburn — P.J. Fleck fighting off some Pirates? Now that’s a fight that’s going to be closer than the game.

Rawson: Auburn — Me and Minnesota have one thing in common: our fun doesn’t last very long.

Brummond: Auburn — The dinghy has sprung a leak.

No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 11 Wisconsin

Ruden: Wisconsin — Duck hunting szn.

Kayser: Oregon — Lol, sorry Wisconsin — the above statement does not apply to you.

Read: Wisconsin — Jonathan Taylor is the most under-appreciated player in the country.

Mills: Wisconsin — Wisconsin played two great quarters against OSU, which is actually the best anyone has done all year.

Overton: Wisconsin — Roses are Wisconsin Red, and Oregon Green is the color of the other state plant.

Rawson: Wisconsin — Remember when Justin Herbert was the top QB in the 2019 class? LOL, marry me, Joe Burrow.

Brummond: Wisconsin — Why wasn’t Jonathan Taylor a Heisman finalist?

No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 8 Baylor

Ruden: Georgia — Baylor? More like Fail-or, am I right?*

*I might have used this joke already.

Kayser: Georgia — So close, Georgia. So, so close.

Read: Baylor — Georgia went with Jake Fromm over Justin Fields, which appears to be the wrong decision.

Mills: Baylor — Baylor is back.

Overton: Georgia — The last time a team was scared of Baylor, it had Shawn Oakman as a team captain.

Rawson: Georgia — Baylor is finally in the top 10 in something other than most deplorable NCAA programs. @ Art Briles.

Brummond: Georgia — Top-rated game for fans of defense and low scoring.

No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 17 Michigan

Ruden: Alabama — Roll Tide could also be Tulane’s motto.

Kayser: Michigan — I really don’t know why but I think it would be nice to see Michigan beat Bama.

Read: Alabama — Iowa fans wanted Bama.

Mills: Alabama — I don’t know what to say to the Iowa fans who wanted to play Alabama in the Citrus.

Overton: Alabama — Even the Michigan boosters are cheering for Bama.

Rawson: Alabama — Jim Harbaugh flirts with baristas at Starbucks. I have no reason to say that, but I’d bet on it.

Brummond: Alabama — Bama doesn’t care to be there and still rolls.

No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 15 Memphis

Ruden: Penn State — Drake has 100 cousins out in Memphis, but they don’t play football.

Kayser: Penn State — Congratulations, Penn State. I’m not impartial to rooting for you.

Read: Penn State — We can all be glad that UCF no longer represents the American Conference.

Mills: Penn State — As a reward for your great season, you get to play a Group-of-5 school in Arlington, Texas.

Overton: Penn State — Going to be one of the best catfights we’ve seen since Bhad Bhabie and Woah Vicky.

Rawson: Penn State — Memphis is decent, but Penn State is better. And yes, I’m referring to covering up scandals.

Brummond: Penn State — Big Ten depth, Exhibit A.

No. 6 Florida vs. Virginia

Ruden: Florida — Tim Tebow should still be in the NFL.

Kayser: Florida — Not even a contest. Next.

Read: Florida — Yawn.

Mills: Florida — As a reward for your great season, you get to play a mediocre ACC team that was actually toward the top of the conference.

Overton: Florida — No, we’re not talking about Tim Tebow celebrating his marriage.

Rawson: Florida — Tim Tebow didn’t leave Florida with a bang, but he plans on starting his marriage with one.

Brummond: Florida — Virginia’s first Orange Bowl won’t be a memorable one.

No. 14 Notre Dame vs. Iowa State

Ruden: Iowa State — Now my family can’t be mad at me.

Kayser: Notre Dame — Somehow this seems unfair, but it’s Iowa State, so I’m OK with it.

Read: Notre Dame — Iowa State is the reason people will watch this game.

Mills: Notre Dame — Congrats, Notre Dame! As a reward for your great season, you get to play in the Camping World Bowl.

Overton: Notre Dame — Best part about the Camping World Bowl is that the Iowa State fans can hide in their tents during the entire game.

Rawson: Notre Dame — One of these schools had a culture change recently. The other is Catholic.

Brummond: Notre Dame — At least someone has to lose.

Southern Mississippi vs. Tulane

Ruden: Tulane — “The person who picks these games sucks.” -Everyone on here

Kayser: Southern Mississippi — When I googled this game, baseball was the autofill instead of football. That tells you something.

Read: Tulane — We’re picking this instead of Nebraska’s bowl game?

Mills: Tulane —  If Tulane had made the CFP, the championship would’ve been a home game.

Overton: Tulane — Hasn’t Southern Mississippi dealt with enough torturing waves in the past?

Rawson: Tulane — New Orleans in 2005 = Mississippi in 2019.

Brummond: Tulane — What the heck is a green wave?