As college football's highly-anticipated bowl season approaches, football enthusiasts are eager to participate in pick 'em pools to test their predictions. This year, The Athletic's staff members have made their straight up picks for all 41 bowl games, unveiling seven unanimous choices.

In the New Orleans Bowl, Jacksonville State appears to have the upper hand as all seven staff members at The Athletic predicted their victory over Louisiana. Similarly, in the Holiday Bowl, Louisville is expected to secure a win against USC, with all staff members picking them as the victors.

The Fenway Bowl is set to witness an interesting showdown as SMU is predicted to triumph over Boston College by The Athletic's staff, unanimously. Moving on to the ReliaQuest Bowl, LSU is expected to emerge victorious over Wisconsin, with all staff members placing their bets on the Tigers. Meanwhile, in the Fiesta Bowl, Oregon is predicted to knock off Liberty as all seven staff members anticipate their triumph over the Flames.

Turning attention to the College Football Playoff games, The Athletic's staff members have made their predictions for the highly-anticipated clashes. Michigan, the Big Ten powerhouse, has gained the support of the majority, with five out of seven pickers favoring them to beat Alabama. In the other playoff matchup, Texas has garnered the support of four staff members to emerge victorious against Washington.

With a thrilling 17-day span and games kicking off on 12 separate days, college football fans are eagerly awaiting the kickoff of bowl season. As the bowl games unfold, it will be intriguing to see how these unanimous picks and playoff predictions pan out, adding an extra layer of excitement to an already electrifying season.

Stay tuned as The Athletic's staff members continue to share their insights and predictions throughout the bowl season, further fueling the anticipation and passion of college football fans nationwide.