The Transfer Portal Ruins Bowl Season

​Before writing this blog, I was going to predict every single bowl game this postseason, but as I began making my predictions, it became increasingly harder to predict who would and would not win these games because I do not know what teams do and do not have enough players that didn't leave for the transfer portal. 

I used to get excited about bowl games, even the games with two 6-6 teams. But now, they hold little to no significance. Last year's Alamo Bowl between Oklahoma and Oregon was the first time the insignificance of bowl games hit me. At the time, I was in Tennessee with my fiancee's OU loyal family, and I was also in a state where I could put money on bowl games. 

I put $50 on Oklahoma because I knew that 90% of Oregon's starters had dipped out for the transfer portal. Oklahoma somehow retained most of their starters between the end of the season and the Alamo Bowl when Lincoln Riley left, so it was a no-brainer. I won an easy $26.5. 

Oregon was a very good team last season and finished as the runner-up in the PAC-12. Had all of their players stayed, it would have been a very good game. But they didn't, so it was almost as good as the one cupcake game each team plays in a season.

That all being said, if you find yourself in Tennessee before or during bowl season, research what teams are playing their third-string team and if their opponent is playing their first-string, and make bets. I can almost guarantee you'll make a good bit of money.