Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 12-08-2016, 02:06 PM

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRENDS
Half Time

5:00 pm 1/2/2017
(279) USC @(280) PENN ST
Play ON USC in the first half in All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line.
The record is 8 Wins and 0 Losses this season (+8 units)
BET NOW!
1:00 pm 1/2/2017
(275) IOWA @(276) FLORIDA
Play ON IOWA in the first half in All games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins.
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.8 units)
BET NOW!

7:00 pm 12/31/2016
(273) OHIO ST @(274) CLEMSON
Play ON CLEMSON in the first half in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 13 Wins and 2 Losses for the last three seasons (+10.8 units)
BET NOW!

10:15 pm 12/27/2016
(241) BAYLOR @(242) BOISE ST
Play ON BOISE ST in the first half in Road games in non-conference games.
The record is 8 Wins and 0 Losses for the last three seasons (+8 units)
BET NOW!

10:15 pm 12/27/2016
(241) BAYLOR @(242) BOISE ST
Play ON BOISE ST in the first half in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the last two seasons (+9 units)
BET NOW!

7:00 pm 12/22/2016
(219) COLORADO ST @(220) IDAHO
Play ON IDAHO in the first half in All games after playing a conference game.
The record is 17 Wins and 4 Losses for the last three seasons (+12.6 units)
BET NOW!

7:00 pm 12/22/2016
(219) COLORADO ST @(220) IDAHO
Play ON IDAHO in the first half in All games after playing a conference game.
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.8 units)
BET NOW!

7:00 pm 12/20/2016
(215) MEMPHIS @(216) W KENTUCKY
Play ON W KENTUCKY in the first half in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 29 Wins and 9 Losses for the last three seasons (+19.1 units)
BET NOW!

7:00 pm 12/20/2016
(215) MEMPHIS @(216) W KENTUCKY
Play ON W KENTUCKY in the first half in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 29 Wins and 9 Losses for the last three seasons (+19.1 units)
BET NOW!

3:00 pm 12/10/2016
(103) ARMY @(104) NAVY
Play ON NAVY in the first half in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 17 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+12.6 units)
BET NOW!

**StarDust Bum** · 12-08-2016, 02:13 PM

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRENDS
Half Time Over

8:30 pm 1/2/2017
(281) AUBURN @(282) OKLAHOMA
Play OVER OKLAHOMA on the first half total in All games as a favorite of 2 to 6 points vs. the first half line.
The record is 10 Overs and 0 Unders for the last three seasons (+10 units)
BET NOW!

1:00 pm 1/2/2017
(277) W MICHIGAN @(278) WISCONSIN
Play OVER W MICHIGAN on the first half total in Road games in non-conference games.
The record is 29 Overs and 10 Unders since 1992 (+18 units)
BET NOW!

1:00 pm 1/2/2017
(277) W MICHIGAN @(278) WISCONSIN
Play OVER W MICHIGAN on the first half total in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 35 Overs and 12 Unders since 1992 (+21.8 units)
BET NOW!

2:00 pm 12/28/2016
(243) NORTHWESTERN @(244) PITTSBURGH
Play OVER PITTSBURGH on the first half total in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 10 Overs and 2 Unders this season (+7.8 units)
BET NOW!

2:00 pm 12/28/2016
(243) NORTHWESTERN @(244) PITTSBURGH
Play OVER PITTSBURGH on the first half total in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 10 Overs and 2 Unders this season (+7.8 units)
BET NOW!

10:15 pm 12/27/2016
(241) BAYLOR @(242) BOISE ST
Play OVER BAYLOR on the first half total in All games when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest.
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders for the last three seasons (+8 units)
BET NOW!

8:00 pm 12/24/2016
(227) MIDDLE TENN ST @(228) HAWAII
Play OVER MIDDLE TENN ST on the first half total in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 10 Overs and 2 Unders this season (+7.8 units)
BET NOW!

8:00 pm 12/24/2016
(227) MIDDLE TENN ST @(228) HAWAII
Play OVER MIDDLE TENN ST on the first half total in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 10 Overs and 2 Unders this season (+7.8 units)
BET NOW!

4:30 pm 12/23/2016
(223) LOUISIANA TECH @(224) NAVY
Play OVER LOUISIANA TECH on the first half total in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 11 Overs and 2 Unders this season (+8.8 units)
BET NOW!

4:30 pm 12/23/2016
(223) LOUISIANA TECH @(224) NAVY
Play OVER LOUISIANA TECH on the first half total in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 11 Overs and 2 Unders this season (+8.8 units)
BET NOW!

-----------------------------------

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRENDS
Half Time Under

8:30 pm 1/2/2017
(281) AUBURN @(282) OKLAHOMA
Play UNDER AUBURN on the first half total in All games as an underdog vs. the 1rst half line.
The record is 0 Overs and 10 Unders for the last two seasons (+10 units)
BET NOW!

1:00 pm 1/2/2017
(275) IOWA @(276) FLORIDA
Play UNDER FLORIDA on the first half total in All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line.
The record is 3 Overs and 14 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.7 units)
BET NOW!

1:00 pm 1/2/2017
(275) IOWA @(276) FLORIDA
Play UNDER FLORIDA on the first half total in All games in games played on a grass field.
The record is 4 Overs and 16 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.6 units)
BET NOW!

11:00 am 12/31/2016
(269) KENTUCKY @(270) GEORGIA TECH
Play UNDER KENTUCKY on the first half total in All games in a bowl game.
The record is 0 Overs and 8 Unders since 1992 (+8 units)
BET NOW!

11:00 am 12/31/2016
(269) KENTUCKY @(270) GEORGIA TECH
Play UNDER KENTUCKY on the first half total in Road games in a bowl game.
The record is 0 Overs and 8 Unders since 1992 (+8 units)
BET NOW!

2:00 pm 12/29/2016
(251) S FLORIDA @(252) S CAROLINA
Play UNDER S CAROLINA on the first half total in Road games when playing on a Thursday.
The record is 0 Overs and 8 Unders since 1992 (+8 units)
BET NOW!

5:30 pm 12/28/2016
(245) W VIRGINIA @(246) MIAMI
Play UNDER MIAMI on the first half total in Road games after playing a conference game.
The record is 1 Overs and 10 Unders for the last three seasons (+8.9 units)
BET NOW!

5:30 pm 12/17/2016
(209) APPALACHIAN ST @(210) TOLEDO
Play UNDER TOLEDO on the first half total in All games in games played on turf.
The record is 1 Overs and 9 Unders this season (+7.9 units)
BET NOW!

5:30 pm 12/17/2016
(209) APPALACHIAN ST @(210) TOLEDO
Play UNDER TOLEDO on the first half total in All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line.
The record is 0 Overs and 9 Unders this season (+9 units)
BET NOW!

**StarDust Bum** · 12-08-2016, 02:17 PM

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRENDS
Over

11:00 am 12/31/2016
(269) KENTUCKY @(270) GEORGIA TECH
Play OVER KENTUCKY on the total in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 7 Overs and 0 Unders for the last two seasons (+7 units)
BET NOW!

11:00 am 12/31/2016
(269) KENTUCKY @(270) GEORGIA TECH
Play OVER KENTUCKY on the total in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 10 Overs and 1 Unders for the last three seasons (+8.9 units)
BET NOW!

5:30 pm 12/30/2016
(261) S ALABAMA @(262) AIR FORCE
Play OVER AIR FORCE on the total in Road games after playing a conference game.
The record is 10 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+8.9 units)
BET NOW!

3:30 pm 12/30/2016
(263) NEBRASKA @(264) TENNESSEE
Play OVER TENNESSEE on the total in All games when playing against a team with a winning record.
The record is 9 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+7.9 units)
BET NOW!

8:30 pm 12/28/2016
(247) INDIANA @(248) UTAH
Play OVER INDIANA on the total in All games as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points.
The record is 39 Overs and 15 Unders since 1992 (+22.5 units)
BET NOW!

2:00 pm 12/28/2016
(243) NORTHWESTERN @(244) PITTSBURGH
Play OVER PITTSBURGH on the total in All games in all games.
The record is 11 Overs and 1 Unders this season (+9.9 units)
BET NOW!

2:00 pm 12/28/2016
(243) NORTHWESTERN @(244) PITTSBURGH
Play OVER PITTSBURGH on the total in All games in all lined games.
The record is 11 Overs and 1 Unders this season (+9.9 units)
BET NOW!

7:00 pm 12/22/2016
(219) COLORADO ST @(220) IDAHO
Play OVER IDAHO on the total in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record.
The record is 17 Overs and 4 Unders since 1992 (+12.6 units)
BET NOW!

2:00 pm 12/17/2016
(201) UTSA @(202) NEW MEXICO
Play OVER NEW MEXICO on the total in All games in all games.
The record is 10 Overs and 2 Unders this season (+7.8 units)
BET NOW!

2:00 pm 12/17/2016
(201) UTSA @(202) NEW MEXICO
Play OVER NEW MEXICO on the total in All games in all lined games.
The record is 10 Overs and 2 Unders this season (+7.8 units)
BET NOW!

-----------------------------

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRENDS
Under

11:00 am 12/31/2016
(267) LSU @(268) LOUISVILLE
Play UNDER LSU on the total in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 1 Overs and 9 Unders this season (+7.9 units)
BET NOW!

2:00 pm 12/29/2016
(251) S FLORIDA @(252) S CAROLINA
Play UNDER S CAROLINA on the total in Road games when playing on a Thursday.
The record is 0 Overs and 9 Unders since 1992 (+9 units)
BET NOW!

2:30 pm 12/26/2016
(231) MARYLAND @(232) BOSTON COLLEGE
Play UNDER BOSTON COLLEGE on the total in All games in games played on turf.
The record is 3 Overs and 13 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.7 units)
BET NOW!

2:30 pm 12/26/2016
(231) MARYLAND @(232) BOSTON COLLEGE
Play UNDER BOSTON COLLEGE on the total in All games in games played on turf.
The record is 5 Overs and 18 Unders for the last three seasons (+12.5 units)
BET NOW!

8:00 pm 12/23/2016
(225) OHIO U @(226) TROY
Play UNDER OHIO U on the total in All games in all games.
The record is 1 Overs and 11 Unders this season (+9.9 units)
BET NOW!

8:00 pm 12/23/2016
(225) OHIO U @(226) TROY
Play UNDER OHIO U on the total in All games in all lined games.
The record is 1 Overs and 11 Unders this season (+9.9 units)
BET NOW!

2:30 pm 12/19/2016
(213) C MICHIGAN @(214) TULSA
Play UNDER C MICHIGAN on the total in All games when playing against a team with a winning record.
The record is 0 Overs and 7 Unders for the last two seasons (+7 units)
BET NOW!

3:00 pm 12/10/2016
(103) ARMY @(104) NAVY
Play UNDER ARMY on the total in All games when playing against a team with a winning record.
The record is 0 Overs and 8 Unders for the last three seasons (+8 units)
BET NOW!

3:00 pm 12/10/2016
(103) ARMY @(104) NAVY
Play UNDER ARMY on the total in All games as an underdog.
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.9 units)
BET NOW!

**StarDust Bum** · 12-08-2016, 02:22 PM

Complete 2015 college football bowl game results

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF BOWLS

DATE / TIME (ET) BOWL LOCATION MATCHUP

Dec. 31, Noon Peach Atlanta Houston 38, Florida State 24

Dec. 31, 4 p.m. Orange: CFP semifinal Miami Clemson 37, Oklahoma 17

Dec. 31, 8 p.m. Cotton: CFP semifinal Arlington, Texas Alabama 38, Michigan State 0

Jan. 1, 1 p.m. Fiesta (Tickets) Glendale, Ariz. Ohio State 44, Notre Dame 28

Jan. 1, 5 p.m. Rose (Tickets) Pasadena, Calif. Stanford 45, Iowa 16

Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. Sugar (Tickets) New Orleans Ole Miss 48, Oklahoma St. 20

Jan. 11, 8:30 p.m. National championship (Tickets) Glendale, Ariz. Alabama 45, Clemson 40

OTHER BOWLS

DATE / TIME (ET) BOWL LOCATION MATCHUP

Dec. 19, Noon Cure Orlando, Fla. San Jose State 27, Georgia State 16

Dec. 19, 2 p.m. New Mexico Albuquerque Arizona 45, New Mexico 37

Dec. 19, 3:30 p.m. Las Vegas Las Vegas Utah 35, BYU 28

Dec. 19, 5:30 p.m. Camellia Montgomery, Ala. Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29

Dec. 19, 9 p.m. New Orleans New Orleans Louisiana Tech 47, Arkansas State 28

Dec. 21, 2:30 p.m. Miami Beach Miami Western Kentucky 45, South Florida 35

Dec. 22, 3:30 p.m. Idaho Potato Boise Akron 23, Utah State 21

Dec. 22, 7 p.m. Boca Raton Boca Raton, Fla. Toledo 32, Temple 17

Dec. 23, 4:30 p.m. Poinsettia San Diego Boise State 55, Northern Illinois 7

Dec. 23, 8 p.m. GoDaddy Mobile, Ala. Georgia Southern 58, Bowling Green 27

Dec. 24, Noon Bahamas Nassau W. Michigan 45, Middle Tennessee 31

Dec. 24, 8 p.m. Hawaii Honolulu San Diego State 42, Cincinnati 7

Dec. 26, 11 a.m. St. Petersburg St. Petersburg Marshall 16, Connecticut 10

Dec. 26, 2 p.m. Sun El Paso, Texas Washington State 20, Miami 14

Dec. 26, 2:20 p.m. Heart of Dallas Dallas Washington 44, Southern Miss 31

Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m. Pinstripe Bronx, N.Y. Duke 44, Indiana 41 (OT)

Dec. 26, 5:45 p.m. Independence Shreveport, La. Virginia Tech 55, Tulsa 52

Dec. 26, 9:15 p.m. Foster Farms Santa Clara, Calif. Nebraska 37, UCLA 29

Dec. 28, 2:30 p.m. Military Annapolis, Md. Navy 44, Pitt 28

Dec. 28, 5 p.m. Quick Lane Detroit Minnesota 21, Central Michigan 14

Dec. 29, 2 p.m. Armed Forces Fort Worth, Texas Cal 55, Air Force 36

Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m. Russell Athletic Orlando, Fla. Baylor 49, North Carolina 38

Dec. 29, 7:30 p.m. Arizona Tucson Nevada 28, Colorado State 23

Dec. 29, 9 p.m. Texas Houston LSU 56, Texas Tech 27

Dec. 30, Noon Birmingham Birmingham, Ala. Auburn 31, Memphis 10

Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m. Belk Charlotte, N.C. Mississippi State 51, NC State 28

Dec. 30, 7 p.m. Music City Nashville, Tenn. Louisville 27, Texas A&M 21

Dec. 30, 10:30 p.m. Holiday San Diego Wisconsin 23, USC 21

Jan. 1, Noon Outback Tampa, Fla. Tennessee 45, Northwestern 6

Jan. 1, 1 p.m. Citrus Orlando, Fla. Michigan 41, Florida 7

Jan. 2, Noon TaxSlayer Jacksonville, Fla. Georgia 24, Penn State 17

Jan. 2, 3:20 p.m. Liberty Memphis, Tenn. Arkansas 45, Kansas State 23

Jan. 2, 6:45 p.m. Alamo San Antonio TCU 47, Oregon 41

Jan. 2, 10:15 p.m. Cactus Tempe, Ariz. West Virginia 43, Arizona State 42

**StarDust Bum** · 12-08-2016, 02:32 PM

Ranking all 40 college football bowl games for 2016-17: From Heart of Dallas to CFP

Rankings play a major role in the sport of college football in general, and that impact is felt in the bowl system. With the College Football Playoff being played within the bowl system, not only do rankings determine which four teams will play in the semifinals, but they also determine the non-playoff teams in the rest of the New Year's Six bowls.
So with rankings being such a major part of the bowl process, it only makes sense to rank the bowls, right?

That's what I've done. I've ranked every single bowl for you. All 40 of them. The method I used to do this wasn't incredibly scientific, but I did have somewhat of a method to my madness. I factored in where the teams in each game rank in the same formula I use to compile the Fornelli 50 and Bottom 25, the gaps between the teams, and then a bit of my own opinion as to how I think they match up.
The results are the best bowl rankings you'll find anywhere. I swear these rankings will be accurate or your money back.

So let's get to ranking.

All times Eastern

40. Heart of Dallas Bowl -- Army vs. North Texas -- Dec. 27, 12 p.m.: Using the rankings in my formula, North Texas is the worst bowl team in 2016. Combine that with an Army team that is a surprise this season, but isn't exactly a bundle of excitement, and this one probably won't be very fun.

39. Hawaii Bowl -- Middle Tennessee vs. Hawaii -- Dec. 24, 8 p.m.: Do you think Hawaii players dream of getting to go to Idaho or something on a bowl trip?

38. Birmingham Bowl -- South Florida vs. South Carolina -- Dec. 29, 2 p.m.: This is the third straight season that a team with Will Muschamp on its coaching staff will play in the Birmingham Bowl. It's the first time Muschamp will be there.

37. Miami Beach Bowl -- Tulsa vs. Central Michigan -- Dec. 19, 2:30 p.m.: This game has a chance to get interesting, but I just think there's such a gap between these teams that it could easily become a blowout.

36. Arizona Bowl -- Air Force vs. South Alabama -- Dec. 30, 5:30 p.m.: South Alabama is a strange team. It beat both Mississippi State and San Diego State, but it lost to teams like Louisiana-Monroe and Georgia Southern. Hopefully the good USA shows up, even if USA vs. Air Force is some kind of Civil War.

35. St. Petersburg Bowl -- Miami (Ohio) vs. Mississippi State -- Dec. 26, 11 a.m.: The Redhawks are a great story this season, recovering from an 0-6 start to get to 6-6, but I have a hard time imagining they give Mississippi State much of a fight.
34. New Orleans Bowl -- Southern Miss vs. UL-Lafayette -- Dec. 17, 9 p.m.: These two teams aren't very good, but they do have a hint of insanity in them. Maybe this one gets strange.

33. Military Bowl -- No. 24 Temple vs. Wake Forest -- Dec. 27, 3:30 p.m.: I wouldn't expect this game to last very long, so that's good. I just don't know how competitive it will be.

32. New Mexico Bowl -- UTSA vs. New Mexico -- Dec. 17, 2 p.m.: New Mexico games tend to feature a lot of points, and I can definitely see that being the case in this game. The question is whether or not it'll be close.

31. Bahamas Bowl -- Old Dominion vs. Eastern Michigan -- Dec. 23, 1 p.m.: Two great stories, as Old Dominion plays in its first bowl game after joining the FBS in 2014 and Eastern Michigan plays in its first bowl game since since 1987 (only its second ever). Like I said, great stories. I just don't know how great the game will be.

30. Cure Bowl -- Arkansas State vs. UCF -- Dec. 17, 5:30 p.m.: I was tempted to bump this game up a few spots just because it has the threat of a scoring bonanza living just beneath the surface.

29. Poinsettia Bowl -- BYU vs. Wyoming -- Dec. 21, 9 p.m.: BYU absolutely refuses to play in anything but a close game, and Wyoming's defense absolutely refuses to ever let the Cowboys pull away. This ranking isn't great, but there's a lot of upside possibilities here.

28. Quick Lane Bowl -- Boston College vs. Maryland -- Dec. 26, 2:30 p.m.: I don't know how exciting this game was going to be, but I have a sneaking suspicion it'll be close. For now, that's enough to get this game to No. 28, but this one has the potential to be Not Good.

27. Cactus Bowl -- Baylor vs. Boise State -- Dec. 27, 10: 15 p.m.: A lot of this depends on whether Baylor shows up excited to play in this game. If it does it could prove to be great. If it doesn't, it'll likely be a stinker.

26. Potato Bowl -- Colorado State vs. Idaho -- Dec. 22, 7 p.m.: Another fantastic story as Idaho goes 8-4 and reaches only its third bowl game in program history (first since 2009) ... and prepares to drop down to the FCS level in 2018.
25. Independence Bowl -- NC State vs. Vanderbilt -- Dec. 26, 5 p.m.: All right, so maybe my own personal affinity for Vanderbilt and its defense is causing me to rank the one a little higher than I should. Still, I think this one has a good chance of being good in that ugly kind of way.

24. TaxSlayer Bowl -- Georgia Tech vs. Kentucky -- Dec. 31, 11 a.m.: Two teams you probably didn't pay a lot of attention to this season that could get your New Year's Eve started off right. I'm telling you, I have a sneaking suspicion about this one. Just not a strong enough one to move it above No. 24.

23. Dollar General Bowl -- Ohio vs. Troy -- Dec. 23, 8 p.m.: Some of my favorite bowl games are the ones that offer a matchup between Group of Five teams that fly under-the-radar but are better than you think. This game does just that. It also features a 72-year-old coach (Ohio's Frank Solich) going against a 36-year-old coach (Troy's Neal Brown). Solich will literally be facing a coach half his age. It feels like the plot to a terrible Seth Rogen movie just waiting to be made.

22. Belk Bowl -- No. 22 Virginia Tech vs. Arkansas -- Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m.: I really wanted to rank this game a lot higher, but Arkansas' defense has just been so bad this season that there's too much blowout potential here. But there's upside, too.

21. Foster Farms Bowl -- Indiana vs. No. 19 Utah -- Dec. 28, 8:30 p.m.: It's hard to know what kind of Indiana will show up following the dismissal of Kevin Wilson, but if the Hoosiers show up ready to play, they could give Kyle Whittingham's bowl record a real test
.
20. Armed Forces Bowl -- Louisiana Tech vs. No. 25 Navy -- Dec. 23, 4:30 p.m.: Louisiana Tech's had a sturdy run defense this season, allowing only 3.68 yards per carry, but it hasn't really had to deal with anything like what Navy will be throwing at it. This one could get shootout-y.

19. Liberty Bowl -- TCU vs. Georgia -- Dec. 30, 12 p.m.: Here's the thing about this game. Both teams have talent, and both teams failed to live up to their own expectations this season. So the hope is that both are motivated to end the year on a high note. If that happens, we could have a very fun game on our hands.

18. Boca Raton Bowl -- Memphis vs. Western Kentucky -- Dec. 20, 7 p.m.: WKU coach Jeff Brohm won't be around for this game as he's off to Purdue. Even so, these are two offenses that like to move quickly and run a lot of plays. I'd advise setting aside at least four hours for this one, because it's going to last a while.

17. Pinstripe Bowl -- Northwestern vs. No. 23 Pitt -- Dec. 28, 2 p.
m.: Pitt and Northwestern just tend to play a lot of close games, even if they both tend to take very different routes getting there. It will be an interesting clash of styles, one that should be quite entertaining.

16. Music City Bowl -- Nebraska vs. No. 21 Tennessee -- Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m.: For a few hours on a late December afternoon, two fan bases will descend upon the city of Nashville and live their greatest dream: pretending it's still the 90s.

15. Texas Bowl -- Kansas State vs. Texas A&M -- Dec. 28, 9 p.m.: An old Big 12 matchup as the Wildcats and Aggies reunite. This is one of those games between a couple of solid teams that maybe doesn't look all that sexy at first but could prove to be a thriller.

14. Camellia Bowl -- Toledo vs. Appalachian State -- Dec. 17, 5:30 p.m.: This situation is always a dilemma for me. I like seeing good Group of Five teams get shots at Power Five opponents to see if they can prove themselves, but I also like seeing when they're pitted against one another in bowl games. It's like two underdogs trying to prove they're the underdog-iest, and it has all the makings of a great game.

13. Holiday Bowl -- Washington State vs. Minnesota -- Dec. 27, 7 p.m.: A couple of Power Five teams that have been good the last couple of years but are always overlooked. They both have their own styles, and they're both good at what they do. As soon as I saw this matchup, I knew it was going to be near the top of these rankings.

12. Hyundai Sun Bowl -- North Carolina vs. No. 18 Stanford -- Dec. 30, 2 p.m.: Remember what Baylor did to North Carolina's run defense in the bowl game last season? Well, now that same run defense gets to go against the Stanford offensive line and Christian McCaffery. We could see one helluva show here because the Tar Heels' offense is rather potent itself.

11. Outback Bowl -- No. 17 Florida vs. Iowa -- Jan. 2, 1 p.m.: This game should be ugly, but sometimes ugly is good. I don't expect a lot of points, and I don't expect a bunch of big plays. What I do expect is a lot of angry football and two teams fighting in a close game for four quarters. May the best punter win.

10. Russell Athletic Bowl -- Miami vs. No. 16 West Virginia -- Dec. 28, 5:30 p.m.: The Mountaineers struggled with the two Oklahoma schools in conference play, but don't get it twisted, this is still a good team. And Miami, for all of its failures to ever exceed expectations, has plenty of talent on its roster. There's a good chance this one is lit.

9. Las Vegas Bowl -- Houston vs. San Diego State -- Dec. 17, 3:30 p.m.: Year in and year out the Las Vegas Bowl always finds itself with a great matchup. This season is no different as Houston (minus Tom Herman) gets to take on the Mountain West champions. These are two good teams that should provide a compelling game.

8. Citrus Bowl -- No. 20 LSU vs. No. 13 Louisville -- Dec. 31, 11 a.m.: Lamar Jackson faded a bit toward the end of the season, but I'd still bet that he's Heisman Trophy-winning Lamar Jackson by the time this game is played, and he'll have a chance to attack what is a very good defense. That matchup alone makes this one a must-watch.

7. Alamo Bowl -- No. 12 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Colorado -- Dec. 29, 9 p.m.: This is just a game featuring two good teams that match up pretty well with one another. Colorado has been one of my favorite teams to watch all season long, and Oklahoma State is a team that can make any game interesting.

6. Sugar Bowl -- No. 7 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Auburn -- Jan. 2, 8:30 p.m.: This game lacks a little flair on the surface just because Alabama was the only good SEC team this year, so we get a Big 12 champion Oklahoma taking on an 8-4 Auburn. But it's also an 8-4 Auburn with a month to prepare, as well as an Oklahoma team that can put up points in a hurry. I'm not sure what the number will be for this one, but I'm already leaning toward the over.

5. Cotton Bowl -- No. 15 Western Michigan vs. No. 8 Wisconsin -- Jan. 2, 1 p.m.: Twice this season P.J. Fleck and Western Michigan have rowed their boats across Lake Michigan to beat Northwestern and Illinois. Now, once again, the Broncos will take on a Big Ten team from the other side of Lake Michigan, but this time they'll fly the plane down to Texas to do it. This game could be an absolute blowout, or it could be an epic upset. Either way, I want to watch it to see what happens.

4. Orange Bowl -- No. 11 Florida State vs. No. 6 Michigan -- Dec. 30, 8 p.m.: I'm sure plenty of people envisioned this matchup as a possible CFP semifinal before the season began. While neither team made it that far, this is still a really exciting pairing. Two powerful programs looking to make a statement heading into 2017.

3. Rose Bowl -- No. 5 Penn State vs. No. 9. USC -- Jan. 2, 5 p.m.: Once it became clear that Penn State would be in the Rose Bowl, I was hoping that it would be facing Colorado. That isn't what happened, but it's really hard to complain about a Rose Bowl matchup against USC. These are both teams that got off to slow starts and then tore things up down the home stretch.

2. Fiesta Bowl -- No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State -- Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m.: A rematch of the 2014 Orange Bowl. If you don't remember that one, Clemson beat Ohio State 40-35 in an awesome game. If we can get that kind of contest again, that would be just fine with me.

1. Peach Bowl -- No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Washington -- Dec. 31, 3 p.m.: Here's the thing. I never expect Alabama to lose anymore because it just happens so rarely. I don't expect Alabama to lose this game either, but -- BUT! -- giving Chris Petersen a month to prepare for an opponent has led to very surprising results in major bowl games in the past.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-08-2016, 02:36 PM

The case for and against an eight-team playoff in college football

Mark Emmert doesn't have control over the College Football Playoff format -- the NCAA doesn't run the Football Bowl Subdivision postseason and would graciously like to remind you of that -- but if he did, he'd expand it to eight teams.
And so would roughly half of college football-loving America.
Speaking Wednesday at the Learfield Intercollegiate Athletics Forum, Emmert said he prefers an eight-team format that includes automatic bids for champions of each Power Five conference.

However, as Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany noted on Wednesday, the field selection this year did not provide any movement toward an eight-team playoff.

The tires have been kicked on an eight-team playoff, casually or otherwise, even before major college football had a four-team playoff. With the three-year-old postseason format paying out hefty sums of money, one can venture to guess expansion is coming at some point in the future.

The question is whether that expansion is good or not.

The case for expansion

For the first two years of the playoff, one thing looked abundantly clear: Winning your conference championship was important. It wasn't a prerequisite for inclusion, but it did matter. All eight playoff teams in those two years were conference champs.

Then Penn State won the Big Ten. Suddenly, the qualifying statements perpetuated by the CYA mission of selecting the "four best teams" began pouring in.

The resumes between Penn State and Ohio State weren't close enough.
Divisions aligned by geography have watered down championship games.

To be clear, this isn't to say those statements are wrong. In many ways they're right. But can anyone remember this much dismissing of conference titles last year? How about the year before? Funny how it emerges when it's the team no one expects winning the conference.

The macro point here is that the first three seasons of the playoff have been filled with inconsistencies. Fans see this on a week-to-week basis with the mock rankings selection show. "Body clocks" is a pass one week and "game control" is a criterion the next. Flexibility is the beauty of having a human committee.

It's also what makes it extraordinarily frustrating. Having the Power Five conference champions as automatic bids absolutely takes away the drama, but it also takes away a lot of the frustration.
Additionally, two things fans love about March Madness take effect.

There's the Cinderella story, which would have been Western Michigan this year, and the team with the hot hand. No one denies that early-season losses by Oklahoma and USC matter, but it's also true they aren't the same teams now as they were in September. Expanding to eight at least allows for greater consideration of this.

The case against expansion

What do you want to reward? The best team in tournament play at the time of the tournament, or the best team in the land?

In the modern era of college football, championships have been won by teams with superior talent and excellent coaching. Each year, you could make an argument that only about 13-16 teams in the country will fit that description at the beginning of the year, and many of those teams will fall from title contention because of injuries or ill-timed poor play. If the playoff is expanded, you gain the element of postseason drama but risk losing a worthy champion because of a bad break. Let's leave the "Cinderella story" to college basketball and let college football crown its king with the four best teams in the country.

I also think expanding the playoff would require increasing the scholarship limit or cutting back on the number of regular-season games. Expanding the playoff would also decrease the urgency for conference championship weekend for teams that were "locks," like Ohio State was heading into Selection Sunday this season.

I'm not great at math but scholarships cost money, cutting regular season or conference title games means less money, and there isn't enough impetus for this current crop of conference commissioners to go through the headache or reworking the letter of the law without knowing more regarding the future of finances (media rights) in college football.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-08-2016, 02:47 PM

College football winners and losers: A look at the best and worst of the 2016 season

Just like that, it's all over.

Well, save for Army-Navy. But you get the point.

The 2016 college football regular season has come and gone. As it does every year, it went by quicker than expected. Still, this sport manages to cram a lot of highs and lows into a three-month period. From the emergence of Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson to the rise of Colorado, there were plenty of unexpected moments.
So, we here at CBS Sports want to get you caught up on all the noteworthy things that went down -- both the good and not so good. What were the highlights from the 2016 season? What were the moments some programs want to forget? We hash out the best and worst below.

Winner -- Alabama: The machine has some miles on it now, but Alabama remains as well-oiled as ever. In fact, there's an argument that Nick Saban's program -- undefeated this year -- is more dominant than ever. That goes against the grain of what we usually see in college football. The typical timeline for a coach to win a national title is within the first three or four seasons. Saban won his first with Alabama in 2009, three years after taking the job. But whereas most coaches struggle to maintain that level of success, Saban has built upon it. If the Tide win this year's national championship, it will be the program's fifth under Saban in a decade -- one for every two years.

Loser -- SEC: The Crimson Tide have played on a different level than the rest of college football, but there's another side to this story. The fact is the SEC was down in 2016. Like, way down. SEC on CBS color commentator Gary Danielson called this the weakest SEC he's seen in 11 years. Outside of Alabama, every other SEC team has at least four losses. That's a lot of mediocrity for a conference nestled in a region of the country that produces a majority of the best athletes every year.

Winner -- Big Ten: The Big Ten champion, Penn State, didn't get into the playoff, but no conference was better positioned for inclusion heading into December. Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan all had a shot, and there was at least an argument for two teams. If that's not the sign of college football's best conference in 2016, I don't know what is.

Loser -- Houston: Oh, what could have been. 2016 was supposed to be the magical year for Houston. It had a hot-name coach in Tom Herman, a talented roster and playoff-crashing aspirations. At first, the Cougars looked like a legitimate national threat with a 33-23 win over Oklahoma. However, a 46-40 loss to Navy derailed those hopes, and things went from bad to worse with losses to SMU and Memphis. (Yet sandwiched in between those was a dominating victory over Louisville. Go figure.) To top it off, Herman left to become the coach at Texas.

Winner -- Matt Rhule and Temple: How good of a coach is Rhule? The now-former Temple coach followed up a breakout season in 2015 in which the Owls won 10 games with another 10-win season this year. Plus, Rhule took this team a step further by winning the American Athletic Conference -- and with style, too, by beating Navy 34-10. Between the two 10-win seasons, this was easily his better coaching job. He did so well, in fact, that he left Temple for Baylor on Tuesday.

A Military Bowl vs. Wake Forest is still winnable, too, meaning Rhule's now-former program could wind up with 11 wins! Remember: It wasn't terribly long ago that the Owls were being kicked out of the old Big East for basically stinking up the joint. Al Golden deserves a ton of credit for resurrecting the program, but Rhule took it new heights. Now, Temple looks for his replacement.

Loser -- Notre Dame: The team's fall to 4-8 -- its first losing season since 2007 -- wasn't of the garden variety; it was spectacular in fashion. From losing an overtime thriller against Texas to blowing a lead to Virginia Tech, the Irish managed to come up short in just about every imaginable way. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder was fired in the middle of the season and an academic misconduct story led to vacated wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Coach Brian Kelly will be back in 2017, but likely on a much warmer seat than the one he sat upon to start the 2016 season.

Winner -- Colorado: Enough can't be said about the job coach Mike MacIntyre has done in Boulder. The Buffaloes program, once proud, was dead in the water when he arrived four seasons ago -- and it had been lying there a while, too. After winning 10 games in his first three years, MacIntyre led Colorado to a 10-3 effort and won the Pac-12 South. Rightly, MacIntyre was named the Walter Camp Coach of the Year.

Loser -- Conference championships: Playoff bids were on the line in last week's conference championship games, thus their importance was palpable. But, boy, most of the applicable conference title games were a dud. Alabama crushed Florida and Washington piled it on against Colorado. Even the de facto Big 12 title game The ACC championship between Clemson and Virginia Tech was exciting, as was the Big Ten title game between Penn State and Wisconsin, but the latter didn't get the Nittany Lions into the playoff -- and that probably was never going to happen. Not every conference championship was bad, but it didn't turn out to be as eventful as it could have been.

Winner -- Penn State coach James Franklin: Whether Penn State should have been among the final four teams is a separate conversation that doesn't serve much of a purpose anymore. Let's take a minute, then, and recognize that Franklin's team emerged as the representative from a division featuring Jim Harbaugh, Urban Meyer and Mark Dantonio. If you had told me that was the case three months ago, I'd have called you crazy. And hey, a Rose Bowl berth isn't a bad consolation prize for the Big Ten champs. There have been questions about Franklin's ability to win big games against top opponents, but beating top-10 teams Ohio State and Wisconsin with the potential of USC isn't too bad of an answer.

Loser -- Ex-Texas coach Charlie Strong: There's not much more that can be said about Strong's three years at Texas that hasn't already been said, so I'll end with this: This was a terribly mismatched gig for both sides, for multiple reasons that would take too long to list. Would he have turned it around in Year 4? Perhaps, but there simply weren't enough signs that was going to happen. Strong is a good coach who should (and will) get another chance elsewhere. Texas got its guy in Tom Herman. In the end, this was the right move for all parties.

Winner -- Washington: It happens every year. There's one sexy offseason darkhorse everyone wants to get behind. However, that darkhorse selection doesn't always pan out. Washington was the team du jour of 2016, except the Huskies actually achieved the lofty goals set for them, and then some. Third-year coach Chris Petersen led this program to a Pac-12 championship and College Football Playoff appearance. Nothing ever happens in a vacuum, of course; Oregon's sharp decline and Stanford's rebuilding season helped pave the way for this run, but Petersen is an elite coach who has his program in position to win for a long time.

Loser -- Ex-Oregon coach Mark Helfrich: Things went bad for Helfrich and Oregon -- and in a hurry. Oregon canned Helfrich following a 4-8 season. Just two years ago, the Ducks were playing for a national championship with a Heisman-winning quarterback. However, a drop-off in recruiting, specifically at quarterback, was the death knell for Helfrich. Now, the program has to conduct a coaching search for the first time in 40 years.

Winner -- Western Michigan: Row that boat, baby. Row it straight to Arlington for the Cotton Bowl. Western Michigan finished as one of two undefeated teams at the end of the regular season. The Broncos' 13-0 record is the best in school history and represents the first MAC champion to enter bowl season unbeaten since Marshall in 1999. It's been a surprisingly quiet coaching market, so P.J. Fleck may just stick around a little bit longer.

Loser -- Baylor: There's only one place to start with Baylor, and that's the sexual assault scandal that rocked the university. Absolutely nothing -- not the firing of coach Art Briles, not the six-game slide by the football team to end the season, not the recruiting fallout -- comes close to matching the importance of that story. That will always be the case. But goodness, what a fall from grace by the Bears. From the coaching staff's social media revolt to the bizarre story of an associate athletic director allegedly grabbing a media member by the throat after the TCU game, things have come unraveled quickly. The laissez faire attitude of acting coach Jim Grobe, the sudden spring of #CAB shirts as well an appearance by Briles himself at an away game haven't helped matters.

Winner -- Idaho: The program announced this year it's dropping from the Football Bowl Subdivision to the Football Championship Subdivision. It's a complete reverse of what many programs have been doing, jumping from the FCS to the FBS in hopes of finding some sort of media rights pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. So let's hear it for the Vandals, who went 8-4 this year in the Sun Belt. According to CBS Sports' own Dennis Dodd, that's the best record for the program in nearly two decades. This is unimportant to many people, and that's fine, but Idaho is a program facing a harsh reality of trying to compete in major college football. So good for them.

Loser -- Tennessee: The "Championship of Life" joke is overplayed, so we'll skip it altogether. Besides, Tennessee fans probably aren't laughing at the way the 2016 season played out. The Vols, picked in the preseason to win the SEC East and finally take that ever-elusive next step forward, went 8-4 and failed to claim the division. Tennessee did finally beat Florida, but it lost three in a row during its midseason stretch, including a bad loss to South Carolina. The season-ending loss to Vanderbilt is probably what bumped the Vols from the Sugar Bowl to the Music City Bowl. Tennessee's injury report is lengthy, and that needs to be taken into consideration, but it's an excuse for only so long. Coach Butch Jones has not worked his tail off recruiting over the past few seasons to keep coming up short.

Winner -- John Carroll (again): You're darn right I'm dipping back down into the Division III ranks. As you may (or may not) recall earlier this year, John Carroll upset Mount Union 31-28. As far as lower level football is concerned, that's like beating Alabama. Well, John Carroll did it again in the DIII playoffs by upending Wisconsin-Whitewater 31-14. Again. that's like beating Ohio State. What I'm saying is John Carroll actually wants Bama.

Loser -- Heisman Trophy race: Chances are that Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson is going to win the Heisman. He's more than earned it. You don't tally up nearly 5,000 yards of offense and 51 touchdowns for no reason. Still, Jackson is probably going to back himself into winning the award after the Cardinals lost consecutive games to Houston and Kentucky to finish out the season. Some Heisman voters turned in their ballots early and there's no clear-cut No. 2 option who could have swept in late in the season to pick up extra votes. Jackson was a dynamic and exciting player, but this Heisman race was mundane for a variety of reasons.

Winner -- USC quarterback Sam Darnold: USC looked cooked after losing to Alabama and Stanford, and the heat was already on coach Clay Helton's seat. However, the switch at quarterback from Max Browne to Darnold has paid off. Darnold didn't win in his first start against Utah, but the Trojans haven't lost since. USC's offense is explosive again and Darnold's mobility adds an extra dimension that USC hasn't seen before. Helton's quarterback change is but one part in this team's turnaround, but it is a big part all the same.

Loser -- Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall: Every year, there's a coaching change that makes you go "Huh?" Mendenhall's departure from BYU to Virginia was that change a year ago. And did it ever fall on its face. The Cavaliers went 2-10 in Mendenhall's first season and never stood a chance. (Meanwhile, BYU went 8-4.) Granted, Mendenhall didn't inherit a particularly good situation, but this surprising coaching move didn't yield any results in Year 1.

Winner -- Defensive touchdowns: If there was ever a year for a defensive player to make a Heisman run, this would have been it. From three pick-sixes by Ohio State safety Malik Hooker to Alabama's defense scoring a majority of the Tide's 14 non-offensive touchdowns (two fumble returns by defensive end Jonathan Allen), this was an exceptional season for defenders scoring immediate points off turnovers at eye-popping rates.

Loser -- BYU quarterback Taysom Hill: Life isn't fair, and Hill is a prime football example of that. The senior sustained a season-ending (and thus career-ending) elbow injury against Utah State. It was the fourth time in five years his season was cut short by injury. When he was healthy, Hill was a fun quarterback who played fearlessly. Ultimately, that proved to be what kept him back from a more complete college career.

Loser -- All of us (Goodbye, Saturdays with Uncle Verne): No, this isn't here because we're CBS Sports. Honest. I am going to greatly miss listening to Verne Lundquist call the SEC on CBS broadcast every Saturday next fall. Uncle Verne became the voice of SEC football and "Oh my gracious!" should be as much apart of Southern vernacular now as "y'all." Brad Nessler will do a fine job and the broadcast will be every bit as good -- it'll just be a very different without Verne in the booth.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-13-2016, 01:05 PM

College Bowl Trends
December 11, 2016

For the longest time College Bowl games played before New Year’s Day were deemed minor bowls. Those played from January 1st out were the main or major bowl games.

That all changed when cable television entered the fray. Today, in order to fill a need for cable television broadcasting rights, there are no less than a whopping 40 bowl games, only to conclude with the College Football Playoff championship game on January 9th.

Hence, a handful of bowl games on the docket prior to New Year’s Day are considered of the heavyweight variety. Nonetheless, the bowl games are still primarily populated by two classes of teams: those who suffered disturbing late losses and fell out of major bowl consideration, and those who scraped and clawed and earned a bowl bid thanks to a strong second-half effort.

Let take a look this year’s bowl card shapes up. I’ll return next week and an in-depth look at the New Year’s Six and College Football Playoff games.

Conference Call

Like teams and coaches, conferences too develop bowl personalities.

Our database dug deep and found these noteworthy ‘best and worst’ conference trends. All results are ATS dating back as far as 1980, unless noted otherwise.

ACC
Best: 9-1 ATS dog of more than 4 points versus opponents off a SU win: Memphis
Worst: 2-10 ATS versus opponents off a SU favorite loss (Temple and Tulsa)

Big Ten
Best: 7-1 ATS off double-digit ATS win (Iowa)
Worst: 3-9 ATS versus opponent off SU favorite loss (Nebraska)

Big 12
Best: 5-1 ATS off SU underdog win (Kansas State)
Worst: 2-17 ATS as favorites of less than 8 points if scored 35 or more points last game (Oklahoma)

C-USA
Best: 16-4 ATS off double-digit loss (North Texas)
Worst: 1-11 ATS as dogs versus opponent off SU underdog win (Texas San Antonio)

Independent
Best: 7-1 ATS versus opponent off SUATS loss (Army)
Worst: 5-13 ATS versus opponent off SUATS win (BYU)

MAC
Best: 4-0 ATS off SU underdog win versus opponent off SU win (Eastern Michigan)
Worst: 3-13 ATS off double-digit loss (Toledo)

MWC
Best: 9-2 ATS as underdog versus opponent off SU loss (San Diego State)
Worst: 1-7 ATS as favorites of more the 3 points versus opponents off ATS win (Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico)

PAC 12
Best: 9-1 ATS as underdogs off consecutive wins (Washington)
Worst: 1-6 ATS versus opponents off SU underdog win (USC)

SEC
Best: 16-4 ATS as underdogs of more than 4 points off a SU loss (Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina)
Worst: 2-8 ATS as double-digit favorites off a double-digit SU win (Alabama, Mississippi State)

Sun Belt
Best: 8-1 ATS as underdogs of 8 or less points versus .500 or greater opponents (Appalachian State, Arkansas State, La Lafayette)
Worst: 1-6 ATS as favorites of more than 3 points (Troy)

Second-Half Ups and Downs

The bowl team whose second half overall stats (from Game 7 out as opposed to the first six games of the season) improved the most was Idaho (surprise), whose +116 net yards per game improvement tops the pack.

Right on their heels was Appalachian State at +92 net yards per contest over the 2nd half of the season.

The bowl team whose overall team stats regressed the most from Game 7 out was Florida, who slipped a whopping -137 net YPG during the 2nd half of the campaign.

Nipping right on the Gators’ heels was Baylor as the Bears went backwards -135 net yards per game during their dramatic 0-6 SUATS season ending collapse.

In The Stats

Speaking of stat performances this season, the best teams overall ITS (In The Stats) in games against fellow bowl teams was (no surprise) Alabama, who was 10-0 ITS.

Other perfect ITS performers include Toledo (6-0), along with Houston and Miami Ohio (5-0 each).

Bowl teams that were beat up ITS against other bowl teams were Maryland (0-7), along with Hawaii and Memphis (each 0-5).

Tale Of The Tape

Another interesting slant is weighing teams and their performance in games against other fellow bowl teams this season.

The best bowl spread beaters against other bowl foes were Eastern Michigan and Temple, both going 5-1 ATS.

The biggest bowl spread money loser was Maryland at 0-7 ATS.

In games “In The Stats” (net overall yards versus opponent’s net overall yards), the biggest bowler Yards Per Game stat winner was Alabama (+247 net yards per game, with both Clemson and Louisville earning runner-up honors at +160 net YPG each.

Pre-New Year’s Day bowlers that got trounced on the field, or the biggest Yards Per Game stat loser was Maryland at -199 net YPG, with Boston College and Wake Forest in the neighborhood at -162 and -156 net YPG respectively.

You Gotta Be Kidding

Our well-oiled machine notes that if you were to simply pick the winner of a bowl game and you will likely beat the spread as well.

That’s confirmed by the fact that straight up bowl winners are 737-117-12 ATS in all bowl games since 1980. Now go find a winner.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-13-2016, 01:07 PM

Handicapping Motivation
December 12, 2016

Five Teams With Questionable Motivation Levels for Bowl Season

Handicapping college football bowl games is far different than handicapping a regular season contest. The biggest difference is the increased need to handicap motivation.

Which team wants to be there? Which team would rather just get their season over with?

It might seem too obvious, but motivation truly is the single most important factor in handicapping college football this time of the year. With that in mind, I've put together a list of five teams that might not be motivated for the upcoming postseason.

I would strongly suggest to follow beat writers via Twitter for the teams and read the press conferences of each team heading into their bowl matchups. Ask yourself if it seems like the team is excited and focused on the task at hand, or do the players and coaching staff seem ambivalent?

That will point you in the right direction and I'm expecting lackluster performances from these schools below.

Houston Cougars
Saturday, Dec. 17 - Las Vegas Bowl vs. San Diego State

The Houston Cougars got to play against ninth- ranked Florida State in the Peach Bowl last year and they ran past the Seminoles, 38-24. That game was on a much bigger stage than their game on the opening Saturday of bowl season this year against the San Diego State Aztecs.

The game is in Las Vegas, so you could argue that makes it more exciting for the players. On the other hand, you have to wonder in a situation like this if the team is motivated to go play a football game, or just to go spend some time in Las Vegas. It's very likely that many of the players have never been to Las Vegas, and there is definitely plenty to do in Sin City. Houston's opponent, San Diego State, is accustomed to coming to Las Vegas, because they play a road game at UNLV every other year.

The elephant in the room here is the fact that head coach Tom Herman left and is now running the show at Texas. Herman did great things with this program, and it has to be disappointing for the players to see him leave.

Cougars defensive coordinator Todd Orlando will be the interim coach for the Cougars in this game before leaving the school and joining Herman in Austin. Houston promoted within and named offensive coordinator Major Applewhite as the full time coach. This is an odd situation all the way around.

Temple Owls
Tuesday, Dec. 27 - Military Bowl vs. Wake Forest

Temple had another fantastic season. The Owls failed to cover the spread in their first game this year but then proceeded to rattle off 12 straight covers against the spread. Temple was supposed to be down this year after they lost a lot of talent on the defensive end, but the Owls won the American Athletic Conference title.

Why would they have questionable motivation? Head Coach Matt Rhule leaving is a large part of it. Rhule did a fantastic job at the school and he was rewarded with a new gig at Baylor. The Owls lost a great head coach, and the players really loved fighting hard for Rhule.

Defensively, Temple ranks in the top five in the nation in most of the major categories this year. However, another reason to question their motivation is their bowl opponent in Wake Forest, who ranks 125th out of 128 teams in total offense. The AAC was a good conference this year, and one would have expected Temple to get a tougher opponent than Wake Forest but since the group isn't a Power 5 conference, the bowl tie-ins don't present intriguting matchups.

The Owls (-13) are listed as one of the largest favorites this bowl season.

North Carolina Tar Heels
Friday, Dec. 30 - Sun Bowl vs. Stanford

North Carolina had higher aspirations than the Sun Bowl heading into the season and this was a team that appeared to be right on the cusp of big things. They played like a team that was on the verge of a breakout season at times but unfortunately for them, they were very inconsistent.

North Carolina ws blasted 34-3 at home to Virginia Tech after a strong 4-1 start. They did rebound with three consecutive wins, two coming on the road. However, the Tar Heels lost in two of their last three games to a pair of local rivals in Duke and North Carolina State as heavy favorites.

Head coach Larry Fedora's name has been thrown around multiple times with annual job openings that come up, and you have to think that hurts team chemistry a little bit. The Tar Heels skidded into the finish, and that's not an encouraging sign especially when you're facing a Cardinal team that closed the season with five straight victories.

Tennessee Volunteers
Friday, Dec. 30 - Music City Bowl vs. Nebraska

Remember when Tennessee was 5-0 and considered a playoff contender?

The Volunteers lost four of their final seven games and the defense has been shredded by everyone they have played of late. If they don't have an incredible offensive game, the Vols are toast. They allowed 635 and 740 yards in victories against Kentucky and Missouri respectively. They escaped those games but that poor production caught them in their final game as Vanderbilt posted 608 yards in a 45-34 victory over Tennessee.

Most people expected Tennessee to win at least 10 games this year, and now they have been terrible late in the season. Head coach Butch Jones is firmly on the hot seat -- again. They do face a struggling Nebraska squad in the bowl and playing in Nashville should give the Vols the edge but a short trip from Knoxville isn't exactly a great reward for the players.

TCU Horned Frogs
Friday, Dec. 30 - Liberty Bowl vs. Georgia

The TCU Horned Frogs were a major disappointment this year and that's being nice. The school was ranked in the Top 25 to begin the season and finished with a .500 record (6-6). Even worse, the Frogs burned bettors with a 3-9 ATS record and that includes a 0-7 ATS ledger in Fort Worth.

Gary Patterson is a good coach, so it is possible that TCU will be ready for this game. On the other hand, after one of the most disappointing seasons in recent program history, this team might just be ready to turn the page and look to next year.

TCU will take on Georgia in the Liberty Bowl and the postseason hasn't been great for the Frogs. TCU is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 bowl games and while I'm not sure I will go against TCU, I definitely can't back them against a solid SEC school.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-13-2016, 01:14 PM

College Bowl Pick 'em
December 10, 2016

The 2016-17 bowl lineup is out with 40 games to watch over the next few weeks leading to the National Championship game in Tampa on Monday January 9. Alabama is the favorite to win it all as the Crimson Tide face Washington in one of two college football playoff games on New Year’s Eve.

During the holiday season, bettors have the opportunity to earn extra cash with "College Bowl Pick ‘em" contests where all you have to do is pick the winner, which isn’t as easy as it looks.

The most popular contest has you picking the winner of all 40 Bowl games and ranking them with confidence, starting with 40 as the most confident pick and counting all the way down to 1 as least confident.

Since Alabama is the overwhelming favorite to win it all, while laying 16 points in the Peach Bowl against Washington, I have selected the Crimson Tide as my most confident team to win its bowl at 40. Even though the Huskies have put together a terrific season at 12-1, it’s hard to see them traveling cross-country to Atlanta to pull off the upset of the Crimson Tide.

Michigan fell short of the college football playoff with its late-season loss to Ohio State, as the Wolverines were relegated to the Orange Bowl. The Wolverines will face Florida State as seven-point favorites on December 30 in Miami, as Michigan’s two losses this season came by a combined six points to Ohio State and Iowa. The Seminoles put up a dud in last season’s Chick-Fil-A Bowl loss to Houston, but are riding a four-game winning streak.

In Jim Harbaugh’s last two bowl games as head coach of Stanford in 2010 and Michigan last season, his teams have won by a combined score of 81-19. I’ve ranked Michigan at a 37 to win the Orange Bowl, sitting behind Air Force (39) and New Mexico (38) on the confidence meter.

Below are all 40 bowls ranked from 40-1. Happy Bowl Season!

2016-17 COLLEGE BOWL PICK 'EM STRAIGHT UP

Point Value Bowl Game Matchup Prediction

40 Peach Bowl Alabama vs. Washington Alabama

39 Arizona Bowl Air Force vs. South Alabama Air Force

38 New Mexico Bowl Texas-San Antonio vs. New Mexico New Mexico

37 Orange Bowl Florida State vs. Michigan Michigan

36 Rose Bowl Penn State vs. USC USC

35 Miami Beach Bowl Central Michigan vs. Tulsa Tulsa

34 Holiday Bowl Minnesota vs. Washington State Washington State

33 Idaho Potato Bowl Idaho vs. Colorado State Colorado State

32 Military Bowl Wake Forest vs. Temple Temple

31 Foster Farms Bowl Indiana vs. Utah Utah

30 St. Petersburg Bowl Miami-Ohio vs. Mississippi State Mississippi State

29 Bahamas Bowl Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion Old Dominion

28 Hawaii Bowl Hawai'i vs. Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee

27 Cactus Bowl Baylor vs. Boise State Boise State

26 Russell Athletic Bowl West Virginia vs. Miami-Florida West Virginia

25 Las Vegas Bowl Houston vs. San Diego State San Diego State

24 Independence Bowl North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt North Carolina State

23 Birmingham Bowl South Carolina vs. South Florida South Florida

22 Quick Lane Bowl Maryland vs. Boston College Maryland

21 Sugar Bowl Auburn vs. Oklahoma Oklahoma

20 Armed Forces Bowl Louisiana Tech vs. Navy Louisiana Tech

19 Citrus Bowl LSU vs. Louisville Louisville

18 Dollar General Bowl Ohio vs. Troy Troy

17 Pinstripe Bowl Northwestern vs. Pittsburgh Northwestern

15 Outback Bowl Iowa vs. Florida Iowa

16 Cotton Bowl Classic Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin Western Michigan

15 Outback Bowl Iowa vs. Florida Iowa

14 TaxSlayer Bowl Kentucky vs. Georgia Tech Kentucky

13 Music City Bowl Nebraska vs. Tennessee Nebraska

12 Fiesta Bowl Ohio State vs. Clemson Clemson

11 Heart of Dallas Bowl Army vs. North Texas Army

10 Poinsettia Bowl BYU vs. Wyoming BYU

9 Boca Raton Bowl Memphis vs. Western Kentucky Memphis

8 Texas Bowl Kansas State vs. Texas A&M Kansas State

7 Camellia Bowl Appalachian State vs. Toledo Toledo Rockets

6 New Orleans Bowl Southern Mississippi vs. Louisiana Lafayette Louisiana Lafayette

5 Sun Bowl Stanford vs. North Carolina Stanford

4 Cure Bowl Central Florida vs. Arkansas State Arkansas State

3 Alamo Bowl Oklahoma State vs. Colorado Colorado

2 Liberty Bowl TCU vs. Georgia Georgia

1 Belk Bowl Arkansas vs. Virginia Tech Virginia Tech

**StarDust Bum** · 12-14-2016, 02:39 AM

Bowl game writeups

Dec 17

New Mexico Bowl: Tex-San Antonio @ New Mexico

New Mexico stays at home for this bowl, its 4th bowl in last 11 years, all here in Albuquerque. Lobos won six of last seven games to finish 8-4; they’re 5-1 at home, 1-2 as a home favorite- their only home loss was 49-21 to Boise State. New Mexico likes to run ball; they ran for 300+ yards in seven games this year, had an astounding 568 rushing yards in 56-35 win in its finale vs Wyoming. UTSA’s QB is Dalton Sturm, named after Patrick Swayze’s character in Road House; Roadrunners are in first-ever bowl- they went 5-3 in last eight games, covered four of last five- none of their last eight opponents ran for more than 180 yards. New Mexico is 3-2 vs spread in games with single digit spread; UTSA is 2-2. C-USA non-conference road underdogs are 9-11 vs spread. Mountain West home favorites are 9-14. Mountain West team covered this bowl the last four years, with underdogs 3-1 vs spread in those games.

Las Vegas Bowl: Houston-San Diego State

Houston started season with upset of Oklahoma, then upset Louisville later in season, but they also lost to Navy-SMU-Memphis and now they’re in a lesser bowl than they thought and their coach is off to Texas, taking lot of assistants with him. Cougars scored 35-38 points to post upset wins in bowls the last two years; senior QB Ward (also leading rusher) needs a big game here. Houston is 9-0 when they allow less than 38 points, 0-3 when they give up 38+; Cougars are 0-6 vs spread in their last six games as a favorite. San Diego State lost its last two games, allowing 97 points; they’re 2-3 in bowls the last five years- they play on this field every other year- Aztecs beat UNLV here 52-14 LY. RB Pumphrey is one of nation’s best; Aztecs are 9-0 when they run for 200+ yards, 0-3 vs D-I teams when they do not. AAC non-conference favorites are 10-8 vs spread this season; Mountain West underdogs are 5-12.

Camellia Bowl: Appalachian State-Toledo

Toledo won three of its last four bowls, beating Temple LY; Rockets scored 32+ points in four of last five (3-2) bowl games. Toledo is 2-1-1 vs spread in games with a single digit spread; they allowed 249+ rushing yards in all three of their losses- they’re 9-0 when allowing less than 249 YR. Appalachian State won 31-29 over Ohio in this game LY, ASU’s first-ever bowl. Mountaineers won eight of last nine games this year after a 1-2 start, with loss to Troy; they’re 2-2 vs spread in games with a single-digit pointspread. ASU lost its season opener in OT at Tennessee. Junior QB Lamb is a 3-year starter for App State. Sun Belt teams are 8-7 in last 15 games with MAC opponents; Toledo opened this year with a 31-10 win over Arkansas State. App State won 45-38 at Akron in September. This is third Camellia Bowl; MAC/Sun Belt split first two, with totals of 61-60.

Cure Bowl, Orlando: Central Florida-Arkansas State

Central Florida was 0-12 LY after being 31-9 the three years before that, now they’re favored in a bowl game. Knights won three of their last four bowls, are playing in hometown here. UCF is 6-6 this year, 4-2 vs number in games with single-digit spread, 4-1 as a favorite- they lost last two games, allowing 83 points. Arkansas State is playing in its sixth straight bowl (under four different HC’s); they’re 0-2 in bowls under Anderson, losing 63-44/47-28. ASU is 7-5 this season after an 0-4 start that included a loss to a I-AA team. Red Wolves are 2-2 as underdogs this season. Under is 7-1-1 in last nine ASU games, 6-1 in UCF’s last eight games. Last two years, AAC teams are 4-2 vs spread when playing Sun Belt teams. AAC non-conference favorites are 10-9 vs spread this year. Sun Belt underdogs are 13-13. This is only second Cure Bowl, so no history to lean on here.

New Orleans Bowl: Southern Mississippi/UL-Lafayette

UL-Lafayette is playing in this bowl for 5th time in last six years; they won previous four, and were underdog three times- those are ULL’s only bowl appearances. Lot of people will make the trip east from Lafayette. ULL is 4-2 as an underdog this year, 7-2 vs number in games with a single-digit spread. ULL QB Jennings started 14 games for LSU before transferring. Southern Miss lost three of last four games, covered one of last eight; they had to beat La Tech as a 14-point dog to get bowl eligible. USM lost as a 10-point favorite to Troy of Sun Belt. Golden Eagles are 1-6 as a favorite this year, 1-2 in games with a single digit spread- they’re 1-3 in last four bowl games, they split two trips to this bowl in 2008-09. Underdogs won this bowl SU three of last five years; Sun Belt teams won four of the five.

Dec 19

Miami Beach Bowl: Central Michigan-Tulsa

Central Michigan lost 49-48/21-14 in bowls last two years; Chippewas are 3-6 overall in bowls, with four of last five decided by 3 or less points. CMU is 4-2 in games decided by 7 or less points. Tulsa is over .500 for first time in four years; they’re 3-2 in last five bowls, losing 55-52 to Va Tech LY. Chippewas lost four of last five games but did win at Oklahoma State; CMU is 1-2 as an underdog this year, 2-3 in games with double digit spread. Tulsa is 4-4 as a favorite this year, 2-4 vs number in games with double digit spread- they allowed 30+ points in six of last nine games. Favorite won/covered this bowl in first two years, with totals of 80-103. Weather isn’t a factor, being domed stadium. AAC non-conference favorites are 10-8 vs spread; MAC underdogs are 15-11.

Dec 20

Boca Raton Bowl: Memphis-Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky won its last seven games after a 3-3 start, with five of last six wins by 35+ points, but WKU lost its coach to Purdue; they’re 5-4 as a favorite this year, 1-2 in games wth single digit spread. Memphis is 1-2 as an underdog this year, 3-3 in games with single digit spread. Tigers allowed 42+ points in all four losses; they’re 7-0 when allowing less than 42 points. Memphis lost three of last four bowls, allowing 41 ots/game; they beat BYU in OT in nearly Miami two years ago. Hilltoppers won 49-48/45-35 in bowl games last two years; this is their 4th bowl in last five years. C-USA non-conference favorites are 4-5 vs spread; AAC underdogs are 7-10. AAC teams are 8-5 vs spread in last 13 games vs Conference USA opponents. Over is 7-3 in last ten Memphis games, 6-2 in last eight WKU games.

Dec 21

Poinsettia Bowl: BYU-Wyoming

No love lost between these old conference rivals, who last met in 2010; BYU won last seven meetings, last four by average score of 39-8, but that was long time ago. BYU is 8-4 this year, with four losses by total of 8 points. Cougars are 4-3 vs spread as a favorite this year, 6-2-1 in games with a single digit pointspread. Because they’re an independent, most of their tougher games were earlier this season. Wyoming was 15-33 the previous four years; they’re 8-5 this season, losing last two games while allowing 83 points, 810 rushing yards. This is Wyoming’s first bowl in five years, and Bohl’s first bowl; he won multiple national titles at I-AA level. BYU lost its last three bowls, allowing 40.3 pts/game; favorites covered their last five bowl games. Two of Cowboys’ last three games were against San Diego State, but both were in Laramie. BYU won this bowl in 2012; Mountain West teams are 3-2 in last five Poinsettia Bowls.

Dec 22

Idaho Potato Bowl, Boise: Colorado State-Idaho

Idaho is dropping back to I-AA football after next season, so this has special meaning for them; it is Vandals’ first bowl since 2009, just their third bowl ever (2-0, both in this game). Idaho’s QB is Matt Linehan, whose dad is Cowboys’ OC. Vandals won their last three games, covered their last six; they’re 4-3 as an underdog this year, 2-3 in games with double digit spread. Colorado State is in its 4th straight bowl; they’re 7-5 SU, covering their last seven games. Rams are 2-2 as a favorite, 5-0 vs spread in games with double figure spread. Sun Belt underdogs are 12-12 vs spread; Mountain West favorites are 8-8. Underdogs are 3-2 vs spread in this bowl the last five years; Mountain West teams won three of last four Potato Bowls. Sun Belt teams are 7-5 vs spread in last dozen games against Mountain West opponents.

Dec 23

Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl: Eastern Michigan-Old Dominion

First-ever bowl for Old Dominion, which is in its third year of I-A football; first bowl for Eastern Michigan since 1987, their first/only bowl. EMU was 7-41 the last four years, jumped to 7-5 this year; Eagles are 8-2 vs spread in last ten games, 7-2 as an underdog, 6-2 in games with single digit spread. Four of EMU’s five losses are by 13+ points; five of their six I-A wins are by 7 or less. Old Dominion won its last five games (4-0-1 vs spread), scoring 41 pts/game; they’re 7-0-1 as a favorite this year, 6-0 in games with single digit spread. ODU’s senior QB Washington threw 28 TD’s with only four INTs; he is Monarchs’ 3rd-leading rusher. MAC teams are 14-7-1 vs spread in last 22 games vs C-USA opponents. Under is 8-2 in last ten EMU games, 0-3 in Monarchs’ last three games. First two Bahamas Bowls ended 49-48/45-31; this should be good.

Dollar General Bowl, Mobile AL; Ohio-Troy

This is first bowl in six years for Troy, which should have crowd edge given Mobile site; Trojans are 2-3 in bowls, with two of those games going OT. Ohio coach Solich (ex-Nebraska HC) is 4-8 in bowl games; Bobcats are 2-7 in bowls, losing last two 37-20/31-29- this is their 5th bowl in last six years. Ohio is 8-5 this year, 3-0 vs spread as an underdog, 3-2 in games with single digit spread- they used two QBs, a freshman and senior with mixed results. Troy lost two of last three games after an 8-1 start; they’re 4-5 as a favorite this year, 2-5 vs spread in last seven games, 1-3 in games with single digit spread- their junior QB is a 3-year starter. Sun Belt non-conference favorites are 3-3 vs spread; MAC underdogs are 15-11. Under is 10-0-1 in Bobcats last 11 games, 6-2-1 in Troy’s last nine. Underdogs are 3-2 SU in this bowl the last five years; Sun Belt teams won three of last four.

Dec 24

Hawai’i Bowl: Middle Tennessee @ Hawai’i

No line yet on this game because of unknown status of Middle Tennessee QB Stockstill. Blue Raiders are 4-5 as a favorite this year, 2-3 in games with single digit pointspread- they won their last game 77-56 over FAU. Hawai’i went 11-39 the last four years, is 6-7 now and is somehow in a bowl. Hawai’i allowed 40+ points seven times this year; they won last two games, but are 2-4 in games with a single digit pointspread. Rainbows lost last three bowls, allowing 50.7 pts/game- except for their great ’07 season their last four bowls have all been here, on their home field. Six of last seven MTSU games, five of last seven Hawai’i games went over total. Favorites won/covered last three Hawai’i Bowls. last four of which were all decided by 15+ points. Mountain West teams lost four of last five appearances in this game.

Dec 26

St Petersburg Bowl, Tropicana Field: Miami OH-Mississippi State

Miami was 0-6 at one point this year, in midst of a 4-year, 5-37 skid, then they won their last six games and are here- this Redhawks’ first bowl since 2010, their 2nd since ’04- they’ve got to be really excited. Miami is 5-2 as an underdog this year, 4-1 in games with a double digit spread. A 12-point favorite from the SEC with an 11am kickoff? Hmmm. Mississippi State is 3-2 in its last five bowls, scoring 44-34-51 the last three years, but that was with Dak Prescott at QB. Under is 7-3 in last ten Miami games, 0-6 in Bulldogs’ last six. SEC non-conference favorites are 10-18 vs spread this year; MAC underdogs are 15-11. Favorites covered this bowl three of last four years; MAC teams lost by 17-21 in last two appearances here. The game is in a dome; weather isn’t a concern, but it also is a baseball field- average total in this bowl last five years: 45.8.

Quick Lane Bowl, Detroit: Maryland-Boston College

In one three-game stretch in November, Maryland was outscored 149-13, but here they are, favored in a bowl. Terps are favored for first time since Oct 15 vs Minnesota (they lost 31-10). Maryland lost 31-20/45-21 in its last two bowls; their last bowl win was 2010. Boston College lost its last five bowl games (after winning 8 in row); their last bowl win was in in 2007. BC had to beat UConn/Wake Forest just to get to 6-6; Eagles are 3-3 as an underdog, 3-2 in games with a single digit spread; Maryland is 2-2 as a favorite, 1-3 in games with single digit spread. Underdog won this bowl SU three of last four years; Big 14 teams are 3-0 in this bowl the last five years. This season, ACC underdogs are 7-4 vs spread; Big 14 favorites are 15-11. This game is living proof there are too many bowl games.

Independence Bowl, Shreveport: NC State-Vanderbilt

Last five years, SEC teams are 10-4 vs ACC teams in bowls; ACC teams covered one of the three they were favored in. Vanderbilt is in its first bowl since 2013, when James Franklin was coach- they won last two bowls, are 4-2-1 all-time in bowls. NC State is 3-2 in its last five bowls; they lost 51-28 in Belk Bowl LY. Wolfpack are 2-5 in last seven games; they lost four in row at one point. State is 4-2 as a favorite, 3-2 in games with single digit spread. Vandy is 6-3 as an underdog this season, 4-4 in games with single digit spread. This season, ACC favorites are 17-9 vs spread; SEC underdogs are 5-3. Under is 7-1 in NC State’s last eight games, 5-3 in Sandy’s last eight. Vanderbilt (-7.5) beat NC State 38-24 at home in Music City Bowl in 2012; neither HC was here back then. Doeren is 2-1 in bowl games. Underdogs covered this bowl three of the last four years.

Dec 27

Heart of Dallas Bowl, Cotton Bowl: Army-North Texas

North Texas (+16.5) went to West Point Oct 22 and upset Army 35-18; UNT was +6 in turnovers in game where Cadets outgained North Texas 396-320- this is the only rematch of bowl season. This is unusual bowl: favorites won/covered this game the last five years, with all five games decided by 13+ points. North Texas beat UNLV 36-14 here three years ago, their only bowl since 2004. UNT is 2-5 all-time in bowls. Army is in its first bowl since 2010; they’re 3-2 all-time in bowls, with two losses by total of four points. Mean Green lost four of last five games; they’re 5-7 but the three 5-7 teams won their bowls last year. Conference USA non-conference underdogs are 9-11 vs spread this year. Under is 5-3 in last eight North Texas games.

Military Bowl, Annapolis: Wake Forest-Temple

Laying 13 points in a bowl with a team whose coach bolted for greener pa$ture$ is dangerous and not a great idea. Temple covered its last 11 games, is 10-3 SU, but Rhule is the new coach at Baylor now. Owls 6-1 as favorites this year, 6-1 in games with double digit spread- they won their last seven games, last six by 16+ points. Wake Forest is 6-6 but lost its last three games, scoring only 13 pts/game; Deacons are 5-1 as an underdog this year, 3-3 in games with a double digit spread. Wake is in its first bowl since 2011; they’ll be excited. Deacons covered four of last five bowls. Favorites covered this bowl three of last four years. ACC teams lost here two of last three years. Under is 5-1-1 in Wake’s last seven games, 5-0 in Temple’s last five. AAC favorites are 10-7 vs spread this year; ACC underdogs are 7-4.

Holiday Bowl, San Diego: Washington State-Minnesota

Underdogs covered last four Holiday Bowls, winning three SU. Pac-12 teams are 1-4 in this game the last five years. This year, Washington State lost its first two games, its last two games but went 8-0 in between; Coogs are 3-3 as favorites this year, 2-4 in games with a single digit spread. Minnesota is 2-2-1 as an underdog, 3-3 in games with a single digit spread. Leach is 6-5 in bowls, 1-1 here; Wazzu is 7-5 overall in bowls. Gophers are in 5th straight bowl; they’re 1-3 in last four bowls, ending skid with win over Central Michigan LY. Coogs are 1-3 this year when scoring less than 30 points; Minnesota held nine of 12 opponents under 30. Last two years, Pac-12 teams are 3-8 vs Big 14 teams- they’re 4-8-1 vs spread in last 13 games when favored against a Big 14 squad. Over is 6-3 in Coogs’ last nine games, 4-2 in Gophers’ last six.

Cactus Bowl, Chase Field- Phoenix: Boise State-Baylor

Baylor started season 6-0, wound up 6-6; now they’ve hired Temple coach Rhule; not sure how it affects this game. Bears allowed 32.8 pts/game during its skid. Baylor was 3-2 in its last five bowls under Briles, with average total of 92.4. Baylor is 1-1 as an underdog, 1-4 in games with a single digit spread. Boise State is 10-2, covered one of its last seven games; they’re 4-8 vs spread, 0-2 in games with single digit spread. Broncos won four of last five bowls, scoring 40 pts/game; they won 55-7/38-30 in last two bowls. Underdogs covered three of last four Cactus Bowls; Big 12 teams are 4-1 in this game the last five years. Under is 7-4 in Baylor games this year, three of last four Boise games went over. Big X underdogs are 2-4 this season; Mountain West favorites are 8-8.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-15-2016, 03:51 AM

Bowl Betting Report
December 14, 2016

About a week since the matchups were announced and less than three weeks before the games will be played, the betting market seems to have found the right numbers for the two 2016 College Football Playoff semifinals.

No. 1 Alabama, far and away the top team on every bookmaker’s power ratings, opened Dec. 4 at the Wynn as a 13.5-point favorite against Washington in the Peach Bowl. That line drew immediate action from bettors looking to lay the points, and by the next day, the Crimson Tide had been bet up to -16, the number at which underdog bettors got involved.

“A lot of money on Alabama going up and some pretty good sized bets on Washington (at the bigger numbers), so we settled at 15.5,” John Avello, executive director of race and sports at the Wynn, said this Tuesday. “That’s the biggest betting game so far (of the 2016-17 bowl game slate).”

Avello, who said his book is relatively balanced on the game, doubts the buy-back on Washington +16 came from wiseguys playing the number.

“I don’t think the wiseguys (laying the points with ‘Bama) would be interested again until you hit 17,” he said.

CG Technology, meanwhile, was on the low end of the market when wagering opened but ended up at 15.5, along with most of its competing bet shops.

CG tested the market by dealing Alabama in the -10.5, -11 range on look-ahead lines on the Tide’s potential matchup with Washington. Jason Simbal, vice president of risk at CG, said his group “took some Alabama money (at those prices) but nothing out of control.”

So when the Huskies were unveiled as Alabama’s opponent, CG opened the game 11.5.

”That lasted all of like five minutes,” Simbal said Tuesday. “Some other books opened 13.5, 14, so we quickly followed them to that number, and (bettors) kept laying Alabama. The peak we’ve been at is 15.5, which is where we are now, and it’s been pretty crazy movement to get there. ... They laid it up to 15.5, and then they bought back Washington to 15, and then they laid Alabama again at 15. ...

“At 15.5 is where we stopped getting one-sided action. The Alabama folks seems to be willing to lay 15 and the Washington folks seem willing to take 16, so it’s kind of quiet at this number.”

Public bettors, as is to be expected, have been playing Washington at about 6/1 odds on the money-line, setting up a big-game scenario with which bookmakers are familiar.

“Kind of like the Super Bowl, where we need the favorite to win without covering,” Simbal envisions as the position CG will be on New Year’s Eve.

Ohio State (-3/-120) vs. Clemson, Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Saturday, Dec. 31

As it does with the Peach Bowl, early action on the Fiesta Bowl, the second national semifinal set for Dec. 31, indicates the number is around where it needs to be: Ohio State -3 (-120) at most shops and -3.5 at the Westgate SuperBook (Ohio State bettors in Las Vegas should head to the South Point, which currently has OSU -3 and whose policy it is to never to come off the standard -110 vig).

CG opened Ohio State -3.5, the Wynn CG hung -2.5, and naturally, CG took dog action and the Wynn got money on the chalk. As of this writing, CG is dealing OSU -3 (-115), while the Wynn has -3 (-120).

“We took some Clemson action right away when we opened 3.5, but since we moved to 3, it’s been really good two-way action,” Simbal said. “Not a ton of sharp play on the game at all. It’s been mostly public two-way action.”

Said Avello, “We opened that game 2.5 and we’re up to 3 and trending a little higher because of Ohio State money, but we haven’t gotten off that number.”

Both Fiesta Bowl participants have been burning money at the bet window most of the season – Ohio State is 2-6 ATS in its last eight games, Clemson is on a 2-5 ATS run.

Avello, though, believes the Tigers are in better form ahead of this matchup.

“I respect the Ohio State coach (Urban Meyer),” Avello said. “He’s been there before, he wins a lot of football games, but I don’t know if this team is as talented as the Ohio State team that won a national championship a few years ago. You look at the end of the Ohio State season – Michigan State could have beaten them, they ended up winning by a point; Michigan was a double-overtime game. They’ve had their scares this year – Penn State beat them, Northwestern gave them a tough game.”

While Meyer is tough to beat with so much time to prepare, Avello said, “I would take the ‘dog in the game. I like the way Clemson played at the end of the season. They certainly had their tough spots, but they ended up strong... It seems like their offense is where they want it right now, and it’s Ohio State’s job to slow it down. I think Clemson can win this football game.”

Here are a few bowl games beyond the semifinals that have our attention.

LSU (-3) vs. Louisville, Citrus Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 31

Louisville, not long ago regarded as one of the best teams in the country, has lost respect among the betting market, thanks to consecutive loses (at Houston, vs. Kentucky) to close out the regular season. The Cardinals are between 3- and 3.5-point dogs against LSU in Orlando.

When Louisville was putting up 50, 60, 70 points a game at the beginning of the season, public bettors couldn’t get to the window fast enough to bet them. But the Cards have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last nine games. That sort of performance will change people’s minds about a team.

“Louisville being a public team has certainly changed,” Simbal said.

LSU opened -2.5 at CG and was bet to as high as -3.5 by public gamblers reacting to news that running back Leonard Fournette is likely to play.

“I don’t know how much Louisville play we’re going to get in this game,” Avello added. “I think we’re going to need Louisville when the game goes off.”

Avello envisions a motivated LSU side under Ed Orgeron, who was recently hired as head coach of the Tigers after serving on an interim basis since Les Miles was fired in late September.

“I think they come into the game focused and ready to move on for next year. I think they have something to play for here,” Avello said. “I think (playing against Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson) gives them little more motivation to try and stop him. “

Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin (-7.5), Outback Bowl, Tampa, Monday, Jan. 2

Western Michigan will get its shot against a legit Power 5 program by virtue of its 13-0 record, built mainly through the Broncos’ MAC schedule. P.J. Fleck’s men do have road wins over two Big Ten teams on their resume, albeit Northwestern in the first week of the season and lowly Illinois.

That’s not enough to interest public bettors in taking the points against Wisconsin.

As about 2:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday Dec. 14, CG had written six bets on Western Michigan for a total of $125, compared to 40 bets on Wisconsin worth $4,000, mostly from fans, according to Simbal.

CG opened Wisconsin -6.5 and moved to -7.5, but action this small won’t prompt Simbal’s group to adjust to a number that would be enticing to wiseguys.

“You can’t inflate the line too much, because the sharp guys really like to attack these bowl games early on when a line is off,” Simbal said.

Avello doesn’t seem particularly impressed with Western Michigan, despite its perfect record, and he also does not see a problem with motivation for the Badgers.

“It’s not like they destroyed all those teams,” Avello said of the Broncos. “Those teams have all hung around, staying within a couple of touchdowns. They’re up against a team that could have very well been in the national championship game. We’re going to find out how good they really are…“The team does score a lot (43.5 points per game, 8th in the nation). ... But Wisconsin’s defense has shut down a lot of teams during the year.”

He added of Wisconsin’s motivation after being eliminated from national title contention, “When there’s so much time between games, it changes things a little bit for teams – maybe they lose their momentum, maybe they don’t care as much – we don’t know that. But in this case, I would bet Wisconsin comes to play and win the game.”

USC (-7) vs. Penn State, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Monday, Jan. 2

USC, winners of eight straight (7-1 ATS) after a 1-3 start to the season, opened -6.5 for its Rose Bowl date vs. Penn State, and the line has hovered between that number and -7 around Las Vegas the past week and a half.

Despite nearly missing a playoff bid, No. 5 Penn State, as Avello sees it, faces a daunting task in Pasadena.

“Penn State had a miraculous win against Wisconsin (in the Big Ten championship game), being down that many early in the game, and I respect what that team has done this year, but they’re up against a lot here,” Avello said... “If there were two or three games left in the season, (USC) might end up in that final four.”

He added, “USC is going to be bet this game. I guess I’ll get some Penn State money if I get to the right number.”

At least one sharp player liked Penn State plus the touchdown, as Avello’s team moved the Rose Bowl line from 7 back to 6.5 after we spoke Tuesday.

Auburn vs. Oklahoma (-3.5), Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 2

Oklahoma opened -5.5 at the Wynn, but the line has swung 2 points in Auburn’s direction, a move driven largely by sentiment that the SEC is superior to the Big 12, Avello believes.

“Not a great season for them, but there are quality athletes on the team and they’re a very well-coached team,” Avello said of Auburn. “They didn’t finish the season well, but they did cover the point spread against Alabama. They weren’t scoring a lot the last couple of games, but still, Gus Malzahn does a great job with this team.”

He added of the Sugar Bowl favorite, “Oklahoma’s a tough team to bet, because Oklahoma can come with all of it or (not). They can score, but they can also give up a lot.”

Opinions on conferences still taking shape

Despite certain games, like the Sugar Bowl discussed above, being bet based on conferences, more meaningful opinions on leagues are developed as the bowl season plays out. In other words, it’s too early to find patterns on which conferences are being backed or faded in the postseason.

“You’re not going to find it now, you’re going to find it after the bowl season starts,” Avello said, “and this is what happens: if the Pac 12 goes 3-0 the first three games, then they’ll start betting the Pac 12 teams, figuring they must be a stronger conference; and if they see conferences starting to lose, they’ll bet against them.”

Simbal offered this as an example of how opinions continue to be shaped: “If San Diego State is able to win (the Las Vegas Bowl this Saturday) and their defense handles Houston, then you have to look at the teams Houston beat down the stretch of the season. Houston gave a licking to Louisville, so if San Diego State is beating up Houston pretty good, then how good can Louisville be?”

More early action at CG Technology

Simbal pointed out a few under-the-radar bowl games that have attracted early action from respected bettors at his shop.

CG took two limit bets ($5,000) on N.C. State, one laying 3.5, one laying 4, against Vanderbilt in the Dec. 26 Independence Bowl. After moving the number to 4.5, though, the book is back to 4.

Houston opened -2.5 and was bet up to -3.5, although CG also took a limit bet on the San Diego State money line (+145), opening up a nice 3-point middle for the book.

Wyoming is an 8.5-point dog against BYU in the Dec. 21 Poinsettia Bowl, but Simbal said CG booked a five-figure money-line bet on the Cowboys +270.

Totals

‘Under’ is being bet in the Peach Bowl between Washington and Alabama, as the total opened 55 at CG Technology and is down to 54. But, Simbal cautions, “It’s hard to lay 16 and bet the under.”

The total for this Saturday’s New Mexico Bowl featuring Texas-San Antonio vs. New Mexico has been relatively heavily bet, according to Simbal, with gamblers playing the ‘under’ from an opening number of 63.5 down to 62.5.

The Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium between Pitt and Northwestern on Dec. 28 is seeing ‘over’ money, pushing the number from 66 to 66.5.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-15-2016, 03:54 AM

Saturday's Top Action
December 14, 2016

New Mexico Bowl (ESPN, 2:00 p.m. ET)
Texas-San Antonio vs. New Mexico

Sportsbook.ag Odds: New Mexico (-7); Total set at 63

The college football Bowl season officially gets going on Saturday and the first game on the card is a rare true home game for a Bowl team.

The New Mexico Lobos, who finished with an 8-4 SU and 6-6 ATS record, get to play on their own field as they host the UTSA Road Runners. This will be the first ever Bowl game for the Road Runners who have only been in FBS for five seasons and you know that program will be hyped up to be on the Bowl stage.

Things won't be easy for UTSA here as they've got to go on the road against a very partisan crowd which isn't always the case this time of year. The Road Runners finished the campaign with just a 6-6 SU and ATS record, and four of those defeats did come away from home.

Getting a touchdown here against a Lobos team that's on their own field is something that not too many casual bettors will want to back, but this UTSA team does have a history with New Mexico and could surprise many on Saturday.

The strength of UTSA's attack is that it's a balanced approach that highly values time of possession. HC Frank Wilson is in his first year with the program, but he was previously at LSU as a running back coach and is known as one of the best recruiters in the country. Having just taken over for Larry Coker in January, Wilson's recruiting skills haven't really bore fruits as of yet, but Coker left the program with significant stock and Wilson has made the most of it this year.

The Road Runners will likely aim to dominate the time of possession in this game to keep New Mexico's offense off the field and subsequently keep the partisan home crowd out of the game. IF UTSA is successful in that, then this game has a great chance to go down to the wire.

While Bowl games at home can appear to be a huge advantage on the surface, in practice that's not always the case. Players miss out on a lot of unique Bowl experiences in that regard with all the pre-game events taking on a different feel. There is no sightseeing for New Mexico players to do in a different locale and while the business approach of winning a game does fit better here, these college kids like to get out and go new places during this time of year and when they don't – like New Mexico here – it's tough to really be highly energized for the Bowl game.

Im not saying that will be the case for a Lobos squad, but this team got to their first Bowl game in decades a year ago and wouldn't you know it it was this same New Mexico Bowl. The Lobos lost that game 45-37 vs Arizona and I would not be surprised to see a similar result this season.

On the other hand, there is no question that New Mexico's returning players would have learned from last year's disappointment, but asking them to win by a touchdown is too much here. There defense has been torched in recent weeks to the tune of 84 points allowed over their final two games and when that's the case, the possibility for a back-door cover by UTSA increases.

UTSA has a tremendous run defense that should negate much of the advantage New Mexico has enjoyed on the ground this year (361 yards/game), and with UTSA on a 5-1 ATS run against winning teams, taking the points is the way to go here.

Best Bet: Take Texas-San Antonio +7

Las Vegas Bowl (ESPN, 3:00 p.m. ET)
Houston Cougars vs. San Diego State Aztecs

Sportsbook.ag Odds: Houston (-3.5); Total set at 55

Arguably the best game on the first day of Bowl games, this Houston/San Diego State game should have a bit of everything. These are two very good programs that finished the year with just three losses each, and San Diego State is coming off a Mountain West Championship.

It's Houston that's generating all the headlines leading up to this game as HC Tom Herman has moved on to bigger things by taking the job at Texas, and leaving DC Todd Orlando to coach this contest.

Backing teams that lose their head coaches at this time of year is always a slippery slope and while Houston does have some very impressive victories this season (Oklahoma, Louisville), you can't help but wonder if the players on this team are prepared to play their best this week.

Interim HC's are always put in a tough spot during Bowl season and it's a situation that the Houston Cougars program knows all too well. This will be the third time since 2007 that the Cougars put an interim HC on the sidelines for one game and the fourth time in that span that they've gone into their Bowl game with a different HC from the regular season.

Big names like Art Briles, Kevin Sumlin, and now Tom Herman have all used the Houston program as a launching point for their careers, and should Major Applewhite experience similar success with the program starting next year and beyond, it would not be surprising at all to see him move to a bigger school. So on one hand, this program is used to dealing with situations like this, but that also doesn’t make it any easier.

For senior QB Greg Ward Jr, this will be the second time in three seasons that he's had to deal with that change and typically it's got to be considered a warning sign for bettors.

Another knock against those looking to back Houston here is the fact that the Cougars have been burning money since the start of October. Houston is 1-6 ATS in their last seven games with the lone win coming in their tremendous 36-10 upset as 17-point underdogs vs. Louisville.

This team has been the definition of one that plays up or down to the level of their competition and given all the changes within the program recently, I don't see them “getting up” for this game against the Aztecs as they did vs the likes of Louisville and Oklahoma.

The fact that Houston promoted their DC to the interim HC position doesn't do them any favors either when they've got to deal with arguably the best RB in the nation in Donnel Pumphrey. Pumphrey has 2018 rushing yards on the season, an average of 6.1 per carry, and needs 108 yards on the ground in this game to be College Football's leading rusher of all time.

That's quite an accomplishment for a RB that doesn't get mainstream attention at San Diego State, but that school is known for producing quality RB's (Marshall Faulk). There's no question that SD State will lean heavily on Pumphrey and their talented defense to limit Houston's offensive possessions in this game and they should have quite a bit of success in doing so.

Houston's defense doesn't have the full attention of their DC right now with him being the HC and that could end up being a disaster for the Cougars here.

So while the majority of bettors, according to Vegas Insider, have been betting on the Cougars for this game (70%+), I'm not shy at all about being in the minority here. San Diego State is more of an unknown program to the majority of bettors and people often don't want to back a team they know little about.

But after Pumphrey sets the all-time rushing record and leads his Aztecs to an outright win and improves upon their 4-1 ATS mark when coming off a win, the entire nation will garner more respect for this Aztecs program.

Best Bet: Take San Diego State +3.5 (and don't be scared about a ML bet either).

**StarDust Bum** · 12-16-2016, 03:17 AM

Bowl Tech Trends - Week 1
December 15, 2016

SATURDAY, DEC. 17

Matchup Skinny Edge

UTSA vs. NEW MEXICO (New Mexico Bowl)...Lobos 6-1 SU, 5-2 vs. line last seven in 2016. UTSA just 2-3-1 vs. line away TY, but 4-2-1 as dog. UNM "over" 12-2 last 14!
“Over,” based on New Mexico “totals” trends.

HOUSTON vs. SAN DIEGO STATE (Las Vegas Bowl)...UH covered just one of last eight this season (1-6-1) and dropped last three SU and vs. line away after 13-1-1 spread mark previous 15 away from home. Though Cougs have won and covered bowls last two years. Aztecs no covers last three this season and just 3-8 vs. spread last 11 vs. non-MW foes. Rocky Long 3-7 vs. line in bowls with New Mexico & SDSU.
Houston, based on team trends.

ARKANSAS STATE vs. UCF (Cure Orlando Bowl)...Sixth straight bowl for Ark State, which has lost last two SU and vs. line. Also no covers last six vs. non-Belt foes. But Red Wolves covered 6 of last 8 this season. ASU also 6-8 last 14 as dog. UCF playing in old home stadium for this one, was 8-4 overall vs. line for Frost and 5-2 as chalk in 2016. Sun Belt sides only 1-4 vs. line in bowls last season.
Slight to UCF, based on recent trends.

APPALACHIAN STATE vs. TOLEDO (Camellia Bowl)...Toledo has won and covered bowls past two seasons, 12-2-1 vs. spread last 15 away from Glass Bowl. App back at Camellia Bowl, where it won but failed to cover LY vs. Ohio. Mounties 5-1 vs. line away from Boone this season. Sun belt 1-4 vs. spread in bowls last year.
Slight to Toledo, based on team trends.

SOUTHERN MISS vs. UL-LAFAYETTE (New Orleans Bowl)...Fifth New Orleans Bowl in last six seasons for ULL, which is 4-0 SU and vs. line in those previous appearances! Ragin’ Cajuns covered last 4 in 2016 and 4 of last 5 as dog. Prior to upset over La Tech in final to get bowl-eligible, USM had dropped seven straight spread decisions this season.
ULL, based on team trends.

MONDAY, DEC. 21

Matchup Skinny Edge

CENTRAL MICHIGAN vs. TULSA (Miami Beach Bowl)...CMU dropped 3 of last 4 as dog this season but has covered 10 of previous 14 in role. Chips dropped 7 of last 9 vs. spread in 2016 after covering 12 of previous 16. Tulsa rolled down stretch TY, 5-1 SU last 6 and 5-1-1 vs. line last seven. Golden Hurricane 10-2-1 vs. number away from home since Philip Montgomery arrived as HC in 2015 (11-2-1 last 14 since late 2014), and covered bowl vs. VPI last year.
Tulsa, based on team trends.

Announcement

The Bum's College Football 2016 Bowl Game Trends-Ats-Halftime-Totals + More information

The Bum's College Football 2016 Bowl Game Trends-Ats-Halftime-Totals + More information

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment