Predictions for the first 20 college bowl games

Including the national semifinals and championship game, there will be 40 bowl games played between Saturday and Jan. 7.

Most are, to be honest — outside of their respective fan bases — largely serving as cures for insomniacs or those desperate for football of any kind.

However, there are some intriguing meetings on tap, and you never know when a game you least expect to entertain turns into a barn-burner. Many fill out brackets picking the winners, and while it is a common feature of such pools to feature “confidence points” the picks offered here are all straight-up, paying no heed to points, either “confidence” or as a “spread” and the final scores predicted reflect neither.

As always, the intention of such picks is good-natured fun, and I will be doing my best to foresee a winner, even in cases when I might be inclined to root for the other team.

All times are Central. Here we go …

Saturday, Dec. 15
Cure Bowl (Orlando, Fla.) 12:30 p.m. ESPN
TULANE (6-6) vs. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE (7-6)
The two campuses are only a few hours apart, but are a long, boring drive (I have done it, so I know) down I-10 before venturing south to Mouse City. The Cajuns should have an edge … La-La 31-26.

New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, NM) 1 p.m. CBS Sports Network
NORTH TEXAS (9-3) vs. UTAH ST. (10-2)
The Aggies have one of the most prolific offenses in the nation … UTAH STATE 45-20.

Las Vegas Bowl 2:30 p.m. ABC
ARIZONA ST. (7-5) vs FRESNO ST. (11-2)
Herm Edwards might just be turning the Sun Devils around, but Jeff Tedford has resurrected the Bulldogs from a two-win season last year to a team looking for their 12th this year … FRESNO STATE 35-23.

Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.) 4:30 p.m. ESPN
EASTERN MICHIGAN (7-5) vs. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (9-3)
Georgia Southern is one of only a handful of teams running the triple-option, which always causes trouble … GA SOUTH 40-20.

New Orleans Bowl 8 p.m. ESPN
APPALACHIAN ST. (10-2) vs. MIDDLE-TENNESSEE ST. (8-5)
The boys from Boone, N.C. have lost only to Georgia Southern (see above) and 45-38 at Penn State, making these Mountaineers the real deal … APP STATE 41-17.

Tuesday, Dec. 18
Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, Fla.) 6 p.m. ESPN
UAB (10-3) vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS (8-5)
The Blazers are back from the dead after cancelling the program two years ago, and now they look for a first bowl win. Odds are they get it … UAB 28-20.

Wednesday, Dec. 19
Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Tex.) 7 p.m. ESPN
OHIO (8-4) vs. SAN DIEGO ST. (7-5)
Who knew there was a Frisco, Texas? … OHIO 18-16.

Thursday, Dec. 20
Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Fla.) 7 p.m. ESPN
MARSHALL (8-4) vs. SOUTH FLORIDA (7-5)
The Thundering Herd will try to stampede the Bulls, who fell off after a strong start. The slide continues … MARSHALL 32-25.

Friday, Dec. 21
Bahamas Bowl (Nassau, Bahamas) 11:30 a.m. ESPN
TOLEDO (7-5) vs. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL (8-4)
Think the Rockers were motivated to win their final two games? They knew this was a likely reward, and a few days in the Bahamas is not a bad reward at all … TOLEDO 24-23.

Potato Bowl (Boise, Idaho) 3 p.m. ESPN
BYU (6-6) vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN (7-5)
On the other hand, WMU and BYU put it all on the line for … a trip to Boise? Well, even that is better than staying at home, right Nebraska? … BYU 31-27.

Saturday, Dec. 22
Birmingham Bowl (Historic Legion Field, Birmingham, Ala.) 11 a.m. ESPN
WAKE FOREST (6-6) vs. MEMPHIS (8-5)
I have been to Legion Field several times (I even saw two USFL games there!) and cannot believe the ol’ place is still functional … MEMPHIS 21-13.

Armed Forces Bowl (Ft. Worth, Tex.) 2:30 p.m. ESPN
ARMY (9-2) vs. HOUSTON (8-4)
No Ed Oliver and little chance to keep the Golden Knights from hogging possessions … THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY 24-17.

Dollar General Bowl (Mobile, Ala.) 6 p.m. ESPN
TROY (9-3) vs. BUFFALO (10-3)
Troy is a darn fine team, but remember this name: Anthony Johnson. The Buffalo receiver, a poor man’s Julio Jones, is going to be a real steal in the upcoming draft … BUFFALO 34-24.

Hawaii Bowl (Honolulu) 9:30 p.m. ESPN
HAWAII (8-5) vs LOUISIANA TECH (7-5)
This pick is for Janier … LA TECH 30-21.

Wednesday, Dec. 26
First Responders Bowl (Dallas, Tex.) 12:30 p.m. ESPN
BOSTON COLLEGE (7-5) vs. BOISE ST. (10-3)
BC was supposed to be much better this year. A bowl win might ease the pain, but the Broncos could care less about all that … BOISE STATE 26-20.

Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit, Mich.) 4:15 p.m. ESPN
MINNESOTA (6-6) vs. GEORGIA TECH (7-5)
Hey guys, lets spend Christmas in Detroit! Humbug … MINNESOTA 20-16.

Cheeze-It Bowl (Phoeniz, Ariz.) 8 p.m. ESPN
TCU (6-6) vs. CALIFORNIA (7-5)
Watching this one just about guarantees numerous commercials with the annoying talking wheel of cheese, reason enough to avoid this yawner … TCU 16-9.

Thursday, Dec. 27
Independence Bowl (Shreveport, La.) 12:30 p.m. ESPN
TEMPLE (8-4) vs. DUKE (7-5)
Alabama beat Colorado, 30-24, in the 2007 version of this game. First year head coach Nick Saban said “We are never coming here again!” But Temple and Duke are happy for any bowl … TEMPLE 27-17.

Pinstripe Bowl (New York, NY) 4:15 p.m. ESPN
MIAMI (7-5) vs. WISCONSIN (7-5)
The hardest working guy at this game will be the director in the ESPN truck, as he tries to find camera angles that will not reveal the stadium is only 20 percent full … WISCONSIN 20-17.

Texas Bowl (Houston, Tex.) 8 p.m. ESPN
BAYLOR (6-6) vs. VANDERBILT (6-6)
SEC bias on display … VANDERBILT 13-12.