Dec. 30 college bowl game live thread

Louisville v. #23 Mississippi St.

TaxSlayer Bowl
12:00pm ET, ESPN

Three major prospects in this one, though one’s sitting out. Louisville CB Jaire Alexander has already started his NFL path by opting out of this one. Louisville QB Lamar Jackson and MSU OT Martinas Rankin? They’re both working. And they’re both in the mix as potential first-round selections.

Iowa St. v. #20 Memphis

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
12:30pm ET, ABC

I’m not a big fan of Memphis WR Anthony Miller as an NFL wideout, but man is he a gamer at the college level. Dude just wills himself to make plays that 5’11” wide receivers shouldn’t be making.

That can’t continue at this level...can it?

#11 Washington v. #9 Penn St.

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
4:00pm ET, ESPN

Penn St. RB Saquon Barkley is a first-round lock, but I might prefer Washington DT Vita Vea. That kid’s a monster. And PSU TE Mike Gesicki is an NFL tight end. I don’t think he’ll crack the first round, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see his name in some first-round only mocks.

#6 Wisconsin v. #10 Miami

Capital One Orange Bowl
8:00pm ET, ESPN

Wisconsin is pretty much annually the best team without much NFL talent. Is TE Troy Fumagalli more than a Day 3 flier? Are LBs Jack Cichy and T.J. Edwards more than position depth and special teams contributors? Freshman RB Jonathan Taylor is a beast, for sure, as Wisconsin RBs always are. And that young offensive line is stacked with NFL talent as Wisconsin OLs always are.

Miami’s not working with much more draft-wise for this year. S Jaquan Johnson had a blowout season. Head Coach Mark Richt is really just getting this program back on its feet. In his second season in charge, Miami hit 10 wins for the first time since 2003. And with Florida St. slipping, Miami has wrecked the recruiting trail. If they close well, they could have a top-five class on the back of a big season... Yeah, the U is back.