Outback Bowl
Tuesday January 1st, 13:00 ET (18:00 GMT)
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
(10)South Carolina Gamecocks vs. (18)Michigan Wolverines
The Outback Bowl was created in 1977 as the Hall of Fame Bowl and was initially played in Alabama until it was discontinued in 1986 and a new Hall of Fame Bowl was instituted in Tampa under the same name. Outback Steakhouse began it's sponsorship in 1995 and the Bowl gained it's current title. The bowl invites the 3rd team from the Big Ten to face the 3rd pick from the SEC. As the Outback Bowl shares the 3rd pick of the SEC with the Cotton Bowl, a team from the SEC East division is always selected for the Outback Bowl and a team from the West division heads to Arlington, as happened last year. The Outback Bowl is played on January 1st, except when New Year's Day is a Sunday. In that case, the game moves to the 2nd. Michigan is the home team.
South Carolina battled hard in the SEC, opening 6-0 and beating Vanderbilt (7)Georgia, but losing back-to-back games to (8)LSU and (3)Florida ended any chances of a BCS Bowl appearance. That misery was compounded the following week when running back Marcus Lattimore went down with a season-ending knee injury, he has since gone on to declare himself for the NFL draft, so he's finished as a Gamecock. South Carolina finished with four straight wins to complete back-to-back ten wins seasons for the first time in their history. Connor Shaw will get the start at quarterback despite leaving the victory over (14)Clemson in the final game of the regular season with a concussion. He threw for 1732 yards and 15 touchdowns for the 66th ranked passing offense in the FBS. Ben Ellington caught 6 touchdowns and led the team with 564 yards, while Ace Sanders snagged 7 scores and gained 439 yards. In Lattimore's absence, the bulk of the carries went to Kenny Miles and he rushed for 358 yards and two touchdowns in his 3 and a bit games. Even with Lattimore healthy, the strength of this team is it's defense. The Gamecocks finished 12th in total yardage with 312.3 yards per game (193.3 passing and 119 rushing) and allowed a measly 17.4 points per game. That level of performance has to be maintained in this game and Lorenzo Ward deserves a lot of credit in his first season as defensive co-ordinator. Conversely he faces his toughest task to date in the shape of this Michigan offense.
Michigan has suffered from stage-fright this season, losing their opener convincingly to (2)Alabama at Cowboy Stadium then piecing together wins over Air Force, Purdue, Michigan State, Minnesota and (20)Northwestern punctuated by road defeats to (1)Notre Dame, (16)Nebraska and that Ohio State. The defeat in “The Game” hurt a lot as the Wolverines were unable to score any points in the second half and failed to derail the Buckeyes unbeaten season. The offense over the past three seasons has been Denard “Shoelace” Robinson, who has set a new school record with his 91 total touchdowns. He suffered a nerve injury in his shoulder against (16)Nebraska and missed two games. Since then, he hasn't thrown a pass, but still contributed 220 yards rushing and leads the team this season with 1166 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. His position as the passer is likely to be taken by junior Devin Gardner. Gardner is a more accurate thrower than Robinson (63.3% completions compared to Robinson's 53.6%), but doesn't possess the same running threat in terms of yardage, but he has scored 7 rushing touchdowns. Gardner still managed to eclipse 1000 passing yards and added 8 passing touchdowns. It appears that under Head Coach Brady Hoke wide receivers are more of a distraction to defenses and extra blockers for the quarterback downfield. Nevertheless Jeremy Gallon has 684 yards and Roy Roundtree (no relation to Richard) has added 553 yards. Michigan's defense however has improved under Hoke and the Wolverines rank second in the nation against the pass behind only Nebraska, allowing 155.2 yards per game. A large part of that success has been due to cornerback JT Floyd, however due to a violation of team rules, he is forced to sit out the final game of his college career.
FOR SOUTH CAROLINA TO WIN
They have to contain Shoelace. He has the ability to break a game at any moment. The Gamecocks have the 16th best rushing defense in the country, allowing 119 yards per game and that unit has to be big to win this game. They controlled Clemson in the regular season finale and that provides the blueprint for this game. Offensively they will have to take advantage of JT Floyd's absence and attack the Michigan secondary. If, as expected, Devin Gardner takes the majority of snaps, the Gamecocks will have to try and flush him out of the pocket as he isn't as much of a threat running the ball as Robinson is.
FOR MICHIGAN TO WIN
Denard Robinson has to have a big game against a very tough South Carolina pass defense. This is his last game for the Wolverines and as he won't make it in the NFL as a quarterback, he needs to showcase his skills to make it in the draft. Hoke has already said he may see some action as a kick/punt returner and he will continue to run the ball. I wouldn't be surprised to see him line up as a receiver, as he has a similar build to Wes Welker and Julian Edelman. Edelman's ability to carve himself a career in the pros should be Robinson's benchmark and that means he has to dominate this game. The Wolverines have been much improved this season and that trend needs to continue in this game to keep Michigan in this game.
VERDICT
This comes down to Michigan's running game against South Carolina's defense. Whichever unit can win that battle will probably hand the victory to their team. For me, sadly the Gamecocks' defensive has that edge and having faced Clemson in the regular season, they already know how to play against an elite level rushing quarterback. They also have had over a month off where the defensive coaching staff have been reviewing film and honing that game-plan constantly. Michigan will put up a good fight, but their inability to get across the line in big games this season and Brady Hoke's inability to call plays coherently will ultimately cost the Wolverines.
ADVICE
South Carolina -4.5
Over 47.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Denard Robinson throws a 20 yard pass.
2 drinks: Anybody in the room sniggers at the mention of the Gamecocks
Finish it: Any mention of the Winter Classic
Monday 31 December 2012
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl
Tuesday January 1st, 12:00 ET (17:00 GMT)
Everbank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. (20)Northwestern Wildcats
The Gator Bowl has been played continuously since 1946 in Florida and with the exception of 1994, it has been played in the city of Jacksonville. This bowl was the first in history to be televised nationally and it comes with a $2.5m payout for each team involved. The Gator Bowl features the 6th team from the SEC and the 4th team from the Big-Ten depending on BCS eligibility. Last year's game was known as either the Traitor Bowl or the Savior Bowl depending on your allegiance, I prefer to call it the Urban Meyer Bowl as it featured his previous team the Florida Gators and his new team, those Ohio State Suckeyes.
Mississippi State come into the game off a respectable 8-4 season, starting like a house on fire 7-0 but they finished 1-4, losing to (2)Alabama, (8)LSU and (9)Texas A&M back-to-back-to-back and finished with a disappointing loss to the Ole Miss Rebels. That record is partially misleading as despite playing in the SEC, the Bulldogs only beat one team with a winning FBS record. Despite their deficiencies in the second half of the season, QB Tyler Russell has passed for 2791 yards and 2 TDs, but he sprained his ankle in the defeat to Ole Miss and although he's expected to be fine for this game, questions will be raised if the Wildcats can put him on his backside a few times. Chad Bumphis has made an impact in his final season with the Bulldogs, doubling his career TD total to 24 and adding 904 yards to bring his career to an end with 2252 yards, setting a new school record in the process. Ladarius Perkins has reached nearly 1000 yards on the ground and has added 8 TDs giving the Bulldogs some semblance of balance on offense, which could be crucial in this match-up.
The Wildcats started 5-0 including wins over Syracuse and Vanderbilt out of the gate, then they split their next 6 games, losing to Penn State, Nebraska and Michigan before bouncing back to win in East Lansing and finished with a blow-out of Illinois to finish 9-3. A win in this game would give Northwestern their first 10 win season since 1995. Like many of the top academic schools, the Wildcats run the ball very well and junior running back Venric Mark somehow racked up 1310 yards and 11 touchdowns, despite his tiny 5'8” 175lbs frame, something he'll have to work on if he wants to play on Sundays. Kain Coulter will most likely get the start at QB and he's been almost surgical with the ball in his hands with a 68.7% completion rate for 8 TDs and nearly 800 yards. He's also been a threat out of the backfield picking up another 12 touchdowns and piling up 820 yards. Trevor Siemian has taken some of the load off Coulter as a quarterback and has thrown for 1192 yards and another 6 touchdowns. Let's not kid ourselves though, Northwestern will try to run the ball all day and their 14th ranked rushing offense (230.9 yards) will match up well against Mississippi State's 71st ranked rushing defense, surrendering 166 yards.
FOR MISS STATE TO WIN
Forget about the last five games of the season and pretend they are 7-0. The Bulldogs had a lot of confidence early in the season and if they can regain that, they may be able to produce enough offense to win this game. They have to find a way to stop the Wildcats' running game and a big part of that will be linebacker Cameron Lawrence.
FOR NORTHWESTERN TO WIN
Run the ball. Hard. If they can establish the running game early then they'll have success towards the end of the game. Nothing tires a defense like run defense and if Northwestern have their way, that's what the Bulldogs will be doing all day. They have a top 20 rushing attack and they need to use both Mark and Colter to move the defense around the field
VERDICT
The running game of Northwestern will continue to frustrate Mississippi State and as long as they can keep the chains moving and pick up points when they're on offer, they'll have the best of this match-up.
ADVICE
Northwestern -2
Over 54 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Either team records a sack
2 drinks: Northwestern finish any quarter with more passing yards than rushing yards
Finish it: Any mention of Urban Meyer
Tuesday January 1st, 12:00 ET (17:00 GMT)
Everbank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. (20)Northwestern Wildcats
The Gator Bowl has been played continuously since 1946 in Florida and with the exception of 1994, it has been played in the city of Jacksonville. This bowl was the first in history to be televised nationally and it comes with a $2.5m payout for each team involved. The Gator Bowl features the 6th team from the SEC and the 4th team from the Big-Ten depending on BCS eligibility. Last year's game was known as either the Traitor Bowl or the Savior Bowl depending on your allegiance, I prefer to call it the Urban Meyer Bowl as it featured his previous team the Florida Gators and his new team, those Ohio State Suckeyes.
Mississippi State come into the game off a respectable 8-4 season, starting like a house on fire 7-0 but they finished 1-4, losing to (2)Alabama, (8)LSU and (9)Texas A&M back-to-back-to-back and finished with a disappointing loss to the Ole Miss Rebels. That record is partially misleading as despite playing in the SEC, the Bulldogs only beat one team with a winning FBS record. Despite their deficiencies in the second half of the season, QB Tyler Russell has passed for 2791 yards and 2 TDs, but he sprained his ankle in the defeat to Ole Miss and although he's expected to be fine for this game, questions will be raised if the Wildcats can put him on his backside a few times. Chad Bumphis has made an impact in his final season with the Bulldogs, doubling his career TD total to 24 and adding 904 yards to bring his career to an end with 2252 yards, setting a new school record in the process. Ladarius Perkins has reached nearly 1000 yards on the ground and has added 8 TDs giving the Bulldogs some semblance of balance on offense, which could be crucial in this match-up.
The Wildcats started 5-0 including wins over Syracuse and Vanderbilt out of the gate, then they split their next 6 games, losing to Penn State, Nebraska and Michigan before bouncing back to win in East Lansing and finished with a blow-out of Illinois to finish 9-3. A win in this game would give Northwestern their first 10 win season since 1995. Like many of the top academic schools, the Wildcats run the ball very well and junior running back Venric Mark somehow racked up 1310 yards and 11 touchdowns, despite his tiny 5'8” 175lbs frame, something he'll have to work on if he wants to play on Sundays. Kain Coulter will most likely get the start at QB and he's been almost surgical with the ball in his hands with a 68.7% completion rate for 8 TDs and nearly 800 yards. He's also been a threat out of the backfield picking up another 12 touchdowns and piling up 820 yards. Trevor Siemian has taken some of the load off Coulter as a quarterback and has thrown for 1192 yards and another 6 touchdowns. Let's not kid ourselves though, Northwestern will try to run the ball all day and their 14th ranked rushing offense (230.9 yards) will match up well against Mississippi State's 71st ranked rushing defense, surrendering 166 yards.
FOR MISS STATE TO WIN
Forget about the last five games of the season and pretend they are 7-0. The Bulldogs had a lot of confidence early in the season and if they can regain that, they may be able to produce enough offense to win this game. They have to find a way to stop the Wildcats' running game and a big part of that will be linebacker Cameron Lawrence.
FOR NORTHWESTERN TO WIN
Run the ball. Hard. If they can establish the running game early then they'll have success towards the end of the game. Nothing tires a defense like run defense and if Northwestern have their way, that's what the Bulldogs will be doing all day. They have a top 20 rushing attack and they need to use both Mark and Colter to move the defense around the field
VERDICT
The running game of Northwestern will continue to frustrate Mississippi State and as long as they can keep the chains moving and pick up points when they're on offer, they'll have the best of this match-up.
ADVICE
Northwestern -2
Over 54 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Either team records a sack
2 drinks: Northwestern finish any quarter with more passing yards than rushing yards
Finish it: Any mention of Urban Meyer
Heart of Dallas Bowl
Heart of Dallas Bowl
Tuesday January 1st, 11:00 CST (17:00 GMT)
Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
Purdue Boilermakers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Heart of Dallas Bowl is one of the newest Bowls of the season, first played in January 2011, after the Cotton Bowl game moved to Cowboys Stadium. The Cotton Bowl opened in 1930 and hosted the Cotton Bowl in 1937 and every subsequent year until 2009. The Cotton Bowl stadium was also used to host games at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and played host to the best game of the tournament and arguably the best goal. This year's game features the 7th team from the Big-Ten and the 8th team from the Big-12, however next year's game will replace the Big-12 team with a school from Conference-USA, like it did last year.
Purdue muddled through their schedule losing five on the spin starting with (18)Michigan and finishing with Bill O'Brien's Penn State. They won a wild one over Indiana in the regular season finale to secure bowl eligibility, then promptly fired Head Coach Danny Hope. Senior QB Robert Marve leads the offense and despite playing through a torn ACL, he has put up 1522 passing yards and 13 TDs. He'll spend almost all of his time in the pocket and as a result, the rushing game is carried by Akeem Shavers. Shavers tallied 778 yards this season along with 6 touchdowns and will be relied upon to provide the spark for this offense. Every game he's scored a touchdown in this season, the Boilermakers have won. Antavian Edwards has amassed 625 yards on the outside and pulled in 8 touchdowns, giving some balance to the offense. Purdue have an excellent defensive line, the highlight of which is Tackle Kawann Short, a first round projection on most people's draft board. He needs to play well and hold Oklahoma State out if the Boilermakers are to have any chance.
Although Oklahoma State finished the season 7-5, all five of those losses came at the hands of Bowl-bound teams (3-0 so far with Kansas State and Oklahoma to come) and they did post impressive wins over Texas Tech and TCU. The Cowboys strength all season has been their offense. They rank 3rd in scoring offense, (44.7 points per game) 5th in total yards per game, (548.9) 7th in passing yards (333.4) and 22nd in rushing yards (215.5) that's pretty impressive going into this game. Those are dangerous numbers for a Purdue defense that gives up 406.8 yards per game. Running back Joseph Randle had 1351 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, and despite using three different quarterbacks during the season, Josh Stewart tallied 1154 yards and 7 touchdowns receiving. Quarterback for this game will be Clint Chelf who started the last four games of the season after replacing Wes Lunt against Kansas State totalling 1391 yards and 12 TDs while recording 6 interceptions. Head Coach Mike Gundy has said Chelf deserves the start, but it's clear that OK State have options if Chelf doesn't work out in this game. Hopefully Gundy knows how to use his quarterbacks better than Rex Ryan.
FOR PURDUE TO WIN
They have to stop the run and hope their secondary is good enough to keep them in the game. Kawann Short is a massive player in this game for Purdue and they need him to bring his a-game to stop Joseph Randle from stomping all over the front seven. The pass defense also has to be better than it was during the regular season, even if they could limit the Cowboys to 225-ish yards, that probably won't be good enough.
FOR OKLAHOMA STATE TO WIN
Share the love. The Cowboys have one of the most balanced offenses in the league and they should look to beat Purdue where the Boilermakers let them. If they want to stack the box and stop the run, then start passing it around. If they decide to bring in an extra defensive back, then run it up the gut. The Cowboys should come out and try to keep Purdue guessing, they have the firepower to win this big, for me it's only a question of whether they can beat the spread.
VERDICT
The Oklahoma State offense will win this one and it's a toss-up whether they'll do it by passing or rushing. How that plays out is entirely on the Purdue defense.
ADVICE
OK State -17
Over 70.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any sightings of former Purdue students now in the NFL (alumni list)
2 drinks: Any sighting of Barry Sanders
Finish it: Any Star Wars reference (A New Hope most likely)
Chick-fil-A Bowl
Chick-fil-A Bowl
Monday December 31st, 19:30 ET (00:30 GMT)
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
(8)LSU Tigers vs. (14)Clemson Tigers
The Chick-fil-A Bowl was incepted in 1968 as the Peach Bowl and has been played in Atlanta ever since. It moved to the Georgia Dome when it was finished in 1992. Chick-fil-A stepped in as title sponsors in 1998 and retained the Peach Bowl title until 2006 when it was also dropped. It currently features the first non-BCS team from the ACC and the 5th team from the SEC, however as the SEC has sent one of it's teams to the National Championship game every season since 2006, the Chick-fil-A Bowl has accepted the 6th selection from the nation's best conference. Last year Auburn won the game, defeating Virginia but neither of those teams got anywhere near any Bowls this season.
LSU were once again impressive this season, and despite the obvious disappointment of being the first team shut out in the BCS National Championship game last season they only lost twice. Their two losses came in the SEC to (2)Alabama and (3)Florida. They compiled ten wins for the third year in a row including beating (9)Texas A&M and (10)South Carolina. Les Miles' squad once again built their success on a strong defense and as a result, they only gave up more than 25 points once. They finished 11th in the country conceding 16.9 points per game and a miserly 296.2 yards of total offense. Although the offense won't show up on any national top 20 lists, they've done the job well and allowed the defense to win games. Junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger has done enough in those games passing for 2489 yards and 11 TDs while only coughing the ball up 6 times. The worrying thing for LSU fans is that he's been sacked 26 times, and sometimes they hurt. Jeremy Hill has added 621 yards on 130 carries for 10 touchdowns and Kenny Hilliard has added another 456 yards and 6 touchdowns. On the outside sophomore receiver Odell Beckham has snagged 673 yards and 2 TDs while his fellow sophomore Jarvis Landry has 536 yards and another 4 TDs. Still, LSU's success is their defense and that will be the case on Monday night.
Clemson have been equally successful this season, finishing 10-2 in the ACC and only missed out on the title game when they lost their last game of the regular season to (10)South Carolina, as a result (12)Florida State head to the Orange Bowl and Clemson end up here. They also lost to the Seminoles early in the season and bounced back to win seven straight to record their first 10 win season in over 30 years. Tajh Boyd has been incredible for the Tigers and despite his numbers being down on last season, his 3550 yards put him 14th in the country and his 34 TDs (T-6th) and 168.53 passer rating (4th) are equally impressive. He's added 9 rushing TDs and those 43 total TDs tie him with Orange Bowl-bound Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel. Boyd's favorite target has been Deandre Hopkins, he's hit the junior WR for 1214 yards and 16 touchdowns. Tailback Andre Ellington has churned up 1031 yards and 8 TDs to propel the running game and he gives the Tigers a lot of options in the redzone. As you'd expect with those numbers, Clemson are high in the national rankings, their 518.3 total yards per game (9th) and 42.3 points per game (6th) are almost the mirror of LSU's numbers, so this could turn into the classic offense v defense match-up.
FOR LSU TO WIN
Hit Boyd as often as possible and stop him running all over them. If they allow Boyd time, he'll pick the much vaunted Tigers secondary apart. Clemson struggled against South Carolina because of their tight coverage and tough play up front. If they can contain Boyd, they take away most of the scoring on this team and control this game the way they've controlled most of their schedule and grind out the win.
FOR CLEMSON TO WIN
Tajh Boyd is obviously the key to their offense, and the Tigers need him to step up. He may have considered forgoing his final year of college to enter the NFL, but he might have some Matt Barkley style unfinished business next year. The running game takes on more importance as LSU try to strangle Boyd and as the game develops, play-action becomes more important in moving down the field. The Clemson defensive line should be ready for a lot of run blocking as the SEC runs the ball more than any other BCS conference. If they can hold LSU to under 160 rushing yards (Clemson's average defensive figure) then they may have a chance of nicking this one.
VERDICT
As good as Clemson's offense is, I expect this to be a defensive battle. Tajh Boyd has to pick his spots to air it out as the LSU secondary is one of the best in the FBS. There will be a lot of running in the game as you'd expect from LSU and if Clemson get frustrated, they will play into LSU's hands. The purple Tigers want to be in a ball fight and they are well seasoned by playing in the SEC. I don't think Boyd is yet at the level to win this game on his own, especially with the attention LSU's front four will give him. Expect to see him on his backside 4 or 5 times in this one.
ADVICE
LSU -5
Under 59 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Somebody mixes up the Tigers with the Tigers
2 drinks: Les Miles smiles
Finish it: LSU's total offensive yards are more than Tajh Boyd's
Monday December 31st, 19:30 ET (00:30 GMT)
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
(8)LSU Tigers vs. (14)Clemson Tigers
The Chick-fil-A Bowl was incepted in 1968 as the Peach Bowl and has been played in Atlanta ever since. It moved to the Georgia Dome when it was finished in 1992. Chick-fil-A stepped in as title sponsors in 1998 and retained the Peach Bowl title until 2006 when it was also dropped. It currently features the first non-BCS team from the ACC and the 5th team from the SEC, however as the SEC has sent one of it's teams to the National Championship game every season since 2006, the Chick-fil-A Bowl has accepted the 6th selection from the nation's best conference. Last year Auburn won the game, defeating Virginia but neither of those teams got anywhere near any Bowls this season.
LSU were once again impressive this season, and despite the obvious disappointment of being the first team shut out in the BCS National Championship game last season they only lost twice. Their two losses came in the SEC to (2)Alabama and (3)Florida. They compiled ten wins for the third year in a row including beating (9)Texas A&M and (10)South Carolina. Les Miles' squad once again built their success on a strong defense and as a result, they only gave up more than 25 points once. They finished 11th in the country conceding 16.9 points per game and a miserly 296.2 yards of total offense. Although the offense won't show up on any national top 20 lists, they've done the job well and allowed the defense to win games. Junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger has done enough in those games passing for 2489 yards and 11 TDs while only coughing the ball up 6 times. The worrying thing for LSU fans is that he's been sacked 26 times, and sometimes they hurt. Jeremy Hill has added 621 yards on 130 carries for 10 touchdowns and Kenny Hilliard has added another 456 yards and 6 touchdowns. On the outside sophomore receiver Odell Beckham has snagged 673 yards and 2 TDs while his fellow sophomore Jarvis Landry has 536 yards and another 4 TDs. Still, LSU's success is their defense and that will be the case on Monday night.
Clemson have been equally successful this season, finishing 10-2 in the ACC and only missed out on the title game when they lost their last game of the regular season to (10)South Carolina, as a result (12)Florida State head to the Orange Bowl and Clemson end up here. They also lost to the Seminoles early in the season and bounced back to win seven straight to record their first 10 win season in over 30 years. Tajh Boyd has been incredible for the Tigers and despite his numbers being down on last season, his 3550 yards put him 14th in the country and his 34 TDs (T-6th) and 168.53 passer rating (4th) are equally impressive. He's added 9 rushing TDs and those 43 total TDs tie him with Orange Bowl-bound Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel. Boyd's favorite target has been Deandre Hopkins, he's hit the junior WR for 1214 yards and 16 touchdowns. Tailback Andre Ellington has churned up 1031 yards and 8 TDs to propel the running game and he gives the Tigers a lot of options in the redzone. As you'd expect with those numbers, Clemson are high in the national rankings, their 518.3 total yards per game (9th) and 42.3 points per game (6th) are almost the mirror of LSU's numbers, so this could turn into the classic offense v defense match-up.
FOR LSU TO WIN
Hit Boyd as often as possible and stop him running all over them. If they allow Boyd time, he'll pick the much vaunted Tigers secondary apart. Clemson struggled against South Carolina because of their tight coverage and tough play up front. If they can contain Boyd, they take away most of the scoring on this team and control this game the way they've controlled most of their schedule and grind out the win.
FOR CLEMSON TO WIN
Tajh Boyd is obviously the key to their offense, and the Tigers need him to step up. He may have considered forgoing his final year of college to enter the NFL, but he might have some Matt Barkley style unfinished business next year. The running game takes on more importance as LSU try to strangle Boyd and as the game develops, play-action becomes more important in moving down the field. The Clemson defensive line should be ready for a lot of run blocking as the SEC runs the ball more than any other BCS conference. If they can hold LSU to under 160 rushing yards (Clemson's average defensive figure) then they may have a chance of nicking this one.
VERDICT
As good as Clemson's offense is, I expect this to be a defensive battle. Tajh Boyd has to pick his spots to air it out as the LSU secondary is one of the best in the FBS. There will be a lot of running in the game as you'd expect from LSU and if Clemson get frustrated, they will play into LSU's hands. The purple Tigers want to be in a ball fight and they are well seasoned by playing in the SEC. I don't think Boyd is yet at the level to win this game on his own, especially with the attention LSU's front four will give him. Expect to see him on his backside 4 or 5 times in this one.
ADVICE
LSU -5
Under 59 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Somebody mixes up the Tigers with the Tigers
2 drinks: Les Miles smiles
Finish it: LSU's total offensive yards are more than Tajh Boyd's
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Monday December 31st, 14:30 CST (20:30 GMT)
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee
Iowa State Cyclones vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
The Liberty Bowl was first played in 1959 in Philadelphia and despite a one year experiment in Atlantic City in 1964, it has been played in Memphis ever since. It usually features the Conference USA champions against the 8th team from the SEC, though if the SEC cannot provide a team, the 6th team from the Big East is invited, like last year. This year we have C-USA represented by Tulsa and Iowa State were selected as an at-large team, somewhat surprisingly in front of Louisiana Tech. This will be the only rematch from the regular season in this year's Bowl series.
Iowa State finished 6-6 in the Big-12 with impressive wins against Tulsa, TCU and Baylor, but all six of their losses came against very good teams, 3 of them ranked in the top 25. The majority of their success came through their defensive unit, as their offense was woeful at times. Their win against 1-11 Kansas was the only time they put up 40 points and they finished 89th in the country with 372.2 yards per game and 25.2 points. (83rd) QB Steele Jantz put up 1562 yards with 13 TDs but 11 INTs. The running game couldn't produce a 500 yard rusher and only senior wide receiver Josh Lenz who put up 504 yards could reach that plateau through the air. Even when you look at their defensive stats, they look poor, they concede 444.8 yards per game, 279.7 yards passing and 165.2 yards rushing. That just won't get the job done.
Tulsa rebounded from their week 1 defeat to post a 10-3 record in C-USA, winning seven on the bounce before dropping away games to Arkansas and SMU in their 2-2 finish to the regular season. Cody Green has been impressive at times this season since his transfer from Nebraska and totalled 2499 yards for 17 TDs and 10 INTs, his favorite target being Keyarris Garrett who grabbed 9 touchdowns for his 826 yards. Despite those numbers, Tulsa excelled running the ball, with Trey Watts making 959 yards and Ja'Terian Douglas racking up 857 yards this season for the 11th ranked rushing offense in the country. That could be the difference in this year, as I said, Iowa State give up 165.2 yards rushing per game and Tulsa have all the weapons to exploit that, although they have two running backs, that tactic has worked very well for other schools in the country for example a certain Tide in Tuscaloosa.
FOR IOWA STATE TO WIN
Plug the gaps and give the offense as short a field as possible. The Iowa State offense has struggled to sustain drives this season, and if this turns into a shootout, they are in big trouble. They need to stymie the Tulsa running game and force Green to the air. Iowa State have been much better against the pass, and every time the ball is in the air, they have a chance to take it away.
FOR TULSA TO WIN
Run the ball, run the clock, run everything they can find. The strength of the team has been the run, and they need to establish that against a stingy defense in order to give themselves a chance to air it out with their passing attack. They will score points in this, but as always the key is to stop your opponents scoring, and the best way to do that is to keep them off the field with your own running game.
VERDICT
As this is the only rematch of this year's Bowl season, you'd think we have some form to go on. Well yes and no. The game was played in week one, and although Iowa State won that comfortably, I see no such repeat in this one. Tulsa's running game has improved throughout the season and though they were lucky to sneak past UCF in overtime to win the C-USA title, I think their running game will be the difference. Iowa State's offense has been weak and their defense is not good enough to keep out Tulsa in this one.
ADVICE
Tulsa +2
Over 51 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any reference to farming
2 drinks: Any wind related joke
Finish it: Any mention of professional wrestling
Monday December 31st, 14:30 CST (20:30 GMT)
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee
Iowa State Cyclones vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
The Liberty Bowl was first played in 1959 in Philadelphia and despite a one year experiment in Atlantic City in 1964, it has been played in Memphis ever since. It usually features the Conference USA champions against the 8th team from the SEC, though if the SEC cannot provide a team, the 6th team from the Big East is invited, like last year. This year we have C-USA represented by Tulsa and Iowa State were selected as an at-large team, somewhat surprisingly in front of Louisiana Tech. This will be the only rematch from the regular season in this year's Bowl series.
Iowa State finished 6-6 in the Big-12 with impressive wins against Tulsa, TCU and Baylor, but all six of their losses came against very good teams, 3 of them ranked in the top 25. The majority of their success came through their defensive unit, as their offense was woeful at times. Their win against 1-11 Kansas was the only time they put up 40 points and they finished 89th in the country with 372.2 yards per game and 25.2 points. (83rd) QB Steele Jantz put up 1562 yards with 13 TDs but 11 INTs. The running game couldn't produce a 500 yard rusher and only senior wide receiver Josh Lenz who put up 504 yards could reach that plateau through the air. Even when you look at their defensive stats, they look poor, they concede 444.8 yards per game, 279.7 yards passing and 165.2 yards rushing. That just won't get the job done.
Tulsa rebounded from their week 1 defeat to post a 10-3 record in C-USA, winning seven on the bounce before dropping away games to Arkansas and SMU in their 2-2 finish to the regular season. Cody Green has been impressive at times this season since his transfer from Nebraska and totalled 2499 yards for 17 TDs and 10 INTs, his favorite target being Keyarris Garrett who grabbed 9 touchdowns for his 826 yards. Despite those numbers, Tulsa excelled running the ball, with Trey Watts making 959 yards and Ja'Terian Douglas racking up 857 yards this season for the 11th ranked rushing offense in the country. That could be the difference in this year, as I said, Iowa State give up 165.2 yards rushing per game and Tulsa have all the weapons to exploit that, although they have two running backs, that tactic has worked very well for other schools in the country for example a certain Tide in Tuscaloosa.
FOR IOWA STATE TO WIN
Plug the gaps and give the offense as short a field as possible. The Iowa State offense has struggled to sustain drives this season, and if this turns into a shootout, they are in big trouble. They need to stymie the Tulsa running game and force Green to the air. Iowa State have been much better against the pass, and every time the ball is in the air, they have a chance to take it away.
FOR TULSA TO WIN
Run the ball, run the clock, run everything they can find. The strength of the team has been the run, and they need to establish that against a stingy defense in order to give themselves a chance to air it out with their passing attack. They will score points in this, but as always the key is to stop your opponents scoring, and the best way to do that is to keep them off the field with your own running game.
VERDICT
As this is the only rematch of this year's Bowl season, you'd think we have some form to go on. Well yes and no. The game was played in week one, and although Iowa State won that comfortably, I see no such repeat in this one. Tulsa's running game has improved throughout the season and though they were lucky to sneak past UCF in overtime to win the C-USA title, I think their running game will be the difference. Iowa State's offense has been weak and their defense is not good enough to keep out Tulsa in this one.
ADVICE
Tulsa +2
Over 51 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any reference to farming
2 drinks: Any wind related joke
Finish it: Any mention of professional wrestling
Hyundai Sun Bowl
Hyundai Sun Bowl
Monday December 31st, 15:00 CST (19:00 GMT)
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas
University of Southern California Trojans vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Sun Bowl is one of the oldest Bowls in the country, it was first played in 1935 (the El Paso All-Stars beat Ranger of Texas 25-21) and has been played continually ever since. Texas Tech have played in the game 9 times, but have a solitary win to their name. The game has been played at Sun Bowl Stadium since construction was completed in 1963 and interestingly, one team will literally be playing downhill as there is a 10 degree slope from North-west to South-east. Georgia Tech come into this game looking to avenge their 2011 loss to Utah in this game 30-27.
USC started the season atop the AP Poll and their season went the only direction it could go from there, down. They won their first two games relatively easily, but were downed 21-14 by old-time rivals Stanford, they bounced back with four straight wins, but after they lost one they shouldn't have against Arizona, they finished the season 1-3 and 7-5 overall losing a shoot-out to (4)Oregon, then succumbing to (17)UCLA and (1)Notre Dame making an absolute mess of 1st and goal at the 2. Matt Barkley returned to the team this season, saying he had unfinished business in college (presumably that business remains unfinished) he was injured in the loss to (17)UCLA and missed the defeat to (1)Notre Dame due to his injured shoulder. It was announced earlier this week that he won't play in this game. That leaves a big hole in the Trojans offense. Under Barkley, they compiled 296.9 passing yards and 451.9 yards of total offense (25th and 29th respectively in the national rankings) but Max Wittek is no Matt Barkley and although he passed for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns against Notre Dame, he coughed up two interceptions, and as mentioned butchered the goal line set-up. Marqise Lee has been a beast at WR this season and finished second in the country in terms of receiving yards with 1680, behind only Terrance Williams of Baylor. Lee scored 14 TDs this year and added 802 yards and a TD when returning kicks. The rushing game has struggled at times (especially against Notre Dame) with Silas Reed getting the bulk of the carries. Despite USC's history of great running backs, under Lane Kiffin, the Trojans have become a pass first team, and with the defense giving up nearly 400 yards a game, Kiffin needs his passing game to come big on Monday.
Georgia Tech finished the regular season 6-6, but they advanced to the ACC title game due to North Carolina's NCAA sanction and Miami's self imposed postseason ban. However after they lost to (12)Florida State 21-15, they needed special dispensation from the NCAA to participate in Bowl season. The Yellow Jackets have had some tough losses this year, most notably a blow-out 41-17 loss to BYU and their 42-10 humbling to Georgia, but their rushing offense has been exceptional all year (not bad from a school with a history of phenomenal receivers, Megaton, Demaryius Thomas and Kelly Campbell) and they deservedly finished 4th in the nation with 312.5 yards per game. Tevin Washington punched in 19 rushing TDs good for T-8th in the country, but Orwin Smith topped the yardage list with just 673 yards, so they can switch it up in the backfield and give USC different looks depending on the situation. Expect the Yellow Jackets to run plenty times on 3rd and 2 and similar situations. The defense will have to be on top of their game, especially against the pass where they rank 69th in the FBS with 239.2 yards per game.
FOR USC TO WIN
Get the ball to Marqise Lee as early and often as possible. Simple.
FOR GEORGIA TECH TO WIN
Pound the ball, kill the clock. As I mentioned, they will play 30 minutes of this game literally running downhill, that's a killer for defensive lines who love to get at the QB and with Georgia Tech's big offensive line making holes for their running backs all season, they will relish the opportunity to use the ground to their advantage at the same time. The defensive line need to pressure Wittek and force him to throw on the run and deliver the ball into small windows, if they can do that, he'll make mistakes and allow the Yellow Jackets rushing game to take over.
VERDICT
USC's passing game against the Georgia Tech secondary? Georgia Tech's running game against USC's front seven? Neither, it's the battle between USC's offensive line and the Georgia Tech defensive line that will decide this one. After the Notre Dame debacle, Kiffin must've run thousands of plays inside 10 yards and he'll expect his offense to respond. Georgia Tech have to stay strong and limit the Trojans to the field goal in that situation as it'll be difficult to chase the game with their predominately rushing attack.
ADVICE
Georgia Tech +7
Over 63 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any use of “Matt Barkley” and “number one draft” in the same sentence
2 drinks: Trojan fans giving the deuce.
Finish it: Georgia Tech gain more passing yards than USC and vice versa
Monday December 31st, 15:00 CST (19:00 GMT)
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas
University of Southern California Trojans vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Sun Bowl is one of the oldest Bowls in the country, it was first played in 1935 (the El Paso All-Stars beat Ranger of Texas 25-21) and has been played continually ever since. Texas Tech have played in the game 9 times, but have a solitary win to their name. The game has been played at Sun Bowl Stadium since construction was completed in 1963 and interestingly, one team will literally be playing downhill as there is a 10 degree slope from North-west to South-east. Georgia Tech come into this game looking to avenge their 2011 loss to Utah in this game 30-27.
USC started the season atop the AP Poll and their season went the only direction it could go from there, down. They won their first two games relatively easily, but were downed 21-14 by old-time rivals Stanford, they bounced back with four straight wins, but after they lost one they shouldn't have against Arizona, they finished the season 1-3 and 7-5 overall losing a shoot-out to (4)Oregon, then succumbing to (17)UCLA and (1)Notre Dame making an absolute mess of 1st and goal at the 2. Matt Barkley returned to the team this season, saying he had unfinished business in college (presumably that business remains unfinished) he was injured in the loss to (17)UCLA and missed the defeat to (1)Notre Dame due to his injured shoulder. It was announced earlier this week that he won't play in this game. That leaves a big hole in the Trojans offense. Under Barkley, they compiled 296.9 passing yards and 451.9 yards of total offense (25th and 29th respectively in the national rankings) but Max Wittek is no Matt Barkley and although he passed for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns against Notre Dame, he coughed up two interceptions, and as mentioned butchered the goal line set-up. Marqise Lee has been a beast at WR this season and finished second in the country in terms of receiving yards with 1680, behind only Terrance Williams of Baylor. Lee scored 14 TDs this year and added 802 yards and a TD when returning kicks. The rushing game has struggled at times (especially against Notre Dame) with Silas Reed getting the bulk of the carries. Despite USC's history of great running backs, under Lane Kiffin, the Trojans have become a pass first team, and with the defense giving up nearly 400 yards a game, Kiffin needs his passing game to come big on Monday.
Georgia Tech finished the regular season 6-6, but they advanced to the ACC title game due to North Carolina's NCAA sanction and Miami's self imposed postseason ban. However after they lost to (12)Florida State 21-15, they needed special dispensation from the NCAA to participate in Bowl season. The Yellow Jackets have had some tough losses this year, most notably a blow-out 41-17 loss to BYU and their 42-10 humbling to Georgia, but their rushing offense has been exceptional all year (not bad from a school with a history of phenomenal receivers, Megaton, Demaryius Thomas and Kelly Campbell) and they deservedly finished 4th in the nation with 312.5 yards per game. Tevin Washington punched in 19 rushing TDs good for T-8th in the country, but Orwin Smith topped the yardage list with just 673 yards, so they can switch it up in the backfield and give USC different looks depending on the situation. Expect the Yellow Jackets to run plenty times on 3rd and 2 and similar situations. The defense will have to be on top of their game, especially against the pass where they rank 69th in the FBS with 239.2 yards per game.
FOR USC TO WIN
Get the ball to Marqise Lee as early and often as possible. Simple.
FOR GEORGIA TECH TO WIN
Pound the ball, kill the clock. As I mentioned, they will play 30 minutes of this game literally running downhill, that's a killer for defensive lines who love to get at the QB and with Georgia Tech's big offensive line making holes for their running backs all season, they will relish the opportunity to use the ground to their advantage at the same time. The defensive line need to pressure Wittek and force him to throw on the run and deliver the ball into small windows, if they can do that, he'll make mistakes and allow the Yellow Jackets rushing game to take over.
VERDICT
USC's passing game against the Georgia Tech secondary? Georgia Tech's running game against USC's front seven? Neither, it's the battle between USC's offensive line and the Georgia Tech defensive line that will decide this one. After the Notre Dame debacle, Kiffin must've run thousands of plays inside 10 yards and he'll expect his offense to respond. Georgia Tech have to stay strong and limit the Trojans to the field goal in that situation as it'll be difficult to chase the game with their predominately rushing attack.
ADVICE
Georgia Tech +7
Over 63 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any use of “Matt Barkley” and “number one draft” in the same sentence
2 drinks: Trojan fans giving the deuce.
Finish it: Georgia Tech gain more passing yards than USC and vice versa
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Monday December 31st, 11:00 CST (17:00 GMT)
LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. Vanderbilt Commodores
The Music City Bowl, under various sponsors' names has been played in Nashville since 1998, the highlight of those sponsorship deals was unquestionably the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. The Bowl usually contains a matchup between the 8th team in the SEC against the 6th team in the ACC. Last year's game was only the 4th time in the 13 year history of the bowl where the favorites prevailed with the SEC team winning again.
North Carolina State finished 7-5 in the ACC and while their win over conference champions (12)Florida State was impressive, their beating at the hands of North Carolina in their rivalry game and their humiliation in the Textile Bowl against (14)Clemson were low points. They've been a middle-of-the-road team this year, finishing 51st in total yards with 420.9 yards and 71st in scoring offense with 28.4 points per game. Senior quarterback Mike Glennon has carried the offense ranked an impressive 11th in the country with 3648 passing yards, good for 30 TDs but a worrying 14 interceptions. He's spread the ball well and Quinton Payton and Tobias Palmer grabbed 48 and 46 passes respectively. Payton finished with 761 yards, while Palmer snagged 6 TDs. The running game has been poor in comparison, the Wolfpack rank 108th nationally with just 116.9 yards per game. Shadrach Thornton and Tony Creecy combined for 1088 yards and just 7 touchdowns. With the exception of the NC and Clemson games, defense has been good. Although they give up 419.7 yards per game, their approach seems to be more of a bend but don't break approach, surrendering just 24.6 points per game. (especially good considering they shipped 105 points in those two big defeats)
Vanderbilt finished 8-4 in the best conference in college football. Head Coach James Franklin, carried on the improvement from his first season in charge and despite their rough start going 2-4 albeit all four of those losses were to ranked opponents in (10)South Carolina, (20)Northwestern, (7)Georgia and (3)Florida. Their 6 game winning streak to end the season is the longest such streak at Vanderbilt since the 50s. Jordan Rodgers played most of the season under center, only missing the 58-0 win over FCS Presbyterian. He completed nearly 60% of his passes for 2431 yards and 13 TDs, with Jordan Matthews catching 7 of those touchdowns for a school-record 1262 yards. Chris Boyd has complemented Matthews on the other side of the field compiling 756 yards and 4 touchdowns. Zac Stacy was the main man on the ground, eclipsing 1000 yards while punching in 9 touchdowns in a rushing attack that averaged 170.4 yards per game. (54th in the country) The defensive side of the ball is where the Commodores have excelled, the defeats to (7)Georgia (48 points) and (3)Florida (31 points) were the only time they gave up more than 26 points, averaging just 18.3 points against all season. Especially impressive is their passing defense, the 9th best in the country, allowing a measly 175.8 yards per game, and while their rushing defense hasn't quite been to that level, they still rank 17th nationally with 326.4 total yards per game.
FOR NC STATE TO WIN
Take the small gains, and keep them coming. Vanderbilt don't give up too many big yards on defense, especially against the pass, yet that's NC State's strength. They will need to take 4, 5 and 6 yard gains, and trust their receivers to make the yards after they catch the ball. With the absence of a coherent and consistent running game, unless they can step up big in this game, the passing game has to replace that. We've seen many offenses in the NFL, Brady's Patriots and Manning's Colts most successfully, use this tactic to win a lot of games and a few rings between them. The Wolfpack have to keep the chains moving against this Vanderbilt defense and if they can get Glennon into a rhythm throwing short passes underneath the safeties, he may be able to make that back-breaking 50-60 yard throw down-field later in the game.
FOR VANDERBILT TO WIN
Play the first down marker on defense and share the load on offense. They have an excellent passing defense, but they face a quarterback who has over 3500 yards on the year, so Zone-2 may be used extensively in this game, in that case, they can't allow those cheap screen passes or quick hits to the tight end across the middle to pick up first downs. They have to make NC State pick up the dirty yards running the football. When they have the ball in their hands, they don't have such a one dimensional attack as NC State, so they can spread the offense throughout the side. They have two big targets on the outside in Matthews and Boyd and as we've seen in most of these Bowl games, a good running game is key. If Stacy can pick up first downs on the ground, that allows Rodgers the time to find his receivers for bigger gains and control this game.
VERDICT
The key to the victory in this game is the NC State passing game against the Commodores' passing defense, and having watched a couple of good defensive units this season in Bowl games, that's the side I'm going to favor. Glennon has shown this season he's prone to coughing the ball up, and if Vanderbilt can take the ball away from him early, he will try to compensate for that by throwing it even more. The more they move away from the running game, the less their chances become. I fancy the Vanderbilt defense to strangle this game and allow their own running game to take over and carry them to the win.
ADVICE
Vanderbilt -7.5
Under 51.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any Lionel Richie reference
2 drinks: Anyone says “Black Caps”
Finish it: Any comparison between Jordan Rodgers and Aaron Rodgers
Saturday 29 December 2012
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
Saturday December 29th, 20:15 MST (03:15 GMT)
Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
Texas Christian University Horned Frogs vs. Michigan State Spartans
The Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl has been played since 1989, and since its inception, the game has been played in the state of Arizona, for the first ten years the game was played at Arizona Stadium, on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson. In 2000, the bowl's organizers moved the game to Bank One Ballpark in downtown Phoenix. Finally, in 2006, the game moved to it's current location in Tempe to replace the Fiesta Bowl which had moved to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The game was known as the Copper Bowl from 1989 until 1996 when naming rights were purchased by Insight Enterprises. This year, Buffalo Wild Wings took over as the title sponsor after Insight Enterprises elected not to renew the fifteen-year agreement. Since 2006, the game has featured a matchup between the 5th team from the Big Ten and the 4th team from the Big-12. Including last year's game.
TCU struggled at times during its first season in the Big 12, finishing with a 7-5 record despite wins over Baylor, West Virginia and Texas. This is a different conference to the MWC. Junior quarterback Casey Pachall guided the team to victory in its first four games including a win at SMU before being arrested on suspicion of DWI in October. Pachall eventually entered rehab and withdrew from school, meaning the Horned Frogs turned to freshman Trevone Boykin. TCU lost four of their last six games, but Boykin earned some game time and important lessons in how to be a Big-12 quarterback in losing to (5)Kansas State and (11)Oklahoma. Boykin finished with 15 TD passes and nine INTs, and added 380 yards on the ground as TCU averaged 397.0 total yards per game (64th in the country). The running game struggled at times and TCU was 63rd nationally with 157.5 yards which may turn out to be a major issue against a Michigan State defense that allows just 274.5 yards per game (4th nationally, behind only (2)Alabama, Florida State and BYU). The Spartans only conceded five rushing touchdowns this season, behind only Notre Dame in the national standings. The Spartans' defense had 16 sacks and 13 interceptions during the season, so they're not a team to throw the ball around carelessly against. TCU's defense ranked 18th in the nation allowing just 332.0 yards of total offense per game so you'd expect this game to be a defensive battle. Freshman defensive end Devonte Fields picked up nine sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss.
The 6-6 Spartans lost quarterback Kirk Cousins and receivers B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin to the NFL draft and losing those three was big for a program like the Spartans'. They finished 90th in the country with 370.3 yards per game of total offense and 103rd nationally with just 20.3 points per game. Losing such key players in the passing game, meant Head Coach Mark Dantonio had to change focus from the passing game to the less complicated running game. Cousins' replacement, junior Andrew Maxwell managed 13 TDs with 9 INTs this year, but couldn't put more than 2 passing TDs in a game. His receivers also struggled to adapt to a more prominent role during the season, and his 52.9% completion rate was so low, even Denard Robinson is in front of him on the national rankings. It's been the defense that's kept the Spartans in games this season, and it helps that 9 of their 11 starters from last season returned. They finished 4th in the country in total defense and 9th in scoring defense, giving up 273.3 yards and 16.3 points per game respectively. Their record is a bit deceiving as although they have 6 losses, by a total of 30 points, 17 of which came in their 20-3 defeat by Notre Dame.
The shift to the running game has suited junior running back Le'Veon Bell, who improved considerable on his career-best mark of 948 yards set last season to finish 7th in the nation with 1648 yards and 12 of the team's 265 touchdowns. Quite simply, he has been Michigan State's offense this season.
FOR TCU TO WIN
The Horned Frogs need to be aggressive in stopping the run, they can't allow the Spartans to run all game long, because if they do, it's be a very long game for the defensive line. The secondary has to be sharp, if they get used to bringing a safety in the box, that leaves someone one-on-one with a wide receiver and if that happens too often, they'll get burned. They need to stay ahead of the game, they can't allow Michigan State to get a two-score lead as it's very difficult for a predominantly rushing based attack to score points quickly. On the other hand, if TCU can get their own two possession lead, then Michigan State will have to go to a passing game that has struggled for most of the season. Once they start to air the ball, the Horned Frogs corners will be all over the Spartan receivers so long as they have safety help over the top. There's a good reason why TCU amassed 21 interceptions during the regular season.
FOR MICHIGAN STATE TO WIN
They have to keep the chains moving with the running game, the offensive line needs to step up and make plenty holes for Le'veon Bell. Once the running game is on a roll, the clock starts to run, leaving less time for TCU's own rushing attack when they get the ball back. Turnovers are key in any game, but especially in Bowl games, and Michigan State have to protect that ball. The defensive front seven has a big job too. With Trevone Boykin taking the ball, the Spartans need to make him try to find his receivers from the pocket. They can't allow him to scramble as he's used his feet to get him out of trouble a few times this season. As you'd expect with a freshman quarterback, Boykin has made plenty of mistakes too, he's thrown 9 interceptions and with the strength of Michigan State's secondary, there could be a pick-6 or two up for grabs in this one.
VERDICT
The strength of both teams on show is clearly their defenses, so the offensive line becomes a focal point for each attack. If either side can gain a significant advantage in that department, the game will be their's to lose. If it stays tight, this may come down to, heaven forbid, a quarterback duel. If that's the case, I have to give the edge to TCU, because despite his mistakes, Boykin has more potential and a game like this might just be what he needs to go on a cement himself the starting job for next season. I still think the game will be decided by the respective rushing attacks, and in that category, Le'Veon Bell's ability to carry the ball over and over and over again means that Michigan State will come out on top in this one.
ADVICE
Michigan State +2
Over 40 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any quarter of the game produces more passing yards than rushing yards.
2 drinks: Safety
Finish it: Back-to-back interceptions.
Saturday December 29th, 20:15 MST (03:15 GMT)
Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
Texas Christian University Horned Frogs vs. Michigan State Spartans
The Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl has been played since 1989, and since its inception, the game has been played in the state of Arizona, for the first ten years the game was played at Arizona Stadium, on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson. In 2000, the bowl's organizers moved the game to Bank One Ballpark in downtown Phoenix. Finally, in 2006, the game moved to it's current location in Tempe to replace the Fiesta Bowl which had moved to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The game was known as the Copper Bowl from 1989 until 1996 when naming rights were purchased by Insight Enterprises. This year, Buffalo Wild Wings took over as the title sponsor after Insight Enterprises elected not to renew the fifteen-year agreement. Since 2006, the game has featured a matchup between the 5th team from the Big Ten and the 4th team from the Big-12. Including last year's game.
TCU struggled at times during its first season in the Big 12, finishing with a 7-5 record despite wins over Baylor, West Virginia and Texas. This is a different conference to the MWC. Junior quarterback Casey Pachall guided the team to victory in its first four games including a win at SMU before being arrested on suspicion of DWI in October. Pachall eventually entered rehab and withdrew from school, meaning the Horned Frogs turned to freshman Trevone Boykin. TCU lost four of their last six games, but Boykin earned some game time and important lessons in how to be a Big-12 quarterback in losing to (5)Kansas State and (11)Oklahoma. Boykin finished with 15 TD passes and nine INTs, and added 380 yards on the ground as TCU averaged 397.0 total yards per game (64th in the country). The running game struggled at times and TCU was 63rd nationally with 157.5 yards which may turn out to be a major issue against a Michigan State defense that allows just 274.5 yards per game (4th nationally, behind only (2)Alabama, Florida State and BYU). The Spartans only conceded five rushing touchdowns this season, behind only Notre Dame in the national standings. The Spartans' defense had 16 sacks and 13 interceptions during the season, so they're not a team to throw the ball around carelessly against. TCU's defense ranked 18th in the nation allowing just 332.0 yards of total offense per game so you'd expect this game to be a defensive battle. Freshman defensive end Devonte Fields picked up nine sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss.
The 6-6 Spartans lost quarterback Kirk Cousins and receivers B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin to the NFL draft and losing those three was big for a program like the Spartans'. They finished 90th in the country with 370.3 yards per game of total offense and 103rd nationally with just 20.3 points per game. Losing such key players in the passing game, meant Head Coach Mark Dantonio had to change focus from the passing game to the less complicated running game. Cousins' replacement, junior Andrew Maxwell managed 13 TDs with 9 INTs this year, but couldn't put more than 2 passing TDs in a game. His receivers also struggled to adapt to a more prominent role during the season, and his 52.9% completion rate was so low, even Denard Robinson is in front of him on the national rankings. It's been the defense that's kept the Spartans in games this season, and it helps that 9 of their 11 starters from last season returned. They finished 4th in the country in total defense and 9th in scoring defense, giving up 273.3 yards and 16.3 points per game respectively. Their record is a bit deceiving as although they have 6 losses, by a total of 30 points, 17 of which came in their 20-3 defeat by Notre Dame.
The shift to the running game has suited junior running back Le'Veon Bell, who improved considerable on his career-best mark of 948 yards set last season to finish 7th in the nation with 1648 yards and 12 of the team's 265 touchdowns. Quite simply, he has been Michigan State's offense this season.
FOR TCU TO WIN
The Horned Frogs need to be aggressive in stopping the run, they can't allow the Spartans to run all game long, because if they do, it's be a very long game for the defensive line. The secondary has to be sharp, if they get used to bringing a safety in the box, that leaves someone one-on-one with a wide receiver and if that happens too often, they'll get burned. They need to stay ahead of the game, they can't allow Michigan State to get a two-score lead as it's very difficult for a predominantly rushing based attack to score points quickly. On the other hand, if TCU can get their own two possession lead, then Michigan State will have to go to a passing game that has struggled for most of the season. Once they start to air the ball, the Horned Frogs corners will be all over the Spartan receivers so long as they have safety help over the top. There's a good reason why TCU amassed 21 interceptions during the regular season.
FOR MICHIGAN STATE TO WIN
They have to keep the chains moving with the running game, the offensive line needs to step up and make plenty holes for Le'veon Bell. Once the running game is on a roll, the clock starts to run, leaving less time for TCU's own rushing attack when they get the ball back. Turnovers are key in any game, but especially in Bowl games, and Michigan State have to protect that ball. The defensive front seven has a big job too. With Trevone Boykin taking the ball, the Spartans need to make him try to find his receivers from the pocket. They can't allow him to scramble as he's used his feet to get him out of trouble a few times this season. As you'd expect with a freshman quarterback, Boykin has made plenty of mistakes too, he's thrown 9 interceptions and with the strength of Michigan State's secondary, there could be a pick-6 or two up for grabs in this one.
VERDICT
The strength of both teams on show is clearly their defenses, so the offensive line becomes a focal point for each attack. If either side can gain a significant advantage in that department, the game will be their's to lose. If it stays tight, this may come down to, heaven forbid, a quarterback duel. If that's the case, I have to give the edge to TCU, because despite his mistakes, Boykin has more potential and a game like this might just be what he needs to go on a cement himself the starting job for next season. I still think the game will be decided by the respective rushing attacks, and in that category, Le'Veon Bell's ability to carry the ball over and over and over again means that Michigan State will come out on top in this one.
ADVICE
Michigan State +2
Over 40 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any quarter of the game produces more passing yards than rushing yards.
2 drinks: Safety
Finish it: Back-to-back interceptions.
Valero Alamo Bowl
Valero Alamo Bowl
Saturday December 29th, 17:45 CST (23:45 GMT)
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
(23)Texas Longhorns vs. (13)Oregon State Beavers
The Alamo Bowl is played in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference. This year, the PAC-12 representative is Oregon State, as Oregon have been selected to the BCS Fiesta Bowl as an at-large selection. Ironically they meet Kansas State from the Big-12, but more about that later. Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been played in December, however at the end of the 2009 season the game was played in January for the first time. The following season, the game moved back to December where it has remained since. In 2007, the Alamo Bowl announced a partnership with San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corporation, and thus the bowl's full name was changed to the Valero Alamo Bowl. In the 2011 Alamo Bowl the Baylor Bears and Washington Huskies combined to score 123 points, breaking the record for the most points scored in a Bowl game in college football history. The 2011 game was also the first Alamo Bowl to feature that season's Heisman Trophy winner, Baylor's Robert Griffin III.
Texas has gone 8-4, a success for most schools (like Auburn) but a third consecutive season without a BCS bowl appearance had some questioning head coach Mack Brown's job security, that's pretty typical short-sightedness and arrogance from fans who expect success, dismissing the ability of any opponents. I wonder if they're Jets fans. The brass have pledged their "full support" to Brown and unlike the Abramovich kiss of death, their support actually means something. The Longhorns are 9-4 in bowl games under Brown, but are 21-16 overall since losing the 2010 BCS championship game to Alabama. David Ash started Texas' first 11 games under center but was benched in favor of Case McCoy during the team's Thanksgiving loss to TCU. McCoy won't play on Saturday night, however, after he and injured linebacker Jordan Hicks were suspended for violating team rules. The players broke curfew and there are reports that police were investigating two unidentified Texas players involved in an alleged sexual assault at a San Antonio hotel. McCoy was already set for the bench on Saturday before his alleged misdemeanors and Mack Brown had decided to will go back to Ash. Ash completed 67.7 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in those 11 games, including wins over Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas Tech. Brown said. "When he started poorly, he had more trouble than when he started right but he had some great games and we need to build on those." The danger comes from the Beavers' secondary, Oregon State intercepted 19 passes this year, tied for 6th in the country, and the Beavers' 30 forced turnovers are tied for 12th. The Beavers come to play, and they play for keeps. The Longhorns' have coughed the ball up 7 times in their last two games, including five interceptions. The Texas defense struggled through the first seven games, allowing 35.0 points per game and 472.1 yards (those numbers would see them 103rd and 110th nationally), but improved towards the business end of the season, trimming those numbers to 21.6 points and 328.4 yards (26th and 17th in the country) so their overall numbers of 29.4 points (72nd) and 412.3 yards (74th) are partially misleading. The Longhorns' secondary will be tasked with slowing down Markus Wheaton, who ranks averages 100.6 receiving yards per game. Wheaton caught 12 passes against Nicholls State (FCS), bringing his career total to 224 and surpassing James Rodgers' school record of 222, set last year.
Oregon State finished 9-3, a big improvement on their 3-9 last season. As a result, the Beavers are heading to their first bowl game since 2009, when they lost to BYU Las Vegas Bowl. Their three victories in 2011 were the fewest under coach Mike Riley since they won three in 1997. The Beavers' quarterback situation was in flux all season due to injuries. Sean Mannion led the team to a 4-0 start before the sophomore suffered a knee injury that required surgery, paving the way for junior Cody Vaz to take over before he succumbed to a high ankle sprain. Mannion regained the starting job, and struggled to get back into the groove, throwing four interceptions in a 48-24 loss to Oregon, but still started in the team's finale, a 77-3 blow-out of Nicholls State (a team so bad, they went 1-11 in the FCS). Mannion went 20 of 23 for 231 yards and two touchdowns, but Vaz, who completed 14 of 17 passes for 190 yards and three TDs, also saw extensive action. The duo helped the Beavers rank 15th nationally with 316.5 passing yards per game, and Riley named Vaz as his starter on Dec. 22 just prior to the team travelling to San Antonio. Their rushing game hasn't been too great, but Storm Woods (no relation to Tiger) picked up 811 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. However the quarterback situation resolves itself during the game, there are a pair of excellent wide receivers to call upon in the form of the aforementioned Wheaton and sophomore Brandin Cooks, who has pulled in catches good for 1120 yards this season, including 173 yards against BYU, a team that only gave up 179.2 passing yards a game in total. The Oregon State secondary is led by cornerbacks Jordan Poyer and Rashaad Reynolds who have 10 picks between them. Poyer is tied for second in the country with 7, only behind Phillip Thomas of Fresno State.
FOR TEXAS TO WIN
Keep David Ash calm, plugs the gaps in the defensive line and they have to start strong. The sophomore quarterback is going to feel a ton of pressure to perform given that this is basically an audition for next season’s starting position. So the situation is much like last season when he started in the Holiday Bowl against Cal. Ash also is facing a very good pass defense that has proved it can bring pressure from defensive end Scott Crichton.
Oregon State wants to pass before it runs. But given that the Texas defense is so porous against the run game giving up 199 rushing yards per game, the Beavers are likely to get Storm Woods (no relation to Tiger) involved early and often. Texas has simplified the defense to help out the linebackers but it needs to have a strong game from Peter Jinkens and Steve Edmond to have any chance of keeping the Beavers in check. Jinkens has proven to be a playmaker who has sideline-to-sideline speed. It seems like a pretty simple concept but Texas does have a tendency to start slowly in big games. In the Oklahoma game, they found themselves 36-2 down at halftime on their way to a 63-21 spanking. Oregon State won its first three games by less than a score and lost two of its games by a combined six points, so the Beavers are accustomed to playing in close games. Given that they have come back against teams such as Arizona and Arizona State, they are not likely to fold if Texas comes out with few quick scores. To counteract that, Texas must continue to pressure the Beavers on offense and extend its drives, they can't allow themselves to think this game is won.
FOR OREGON STATE TO WIN
Air it out, knock David Ash around and take the ball away. Coach Mike Riley picked Vaz to be his starting quarterback for a reason, because he felt Vaz could run the offense with more efficiency than Sean Mannion. And Oregon State’s offense is at its best when Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks are touching the ball, a lot. The running game has progressed to the point where there is just enough concern for defenses to sneak a safety down toward the line of scrimmage. Storm Woods (no relation to Tiger) has a point to prove after Texas passed him over during recruiting. That should allow one of the most dynamic wide receiver duos in the country to do what it does best. If Wheaton and Cooks are let loose one on one with Texas' corners, there’s a good chance Oregon State will end up on the winning side. The Longhorns corners may not be good enough to stop Wheaton and Cooks, even with safety help, neither of them are Ian Nicolson.
David Ash has been all over the field at times this season. The Beavers have to make him as uncomfortable as possible in the pocket. With nine sacks, Scott Crichton was one of the best in the PAC-12 at creating havoc in the backfield. A good day for Crichton probably means a bad day for Ash. Making life difficult for Ash will be the No. 1 priority on the list for Beavers defensive coordinator Mark Banker. Also on Banker's late Christmas list is turnovers. They are the difference in most games at this time of the season, and with 30 takeaways this year, the Beavers are one of the best in the country at getting the ball back for the offense. They have 19 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries. Texas isn’t nearly as prolific so possessions and taking advantage of those possessions will be vital.
VERDICT
There are on-the-field keys to the game, like getting the ball to Wheaton and Cooks, and then there are others that determine what happens on the field. Oregon State have to get off to a good start, and if not control the game and the clock, then they have to stay within touching distance of Texas. Everyone saw what happened in the Holiday Bowl, when Baylor was ready to play, and UCLA clearly was not. It got ugly early, and it turned into a proper spanking, Texas style. The Beavers have been on the wrong end of quick starts this season most notably in Seattle against the Huskies. If they can do all of that, then it becomes about those in-game keys, and the biggest one is going to be defensive pressure in the Texas backfield. The Longhorns have shown this season they can't win a defensive battle (they only beat 1-11 Kansas in a game with less than 40 total points) so they must stay in front of the Beavers and keep that foot on the gas pedal for 60 minutes.
ADVICE
Oregon State -3
Over 57.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Someone says Tiger Woods (no relation to Storm)
2 drinks: Someone suggest Colt McCoy would've done much better in a particular situation.
Finish it: Anyone refers to the game as a massacre (Too soon?)
Saturday December 29th, 17:45 CST (23:45 GMT)
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
(23)Texas Longhorns vs. (13)Oregon State Beavers
The Alamo Bowl is played in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference. This year, the PAC-12 representative is Oregon State, as Oregon have been selected to the BCS Fiesta Bowl as an at-large selection. Ironically they meet Kansas State from the Big-12, but more about that later. Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been played in December, however at the end of the 2009 season the game was played in January for the first time. The following season, the game moved back to December where it has remained since. In 2007, the Alamo Bowl announced a partnership with San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corporation, and thus the bowl's full name was changed to the Valero Alamo Bowl. In the 2011 Alamo Bowl the Baylor Bears and Washington Huskies combined to score 123 points, breaking the record for the most points scored in a Bowl game in college football history. The 2011 game was also the first Alamo Bowl to feature that season's Heisman Trophy winner, Baylor's Robert Griffin III.
Texas has gone 8-4, a success for most schools (like Auburn) but a third consecutive season without a BCS bowl appearance had some questioning head coach Mack Brown's job security, that's pretty typical short-sightedness and arrogance from fans who expect success, dismissing the ability of any opponents. I wonder if they're Jets fans. The brass have pledged their "full support" to Brown and unlike the Abramovich kiss of death, their support actually means something. The Longhorns are 9-4 in bowl games under Brown, but are 21-16 overall since losing the 2010 BCS championship game to Alabama. David Ash started Texas' first 11 games under center but was benched in favor of Case McCoy during the team's Thanksgiving loss to TCU. McCoy won't play on Saturday night, however, after he and injured linebacker Jordan Hicks were suspended for violating team rules. The players broke curfew and there are reports that police were investigating two unidentified Texas players involved in an alleged sexual assault at a San Antonio hotel. McCoy was already set for the bench on Saturday before his alleged misdemeanors and Mack Brown had decided to will go back to Ash. Ash completed 67.7 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in those 11 games, including wins over Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas Tech. Brown said. "When he started poorly, he had more trouble than when he started right but he had some great games and we need to build on those." The danger comes from the Beavers' secondary, Oregon State intercepted 19 passes this year, tied for 6th in the country, and the Beavers' 30 forced turnovers are tied for 12th. The Beavers come to play, and they play for keeps. The Longhorns' have coughed the ball up 7 times in their last two games, including five interceptions. The Texas defense struggled through the first seven games, allowing 35.0 points per game and 472.1 yards (those numbers would see them 103rd and 110th nationally), but improved towards the business end of the season, trimming those numbers to 21.6 points and 328.4 yards (26th and 17th in the country) so their overall numbers of 29.4 points (72nd) and 412.3 yards (74th) are partially misleading. The Longhorns' secondary will be tasked with slowing down Markus Wheaton, who ranks averages 100.6 receiving yards per game. Wheaton caught 12 passes against Nicholls State (FCS), bringing his career total to 224 and surpassing James Rodgers' school record of 222, set last year.
Oregon State finished 9-3, a big improvement on their 3-9 last season. As a result, the Beavers are heading to their first bowl game since 2009, when they lost to BYU Las Vegas Bowl. Their three victories in 2011 were the fewest under coach Mike Riley since they won three in 1997. The Beavers' quarterback situation was in flux all season due to injuries. Sean Mannion led the team to a 4-0 start before the sophomore suffered a knee injury that required surgery, paving the way for junior Cody Vaz to take over before he succumbed to a high ankle sprain. Mannion regained the starting job, and struggled to get back into the groove, throwing four interceptions in a 48-24 loss to Oregon, but still started in the team's finale, a 77-3 blow-out of Nicholls State (a team so bad, they went 1-11 in the FCS). Mannion went 20 of 23 for 231 yards and two touchdowns, but Vaz, who completed 14 of 17 passes for 190 yards and three TDs, also saw extensive action. The duo helped the Beavers rank 15th nationally with 316.5 passing yards per game, and Riley named Vaz as his starter on Dec. 22 just prior to the team travelling to San Antonio. Their rushing game hasn't been too great, but Storm Woods (no relation to Tiger) picked up 811 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. However the quarterback situation resolves itself during the game, there are a pair of excellent wide receivers to call upon in the form of the aforementioned Wheaton and sophomore Brandin Cooks, who has pulled in catches good for 1120 yards this season, including 173 yards against BYU, a team that only gave up 179.2 passing yards a game in total. The Oregon State secondary is led by cornerbacks Jordan Poyer and Rashaad Reynolds who have 10 picks between them. Poyer is tied for second in the country with 7, only behind Phillip Thomas of Fresno State.
FOR TEXAS TO WIN
Keep David Ash calm, plugs the gaps in the defensive line and they have to start strong. The sophomore quarterback is going to feel a ton of pressure to perform given that this is basically an audition for next season’s starting position. So the situation is much like last season when he started in the Holiday Bowl against Cal. Ash also is facing a very good pass defense that has proved it can bring pressure from defensive end Scott Crichton.
Oregon State wants to pass before it runs. But given that the Texas defense is so porous against the run game giving up 199 rushing yards per game, the Beavers are likely to get Storm Woods (no relation to Tiger) involved early and often. Texas has simplified the defense to help out the linebackers but it needs to have a strong game from Peter Jinkens and Steve Edmond to have any chance of keeping the Beavers in check. Jinkens has proven to be a playmaker who has sideline-to-sideline speed. It seems like a pretty simple concept but Texas does have a tendency to start slowly in big games. In the Oklahoma game, they found themselves 36-2 down at halftime on their way to a 63-21 spanking. Oregon State won its first three games by less than a score and lost two of its games by a combined six points, so the Beavers are accustomed to playing in close games. Given that they have come back against teams such as Arizona and Arizona State, they are not likely to fold if Texas comes out with few quick scores. To counteract that, Texas must continue to pressure the Beavers on offense and extend its drives, they can't allow themselves to think this game is won.
FOR OREGON STATE TO WIN
Air it out, knock David Ash around and take the ball away. Coach Mike Riley picked Vaz to be his starting quarterback for a reason, because he felt Vaz could run the offense with more efficiency than Sean Mannion. And Oregon State’s offense is at its best when Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks are touching the ball, a lot. The running game has progressed to the point where there is just enough concern for defenses to sneak a safety down toward the line of scrimmage. Storm Woods (no relation to Tiger) has a point to prove after Texas passed him over during recruiting. That should allow one of the most dynamic wide receiver duos in the country to do what it does best. If Wheaton and Cooks are let loose one on one with Texas' corners, there’s a good chance Oregon State will end up on the winning side. The Longhorns corners may not be good enough to stop Wheaton and Cooks, even with safety help, neither of them are Ian Nicolson.
David Ash has been all over the field at times this season. The Beavers have to make him as uncomfortable as possible in the pocket. With nine sacks, Scott Crichton was one of the best in the PAC-12 at creating havoc in the backfield. A good day for Crichton probably means a bad day for Ash. Making life difficult for Ash will be the No. 1 priority on the list for Beavers defensive coordinator Mark Banker. Also on Banker's late Christmas list is turnovers. They are the difference in most games at this time of the season, and with 30 takeaways this year, the Beavers are one of the best in the country at getting the ball back for the offense. They have 19 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries. Texas isn’t nearly as prolific so possessions and taking advantage of those possessions will be vital.
VERDICT
There are on-the-field keys to the game, like getting the ball to Wheaton and Cooks, and then there are others that determine what happens on the field. Oregon State have to get off to a good start, and if not control the game and the clock, then they have to stay within touching distance of Texas. Everyone saw what happened in the Holiday Bowl, when Baylor was ready to play, and UCLA clearly was not. It got ugly early, and it turned into a proper spanking, Texas style. The Beavers have been on the wrong end of quick starts this season most notably in Seattle against the Huskies. If they can do all of that, then it becomes about those in-game keys, and the biggest one is going to be defensive pressure in the Texas backfield. The Longhorns have shown this season they can't win a defensive battle (they only beat 1-11 Kansas in a game with less than 40 total points) so they must stay in front of the Beavers and keep that foot on the gas pedal for 60 minutes.
ADVICE
Oregon State -3
Over 57.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Someone says Tiger Woods (no relation to Storm)
2 drinks: Someone suggest Colt McCoy would've done much better in a particular situation.
Finish it: Anyone refers to the game as a massacre (Too soon?)
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Saturday December 29th, 13:00 PT (21:00 GMT)
AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
Navy Midshipmen vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is played annually at AT&T Park, home of the World Champion San Francisco Giants. It was created as the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl in 2002. As of 2010, the bowl is sponsored by Kraft Foods you may know them from such brands as Dairylea, Vegemite and Kool-Aid. In November this year Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl officials and the San Francisco 49ers announced the bowl game will move to the new $1.5bn, 75,000 seater Santa Clara Stadium in Silicon Valley in 2014. The game is one of three college bowl games played in baseball-specific stadiums, alongside the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl at Tropicana Field, and the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
Because AT&T Park is not normally used for football, the arrangement of the playing field requires both teams to be on the same sideline, separated by a barrier at the 50-yard line. The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl has a contract to host the PAC-12's sixth-place team and there are multiple contracts that will determine the opponent. In 2013, it will be BYU. In the incredible event they don't become bowl-eligible, they will be replaced by a team from the ACC, MAC, or WAC. Last year UCLA were up against Illinois as Army missed out on bowl-eligibility.
Navy finished 8-4 but that may have looked a stretch considering they were bullied around the field when losing 50-10 to (1)Notre Dame to open the season. The Midshipmen finished strong winning seven of eight, capped by claiming the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy against Army in Philadelphia. Navy and its triple-option offense hope to take advantage of a Sun Devils defense which allowed four of its final six opponents to rush for more than 200 yards. The Midshipmen rank 6th in the nation in rushing yards per game with 275.6 while attempting just 160 passes, just what you'd expect from these hard-nosed men of honor. Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds threw for just 884 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception and leading the team with 10 rushing TDs. Impressive though is his 9.1 yards per attempt, and even better 15.7 yards per completion. Reynolds ran for 588 yards in the final seven games, and fullback Noah Copeland rushed for 209 with three TDs over the last two. Gee Gee Greene led the team with 765 rushing yards but managed just 15 on four carries against Army. That's the definition of a triple-option
After opening the season 5-1, Arizona State dropped four in a row, three to ranked PAC-12 sides in Oregon, UCLA and Oregon State, but closed with back-to-back wins over Washington State and Arizona to become bowl-eligible, finishing 7-5. Quarterback Taylor Kelly's threw seven interceptions in those losses and he was sacked 17 times in that span. The sophomore passed for 2,772 yards with 25 touchdowns. Kelly ranks second in the PAC-12 in yards per attempt (8.15) and third in completion percentage (65.9), not too shabby in a quarterback-heavy conference, however he trails Keenan Reynolds in yards per completion with a measly 12.4 yards . He was one of four Sun Devils to rush for more than 400 yards, but none of them had more than 524, bringing excellent balance to the ground game. Arizona State had similar balance in the passing game with six players having at least 300 yards receiving, led by tight end Chris Coyle's 659 yards and 5 TDs. Tailback Marion Grice was responsible for a lot of points with eight TD receptions and nine TD runs, including three against Arizona as he ran for a career-high 156 yards. The nation's 24th ranked scoring offense (36.4 per game) should be able to find some holes in a Navy defense that allowed 705 passing yards in two games before facing run-heavy Army in the regular-season finale. The defense however will need to improve on their 76th ranked 172 rushing yards per game.
FOR NAVY TO WIN
Share the load, the triple-option has to be effective to allow Navy to stay in this. The added benefit of having such a run-heavy offense is that the clock continues to tick and leaves less time for Arizona State to put up points. The secondary is important and though the players will be well drilled, they can't allow any cheap plays and need to put the receivers on the ground as soon as they can.
FOR ARIZONA STATE TO WIN
Spread the ball around the field, they have plenty of receiving options for Taylor Kelly and they have more than a few ways to pick up yards on the ground. The Navy defense will stop the Sun Devil offense, but they can't let a few 3-and-outs get them down. Due to the balance of their passing game, they can score at any time, from anywhere. They should always be in the game, and the key to victory is limiting the Navy running game better than their regular season performance would suggest and try to force the Midshipmen to take to the air to beat them.
VERDICT
This is the archetypal run offense vs. pass offense game, Navy will look to pound the yards against the 76th ranked rushing defense in the country, and on the other side of the ball, Arizona State will toss a barrage against the nation's 36th ranked passing defense. This may be more of an attritional game than we've seen in other bowls and Navy should have the discipline to keep in touch with the Sun Devils. Their triple-option attack is hard to replicate in practice, and could keep Arizona State guessing for a while. The Sun Devils will utilize Taylor Kelly's skills in the pocket to pick off the Navy secondary and his quick feet will be needed to pick up those 3rd and 2 type yardages. The game should still be in the balance until late in the 4th and will be a game to watch for the pure football enthusiasts.
ADVICE
Navy +14
Over 53 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any reference to Arizona State's reputation as a party school.
2 drinks: A sighting of Roger Staubach
Finish it: Arizona State is referred to as “Ball So Hard” University
Saturday December 29th, 13:00 PT (21:00 GMT)
AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
Navy Midshipmen vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is played annually at AT&T Park, home of the World Champion San Francisco Giants. It was created as the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl in 2002. As of 2010, the bowl is sponsored by Kraft Foods you may know them from such brands as Dairylea, Vegemite and Kool-Aid. In November this year Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl officials and the San Francisco 49ers announced the bowl game will move to the new $1.5bn, 75,000 seater Santa Clara Stadium in Silicon Valley in 2014. The game is one of three college bowl games played in baseball-specific stadiums, alongside the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl at Tropicana Field, and the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
Because AT&T Park is not normally used for football, the arrangement of the playing field requires both teams to be on the same sideline, separated by a barrier at the 50-yard line. The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl has a contract to host the PAC-12's sixth-place team and there are multiple contracts that will determine the opponent. In 2013, it will be BYU. In the incredible event they don't become bowl-eligible, they will be replaced by a team from the ACC, MAC, or WAC. Last year UCLA were up against Illinois as Army missed out on bowl-eligibility.
Navy finished 8-4 but that may have looked a stretch considering they were bullied around the field when losing 50-10 to (1)Notre Dame to open the season. The Midshipmen finished strong winning seven of eight, capped by claiming the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy against Army in Philadelphia. Navy and its triple-option offense hope to take advantage of a Sun Devils defense which allowed four of its final six opponents to rush for more than 200 yards. The Midshipmen rank 6th in the nation in rushing yards per game with 275.6 while attempting just 160 passes, just what you'd expect from these hard-nosed men of honor. Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds threw for just 884 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception and leading the team with 10 rushing TDs. Impressive though is his 9.1 yards per attempt, and even better 15.7 yards per completion. Reynolds ran for 588 yards in the final seven games, and fullback Noah Copeland rushed for 209 with three TDs over the last two. Gee Gee Greene led the team with 765 rushing yards but managed just 15 on four carries against Army. That's the definition of a triple-option
After opening the season 5-1, Arizona State dropped four in a row, three to ranked PAC-12 sides in Oregon, UCLA and Oregon State, but closed with back-to-back wins over Washington State and Arizona to become bowl-eligible, finishing 7-5. Quarterback Taylor Kelly's threw seven interceptions in those losses and he was sacked 17 times in that span. The sophomore passed for 2,772 yards with 25 touchdowns. Kelly ranks second in the PAC-12 in yards per attempt (8.15) and third in completion percentage (65.9), not too shabby in a quarterback-heavy conference, however he trails Keenan Reynolds in yards per completion with a measly 12.4 yards . He was one of four Sun Devils to rush for more than 400 yards, but none of them had more than 524, bringing excellent balance to the ground game. Arizona State had similar balance in the passing game with six players having at least 300 yards receiving, led by tight end Chris Coyle's 659 yards and 5 TDs. Tailback Marion Grice was responsible for a lot of points with eight TD receptions and nine TD runs, including three against Arizona as he ran for a career-high 156 yards. The nation's 24th ranked scoring offense (36.4 per game) should be able to find some holes in a Navy defense that allowed 705 passing yards in two games before facing run-heavy Army in the regular-season finale. The defense however will need to improve on their 76th ranked 172 rushing yards per game.
FOR NAVY TO WIN
Share the load, the triple-option has to be effective to allow Navy to stay in this. The added benefit of having such a run-heavy offense is that the clock continues to tick and leaves less time for Arizona State to put up points. The secondary is important and though the players will be well drilled, they can't allow any cheap plays and need to put the receivers on the ground as soon as they can.
FOR ARIZONA STATE TO WIN
Spread the ball around the field, they have plenty of receiving options for Taylor Kelly and they have more than a few ways to pick up yards on the ground. The Navy defense will stop the Sun Devil offense, but they can't let a few 3-and-outs get them down. Due to the balance of their passing game, they can score at any time, from anywhere. They should always be in the game, and the key to victory is limiting the Navy running game better than their regular season performance would suggest and try to force the Midshipmen to take to the air to beat them.
VERDICT
This is the archetypal run offense vs. pass offense game, Navy will look to pound the yards against the 76th ranked rushing defense in the country, and on the other side of the ball, Arizona State will toss a barrage against the nation's 36th ranked passing defense. This may be more of an attritional game than we've seen in other bowls and Navy should have the discipline to keep in touch with the Sun Devils. Their triple-option attack is hard to replicate in practice, and could keep Arizona State guessing for a while. The Sun Devils will utilize Taylor Kelly's skills in the pocket to pick off the Navy secondary and his quick feet will be needed to pick up those 3rd and 2 type yardages. The game should still be in the balance until late in the 4th and will be a game to watch for the pure football enthusiasts.
ADVICE
Navy +14
Over 53 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any reference to Arizona State's reputation as a party school.
2 drinks: A sighting of Roger Staubach
Finish it: Arizona State is referred to as “Ball So Hard” University
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Saturday December 29th, 15:15 ET (20:15 GMT)
Yankee Stadium, New York, New York
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Syracuse Orange
The New Era Pinstripe Bowl has been held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx since 2010. The game pairs the fourth-place team from the Big East Conference against the seventh-place team from the Big 12 Conference. In the event the Big 12 lacks an eligible team, Notre Dame will receive its invitation. However, this hasn't been a problem yet as both conferences have managed to fulfil their obligation to this Bowl. As you should know, New Era is a clothing company, their most visible product being their #swag baseball caps that you will probably have seen on the heads of rap musicians and your local scallies down the estate. Last year's game was a defensive scrap that finished 27-23
The 7-5 Mountaineers opened the season 5-0 and while many inside the team were dreaming of BCS glory, with consensus No.1 NFL draft pick and senior quarterback Geno Smith leading the offense to an average of 52 points, 399.2 yards and 4.8 TDs. His performance in the 70-63 defeat of Baylor (60 minutes game, no overtime mind) was magical, he passed for 656 yards and 8 touchdowns, possibly one of the best quarterback performances I've seen, college or otherwise. During that stretch, his passer rating was 202.38 something astronomical. Then it all went wrong. The Mountaineers dropped 5 on the bounce starting with back to back thumping by Texas Tech and Kansas State by a combined 104-28. Smith's passer rating dropped to 119.13 and it looked unlikely the Mountaineers were going to be bowl-eligible, never mind BCS-bound, and Smith's arrival in Kansas City looked very unlikely. The beneficiaries of a weak schedule, they beat the 6-6 Iowa State Cyclones and the 1-11 Kansas Jayhawks (it's basketball season anyways) to guarantee themselves a spot in this bowl at worst. Smith has a good offense around him, Steadman Bailey has 1501 yards receiving and 23 TDs and announced he'd forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft. On the other side of the field, Tavon Austin snagged 12 TDs along with his 1200+ yard haul, he's added nearly 600 yards on the ground for another 3 TDs. As you'd expect, the ground game hasn't been too sharp, but Andrew Buie has racked up 817 yards for his 7 touchdowns. Defense has been optional on this team, but that's what you'd expect from a team ranked 7th in scoring offense and 8th in total offense. As it is, they're 110th in the nation in total defense, surrendering 469.6 yards a game including 21 sacks and 9 interceptions.
So, Syracuse, well they also finished 7-5, but they only beat one FBS team with a winning record, (21)Louisville whom they beat 45-26, that defeat didn't do much damage to the Cardinals, they still made it to the Sugar Bowl but more of that later. These teams used to meet regularly in the Big East, but when West Virignia left for the Big-12, that rivalry dropped off, but Syracuse have taken the last two meeting between the teams, winning 19-14 in 2010 and 49-23 last season. Geno Smith has been sacked nine times in those losses, throwing just three touchdowns and five interceptions. Interesting as their passing defense hasn't been that great, ranking 65th in the nation, giving up 236.9 yards per game. Syracuse is led by senior QB Ryan Nassib, whose school-record 3,619 passing yards rank 10th in the country. Especially encouraging as they face a Mountaineers defense that's given up 38.1 points per game, 114th in the nation, or 11th worst. Starting linebacker Marquis Spruill will not play "a significant portion" of this game because of his arrest following a bit of biff with some police officers in Syracuse. Head coach Doug Marrone did not specify how much of the Pinstripe Bowl he'll miss, but he'll be a big miss with 2 sacks and 62 total tackles this season. Syracuse has also suspended sophomore tailback Adonis Ameen-Moore and reserve tight end Max Beaulieu. Ameen-Moore, who was used mainly in the short-yardage and goal-line formation, named THE TANK, gained 108 yards on 30 carries and scored five touchdowns in the six games he played. Syracuse, who head to the ACC next season, are 13-9-1 all-time in bowl games, including winning the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl beating Kansas State 36-34 two years ago.
FOR WEST VIRGINIA TO WIN
Strangely for a team which excelled during the regular season throwing the ball, it's their running game that can win this one for them. Once Geno Smith stopped running with the ball, West Virginia started losing. If they can re-establish some form of balance to that attack, Syracuse will struggle trying to keep up. Defense is a problem, well not so much a problem as a disaster. They'll be fine though as despite giving up 457 points, they've scored 499. That wouldn't cut it in the pros, but it's good enough for this game.
FOR SYRACUSE TO WIN
Defense? Nah. It'll be an attempt at more offensive, more specifically passing offense. They need to try and keep pace with the Mountaineers, and can't allow them to get into a groove with the ball. They will need to get there hands on Geno Smith, and at worst, close the pocket, and make him beat them just with his arm. While Smith is well capable of doing so, that's where the Orange have had all of their success against this mob, and to continue that success on Saturday it couldn't hurt to hit Smith when they can, though not tackling like Jordon Byas of Duke on Thursday.
VERDICT
Should be a cracker between two excellent passing attacks and two dire passing defenses. Hopefully there will be plenty of big plays, a lot of yards and more importantly a barrow-full of points. Geno Smith unsurprisingly is the key player in this match-up, and if he can replicate anything near his performance against Baylor, the Mountaineers will be far too good for Syracuse.
ADVICE
West Virginia -4
Over 73 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: A player on either team is likened to any Yankee player, past or present.
2 drinks: Any mention of Batman or Gotham.
Finish it: When somebody mentions the Mets
Saturday December 29th, 15:15 ET (20:15 GMT)
Yankee Stadium, New York, New York
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Syracuse Orange
The New Era Pinstripe Bowl has been held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx since 2010. The game pairs the fourth-place team from the Big East Conference against the seventh-place team from the Big 12 Conference. In the event the Big 12 lacks an eligible team, Notre Dame will receive its invitation. However, this hasn't been a problem yet as both conferences have managed to fulfil their obligation to this Bowl. As you should know, New Era is a clothing company, their most visible product being their #swag baseball caps that you will probably have seen on the heads of rap musicians and your local scallies down the estate. Last year's game was a defensive scrap that finished 27-23
The 7-5 Mountaineers opened the season 5-0 and while many inside the team were dreaming of BCS glory, with consensus No.1 NFL draft pick and senior quarterback Geno Smith leading the offense to an average of 52 points, 399.2 yards and 4.8 TDs. His performance in the 70-63 defeat of Baylor (60 minutes game, no overtime mind) was magical, he passed for 656 yards and 8 touchdowns, possibly one of the best quarterback performances I've seen, college or otherwise. During that stretch, his passer rating was 202.38 something astronomical. Then it all went wrong. The Mountaineers dropped 5 on the bounce starting with back to back thumping by Texas Tech and Kansas State by a combined 104-28. Smith's passer rating dropped to 119.13 and it looked unlikely the Mountaineers were going to be bowl-eligible, never mind BCS-bound, and Smith's arrival in Kansas City looked very unlikely. The beneficiaries of a weak schedule, they beat the 6-6 Iowa State Cyclones and the 1-11 Kansas Jayhawks (it's basketball season anyways) to guarantee themselves a spot in this bowl at worst. Smith has a good offense around him, Steadman Bailey has 1501 yards receiving and 23 TDs and announced he'd forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft. On the other side of the field, Tavon Austin snagged 12 TDs along with his 1200+ yard haul, he's added nearly 600 yards on the ground for another 3 TDs. As you'd expect, the ground game hasn't been too sharp, but Andrew Buie has racked up 817 yards for his 7 touchdowns. Defense has been optional on this team, but that's what you'd expect from a team ranked 7th in scoring offense and 8th in total offense. As it is, they're 110th in the nation in total defense, surrendering 469.6 yards a game including 21 sacks and 9 interceptions.
So, Syracuse, well they also finished 7-5, but they only beat one FBS team with a winning record, (21)Louisville whom they beat 45-26, that defeat didn't do much damage to the Cardinals, they still made it to the Sugar Bowl but more of that later. These teams used to meet regularly in the Big East, but when West Virignia left for the Big-12, that rivalry dropped off, but Syracuse have taken the last two meeting between the teams, winning 19-14 in 2010 and 49-23 last season. Geno Smith has been sacked nine times in those losses, throwing just three touchdowns and five interceptions. Interesting as their passing defense hasn't been that great, ranking 65th in the nation, giving up 236.9 yards per game. Syracuse is led by senior QB Ryan Nassib, whose school-record 3,619 passing yards rank 10th in the country. Especially encouraging as they face a Mountaineers defense that's given up 38.1 points per game, 114th in the nation, or 11th worst. Starting linebacker Marquis Spruill will not play "a significant portion" of this game because of his arrest following a bit of biff with some police officers in Syracuse. Head coach Doug Marrone did not specify how much of the Pinstripe Bowl he'll miss, but he'll be a big miss with 2 sacks and 62 total tackles this season. Syracuse has also suspended sophomore tailback Adonis Ameen-Moore and reserve tight end Max Beaulieu. Ameen-Moore, who was used mainly in the short-yardage and goal-line formation, named THE TANK, gained 108 yards on 30 carries and scored five touchdowns in the six games he played. Syracuse, who head to the ACC next season, are 13-9-1 all-time in bowl games, including winning the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl beating Kansas State 36-34 two years ago.
FOR WEST VIRGINIA TO WIN
Strangely for a team which excelled during the regular season throwing the ball, it's their running game that can win this one for them. Once Geno Smith stopped running with the ball, West Virginia started losing. If they can re-establish some form of balance to that attack, Syracuse will struggle trying to keep up. Defense is a problem, well not so much a problem as a disaster. They'll be fine though as despite giving up 457 points, they've scored 499. That wouldn't cut it in the pros, but it's good enough for this game.
FOR SYRACUSE TO WIN
Defense? Nah. It'll be an attempt at more offensive, more specifically passing offense. They need to try and keep pace with the Mountaineers, and can't allow them to get into a groove with the ball. They will need to get there hands on Geno Smith, and at worst, close the pocket, and make him beat them just with his arm. While Smith is well capable of doing so, that's where the Orange have had all of their success against this mob, and to continue that success on Saturday it couldn't hurt to hit Smith when they can, though not tackling like Jordon Byas of Duke on Thursday.
VERDICT
Should be a cracker between two excellent passing attacks and two dire passing defenses. Hopefully there will be plenty of big plays, a lot of yards and more importantly a barrow-full of points. Geno Smith unsurprisingly is the key player in this match-up, and if he can replicate anything near his performance against Baylor, the Mountaineers will be far too good for Syracuse.
ADVICE
West Virginia -4
Over 73 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: A player on either team is likened to any Yankee player, past or present.
2 drinks: Any mention of Batman or Gotham.
Finish it: When somebody mentions the Mets
Thursday 27 December 2012
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Saturday December 29th, 10:45 CST (16:45 GMT)
Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
Rice Owls vs. Air Force Falcons
The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl was inaugurated in 2003 as the Plains Capital Fort Worth Bowl reflecting the sponsorship of Plains Capital Bank. In 2005, the game was without corporate sponsorship. In 2006, Fort Worth based Bell Helicopter Textron took over sponsorship, and thus it became officially known as the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl; and if you visit the Bell website, you can purchase all kinds of late Christmas presents, though unfortunately, no helicopters. Armed Forces Insurance is the official Insurance Partner of the Armed Forces Bowl and has sponsored the Great American Patriot Award, presented at half-time at the Bowl since 2008. The game is traditionally played in Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, featuring a team from Mountain West Conference (MWC) and a team from Conference USA (C-USA). In addition, both of the independent military academies (Army and Navy) are eligible to participate if either the MWC or C-USA cannot provide a bowl-eligible team. This year's appearance by Air Force is due to their membership of the MWC and it makes it their 4th appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl, the most of any school. Last year's game was held at SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium due to the renovation works at TCU, and suitably enough none of the three forces academies could make it, so BYU beat Tulsa 24-21.
Rice finished the season 6-6 meaning they reach their first Bowl game since 2008, that looked very unlikely after the Owls lost five of their first six games, but they rebounded and won their final four games, including wins over SMU and three teams from the bottom of the C-USA with a combined record of 5-31. They became bowl eligible with a 33-24 victory over the mighty 3-9 UTEP in the season finale. The Owls boast the second-youngest team in the FBS and despite the fact they were playing against garbage, they showed improvement in the latter half of the year. Three of their six losses were by four points or fewer, including a double-overtime defeat to Marshall, the best passing attack in the country and a 56-37 loss at Louisiana Tech, the 4th best passing team in the nation. They will have no such trouble with the passing game of Air Force. Rice's balanced offense has paced their four game winning streak, averaging 40.5 points and 432.0 yards. Junior quarterback Taylor McHargue completed over 65% of his passes for 843 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception during that run. The Owls' have piled up 381 points and 5,053 yards of total offense this season, 2,415 of those on the ground which will be useful in this game. Senior tailback Charles Ross should see plenty of touches in this game as he tries to build off a career-high 154-yard, effort in the regular-season finale.
Air Force also racked up a 6-6 record, based on the strength of their running game. The Falcons aren't shy about being one-dimensional with the ball, becoming the first FBS team in three years to have no pass attempts in a game during a 21-7 win over Hawaii. The main cog in the Falcons' dynamic ground game is Cody Getz, who rushed for 1,213 yards and nine touchdowns this season despite missing two games with an ankle injury. The 5'7” senior, the first player in school history with three 200-yard rushing games in a season,could be in for a big performance against a Rice run defense that allowed 193.2 yards per game to rank 94th in the nation. Quarterback Connor Dietz isn't usually asked to do more than run the triple-option attack, but the fifth-year senior can be effective when called upon to throw. He's passed for 1,127 yards and eight touchdowns with only three interceptions.
FOR RICE TO WIN
They have to run the ball well and pick their spots to open it up and make the big throw. The Air Force defense is poor, giving up nearly 200 yards a game, but their pass defense is much better, ranked 28th nationally, giving up just 203.6 yards a game. They need to squeeze every single yard out of those stats and try to limit Air Force's rushing game. That responsibility lies with the defensive line, and Cody Bauer needs a few more of his team-leading 12 tackles for losses that he produced during the regular season.
FOR AIR FORCE TO WIN
Run, run, run, run, run. Then run some more. How tired do you think the Rice defensive line will be after 50+ rushing attempts in this game? For Air Force's sake, almost to the point of requiring intravenous fluids. They have to run the ball effectively, and that's what they'll do. The key to winning the game is getting Getz to the outside, if the offensive line can set the edge, Air Force will rack up plenty of yards and time of possession.
VERDICT
This game on the face of it looks like a battle between two potent rushing attacks. Rice ended the season with four straight wins to secure a bowl berth. Junior quarterback Taylor McHargue has 11 touchdown passes and 11 rushing scores. Air Force is playing its sixth straight bowl game and is led by senior running back Cody Getz, who has rushed for 1,213 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Air Force has won five of six meetings with Rice, taking the most recent match-up in 1998. Three of those contests were played as conference games when both teams were members of the WAC in the late 1990s.
The Falcons are playing in their fourth Armed Forces Bowl, the most of any team. They lost to California in 2007 and split two games against Houston the next two seasons.
Rice has split two bowl games since a postseason drought from 1962 to 2005.
ADVICE
Air Force -3
Under 61.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any mention of Rice running the ball like Baltimore, a la Ray Rice.
2 drinks: Any Air Force alumni admits to flying a Bell Helicopter.
Finish it: Air Force throw the ball on three consecutive plays.
Saturday December 29th, 10:45 CST (16:45 GMT)
Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
Rice Owls vs. Air Force Falcons
The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl was inaugurated in 2003 as the Plains Capital Fort Worth Bowl reflecting the sponsorship of Plains Capital Bank. In 2005, the game was without corporate sponsorship. In 2006, Fort Worth based Bell Helicopter Textron took over sponsorship, and thus it became officially known as the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl; and if you visit the Bell website, you can purchase all kinds of late Christmas presents, though unfortunately, no helicopters. Armed Forces Insurance is the official Insurance Partner of the Armed Forces Bowl and has sponsored the Great American Patriot Award, presented at half-time at the Bowl since 2008. The game is traditionally played in Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, featuring a team from Mountain West Conference (MWC) and a team from Conference USA (C-USA). In addition, both of the independent military academies (Army and Navy) are eligible to participate if either the MWC or C-USA cannot provide a bowl-eligible team. This year's appearance by Air Force is due to their membership of the MWC and it makes it their 4th appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl, the most of any school. Last year's game was held at SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium due to the renovation works at TCU, and suitably enough none of the three forces academies could make it, so BYU beat Tulsa 24-21.
Rice finished the season 6-6 meaning they reach their first Bowl game since 2008, that looked very unlikely after the Owls lost five of their first six games, but they rebounded and won their final four games, including wins over SMU and three teams from the bottom of the C-USA with a combined record of 5-31. They became bowl eligible with a 33-24 victory over the mighty 3-9 UTEP in the season finale. The Owls boast the second-youngest team in the FBS and despite the fact they were playing against garbage, they showed improvement in the latter half of the year. Three of their six losses were by four points or fewer, including a double-overtime defeat to Marshall, the best passing attack in the country and a 56-37 loss at Louisiana Tech, the 4th best passing team in the nation. They will have no such trouble with the passing game of Air Force. Rice's balanced offense has paced their four game winning streak, averaging 40.5 points and 432.0 yards. Junior quarterback Taylor McHargue completed over 65% of his passes for 843 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception during that run. The Owls' have piled up 381 points and 5,053 yards of total offense this season, 2,415 of those on the ground which will be useful in this game. Senior tailback Charles Ross should see plenty of touches in this game as he tries to build off a career-high 154-yard, effort in the regular-season finale.
Air Force also racked up a 6-6 record, based on the strength of their running game. The Falcons aren't shy about being one-dimensional with the ball, becoming the first FBS team in three years to have no pass attempts in a game during a 21-7 win over Hawaii. The main cog in the Falcons' dynamic ground game is Cody Getz, who rushed for 1,213 yards and nine touchdowns this season despite missing two games with an ankle injury. The 5'7” senior, the first player in school history with three 200-yard rushing games in a season,could be in for a big performance against a Rice run defense that allowed 193.2 yards per game to rank 94th in the nation. Quarterback Connor Dietz isn't usually asked to do more than run the triple-option attack, but the fifth-year senior can be effective when called upon to throw. He's passed for 1,127 yards and eight touchdowns with only three interceptions.
FOR RICE TO WIN
They have to run the ball well and pick their spots to open it up and make the big throw. The Air Force defense is poor, giving up nearly 200 yards a game, but their pass defense is much better, ranked 28th nationally, giving up just 203.6 yards a game. They need to squeeze every single yard out of those stats and try to limit Air Force's rushing game. That responsibility lies with the defensive line, and Cody Bauer needs a few more of his team-leading 12 tackles for losses that he produced during the regular season.
FOR AIR FORCE TO WIN
Run, run, run, run, run. Then run some more. How tired do you think the Rice defensive line will be after 50+ rushing attempts in this game? For Air Force's sake, almost to the point of requiring intravenous fluids. They have to run the ball effectively, and that's what they'll do. The key to winning the game is getting Getz to the outside, if the offensive line can set the edge, Air Force will rack up plenty of yards and time of possession.
VERDICT
This game on the face of it looks like a battle between two potent rushing attacks. Rice ended the season with four straight wins to secure a bowl berth. Junior quarterback Taylor McHargue has 11 touchdown passes and 11 rushing scores. Air Force is playing its sixth straight bowl game and is led by senior running back Cody Getz, who has rushed for 1,213 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Air Force has won five of six meetings with Rice, taking the most recent match-up in 1998. Three of those contests were played as conference games when both teams were members of the WAC in the late 1990s.
The Falcons are playing in their fourth Armed Forces Bowl, the most of any team. They lost to California in 2007 and split two games against Houston the next two seasons.
Rice has split two bowl games since a postseason drought from 1962 to 2005.
ADVICE
Air Force -3
Under 61.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any mention of Rice running the ball like Baltimore, a la Ray Rice.
2 drinks: Any Air Force alumni admits to flying a Bell Helicopter.
Finish it: Air Force throw the ball on three consecutive plays.
Meineke Car Care Bowl Of Texas
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas
Friday December 28th, 20:00 CST (02:00 GMT)
Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, was held for the first time in 2006 in Houston, Texas. The bowl replaced the now-defunct Houston Bowl, which was played from 2000 to 2005. The first bowl game in Houston was the Bluebonnet Bowl, played from 1959 through 1987. On December 31, 2011, Texas A&M defeated Northwestern by a score of 33-22. The Bowl of Texas features teams from two of America's power conferences, however it's only the 6th best teams in both the Big-Ten and the Big-12.
Minnesota started the season 4-0, but slumped to 6-6, including dropping their last two to Nebraska and Michigan State. Minnesota’s offense is not especially great, ranking 114th in the nation in terms of total offense with 317.5 yards per game and 99th nationally with 21.3 points per game. They also lost leading receiver A.J. Barker during the eight game of the season. Barker had 30 receptions for 577 yards and seven touchdowns prior to being sidelined by an ankle injury against Purdue in late October and later quitting the team and going to the Houston Cougars since he clashed with Head Coach Jerry Kill. No other receiver has more than 19 catches for the Gophers, and other than tight end John Rabe, no-one has more than 2 touchdowns. Running back Donnell Kirkwood will certainly be a key factor in the game, with the Gophers lacking any cohesive passing game, they need to control the ball and keep the Red Raiders’ explosive offense on the sidelines. Freshman Philip Nelson has taken over at quarterback from Max Shortell, another who has jumped ship but is yet to find a new home. Nelson has done the best he can, but has 7 interceptions against his 6 touchdown passes.
Texas Tech’s strengths clearly lie on the offensive side of the ball, as Seth Doege is at the helm of the nation’s second-best pass offense (361.9 yards per game) and he finished the regular season with 3,934 yards (sixth in the nation) and 38 touchdowns (2nd in the nation). The Red Raiders have two excellent wide receivers in Eric Ward (974 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Darrin Moore (948 yards, 13 touchdowns), and three running backs finished the regular season with more than 400 rushing yards, led by sophomore Kenny Williams with 136 carries for 779 yards and five touchdowns. The defense isn't the worst either, allowing 367.3 yards per game and 31.8 points per game, however that's not such a big deal as this woeful Golden Gophers offense should be easy to contain. The only issue they face is the suspension of three of their defensive players
FOR MINNESOTA TO WIN
The biggest match-up for Friday’s bowl game will be the Texas Tech offense against the secondary of the Gophers. While the Red Raiders are heralded for its passing attack, Minnesota has been stout all season in defending the pass. Senior cornerback Michael Carter has to play big, he has nabbed two interceptions and broken up 14 passes. MarQueis Gray will also be important, he's finally healthy and he's the most dynamic play-maker that the Gophers have on its roster when he's been on the field.
Whatever position he plays, the senior will have a significant impact in the game. Gray leads the team with 10 total touchdowns on the season. He has practiced at both quarterback and wide receiver since the regular season ended. Even in the final week of practice, the coaching staff seemed indecisive in what to do with the play-maker in his final game. Minnesota needs to pressure Nate Doege the QB leads a top-tier offense and
if the Gophers are going to have any success in sacking the quarterback and rushing Doege’s throws, it will begin with senior DL Wilhite. Wilhite has racked up 8.5 sacks on the season and has been consistent all year. The offensive line of the Red Raiders is fairly mediocre, giving up 18 sacks this season. It does not matter if the quarterback is Gray, Nelson, or Brock Lesnar for the Gophers on Friday. Whoever is throwing passes for Minnesota, he will need a deep threat in order to shrink the field for the offense. Devin Crawford-Tufts still has the ability to stretch the field for the team. The wide receiver has only 15 receptions on the season and has not looked healthy all season and has yet to grab a touchdown this season. That needs to change if they are going to have a chance on Friday.
FOR TEXAS TECH TO WIN
In the Russell Athletic Bowl preview, I said defense wins championships, however the other half of that quote is that offense wins games. The Golden Gophers are averaging 171.4 yards per game through the air while Texas Tech is averaging 361.9, advantage Texas Tech. The Golden Gophers are putting up 21.3 points per game while Texas Tech is averaging 37.8 per game, advantage Texas Tech. Too often I have watched top offenses go into Bowl games and get stymied by aggressive, pumped-up defenses (see Hawaii Bowl) but this time I think Texas Tech have too much for a depleted Minnesota side, and this offense should be the one to repay my faith in the Big-12.
VERDICT
For what it’s worth the Gophers do have the better defense in this game, but Texas Tech shouldn't allow that to become any kind of issue in this one. Minnesota will need a strong effort from their pass rush, and an experienced secondary led by Carter will need to make a big play or two to help tilt field position and momentum. In the end, I think they'll come up short, and their inability to put points on the board means Texas Tech will run away with this one. Even if Minnesota produce some offense, that will only help matters as I think 55.5 is a little low for this match-up
ADVICE
Texas Tech -13
Over 55.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any comparison between a Texas Tech receiver and Wes Welker
2 drinks: Minnesota is referred to as a wrestling school.
Finish it: The team in the booth suggest Max Shortell joins Texas Tech
Friday December 28th, 20:00 CST (02:00 GMT)
Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, was held for the first time in 2006 in Houston, Texas. The bowl replaced the now-defunct Houston Bowl, which was played from 2000 to 2005. The first bowl game in Houston was the Bluebonnet Bowl, played from 1959 through 1987. On December 31, 2011, Texas A&M defeated Northwestern by a score of 33-22. The Bowl of Texas features teams from two of America's power conferences, however it's only the 6th best teams in both the Big-Ten and the Big-12.
Minnesota started the season 4-0, but slumped to 6-6, including dropping their last two to Nebraska and Michigan State. Minnesota’s offense is not especially great, ranking 114th in the nation in terms of total offense with 317.5 yards per game and 99th nationally with 21.3 points per game. They also lost leading receiver A.J. Barker during the eight game of the season. Barker had 30 receptions for 577 yards and seven touchdowns prior to being sidelined by an ankle injury against Purdue in late October and later quitting the team and going to the Houston Cougars since he clashed with Head Coach Jerry Kill. No other receiver has more than 19 catches for the Gophers, and other than tight end John Rabe, no-one has more than 2 touchdowns. Running back Donnell Kirkwood will certainly be a key factor in the game, with the Gophers lacking any cohesive passing game, they need to control the ball and keep the Red Raiders’ explosive offense on the sidelines. Freshman Philip Nelson has taken over at quarterback from Max Shortell, another who has jumped ship but is yet to find a new home. Nelson has done the best he can, but has 7 interceptions against his 6 touchdown passes.
Texas Tech’s strengths clearly lie on the offensive side of the ball, as Seth Doege is at the helm of the nation’s second-best pass offense (361.9 yards per game) and he finished the regular season with 3,934 yards (sixth in the nation) and 38 touchdowns (2nd in the nation). The Red Raiders have two excellent wide receivers in Eric Ward (974 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Darrin Moore (948 yards, 13 touchdowns), and three running backs finished the regular season with more than 400 rushing yards, led by sophomore Kenny Williams with 136 carries for 779 yards and five touchdowns. The defense isn't the worst either, allowing 367.3 yards per game and 31.8 points per game, however that's not such a big deal as this woeful Golden Gophers offense should be easy to contain. The only issue they face is the suspension of three of their defensive players
FOR MINNESOTA TO WIN
The biggest match-up for Friday’s bowl game will be the Texas Tech offense against the secondary of the Gophers. While the Red Raiders are heralded for its passing attack, Minnesota has been stout all season in defending the pass. Senior cornerback Michael Carter has to play big, he has nabbed two interceptions and broken up 14 passes. MarQueis Gray will also be important, he's finally healthy and he's the most dynamic play-maker that the Gophers have on its roster when he's been on the field.
Whatever position he plays, the senior will have a significant impact in the game. Gray leads the team with 10 total touchdowns on the season. He has practiced at both quarterback and wide receiver since the regular season ended. Even in the final week of practice, the coaching staff seemed indecisive in what to do with the play-maker in his final game. Minnesota needs to pressure Nate Doege the QB leads a top-tier offense and
if the Gophers are going to have any success in sacking the quarterback and rushing Doege’s throws, it will begin with senior DL Wilhite. Wilhite has racked up 8.5 sacks on the season and has been consistent all year. The offensive line of the Red Raiders is fairly mediocre, giving up 18 sacks this season. It does not matter if the quarterback is Gray, Nelson, or Brock Lesnar for the Gophers on Friday. Whoever is throwing passes for Minnesota, he will need a deep threat in order to shrink the field for the offense. Devin Crawford-Tufts still has the ability to stretch the field for the team. The wide receiver has only 15 receptions on the season and has not looked healthy all season and has yet to grab a touchdown this season. That needs to change if they are going to have a chance on Friday.
FOR TEXAS TECH TO WIN
In the Russell Athletic Bowl preview, I said defense wins championships, however the other half of that quote is that offense wins games. The Golden Gophers are averaging 171.4 yards per game through the air while Texas Tech is averaging 361.9, advantage Texas Tech. The Golden Gophers are putting up 21.3 points per game while Texas Tech is averaging 37.8 per game, advantage Texas Tech. Too often I have watched top offenses go into Bowl games and get stymied by aggressive, pumped-up defenses (see Hawaii Bowl) but this time I think Texas Tech have too much for a depleted Minnesota side, and this offense should be the one to repay my faith in the Big-12.
VERDICT
For what it’s worth the Gophers do have the better defense in this game, but Texas Tech shouldn't allow that to become any kind of issue in this one. Minnesota will need a strong effort from their pass rush, and an experienced secondary led by Carter will need to make a big play or two to help tilt field position and momentum. In the end, I think they'll come up short, and their inability to put points on the board means Texas Tech will run away with this one. Even if Minnesota produce some offense, that will only help matters as I think 55.5 is a little low for this match-up
ADVICE
Texas Tech -13
Over 55.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any comparison between a Texas Tech receiver and Wes Welker
2 drinks: Minnesota is referred to as a wrestling school.
Finish it: The team in the booth suggest Max Shortell joins Texas Tech
Russell Athletic Bowl
Russell Athletic Bowl
Friday December 28th, 17:30 ET (22:30 GMT)
Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
The Russell Athletic Bowl is played annually at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, so no Mickey Mouse characters here. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic. The bowl was founded in 1990 by Raycom and was originally played at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami where it was known originally as the Blockbuster Bowl. On June 18, 2012, naming rights were purchased by Russell Athletic for the 2012-2015 games. This game pits the 3rd team from the ACC against the 2nd team from the Big East. Unlike some of the other bowls, the Russell Athletic bowl usually has no problem producing it's conference tie-in teams. Last year's game had a bit of a twist though
Both of these teams used to play in the Big East, however the 9-3 Rutgers Scarlet Knights are one of the scrappiest teams in the FBS this season. The Knights score 22.4 points per game and only 341.1 yards per game (good for 102nd in the nation). Rutgers rode their defense to seven straight wins to start the season. However four of the Scarlet Knights’ victories came by 12 points or less. Playing close games every week took it's toll on Rutgers’ as (25)Kent State put them away 35-23 in Piscataway. The Knights picked themselves up after their bye week, beating a poor Army side 28-7 and restricting Cincinnati to just a field goal in a 10-3 win on the road. Unfortunately the final two weeks of the regular season were woeful with defeats to Pittsburgh and (21)Louisville. The victory for the latter secured their spot in the Sugar Bowl as Big East champions. Sophomore QB Gary Nova had thrown for over 2500 yards and 22 TDs, however he gave up 13 INTs in the last 3 games of the season. That's not the kind of play you want to see at this point in the season. RB Jawan Jamison has chewed up yards on the ground without too much reward, he has 1054 yards but only 4 TDs.
Meanwhile Virginia Tech at 6-6 is a poor version of the Scarlet Knights at 23rd in the country in total defense allowing only 344 yards per game and 38th in the nation in scoring defense relinquishing a measly 23.9 points per game. Rutgers by comparison give up 321.3 yards per game and 14.3 points The Hokies nearly missed out on bowl-eligibility because of their tepid offense. Virginia Tech began the year 4-6 yet somehow the Hokies knocked off Georgia Tech in overtime and trounced Bowling Green 37-0. A VT disappearing act early in their game with Duke meant they trailed by 20 points after 9 minutes of the game, however they rallied well and scored 5 touchdowns of their own drubbing the Blue Devils 41-20 on the shoulders of freshman running back J.C. Coleman. Despite that performance, he hasn't seen much of the ball and the majority of their gains on the ground have come from junior QB Logan Thomas who finished with 167 carries for 528 yards. He's also thrown for 2783 yards and 17 scores. The danger sign is his 14 interceptions however as only 2 of them have come in winning games, the other 12 coming in their six defeats. With the Rutgers' ball-hawk defense grabbing 16 picks this season and Logan Ryan snagging four of them, the Hokies must protect the ball. If they can get it to the outside, receivers Marcus Davis and Corey Fuller both have over 750 yards and 5 touchdowns a piece.
FOR RUTGERS TO WIN
Defense wins championships or so they say. Well Rutgers' have to hope that this rings true as their stingy defense is easily the difference maker in this game. If they can shut down Logan Thomas, then VT don't have too many other options on the ground. If they can pressure Thomas, there are turnovers to be had, but if the ball gets to Davis or Fuller, they have to be stopped early as they both have the potential to score every time they have the ball in their hands.
FOR VIRGINIA TECH TO WIN
The Hokies have to continually change up the looks they give the Scarlet Knights defense, whether it's Thomas on the QB draw or a quick toss to Coleman out of the backfield, they need to keep the ball moving. If the Rutgers' defense starts to crumble then the opportunity is there to get the ball to Davis or Fuller on the outside and given both teams struggles offensively, that could be enough to win this one.
VERDICT
If Virginia Tech and Rutgers' follow their season’s tendencies, the Russell Athletic Bowl will be a grind. The Hokies and Knights offensively are about as plain as you can get. What carries both is defense. This may even turn into a special teams battle. VT will need it too going 1-4 during away games and 0-1 at neutral sites thus far this year. The Hokies were punished four times by 14 or more points on the road so Rutgers 5-1 during away games this season should prevail. The Scarlet Knights though have won by seven, nine, 10, 12 and 25 while losing by 21.
ADVICE
Rutgers +2
Under 41 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any mention of a Rutgers defensive player in the NFL. Here's the alumni list
2 drinks: Any comparison of Logan Thomas to Ben Roethlisberger.
Finish it: Any subtle or otherwise comparison between any Disney character and a play made on the field.
Friday December 28th, 17:30 ET (22:30 GMT)
Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
The Russell Athletic Bowl is played annually at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, so no Mickey Mouse characters here. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic. The bowl was founded in 1990 by Raycom and was originally played at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami where it was known originally as the Blockbuster Bowl. On June 18, 2012, naming rights were purchased by Russell Athletic for the 2012-2015 games. This game pits the 3rd team from the ACC against the 2nd team from the Big East. Unlike some of the other bowls, the Russell Athletic bowl usually has no problem producing it's conference tie-in teams. Last year's game had a bit of a twist though
Both of these teams used to play in the Big East, however the 9-3 Rutgers Scarlet Knights are one of the scrappiest teams in the FBS this season. The Knights score 22.4 points per game and only 341.1 yards per game (good for 102nd in the nation). Rutgers rode their defense to seven straight wins to start the season. However four of the Scarlet Knights’ victories came by 12 points or less. Playing close games every week took it's toll on Rutgers’ as (25)Kent State put them away 35-23 in Piscataway. The Knights picked themselves up after their bye week, beating a poor Army side 28-7 and restricting Cincinnati to just a field goal in a 10-3 win on the road. Unfortunately the final two weeks of the regular season were woeful with defeats to Pittsburgh and (21)Louisville. The victory for the latter secured their spot in the Sugar Bowl as Big East champions. Sophomore QB Gary Nova had thrown for over 2500 yards and 22 TDs, however he gave up 13 INTs in the last 3 games of the season. That's not the kind of play you want to see at this point in the season. RB Jawan Jamison has chewed up yards on the ground without too much reward, he has 1054 yards but only 4 TDs.
Meanwhile Virginia Tech at 6-6 is a poor version of the Scarlet Knights at 23rd in the country in total defense allowing only 344 yards per game and 38th in the nation in scoring defense relinquishing a measly 23.9 points per game. Rutgers by comparison give up 321.3 yards per game and 14.3 points The Hokies nearly missed out on bowl-eligibility because of their tepid offense. Virginia Tech began the year 4-6 yet somehow the Hokies knocked off Georgia Tech in overtime and trounced Bowling Green 37-0. A VT disappearing act early in their game with Duke meant they trailed by 20 points after 9 minutes of the game, however they rallied well and scored 5 touchdowns of their own drubbing the Blue Devils 41-20 on the shoulders of freshman running back J.C. Coleman. Despite that performance, he hasn't seen much of the ball and the majority of their gains on the ground have come from junior QB Logan Thomas who finished with 167 carries for 528 yards. He's also thrown for 2783 yards and 17 scores. The danger sign is his 14 interceptions however as only 2 of them have come in winning games, the other 12 coming in their six defeats. With the Rutgers' ball-hawk defense grabbing 16 picks this season and Logan Ryan snagging four of them, the Hokies must protect the ball. If they can get it to the outside, receivers Marcus Davis and Corey Fuller both have over 750 yards and 5 touchdowns a piece.
FOR RUTGERS TO WIN
Defense wins championships or so they say. Well Rutgers' have to hope that this rings true as their stingy defense is easily the difference maker in this game. If they can shut down Logan Thomas, then VT don't have too many other options on the ground. If they can pressure Thomas, there are turnovers to be had, but if the ball gets to Davis or Fuller, they have to be stopped early as they both have the potential to score every time they have the ball in their hands.
FOR VIRGINIA TECH TO WIN
The Hokies have to continually change up the looks they give the Scarlet Knights defense, whether it's Thomas on the QB draw or a quick toss to Coleman out of the backfield, they need to keep the ball moving. If the Rutgers' defense starts to crumble then the opportunity is there to get the ball to Davis or Fuller on the outside and given both teams struggles offensively, that could be enough to win this one.
VERDICT
If Virginia Tech and Rutgers' follow their season’s tendencies, the Russell Athletic Bowl will be a grind. The Hokies and Knights offensively are about as plain as you can get. What carries both is defense. This may even turn into a special teams battle. VT will need it too going 1-4 during away games and 0-1 at neutral sites thus far this year. The Hokies were punished four times by 14 or more points on the road so Rutgers 5-1 during away games this season should prevail. The Scarlet Knights though have won by seven, nine, 10, 12 and 25 while losing by 21.
ADVICE
Rutgers +2
Under 41 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any mention of a Rutgers defensive player in the NFL. Here's the alumni list
2 drinks: Any comparison of Logan Thomas to Ben Roethlisberger.
Finish it: Any subtle or otherwise comparison between any Disney character and a play made on the field.
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
Friday December 28th, 13:00 CST (19:00 GMT)
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks vs. Ohio Bobcats
The Independence Bowl has been played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Independence Bowl got its name because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976. It was announced that in 2012, the Mountain West Conference team would be replaced by the tenth selection from the Southeastern Conference, however even the SEC couldn't muster that many bowl-eligible teams, and so we have two at-large teams, from the Sun Belt conference and the MAC. Last year's game was a bit funny, as we had an ACC team going against a then-Big12 team that was on it's way to the SEC.
The Warhawks finished 8-4 and were just a game behind Arkansas State in the Sun Belt. All of that comes despite losing an overtime game to Auburn. Junior QB Kolton Browning has paced the offense, throwing for 2830 yards and 23 TDs despite missing almost two games due to injury. That may be significant as he left the defeat to the Ragin Cajuns and sat out the defeat by Arkansas State. He led the Warhawks rushing yardage too, racking up 441 yards but more importantly 7 TDs making him a legitimate red zone threat. Brent Leonard has become Browning's favorite target, reaching the 1000 yard plateau in style with 10 TDs but crucially 97 catches, good for 7th in the country. The offense has been good, averaging 35.5 points per game, which is especially handy as the Bobcats have given up 52 points to Ball State and 28 points to Kent State. If they can continue to produce that level of offense, Ohio will be in trouble.
Ohio opened the season with seven straight wins, and became nationally ranked for the first time since the moon was unexplored. Unfortunately, that was as good as they got. The Bobcats dropped four of their last five, those four losses coming by a combined margin of 60 points. Some athletic staff inside the school have even gone as far as saying they can't wait for the season to end. The Bobcats will try to close 2012 with a victory behind junior running back Beau Blankenship, He ran for an even 1,500 yards and 11 touchdowns he ranks 10th in the country in yards gained and 9th in yards per game. He also has 177 receiving yards, so the screen pass may be a useful early option. Junior Tyler Tettleton directs the passing attack, having completed for 2,513 yards, 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Tettleton will have to continue to make smart decisions against Louisiana-Monroe, who have 15 interceptions on the year. Ohio has scored 15.7 points per game during its skid after averaging 35.6 in its first nine contests.
FOR LOUISIANA-MONROE TO WIN
Go to the air early, especially against a defense that gives up nearly 230 yards per game. The Bobcats have struggled down the stretch, and if the Warhawks can get out to a two touchdown lead, Bobcat heads may drop. ULM can then turn to their running game and chew up the clock. Kolton Browning should have this game in his pocket and I wouldn't be surprised in he's responsible for 4 or more touchdowns.
FOR OHIO TO WIN
Keep believing, they played well in the first half of the season, and there is plenty of offense in this team. Beau Blankenship is the key to any Ohio win, his ability to hold onto the ball and make the tough yards will be crucial, if he can't get the chains moving, this could be a disaster. Tettleton has the ability to find his receivers in tight spots, but key to that is establishing play-action and maneuvering the ULM defense around the field.
VERDICT
Ohio's collapse in the second half of the season is key, especially as 14 of their 22 starters from the opening day win at Penn State are missing from this game. Louisiana-Monroe have rolled into this game and their high-powered offense should be too much for this beat-up Bobcats squad.
ADVICE
ULM -7
Under 60.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any subtle or otherwise references to vampires.
2 drinks: Any camera cut away to an injured Ohio player in stand.
Finish it: Any mention of the moon landings
Friday December 28th, 13:00 CST (19:00 GMT)
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks vs. Ohio Bobcats
The Independence Bowl has been played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Independence Bowl got its name because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976. It was announced that in 2012, the Mountain West Conference team would be replaced by the tenth selection from the Southeastern Conference, however even the SEC couldn't muster that many bowl-eligible teams, and so we have two at-large teams, from the Sun Belt conference and the MAC. Last year's game was a bit funny, as we had an ACC team going against a then-Big12 team that was on it's way to the SEC.
The Warhawks finished 8-4 and were just a game behind Arkansas State in the Sun Belt. All of that comes despite losing an overtime game to Auburn. Junior QB Kolton Browning has paced the offense, throwing for 2830 yards and 23 TDs despite missing almost two games due to injury. That may be significant as he left the defeat to the Ragin Cajuns and sat out the defeat by Arkansas State. He led the Warhawks rushing yardage too, racking up 441 yards but more importantly 7 TDs making him a legitimate red zone threat. Brent Leonard has become Browning's favorite target, reaching the 1000 yard plateau in style with 10 TDs but crucially 97 catches, good for 7th in the country. The offense has been good, averaging 35.5 points per game, which is especially handy as the Bobcats have given up 52 points to Ball State and 28 points to Kent State. If they can continue to produce that level of offense, Ohio will be in trouble.
Ohio opened the season with seven straight wins, and became nationally ranked for the first time since the moon was unexplored. Unfortunately, that was as good as they got. The Bobcats dropped four of their last five, those four losses coming by a combined margin of 60 points. Some athletic staff inside the school have even gone as far as saying they can't wait for the season to end. The Bobcats will try to close 2012 with a victory behind junior running back Beau Blankenship, He ran for an even 1,500 yards and 11 touchdowns he ranks 10th in the country in yards gained and 9th in yards per game. He also has 177 receiving yards, so the screen pass may be a useful early option. Junior Tyler Tettleton directs the passing attack, having completed for 2,513 yards, 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Tettleton will have to continue to make smart decisions against Louisiana-Monroe, who have 15 interceptions on the year. Ohio has scored 15.7 points per game during its skid after averaging 35.6 in its first nine contests.
FOR LOUISIANA-MONROE TO WIN
Go to the air early, especially against a defense that gives up nearly 230 yards per game. The Bobcats have struggled down the stretch, and if the Warhawks can get out to a two touchdown lead, Bobcat heads may drop. ULM can then turn to their running game and chew up the clock. Kolton Browning should have this game in his pocket and I wouldn't be surprised in he's responsible for 4 or more touchdowns.
FOR OHIO TO WIN
Keep believing, they played well in the first half of the season, and there is plenty of offense in this team. Beau Blankenship is the key to any Ohio win, his ability to hold onto the ball and make the tough yards will be crucial, if he can't get the chains moving, this could be a disaster. Tettleton has the ability to find his receivers in tight spots, but key to that is establishing play-action and maneuvering the ULM defense around the field.
VERDICT
Ohio's collapse in the second half of the season is key, especially as 14 of their 22 starters from the opening day win at Penn State are missing from this game. Louisiana-Monroe have rolled into this game and their high-powered offense should be too much for this beat-up Bobcats squad.
ADVICE
ULM -7
Under 60.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any subtle or otherwise references to vampires.
2 drinks: Any camera cut away to an injured Ohio player in stand.
Finish it: Any mention of the moon landings
Wednesday 26 December 2012
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl
Thursday December 27th, 18:45 PT (02:45 GMT)
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
(17)UCLA Bruins vs. Baylor Bears
The Holiday Bowl has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Since 2010 the bowl has been known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after Bridgepoint Education signed on to sponsor the game and put up the $2,000,000 payout made to each of the participants. Bridgepoint Education is a publicly held, for-profit education services holding company which owns online and land-based Ashford University and University of the Rockies. And they’ve been very naughty boys. Previous sponsors have included SeaWorld, Thrifty Car Rental, Plymouth, and Culligan.
The bowl pits a team from the Big-12 against a team from the PAC-12. Previously the WAC had a conference tie-in with the Bowl and for the first seven games; Brigham Young University represented the WAC as its champion. BYU has played in a total of 11 Holiday Bowls, more than any other team going 4-6-1 in those games. The 1980 game was known as "The Miracle Bowl" as BYU erased a 20 point SMU lead to win on the last play of the game. Bastards.
UCLA made strides in its first season under former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora Jr. but again faltered down the stretch, coming up short for the second straight year in their bid to reach the Rose Bowl, going down to the Stanford Cardinals in the PAC-12 championship game. The Bruins look to avoid their third season in a row where they’ve lost their last 3 games. Mora replaced Rick Neuheisel, who lost 49-31 to an impressive Oregon side in the inaugural PAC-12 title game last December. After a disappointing loss to Northern Illinois in Bowl season last year the Bruins turned to Mora to get the once prolific program back on track. Mora led UCLA through a fine campaign, including wins over ranked foes Nebraska, Arizona and USC, but the Bruins dropped their last two games, both to Stanford (not a big surprise given the Cardinals strength). UCLA lost the regular season game 35-17 on and the Cardinals came away with a 27-24 win the following week after Bruins freshman kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a 52-yard field-goal attempt in the closing minute. Still, a 9-4 season is a big improvement for UCLA, who will be trying to earn 10 wins for the first time since 2005. The Bruins are led by senior running back Johnathan Franklin, and redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley (he’s no Johnny Football though). Franklin, the school's all-time leading rusher with 4,369 yards, set career bests this season with 1,700 rushing yards, 13 rushing TDs, 319 receiving yards and a pair of TD catches. Hundley completed 68.2 percent of his passes for 3,411 yards, and his 26 touchdowns were second most in a season in school history. He also finished second on the team with 365 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground. Defensively, junior linebacker Anthony Barr led the nation with 13 1/2 sacks and sophomore linebacker Eric Kendricks was fifth in the country with 137 tackles.
Barr, Kendricks and the rest of UCLA's defense will certainly have their hands full with Baylor. After compiling a somewhat disappointing 7-5 record in the Big-12, the Bears' offense ranks first nationally with 578.8 yards per game and fifth with an average of 44.1 points. Senior quarterback Nick Florence is the national leader in total offense with 387.7 yards per game, and senior wide receiver Terrance Williams led the nation with 1,764 receiving yards. Those impressive numbers came only a season after the departure of Robert Griffin III. Florence has filled in nicely, but he threw seven of his 13 interceptions during a four-game losing streak Sept. 29-Oct. 27 that seemed like it would keep Baylor out of a bowl game. The Bears, though, finished on a three-game win streak which began with a 52-24 victory over Kansas State, then unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings. They then beat the Red Raiders of Texas Tech 52-48 after OT. Baylor concluded the season with a 41-34 win over Oklahoma State 1. Baylor has won at least seven games in three straight years for the first time in over 50 years, and the Bears are playing in a bowl game in three straight seasons for the first time. This looks like a program on the rise.
FOR UCLA TO WIN
Don't get put off when Baylor score, they will and they'll do it often. They need to have faith in their own attack. A good first drive will settle the nerves. This game will be won on defense, and UCLA have to step up in pass coverage, they can't allow Nick Florence to dictate this game, they will need to bring pressure and put him on his ass. Andrew Abbott has to have a strong game at safety, and Aaron Hester has to bring his A-game at cornerback. The Bruins have struggled in the secondary at times this season and with the best passing attack in the nation opposite them, it's gonna be tough.
FOR BAYLOR TO WIN
Throw it, throw it often and throw it as far as you can. There's a reason they've topped the FBS total offense rankings. I don't think the UCLA offense can keep pace with the Bears if they're operating at full throttle. They have a double-headed monster in the backfield that can be unleashed to put the game to bed.
VERDICT
Points, points, points. Don't be surprised if this game goes to overtime. Multiple overtimes. If both teams do to honorable thing and abandon defense, this could be the first triple figure points total of the postseason.
ADVICE
Baylor +3
Over 81.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any mention of Robert Griffin III
2 drinks: A defensive pass interference penalty is called.
Finish it: We see 100 points
Thursday December 27th, 18:45 PT (02:45 GMT)
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
(17)UCLA Bruins vs. Baylor Bears
The Holiday Bowl has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Since 2010 the bowl has been known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after Bridgepoint Education signed on to sponsor the game and put up the $2,000,000 payout made to each of the participants. Bridgepoint Education is a publicly held, for-profit education services holding company which owns online and land-based Ashford University and University of the Rockies. And they’ve been very naughty boys. Previous sponsors have included SeaWorld, Thrifty Car Rental, Plymouth, and Culligan.
The bowl pits a team from the Big-12 against a team from the PAC-12. Previously the WAC had a conference tie-in with the Bowl and for the first seven games; Brigham Young University represented the WAC as its champion. BYU has played in a total of 11 Holiday Bowls, more than any other team going 4-6-1 in those games. The 1980 game was known as "The Miracle Bowl" as BYU erased a 20 point SMU lead to win on the last play of the game. Bastards.
UCLA made strides in its first season under former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora Jr. but again faltered down the stretch, coming up short for the second straight year in their bid to reach the Rose Bowl, going down to the Stanford Cardinals in the PAC-12 championship game. The Bruins look to avoid their third season in a row where they’ve lost their last 3 games. Mora replaced Rick Neuheisel, who lost 49-31 to an impressive Oregon side in the inaugural PAC-12 title game last December. After a disappointing loss to Northern Illinois in Bowl season last year the Bruins turned to Mora to get the once prolific program back on track. Mora led UCLA through a fine campaign, including wins over ranked foes Nebraska, Arizona and USC, but the Bruins dropped their last two games, both to Stanford (not a big surprise given the Cardinals strength). UCLA lost the regular season game 35-17 on and the Cardinals came away with a 27-24 win the following week after Bruins freshman kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a 52-yard field-goal attempt in the closing minute. Still, a 9-4 season is a big improvement for UCLA, who will be trying to earn 10 wins for the first time since 2005. The Bruins are led by senior running back Johnathan Franklin, and redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley (he’s no Johnny Football though). Franklin, the school's all-time leading rusher with 4,369 yards, set career bests this season with 1,700 rushing yards, 13 rushing TDs, 319 receiving yards and a pair of TD catches. Hundley completed 68.2 percent of his passes for 3,411 yards, and his 26 touchdowns were second most in a season in school history. He also finished second on the team with 365 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground. Defensively, junior linebacker Anthony Barr led the nation with 13 1/2 sacks and sophomore linebacker Eric Kendricks was fifth in the country with 137 tackles.
Barr, Kendricks and the rest of UCLA's defense will certainly have their hands full with Baylor. After compiling a somewhat disappointing 7-5 record in the Big-12, the Bears' offense ranks first nationally with 578.8 yards per game and fifth with an average of 44.1 points. Senior quarterback Nick Florence is the national leader in total offense with 387.7 yards per game, and senior wide receiver Terrance Williams led the nation with 1,764 receiving yards. Those impressive numbers came only a season after the departure of Robert Griffin III. Florence has filled in nicely, but he threw seven of his 13 interceptions during a four-game losing streak Sept. 29-Oct. 27 that seemed like it would keep Baylor out of a bowl game. The Bears, though, finished on a three-game win streak which began with a 52-24 victory over Kansas State, then unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings. They then beat the Red Raiders of Texas Tech 52-48 after OT. Baylor concluded the season with a 41-34 win over Oklahoma State 1. Baylor has won at least seven games in three straight years for the first time in over 50 years, and the Bears are playing in a bowl game in three straight seasons for the first time. This looks like a program on the rise.
FOR UCLA TO WIN
Don't get put off when Baylor score, they will and they'll do it often. They need to have faith in their own attack. A good first drive will settle the nerves. This game will be won on defense, and UCLA have to step up in pass coverage, they can't allow Nick Florence to dictate this game, they will need to bring pressure and put him on his ass. Andrew Abbott has to have a strong game at safety, and Aaron Hester has to bring his A-game at cornerback. The Bruins have struggled in the secondary at times this season and with the best passing attack in the nation opposite them, it's gonna be tough.
FOR BAYLOR TO WIN
Throw it, throw it often and throw it as far as you can. There's a reason they've topped the FBS total offense rankings. I don't think the UCLA offense can keep pace with the Bears if they're operating at full throttle. They have a double-headed monster in the backfield that can be unleashed to put the game to bed.
VERDICT
Points, points, points. Don't be surprised if this game goes to overtime. Multiple overtimes. If both teams do to honorable thing and abandon defense, this could be the first triple figure points total of the postseason.
ADVICE
Baylor +3
Over 81.5 points
DRINKING GAME
1 drink: Any mention of Robert Griffin III
2 drinks: A defensive pass interference penalty is called.
Finish it: We see 100 points
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