Big 12 Bowl Picks ATS Part 2

Mason: That seems like a lot of points and even though Oklahoma struggled this season, I think they have enough juice to keep it within the number. Plus, I think they have the motivation to avoid a losing season in year one under Brent Venables.

The Pick: Oklahoma +9.5

Alec: This bowl game feels really important for Oklahoma. While I was down on the Sooners for much of the season, they did have some positive momentum at the end of the season to clinch a bowl game. In an attempt to carry that momentum over to the offseason, I think the Sooners cover against a quality Seminole squad.

The Pick: Oklahoma +9.5

Gabe: The line for this game has continued to move in the direction of Florida State the closer and closer we get toward kickoff. Oklahoma, which ranks 108th in the nation in stopping the run should struggle mightily against Florida State and its ability to run the ball. The Seminoles were 12th among FBS programs in rushing yards per game. I expect a big game for Trey Benson and Treshaun Ward to go along with the legs of FSU quarterback Jordan Travis.

The Pick: Florida State -9.5

Mason: Texas is without their top two running backs as Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson both opted out this week, they are also without Demarvion Overshown on defense. Not great and Texas has not looked its best when Quinn Ewers is the sole focus of the offense. Washington meanwhile is going to want to go up and down the field and score and Michael Penix Jr. already knows he is coming back next season. I like the Huskies.

The Pick: Washington +3

Alec: Texas being down both Robinson and Johnson in the rushing game is obviously a reason to side with Washington. But I think Ewers has a positive game against a Husky defense that has struggled all season in the Pac-12. Can the Longhorn defense get enough stops for Texas to get a win?

The Pick: Washington +3

Gabe: Mason's last point about Penix Jr. returning for next season is a great one. In the era of opt-outs and transfers before bowl games, having a great quarterback -- and Penix is a great college quarterback -- playing in a bowl game while knowing they are coming back to school is typically a recipe for success. I'll take the Huskies.

The Pick: Washington +3

Mason: It's just tough to see what is going to happen in this game with Bryce Young and Will Anderson, but Alabama should still have the depth to be able to compete if those guys play limited snaps. For example, they are replacing their starting left guard who transferred with an all-SEC Freshman Team selection. This also means if K-State wins, don't let anyone tell you Alabama didn't want to be there. I think this game plays out similarly to the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon. I hope I am wrong.

The Pick: Alabama -6.5

Alec: The care factor for Alabama seems to have increased monumentally with Young and Anderson playing in the Sugar Bowl. I struggle to see how the rest of the Crimson Tide aren't motivated to play in the game on Saturday. While I do question how many snaps Bama's two stars play, I do believe that Alabama has enough talent to win without their two biggest stars.

The Pick: Alabama -6.5

Gabe: Like Mason, I think this game could have some 2013 Fiesta Bowl vibes to it. But, if Kansas State can avoid getting knocked out early a la DeAnthony Thomas, the Wildcats can hang in this one. This Alabama team is not nearly as deep at the receiver position as we are accustomed to seeing and doesn't have an Xavier Worthy type player who can just beat K-State defensive backs in every crucial spot in the way Texas did this year in Manhattan. Alabama is tied for eighth-worst among Division 1 programs. All of this is to say I think K-State can cover, even if they don't win.

The Pick: Kansas State +6.5

Mason: One of my go-to rules is to take the team with the better quarterback, I think that is TCU in this matchup. Michigan has everything else that makes them so dangerous, but I am of the belief the Horned Frogs can at least keep it within a touchdown and will not be surprised if they steal a win.

The Pick: TCU +7.5

Alec: I think that if this game turns into a Big 12-style game, TCU is in a good position. But I know Michigan will control the line of scrimmage on each side of the ball, which is going to make this a game that Michigan is able to control. Michigan, though, hasn't faced a running quarterback like Duggan this season, so if the Horned Frog Heisman finalist is able to cause havoc with his legs, look for TCU to capitalize on some broken plays.

The Pick: Michigan -7.5

Gabe: Nothing has frustrated me more this college football season than picking for or against TCU. Admittedly, I had them finishing in last place in the Big 12 heading into the season, a monumentally wrong belief. College Football Playoff Semifinals have an average margin of victory 19.9 points in the last 12 games and only one of those 12 was decided by less than 11 points. Still, I am going to talk myself into believing in the better quarterback and just pray that TCU can battle in the trenches to not get mauled in the run game defensively.

The Pick: TCU +7.5

Mason: Not Ohio State.

The Pick: Georgia -6.5

Alec: I'll provide more analysis than Mason, who is suddenly really lazy. Georgia is fairly similar to Michigan in terms of style of play, and that does not suggest that the Buckeye defense is going to get enough stops vs. a potent Dawg offense. For the Buckeyes to win, quarterback C.J. Stroud needs to play as he did in the Rose Bowl last season when he threw a career-high six touchdowns.

The Pick: Georgia -6.5

Gabe: Georgia doesn't mess around in the big games. Each time the defending national champions have been matched up with another highly-ranked program they've typically responded with a thrashing. In the three biggest games of Georgia's season, they beat Oregon by 46, Tennessee by 14 and LSU by 20. All three of those games they covered the spread, and still oddsmakers are keeping this one inside a touchdown. If Ohio State is going to keep this close they will have to be able to be hitting on all cylinders with their deep passing game. It's far more complex than Tennessee's, which struggled mightily against the Dawgs, giving OSU a slightly better chance for success, but not enough for me to pick them.

The Pick: Georgia -6.5