CHEEZ-IT BOWL -- The Golden Bears exceeded most projections, while the Horned Frogs dealt with another season marred by injuries and an inconsistent offense. But it what rates to be a low-scoring grinder -- as evidenced by the meager total -- it's prudent to take the Gary Patterson-coached club with extra time to prepare.

CHEEZ-IT BOWL -- The Horned Frogs' defense is excellent, but so is California's. The Golden Bears have been surprisingly stellar on that side of the ball, with enough offense to make 2019 potentially a big year. I trust Cal's offense more in this matchup. Back the Golden Bears.

CHEEZ-IT BOWL -- These teams are so similar that they could probably switch uniforms without the public detecting who's who. Cal gets the narrow nod in this battle of top-rung defenses because of RB Patrick Laird, the game's best yards-maker. And, though they have taken six of their last nine bowl games outright, the Horned Frogs are 2-7 ATS, which suggests that they under-achieve. All told, longtime TCU coach Gary Patterson is 6-9-1 ATS in postseason games.

CHEEZ-IT BOWL -- Sneaking into bowl season is an overvalued element in ATS evaluation. TCU's finish to the Big 12 season might carry over into 2019, but it won't carry over against California. Back the Golden Bears.