Florida State vs Oklahoma Cheez-It Bowl Prediction Game Preview
Florida State vs Oklahoma prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Cheez-It Bowl, Thursday, December 29
Florida State vs Oklahoma Cheez-It Bowl Prediction Game Preview
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Florida State vs Oklahoma How To Watch
Date: Thursday, December 29
Game Time: 5:30 ET
Venue: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Florida State (9-3), Oklahoma (6-6)
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Florida State vs Oklahoma Cheez-It Bowl 5 Things To Know
Cheez-It Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
– There was a time not too terribly long ago when this was a national championship matchup. Okay, so it was over 20 years ago when they met for the BCS Championship – a 13-2 Oklahoma win – but these are still two powerhouse-infrastructure/expectation programs looking to use this as a possible launching pad.
This bowl hit a bad snag of really, really bad games from 2013 to 2019 when it was called the Russell Athletic Bowl and then the Camping World Bowl.
There were seven straight games of blowouts to various degrees, and then it became the Cheez-It Bowl. Oklahoma State beast Miami 37-34 in 2020, and last year Clemson pushed past Iowa State 20-13. These OU and FSU might keep it going.
– Florida State might have turned a corner under head coach Mike Norvell, but it puled up out of a three-game losing streak nosedive to close with five straight wins induing a total domination of Miami and a shootout victory over Florida. Throw in the early season win over LSU and it’s been a great year. Winning this would be a sweetener.
– Yeah, Oklahoma fell off a cliff. Lincoln Riley took the fun – and eventual Heisman winner Caleb Williams – out to LA, and Brent Venables was in charge of being the next star up to keep the program’s success going.
After a 3-0 start, OU lost six of its last nine games – including a 49-0 embarrassment against Texas – but it beat Oklahoma State, got bowl eligible, and now this is the first game of the rest of the program’s life.
– Oklahoma’s recent bowl history is all about context. Yeah, it’s just 3-5 in its last eight, but four of those five were College Football Playoff losses. Under Riley it hung 55 on a depleted Florida team in the 2020 Cotton, and put 47 on a depleted Oregon in last year’s Alamo.
– This signals the return to the bowl circuit for a Florida State program that was a given to get to one of these things since 1980. It missed out in the last two years after losing to Arizona State in the 2019 Sun, and it lost three of its last five – starting with a blowout loss to Oregon in the first ever College Football Playoff game – after winning three straight bowls.
CFN Experts CFP, NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2
Why Florida State Will Win The Cheez-It Bowl
Oklahoma is missing a few very, very important players.
RB Eric Gray is off to the next level, a few NFL-caliber offensive linemen – Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris – aren’t playing, and the defense loses some parts, too.
On the flip side, Florida State is getting back a few of its key players for this. It starts with QB Jordan Travis, continues with future NFL pass rusher Jared Verse, and in all, this is about as close to normal as FSU might get from here on for a bowl that’s not among the New Year’s Six elite.
The Seminoles will move the chains. The rushing attack under Norvell is doing what it’s supposed to, Travis is excellent on third downs, and it should all work against an Oklahoma defense that was last in the Big 12, struggles to get of the field, and doesn’t do much in the mix to help control the time of possession battle.
Yeah, the Sooner offense likes to move quickly, but it doesn’t help the D. The team is 0-5 when allowing 200 rushing yards or more. Florida State averages 218 yards per game on the ground.
Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking Bowl Games So Far
Why Oklahoma Will Win The Cheez-It Bowl
Just keep up the pace.
The defense won’t be able to do much to slow down the Sooners, but even without Gray running the ball the offense should be able to keep up. There aren’t a lot of turnovers, there’s a good balance, and QB Dillon Gabriel is experienced enough to spread the ball around and keep the attack moving.
Yeah, Gray carried the workload, but there’s just enough of a rotation to go along with Gabriel getting on the move to potentially keep the Florida State defense honest.
As long as Gabriel is able to connect on the midrange throws and come up with manageable third down chances, this should be a back-and-forth fight.
The run defense has to sell out. Jordan Travis might be terrific at getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers, but everything chances for this OU D when it can hold on up front.
Just don’t get gouged, come up with a few takeaways – 5-2 when generating multiple turnovers – and …
Cheez-It Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, Florida State vs Oklahoma Prediction, Cheez-It Bowl History
Florida State vs Oklahoma Cheez-It Bowl, What’s Going To Happen
It’s going to take something special for Oklahoma to pull this off.
Dillon Gabriel has to play out of his mind, the defensive front has to had its game of the season, and Florida State will have to royally screw up.
It won’t happen.
This is an ultra-confidence Seminole team that can rely on the ground game whenever it has to settle things down. Oklahoma will be great for about a quarter, and then the personnel losses will start to matter too much.
The Sooners will come up with a great effort, and it won’t be nearly enough. They’re 5-0 when allowing 14 points or fewer and 1-6 when giving up more. They’ll give up more than two touchdowns.
Florida State vs Oklahoma Cheez-It Bowl, Prediction, Line
CFN Prediction: Florida State 34, Oklahoma 20
Line: Florida State -9.5, o/u: 65
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3.5
Cheez-It Bowl Must See Rating (out of 5): 3
CFN Experts CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2
Cheez-It Bowl History
Dec. 29, 2021 Clemson 20, Iowa State 13
Dec. 29, 2020 Oklahoma State 37, Iowa State 9
Camping World Bowl
Dec. 28, 2019 Notre Dame 33, Iowa State 9
Dec. 28, 2018 Syracuse 34, West Virginia 18
Dec. 28, 2017 Oklahoma State 30, Virginia Tech 21
Russell Athletic Bowl
Dec. 26, 2016 Miami 31, West Virginia 14
Dec. 29, 2015 Baylor 49 North Carolina 38
Dec. 29, 2014 Clemson 40 Oklahoma 6
Dec. 28, 2013 Louisville 36 Miami 9
Dec. 28, 2012 Virginia Tech 13 Rutgers 10 (OT)
Champs Sports Bowl
Dec. 29, 2011 Florida State 18 Notre Dame 14
Dec. 28, 2010 N.C. State 23 West Virginia 7
Dec. 29, 2009 Wisconsin 20 Miami 14
Dec. 27, 2008 Florida State 42 Wisconsin 13
Dec. 28, 2007 Boston College 24 Michigan State 21
Dec. 29, 2006 Maryland 24 Purdue 7
Dec. 27, 2005 Clemson 19 Colorado 10
Dec. 21, 2004 Georgia Tech 51 Syracuse 14
Tangerine Bowl
Dec. 22, 2003 N.C. State 56 Kansas 26
Dec. 23, 2002 Texas Tech 55 Clemson 15
Dec. 20, 2001 Pittsburgh 34 N.C. State 19
Micron PC Bowl
Dec. 28, 2000 N.C. State 38 Minnesota 30
Dec. 30, 1999 Illinois 63 Virginia 21
Dec. 29, 1998 Miami 46 N.C. State 23
Carquest Bowl
Dec. 29, 1997 Georgia Tech 35 West Virginia 30
Dec. 27, 1996 Miami 31 Virginia 21
Dec. 30, 1995 North Carolina 20 Arkansas 10
Jan. 2, 1995 South Carolina 24 West Virginia 21
Jan. 1, 1994 Boston College 31 Virginia 13
Blockbuster Bowl
Jan. 1, 1993 Stanford 28 Penn State 3
Dec. 28, 1991 Alabama 30 Colorado 25
Dec. 28, 1990 Florida State 24 Penn State 17
