Bowl guide for Fri., Dec. 30: Liberty, Sun, Music City, Arizona and Orange Bowls

Friday is bowl season's appetizer to the New Year's Eve College Football Playoff games, but it sure looks like a main course. With five — count 'em, five — bowls on the docket, it's quite the final Friday of 2016.

This lineup includes a bunch of Playoff hopefuls that were left out in the cold, with teams like Georgia, TCU, Stanford, North Carolina, Nebraska and Tennessee — and of course the Orange Bowl capper between Florida State and Michigan. If that's not enough to whet your appetite for the weekend, we're not sure anything will.

Liberty Bowl
Georgia (7-5, SEC) vs. TCU (6-6, Big 12)
Location: Liberty Bowl, Memphis
Time: Friday, Dec. 30, 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT
Channel: ESPN

Each school has won its last two bowl games. Who has the extra edge to make it three in a row?

Shiloh Carder: These two underperformed this season in a big way, but I like Georgia. To me, this game could be the launch to bigger things ahead. They rolled in to this season with a rookie head coach and a freshman quarterback and had injury issues with star running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel and did "okay" in SEC play. TCU struggled with inconsistency and turning the ball over. Gimme the Dawgs.

Sam Greszes: This has been a rough season for the Bulldogs. I think that it's less a matter of TCU having an edge and more a matter of Georgia losing theirs, after ending their season on a heartbreaking one-point loss to Georgia Tech.

At the end of the day, Georgia has been a very up-and-down team, losing to Vandy one week and then beating Auburn the next. Granted, so has TCU, but I think the heartbreak factor gives the Horned Frogs a mental edge.

Daniel Tran: One of the great things about college sports is that coaching can greatly affect the outcome of the game. And it will play a part in this game.

Kirby Smart may have won all those bowl games backing up Nick Saban, but this is his first dance running the show as a head coach. Gary Patterson, on the other hand, is a grizzled bowl vet, coaching 14 bowl games in his past 16 years at TCU. In his 17th year and 15th bowl game, he knows what it takes to motivate players to play in a high-stakes game. Smart may still be figuring out how to get the best out of his players.

Mascot edge: Horned Frogs have some protection and whatnot, but Bulldogs are tough and, let's just say, not too bright to stop even if it hurts.

Sun Bowl
Stanford (9-3, Pac-12) vs. North Carolina (8-4, ACC)
Location: Sun Bowl, El Paso
Time: Friday, Dec. 30, 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
Channel: CBS

Mitch Trubisky is getting a lot of top pick hype. What are you looking for from him in this game? 

With McCaffery out, who is the player to watch for Stanford? Does sitting help or hurt McCaffrey's scouting for the NFL draft? Can North Carolina capitalize and pull off the upset with Stanford's star staying home?

Shiloh Carder: As the resident North Carolina shill around here, I'm hopeful the world gets a good look at Trubisky. He has done an outstanding job taking over for Marquis Williams and has been one of the most accurate, efficient passers in the country. Christian McCaffrey is such a known prospect that he's skipping this game ... but Trubisky can make a monumental leap from a guy no one heard of a year ago to a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft.

Bryce Love isn't McCaffrey, but he did play well in his extended play against Notre Dame. He ran for over 600 yards this season and ended up averaging more than 7 yards per carry for the season. He's also an accomplished sprinter, so once he gets out in the open, he is tough to track down. The Tar Heels run defense hasn't been good this season and Love, a Raleigh native, is itching to show what he can do against them.

I don't think it matters McCaffrey is sitting in his case. He has had two exceptional seasons on the field that scouts know who he is. Sure, he could have a huge game against UNC's light run defense but he could also suffer yet another injury that would throw a red flag next to his name. Universities love bowl games and the money that comes with them but this is a financial risk for players of McCaffrey's stature.  Remember what happened to Notre Dame's Jaylen Smith after he shredded his knee in last season's Fiesta Bowl and his draft status plummeted? I'm sure Christian does.  

This is a good North Carolina team that has won at Florida State and beat a Pitt team that toppled Clemson and Penn State. They can beat a team like Stanford. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky is efficient (nearly 69% completion percentage, 28 TDs to just 4 picks) and a guy like WR Ryan Switzer can turn small plays into big ones. The defense isn't stout as it was last season, but this offense certainly can keep up with anyone. If they win this game, it will be in an offensive shootout.

Sam Greszes: Mitch Trubisky's job is to take care of the ball. He has, somehow, only thrown eight total interceptions so far in his career at UNC despite being a junior. If he can lead the Tar Heels to a win over Stanford at the Sun Bowl without an interception, that'll be more than enough fuel to keep the hype train rolling.

Solomon Thomas is the Cardinal to watch. Without McCaffrey, Stanford will have to rely on defense to get after Mitch Trubisky. Thomas, despite playing on the line, leads the team in tackles, and will need to continue his stellar play if Stanford is going to win. 

NFL scouts have already seen more than enough of McCaffrey to have made a decision. Anything teams or coaches say about his decision to sit has very little to do with whether or not they'd actually want him on the team. The Tar Heels can absolutely capitalize here though. North Carolina is fearsome, and despite their missteps, they would be able to give Stanford a strong challenge even with McCaffrey. Now that he's not playing, I'd be surprised if UNC doesn't win.

Daniel Tran: McCaffrey might be out, but his offensive line is still intact. Any running back rushing behind those big guys is always going to have a decent game. Bryce Love will pick up the slack at running back with McCaffrey missing the game. While he is usually used more as a change-of-pace player, he is still very effective gaining 7.4 yards per carry this year. We may be watching the next star running back at Stanford in the Sun Bowl.

It hurts McCaffrey to sit though. As big and tough as NFL players and executives are physically, a lot of them are quite sensitive if they feel you don’t have their back or are looking out for yourself rather than the team.

McCaffrey has every right to play it safe and stay healthy to maximize his professional potential, but these decisions have consequences. While talented, he isn’t talented enough to be able to make a move like this and not have it negatively affect his draft stock. Leonard Fournette, on the other hand, has NFL scouts licking at the chops because of his physical gifts, so skipping a bowl game won’t affect the way teams feel about him so much.

McCaffrey, however, isn’t afforded that luxury and could’ve impressed a lot of teams by playing in this bowl game.

Can North Carolina capitalize and pull off the upset with Stanford's star staying home though? Absolutely. Teams always have a chance to win if they have good players, and North Carolina has a couple of them on offense.

Mitch Trubisky is at the top of the list, throwing for nearly 3,500 yards. He also added 28 touchdowns against four interceptions. The Tar Heels also have solid skill players like running back Elijah Hood and wide receiver Ryan Switzer, who both gained 1,000 yards this year.

If the North Carolina offense can get in rhythm early and the defense can make some stops to get Stanford in early trouble, the Cardinal may have a tough time playing from behind without Christian McCaffrey.

Mascot edge: How, exactly, is a Tar Heel ram supposed to get to a Cardinal? Maybe Rameses can knock down the Stanford Tree and trample the Cardinal.

Music City Bowl
Nebraska (9-3, Big Ten) vs. Tennessee (8-4, SEC)
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville
Time: Friday, Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
Channel: ESPN

What does Josh Dobbs have to do in this game to get on the radar of NFL scouts?

Shiloh Carder: Play a full game. Tennessee's problem all year long is its Jekyll and Hyde nature during games. Dobbs has looked so bad at times and so prolific at others. Have a solid game ALL game.

Sam Greszes: Does he have to do anything? He's obviously not going to go as early as the big names, but he has really come into his own and improved a lot this season. He's led the SEC in passer rating, and though Mel Kiper seems to think that Dobbs won't be drafted before the sixth or seventh round (if he's drafted at all), there's enough of a quarterback need in the NFL that I would be shocked if he fell off the board. Of course, a 500-yard performance against Nebraska would help, but I think his résumé speaks for itself already.

Daniel Tran: 1,000 yards, 10 touchdowns. I’m honestly surprised NFL teams aren’t giving him a harder look considering the year that he had. Dobbs was able to throw 26 touchdowns, run for nine scores and only threw 12 interceptions.

NFL teams are still worried about his decision-making and his slight frame. His mechanics can get a little wild, and NFL defenseman aren’t getting any smaller. However, his improvement and dynamic skill set should get him some looks from the pros. If he has a good game avoiding any turnovers against a Cornhusker team that picked the ball 16 times, he could impress a lot of scouts.

Mascot edge: Cornhuskers husk corn. Volunteers fire muskets. Do I need to go any further?

Arizona Bowl
South Alabama (6-6, Sun Belt) vs. Air Force (9-3, Mountain West)
Location: Arizona Stadium, Tucson
Time: Friday, Dec. 30, 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT
Channel: ASN/CI

This will be Air Force's ninth bowl in 10 years under coach Troy Calhoun and the fourth year it has won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy in his tenure, and as always, a year in which the Falcons are one of the leaders in rushing. Do they deserve a better opponent than a 6-6 South Alabama, a shaky 6-6 that saw the Jaguars go 2-6 in the Sun Belt?

Shiloh Carder: Air Force is typically one of the most underrated programs in America, which is a bit odd. They've had the steadiest service academy program, have been in a conference since 1980 and have earned the most Commander-in-Chief's in history. But their games against Army and Navy are nowhere near the level of pageantry as those two academies' game against each other. Add the fact that it doesn't get the exposure due to geography and the Mountain West's status in the conference hierarchy that causes it to not get the respect it deserves.

South Alabama deserves to be in a bowl since, well, that's how it has been agreed to. South Alabama did beat Mississippi State and San Diego State this season, so it isn't like it is just some poor Sun Belt team walking into a massacre. Plus, they hung tough at Idaho — and you saw what the Vandals did to Air Force's rival, Colorado State.

When you need 80 of the 128 FBS schools to fill bowls, you get a few South Alabamas in the mix. Air Force deserves respect, but when these conference tie-ins are the way they are, sometimes you have these kinds of matchups.

Sam Greszes: I do, and I imagine that I'm not the only one. The service academy teams this year have been very good (at least, until everyone on Navy got hurt), and the Falcons deserve a lot of credit for being the best of the bunch.

But I'm coming at this from a purely selfish perspective. This game will likely not be a very good one, so yes, I believe the Falcons should have gotten a better bowl. I also believe that I personally deserve to watch a better bowl game than Air Force vs. South Alabama.

Daniel Tran: Air Force got totally jobbed. The Mountain West Conference is strong, and they were successful within that conference to end the year. The Falcons won four straight against Mountain West opponents, including a 27-20 win against No. 20 Boise State.

If any team deserved to get a better bid, it would be Air Force. Whether it’s their style of play or whatever, they won’t get a chance to show what they can do on a larger stage.

Mascot edge: This is one of the more interesting matchups: Jaguars vs. Falcons. Both are ferocious in their own rights. I want to say the flying ability of the bird along with its talons would give a leg up to the Falcons, but a jaguar is just too big and strong for the bird to stand a chance.

Orange Bowl
Michigan (10-2, Big Ten) vs. Florida State (9-3, ACC)
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
Time: Friday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
Channel: ESPN

Which coach is more your style: Jim Harbaugh’s in-for-face intensity or Jimbo Fisher’s “awe-shucks” southern hospitality? On a side note, do you think Jimbo is the bizarro world Jim?

Shiloh Carder: Growing up in the South, I'd say Fisher's style I like a bit better. Fisher has won a National Championship and has kept Bobby Bowden's program near the top. Harbaugh's style works as well as he is trying to rebrand one of the greatest programs in college football ... but his act has worn thin before. For longevity, I like Fisher's demeanor.

Sam Greszes: I prefer Harbaugh, because at least he's up front about how incredibly insane he is. Jimbo Fisher is equally unhinged, but he hides it beneath an accent and a relatively approachable demeanor.

So Jimbo isn't really the bizarro world Jim; he's more like Jim with manners or with a PR team who has worked around the clock to make Jim Harbaugh seem like a human being and not Elon Musk's first attempt at installing a personality into a robot.

Daniel Tran: The Southern manners coach is great because you root for him and his team’s success, but it is BORING. Jim Harbaugh talks as much smack as his players do and sustains himself on a diet of the opposition’s tears.

Coach Harbaugh is highly entertaining, and his predictable unpredictability is what keeps college football fresh. Most of all, he is winning a lot of games with his eccentric approach. Give me that kind of coaching all day.

Mascot edge: Wolverines are nothing to sneeze at, but have you seen all the intimidating things the Seminoles do? Give me the native tribe over the Wolverines.