Announcement

**Udog** · 12-29-2007, 05:29 PM

Guys,

Depending on what line you got for TCU, on Friday night, the list in post 29 is now 11-0 ATS, after the Wake game.

**Udog** · 12-29-2007, 09:29 PM

NCAAF
Write-up

2007-2008 Bowl Analysis
Bowl games for December 31
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Monday, December 31

#16-- Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth, 12/31
Cal was 5-0, ranked #2 in country, then lost at home to Oregon State (backup QB let himself be sacked when easy tying FG was within reach), then wheels fell off, with Bears losing six of seven (0-7 vs spread) and can't be real happy about being here. Bears had 15 takeaways in 5-0 start (+11) but only nine after that (-12). Cal is 2-4 vs bowl teams, losing to non-bowlers Washington, Stanford- they were outscored 77-30 in second half of last six games. Huskies ran ball for 334 yards vs Cal, a red flag.

Air Force is playing in first bowl in five years; they won six of last seven games (7-0 vs spread) with its only loss 34-31 at New Mexico; Falcons are 4-2 vs spread as dog- they gave up 31-31- 34 points in their losses. AF ran ball for 212+ yards in each of its last eight games; they ran for 437-285-569 in last three, so Cal is focused on stopping run, or they better be- a loss clinches 6-7 season. They have 4-year starter at QB- their losses this season are by 31-6 (BYU), 31-20 (Navy) 34-31 (New Mexico).

Favorite covered last three Armed Forces Bowls, winning by 18- 29-12 points. Cal is healthier now and capable of posting huge numbers, but service academy teams are always focused. AF is going to run ball, shorten game; they're much mentally tougher than mentally weak Cal team that folded when adversity struck. Cal has edge in speed, talent, but they are depressed team.

#17-- Sun Bowl, El Paso, 12/31
Oregon QB Dixon was headed towards Heisman before he blew knee out; Ducks lost last three games after an 8-1 start, but they did take Oregon State to OT in Civil War, losing 38-31, behind 4th-string QB Roper, Ducks were 24-67/249 passing in last two games, and turned ball over nine times in last three. Ducks are a dog for first time since routing Michigan 39-7 Sept 8 (+7). It'll be interesting to see how Roper reacts to increased practice time. Oregon is just 17-64 (26.6%) on 3rd down last three games.

South Florida won at Auburn, beat West Virginia, but a 3-game skid (allowed 30 ppg) cost them January bowl slot. USF won last three games, scoring 48 ppg. Soph QB Grothe threw seven picks in three losses (five in nine wins)- this is their third bowl in row. Bulls are 22-11 vs spread out of conference since '01. West Va's 188 rushing yards were most vs USF this season; will be fun to see if Oregon RB Stewart can top that figure, as Ducks try to lessen burden on young QB Roper.

Underdogs covered 10 of last 12 Sun Bowls, with Pac-10 team winning last three; six of last eight were decided by six or less points. Totals in last six Sun Bowls were 60-58-61-50-88-77 pts (an average of 65.7). Both of these teams lost three games in a row after reaching #2 in country. USF held seven opponents to less than 50% passing; we'll see how much they pressure young QB Roper, making just his second start.

#18-- Humanitarian Bowl, Boise, 12/31
Georgia Tech fired its coach, hired Navy coach Johnson, but he isn't coaching here (DC Tenuta is); last game for 11 Tech senior starters (Fresno has six). Jackets are 4-7-1 vs spread last dozen tries as road favorite; they're 5-0 if they allow less than 25 points 2-5 if they allow 25+. Underdog is 9-2 vs spread in Tech's lined games (Jackets are 1-5 vs spread as favorite). Players have to be wondering where they fit in with new coach, especially offense, so long trip, interim coach make Tech shaky proposition.

Fresno State scored 30+ points in last four games and seven of last eight; they had special teams TD in three straight games at midpoint of season. Bulldogs are just 1-4 vs bowl teams; they also hammered Kansas State, who would have been in bowl had they beaten Fresno. FSU is 3-2 vs spread as an underdog so far this season; they have earned reputation of going anywhere to play anybody, and have done well as dog. They lost in three OT to Texas A&M on brutally hot September day, then got waxed the next week by Oregon, but this is a dangerous underdog.

Favorites are 5-2 vs spread in this bowl last seven years, with an ACC team winning three of last four, but the one loss was 2004, when Fresno State beat Virginia. Oddly, Tech hasn't played on carpet since last time they were here, four years ago. I don't like backing interim coaches in bowl games, especially a team that is travelling as far as Jackets are, since Johnson's new offensive system will cause some players to transfer. We have a selecton on this game in ths box below.

#19-- Music City Bowl, Nashville, 12/31
No freakin' idea what effect suspensions will have on Florida St squad that is down to 43 scholarship players for this game- now they also have walk-ons to draw from, but how many can you use and still will game? Seminoles once won 11 bowls in a row, from 1985-95, but those days are over (4-4 in last eight), as they try to right ship and keep Seminoles nationally relevant. FSU is 3-4 in last seven games after a 4-1 start; they are 5-1 when they score 21+, 2-4 when they don't. Weatherford improved, but FSU is still just nine for last 29 on third down, not good.

Kentucky is explosive team that has senior QB, head coach who was in NFL, and battle-tested team that was 6-1 after upsetting LSU, but then lost four of last five, losing to Tennessee in OT, as they failed to break long losing skid to Vols. UK beat Tommy Bowden in this game LY (28-20 vs Clemson), now they go after his father. They'll need to protect Woodson and ball better to do this- they gave up 23 sacks in last five games, turned it over 11 times in last four games. Kentucky is 1-4 when scoring less than 40 points-- it would be stunning if they got 40 on FSU.

Florida State is probably concerned that West Virginia is going to lure OC Fisher away and screw up their succession plans for post-Bowden era. Their roster is deimated for this game, moreso on defense, apparently. Kentucky has had terrific two-year run with Woodson at QB. Seminoles are up against it here, but they have chance to be creative, play some different guys. Woodson has had terrific UK career; he figures to end it well in this game.

#20-- Insight Bowl, Tempe AZ, 12/31
Oklahoma State lost its offensive coordinator to Southern Miss they are one of two teams in whole country to average 230+ yds a game, both running and passing, but they gave up 35+ points in seven games this season. Cowboys covered eight of last 11 as road favorite; they played tougher schedule than Indiana did but lost three of last four games, allowing 38+ points in four of last five contests. OSU was 3-5 when they had turnover ratio of less than +2. Cowboys are 2-6 vs bowl teams, beating FAU and Texas Tech. This is their fifth bowl in last six years.

Indiana lost coach Hoeppner to brain tumor in June; his stated goal was "Play 13"; in other words, go to bowl for first time in 14 years, which they accomplished. Coach Lynch was rewarded for job well done with multi-year contract. Hoosiers are 6-0 if they allow 24 or less points, 1-5 when they don't. Opponents were 26 for 51 on 3rd down, in last three games- not good. Indiana has covered 12 of last 38 as road underdog- they have talented soph QB who can run and an NFL receiver in 6-7 Hardy. Indiana will be an emotional, excited team in this game.

To me, this was the most fun bowl matchup, just concerning the two teams involved; lot of offense, not so much defense, wide open play. Should be fun game to watch, too bad NFL Network in broadcasting it. Two artificial turf teams playing on grass will disrupt timing at first, but once these two offenses get going, it will be a shootout. Oklahoma State hasn't impressed me with its level of consistency; with the OC leaving, is Indiana a live dog?

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**pm530** · 12-30-2007, 05:38 AM

College Football – Preview (Independence Bowl)

NCAAF
Preview

Sunday, December 30

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PetroSun Independence Bowl preview: Colorado vs. Alabama
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PetroSun Independence Bowl
Teams: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Date: Sunday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.
Line: Alabama -3 ½, Total 51 points

When you break it all down, it seems only fitting the Colorado Buffaloes will meet the Alabama Crimson Tide in the PetroSun Independence Bowl on Dec. 30.

Both teams went 6-6 this season. Both teams had freakishly similar offensive statistics. Both teams suffered late-season collapses. And both teams have coaches who reporters love to quote.

Colorado’s Gary Hawkins is best known for his much YouTubed rant earlier in the year during which, in response to a parent’s letter, he reminded everyone that this is Division I football. Alabama coach Nick Saban, meanwhile, recently took heat for comparing his team’s loss to Louisiana-Munroe to events that took place during Pearl Harbour and 9/11.

In the end, Saban’s seemingly never-ending colorful quotes may have just earned his team a bowl berth. The Independence Bowl committee chose the Crimson Tide over South Carolina, which was the only one of 10 SEC bowl-eligible teams not to earn a bowl game invite.

It may have also helped that Bama played in the Independence Bowl last year, losing 34-31 to Oklahoma State in one of the best bowl games of the season.

Colorado is making its first trip to the Independence Bowl after finishing third in the Big 12 North this season. The team put its bowl chances in jeopardy by losing four of its last six games. The Buffs exploded for 41 points in the second half against Nebraska in the season finale to earn a 65-51 victory and a trip to Shreveport.

Alabama tried its best to throw its bowl hopes away too when it stumbled to four straight losses to finish the year. The low point came when the Sun Belt’s Louisiana-Munroe upset the Tide in Tuscaloosa, 21-14, as 24-point underdogs. That was just one of nine occasions this year when Alabama failed to cover the spread.

Early in the season, the Tide struggled to adjust to the new defensive system brought in by Saban after he left the Miami Dolphins. Quarterback John Parker Wilson also failed to meet hopes as a second-year starter. He threw just 15 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.

Cody Hawkins, son of head coach Dan, had similar troubles in Boulder this year. He managed 19 touchdowns and threw 15 interceptions, though he can be excused being a freshman. Hawkins also helped lead the Buffs to a shocking 27-24 victory over Oklahoma as 23-point underdogs.

The Tide and Buffaloes are only about one point and five yards apart when you compare their offensive numbers. But the Tide hold the advantage on defense, where they allow eight fewer points per game than Colorado.

Alabama has also held its last three opponents to an average 18.3 points per game whereas Colorado gave up an average of nearly 46 points to its last three foes. Then again, the Tide managed to score only 12 points per game over the last three while Colorado piled up 34.3 per game over the same span.

The last time these two teams met was in the 1991 Blockbuster Bowl when Alabama beat Colorado 30-25 in a game set as a pick ‘em by oddsmakers.

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**pm530** · 12-31-2007, 12:32 AM

College Football - Gameday (Dec. 31)

NCAAF
Gameday

Monday, December 31

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NCAAF Gameday
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College Football Gameday

The college football bowl season really starts to heat up as the year comes to an end. Here's a look at the half dozen games on the NCAA's schedule for New Year's Eve . . .

Armed Forces Bowl: California vs. Air Force, 12:30pm ET

The Golden Bears didn't exactly excel in 2007 - at least not in the second half of the season. California began the year with five straight wins and was climbing the polls, but from there they crashed to just a 6-6 record (3-6 in the Pac-10). They'll now take on Air Force in an attempt to get over the .500 mark. The Falcons finished second in the Mountain West with a 6-2 mark and they went 9-3 overall on the season. California, though, is still pegged as a 3.5-point favorite in this contest, with the total sitting at 54.5.

Humanitarian Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State, 2:00pm ET

The Yellow Jackets won't have Chan Gailey on the sidelines for their bowl game - he was fired by the team at the end of the regular season and replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta. Georgia Tech went 7-5 this season (4-4 in the ACC), and fell out of the Top 25. The Bulldogs ended up in third place in the WAC with a 6-2 mark, and they were 8-4 overall on the season. Fresno State, though, has been pegged as a 6-point underdog in the Humanitarian Bowl, with the total at 54.5 points.

Sun Bowl: South Florida vs. Oregon, 2:00pm ET

The Bulls were ranked as high as No. 2 this season. The Ducks were ranked as high as No. 2 this season. Yet here they are, competing in the Sun Bowl instead of one of the more prestigious postseason contests. South Florida's second-half decline left them at No. 23 in the rankings with a 9-3 record, while 8-4 Oregon had fallen out of the Top 25 altogether by the end of the year. The Ducks won't have QB Dennis Dixon back for this game, and they've been listed as a 6-point underdog. The contest's total is sitting at 52.

Music City Bowl: Kentucky vs. Florida State, 4:00pm ET

The Wildcats didn't have an easy time in the tough Southeastern Conference this season - they went just 3-5 against their rivals, and 7-5 overall. Still, Kentucky has been listed as a 9.5-point favorite in the Music City Bowl, thanks in part to the turmoil surrounding the Florida State program. The Seminoles, who went 4-4 in the ACC and 7-5 overall this season, have around three dozen players suspended for this game because of various rule violations. The total for this game has been listed at 57.5 points.

Insight Bowl: Indiana vs. Oklahoma State, 6:00pm ET

The Hoosiers were tied for the second-worst record in the Big Ten this season at 3-5, but a 7-5 overall mark qualified them for this year's Insight Bowl. They're going to have to win the postseason contest as an underdog, though, as Oklahoma State has been pegged as a 4-point favorite in the game (with the total sitting at 69 points). The Cowboys finished at .500 in both the Big 12 (4-4) and overall (6-6) this season, and they'll be taking on the Hoosiers for the first time since tying 7-7 in Indiana 77 years ago.

Chick-fil-A Bowl: Clemson vs. Auburn, 7:30pm ET

The Chick-fil-A Bowl is the only matchup Monday that features two teams ranked in the Top 25 - Clemson is at No. 15, and Auburn is at No. 22. Clemson had a solid year in the ACC, going 5-3 against conference opponents and 9-3 overall. Auburn also went 5-3 during their conference schedule (the SEC), and they won eight of 12 games overall. These two teams met in this bowl back in 1998, with Auburn coming out on top. This time around Clemson is a 2.5-point favorite, with the game's total pegged at 46.5 points.

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**pm530** · 12-31-2007, 03:13 AM

College Football – Previews, December 31

NCAAF
Previews

Monday, December 31

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Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl preview: Air Force vs. California
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Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Teams: Air Force Falcons vs. California Golden Bears
Date: Monday, Dec. 31, 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Tex.
Line: California -3 ½, Total 54

Some football teams outperform expectations, making the most of what they have. Other teams deliver mediocre results despite their sublime talent. The Armed Forces Bowl pits one of the former against one of the latter in an intriguing New Year’s Eve clash.

The Air Force Academy rode its option ground attack to a 9-3 record and a second-place finish in the Mountain West Conference. First-year man Troy Calhoun was named conference Coach of the Year after the Falcons clinched their first bowl berth in five seasons.

Halfback Chad Hall was Calhoun’s top offensive weapon, leading the Falcons in both rushing and receiving yards and scoring 15 touchdowns on the year. Hall was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Year, leading a unit that averaged 299 yards on the ground, second in the nation.

The wins came early and often for Air Force. The Falcons upset Utah and TCU in September to serve notice of their improvement. Air Force was often favored by the end of its schedule, including its Nov. 10 visit to Notre Dame. The favorite tag was something the Falcons could wear as a badge of honor, considering their 22-point home loss to the Irish last year.

They beat Notre Dame this year in a nationally televised contest in which Hall and quarterback Shaun Carney starred. Carney, a fourth-year starter, threw two touchdowns passes and ran for another.

Linebackers Drew Fowler and John Rabold and cornerback Carson Bird were each named All-MWC and epitomize the Falcons’ opportunistic defense. Fowler was in on 110 tackles and made three interceptions, Rabold led the conference in fumble recoveries and Bird led the conference with six picks.

Air Force paced the Mountain West in turnover margin in conference games, a definite helper in boosting the Falcons’ win tally.

Turnovers also played a major role in Cal’s season.

Jeff Tedford’s Bears opened 2007 with a five-game winning streak that placed the team No. 2 in the national polls. Win No. 1 was a revenge win over Tennessee and win No. 5 was an even more impressive victory over Oregon at Autzen Stadium.

The 5-0 Bears had an impressive +11 turnover ratio at that point of the season. Then all the bounces went the other way. California finished the season 1-6, losing the turnover battle in all seven games down the stretch.

Cal’s slump was so severe, in fact, it’s difficult to rank the Bears’ losses in terms of pain inflicted. They blew their shot at the No. 1 spot in the country at home to Oregon State. They lost to Pac-10 cellar-dweller, Washington, allowing 334 rushing yards in the process. And they closed the season by losing to Stanford for the first time in Tedford’s six-year tenure in Berkeley.

To have Cal favored in the Armed Forces Bowl is a testament to the skill on its roster.

DeSean Jackson headlines a receiving corps reputed to be the nation’s best in the preseason. Justin Forsett excelled as an every-down running back. And quarterback Nate Longshore had the arm to have repeated as the Pac-10’s top-rated passer. The chipped bone in his ankle, however, didn’t help his cause.

Cal lost a lot of defensive starters coming into the season, a fact often lost in the hysteria over the offensive talent. The Bears held only one BCS-conference opponent under 20 points this season. The defense also tired as the season advanced, with the pass rush drying up and the run defense looking more vulnerable.

The Armed Forces Bowl isn’t quite a “David vs. Goliath” matchup because the David in this case owns the superior record. In terms of recruiting and football facilities, however, Cal is a giant towering over its competition.

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Brut Sun Bowl preview: South Florida vs. Oregon
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Brut Sun Bowl
Teams: South Florida Bulls vs. Oregon Ducks
Date: Monday, Dec. 31, 2 p.m. ET
Location: Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas
Line: South Florida -6 ½, 51 ½

Back in mid-October, a game between the Oregon Ducks and South Florida Bulls could have been for the national championship.

An undefeated USF team had already beaten Auburn and Big East-favorite West Virginia, and had stormed to No. 2 in the nation. The one-loss Ducks were just one play away from an unblemished record and they controlled their own destiny in the Pac-10 championship race.

Then things took a tumble. For both teams.

USF rattled off three straight losses from Oct. 18 to Nov. 3 and the Ducks’ dreams were crushed when Heisman-hopeful quarterback Dennis Dixon injured his knee against Arizona on Nov. 15. Dixon was lost for the season with torn ligaments in his left knee and Oregon has lost three straight games since.

The news got even worse for the Ducks when backup quarterback Brady Leaf suffered an ankle injury and they were forced to turn to a couple of inexperienced passers, Justin Roper and Cody Kempt. Leaf should be able to return in time for the Sun Bowl, but he is left with the difficult task of trying to kick-start a stalled offense that has averaged just 18.3 points per game over its last three.

The Ducks go up against a bruising South Florida defense that ranks 22nd in the nation in yards against per game with just 326.8. USF also ranks third in the nation in interceptions with 22. Only three opponents have managed to score more than 23 points against the Bulls all year.

South Florida can do some special things on offense too, led by one of the most exciting players in the nation, sophomore quarterback Matt Grothe. He is a dynamic player who can throw the ball down field or tuck it and run, shouldering into linebackers and safeties along the way. Grothe has thrown for 13 touchdowns this season and run for 10 more, racking up 832 rushing yards and over 2,400 in passing.

Unfortunately for the Bulls, Grothe can also throw some bad interceptions when a defense gets him out of rhythm. He threw four picks in a 38-33 loss to Cincinnati on Nov. 3 and threw two more with no touchdown passes in a 22-15 loss to Connecticut the week before.

Oregon’s defense ranks 62nd in the nation with 386.8 yards against per game, but the unit also has a respectable 16 interceptions this season. The Ducks are allowing 23.8 points against per game, only about three points more than USF.

Prior to Dixon’s injury, Oregon possessed one of the most feared offenses in the nation. It was averaging over 200 yards through the air and on the ground, and the Ducks still remain the No. 12 overall offense in the country with 462 yards per game.

Junior running back Jonathan Stewart will be left to carry most of the load for the Ducks. He led the Pac-10 in rushing this season with 1,469 yards and 10 touchdowns and is coming off a 161-yard performance against Oregon State.

He’ll have to earn every yard against a South Florida defense that is only giving up 112 rushing yards per game, good for 19th in the country.

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Roady's Humanitarian Bowl preview: Fresno State vs. Georgia Tech
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Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl
Teams: Fresno State Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Date: Monday, Dec. 31, 2 p.m. ET
Location: Bronco Stadium, Boise, Idaho
Line: Georgia Tech -4, Total 55 points

The Fresno State Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets renew acquaintances after avoiding each other for five years. The Bulldogs won the 2002 Silicon Valley Football Classic 30-21 to conclude Chan Gailey’s first season as Georgia tech’s head coach. Gailey won’t be around to exact revenge.

He was relieved of his duties after the regular season ended, leaving defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta to lead the Yellow Jackets onto the field in Boise. Tenuta had one of the favorites to take over the head coaching gig at Tech, but Navy’s Paul Johnson landed the job instead. That won’t quell rumors that Tenuta could head to LSU to join Les Miles’ staff.

Losing Tenuta would be a major loss for Georgia Tech’s football program. The defense and running back Tashard Choice were definitely the catalysts behind the program’s success the past two seasons.

The Jackets led the nation with 47.5 quarterback sacks this year and ranked No. 2 with 110.5 tackles for loss, thanks to Tenuta’s blitzing scheme. Defenders come from any angles in any situation, leaving eight different GT defenders with at least three sacks this year.

The blitz does a number against the run too, holding seven of Tech’s 12 opponents under 100 yards on the ground. The Jackets are especially strong up the middle, with tackle Vance Walker named All-ACC this year and linebacker Philip Wheeler and safety Jamal Lewis taking conference honors last year.

Georgia Tech fans wish the team’s offense boasted as many bright lights.

Choice led the ACC in rushing by a wide margin for the second straight year despite being the focal point of every opposing defense. Last year’s Jackets had Calvin Johnson to keep the secondary honest. No such luck this year as quarterback Taylor Bennett passed for only two touchdowns in Tech’s first nine games.

The Yellow Jackets are one of the few teams in the country that employs its punter as a weapon. Durant Brooks boots bombs and is a huge asset in the field position battle.

Fresno State’s special teams also played a role in its 2007 success. The Bulldogs had the Western Athletic Conference’s top return game, with four touchdowns through the season and strong field position to start most offensive drives. The happy returns underline how things went right in Fresno this year after a 2006 campaign in which everything went wrong.

Head coach Pat Hill had honed the Bulldogs into giant killers during his first nine years on the job, regularly upsetting programs with more money and recruiting pull than Fresno State. This year’s 8-4 record hints that those days are back and that last year’s 4-8 season is a distant memory.

The Bulldogs visited Texas A&M in Week 2 and forced overtime before losing. They fared better in their next matchup with a Big 12 opponent, wiping out Kansas State 45-29 in late November.

Like their Dec. 31 opponents, the Bulldogs prefer to run the ball and control the clock on offense. Fresno State’s backfield was riddled with injuries this year and carries were distributed more widely than anticipated. Ryan Mathews was the team’s leading rusher and the only true freshman in the country to top 800 yards and 6.0 yards per carry.

Unlike the Yellow Jackets, Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater has an established target in All-WAC tight end Bear Pascoe.

Linebacker Marcus Riley is Fresno State’s top defender and leads a strong front seven that presents the Yellow Jackets with an interesting choice: do they run Choice into the Bulldogs’ defensive strength, or do they turn Bennett loose against a susceptible secondary? Fresno State twice allowed 400-plus yard passing games and picked off only three passes all season, the fewest in the nation.

Georgia Tech is favored to win in Boise, but the school’s higher profile surely plays a part in that. The uncertainty on the Ramblin’ Wreck sideline could be a distraction, especially with a team that relishes a challenge on the opposite side of the field.

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Music City Bowl preview: Florida State vs. Kentucky
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Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Teams: Florida State Seminoles vs. Kentucky Wildcats
Date: Monday, Dec. 31, 4 p.m. ET
Location: LP Field, Nashville
Line: Kentucky -1, Total 56 points

For about one week in October, folks in Lexington dared to dream.

Their Kentucky Wildcats were 6-1. They were ranked No. 7 in the BCS standings and No. 13 in the USA Today poll. They had just come off a triple overtime victory over then No. 1-ranked LSU. And visions of a BCS bowl game – and even a national championship game appearance – began rolling over in their minds.

And then the rest of the season happened.

Kentucky ended up losing four of its last five games to drop out of the polls. The team will now face the Florida State Seminoles on Dec. 31 in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl.

The ending might be disappointing but there is one positive for the Wildcats – familiarity. Kentucky makes its second straight trip to Nashville where it beat Clemson 28-20 last season as an 11 ½-point underdog.

The Wildcats had 40,000 fans at that game in what was the first sellout in Music City Bowl history. This year’s game sold out within minutes of tickets going on sale and Kentucky will have at least 27,000 fans in attendance.

What it means is Kentucky is no longer the gum stuck on the bottom of the shoe of the SEC. After years of wallowing in losing seasons, the Wildcats have proven they can compete with anyone. They not only beat SEC champion LSU, but they also lost a quadruple overtime heartbreaker to SEC East champ, Tennessee, in the season finale.

Kentucky earned its success mainly with offense this season. The Cats ran a balanced attack under senior quarterback Andre’ Woodson that saw them rank in the top 25 in the nation in passing (282.1 yards per game) and scoring (36.7 points per game). Kentucky can also run the ball successfully with speedsters like Rafael Little and Derrick Locke in the backfield.

The defense is another story. Kentucky surrendered a hefty 29.8 points per game this season and six opponents managed to rack up more than 30 on the Cats. As a result, the team regularly saw Las Vegas oddsmakers set their over/under lines at 60 points or higher.

Florida State is a team that could use the help on offense. The Seminoles struggled for much of the season under new offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. The Noles bounced between quarterbacks Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee before Weatherford took control of the starting position in late October.

The offense has shown signs of improvement since then and a young offensive line is finally starting to give some stability to this unit. The Seminoles finished the season with a tough 45-12 loss to Florida, but before that game they had won three of their previous four contests.

The defense was steady for most of the season for FSU, surrendering only 21.9 points per game. Earning yards on the ground is especially difficult against this squad, which ranked 22nd in the nation in rushing defense.

Florida State is making a record 26th straight bowl appearance under the same coach, Bobby Bowden, who just inked a contract extension with Florida State. It marks the 29th bowl appearance for the Noles under Bowden. Last year the Noles beat UCLA in the Emerald City Bowl 44-27 as 3 ½-point underdogs.

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Insight Bowl preview: Indiana vs. Oklahoma State
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Insight Bowl
Teams: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Date: Monday, Dec. 31, 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.
Line: Oklahoma State -4 ½, Total 68 ½ points

The Indiana Hoosiers and Oklahoma State Cowboys each bring high-powered offenses to Tempe, but the biggest story with both teams this season was found on the sidelines.

Bill Lynch took over as Indiana’s head coach after Terry Hoeppner succumbed to cancer in June. The players use the loss of their beloved former coach as motivation throughout the season, adopting Hoeppner’s dream of playing a 13th game as their creed.

Indiana accomplished its mission under Lynch, who had formerly been Hoeppner’s offensive coordinator. The Hoosiers finished 7-5 and ended the Big Ten’s longest bowl drought when they signed on for this year’s Insight Bowl. It marks Indiana’s first bowl game since 1993.

The Hoosiers capped their regular season by beating Purdue to claim the Old Oaken Bucket for the first time since 2001. Lynch was signed to a four-year extension as a reward for leading the team to success under trying circumstances.

On the field, Indiana is led by quarterback Kellen Lewis and receiver James Hardy. Lewis led the Hoosiers in rushing and threw for 25 touchdowns this year, 16 of which landed in Hardy’s hands. The 6-foot-7 receiver caught touchdowns in 11 of 12 games and posted five multiple-touchdown games. Hardy, a former IU basketball player, has 36 touchdowns over the last three seasons.

The Hoosiers didn’t hold a single Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) opponent under 20 points this season and Big Ten schools scored more than 30 points per game against Indiana. Defensive end Greg Middleton, however, led the nation with 16 sacks. That’s an Indiana school record and that helped earn him first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Special teams could be an Indiana edge in Tempe. Starting tailback Marcus Thigpen headlines a posse of dangerous return men and kicker Austin Starr connected on 19 of his 21 field goal attempts this year.

Oklahoma State might not have the special teams ability of Indiana but it does have something special roaming the sidelines. Head coach Mike Gundy inspired his team this year in an entirely different manner than the way in which Indiana’s coaching staff inspired it. Gundy’s “Come after me! I’m a man! I’m 40!” rant in September was one of the most played video clips of the entire football season.

His tirade followed the Cowboys’ shootout with Texas Tech, the first win in a 4-1 stretch that propelled Oklahoma State to its second straight bowl berth under Gundy. The third-year coach was also rewarded with an extension at season’s end.

The Cowboys had a better season than their 6-6 record might suggest. They lost their visits to Georgia (nearly a national championship game combatant) and Troy (possibly the best team not playing a bowl game) in September. OSU also came within a couple of bounces of beating both Texas A&M and Texas.

Oklahoma State’s worst performance of the year was also its last, when it was soundly trounced by the Sooners in the Bedlam rivalry. The Cowboys missed star receiver Adarius Bowman in that game and their aerial attack was accordingly subdued.

Bowman will suit up in Tempe, restoring the Cowboys’ stacked offense to full power. Quarterback Zac Robinson is a sprinter who threw only two interceptions in the second half of the season. There was also blazing back Dantrell Savage, who ended his season with nine straight 100-yard games and tight end Brandon Pettirgrew was named first-team All-Big 12.

Like Indiana, Oklahoma State’s defense gives up points. The Cowboys play up-tempo games, confident in their offense’s ability to reach the end zone more frequently than their opponents.

Oklahoma State, long one of the Big 12’s lesser lights, is playing in its fifth bowl game in six seasons. The Cowboys won last year’s Independence Bowl under Gundy with many of the same players currently on the roster. Indiana’s motivation, however, might be enough to overcome the postseason experience gap.

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Chick-fil-A Bowl preview: Auburn vs. Clemson
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Chick-fil-A Bowl
Teams: Auburn Tigers vs. Clemson Tigers
Date: Monday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. ET
Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Line: Clemson -2, Total 48 ½ points

There won’t be any teams from the Peach State this year in the Chick-fil-A Bowl but organizers shouldn’t have any problems getting fans to show up.

Both Auburn and Clemson are roughly 100 miles from Atlanta and that will draw the 11th consecutive sellout crowd to the Georgia Dome for the New Year’s Eve bowl game. Both teams finished second in their respective conferences and the Chick-fil-A committee passed on Boston College, which finished first in the ACC Atlantic, to opt for Clemson.

Oddsmakers have Clemson set as a small two-point favorite to earn redemption from the last time these two squads met in the 1998 Chick-fil-A Bowl. Auburn edged Clemson in that game 21-17 with Auburn favored by four points.

Fans might be in store for another low scoring contest this year if both defenses can live up to their numbers. Clemson owns the No. 6 total defense (297.1 yards against per game) in college football this season while Auburn ranks No. 8 (298.3 yards against). Both squads also rank in the top 10 in scoring defense, each holding opponents to fewer than 20 points per game.

And that’s about where the similarities end for these two schools. On offense, these two teams are as different as the conferences in which they play.

Clemson was the offensive power of the ACC this season with more than 34 points per game, while Auburn ranked 10th of 12 teams in the SEC in total offense.

Clemson may have clawed through some patsies like Central Michigan, Furman and Louisiana-Munroe to bulk up its stats, but there is one load of firepower on this team.

The running-back tandem of James Davis and C.J. Spiller is among the most feared in the nation and combined for 11 rushing touchdowns and over 1,600 yards this season. If Auburn is unsure of how fast these two are, it might want to ask conference opponent South Carolina, which watched Davis and Spiller pile up 210 yards in the last game of the season.

The two backs have benefited all season from the passing game of Cullen Harper, who finished second behind only Boston College’s Matt Ryan in ACC passing yards this season. Harper completed 67 percent of his passes and tossed 27 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He helped make a 1,000-yard receiver out of junior Aaron Kelly, who also racked up 11 TDs.

The one criticism on Harper this season is that he struggled at times when he looked to throw downfield. Clemson likes to run a lot of slants and short routes and Harper isn’t quite as accurate when he’s forced to go deep.

That said, Auburn’s passing game doesn’t hold up to that of their fellow Tigers. Auburn fans had high hopes for senior quarterback Brandon Cox this season but he couldn’t deliver as planned.

Cox threw for just 1,869 yards and had more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (nine). Some of that blame can be shouldered by a young offensive line that took several games to jell.

It showed early on when the unit gave up five sacks in its first game against Kansas State. Then the Auburn lost its next two games against South Florida and Mississippi State. Cox struggled to find receivers in all three of those games when he threw six picks.

The good news for Auburn is that the offensive line improved. The Tigers only lost two more games the rest of the way, to LSU and Georgia, arguably the two best squads in the SEC.

The athletic department was pleased with Auburn’s growth throughout the year and rewarded coach Tommy Tuberville with a contract extension at season’s end. Clemson’s Tommy Bowden also signed an extension in December, so both men will head to Atlanta with heavier pockets.

Tuberville is seeking his second straight bowl-game win after defeating Nebraska 17-14 last year in the Cotton Bowl. Clemson was upset by Kentucky 28-20 in the Music City Bowl last year.

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**pm530** · 12-31-2007, 03:53 PM

College Football – Write up (January 1)

NCAAF
Write-up

2007-2008 Bowl Analysis
Bowl games for January 1, ‘08
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, January 1

#22-- Outback Bowl, Tampa, 1/1
Wisconsin upset SEC teams in their last two bowls, but on road, Badgers were 0-5 vs spread this season; they allowed 31-38-38 points in their losses, even allowed 31 each in wins vs Gophers and Citadel. Badgers were +5 in turnovers last five games, after being -7 in first six contests. Wisconsin wants to run ball; they gained 232+ yards in four of last five games, but covered one of four as underdog this season. Their last game was two weeks before Tennessee's last game, with Vols playing SEC title game December 1. Badgers always seem to fly under radar, but they're underrated program that Volunteers better not overlook.

Tennessee covered six of last seven tries as road favorite; they won five of last six games in regular season, pulling out wins vs Vandy, Kentucky by total of three points, but they lost to LSU in SEC title game. Vols have senior QB but OC Cutcliffe is now the head coach at Duke, so he has been distracted. Tennessee is 5-1-1 vs spread as favorite this season. Vols played their last nine games without a bye, so should do much better with rest; they're 3-0 in games decided by less than seven points. In their four losses, Vols were outscored 77-24 in second half.

SEC teams are 7-4 in this game the last 11 years, with underdog 5-2 vs spread in last seven. Ainge has had lot of ups and downs in his career in Knoxville; this is his last college game. 10 of Vols 13 games came against bowl-eligible teams; think they're right side in this game, sending senior QB Ainge out a winner.

#23-- Cotton Bowl, Dallas, 1/1
Missouri is in New Year's Day bowl for first time since '69; they had magical season. QB Daniel is astute enough to handle blitz from Hog defense (10.5 of 22 sacks came from non-linemen). Ole Miss ran for 229 yards against Mizzou Sept 8, but after that, the moist rushing yards Tigers gave up was 166 vs Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. Mizzou was +8 in turnovers in their last seven games; they covered seven of nine as a favorite this year.

Arkansas has had chaos, firing its coach., now having to deal in eligibility issues regarding McFadden and car that an agent did or didn't buy for him, while an interim coach runs team with the slimy Petrino waiting in wings to take over. Hogs can run ball; in addition to McFadden, they have NFL talent in Jones, but there are only so many so distractions you can handle. Alabama and .Kentucky both ung 40+ on Hogs, bad omen against explosive Missouri attack.

SEC teams won last four Cotton Bowls, with three of four wins by exactly three points. That should end here, as Missouri will be out to prove they belonged in BCS mix. Tigers lost twice, to Oklahoma both times; they scored 36+ points against everyone else, and while they may not lay 36 on Arkansas, Missouri is the right side to win the Cotton Bowl.

#24-- Capital One Bowl, Orlando, 1/1
Last game at Michigan for Lloyd Carr, who covered only four of his last twelve bowls. Part of reason Carr is leaving is because at start of season, their slowish defense was riddled by the spread offenses of Appalachian State and Oregon. Florida runs spread better than anyone, with star QB Tebow first college player to run and pass for 20+ TDs in same season. Wolverines, in their last three games, allowed 191-232-229 rushing yards. Not often teams plays in January 1 bowl after losing first two and last two games of season, but Michigan pulled it off.

Urban Meyer won, covered his last four bowls. Heisman winner doesn't always play his best in bowls, with all the distractions, but Teboiw seems to be special. Gators lost 42-30 to Georgia on Oct 27; after that, they won last four games, scoring 49-51-59-45 points, running ball for average of 219.8 yards/game- they put up 498+ yards of total offense in all four. Florida has converted 30 of last 46 third down plays, so Michigan is going to have big trouble getting them off field.

Big 11 teams won last three Capital One Bowls, and six of last 9. Orlando is couple hours away from Gainesville, so Gators will be home side, for sure, as far as crowd support. Michigan has Hart, a senior RB who is great leader, and outgoing coach Carr, but he hasn't been good bowl coach (lost last four). Very tough to lay double digits in bowl, especially to proud program that has lame duck coach. There is rumor freshman QB Mallett will transfer as Rodriguez, a spread offense coach, is taking over at Michigan; will b einteresting to see if and how long he plays.

#25-- Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, 1/1
Texas Tech started out 6-1, then went 2-3 after that, allowing an average of 33 ppg; they lost two games when they scored 45-43 points. Red Raiders are 5-3 vs spread as favorite. Only once in their last nine games did Tech win turnover battle (-6 for 2007), even though Harrell is first starting QB Leach has had two years in row. Tech is playing 8th bowl in row under Leach (4-3 SU in previous seven). Raiders have one of great players in country in freshman WR Crabtree (125 catches, 21 TDs, 1,861 yds).

Virginia is 3-0 as road dog this year, after covering just six of its previous 21 in that role; Cavaliers is 6-1 in games decided by 5 or less points; they closed Orange Bowl by crushing Miami 48-0 but split thei rlast four games, losing to NC State, Virginia Tech. Will be interesting to see how defensive guru Groh attacks Tech offense with blitzes (only 22 of UVa sacks came from linemen). Underdogs covered 10 of 12 Virginia games this season

Favorite is 9-2 vs spread in last eleven Gator Bowls. Groh is 3-1 in bowl games. Virginia is grass team, while Tech plays most of its games on carpet. Gator Bowl is grass surface, which not only slows down Tech WRs, disrupts timing a little, it slows down a pass rush; Virginia's best player is DE Long (Howie's son). This is interesting contrast in styles. would have to lean towards the Virginia team that is playing in ACC country, has a defensive head coach, and was dynamite in close games this season.

#26-- Rose Bowl, Pasadena, 1/1
Illinois is here for first time since '84; they're only here because Ohio State is playing for national title. Illini are very young club that lacks balance on offense; they want to run the ball, having averaged 338 rushing yards over last four games. Illini's QB's threw 14 TDs with 13 INTs this year, not numbers you'd expect from a Rose Bowl team. Illini picked off 14 passes in last seven games, so they play good defense- they're 2-2 vs spread as dog this season, with losses to Missouri (40-34), Iowa (10-6) and Michigan (27-17).

USC is playing in sixth straight BCS bowl, fourth Rose Bowl in last five years; after getting upset by Stanford, Oregon, Trojans won last four games by average score of 29-13, holding foes to just 22.8% (13 for 57) on third down conversions. Cal, Oregon were only teams to run ball for more than 100 yards against SC; don't think Illini can beat them throwing ball. Trojans had seven wins by 17+ points. USC's last five games came against teams that went to bowls; none of their first seven did.

Underdog covered last three Rose Bowls. Illinos might be here because Ohio State couldn't be, but Trojans better not overlook them, as Illini beat Ohio State. Zook was special teams coach in NFL, so you Illini will be good in kicking game. Booty has a big edge at QB, Trojans are used to this environment, while Illinois is glad to just be here. Illini have kicker who was 8-9 on FGs of 40+ yards. Key to game is whether Illinois can run the ball.

#27--Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, 1/1
Hawai'i is unbeaten, explosive and long, long way from home on Bourbon Street; they played at Alabama LY, they've seen speed of an SEC team, but they have trouble scheduling, playing less-than-great schedule (two I-AA teams). Brennan is going to put points on board, but they need to get off to a faster start (trailed Washington 28-7 early in regular season finale). Hawai'i has to gain confidence from Boise State beating Oklahoma in BCS bowl last season, Warriors are 22-1 in last 23 games; they can play.

Georgia played as well as anyone the last few weeks of regular season, winning last six games, running ball for 180+ yards in its last five contests. Dawgs are 5-3 vs spread as favorite this year, 3-5 in eight previous Sugar Bowls (they are 4-2 in bowls under coach Richt). Freshman RB Moreno provided spark for Dawgs, as Georgia hammered Florida 42-30, Auburn 45-20. Teams that beat Georgia held them to 12,14 points-- Hawai'i ain't holding no one under 20, especially quality running team like Dawgs- they allowed 261 rushing yards against Washington.

SEC teams won this game five of last six years, but Dawgs were only team to lose, getting upset by West Virginia two years ago Underdog is 3-1 vs spread in last four Sugar Bowls. Carpet is a help to fast Hawai'i receivers. Jones is 4-1 in bowl games, but he is obviously in different element now, playing Georgia in middle of SEC country. I always like unbeaten teams getting points in bowls; it doesn't happen that often, but I like Hawai'i and lalso like over a little bit in this game.

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**pm530** · 12-31-2007, 03:53 PM

College Football – Write up (January 1)

NCAAF
Write-up

2007-2008 Bowl Analysis
Bowl games for January 1, ‘08
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, January 1

#22-- Outback Bowl, Tampa, 1/1
Wisconsin upset SEC teams in their last two bowls, but on road, Badgers were 0-5 vs spread this season; they allowed 31-38-38 points in their losses, even allowed 31 each in wins vs Gophers and Citadel. Badgers were +5 in turnovers last five games, after being -7 in first six contests. Wisconsin wants to run ball; they gained 232+ yards in four of last five games, but covered one of four as underdog this season. Their last game was two weeks before Tennessee's last game, with Vols playing SEC title game December 1. Badgers always seem to fly under radar, but they're underrated program that Volunteers better not overlook.

Tennessee covered six of last seven tries as road favorite; they won five of last six games in regular season, pulling out wins vs Vandy, Kentucky by total of three points, but they lost to LSU in SEC title game. Vols have senior QB but OC Cutcliffe is now the head coach at Duke, so he has been distracted. Tennessee is 5-1-1 vs spread as favorite this season. Vols played their last nine games without a bye, so should do much better with rest; they're 3-0 in games decided by less than seven points. In their four losses, Vols were outscored 77-24 in second half.

SEC teams are 7-4 in this game the last 11 years, with underdog 5-2 vs spread in last seven. Ainge has had lot of ups and downs in his career in Knoxville; this is his last college game. 10 of Vols 13 games came against bowl-eligible teams; think they're right side in this game, sending senior QB Ainge out a winner.

#23-- Cotton Bowl, Dallas, 1/1
Missouri is in New Year's Day bowl for first time since '69; they had magical season. QB Daniel is astute enough to handle blitz from Hog defense (10.5 of 22 sacks came from non-linemen). Ole Miss ran for 229 yards against Mizzou Sept 8, but after that, the moist rushing yards Tigers gave up was 166 vs Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. Mizzou was +8 in turnovers in their last seven games; they covered seven of nine as a favorite this year.

Arkansas has had chaos, firing its coach., now having to deal in eligibility issues regarding McFadden and car that an agent did or didn't buy for him, while an interim coach runs team with the slimy Petrino waiting in wings to take over. Hogs can run ball; in addition to McFadden, they have NFL talent in Jones, but there are only so many so distractions you can handle. Alabama and .Kentucky both ung 40+ on Hogs, bad omen against explosive Missouri attack.

SEC teams won last four Cotton Bowls, with three of four wins by exactly three points. That should end here, as Missouri will be out to prove they belonged in BCS mix. Tigers lost twice, to Oklahoma both times; they scored 36+ points against everyone else, and while they may not lay 36 on Arkansas, Missouri is the right side to win the Cotton Bowl.

#24-- Capital One Bowl, Orlando, 1/1
Last game at Michigan for Lloyd Carr, who covered only four of his last twelve bowls. Part of reason Carr is leaving is because at start of season, their slowish defense was riddled by the spread offenses of Appalachian State and Oregon. Florida runs spread better than anyone, with star QB Tebow first college player to run and pass for 20+ TDs in same season. Wolverines, in their last three games, allowed 191-232-229 rushing yards. Not often teams plays in January 1 bowl after losing first two and last two games of season, but Michigan pulled it off.

Urban Meyer won, covered his last four bowls. Heisman winner doesn't always play his best in bowls, with all the distractions, but Teboiw seems to be special. Gators lost 42-30 to Georgia on Oct 27; after that, they won last four games, scoring 49-51-59-45 points, running ball for average of 219.8 yards/game- they put up 498+ yards of total offense in all four. Florida has converted 30 of last 46 third down plays, so Michigan is going to have big trouble getting them off field.

Big 11 teams won last three Capital One Bowls, and six of last 9. Orlando is couple hours away from Gainesville, so Gators will be home side, for sure, as far as crowd support. Michigan has Hart, a senior RB who is great leader, and outgoing coach Carr, but he hasn't been good bowl coach (lost last four). Very tough to lay double digits in bowl, especially to proud program that has lame duck coach. There is rumor freshman QB Mallett will transfer as Rodriguez, a spread offense coach, is taking over at Michigan; will b einteresting to see if and how long he plays.

#25-- Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, 1/1
Texas Tech started out 6-1, then went 2-3 after that, allowing an average of 33 ppg; they lost two games when they scored 45-43 points. Red Raiders are 5-3 vs spread as favorite. Only once in their last nine games did Tech win turnover battle (-6 for 2007), even though Harrell is first starting QB Leach has had two years in row. Tech is playing 8th bowl in row under Leach (4-3 SU in previous seven). Raiders have one of great players in country in freshman WR Crabtree (125 catches, 21 TDs, 1,861 yds).

Virginia is 3-0 as road dog this year, after covering just six of its previous 21 in that role; Cavaliers is 6-1 in games decided by 5 or less points; they closed Orange Bowl by crushing Miami 48-0 but split thei rlast four games, losing to NC State, Virginia Tech. Will be interesting to see how defensive guru Groh attacks Tech offense with blitzes (only 22 of UVa sacks came from linemen). Underdogs covered 10 of 12 Virginia games this season

Favorite is 9-2 vs spread in last eleven Gator Bowls. Groh is 3-1 in bowl games. Virginia is grass team, while Tech plays most of its games on carpet. Gator Bowl is grass surface, which not only slows down Tech WRs, disrupts timing a little, it slows down a pass rush; Virginia's best player is DE Long (Howie's son). This is interesting contrast in styles. would have to lean towards the Virginia team that is playing in ACC country, has a defensive head coach, and was dynamite in close games this season.

#26-- Rose Bowl, Pasadena, 1/1
Illinois is here for first time since '84; they're only here because Ohio State is playing for national title. Illini are very young club that lacks balance on offense; they want to run the ball, having averaged 338 rushing yards over last four games. Illini's QB's threw 14 TDs with 13 INTs this year, not numbers you'd expect from a Rose Bowl team. Illini picked off 14 passes in last seven games, so they play good defense- they're 2-2 vs spread as dog this season, with losses to Missouri (40-34), Iowa (10-6) and Michigan (27-17).

USC is playing in sixth straight BCS bowl, fourth Rose Bowl in last five years; after getting upset by Stanford, Oregon, Trojans won last four games by average score of 29-13, holding foes to just 22.8% (13 for 57) on third down conversions. Cal, Oregon were only teams to run ball for more than 100 yards against SC; don't think Illini can beat them throwing ball. Trojans had seven wins by 17+ points. USC's last five games came against teams that went to bowls; none of their first seven did.

Underdog covered last three Rose Bowls. Illinos might be here because Ohio State couldn't be, but Trojans better not overlook them, as Illini beat Ohio State. Zook was special teams coach in NFL, so you Illini will be good in kicking game. Booty has a big edge at QB, Trojans are used to this environment, while Illinois is glad to just be here. Illini have kicker who was 8-9 on FGs of 40+ yards. Key to game is whether Illinois can run the ball.

#27--Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, 1/1
Hawai'i is unbeaten, explosive and long, long way from home on Bourbon Street; they played at Alabama LY, they've seen speed of an SEC team, but they have trouble scheduling, playing less-than-great schedule (two I-AA teams). Brennan is going to put points on board, but they need to get off to a faster start (trailed Washington 28-7 early in regular season finale). Hawai'i has to gain confidence from Boise State beating Oklahoma in BCS bowl last season, Warriors are 22-1 in last 23 games; they can play.

Georgia played as well as anyone the last few weeks of regular season, winning last six games, running ball for 180+ yards in its last five contests. Dawgs are 5-3 vs spread as favorite this year, 3-5 in eight previous Sugar Bowls (they are 4-2 in bowls under coach Richt). Freshman RB Moreno provided spark for Dawgs, as Georgia hammered Florida 42-30, Auburn 45-20. Teams that beat Georgia held them to 12,14 points-- Hawai'i ain't holding no one under 20, especially quality running team like Dawgs- they allowed 261 rushing yards against Washington.

SEC teams won this game five of last six years, but Dawgs were only team to lose, getting upset by West Virginia two years ago Underdog is 3-1 vs spread in last four Sugar Bowls. Carpet is a help to fast Hawai'i receivers. Jones is 4-1 in bowl games, but he is obviously in different element now, playing Georgia in middle of SEC country. I always like unbeaten teams getting points in bowls; it doesn't happen that often, but I like Hawai'i and lalso like over a little bit in this game.

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**pm530** · 01-01-2008, 04:10 AM

College Football - Gameday

NCAAF
Gameday

Tuesday, January 1

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NCAAF Gameday
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College Football Gameday

New Year's Day features another six bowl games, which lets you ring in 2008 with over twelve hours of football. Here's a look at all of the contests on the schedule for today …

Outback Bowl: Tennessee vs. Wisconsin, 11:00am ET

The Volunteers fell just short of a berth in a BCS bowl game this season, so they'll have to make due with a January 1 matchup against Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. Tennessee ended up 6-2 in SEC conference play this season, and they went 9-4 overall to sit at No. 16 in the rankings. Wisconsin went 5-3 against Big 10 opponents this year, and they were 9-3 during the regular season. The oddsmakers like the Vols in this game, listing them as 2-point favorites. The contest's total has been listed at 58.5 points.

Cotton Bowl: Missouri vs. Arkansas, 11:30am ET

Missouri lost a chance at the national title when they fell to Oklahoma 38-17 in their last game of the season. In fact, the Sooners tagged the Tigers with their only two losses of the season as Missouri ended up 11-2 overall and at No. 7 in the rankings. Arkansas is coming off an 8-4 campaign (4-4 in the SEC), which put them at No. 25 in the rankings. Bobby Petrino is set to take over the Razorbacks next year, but he won't be coaching the team on Tuesday. Missouri is pegged as a 3.5-point favorite, with the total at 68.5.

Capital One Bowl: Michigan vs. Florida, 1:00pm ET

Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow will lead the No. 9 Gators against Michigan in this year's Capital One Bowl. Florida went 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the SEC this season, which only qualified them for a second-tier bowl against a Wolverines team that went 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten. Tuesday will also mark the final game for Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, who is leaving the team after the season. Ranked Florida is pegged as a big 10.5-point favorite in this contest down in Orlando, with the game's total set at 59 points.

Gator Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Virginia, 1:00pm ET

Virginia finished in second place in the ACC's Coastal Division, but their 9-3 overall and 6-2 conference record put them at No. 21 in the rankings. The Cavaliers finished under .500 last season, so an appearance in the Gator Bowl against Texas Tech is a big turnaround for this program. The Red Raiders ended up 8-4 overall and 4-4 against Big 12 conference opponents during the regular season, and unranked. The oddsmakers, though, have Texas Tech as a 6-point favorite in this contest, with the total at 59 points.

Rose Bowl: Illinois vs. Southern Cal, 4:30pm ET

Bigger things were expected from Southern Cal this season, but two losses to conference opponents (they were 10-2 overall) ruined their national title chances and put them into the Rose Bowl once again. And with Ohio State boosted into the championship game the Big Ten's representative in this bowl is Illinois, who went 9-3 overall and 6-2 in their conference this season. Oddsmakers, though, like the Trojans' chances of getting their 23rd Rose Bowl win - they're 13.5-point faves with a total of 50.

Sugar Bowl: Hawaii vs. Georgia, 8:30pm ET

Colt Brennan and the Warriors will be putting their perfect record on the line when they take on Georgia in New Orleans on New Year's Day. Hawaii went 12-0 this season, but that only put them at No. 10 in the rankings (thanks to their WAC schedule). However, a win over the No. 4 Bulldogs will give their program some added credibility. Georgia finished 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the SEC - and they're not happy about being passed over for the title game. The Bulldogs are 7.5-point favorites with the total at 68.5 points.

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**pm530** · 01-01-2008, 04:15 AM

College Football – Previews, January 1

NCAAF
Previews

Tuesday, January 1

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Outback Bowl preview: Wisconsin vs. Tennessee
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Outback Bowl
Teams: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Tennessee Volunteers
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 1, 11 a.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Line: Tennessee -3 ½, Total 60 points

The Tennessee Volunteers return to the Outback Bowl in Tampa for the second straight season, this time to face the Big Ten’s Wisconsin Badgers on New Year’s Day.

Last year Tennessee fell to Penn State 20-10 as a 3 ½-point favorite and this time around hopes for a better result with a similar pointspread.

The Vols had their sights set on a bowl with BCS implications, but their loss to LSU in the SEC Championship game leaves them on the outside looking in. The Badgers, meanwhile, earned their way to Florida after finishing fourth in the Big Ten.

This matchup shows promise of being a high-scoring affair between two talented offenses and two defenses that could use a little tightening up. Oddsmakers set the opening over/under line at 57 ½ points but that number was quickly raised to 60 points by the betting public.

Tennessee is scoring 33.4 points per game, about three points more than the Badgers this season. The Vols earned their points using a balanced attack that features a 1,000-yard receiver (Lucas Taylor) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Adrian Foster). Quarterback Erik Ainge also threw for over 3,000 yards this season with 29 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions.

Ainge completed 63 percent of his passes, thanks largely to an offensive line that allowed him to be sacked just four times, which ranks best in the nation.

The defense didn’t have quite the same success for Tennessee. The Vols allowed 28.1 points per game and a little more than 400 yards per game. It got even worse away from Knoxville. The Vols gave up a gruesome 43.2 points and 487.3 yards per road game.

They’re going to have to find a way to stop a Badgers team that racks up over 200 yards passing and 200 yards rushing per game. The offense revolves mainly around the running game of P.J. Hill, who dashed for 1,080 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

Unfortunately for Wisconsin, Hill missed two games and was limited in two others with an injury to his left leg. The team is hoping he’ll be healthy by the time the Outback Bowl rolls around, but he was listed as day-to-day in early December.

The Badgers are a little better on defense than the Vols, giving up 23.3 points per game. However, like Tennessee, they’re worse on the road than they are at home. They allow 30.8 points and over 400 yards per game as the visitors.

Both Wisconsin and Tennessee went 7-0 at home this season and 2-3 on the road. Two of Wisconsin’s road losses came at the hands of BCS bowl-bound Ohio State and Illinois. Tennessee got throttled at Alabama, at Florida and at Cal.

Wisconsin is looking to extend its bowl-game winning streak to three games after winning the Capital One Bowl in each of the past two seasons. The Badgers last played in the Outback Bowl in 2004 where they were edged by Georgia 24-21.

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AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic preview: Arkansas vs. Missouri
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AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic
Teams: Missouri Tigers vs. Arkansas Razorbacks
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 1, 11:30 a.m. ET
Location: Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Line: Missouri -3 ½, Total 70 points

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel may have said it best when he said his team just lost at the wrong time.

That’s what ultimately kept his Tigers out of a BCS bowl game this season after they lost the Big 12 championship game to the Oklahoma Sooners on Dec. 1. The 38-17 loss left Missouri with two on the season – both at the hands of Oklahoma – and that means the one-loss Kansas Jayhawks will sneak into the Orange Bowl.

The situation once again raises controversy with the BCS bowl system. Missouri beat Kansas on a neutral field at Arrowhead Stadium a week before the Big 12 final. The Tigers also finished sixth in the BCS final standings, two spots ahead of the Jayhawks.
But what’s done is done. Now college football fans are left with a Cotton Bowl matchup of two Heisman Trophy finalists when the Arkansas Razorbacks meet Missouri on New Year’s Day.

Arkansas’ Darren McFadden, arguably the nation’s most explosive rusher, puts his skills on display against Missouri’s Chase Daniel, who might just be the nation’s purest passer. Appropriately, McFadden ranks fourth in the nation in rushing yards this season (1,725) while Daniel ranks fourth in passing (4,170).

Who will steal the spotlight remains to be seen. When you look at the numbers, it’s tough to see an edge. Missouri averages 0.2 points more per game than Arkansas, while the Tigers average just 1.1 points fewer against.

There is one major difference in the stats, however, and that reflects the styles of these two offenses. Arkansas is the No. 3 rushing team in the country with 296.8 yards per game while Mizzou is the No. 7 passing offense with 327.8 yards per game.

Arkansas uses the dual punch of McFadden and Felix Jones, who finished first and fifth respectively in the SEC in rushing yards this year. McFadden turns the corner and breaks for long runs better than anyone in the country and Jones provides a more physical presence that keeps defenders on their toes.

McFadden and Jones combined for more than 2,800 yards on the ground and 27 total touchdowns this season.

Fortunately for Missouri, its defense is better against the run than it is against the pass. The Tigers surrendered just 118.6 rushing yards per game.

They will also counter Arkansas’ tandem with a highlight-producing duo of their own. In addition to Daniel, freshman wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has been wowing college football followers all season. He is not only Daniel’s favorite target, but also the nation’s all-purpose yardage leader with 2,713 yards.

Maclin is one of the most dangerous return men in college. He’s returned two punts and one kickoff to the house this season. The Razorbacks’ Jones, meanwhile, has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns himself, so special teams could play a key role in this contest.

What could be the biggest story heading into this game, though, is the Razorbacks coaching staff. Shortly after Arkansas upset LSU in triple overtime 50-48 in the season finale, Hogs head coach Houston Nutt announced his resignation. Soon after that, he surprised many by signing on with SEC West rival Mississippi. That means Nutt won’t be on the sidelines for his team’s final game.

It looks like defensive coordinator Reggie Herring will take over the interim duties while the search continues for Nutt’s replacement. Several Arkansas players were admittedly disappointed by the news and it remains to be seen how the change will impact the Hogs’ play. Nutt had Arkansas playing its best football of the season lately, with five wins in the team’s last six games.

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Capital One Bowl preview: Michigan vs. Florida
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Capital One Bowl
Teams: Michigan Wolverines vs. Florida Gators
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET
Location: Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando
Line: Florida -10 ½, Total 60 points

For the second straight game, the Michigan Wolverines will face a team that played in last year’s national championship. This time though, they’re facing the squad that won.

One game after Michigan lost 14-3 to Ohio State, the Wolverines will meet the Florida Gators in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando on New Year’s Day. It will be the first time the schools have met since the 2003 Outback Bowl when Michigan beat the Gators 38-30 as a slight 1 ½-point favorite.

The game will mark the end of Lloyd Carr’s 13-year tenure as Michigan’s head coach after he announced he would be stepping down at the end of the season.

Carr had hoped his last game would have more of a BCS ring to it, but his team fell short of expectations when it started and finished the year with a pair of losses. The Wolverines spent much of the season trying to wipe the yoke from their faces after Appalachian State embarrassed them at home 34-32 in a game that didn’t even warrant a pointspread.

Oregon came in next and silenced the Big House with a 39-7 victory. Michigan suddenly went from a national championship contender to one of the biggest early flops in college football memory. To their credit, the Wolverines fired off eight straight victories before dropping a pair of games to Wisconsin and Ohio State to close out the season.

Injuries were the biggest speed bumps on Michigan’s rocky road. The Wolverines played just one snap all season with their four best offensive players on the field at the same time, QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart, WR Mario Manningham and OT Jake Long.

Henne battled knee and shoulder injuries for most of the season while Hart suffered a high ankle sprain that kept him out of three games. Somehow Hart still managed to finish fourth in the Big Ten with 1,232 rushing yards, but he was forced to sit out in the loss to Wisconsin and managed only 44 yards against Ohio State while still ailing.

Good news for Blue though – they are expecting a healthy lineup in Orlando. And they’re going to need it against the nation’s fourth-best scoring offense that averages 43 points per game.

Quarterback Tim Tebow blew the country away by becoming the first college player to pass for at least 20 touchdowns and run for 20 in the same season. Tebow led the nation in the “points responsible for” category with 25.5 per game. He’ll head to New York as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Not surprisingly, Florida games were a profitable over bet for handicappers this year. The Gators played over the total in eight of 11 games in which they saw an over/under line this season.

Critics would say the defense played as much of a role in helping the over cash in for Florida. The Gators’ young defenders allowed more than 30 points in four games this season and averaged 30 points against in their three losses. That’s a far cry from the defense in Gainesville last year that didn’t allow 30 points in a game all season and allowed more than 20 only three times.

Then again, last year’s team didn’t earn an impressive 8-3 record against the spread either. Last season the Gators went an unprofitable 5-8 against the number.

Michigan managed to squeak out a 6-5 against the spread record this season and it went 4-7 on the over/under.

This marks the fourth time the Wolverines will play in the Capital One Bowl, where they’ve earned a 2-1 record. They were last here in 2002 when Tennessee hammered them 45-17 with Michigan listed as a three-point underdog. This is also the Wolverines’ 33rd straight bowl game, the longest current streak in college football.

Florida’s last trip to this bowl was in 2000 when it was nipped by Michigan State 37-34 with the Gators slated as three-point favorites.

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Konica Minolta Gator Bowl preview: Texas Tech vs. Virginia
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Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
Teams: Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Virginia Cavaliers
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET
Location: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
Line: Texas Tech -5 ½, Total 60 ½ points

If you like close games, then say hello to Virginia.

The Cavaliers set an NCAA record this season by winning five games decided by two points or fewer, which has helped them earn their way into a New Year’s Day game.

And get ready, cardiac junkies, this game is shaping to be another nail-biter – at least on paper. It’s a matchup of offense versus defense when the Texas Tech Red Raiders pit the No. 6 scoring offense in the nation against Virginia’s No. 13 scoring defense at the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl.

The Red Raiders are the best passing team in the nation with 475.6 yards per game. Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree is also the nation’s receiving leader with 1,861 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Virginia, meanwhile, allows just 18.8 points per game and boasts one of the nation’s top defenders, Chris Long. Long was named the ACC defensive player of the year with 13 ½ sacks and 18 ½ tackles for loss. Perhaps his biggest attribute is his ability to swat down balls and throw passing quarterbacks off their games.

Virginia’s defense needed to come up big at times this year while the offense struggled early on to find its groove. Sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell wasn’t able to run the offense the way the Hoos had hoped and head coach Al Groh was forced to split time between Sewell and freshman Peter Lalich.

Sewell failed to pass for even 100 yards in any of Virginia’s first three games before turning things around and taking control of the starting job. He can be a dangerous threat through the air and on the ground when he plays to his capabilities. Sewell rushed for 241 yards and four touchdowns this season, but also threw nine interceptions against just 11 touchdowns.

In Sewell’s defense, he wasn’t helped by much of a running game. The team’s first- and second-string tailbacks, Cedric Peerman and Andrew Pearman, were lost to injuries and third-stringer Mikell Simpson was forced into the starting role. The sophomore scored seven touchdowns and also served as a capable receiving threat, but couldn’t fully replace Peerman.

Fortunately for Simpson and the Cavs, the Red Raiders are allowing a hearty 171 yards on the ground per game this season. The Texas Tech defense has also struggled against winning teams, giving up an average 33 points per game.

Another area where the Raiders give away an edge is penalties. UVA ranks 10th in the nation in fewest penalties per game while Texas Tech ranks 103rd. If you ask head coach Mike Leach though, it’s not entirely his team’s fault. Leach was famously fined $10,000 after criticizing officials following Tech’s 59-43 loss to Texas on Nov. 10.

Any sour grapes over that game were quickly forgotten when Tech pulled off a huge 34-27 upset over Oklahoma the following week. Quarterback Graham Harrell put on a passing clinic that was a treat to watch. He finished the game with 420 yards through the air. Harrell now enters the Gator Bowl with four straight games in which he’s passed for at least 400 yards and four touchdowns.

Harrell and the Red Raiders are out to win their second straight bowl game after beating Minnesota 44-41 in the Insight Bowl last season. The Raiders made college football history in that game when they came back after trailing by 31 points in the third quarter.

Virginia is happy to be back in bowl territory after failing to qualify for a postseason game last year.

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Rose Bowl preview: Illinois vs. Southern California
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Rose Bowl
Teams: Illinois Fighting Illini vs. USC Trojans
When: Tuesday, Jan. 1, 4:30 p.m. ET
Where: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, Cal.
Line: USC -13 ½, Total 50 points

Rose Bowl traditionalists can breathe a sigh of relief. This year’s game will be Pac-10 versus Big Ten, just the way they like it.

For the third straight year, the USC Trojans will be playing in the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena. This time though, it will be against an unfamiliar team when the Illinois Fighting Illini travel to California for their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1984.

The Illini snuck into the BCS bowl picture as the only team with three losses after Ohio State made room by being named to the national championship game. But anyone willing to argue they don’t belong there is going to have a tough case.

Illinois was the only team in the nation to beat Ohio State this season. Two of the Illini’s three losses came against quality opponents, Missouri and Michigan. The program also finished the season with four straight victories, just like USC.

The Trojans could argue now that they deserve to be in the national title game, with some even saying they are the best team in the nation. But for a while it looked as though the Trojans had lost the Pac-10 conference for the first time in six seasons.

They suffered a humiliating loss to 39-point underdog Stanford and another loss three games later to Oregon, which was a seven-point underdog.

The Trojans’ troubles began when quarterback John David Booty broke a finger on his throwing hand against Stanford. Booty stayed in the game with the approval of head coach Pete Carroll and ended up throwing four costly picks to the Cardinal. He was forced to sit out for the next three games, including the loss to Oregon.

Booty returned to lead the Trojans to victories in their last four games, during which the senior threw for eight touchdowns and just one interception. He also had a 375-yard performance in a crucial 44-24 victory over Arizona State on Nov. 22.

On defense, USC didn’t run into as many challenges. The Trojans rank second in the country in total defense, fourth in scoring defense and fourth in rushing defense. USC allowed just 15.9 points per game. This allowed the team to become the best bet in all of college football for under bettors, with 10 of 12 games going under the total this season.

What should concern the Trojans heading into the Rose Bowl is how they struggled against mobile quarterbacks this season. They’re about to face another one in Illinois’ Juice Williams. USC lost outright to Oregon and their mobile QB, Dennis Dixon. The team also barely shaved past Washington’s scrambling freshman, Jake Locker, in a 27-24 affair.

Williams might not have developed yet into as good a passer as Dixon, but he is well on his way. The Illinois QB made remarkable strides this season and ended up throwing for nearly 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also tossed 10 interceptions but five of those came in the first five games. The other five picks came over the last seven games. Nine of Williams’ 13 TD passes also came over his last seven games.

Williams learned to stop staring down his receivers before the pass and he became better at reading defenses from the line of scrimmage. Not only did his passing numbers start to increase, but so did his rushing numbers. Williams collected his only two 100-plus rushing yard games over the final three outings of the season and scored five of his seven rushing touchdowns over his last four games.

The super sophomore was also helped by tailback Rashard Mendenhall, who led the Big Ten in rushing this season. A stingy defense took care of its end for Illinois and held opponents to just 19.5 points per game. The rushing defense allowed just 114.2 yards per game.

That unit will be put to the test against an army of capable USC running backs. The Trojans had four backs run for at least 60 yards in the season finale against UCLA. They also produced four backs this season with over 400 yards each.

USC beat Michigan in last year’s Rose Bowl, 32-18. It lost a heartbreaker to Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns the year before that in what was the national championship game in Pasadena.

This marks the Trojans’ 32nd trip to the Rose Bowl Game where they have posted a 22-9 record. They need just one more bowl victory to move into a tie with Alabama for most bowl victories by any school with 30.

Illinois has been to the Rose Bowl four times where it has posted a 3-1 record. This is the Illini’s first bowl game since the 2001 Sugar Bowl.

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Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic preview: Georgia vs. Hawaii
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Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic
Teams: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Hawaii Warriors
Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Lou.
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. ET
Line: Georgia -9 ½, Total 68 ½ points

The Sugar Bowl attracts millions of viewers no matter which schools participate. But this year’s game between the Hawaii Warriors and the Georgia Bulldogs could rival the national championship game for interest from media and football fans alike.

Look no further than last year’s Fiesta Bowl to understand why.

Hawaii is a 12-0 team that calls the Western Athletic Conference home. That makes the Warriors a natural comparison point to Boise State. The Broncos were last year’s undefeated WAC representative that captivated the country with its upset win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

Last year, the Broncos’ mix of underdog likeability and offensive imagination stole the show in Glendale. This year’s Warriors share those same traits and can do the same in New Orleans.

Hawaii wins via Colt Brennan’s arm. The senior quarterback holds the NCAA record for career passing touchdowns and paced an offense that scored 46 points a game. The Warriors play a run-and-shoot offense under June Jones, their head coach and offensive coordinator the last nine seasons.

Brennan’s numbers since he became Hawaii’s starting quarterback are staggering. He has topped 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns through the air in each of the last three seasons, completing over 70 percent of his passes in the process.

The run-and-shoot puts a lot of decisions in the quarterback’s hands. Brennan almost always makes the right choice. He mastered the complicated offense and his mastery was on display in Hawaii’s season-ending win over Washington. Brennan completed 42 of 50 passes as he led his team back from a pair of 21-point deficits to clinch a perfect record.

The win over the Huskies came one week after Hawaii’s defeat of Boise State. Brennan passed for five touchdowns and over 400 yards in both wins.

A successful run-and-shoot requires capable receivers, and Brennan has them. Ryan Grice-Mullen, Davone Bess and Jason Rivers all posted 1,000-yard receiving seasons and Brennan spreads the red-zone love equally among the trio. All three have 30-plus touchdown catches since coming to Hawaii.

The Warriors didn’t qualify for the Sugar Bowl on passing alone. Only three opponents exceeded 30 points against them this year, a noteworthy accomplishment given the pace of Hawaii’s games. Six of the school’s 2006 opponents reached 30 points or more, eight of its 2005 foes.

An aggressive scheme under first-year defensive coordinator Greg McMackin helped the Warriors keep opposing offenses under wraps. Hawaii led the WAC in sacks and the pressure forced opposing quarterbacks into 19 interceptions.

Pressuring Georgia’s Mathew Stafford might be difficult. The Bulldogs’ offensive line allowed only 14 sacks this season, one of many reasons the Dawgs were the Southeastern Conference’s hottest team in the second half of the season.

Georgia’s Week 6 loss at Tennessee cost the Bulldogs the SEC East. They followed the loss with an atrocious opening half at Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs trailed the Commodores by 10 points at the break and were in danger of falling to 4-3.

That’s when Knowshon Moreno established himself as the man in Georgia’s offense. The freshman ran for 157 yards in his first start, spurring a comeback win at Vanderbilt. Georgia hasn’t lost a game since.

Moreno compiled 100-yard rushing games in all five of his starts against SEC opponents and won the conference’s freshman of the year honors. He became the focus of opposing defensive game plans, giving Stafford the freedom to occasionally show off his arm.

The sophomore quarterback has already experienced success at a neutral-site game this year, tossing three touchdowns in Georgia’s win over Florida in Jacksonville. The victory over the defending champs was not only Stafford’s best game of the season, but also marked the Dawgs’ unifying moment of the season.

Head coach Mark Richt instructed his players to rush the field for a team celebration after opening the scoring, sending a huge statement to the Gators, who had owned the series in recent years.

Richt pulled a similarly motivating stunt two weeks later, surprising his players by letting them wear black uniforms for the first time in school history. The Bulldogs responded with a 45-20 win over Auburn.

Georgia held Auburn to 216 total yards that game and picked off four passes. The interceptions were a result of pressure, something that marked the Dawgs’ second half efforts. Georgia amassed 25 sacks over its six-game winning streak to close the season.

The Bulldogs also own one of the top special teams units in the nation and rank near the top of the SEC in returns, coverage, punting and placekicking.

Georgia comes to New Orleans as a traditional powerhouse with an exceptionally well-rounded roster. Of course, that’s exactly how Oklahoma looked going into last year’s Fiesta Bowl.

The stage is set for a repeat upset in the WAC’s favor. If Hawaii posts a win at the Superdome, then questions will arise about how the only undefeated team didn’t land in the title game. The Bulldogs, however, pose a serious obstacle for the Warriors to hurdle before such questions become relevant.

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**pm530** · 01-02-2008, 04:10 AM

College Football – Write up

NCAAF
Write-up

2007-2008 Bowl Analysis
Bowl game for January 2, ‘08
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Wednesday, January 2

#28-- Fiesta Bowl, Glendale AZ, 1/2
West Virginia lost its coach to Michigan, hasn't replaced him as of yet, so certain amount of chaos for 'eers, who scored 38 pts in winning both its bowl games the last two years. They had shot at national title until ugly 13-9 loss to rival Pitt, which held them to 104 rushing yards (84 lower than any other game). This is the first time West Virginia has been underdog this season; do they have passing game to make plays in Sooners contain their run game? Probably not. X-factor is how much did Rodriguez' going to Michigan take the heart out of this team (he's an alumnus)?

You know Oklahoma has been waiting a full year for redemption in a bowl after being stunned by Boise State last year; now they return to same place after 11-2 season that saw them go 5-26 on third down in their two losses (27-24 at Colorado, 34-27 at Texas Tech- both of whom won their bowl game). 11 of 13 Sooner foes ran ball for 128 or less yards; West Va lost both times this year when they ran ball for less than 216 yards (South Florida, Pitt-- USF lost its bowl, Pitt didn't go to one). Other than Bradford's being a freshman QB, most every edge in game goes to Sooners.

Stoops has struggled in bowls, losing his last three BCS games, including the Fiesta Bowl last year, in most dramatic finish ever in college football. Last time Sooners (1-3 in last four bowls) had a decisive bowl win was five years ago (34-14 over Washington State in Rose Bowl). I think they'll play well tonight; interim or lame duck coaches are 1-7 SU this bowl season, Oklahoma is the right side in this game.

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**pm530** · 01-02-2008, 04:16 AM

College Football - Gameday

NCAAF
Gameday

Wednesday, January 2

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NCAAF Gameday
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College Football Gameday

The West Virginia Mountaineers will take on the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday night down at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

However, this is not the game in which either of these teams wanted to participate. With a combined record of 21-4 both the Mountaineers and the Sooners had their sights set on next week's BCS Championship Game. That game, though, will be contested by the LSU Tigers and the Ohio State Buckeyes, who were slightly better at a combined 22-3.

West Virginia had their chance to make the title game - they went up against the unheralded Pittsburgh Panthers in their final regular-season contest, but ended up losing 13-9. That marked the Mountaineers' second loss of the season, dropped them from No. 2 to No. 9 in the rankings, and punched their ticket to this year's Fiesta Bowl.

The Mountaineers went up 7-0 on a Jarrett Brown rushing touchdown in the second quarter against Pittsburgh, but their offense stalled once quarterback Pat White suffered a dislocated thumb. White tried to rally the team late in the game, but was ineffective. His numbers against the Panthers: 5-of-10 for 50 yards passing, with no touchdowns.

White is probable to play in the Fiesta Bowl, but the Mountaineers will be without another key member of the team - head coach Rich Rodriguez. Or, rather, former head coach Rich Rodriguez. After seven years at West Virginia Rodriguez bolted for the Michigan job; associate head coach Bill Stewart will lead the team in their bowl game.

Oklahoma ended the year at No. 3 in the AP Poll, despite the fact that they knocked off top-ranked Missouri in their final regular season game. The Sooners' two losses came against Colorado (on September 29) and Texas Tech (on November 17), and they actually beat Missouri twice - on October 13, and then again in the Big 12 title game.

Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford went 18-of-26 for 209 yards passing against the Tigers last time out, with two touchdown strikes and no interceptions. Running back Chris Brown rushed for 71 yards on 23 carries and found the end zone twice in the easy 38-17 win. That boosted the Sooners up from No. 9, but not enough to make the top two.

Oklahoma had no trouble covering the 3-point spread against Missouri, which put the Sooners at 7-6 against-the-spread on the season. The Sooners actually started the year with four straight ATS wins in romps vs. North Texas, Miami, Utah State, and Tulsa, but they then picked up four straight ATS losses against Colorado, Texas, Missouri, and Iowa State. Since then Oklahoma has managed to go 3-2 against the posted spreads.

West Virginia had been favored by 28.5 points against Pittsburgh, which ended up being their fifth ATS loss of the season (compared to seven ATS wins). The Mountaineers haven't lost two games in a row against-the-spread at any time this year.

The oddsmakers have the Sooners pegged as a 7.5-point favorite in the Fiesta Bowl, while the game's total is sitting at 63.5 points. Both of those teams are below .500 on the OVER/UNDER this season; the Mountaineers are 5-7, and the Sooners are 6-7. Check your favorite sports books for the latest odds and totals heading into game time.

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**pm530** · 01-02-2008, 04:27 AM

College Football - Gameday

NCAAF
Gameday

Wednesday, January 2

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NCAAF Gameday
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

College Football Gameday

The West Virginia Mountaineers will take on the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday night down at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

However, this is not the game in which either of these teams wanted to participate. With a combined record of 21-4 both the Mountaineers and the Sooners had their sights set on next week's BCS Championship Game. That game, though, will be contested by the LSU Tigers and the Ohio State Buckeyes, who were slightly better at a combined 22-3.

West Virginia had their chance to make the title game - they went up against the unheralded Pittsburgh Panthers in their final regular-season contest, but ended up losing 13-9. That marked the Mountaineers' second loss of the season, dropped them from No. 2 to No. 9 in the rankings, and punched their ticket to this year's Fiesta Bowl.

The Mountaineers went up 7-0 on a Jarrett Brown rushing touchdown in the second quarter against Pittsburgh, but their offense stalled once quarterback Pat White suffered a dislocated thumb. White tried to rally the team late in the game, but was ineffective. His numbers against the Panthers: 5-of-10 for 50 yards passing, with no touchdowns.

White is probable to play in the Fiesta Bowl, but the Mountaineers will be without another key member of the team - head coach Rich Rodriguez. Or, rather, former head coach Rich Rodriguez. After seven years at West Virginia Rodriguez bolted for the Michigan job; associate head coach Bill Stewart will lead the team in their bowl game.

Oklahoma ended the year at No. 3 in the AP Poll, despite the fact that they knocked off top-ranked Missouri in their final regular season game. The Sooners' two losses came against Colorado (on September 29) and Texas Tech (on November 17), and they actually beat Missouri twice - on October 13, and then again in the Big 12 title game.

Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford went 18-of-26 for 209 yards passing against the Tigers last time out, with two touchdown strikes and no interceptions. Running back Chris Brown rushed for 71 yards on 23 carries and found the end zone twice in the easy 38-17 win. That boosted the Sooners up from No. 9, but not enough to make the top two.

Oklahoma had no trouble covering the 3-point spread against Missouri, which put the Sooners at 7-6 against-the-spread on the season. The Sooners actually started the year with four straight ATS wins in romps vs. North Texas, Miami, Utah State, and Tulsa, but they then picked up four straight ATS losses against Colorado, Texas, Missouri, and Iowa State. Since then Oklahoma has managed to go 3-2 against the posted spreads.

West Virginia had been favored by 28.5 points against Pittsburgh, which ended up being their fifth ATS loss of the season (compared to seven ATS wins). The Mountaineers haven't lost two games in a row against-the-spread at any time this year.

The oddsmakers have the Sooners pegged as a 7.5-point favorite in the Fiesta Bowl, while the game's total is sitting at 63.5 points. Both of those teams are below .500 on the OVER/UNDER this season; the Mountaineers are 5-7, and the Sooners are 6-7. Check your favorite sports books for the latest odds and totals heading into game time.

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**Udog** · 01-02-2008, 10:42 PM

NCAAF
Tips and Trends

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3RD

FedEx Orange Bowl - Miami, FL
#3 Virginia Tech vs. #8 Kansas (FOX | 8 PM ET)

The Kansas Jayhawks rank 2nd in the nation in scoring with 44 points per game and look to justify their trip to the Orange Bow, their 1st true non-conference test. Kansas QB Todd Reesing said: "We are not a bunch of superstars, but we come to play." Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer is well aware and called the Kansas offense "very scary." Look for Virginia Tech to rely on its stout defense to slow down the Jayhawks, as the Hokies rank 2nd nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 16 points per game.
The Hokies had a solid year, winning 5 straight to close out the regular season after the tragic on-campus shooting before the season started. They are led by a two-quarterback system of junior Sean Glennon and freshman Tyrod Taylor, but it's the defense and special teams that make this team stand out. Virginia Tech returned two punts and one kickoff for scores during the regular season and is a very well-rounded team entering the Orange Bowl, scoring more than 30 points in 4 of of its last 5 games.
This will be the 1st New Year's Day bowl game for Kansas since 1969.
Kansas is 19-7 ATS in its last 26 games overall.
The OVER is 6-2 in Kansas' last 8 games as an underdog.
The OVER is 14-6 in Kansas' last 20 non-conference games.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5TH

International Bowl - Toronto, ON
Rutgers vs. Ball State (ESPN2 | 12 PM ET)

The Ball State Cardinals are 0-4-1 all-time in bowl games. They are led by sophomore QB Nate Davis, who led the MAC with 3,376 passing yards and a school-record 27 touchdown passes while only throwing 6 interceptions. His outstanding season helped the Cardinals average 32 points per game.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights look to continue their successful impressive turnaround with another bowl victory. Rutgers is led by Big East leading rusher Ray Rice, who ran for 1,732 yards and 20 touchdowns on the season. Ball State's defense should see a lot of Rice in this game, as the Cardinals allowed 197 rushing yards per game.
Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is 21-8-1 ATS vs. non-conference opponents, including 10-1 ATS in the last 11.
Ball State is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games overall.
Rutgers is 7-3 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 6TH

GMAC Bowl - Mobile, AL
Tulsa vs. Bowling Green (ESPN | 8 PM ET)

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane are led by Conference-USA offensive player of the year Paul Smith, who threw for 4,753 yards and 42 touchdowns. This is Tulsa's 3rd straight bowl game - and according to head coach Todd Graham: "We are looking forward to win 10 games this year" - which would tie the school record for most wins. Bowling Green's defense is allowing 422 total yards per game on the road and will try to slow down the nation's most prolific offense, as Tulsa averages 542.5 yards per game.
Tulsa has been just as bad on defense as good on offense. The Golden Hurricane have the 11th-worst defense in the country, allowing 469 total yards per game. This should provide plenty of opportunities for the Falcons, who ranked near the top of the MAC in nearly every offensive category.
The Falcons averaged 38 points and 448 yards during their current four-game winning streak to close out the regular season
MAC bowl teams are 10-3 ATS off a SU win.
Tulsa is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games overall.
The UNDER is 9-4 in Bowling Green's last 13 games on grass.
The OVER is 9-4 in Bowling Green's last 13 non-conference games.

MONDAY, JANUARY 7TH

BCS National Championship - New Orleans, LA
#1 Ohio State vs. #2 Louisiana State (FOX | 8 PM ET)

Last year, the extended time off (51 days) between games really cooled off the previously unbeaten Buckeyes, and insiders feel that same problem will recur against the SEC's best team. The Tigers have the most NFL talent on their roster and will be able to make good use of the break to heal their wounds, just like USC did in last year's Rose Bowl. That's bad news for the Buckeyes and could very well lead to another ugly title game.
Ohio State will be without backup CB Eugene Clifford, but starting CB Donald Washington has been cleared to play after it was previously reported that he would be suspended as well.
LSU head coach Les Miles is 13-0 SU & 11-1 ATS vs. non-conference opponents with Tigers.
Ohio State is 30-2 SU & 22-8 ATS in its last 32 games.
Ohio State is 6-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Ohio State is 23-8 ATS in its last 31 games overall.
LSU is 8-2 SU & 7-3 ATS in its last 10 bowl games.
LSU is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games on turf.
LSU is 2-7-1 ATS in its last 10 games overall.
Underdog is 6-3 SU in BCS title games, winning 4 of last 5.
The OVER is 7-1 in LSU's last 8 games overall.
The UNDER is 7-3 in Ohio State's last 10 non-conference games.

**pm530** · 01-03-2008, 06:40 AM

NOTE:

For the balance of the Bowl Games, please refer to the daily "TRENDS AND INDEXES" thread.

Information for the rest of the bowl season will be posted there.

Thanks!

Announcement

2007-2008 Bowl Season Trend Factors And Indexes

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