Ricky Dimon
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The College Football Playoff semifinals are one day away. If Friday is the appetizer to the main course, it provides a tasty offering. New Year’s Six action begins with the Orange Bowl between Tennessee and Clemson, but that isn’t the only slice of the pie on the schedule. Another all-ranked showdown pits #19 South Carolina against #21 Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. Among the other teams taking the field are #18 UCLA, #23 N.C. State and UCLA.
Here is Friday’s CFB bowl-game mega parlay.
South Carolina ML (+136)
Ohio -1.5 (-110)
Clemson -9.5 alternate spread (+148)
Parlay odds: +1017
For this parlay, we are going with 1 underdog on the money line, 1 underdog against the spread and a favorite against an alternate spread. Let’s break down each of the 3 legs.
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South Carolina ML over Notre Dame (+136)
There haven’t been many significant opt-outs in this game other than Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne, who has entered the transfer portal. On the flip side, Spencer Rattler will be under center for the Gamecocks — who have put up 94 points on offense over their last 2 games. Rattler’s scorching-hot play during that stretch featured 798 yards passing and 8 touchdowns as he led the way to victories over both of the Orange Bowl participants (63-38 against Tennessee and 31-10 against Clemson). This is a good opportunity for the ‘Cocks to pull off an outright mini-upset.
Be sure to check out our full Notre Dame vs South Carolina predictions
Ohio -1.5 over Wyoming (-110)
Even more important than looking at the X’s and O’s of this Arizona Bowl matchup is knowing the injuries, opt-outs and transfer portal situations for both teams. Wyoming will be down multiple starters on both sides of the ball. The Cowboys’ offense, specifically, has been hit hard — losing running back Titus Swen and top receiver Joshua Cobbs to the portal. They will also be without 3 other running backs due to injuries or transferring. But that’s not all; Wyoming will also be missing 2 starters on defense with cornerback Cam Stone and edge rusher Oluwaseyi Omotosho in search of greener pastures. All of that puts more pressure on QB Andrew Peasley, who eclipsed 200 passing yards in just 1 game this season.
Meanwhile, Ohio appears to be close to full strength outside of starting QB Kurtis Rourke (out for the year). The Bobcats have played 2 games without Rourke and backup CJ Harris isn’t far removed from his 3 rushing scores against Bowling Green. Ohio is in better shape for this bowl game and should be able to take care of business.
Be sure to check out our full Ohio vs Wyoming predictions
Clemson -9.5 alternate spread over Tennessee (+148)
Only one thing is certain: an orange team is going to win the Orange Bowl. And it’s a pretty good bet that the team in question will be Clemson. While both the Tigers and the Volunteers are missing their starting quarterbacks, Clemson is without only one player due to opting out (defensive end Myles Murphy). Tennessee, on the other hand, has seen a few guys exit early – most notably Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman. Combine that with QB Hendon Hooker’s season-ending torn ACL and this certainly isn’t the UT team that briefly peaked at #1 in the rankings.
Clemson, which can make up for Murphy’s absence since it is still loaded on the defensive line, ranks 9th national in defensive PPA this season with a top 12 ranking in opposing drive efficiency and opposing touchdown rate (per Football Outsiders). Moreover, the Tigers rank 6th in PFF’s pass rush, 16th in opposing EPA per pass and 25th in defensive success rate against the pass (per CFBGraphs). They should be able to contain the Vols’ Hooker-less offense and score enough to prevail by double-digits.
Be sure to check out all of our college football bowl predictions
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