A four-game losing spiral that followed Air Force's blistering 8-0 start coincided with QB Zac Larrier getting banged up. Word is, his health is restored, along with that of key teammates, so the Falcons can pick up where they left off after eight games. The Dukes' defense was hit hard by transfers, making it easier for Larrier to get reacclimated. James Madison enjoyed a storybook season, nearly qualifying for a New Year's Six bowl, but the departure of head coach Curt Cignetti, most of his staff and reliable players tips the scales to the Force.

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks for JMU, which was rewarded a surprise berth in the Armed Forces Bowl thanks to a loophole in NCAA transition rules. Then HC Curt Cignetti moved to Indiana, and QB Jordan McCloud announced he is entering the portal, but will be available to play in Fort Worth. All of these moving parts in front of prepping for the Air Force option is hardly a desired scenario, especially considering Troy Calhoun's recent postseason successes (four straight bowl wins and covers). Note the Falcs will have QB Zac Larrier available after his injury derailed the offense in November, when the Force closed the season with four straight losses. Play Air Force (Armed Forces Bowl)

This "total" looks too low at the Armed Forces Bowl. Consider that Air Force landed below 40 only in the Commander-in-Chief games (as usual) and against punchless Sam Houston in early September. Moreover, first-string QB Zac Larrier is back in the saddle for the bowl game after missing most of November as the Falcons slumped. Meanwhile, electric JMU QB Jordan McCloud, while in the portal, will still be available in this game for the Dukes, whose HC Curt Cignetti just moved to Indiana. There's enough offense on the field for this matchup in Fort Worth to get into the 40s. Play JMU-Air Force "Over" (Armed Forces Bowl)

James Madison went 11-1 this season covering the spread in eight of the games and they look for their first bowl victory but they’ll have to do it without coach Curt Cignetti who is now with Indiana. But the story in this game is QB Jordan McCloud playing after entering the transfer portal. The game means something to him. His teammates mean something to him. McCloud playing is so refreshing in this era of college football. After an 8-0 start, Air Force lost their last four games. Air Force is No. 2 in the nation rushing (275 ypg) against JMU’s No. 1 rated run defense (61.5 ypg). I’m on James Madison to cover.

Few teams have been hit as hard by the Transfer Portal as James Madison. On top of that, JMU's head coach, OC, DC, and QBs coach have moved on to Indiana and will not be coaching. The program was so depleted, that the Dukes were forced to hire five temporary coaches just to get through this game. On the other side, Air Force did lose RB John Lee Eldridge to the Portal, but the rest of their roster remains in tact, and they may have starting quarterback Zac Larrier back for Saturday. Service academy teams rarely take bowl games lightly, and the Falcons enter this matchup on a four-game bowl winning streak. I expect Air Force to win outright here.

I lost all faith in Air Force down the stretch, and that won’t change in the Armed Forces Bowl against James Madison. The Dukes are one of the most complete teams in the country and, even though the roster has been hit a bit by transfers, should still be able to exploit a defense that gave up more than seven yards per play in each of its final two games of the season. A three-point win will cash tickets for the Dukes, which makes this one of the best bets of bowl season.