Marc Lawrence's Playbook: Free and Guaranteed Picks

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By Marc Lawrence

Wednesday, Dec 10

In what could be the story of the year in the NFL this season, 44-year-old QB Philip Rivers is trying out with the Indianapolis Colts.

Not only is he five years removed from the league, Rivers’ eldest son is older than Seattle QB Sam Darnold!

If the Rivers plan falls through and Indy is forced to start former Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard, sore knee and all, it’s as if Indy will need to bring Dick Vermeil in for a pregame speech, similar to the one he gave in 1999 for the Rams when Kurt Warner started his first NFL game in place of an injured Trent Green.

Vermeil essentially said, “This guy is going to be one of the best quarterbacks this league has ever seen. You get open, he’ll find you. You block for him, he’ll make plays. Just watch. This is going to be something special.”

Wasn’t that the truth!

ON TODAY'S SCORECARD
Stack ‘em Up

MLC

Yes, we realize that bowl season isn’t what it used to be.

The increased emphasis on the CFP has made these games feel like glorified exhibitions, and numerous teams (including Notre Dame, Iowa State and Auburn) have opted out.

Nonetheless, here is how Yahoo Sports sees the talent level of each game. Every bowl game is ranked with each of the teams’ ranking the College Football Playoff contained herein.

Below are the 35 bowls being played from Dec. 13 to Jan. 2 (not including first-round playoff games), ranked from best to worst.

Citrus Bowl: No. 13 Texas vs. No. 18 Michigan (Dec. 31)
ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 14 Vanderbilt vs. No. 23 Iowa (Dec. 31)
Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 12 BYU vs. No. 22 Georgia Tech (Dec. 27)
Gator Bowl: No. 19 Virginia vs. Missouri (Dec. 27)
Music City Bowl: Illinois vs. Tennessee (Dec. 30)
Alamo Bowl: No. 16 USC vs. TCU (Dec. 30)
Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. Duke (Dec. 31)
LA Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington (Dec. 13)
Holiday Bowl: No. 17 Arizona vs. SMU (Jan. 2)
New Mexico Bowl: No. 25 North Texas vs. San Diego State (Dec. 27)

11-20: Liberty Bowl (Navy vs. Cincinnati); Texas Bowl (No. 21 Houston vs. LSU); Rate Bowl (New Mexico vs. Minnesota); Cure Bowl (ODU vs. South Florida); Frisco Bowl (UNLV vs. Ohio); Myrtle Beach Bowl (Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan); Hawaii Bowl (Cal vs. Hawaii); IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (Troy vs. Jacksonville State); Fenway Bowl (Army vs. UConn); Pinstripe Bowl (Penn State vs. Clemson)

21-30: Military Bowl (Pitt vs. ECU); Boca Raton Bowl (Louisville vs. Toledo); Gasparilla Bowl (NC State vs. Memphis); Las Vegas Bowl (No. 15 Utah vs. Nebraska); Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl (Miami-Ohio vs. Fresno State); Potato Bowl (Washington State vs. Utah State); GameAbove Sports Bowl (Central Michigan vs. Northwestern); New Orleans Bowl (Southern Miss vs. WKU); Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State); Xbox Bowl (Missouri State vs. Arkansas State)

31-35: 68 Ventures Bowl (Louisiana vs. Delaware); First Responder Bowl (FIU vs. UTSA); Independence Bowl (Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech); Birmingham Bowl (App State vs. Georgia Southern); Armed Forces Bowl (Rice vs. Texas State)

GRINDING OUT THE PROFITS
Two’s Company

From the 2025 PLAYBOOK BOWL GUIDE

Only two college bowl teams rank in the Top 10 in both overall offense and overall defense, Indiana and Texas Tech.

Along with Oregon, they are the only bowl teams that outgained all but one opponent this season.

MLC

TRENDING TODAY
And The Winner Is

MLC

It's only December, but according to Yahoo Sports, history tells us we already know who will be cutting down the nets in April: one of the top 12 teams above.

The streak: The past 21 men's basketball national champions (and 35 of the past 36) were all ranked in the top 12 of the Week 6 AP poll during their title-winning seasons. Think about that.

2024-25: Florida (Week 6 rank: 9)
2023-24: UConn (5)
2022-23: UConn (3)
2021-22: Kansas (7)
2020-21: Baylor (2)
2019-20: COVID
2018-19: Virginia (6)
2017-18: Villanova (1)
2016-17: UNC (7)
2015-16: Villanova (12)
2014-15: Duke (2)
2013-14: UConn (9)
2012-13: Louisville (6)
2011-12: Kentucky (3)
2010-11: UConn (4)
2009-10: Duke (7)
2008-09: UNC (1)
2007-08: Kansas (3)
2006-07: Florida (5)
2005-06: Florida (7)
2004-05: UNC (5)
2003-04: UConn (1)

By the numbers: During the streak, the average Week 6 ranking of the eventual national champion has been 4.9. No other week has been a better barometer; not even the final AP poll before the NCAA tournament, where the soon-to-be champs had an average ranking of 5.5.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I think what happened there is a disgrace to the coaching profession
… it’s about developing young men
it's not about chasing the greener
grass to somewhere else.”

- Bill Cowher, on new LSU coach Lane Kiffin

STAT OF THE DAY
1-100

Professional boxer Jake Pollard career
record in the ring. He has been
knocked out on only five occasions.

BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW
Check Back Later

Texas A&M has enjoyed an excellent 2025 season in large part because of Marcel Reed. The redshirt sophomore quarterback from Nashville has thrived through the air and on the ground, cementing himself as one of the top players in college football.

In 12 games this season, Reed has completed 61.8% of his pass attempts for 2,932 yards with 31 total touchdowns.

He also finished the regular season with 466 yards and six scores on 89 carries.

Even though Reed has been great for Texas A&M, there are some rumors about his future once the CFP wraps up.

During an appearance on Robert Griffin III’s podcast, he was asked if he’d transfer to Miami if the school offered him $4 million.

“There’s no need for me to leave and go anywhere else, he said.

“I’d have to talk to my parents,” Reed replied. “That’s a real answer.

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