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The six New Years Bowls tend to provide more excitement during bowling season as the top teams off the college football playoff field battle it out. It could be the case again this season, and the Cotton Bowl between No.6 from Oklahoma and No.7 from Florida could end up being the best game of them all as it combines two teams that should be a great one. match each other. The Sooners are one of the hottest teams in college football, winning seven straight games and fielding a top-10 defense over the past two months. The Gators, on the other hand, have the best passing attack in the country with weapons all over the field.
Oklahoma are chasing their first playoff win since the 2017 Sugar Bowl over Auburn. The Sooners have made the semifinals of the playoffs for the past three years, but have lost each time. Florida are hoping for their third straight win in the bowl under coach Dan Mullen, as well as their third straight season finishing in the top 10 in the standings at the end of the season.
Surprisingly, these two historically relevant programs only met once before this game. It was 2009 when Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer led the Gators to their most recent national championship against Sam Bradford and Bob Stoops in the Orange Bowl. Will the Gators get another win over the Sooners in Texas? Let’s take a closer look at the confrontations and scenarios to follow before making expert choices both directly and against the spread.
Storylines
Florida: Dropouts have been a big part of the 2020 season, both in the regular season and for bowl games. You can safely say that no individual takedown is more important to a team than tight end Kyle Pitts. In just eight games, Pitts amassed 770 receiving yards – averaging nearly 100 yards per game and 18 yards per catch – and 12 touchdowns. He was the classic definition of a mismatch for defenses. He does have the opportunity to be an excellent first-round NFL draft pick, though, so his decision to go early and jump the bowl makes sense. Kadarius Toney has become a legitimate WR1, but he’s also missing. The same goes for Trevon Grimes and Jacob Copeland. Who will be the impact receiver in this game?
Oklahoma: The Sooners’ defense turned solid in the second half of the season, but Florida will be by far the toughest offense they’ve faced. Oklahoma has a good balance of quick passing with defensive linemen Ronnie Perkins and Isaiah Thomas, as well as linebacker Nik Bonitto. At the back, defensive backs Tre Brown and Brendan Radley-Hiles play tight cover. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has done a great job turning the corner with this defense. Slowing down Florida’s elite passing attack and putting pressure on quarterback Kyle Trask will be key to victory.
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Information display
Game: Cotton bowl
Dated: Wednesday December 30 | Time8 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
TV: ESPN | Direct: fuboTV (Try for free)
Cotton Bowl prediction, pick
Last Chances:
Florida Gators +7.5
Florida is a basket favorite. The real test of whether Oklahoma can achieve victory is whether its defense is up to the challenge. Offensively, Oklahoma is still good, but a little less consistent than last year. The return of running back Rhamondre Stevenson will be essential in controlling the game. Yes, there will be runs scored, but the Oklahoma defense should do enough to keep things from getting too out of hand. It may even be enough to achieve victory. Pick: Oklahoma +3 | Oklahoma 37, Florida 34
So who wins Florida over Oklahoma? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side at the back, all of the pattern on a 56-36 run on the top college football picks this season.
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