ESPN College GameDay: Picks for Monday, Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl

This isn’t your usual Monday, as there are some huge college football games scattered throughout the day, and the ESPN College GameDay crew is here to guide us through it.

First, Mississippi State will look to honor their late leader Mike Leach with a victory in the ReliaQuest Bowl over Illinois. It’ll be an emotionally charged afternoon for the Bulldogs and their fans, but the Fighting Illini will be a tough test.

Additionally, reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans are taking on Tulane in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The Green Wave went 11-2 on the season and captured the American Athletic Conference title to get here, but the Trojans are hoping to find victory and gain some motivation for a national championship run next season.

Meanwhile, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl kicks off at the same time, with Brian Kelly and LSU taking on Purdue. The Boilermakers are in flux — a coaching change and multiple opt-outs will do that to a team — and the Tigers will be looking to take advantage.

Finally, one of college football’s greatest cathedrals returns, as the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential will kickoff at 5:00 p.m. ET with Penn State and Utah both vying for victory. Sean Clifford an the Nittany Lions are hoping to cap off a great season with a historic win, while the Utes are hoping to avenge a loss from last season’s iteration.

Per usual, the crew of Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, David Pollack and Kirk Herbstreit had to make their selections for the biggest games, and these ones carried some significant weight. Here’s who the crew believes will hoist some trophies and cap their season off with a bang.

ESPN College GameDay picks for Monday’s Bowls:

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential — Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Utah Utes: Herbstreit is calling the game so he’s not picking, but Howard and McAfee are riding with the Nittany Lions, while Pollack is picking the Utes.

Lee Corso made a special appearance to pick the game as well, going with Utah to win the game.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic — Tulane Green Wave vs. USC Trojans: Howard, Pollack and Herbstreit are riding the wave — the green wave, that is. They’re picking Tulane, while McAfee is picking the Trojans.

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl — LSU Tigers vs. Purdue Boilermakers: All four are riding with the Tigers.

ReliaQuest Bowl — Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Illinois Fighting Illini: Everyone is predicting the Bulldogs honor the late Mike Leach with a victory.

ESPN College GameDay Crew picks:

Desmond Howard: Penn State, Tulane, LSU, Mississippi State

David Pollack: Utah, Tulane, LSU, Mississippi State

Pat McAfee: Penn State, USC, LSU, Mississippi State

Kirk Herbstreit: Tulane, LSU, Mississippi State