Primetime College Football: BCS National Championship Game
TALENT
The best two teams in the land collide in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the 4th actual BCS National Championship game, the game was first played at the conclusion of the 1998 college football season to form the Bowl Championship Series however beginning with the 2006 season, the BCS National Championship Game became a separate event. The top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide of the SEC and the second-ranked Texas Longhorns from the BIG 12 each come into the game undefeated at 13-0 with hopes to be crowned National Champion.
Alabama is no stranger to the big stage, as the Crimson Tide will be playing for their 13th national title this week. The team’s last national title came back in 1992. Likewise, Nick Saban is very familiar with the pressures of the big game, leading LSU to the national championship in 2003 and now back in just his third season at the helm in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has earned an NCAA-best 57th bowl berth and are 31-22-3 in postseason play overall.
Mack Brown is also seeking a second national title, winning his first just four years ago with the Longhorns. Texas sporting a perfect 13-0 mark to this point, including winning the Big 12 title with a 13-12 dramatic decision against Nebraska in the conference championship game. Texas ranks second in NCAA Bowl appearances, playing in its 49th bowl game and is 25-21-3 in prior postseason affairs.
There wasn’t much that Texas couldn’t do with the football this season and the result was ranking third in the nation in scoring at 40 ppg. The team was able to rush for 152.7 yards per game on 4.1 yards per carry, but the real strength was in a passing attack that netted 279.7 yards per game.
It certainly helps to have one of college football’s greatest leaders under center in senior All-American Colt McCoy. The all-time leader in career wins, McCoy had yet another stellar campaign this season, completing a ridiculous 70.5 percent of his passes, for 3,512 yards, with 27 TDs. The Heisman finalist was certainly aided by fellow ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member wideout Jordan Shipley, who has hauled in 106 passes, for 1,363 yards and 11 TDs. The ground game plays second-fiddle in Austin, but rushers like Tre Newton 5.0 ypc, 6 TDs and Cody Johnson 4.0 ypc, 12 TDs know how to make the most of their opportunities.
As good as McCoy and company have been this year, the Texas defense may have actually played a more critical role in landing the Longhorns in the title game. Among the national leaders in just about every facet of defensive play, Texas finished up ranked 1st in rush defense 62.2 ypg, 3rd in total defense 251.1 ypg and 8th in scoring defense 15 ppg. In addition, this big play unit racked up 41 sacks, 24 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries.
There are playmakers at every position on the defense. Up front, Texas relies heavily on the push upfield by ends Sam Acho 57 tackles, 13 TFLs, 9 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries and Sergio Kindle 62 tackles, 18 TFLs, 3 sacks and tackle Lamarr Houston 58 tackles, 20 TFLs, 7 sacks. Rodderick Muckelroy has a team-high 96 tackles, 11 TFLs, 2 sacks, one INT highlights the play in the LB corps, while ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member safety Earl Thomas has 71 tackles, 5 TFLs, 8 INTs while Blake Gideon has 56 tackles, 5 INTs are ball hawks in the secondary.
The Longhorns use the pass to soften things up for the run, while Alabama uses the run to set up the pass. Sophomore Mark Ingram is the main reason for success on offense for Alabama as he rushed for 1,542 yards and 15 TDs making things easier for quarterback Greg McElroy to manage the passing game and throw for 2,450 yards, with 17 TDs against 4 interceptions. Wideouts Julio Jones had 42 receptions, for 573 yards, 4 TDs and Marquis Maze 30 receptions, for 519 yards, two TDs are the main options on the outside.
The Alabama defens is lead by ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member Rolando McClain who led the team in tackles this season 101, with 12.5 TFLs, 4 sacks and 2 INTs. Fellow LB Eryk Anders had 59 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, one INT. Up front, the team looks to Marcell Dareus 32 tackles, 9 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and Terrence Cody 25 tackles, 6 TFLs. The secondary was lead by ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member Javier Arenas 66 tackles 12.TFL 5 sacks and 3 INTs he also gets the help of Mark Barron 70 tackles, seven INTs.
Texas has never lost to Alabama in the all-time series, sporting a 7-0-1 record in eight previous meetings. However, this is the first time these two teams have met on the gridiron since the 1982 Cotton Bowl, a 14-12 win for Texas.
PICK: University of Texas Longhorns
Primetime College Football: GMAC Bowl
TALENT
The 11th annunal GMAC Bowl will feature from the Central Michigan Chippewas from the Mid-American Conference and the Troy Trojans from the Sun Belt Conference in the Mobile, Alabama.
The Chippewas claimed their third MAC title in the last four seasons thanks to an 11-2 mark this season. The success has come at a cost as head coach Butch Jones has moved from the MAC to the Big East, taking the Cincinnati job vacated by Brian Kelly’s move to Notre Dame. The school has named associate head coach Steve Stripling as the interim head coach through this bowl game. This will be the fourth straight bowl appearance for CMU and the sixth overall in school history. The team is just 1-4 in the postseason and has lost its last two bowl games, including a 24-21 setback to Florida Atlantic in last year’s Motor City Bowl.
Through the past four seasons the Chippewas have leaned heavily on the play of Dan LeFevour, who is coming off another outstanding regular season. LeFevour paced the team on the ground with 701 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Bryan Schroeder rumbled for 486 yards and five touchdowns. On top of LeFevour’s play with his legs, the quarterback was even better with his arm, completing 71.1 percent of his throws. The senior signal caller finished the year with 3,043 passing yards and 27 touchdowns against only 6 interceptions. Antonio Brown grabbed 97 passes for 1,020 and 9 touchdowns while Bryan Anderson recorded 700 yards and 6 scores and Kito Poblah hauled in 631 yards and 4 touchdowns.
The play of the offense usually gets most of the attention for Central Michigan, but the defensive play for the Chippewas was sensational throughout the season. CMU held the opposition to just 17 ppg and th Chippewas limited teams to just 36 percent on third down, while surrendering just 18 touchdowns on 43 red zone chances. Nick Bellore led the Chippewas with 118 tackles and 11 tackles for loss and collected 3 sacks and 2 interceptions. Matt Berning was also solid, posting 100 stops and 8.5 tackles for loss.
The Trojans grabbed their fourth straight Sun Belt title this season after going 9-3 on the year and became the first team to go 8-0 in league action. This is the fourth bowl for Troy, which is just 1-2 in its previous three postseason appearances. Last year the Trojans gave up a 10- point fourth quarter lead against Southern Mississippi in the New Orleans Bowl and eventually fell to the Golden Eagles, 30-27, in overtime.
The Trojans were not only the best offensive team in the Sun Belt, but they put up numbers that rivaled some of the top schools in the nation. Larry Blakeney Trojan’s finished the regular season averaging 33 ppg, on an impressive 478.5 total ypg. Shawn Southward and DuJuan Harris formed a dangerous tandem as Southward rushed for 574 yards and 10 touchdowns and Harris rushed for 471 yards and 8 touchdowns. What really propelled this offense into elite status however, was the passing attack, which is led by Levi Brown. Brown completed 64.7 percent of his passes during the regular season, finishing the year with 3,868 yards and 22 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. Brown ranks second nationally in passing yards per game 322.3 and comes into this bowl game with two reliable outlets. Jerrel Jernigan led the team with 62 receptions and 947 yards and Tebiarus Gill grabbed 6 touchdowns and 553 yards.
Defensively has been a different story for Troy, which has struggled to stop opposing teams, especially against the pass. Troy was torched for 277.8 ypg through the air, and out of the 45 touchdowns allowed by this unit, 28 came via the pass. Overall the Trojans surrendered 417.9 total yards per matchup, and that led to 28.6 ppg. Troy also struggled inside the red zone, as opponents scored 29 touchdowns in 41 chances. Bear Woods led the team with 138 tackles and 18 tackles for loss while Boris Lee had 122 stops and 13 tackles for loss. Brandon Lang and Cameron Sheffield recorded 7.5 and 7 sacks.
This is the first time these two schools will have faced each other on the football field.
PICK: Troy University Trojans
Primetime College Football: FedEx Orange Bowl
TALENT
The 76th annual Orange Bowl will have the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten take on the ACC champions the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Miami Gardens at Land Shark Stadium.
Kirk Ferentz’s Hawkeyes were not as fortunate in their bid for a conference championship as back-to-back losses to Northwestern and Ohio State prevented the Big Ten title and Rose Bowl bid. Still the team reeled off a 10-win campaign to place second in the Big Ten. Iowa is making its 24th bowl appearance and is 12-10-1 in its previous postseason play. The Hawkeyes have played in the Orange Bowl just one time before, that being a 38-17 loss to USC in 2003.
Unlike a lot of teams in the Big Ten, Iowa utilized more of a balanced attack this season, instead of relying heavily on the run. Iowa scored just 12 rushing touchdowns, all by tailbacks Adam Robinson 775 yards, 5 touchdowns and Brandon Wegher 528 yards, 7 touchdowns. The passing attack was much more effective as quarterback Ricky Stanzi threw for 2,186 yards and 15 touchdowns. The receiving corps was lead by Derrell Johnson-Koulianos 687 yards and 2 touchdowns and Marvin McNutt 653 yards and 7 touchdowns.
A strong defense was really the key to Iowa’s season, as the team limited the opposition to a mere 15 ppg. The team was stingy against both the run at 122.4 ypg, and the pass, where foes managed just 164.7 ypg, ranking eighth nationally in that category. The Hawkeyes thrived on big plays, racking up 29 takeaways this year, including 20 interceptions. Led by ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member defensive tackle Adrian Clayborn who finished the season with 61 total tackles and 18 tackles for a loss while forcing 9 sacks. Linebacker Pat Angerer lead the team in tackles with 135. The secondary is highlighted by saftey Tyler Sash and his 84 tackles amd 6 interceptions. Other great defenders on the Hawkeyes are A.J. Edds 73 tackles, four INTs and Broderick Binns 58 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 6 sacks.
The Yellow Jackets posted an 11-win campaign and captured their first outright ACC title since 1990. Paul Johnson’s squad opened the season with a pair of victories before suffering its only league loss at Miami but then won eight straight. The season earned Johnson his second straight ACC Coach of the Year award. Georgia Tech is playing in its 13th consecutive bowl game and is 22-15 in the postseason all-time, including a 3-2 mark in the Orange Bowl. The Yellow Jackets have not had much success in the postseason of late, losing their last four bowl games, including a 38-3 rout at the hands of LSU in last year’s Chick-fil-A Bowl.
The Yellow Jackets use a totally different approach to move the football, as they represent one of the most productive rushing teams in the nation thanks to a devastating spread offense. Georgia Tech finished the year second in the nation in rushing, at 307.2 yards per game on the ground a 5.3 per carry.
They have one of the nations top tailbacks in Jonathan Dwyer who rushed for 1,346 yards and 14 touchdowns. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt was not to much of a passer only throwing for 1,689 yards and 10 touchdowns but did rush for 991 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Yellow Jackets also got production from backup tailback Anthony Allen and his 597 yards, 5 touchdowns. When Nesbit does throw he finds wideout Demaryius Thomas who had 46 receptions, for 1,154 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Keeping the defense fresh has been a key to Georgia Tech’s success this year and a potent ground game has done just that, with Tech controlling the ball for just over 34 minutes per game. That has allowed the defense to make big plays, including 24 takeaways and 23 sacks. The unit is highlighted by ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member defensive end Derrick Morgan who finished with 52 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. The linebacking corps is highlighted by standouts Brad Jefferson 90 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and Sedric Griffin 72 tackles. Morgan Burnett is an upcoming star with 77 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 4 interceptions in the secondary.
Iowa is 0-7 all-time against the ACC, while Georgia Tech is 6-6 in 12 matchups against the Big Ten. However, this is the first-ever meeting between these two teams on the gridiron.
PICK: University of Iowa Hawkeyes
Primetime College Football: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
TALENT
The 40th annual Fiesta Bowl with see two undefeated teams face off as the Mountain West Conference will be represented by the 12-0 TCU Horned Frogs and representing the Western Athletic Conference is the 13-0 Boise State Broncos in Glendale, Arizona. The two teams faced each other in the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl, with TCU prevailing in a 17-16 final.
The Broncos are making their second appearance in a BCS game, the first considered one of the greatest college football games ever played when they outlasted Oklahoma in a triple-overtime thriller in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, 43-42. Boise State, which is 5-4 all-time in bowl games, is coached by Chris Petersen, and he owns an incredible 48-4 record in four years at the helm.
Led by star quarterback Kellen Moore, Boise State has one of the most potent offenses in all of college football, averaging a national-best 44 ppg behind 460.5 total ypg. Moore is just a sophomore has thrown for 3,325 yards with 39 touchdowns against only 3 interceptions. His 39 scoring strikes are a school record, and his 167.35 passer rating had him ranked No. 1 in the nation at the end of the regular season. Receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis have been the primary targets hauling in 71 and 62 passes and combining for 1,819 yards and 24 TDs. The BSU run game has done a nice job in keeping opposing defenses honest as Jeremy Avery finished the regular season with 1,131 yards and 6 scores and Doug Martin had 723 yards with 14 scores. The Broncos have outscored the opposition by a whopping 334-92 margin in the first half.
Defensively, Boise State has gotten it done yielding 17 ppg and only 299.6 total ypg. The effort against the pass has been particularly impressive with opponents coming up with just 172.8 ypg. Jeron Johnson has four picks to match Brandon Thompson and he leads the team in tackles with 88. Ryan Winterswyk is the club’s top sack man with 8.5, coming in just ahead of Billy Winn who has 6.
TCU is 12-0 for the first time in school history, and own a 11-13-1 record in 25 previous bowl games. Gary Patterson is 85-27 in charge of the TCU football program and TCU owns the nation’s second-longest winning streak 14 games behind only Texas 17 games, is fourth in the country in scoring 40 ppg.
The Horned Frogs utilize a formidable rushing attack that generates 256.5 ypg which is fifth nationally and has accounted for 35 touchdowns. The aerial assault generates 212.6 ypg and has resulted in 23 scores. The Frogs had four guys rush for more than 500 yards this season, with Joseph Turner heading the group with 732 yards and 11 touchdowns. Andy Dalton is TCU’s quarterback and has thrown for 2,484 yards with 22 touchdowns against only 5 interceptions and rushing for 522 yards and 3 scores. Jeremy Kerley led the team with 38 grabs for 467 yards and 2 scores and Antoine Hicks had only had 19 catches but 6 touchdowns.
From a defensive standpoint, few teams in the nation can match the Horned Frogs intensity or ability to shut down the opposition. TCU is giving up just 12 ppg, and foes have found it nearly impossible to run the football, averaging a mere 80.5 ppg, and the Frogs have permitted just 7 rushing scores all year. TCU has also done a tremendous job defending the pass, permitting a mere 152.8 ypg through the air with only 10 touchdowns. The opposition is averaging just 2.6 yards per carry and only 5.1 yards per pass attempt. Linebacker Daryl Washington is the team’s leading tackler with 99 stops, and he is tied for the club lead in interceptions with Tejay Johnson at three apiece. Jerry Hughes is a force along the TCU defensive line, logging 11.5 sacks.
The all-time series between these two teams in knotted at 1-1, with both meetings taking place in bowl games. In addition to last year’s Poinsettia Bowl, the first encounter took place in the 2003 Fort Worth Bowl, TCU’s home turf. Despite playing in enemy territory, the Broncos rode off with a 34-31 win. Again these two teams faced each other in the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl, with TCU prevailing in a 17-16 final.
PICK: Texas Christian University Horned Frogs
Primetime College Football: Valero Alamo Bowl
TALENT
The 17th annual Alamo Bowl will be taking place for the first time ever in January. It will also be the first for interim head coach Ruffin McNeill of Texas Tech, as he takes over for recently fired Mike Leach. The Red Raiders come from the Big 12 to face the Michigan State Spartans of the Big Ten here in San Antonio. It will also be a first win for either program in this bowl as Tech has been here twice before and the Spartans once before.
The Red Raiders have played in a bowl game 32 times before this season, but finding success in those matchups has been tough, as the team is just 10-22-1. While five of those wins have come under the tutelage of coach Leach. Texas Tech began its season with a mediocre 2-2 start, but the Red Raiders collected wins in six of their last eight matchups.
The Red Raiders were successful offensively largely because of their prolific passing attack, which finished second in the nation with 380.7 ypg. On the season the team produced a whopping 461.8 total ypg, and that lead to an equally impressive 36 ppg. Taylor Potts threw for 3,068 yards and 20 scores against 12 interceptions. However, Steven Sheffield also saw time under center and completed 73.6 percent of his throws for 1,131 yards and 13 scores. Alex Torres caught 65 passes for 791 yards and 6 touchdowns while Detron Lewis collected 55 passes for 730 yards and 5 touchdowns. Lyle Leong caught a team-high 8 touchdowns. Baron Batch rushed for 784 yards and 12 touchdowns on 5.4 yards per carry.
Texas Tech held its opponents to just 21 ppg on the season, and did a terrific job against the run, holding teams to just 125.0 ypg on a mere 3.3 yards per attempt. The team did have some minor problems against the pass, allowing 223.8 ypg, but out of the 26 touchdowns allowed by this unit, only 10 came through the air. Brandon Sharpe is second in the nation and also set the school’s single season mark with 15 sacks. Brian Duncan led the team with 80 tackles, while Daniel Howard added 8 sacks for Texas Tech.
The Spartans began their season with a 44-3 win over Montana State, but followed that with three straight losses then collected three victories before stumbling down the stretch losing three of their last five games. This is the 20th bowl appearance for Michigan State and the team’s third in a row. However, the Spartans are just 7-12 all-time in the postseason and have lost their last three bowl games, including a 24-12 setback to Georgia in last year’s Capital One Bowl.
Mark Dantonio’s Spartans success this season with the football is largely due to the passing attack, which torched the opposition for 271.2 ypg. Overall Michigan State produced 407.1 total ypg and that led to an equally impressive 29 ppg. Offensively the Spartans scored 40 touchdowns, and 26 of those scores came via the pass. Kirk Cousins passed for 2,460 yards and 18 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions. Blair White proved to be very valuable in the passing attack, as the wide out led the team with 64 receptions, 876 yards and 8 scores. B.J. Cunningham also hauled in 48 passes for 641 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Spartans on the ground averaged 135.9 ypg on 4.2 yards per attempt and Larry Caper did most of the carring with 443 yards and 6 scores.
While the offense relied on its play through the air, the defense for Michigan State had nightmares when having to face the pass, as the team was abused for 251.6 ypg through the air, and out of the 37 touchdowns allowed by this unit, 29 came via the pass. Overall the Spartans allowed 364.3 total ypg and that led to 25 ppg. It wasn’t all bad for the Spartans on defense as they where led by ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member of linebacker Greg Jones who collected 141 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 9 sacks.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and Texas Tech on the football field.
PICK: Texas Tech University Red Raiders
Primetime College Football: AutoZone Liberty Bowl
TALENT
The 52nd annual Liberty Bowl will see East Carolina Pirates from Conference USA, in their second consecutive appearance, to face from the SEC the Arkansas Razorbacks in Memphis.
The Razorbacks have a long history of participating in bowl games, but unfortunately winning those matchups have been tough for this school. This will be the 37th bowl game for Arkansas, but the team is just 11-22-3 in the postseason, and has lost 12 of its last 14 bowl games, including a 38-7 setback to Missouri in the 2008 Cotton Bowl.
Bobby Petrino’s Razorbacks definitely possessed one of the most dangerous offensive units in the entire nation, as the team produced 37 ppg. The ground game is churning out 136 yards per without a true running back. Michael Smith led the way on the year with 396 yards, while Broderick Green added 392 yards and 11 touchdowns on 4.2 yards per carry. Ryan Mallett was the difference maker throwing for 3,422 yards with 29 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions. Greg Childs hauled in 45 receptions for 862 yards and 7 touchdowns and Jarius Wright collected 37 passes for 591 yards and 4 scores while Joe Adams also caught 7 touchdowns.
The Razorbacks were unable to keep up with the top teams in their conference was because the defense was simply not good enough. The defense allowed 25 ppg throughout the season and was unable to stop opponents on the ground or through the air. Arkansas was gashed for 150.1 rushing ypg, and even worse was their performance against the pass, as teams torched this unit for 251.8 ypg and also tossed 21 touchdowns against Arkansas. The defense however, was one of the top teams in the country in forcing turnovers, racking up 34 takeaways on the year. Pressuring the quarterback was also another solid area for this team, with 26 sacks. The Razorbacks also stepped up their effort when it mattered most defensively, as the team held opponents to just 36 percent on third downs and allowed just 17 touchdowns in 39 red zone chances for the opposition. Jerry Franklin led the way for Arkansas on the season with 84 tackles, while Adrian Davis and Jake Bequette both collected 5.5 sacks apiece.
As for Skip Holtz’s Pirates, they could not find their stride out of the gate in 2009, splitting their first six games down the middle however the Pirates really took off winning six of their last seven games. East Carolina’s bowl history is not as dated as Arkansas but do have a mark of 5-5 in postseason. However, the team has lost three of its last four and that includes a 25-19 setback to Kentucky in last season’s Liberty Bowl.
The Pirates relied on their rushing attack as the team rumbled for 149.6 ypg on 4.1 yards per attempt. 23 of the team’s 37 touchdowns came on the ground and those scores helped ECU average a respectable 27 ppg. Dominique Lindsay was the main source of production rumbling for 1,029 yards and 5 scores on 5.0 yards per carry. The passing attack has not been as successful as the ground game because Pat Pinkney was inconsistent throwing for 2,738 yards and 14 scores against 10 interceptions. Dwayne Harris was the top wideout with 79 receptions, 914 yards and 6 touchdowns. Darryl Freeney was also a solid option for Pinkney and finished the regular season with 42 catches for 624 yards and three scores.
Overall the play by the defensive unit for East Carolina was solid, as the team held the opposition to just 22 ppg. The Pirates did a solid job against the run, limiting teams to just 123.3 ypg however the secondary was torched for 262.3 ypg through the air, and surrendered 23 passing touchdowns. C.J. Wilson led the way with 5.5 sacks on the year, while Scott Robinson added five sacks. Nick Johnson led the team with 94 tackles on the season, while Van Eskridge racked up 93 stops and a team-best six interceptions.
This is the first ever meeting between the two schools on the football field.
PICK: University of Arkansas Razorbacks
Primetime College Football: AT&T Cotton Bowl
TALENT
In the 74th annual Cotton Bowl Classic the Big 12 will send the Oklahoma State Cowboys to take on the Ole Miss Rebels of the SEC in the first Cotton Bowl game to be played outside of the Cotton Bowl stadium and will take place at Jerry’s World in Arlington, Texas.
Oklahoma State is set to play in a school-record fourth consecutive bowl game and seventh in the last eight seasons. The program is 12-7 all-time in bowl games, and the club is 2-1 in such tilts under current head coach Mike Gundy. Oklahoma State is 9-3 overall and finished 6-2 in Big 12 play, good enough for second in the rugged South Division.
The Oklahoma State offense is lead by Zac Robinson who has thrown for 15 scores while rushing for 4 touchdowns but has a mere 1,966 passing yards. Kendall Hunter has been limited by injury and largely ineffective. The best player for the offense has been tailback Keith Toston, who has racked up 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per attempt. He is also second on the team in catches, providing a viable outlet for Robinson. The team is averaging 30 ppg and 376.2 total ypg.
The Cowboys are holding opponents to 21 ppg and 329.9 total ypg. They are sixth nationally in rushing defense, allowing 87.7 yards per game. Donald Booker leads with 86 total tackles, while Patrick Lavine has recorded 5 interceptions.
As for Ole Miss, it is making its 33rd appearance in a bowl game, and the 20 wins that the program has earned in the postseason ranks 12th in NCAA history. The Rebels are 7-1 in their last eight bowl games, and they beat Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl last season in a 47-34 final. This year’s squad came into the season with tremendous hype and was ranked as high as fourth in the nation. Despite falling short of expectations, the team finished a respectable 8-4 overall and 4-4 in SEC action. Houston Nutt, the head coach of the Ole Miss program, is a three-time SEC Coach of the Year.
Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead completed 54.3 percent of his passes for 2,464 yards and 20 touchdowns against 17 interceptions. Shay Hodge is his favorite target and enters with 63 catches for 1,023 yards and 8 scores. Dexter McCluster, a versatile performer, rushed for 985 yards and six touchdowns on only 147 carries, and he also caught 39 passes for 475 yards and three scores while throwing a touchdown pass on his only attempt. Ole Miss is generating 30 ppg while gaining 405.6 total ypg.
Defensively, Ole Miss has been strong this season, limiting opponents to 18 ppg and 319.3 total ypg. The Rebels have allowed just over a 50 percent completion rating to opposing quarterbacks, as they have been solid against the pass. The run defense has been strong as well, permitting 3.8 yards per carry. Patrick Trahan and Jerrell Powe pace the Rebels with 11 TFLs apiece.
It is ironic that the only previous meeting between Oklahoma State and Ole Miss took place in the 2004 Cotton Bowl, and Eli Manning led the Rebels to a 31-28 victory in that contest.
PICK: University of Mississippi Rebels
Primetime College Football: Papajohns.com Bowl
TALENT
The 4th annual Papajohns.com Bowl will see the Connecticut Huskies of the Big East, who are making their fourth ever bowl game, take on the SEC South Carolina Gamecocks in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Gamecocks stormed out of the gates this season with five wins in their first six games, including four in a row. However, the team eventually hit the tough part of its SEC schedule and suffered losses in four of its next five matchups. This will be the second straight bowl game for South Carolina and the 15th overall in school history. Unfortunately the Gamecocks have not enjoyed much success, posting a mere 4-10 mark in those contests.
Steve Spurrier Gamecocks averaged just 21 ppg and are turning out 125.0 ypg on the ground on 3.7 yards per attempt. Leading the ground attack is Kenny Miles, but he has rushed for just 602 yards and one score, while Brian Maddox has contributed 305 yards and a team-best 5 rushing touchdowns. Stephen Garcia has 2,733 yards and 17 scores against 9 interceptions with his only top receiver being Alshon Jeffery who has 43 receptions for 735 yards and 6 touchdowns.
The reason South Carolina was so competitive this season is mainly due to the play of the defense, which held the opposition to just 20 ppg. The Gamecocks allowed just 137.0 ypg on the ground on a mere 3.8 yards per carry, and against the pass the team was even better, limiting opponents to just 167.7 ypg through the air. The defense is lead by ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member Eric Norwood who has 71 tackles and 11.5 that where for a loss as well as having 7 sacks on the season. His sack and tackle for a loss totals pushed him to become the all-time leader for South Carolina in both categories. Cliff Matthews collected 7 sacks as well while Shaq Wilson led the squad with 78 tackles.
The Huskies are not as seasoned when its comes to playing in the postseason, participating in just three bowls prior to this year’s contest. UConn is however, 2-1 in those games, and that includes a 38-20 victory over Buffalo in last year’s International Bowl. This year the Huskies had to overcome tragedy along with a grueling Big East schedule. The Huskies began the season with four wins in their first six games however, after that win the Huskies endured a tremendous loss when cornerback Jasper Howard was killed on campus. UConn stumbled through three straight losses but fortunately UConn won its last three contests.
The Huskies rumble into this contest averaging a stout 32 ppg, and the success is largely due to the team’s performance on the ground, as UConn is churning out 172.8 ypg. Out of the 44 touchdowns scored by this unit, 29 have come via the run. Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon formed a dangerous duo for the Huskies, as Todman amassed 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Dixon rumbled for 967 yards and 13 scores. The ground game overshadowed the team’s lack of success through the air, as UConn struggled to find consistency with its passing attack. Zach Frazer played in seven games this season and was nothing more than mediocre, completing just 54.3 percent of his throws for 1,354 yards. Frazer threw 9 touchdowns on the season but also tossed 9 interceptions. Marcus Easley was clearly the top target on the roster, finishing with 44 receptions, for 853 yards and eight TDs.
The play of the offense lightened the load for UConn’s defense that was inconsistent at times this year. The Huskies are allowing 25 ppg, surrendering 137.6 ypg on the ground and 244.8 ypg through the air as well as 17 touchdowns against this secondary. Lawrence Wilson was one of the top performers for this defense throughout the season with 136 tackles and 10 TFLs and Lindsey Witten had 13 TFLs and 11.5 sacks.
This will be the first-ever meeting between South Carolina and Connecticut on the gridiron.
PICK: University of Connecticut Huskies
Primetime College Football: International Bowl
TALENT
The 4th annual International Bowl is the only bowl to be played outside of the United States and it takes place in the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. It will see the South Florida Bulls of the Big East take on Northern Illinois Huskies of the Mid American Conference.
The Bulls have been a part of the BCS for five seasons, and all five years the team has made it to a bowl game, including this season. The four previous postseason appearances for South Florida were split evenly at 2-2, and obviously that includes the team’s 41-14 romp over Memphis last season in the St. Petersburg Bowl. The Bulls charged out of the gates this season, winning their first five matchups however, the team started to show cracks in the armor and finished out the year with five setbacks in its last seven games.
The Bulls are not overwhelming offensively, but the team does possess a well balanced attack which has led to a respectable 26 ppg. The ground game is churning out 169.4 ypg, but the team’s top performer on the ground is quarterback B.J. Daniels, who has rushed for 798 yards and nine scores on 4.9 yards per attempt. In the backfield Moise Plancher and Mike Ford combined for 813 rushing yards and both players scored 5 touchdowns apiece on the year. Daniels was not as impressive with his arm, completing just 52.7 percent of his throws for 1,766 yards and 12 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. Carlton Mitchell led the way for South Florida with 34 receptions and finished the year with 612 yards and 4 touchdowns. Dontavia Bogan also collected 4 touchdown receptions, but finished the season with just 305 yards on 22 catches.
The reason the Bulls are playing in a bowl game this season is largely due to the performance of the defense, which is limiting opponents to just 21 ppg. South Florida did have minor problems against the run, allowing 137.8 ypg on the season, but this unit really enjoyed success against the pass, holding teams to just 191.0 ypg through the air. South Florida also collected 12 interceptions on the season, and also put plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, grabbing 24 sacks on the year. The Bulls also stepped up their efforts when it mattered most, as the team held opponents to just 40 percent on third down attempts and allowed just 20 touchdowns on 40 red zone chances. There are plenty of playmakers on this side of the football for South Florida, beginning with Kion Wilson, who led the team with 98 tackles. Nate Allen added 79 stops and collected a team-high four interceptions, while Jason Pierre-Paul led the squad with 14.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks. George Selvie had 40 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks.
The Huskies opened this season with a tough, 28-20 loss to Wisconsin, but the team rebounded with wins in three of its next four contests however, the team stumbled down the stretch, dropping its last two regular season contests against Ohio and Central Michigan. Despite the late collapse the Huskies finished 7-5 overall and were invited to their second straight bowl game and third in the last four seasons. Unfortunately the team suffered losses in their past two bowls games, including a 17-10 loss to Louisiana Tech in last season’s Independence Bowl.
The Huskies have a simple game plan on offense and that is to run the ball early and often. Northern Illinois relied heavily throughout the season on its ground attack, rushing for 202.4 ypg on 4.9 yards per attempt. The Huskies, who are averaging an impressive 30 ppg on the season, scored 27 of their 41 offensive touchdowns on the ground this season. Me’co Brown started the season has the main tailback for NIU, and rushed for 645 yards and 4 scores, but eventually he had to make way for Chad Spann, who closed out the regular season with 945 yards and 19 touchdowns. The success of the ground game overshadowed the team’s inability to find production through the air, as Northern Illinois posted just 151.7 ypg via the pass. Chandler Harnish has completed an impressive 66.2 percent of his throws, but it has gone for just 1,540 yards and 11 scores against 5 interceptions. When Harnish needs a big play he usually looks towards Landon Cox, who led the team with 44 receptions, 528 yards and 4 scores.
Often overlooked due to the success of the NIU offense, is the play of the defense, which held the opposition to just 21 ppg on the season. Northern Illinois was very stingy against the run all season, holding teams to just 119.0 ypg on 3.7 yards per attempt. However, not everything was easy for this unit, as the Huskies did have some issues against the pass, allowing 204.6 ypg and 16 touchdowns via the pass. While the team has trouble stopping the pass, the defense for NIU had no problems getting to the quarterback, as the Huskies recorded 29 sacks on the season. Seven and a half of those sacks came from Jake Coffman, who also grabbed 12.5 TFLs on the year. Brandon Bice and Sean Progar added five sacks apiece on the season, while Tracy Wilson led the team with 86 tackles.
The all-time series between the two schools on the gridiron is tied at 1-1. The last time NIU and South Florida collided was in 2002 when the Bulls grabbed a convincing, 37-6 decision over the Huskies.
PICK: Northern Illinois University Huskies
Primetime College Football: Allstate Sugar Bowl
TALENT
In the 76th annual Sugar Bowl the Florida Gators will take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in a game full of story lines down in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Cincinnati is making its second straight New Years Day appearance in a Bowl Championship Series game. The Bearcats have won back-to-back Big East Conference titles and wrapped up a perfect regular season and then watched as its head coach Brain Kelly left for the head coaching position vacant at Notre Dame and now will not be on the sidelines for this game. Kelly’s assistant, Jeff Quinn, was named the interim head coach for this Sugar Bowl, but before this game could be played he was selected to be the next head coach at Buffalo, Quinn will honor his commitment though and lead the Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl.
The story becomes even more complicated in that Cincinnati has already hired a new permanent head coach in Butch Jones, who led Central Michigan to a pair of Mid-American Conference titles. Jones replaced Brian Kelly at CMU after he left the Chippewas to lead the Bearcats.
Cincinnati leads the nation in passing efficiency 166.19, and ranks sixth in scoring offense 39.8, passing offense 320.3, and total offense 464.3. The team has the good fortune of having two outstanding quarterbacks in Tony Pike and Zach Collaros. Pike, the senior, missed three games due to injury, but he has still thrown for 2,350 yards with 26 touchdowns against 6 interceptions this year. Collaros, a sophomore, has connected on 75 percent of his attempts for 1,434 yards and 10 touchdowns against a mere 2 interceptions. As a runner, he has posted 344 yards and 4 touchdowns. Pike will get the start under center in this bowl game, and he will benefit from the presence of receivers Mardy Gilyard and Armon Binns as usual. Gilyard has recorded 80 catches for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Binns adds 56 grabs for 859 yards and 10 scores. Gilyard has also scored a touchdown as a runner, one as a punt returner and two as a kick returner. Isaiah Pead leads the UC ground attack with 758 yards and nine touchdowns.
Cincinnati is yielding 20 ppg and 350.2 total ypg, and while the defensive unit isn’t dominant, it has been strong in most games this season. The Bearcats are only allowing 3.5 yards per rushing attempt, and they have recorded 16 interceptions as well. Aaron Webster has intercepted four passes to pace the team, and Andre Revels is tops with 103 total tackles.
As for Florida, it is making a bowl appearance for the 19th consecutive year, the second-longest active streak in the nation. The Sugar Bowl marks the program’s sixth appearance in a BCS game, and the team knocked off Oklahoma by a 24-14 final in last season’s national title contest. The Gators are 12-1 and have its own unique story lines surface before the Sugar Bowl could be played as Urban Meyer made a recent announcement that he was going to take an indefinite leave of absence following the Sugar Bowl for health-related reasons. Meyer had originally stepped down from his coaching position, stating his desire to concentrate on his health and focus more on his family. But a day later, changed his mind and will take leave instead.
Florida is led by quarterback Tim Tebow has thrown for 2,413 yards and 18 touchdowns while completing 65.2 percent of his passes this season. As a runner, the versatile signal caller has posted 13 touchdowns and 859 yards. Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey have combined for nearly 1,300 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, while tight end Aaron Hernandez and Riley Cooper have more than 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns between them.
Florida has allowed just 15 touchdowns this season, tied for the fewest in the nation with Penn State, which has played one fewer game than the Gators. The 11.5 points per game that UF is allowing ranks third nationally, and the team has given up seven or fewer points in six games. Foes are gaining a mere 101.6 yards per game on the ground against the Gators, who are yielding just 3.1 yards per rushing attempt. The pass defense is lead by ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member Joe Haden who has recorded 57 tackles and 4 interceptions while deflecting 8 passes.
In the only previous meeting between Florida and Cincinnati on the gridiron, the Gators cruised to a 48-17 victory back in 1984.
PICK: University of Florida Gators
Primetime College Football: Citi Rose Bowl
GO DUCKS
“The Granddaddy of Them All” adds its 96th edition this New Year’s Day, as Ohio State Buckeyes from the Big Ten face the Pac-10 Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Rose Bowl is the oldest bowl game, beginning in 1902 and played continuously since 1916. This year’s combatants both come in with stellar 10-2 records.
Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes captured the Big Ten title for the fifth straight season, distancing themselves down the stretch with five straight victories to close out the regular season. OSU’s bowl resume consists of an 18-22 postseason record. The team will be participating in its fifth straight BCS bowl game and is making its first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1997. The Buckeyes are 6-7 all-time in 13 previous Rose Bowl appearances.
The Buckeyes have relied heavily on the run this season and the results are a gaudy 198.9 yards per game, on 4.7 yards per carry. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor leads the team in rushing with 707 yards and 7 scores. Tailbacks Brandon Saine has 694 yards, 4 touchdowns and Dan Herron has 558 yards, 7 touchdowns. The passing attack has taken a backseat in Columbus this season as Pryor has completed 55.8 percent of his passes this season for only 1,828 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Sophomore DeVier Posey is the top target with 52 receptions for 727 yards and 7 touchdowns.
The Buckeyes ranked fifth among the nation in total defense at 262.5 ypg. The Buckeyes were lead by linebackers Ross Homan 96 tackles and 2 sacks and Brian Rolle 91 tackles. Kurt Coleman amassed 64 tackles and 5 interceptions in the secondary. The ends where maned by Cameron Heyward 5.5 sacks and Thaddeus Gibson 4 sacks.
Chip Kelly has pushed all the right buttons in his first season at the helm at Oregon. The Ducks opened the year with a deflating loss at Boise State, but regrouped to win seven straight after that to regain their swagger. A shootout loss at Stanford put the Pac-10 title in jeopardy, but Oregon responded with three straight wins and clinched the conference title with a 37-33 win over rival Oregon State in the regular-season finale. Oregon is making its first appearance in the Rose Bowl since 1995 and will be making its fifth trip to the event all-time, with a 1-3 record thus far.
The Ducks uses one of the nation’s most prolific ground games to wear the opposition down and it has worked to near perfection. Oregon ranks sixth nationally rushing the football, averaging 236.1 yards per game on an impressive 5.5 yards per carry.
The team lost starting tailback LaGarrette Blount for most of the season after Blount was suspended after one hittin quittin a Boise State player. It was OK for the Ducks as red shirt freshman and ALL-SGE-NCAA Football member LaMichael James took over the slack and rushed for 1,476 yards and 14 touchdowns, on 6.9 yards per carry after the third game of the season. The other devastating weapon on offense for Oregon is dual-threat quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. The junior signal-caller rushed for 659 yards and 12 touchdowns while throwing 2,066 yards and another 15 scores. Wideout Jeff Maehl had 686 yards and 6 touchdowns, but tight end Ed Dixon did a lot of damage with his yards after catch and blocking while finishing with 42 receptions for 551 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Oregon is giving up just 329.4 yards of total offense per game, while limiting opponets to 23 ppg with 32 sacks and 24 takeaways on the year. Freshman safety John Boyett has made an immediate impression on this team with 78 tackles and 2 interceptions. Safety Javes Lewis has 77 tackles, 2 interceptions while corner Talmadge Jackson has 4 interceptions. Linebacker Casey Matthews has 72 tackles, 2.5 sacks, Spencer Paysinger 72 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and Eddie Pleasant 50 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks while defensive end Kenny Rowe has 8.5 sacks with 11 tackles for loss.
The series between these two teams has been dominated by Ohio State, which has won all seven prior matchups. However, these two schools have met just twice in the last 41 years (1983 and 1987). The first-ever meeting took place in the 1958 Rose Bowl.
PICK: University of Oregon Ducks
Primetime College Football: Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
TALENT
The 47th annual Gator Bowl will see the West Virgina Mountaineers take on the Florida State Seminoles in the iconic coach Bobby Bowden’s last game. Bowden’s historic 44-year career as a head coach reluctantly comes to a close.
The Seminoles (6-6) are in postseason play for the 28th straight year, but it was a difficult season for the affable Bowden. Florida State failed to win more than two in a row and fell for the sixth straight time to Florida, 37-10 on Nov. 28, to finish third in the ACC’s Atlantic Division. Two days later, Bowden, 80, said he hadn’t decided on his future and still had career options – one of them being to remain the head coach. After meeting with university officials Dec. 1, though, Bowden said the Gator Bowl would be his last game.
Regardless of the .500 season, Bowden’s accomplishments while building a powerhouse over 34 seasons in Tallahassee are staggering. Following several near-misses in the 1980s, he won national titles with the Seminoles in 1993 and most recently in 1999, when they went unbeaten and became the first to go wire-to-wire as the top-ranked team in the AP poll. Another big achievement is a string of 14 straight seasons, ending in 2000, during which Florida State won at least 10 games and finished ranked in the top five. The Seminoles were 152-19-1 in that span.
He has a 315-97-4 record with Florida State.
Florida State has long had a plan in place for Bowden’s successor, naming offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher in 2007. But first, Bowden will get a send-off in a bowl game where he’s yet to lose. The Seminoles are 4-0 under him in the Gator Bowl, including double-digit wins over West Virginia in 1982 and 2005.
The Mountaineers have won four consecutive bowls since that last loss to Florida State and two of those victories have been under coach Bill Stewart, who is among the many ardent Bowden supporters.
West Virginia (9-3) appeared to be out of the mix for a New Year’s bowl following late-season losses to South Florida and Cincinnati. However, with three-point wins over then-No. 8 Pittsburgh and Rutgers to close the regular season, the Mountaineers finished tied with the Panthers for second in the Big East behind the 12-0 Bearcats.
The Mountaineers’ best player is running back Noel Devine, who finished second in the Big East with 1,372 yards and fourth with 12 touchdowns. Jarrett Brown was third in the conference with 2,129 passing yards, but threw only 11 TDs with eight interceptions in 12 games.
Brown’s counterpart is EJ Manuel, who has started the last three games after Christian Ponder was lost for the season due to a separated shoulder. Manuel has appeared in six games, throwing for 616 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions.
His top targets are Rod Owens and Bert Reed, who tied for fifth in the conference with 58 receptions, but Owens had only three touchdowns while Reed had none. Jarmon Fortson topped the team with four TD catches. Jermaine Thomas led the Seminoles ground game with 711 yards and 7 TDs.
PICK: Florida State University Seminoles
Primetime College Football: Captial One Bowl
TALENT
The 64th annual Capital One Bowl will see the Penn State Nittany Lions take on the LSU Tigers for just the second time in their history as Joe Paterno looks to add to his record 23 postseason victories.
Penn State (10-2) had a shot at making a second straight BCS appearance after finishing in the top 14 of the final BCS standings, but home losses to Iowa and Ohio State kept the Nittany Lions out. Penn State was even in consideration despite lacking a win over a ranked opponent was mainly due to a fan base that travels well and Paterno, whose record of 393 wins among major college coaches appears safer by the day with the pending retirement of Florida State’s Bobby Bowden. The Nittany Lions were outscored 45-17 and held to an average of 254.0 yards of offense in their two losses, but their six conference victories came by an average of nearly three touchdowns. Even though their wins came against opponents who went a combined 56-64.
Penn State and LSU (9-3) have met once – a 16-9 Nittany Lions win in the 1974 Orange Bowl that capped Paterno’s third of five unbeaten seasons.
Quarterback Daryll Clark led the conference with 23 touchdown passes and was also the league’s highest-rated passer (145.7), but against LSU, he’ll need to avoid the turnovers that have plagued him during Penn State’s losses. Clark has thrown 39 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions in winning 21 starts, but he’s tossed 3 TDs and 7 INTs in his four losses.
The Tigers forced 36 turnovers in 14 games and allowed 288.8 yards per game on their way to winning the 2008 BCS championship, but they have not had the same success since. LSU has created 37 turnovers in 25 games the last two seasons – three in its final five regular-season games. Of equal concern was the amount of yardage the Tigers allowed in their final four contests. LSU had allowed 293.0 yards per game as it started 7-1, but gave up 393.8 in splitting its last four games.
While Les Miles has a long way to go to match Paterno’s total of bowl victories, no coach has gotten more out of his team in the postseason recently. Since Miles arrived from Oklahoma State before the 2005 season, LSU has won its four bowl games by an average of 28.5 points.
Despite their bowl track record, the Tigers will be hard-pressed to score on Penn State. While quarterback Jordan Jefferson has played better of late – he threw 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in his last five games – LSU ranks 108th in total offense (309.7 yards per game).
That offense figures to struggle even more if tailback Charles Scott can’t go. The Tigers’ leading rusher broke his collarbone in early November and missed the last three games, though he returned to practice Dec. 14 and currently is questionable. Speedy senior all-purpose back Trindon Holliday could get more carries as well. Regardless of who receives the bulk of the carries, the Tigers will face a stiff challenge up front. Penn State’s defense is 10th nationally against the run (93.9 ypg), eighth overall (277.1) and allows the fourth-fewest points per game (11.8).
The Nittany Lions, as usual, have a talented trio of linebackers in Sean Lee, Navorro Bowman and leading tackler Josh Hull, but it’s tackle Jared Odrick who gets them started up front.
Penn State is 1-3 in the Capital One Bowl, while LSU is 1-1, losing 30-25 in 2005 on a last-second touchdown pass in Nick Saban’s final game as coach.
PICK: Louisiana State University Tigers
Primetime College Football: Chick-fil-A Bowl
TALENT
The 42nd Chick-fil-A Bowl will see Virginia Tech Hokies from the ACC take on the Tennessee Volunteers from the SEC at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Virginia Tech is hoping to clinch a 10-win season for the sixth consecutive year, and that would be a tremendous accomplishment to say the least. The team is 9-3 overall this season, including a 5-2 mark against ACC competition. The Hokies are just 8-14 all-time in bowl games, and head coach Frank Beamer is 7-9 in bowl games after winning last years Orange Bowl.
Virginia Tech is led by standout freshman tailback Ryan Williams, who has run for a school and ACC freshman record 1,538 yards this season. He needs 110 yards against Tennessee to break the school’s single-season rushing record set by Kevin Jones in 2003. Williams has 20 total touchdowns, including 19 rushing scores. The Hokies are generating 31 ppg on the strength of 388.3 total ypg. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor has connected on 55.8 percent of his throws for 2,102 yards and 13 touchdowns against 4 interceptions and rushed for 344 yards and 4 scores. Jarrett Boykin paces the club with 36 catches for 715 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Virginia Tech’s defense is limiting opponents to 15 ppg and 300.1 total ypg. Opposing quarterbacks have completed fewer than 50 percent of their passes against Tech, which has permitted a mere 8 touchdowns through the air and 9 rushing scores have been allowed. Cody Grimm has recorded 99 total tackles and forced 7 fumbles.
Tennessee owns a 25-22 all-time record in bowl games and is playing in the Chick-fil-A Bowl for the fifth time in school history and first since back-to-back appearances following the 2002 and 2003 seasons. The Vols are 1-3 in the Atlanta-based bowl, and they enter this game with a 7-5 overall record and 4-4 in the SEC.
Lane Kiffin’s Volunteers are scoring 30 ppg this season while generating 395.4 total ypg. Jonathan Crompton passed for 2,565 yards and 26 touchdowns while Gerald Jones caught 41 passes for 610 yards. Denarius Moore has 6 receiving touchdowns. Tennessee has a true workhorse back in Montario Hardesty, who has rushed for 1,306 yards and 12 touchdowns, carrying the ball 264 times.
On the defensive side of the ball, Tennessee is holding opponents to 21.0 ppg and 308.8 total ypg. The Vols have been outstanding against the pass, yielding a mere 9.5 yards per completion and just 5 touchdowns have been registered by opposing quarterbacks. Rico McCoy is a hard-hitting linebacker for the Vols, and he has made a team- high 112 tackles this season to go along with 5 forced fumbles. ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member Eric Berry is an outstanding safety that is the active NCAA leader and stands second in NCAA history with 494 interception return yards.
Tennessee owns a 5-2 lead over Virginia Tech in a series that dates back to 1896. The most recent meeting took place in 1994, a 45-23 triumph by the Vols.
PICK: University of Tennessee Volunteers
Primetime College Football: Insight Bowl
TALENT
The 21st annual Insight Bowl will see for the third time in four seasons the Minnesota Golden Gophers as they take on the Iowa State Cyclones in Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium.
The Gophers fell to Kansas last season, 42-21 in this bowl, and were also defeated by Texas Tech 44-41 in overtime back in 2006. Overall Minnesota is just 5-8 in bowl games and has dropped its last three postseason contests. The last time Minnesota captured a victory in a bowl game was in 2004 when the Gophers slipped past Alabama, 20-16, in the Music City Bowl. 2009 was an inconsistent season for Minnesota, which finished with a mere 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten.
The Golden Gophers did very little offensively all season long and tallied just 295.8 total ypg on the season, and that lead to a mediocre 21 ppg. The ground game struggled and the team averaged a meager 97.6 ypg on 2.9 yards per carry, ranking 112th in the country. Daune Bennett scored 6 rushing touchdowns on the season, but the tailback rushed for just 376 yards, while Kevin Whaley added 325 yards and 2 scores on 4.2 yards per attempt. The passing attack was not much better for the Gophers, as the team threw for just 198.2 ypg during the regular season. Adam Weber was inconsistent completing just 51.6 percent of his throws. Weber totaled just 2,321 yards in the air and tossed just 12 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. The only reliable target for Weber has been Eric Decker, who led the team with 50 receptions, 758 yards and 5 touchdowns but he is listed as questionable due to a sprain foot.
Tim Brewster’s Gophers come into this matchup allowing 24 ppg, but struggles against the pass and the run. Opponents have thrown for 217.4 ypg against the Gophers, and stopping the run has been an even bigger problem for Minnesota, as the team is being gashed for 146.7 ypg on the ground and has also allowed 18 rushing touchdowns. Lee Campbell has racked up 112 tackles and 9.5 for a loss. Nate Triplett has 96 tackles.
The Cyclones also finished with a mere 6-6 overall record and 3-5 in the Big 12. This is the 10th bowl appearance for Iowa State, and the first for the team since 2005. The Cyclones have dropped seven of their nine bowl matchups, but one of their two victories came in the 2000 Insight Bowl, as Iowa State defeated Pittsburgh, 37-29.
Paul Rhoads Cyclones have been mediocre at best offensively, finishing the regular season averaging a mere 21 ppg. The rushing attack has been successful turning out 177.3 ypg. Alexander Robinson has rumbled for 1,058 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season, while quarterback Austen Arnaud has contributed with 485 yards and 7 rushing scores on the ground but only throwing for 1,799 yards, tossing 13 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. The Cyclones at times use San Antonio’s Robert E. Lee High Schools Jerome Tiller to pass the ball. Marquis Hamilton has been the most reliable wideout hauling in 46 receptions for 574 yards and 4 touchdowns while Jake Williams has scored 4 times on 320 yards.
Iowa State has held the opposition to just 22 ppg on the season while surrendering a whopping 414.3 total ypg. Iowa State was gashed for 169.3 ypg on the ground, and against the pass the team was even worse, allowing 245.0 ypg through the air including 22 touchdowns. On the season the Cyclones have collected 14 interceptions and have also recovered 16 fumbles. Jesse Smith has racked up a team-high 128 tackles and Christopher Lyle has 11 tackles for loss and 4 sacks.
The Golden Gophers hold a commanding 22-2-1 edge over Iowa State in the all- time series, but over the past 85 years these two schools have only collided three times. All three matchups went in favor of Minnesota, including the last meeting in 1997 when the Golden Gophers pounded Iowa State, 53-29.
PICK: Iowa State University Cyclones
Primetime College Football: Texas Bowl
TALENT
The 4th annual Texas Bowl will see the Navy Midshipmen and Missouri Tigers meet up for the first time in 49 years in Houston at Reliant Stadium. The two teams are meeting for the third time and the first since the Tigers notched a 21-14 victory in the 1961 Orange Bowl. The only other encounter took place in 1948 and Missouri won that clash as well by a 35-14 score in Annapolis.
Gary Pinkel’s Tigers finished strong en route to an 8-4 overall record and 4-4 the Big 12. This is the program’s fifth consecutive bowl game and 27th all-time. The Tigers are 12-14 all-time in bowl games.
Missouri prefers to air the ball out, averaging 285.0 passing ypg with quarterback Blaine Gabbert flourishing in his first season as the starter throwing for 3,302 yards, with 23 scores against only 7 picks while rushing for 228 yards and 3 more touchdowns. ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member Danario Alexander has emerged as Gabbert\’s main option and one of the best in the nation. After making just 78 catches over his first three seasons, Alexander hauled in 107 catches for a nation-high 1,644 yards and 13 touchdowns this year. Alexander saved his best for late in the season as well, notching 49 receptions for 802 yards and six scores over his last four games. In the backfield, Derrick Washington has made the most of his chances this season and he leads the Tigers with 803 yards and 10 scores on the ground.
The Tigers have struggled versus the pass this season, allowing 261.6 ypg, but against the run, Missouri has been one of the best teams in the nation, holding opponents to just 96.4 ypg and only 2.9 yards per carry. The Tigers have come up with 30 sacks and that has led to 237 yards lost. Aldon Smith is the team’s top pass rushing threat, racking up 11 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon is another big part of this defense and he has made a team-high 104 tackles and 14 for a loss to go along with 4.5 sacks.
For the Midshipmen, they are looking for their first 10-win season since 2004 following a 9-4 showing during the regular season. Navy is making an academy- record seventh consecutive bowl appearance and the team is seeking its first postseason win since defeating Colorado State in the 2005 Poinsettia Bowl.
Behind their option attack, Navy once again ranks among the top rushing teams in the nation, gaining 272.5 ypg and 40 touchdowns on the ground this season. Quarterback Ricky Dobbs makes this ground game go and he has turned in quite a season thus far. The junior gunslinger has gained 1,037 yards on the ground and has already set an NCAA single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 24. Dobbs has thrown for 5 more scores. Vince Murray is another option for the Navy attack who has 925 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Navy’s defense has been rather good this season and the unit even played well down the stretch, holding its last four opponents to 21 points or less. For the season, the Midshipmen are holding foes to 19 ppg and 333.6 total ypg. The unit is giving up 126.5 ypg on the ground and 207.1 ypg through the air and those numbers are pretty respectable. Ken Niumatalolo’s Midshipmen however, have only forced 20 turnovers and recorded just 18 sacks.
Ross Pospisil highlights the defense with 98 stops, including seven for losses. Wyatt Middleton and San Antonio’s Taft Ram Vela are two other players to keep a look out for, as they have combined for 6 of the team’s 11 interceptions.
PICK: Navy Midshipmen
Primetime College Football: Brut Sun Bowl
TALENT
The 75th annual Sun Bowl will see the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Stanford Cardinals which will take place in El Paso, Texas.
Oklahoma is making its 43rd bowl appearance, and the program is 24-17-1 all- time in the postseason. Last season the club lost the BCS National Championship game to Florida, the fifth loss in the last six bowl appearances for the Sooners. This year’s Bob Stoops Sooners enter with a 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big 12.
The Sooners are led by Landry Jones and the Sooners are averaging 31 ppg and 419.4 total ypg, while completing 58.0 percent of his passes for 2,780 yards and 23 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. Ryan Broyles leads the Sooners with 76 catches for 964 yards and 12 touchdowns. The ground attack is paced by Chris Brown who has posted 703 yards and 7 scores. DeMarco Murray, who has 678 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Defensively Oklahoma has been tremendous, as opponents are averaging a low 13 ppg and 273.5 total ypg. Teams are only gaining a mere 88.6 rushing ypg at an average of 2.7 yards per carry against the stout defensive front, and the Sooners are surrendering only 9.9 yards per pass completions with 16 interceptions against 11 passing scores allowed.
Stanford is making its 21st bowl appearance and first since 2001. The program is 9-10-1 all-time in the postseason and hasn’t tasted postseason victory since 1996. Coach Jim Harbaugh’s group finished the 2009 regular season with an 8-4 mark and 6-3 in the Pac-10.
Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart was named ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member and finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. The bruising runner has had an incredible year, leading the nation with 26 rushing scores to set a school and conference single-season record. Gerhart has rushed for 1,736 yards at a clip of 5.6 yards per attempt, and the fact that he carried it 311 times in 12 games speaks to his workhorse status.
The Cardinal are generating 36 ppg and 441.4 total ypg, and while the running game is certainly the team’s strength, freshman quarterback Andrew Luck provided balance connecting 56.2 percent of his passes for 2,575 yards and 13 touchdowns against 4 picks, a finger injury may keep him out and if so they will be forced to go with backup Tavita Pritchard. Ryan Whalen leads the club with 54 catches for 861 yards, while Chris Owusu has scored 5 times on 36 grabs.
Defensively, Stanford is allowing 26 ppg and 396.5 total ypg, permitting 38 touchdowns to opposing offenses and 20 have come through the air while only pulling in 7 interceptions. Thomas Kaiser leads the Cardinal with 14.5 tackles for loss including nine sacks, and Delano Howell is tops with 76 total tackles.
Oklahoma owns a 3-1 series lead over Stanford, and the teams haven’t met in a quarter century.
PICK: University of Oklahoma Sooners
Primetime College Football: Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
TALENT
It’s the 7th annual Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl and it will see for the second year in a row the Houston Cougars take on Air Force Falcons in Fort Worth, Texas. Last year the Cougars secured a 34-28 win against Air Force in this event.
Coach Kevin Sumlin has an offensive juggernaut at Houston scoring no less than 29 points in any one game and averaging 43 ppg to rank second in the nation by mere fractions of a point behind Boise State. Four times the Cougars posted at least 50 points in a game, the high-water mark coming against the Rice Owls on November 28th in a lopsided 73-14 final in the last home game bringing them to 10-3 overall and 6-2 in Conference USA. The Cougars have an 8-10-1 record in the postseason.
The Falcons return to this event for the fourth straight year thanks to a 7-5 overall record and a 5-3 mark in the Mountain West Conference. Coach Troy Calhoun becomes the first coach in school history to take his team to a bowl game in his first three years. However, Air Force has dropped three straight bowls and is now 8-10-1 in such games.
Houston junior Case Keenum was one of the most productive players in all of college football this season and is already the all-time leader in pass completions for the Cougars with 1,052, throwing for at least 300 yards in 25 games. Four times this season alone Keenum threw for at least 500 yards, leading the nation with 5,581 passing yards. First in the nation in total offense with an average of 429.3 ypg, Keenum threw 43 touchdowns and was picked off just 9 times in 659 attempts. Even though this is a pass first offense James Cleveland is the best on the team and one of the best in the nation grabbing 9.2 receptions per game. Five times this season Cleveland had at least 100 yards in a game.
The Cougars were ranked 111th in the nation in run defense with 213.1 ypg allowed. The pass defense permitted another 229.6 ypg, which meant the squad was allowing 442.7 ypg overall, ranking them 108th in the country, surrendering 28 ppg.
Air force uses two signal-callers Tim Jefferson and Connor Dietz but rank last in the Mountain West Conference and 118th in the country with a scant 82.3 ypg in passing. The offense turns to Jared Tew, Asher Clark and Savier Stephens to do the bulk of the work generated by the vaunted triple-option. Tew led the program with 797 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground, while Clark accounted for 736 yards and 5 scores, followed by Stephens and his 417 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Falcons defense ranks first in the nation in passing yards allowed with a mere 148.7 ypg and is 10th in total defense, permitting just 284.8 ypg. Ben Garland made 44 tackles this season and finished with 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The Falcons rank third in the nation with a plus-1.42 turnovers per outing, mostly because the offense rarely put the ball in the air and defenses had very few opportunities to pick off passes.
This game marks the third-ever meeting between these two programs, all of them coming in the last 16 months. The very first encounter was during the second week of September, 2008 when Air Force slipped by with a 31-28 victory in Dallas when the teams were forced to change the location of the game due to the arrival of Hurricane Ike in the Houston area.
PICK: University of Houston Cougars
Primetime College Football: Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
TALENT
In a rematch of the 1998 Holiday Bowl, Arizona Wildcats clash with the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 32nd edition of this event at Qualcomm Stadium.
The Wildcats have enjoyed a terrific campaign, although it had the potential to be even better. Arizona showed its resiliency and finished the regular season with two straight wins, including a 21-17 triumph at USC. This is Arizona’s 15th all-time bowl appearance and its second in a row under head coach Mike Stoops. The Wildcats are 6-7-1 all-time in such games following a 31-21 win over BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl last season.
For the Huskers, they were just moments away from shocking the nation and playing in a BCS Bowl. Instead, Nebraska faltered in the final moments and watched Texas boot a 46-yard field goal on the last play of a 13-12 loss in the Big 12 title game. Despite the setback, the Huskers gained a lot of credibility for that effort, if their 9-4 record wasn’t enough already. Nebraska will be making its 46th all-time appearance in a bowl game, owning a 23-22 mark in such bouts. Last season, the Huskers participated in the Gator Bowl and they defeated Clemson, 26-21, in that game.
Nick Foles took over the starting job at quarterback earlier in the season and that move paid immediate dividends for the Wildcats. The sophomore gunslinger played like a veteran and completed 66.0 percent of his pass attempts, with 19 touchdowns against just eight picks. It didn’t hurt that Foles was well protected either, as Arizona gave up just nine sacks. Juron Criner, a 6-4 wideout, uses his size well and was one of Foles’ main targets with 43 receptions, 580 yards and nine touchdowns on the season. Mike Stoops Wildcats are by no means a one-dimensional team, as the ground game is churning out 168.3 ypg behind a 5.0 yard per carry average. Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin have combined for 1,127 yards and nine scores on the ground and they can rip off chunks of yards at time. Grigsby however, is listed as questionable for this game with a shoulder injury.
Arizona’s defense has been good for the most part this season and ranks 21st nationally in yards allowed, surrendering 315.8 ypg. The unit has given up two touchdowns or fewer in four out its last five games and is permitting just 23.2 ppg for the season. The Wildcats have done a better job versus the run (112.1 ypg) than the pass (203.9 ypg), and they have fared well in generating 34 sacks. The unit though, has only forced 19 turnovers, with 12 of them coming on interceptions. Trevin Wade tops the rosters in interceptions with five and he has also made 66 stops. Earl Mitchell and Ricky Elmore are two players to keep an eye out for up front, as they have combined for 17 sacks and 24 tackles for loss.
Offensively, Bo Pelini Cornhuskers have struggled this season, averaging a measly 317.2 total ypg. The team had issues down the stretch as well, as the offense was held below 270 yards in four of the squad’s final five outings. Tailback Roy Helu Jr. is the most important player to the offense. Helu Jr. rushed for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns during the regular season and figures to see a bulk of the work in this game. The ground game has had to be good this season, as quarterback Zac Lee has struggled with consistency. Lee threw for just 13 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, while completing 58.8 percent of his tosses. Niles Paul is the main threat in the passing game and he leads the team with 36 catches and 673 receiving yards.
On the defensive side of the ball is where the Huskers have stood out, ranking second nationally in scoring defense (11.2 ppg) and ninth in total defense (284.5 ypg). Texas had been averaging 451.6 ypg and 43.0 ppg.The Huskers have been dominant against the run, yielding 95.5 ypg, and every bit as good against the pass, surrendering 189.1 ypg. The defense can also make the big play, racking up 19 interceptions to go with a whopping 42 sacks.
Highlighting the defense is Ndamukong Suh, a 6-4 defensive tackle that finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy race and took home several awards. A unanimous First-Team All-American, Suh was a force all season and he led the team with 82 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. He made an even bigger name for himself in the Big 12 title game, when he racked up 12 tackles and 4.5 sacks despite facing double teams all game long.
This is the third time these two schools are meeting on the gridiron and the first since Arizona scored a 23-20 win over Nebraska in the 1998 Holiday Bowl. The teams played to a 14-14 tie in the first meeting, which took place in 1961.
PICK: University of Nebraska Cornhuskers
Primetime College Football: Champs Sports Bowl
TALENT
The 20th annual Champs Sports Bowl features the Miami Hurricanes making the short trip to Orlando to take on the Wisconsin Badgers at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.
Miami’s Randy Shannon was able to lead the Hurricanes to a successful 9-3 showing overall and 5-3 in the ACC. Miami is just a victory shy of notching its first 10-win campaign since 2003. This is the program’s 35 all-time bowl game and the Miami is 19-15 in such contests. The Hurricanes are looking for their first bowl win since 2006 after a one-year absence from bowl play, the Hurricanes lost 24-17 to California in the Emerald Bowl last year.
Miami’s improvement this year is due in large part to the play of quarterback Jacory Harris, who is an emerging star. The sophomore quarterback threw for a healthy 3,164 yards and 23 touchdowns, but threw 17 interceptions. Leonard Hankerson is the team’s leading receiver and Harris favorite target pulling in 44 balls for 773 yards and 6 touchdowns. Miami’s ground attack is versatile and averaging a solid 144.4 ypg on the season. Graig Cooper leads the way with 666 yards, while Damien Berry is has accounted for 8 of the team’s 20 rushing touchdowns.
Defensively, the Hurricanes came on strong down the stretch and held three of their final four opponents to under 20 points. The Hurricanes have been stingy against the run this season, permitting only 118.3 ypg and 8 touchdowns on the ground. The knock on this unit is that the group doesn’t create enough big plays. Miami has forced 18 turnovers and recorded 23 sacks and those numbers are mediocre at best. Darryl Sharpton leads the defense in tackles with 91, while Allen Bailey is the team’s top pass rusher racking up 7 sacks and 11 tackles fo loss.
As for the Badgers, they enter the postseason with an identical 9-3 and 5-3 in the Big Ten record are also in search of their 10-win season since going 12-1 in 2006. In order for coach Bret Bielema’s Badgers to reach that mark, it will have to perform much better than it did in last year’s Champs Sports Bowl, when the team was pounded 42-13 by Florida State, overall this is Wisconsin’s 21st bowl appearance.
The Badgers push their way to 206.7 ypg on the ground. The punishing ground game has helped Wisconsin average 39 ppg over its last five outings and John Clay is the driving force behind this attack. Clay has rushed for 1,396 yards and he is responsible for 16 of the team’s 31 rushing scores. The dominant ground game has helped to take some pressure off quarterback Scott Tolzien who has responded by completing 63.6 percent of his pass attempts. Tolzien has thrown 16 touchdowns against 10 picks. Nick Toon is the top target through the air with 52 catches and 779 yards, and Garrett Graham is on the rise with 45 receptions and 7 touchdowns.
Wisconsin’s defense has been outstanding versus the run and is allowing just 90.5 ypg on the ground. Unfortunately the Badgers have issues though the air where Badgers have allowed 20 touchdowns and 219.9 ypg through the air. Wisconsin have recorded 32 sacks and leading the way is O’Brien Schofield, who has rolled up 10 sacks to go with 22.5 tackles for loss
The Hurricanes and Badgers are meeting for the fourth time on the gridiron, but the first since 1989. Miami owns a 2-1 edge in the series, including a 51-3 win in the last meeting. Wisconsin’s only win in the series came in 1958.
PICK: University of Miami Hurricanes
Primetime College Football: EagleBank Bowl
TALENT
The EagleBank Bowl is back for it’s second year and will see the Temple Owls who are enjoying the team’s most successful campaign in decades take on the UCLA Bruins at RFK Stadium in the nation’s capital.
The savior for the Temple program is head coach Al Golden, who in his fourth season and has guided the Owls to an outstanding 9-3 overall record and a mark of 7-1 in the Mid-American Conference. The Owls where in a tie for first place in the MAC’s East Division and with nine straight wins, Temple managed its most successful season since finishing 10-2 in 1979 when it traveled to the Garden State Bowl. Prior to a 28-17 win over California in that bowl game three decades ago, the only other postseason appearance for the Owls took place in the 1935 Sugar Bowl when they lost to Tulane 20-14.
Temple offense is mainly a ground attacking team that set a new school record for rushing touchdowns with 27. Bernard Pierce made a huge impact during his freshman season as he set a new record for first-year running backs with his 1,308 yards and scored 15 touchdowns on 224 attempts. Fellow freshman Matt Brown made some noise as he subbed for Pierce and turned in 446 yards and 4 scores on 69 rushing plays. With 192.3 ypg on the ground, the Owls ranked 23rd in the nation this season. However the passing attack took a back seat and did averaging a mere 145.4 ypg through the air ranking near the bottom nationally,112th. Quarterback Vaughn Charlton was credited with 1,231 yards and 9 touchdowns, but in the last four games of the season the offense was charged to sophomore signal-caller Chester Stewart who completed 26-of-65 attempts for 514 yards and 3 scores. For a team that focuses little on the passing attack, Michael Campbell was the leader down the field with his 25 catches for 404 yards and 3 scores, while Joe Jones tacked on 382 yards and a touchdown with his 27 grabs.
Temple ranked 19th in the country with just 108.8 ypg allowed, while the pass defense told a different story with 226.8 ypg permitted being caught off guard a few too many times, the unit has a rating of 109.8 in pass efficiency defense, ranking them 106th in the country. Junior safety Jaiquawn Jarrett had 64 tackles and a team-best 3 interceptions, a pair of fumble recoveries and a forced fumble along the way.
As for the Bruins, directed by Rick Neuheisel who is in his second year won three straight to open the season before losing five in a row. The Bruins finished 6-6 and a mere 3-6 against the rest of the Pac-10 Conference, the team still did qualify for the postseason for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons. UCLA is making its 30th postseason appearance all-time and has a record of 13-15-1 in previous bowl games. The Bruins have lost two straight and four of their last five postseason bids their last win was against Northwestern in the 2005 Sun Bowl.
The Bruins offense rest on the shoulders of redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince, who became just the second freshman in school history to start the season under center for the school. Price was so up and down all year long did throw for more than 300 yards three times this year, completed 56.7 percent of his pass attempts for 1,829 yards and 6 touchdowns, but was also picked off 7 times. Out of the backfield Johnathan Franklin logged 123 carries for 560 yards and 5 touchdowns, but Chane Moline needed only 45 rushing attempts to match Franklin for the team lead in rushing scores. Senior wideout Terrence Austin turned 3 of his 35 receptions into touchdowns, giving him the team lead in that department. Sophomore Taylor Embree had 43 catches and Nelson Rosario had 38 grabs.
The Bruins best weapon on offense is their kicker and ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member Kai Forbath, he was 26-of-29 on field goal attempts and made all but one of his 23 extra points on his way to scoring 100 points in 2009.
On defense the Bruins worked hard to disrupt plays in the backfield against the competition and that determination resulted in the group ranking eighth in the country in tackles for loss with almost eight per contest. Brian Price lead the conference and tying for third in the nation with 1.88 tackles for loss per contest. Of his 43 overall stops this season, 22.5 came on the other side of the line of scrimmage and he also led the team with 7 sacks. The Bruins also have a dynamite safety in Rahim Moore, a sophomore, leads the nation with 9 interceptions.
Temple is facing off against the Bruins for the first time ever, but this is actually the second trip to RFK for the Owls who loss to Virginia Tech back in 1995.
PICK: Temple University Owls
Primetime College Football: AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
TALENT
The 34th anual AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl see the Texas A&M Aggies of the Big 12 take on the Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Texas A&M is making its 31st bowl appearance, the most recent of which was a trip to the 2007 Alamo Bowl. Mike Sherman’s Aggies enter this tilt with a modest 6-6 overall record and 3-5 in conference finishing fifth in the Big 12 South Division. The Aggies are making their third appearance in the Independence Bowl and their first since 2000. The Aggies didn’t go to a bowl game last year and their last was in 2007 when they lost 24-17 to Penn St. in the Alamo Bowl.
It is somewhat surprising that Texas A&M is 6-6 considering the fact that the team averages 33 ppg and 465.3 total ypg. The Aggies have scored 52 offensive touchdowns in 12 games, and the team can move the ball equally as well on the ground and through the air. Jerrod Johnson is a standout at the quarterback position, as he has 37 total touchdowns to his credit. As a passer, Johnson has thrown for 3,217 yards and 28 scores while completing 60.8 percent of his throws. The fact that he was only intercepted 6 times in 439 pass attempts during the regular season was tremendously impressive. As a runner, Johnson added 8 touchdowns. Christine Michael has rushed for 767 yards and 9 touchdowns for A&M, and Ryan Tannehill leads a balanced receiving corps with 44 catches.
Defensively, Texas A&M is allowing 32 ppg and 431.3 total ypg. The Aggies have struggled in their efforts to stop the run, as they have permitted 26 scores on the ground and yielding 262.8 ypg through the air. A&M does a great job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks, as the club has posted 36 sacks. Von Miller is one of the best defensive players in the nation. The Texas A&M standout has posted a staggering total of 17 sacks, and has 21 tackles for loss. Trent Hunter leads the Aggies with 87 total tackles, and Jordan Pugh has recorded 3 interceptions.
As for Georgia, it made its only previous appearance in the Independence Bowl back in 1991. The program is making its 45th all-time bowl appearance, sixth most of any team in the nation, and the Bulldogs are 25-16-3 in the previous 44 showings. The Bulldogs beat Michigan St 24-12 in last years Champs Sports Bowl. This season has been a bit of a struggle, as the club’s 7-5 overall record and 4-4 SEC mark is undoubtedly disappointing. The team decided recently not to retain three defensive assistant coaches. Willie Martinez, the defensive coordination, was a member of Mark Richt’s original staff in 2001, but couldn’t get the job done in the 2009 season, so he was fired.
The Bulldogs are scoring 27 ppg to go with 361.8 total ypg and have posted 36 offensive touchdowns, only 14 of which have come on the ground. Washaun Ealey, a talented freshman, leads a balanced group of runners with 639 yards, while fellow tailback Caleb King has run for 5 touchdowns and 534 yards. The Georgia passing game features wideout A.J. Green, one of the most talented receivers in the nation as he has racked up 751 yards and 6 touchdowns on just 47 catches. Joe Cox has completed 56.1 percent of his passes for 2,426 yards and 22 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.
Georgia is giving up 26 ppg and 328.4 total ypg, explaining why the three coaches were let go. The Bulldogs have limited foes to 3.4 yards per attempt but have struggled against the pass, having permitted 23 touchdowns and an average of 12.8 yards per completion. Rennie Curran’s has made 122 tackles, 54 more than any other player on the team. Reshad Jones and Brandon Boykin have recorded three interceptions apiece, and Justin Houston has 15 tackles for loss to his credit.
Texas A&M holds a 3-1 series lead over Georgia, and the teams haven’t met since 1980.
PICK: Texas A&M University Aggies
Primetime College Football: Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
TALENT
The 11th annual Music City Bowl will feature the Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC taking on the Clemson Tigers of the ACC from Nashville, Tennessee.
Kentucky finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, and all five losses came against SEC opponents. The Wildcats opened the season with a 2-3 mark, but five of their last seven outings resulted in victory but lost the finale against Tennessee. Despite that disappointing ending, Rich Brooks did a tremendous job keeping the Wildcats on track despite numerous injuries. The team won at least seven games for the fourth consecutive season, the first time that has been done at Kentucky in nearly a century, since 1909-12. Also, the club set the school record for consecutive non-conference wins with 18, the nation’s second-longest active streak.
Kentucky figures to have quarterback Mike Hartline available for this game who has been sidelined since October 10th when he injured his knee against South Carolina. In the six games that he has played this season, Hartline has completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 802 yards and 6 touchdowns with 7 interceptions. Morgan Newton has played in Hartline’s absence, and he has connected on 55.4 percent of his attempts for 608 yards with 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. But it doesn’t matter who the quarterback is because Randall Cobb is the man. Cobb is an all-around player that has 37 catches for 427 yards and 4 touchdowns and rushed for 537 yards and 10 touchdowns. Derrick Locke leads the team in rushing though with 843 yards and 6 touchdowns. Kentucky is generating 27 ppg and 336.1 total ypg.
Defensively the Wildcats are limiting opponents to 22 ppg on 362.9 total ypg. The Wildcats have allowed 16 rushing scores and 16 passing touchdowns and will be without top linebacker Sam Maxwell cause of shoulder surgery.
Dabo Swinney’s Tigers won the ACC’s Atlantic Division with a 6-2 record and are 8-5 overall. Three of the five losses have come by five or fewer points to a team ranked in the current top-10, proof that the club has been competitive all season.
Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker has guided the Tigers to eight wins this year as the starter, tied for the most among freshman signal callers nationally. He has set freshman records at the school for touchdown passes, passing yards and completions. His favorite target is Second Team All-ACC wideout Jacoby Ford, who has 53 catches, while First Team All-ACC tight end Michael Palmer has 41 grabs, a Clemson record for a tight end.
Still all of those players are complimentary to ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member C.J. Spiller, who very well may be the best all-around offensive player in the nation. Spiller, the 2009 ACC Player of the Year, enters bowl season with 7,416 all-purpose yards in his career, third best in NCAA history. He needs 349 yards to become the all-time NCAA leader. He has 50 touchdowns in his career, second only to the 56 accumulated by Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. A threat as a runner, receiver and kick returner.
While Clemson is scoring 31 ppg and gaining 366.5 total ypg, the club is limiting opponents to 21 ppg and 317.2 total ypg. The Tigers are led by Brandon Maye, who has posted 103 total tackles, seven of which have been tackles for loss. Ricky Sapp has 15 tackles for loss to his credit, including five sacks, and Clemson has posted an impressive total of 21 interceptions, helping to overshadow the 19 touchdown passes that the club has allowed. The play against the run has been strong, as foes are averaging just 3.5 yards per carry.
The Wildcats hold an 8-4 series lead over the Tigers, which includes a 28-20 victory in the most recent meeting back in 2006.
PICK: Clemson University Tigers
Primetime College Football: Emerald Bowl
TALENT
The 8th annual Emerald Bowl in San Francisco, California will see the Boston College Eagles take on the USC Trojans who are playing in a non-BCS bowl game for the first time since 2001 Bowl.
The Trojans have enjoyed quite a run under head coach Pete Carroll, but won’t be participating in a BCS bowl game for the first time since Carroll’s initial season with the program. In each of the last seven seasons, USC won at least 11 games and a share of the Pac-10 title, while ending those campaigns in the Rose Bowl or the Orange Bowl. The Trojans lost three of their final five games to finish just 8-4 overall and 5-4 in the Pac-10.
Carroll’s Trojans where lead by freshman Matt Barkley and he threw for 2,385 yards in 11 games, but with just 13 touchdowns against 12 interceptions while averaging just 169.0 passing ypg over the final five games. Damian Williams is Barkley’s top choice through the air as he led the team with 821 yards and 6 touchdowns and his 58 catches were more than double any other player on the roster. In the backfield, Joe McKnight averaged 6.1 yards per carry and he led the team with 1,014 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns but did not travel with the team as of Monday. Allen Bradford was another option on the ground with 596 yards and 8 touchdowns.
The Trojans defense was all over the place this season, holding opponents to single digits five times, while allowing over 35 points on three separate occasions. The defense is giving up 131.0 ypg on the ground compared to 211.8 ypg through the air. The Trojans have allowed 17 rushing touchdowns and 11 passing, while forcing only 20 turnovers. Everson Griffen is the team’s most consistent pass rusher as he has 8 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in 44 tackles. Taylor Mays heads the squad in tackles with 91, while Will Harris is tops with four interceptions.
As for the Eagles they fought its way to an 8-4 finish under first-year head coach Frank Spaziani and finished 5-3 in the ACC. The Eagles are playing in their 11th straight bowl but lost 16-14 to Vanderbilt in the Music City Bowl last year.
The Eagles turned to 25-year-old freshman Dave Shinskie, who was a minor league baseball player prior to joining BC, was erratic and threw 13 interceptions against just 14 touchdowns. Due to the lack of experience under center, the Eagles relied heavily on sophomore tailback Montel Harris, who rushed for 1,355 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Eagle’s main threat is Rich Gunnell who hauled in 54 passes for 750 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Defensively, the Eagles had to play without the 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker Mark Herzlich who has been fighting bone cancer. True freshman Luke Kuechly took advantage of the chance and finished with 142 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss. Spaziani’s defense limited teams to 19 ppg and 104.4 ypg against the run.
BC was defeated by USC in both prior encounters in 1987 and ‘88, and these two schools are set for another home-and-home series in 2013-14.
PICK: Boston College Eagles
