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Fellow players,
Four plays up for Saturday now. Here's one of them.
Best of luck this bowl season.
Mark
TheRealAnimal.com
[email protected]
30th Football season
Fresno State +2:
Put me down on Fresno State plus any points I can get. Northern Illinois out of the flimsy MAC is 0-3 SU and ATS in bowls since 2006 losing to TCU, Louisiana Tech, and South Florida by a cumulative score of 81-20. They lost to the spread by a combined 43 1/2 points in those three bowls. They embarrassingly lost their conference championship outright as a 19-point favorite against Miami of Ohio despite the fact the RedHawks had to play a freshman quarterback replacing their two-year starting QB. Less than 48 hours later, the Huskies had to replace head coach Jerry Kill, who accepted the Minnesota job. Kill didn't do the Huskies any favor either by TAKING HIS OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS WITH HIM (7 of 9 coaches). Earlier this year and before Northern Illinois was destroying the lightweights in the MAC, they lost to Illinois watching the Illini rack up 319 rushing yards. That's significant because Fresno State returns RB Robbie Rouse, the nation's 13th leading rusher. Rouse was #13 despite playing in only 10 games and missing the season-finale WIN OVER ILLINOIS. You always want to peak at the right time and that's exactly what Fresno State QB Ryan Colburn did completing 66.1 percent for 523 yards and three touchdowns in the final two games, victories over Idaho and Illinois. Fresno State is 2-0 SU in the Humanitarian Bowl lifetime while NIU is 2-9 SU and ATS versus opponents greater than .500. HOW BAD IS THE MAC? Consider this: Since 2008, MAC bowlers are 1-11 SU, 0-11-1 ATS since 2008. Plus it certainly doesn't hurt knowing that Coach Hill is 5-0 ATS as an underdog off an underdog win, like he did against Illinois. The last 15 times Northern Illinois has met a competitor that was bowl-caliber, the Huskies are 2-13 SU. In terms of size, it would seem Fresno State would have a significant advantage. The Bulldogs have three seniors on the offensive line and average 6-3, 312 pounds. Northern Illinois is small in terms of the defensive line. They have three senioors but only average 265 pounds. I have to believe fan support will be heavy on WAC representative Fresno State, who traditionally plays on the blue field. How many residents and supporters from DeKalb, Illinois will make the trek to Boise, Idaho a week before Christmas? Fresno State lost four games this year. Three were to the WAC co-champions, who all finished in the top 25. The other was a road loss to an SEC school (Ole Miss). Fresno State thrives in the role of an underdog historically and has beaten top-notch programs on the road. This decade the Bulldogs played Wisconsin three times. They beat them in Madison and lost to them three times by three points or less (twice on the road). They won at Rutgers in 2008, lost at Oregon by a field goal in 2005, won at Washington and K-State in 2004, won at Colorado in 2001. Northern Illinois opened the season with a 17-point loss at 5-7 Iowa State this year. Fresno State recorded 37 sacks this year and has already faced the explosive attacks of Boise, Nevada, and Hawaii plus Cincinnati, Ole Miss, and Illinois out of conference. Senior defensive end Chris Carter and junior defensive tackle Logan Harrell have a combined 21 1/2 sacks. I like the fact QB Colburn is a senior compiling a 20-9 touchdown to pick ratio this year against stiff competition and having Rouse back as a weapon. The Bulldogs should be comfortable on the blue turf in these surroundings and certainly have the more stable coaching situation. Plus you must consider the MAC in the bowls in recent seasons. Who dominated their conference more than Central Michigan the past four seasons with Dan LeFevour at the controls? Yet since 2007, CMU was only 1-2 SU, 1-1-1 ATS in bowls with their only win coming against Troy in double overtime in last year's GMAC Bowl. I don't consider Northern Illinois any better than Central Michigan and I know QB Harnish isn't in the same neighborhood statistically with LeFevour. This is the 4th consecutive game away from home for Northern Illinois. I don't like taking interim coaches knowing they are about to be replaced. That's the scenario for the Huskies. Former linebacker Coach Tom Matukewicz will serve as head coach here but ultimately the job will go to Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Doeren. Despite playing an extremely soft schedule, Northern Illinois defensively allowed 21 or more points seven times.
Four plays up for Saturday now. Here's one of them.
Best of luck this bowl season.
Mark
TheRealAnimal.com
[email protected]
30th Football season
Fresno State +2:
Put me down on Fresno State plus any points I can get. Northern Illinois out of the flimsy MAC is 0-3 SU and ATS in bowls since 2006 losing to TCU, Louisiana Tech, and South Florida by a cumulative score of 81-20. They lost to the spread by a combined 43 1/2 points in those three bowls. They embarrassingly lost their conference championship outright as a 19-point favorite against Miami of Ohio despite the fact the RedHawks had to play a freshman quarterback replacing their two-year starting QB. Less than 48 hours later, the Huskies had to replace head coach Jerry Kill, who accepted the Minnesota job. Kill didn't do the Huskies any favor either by TAKING HIS OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS WITH HIM (7 of 9 coaches). Earlier this year and before Northern Illinois was destroying the lightweights in the MAC, they lost to Illinois watching the Illini rack up 319 rushing yards. That's significant because Fresno State returns RB Robbie Rouse, the nation's 13th leading rusher. Rouse was #13 despite playing in only 10 games and missing the season-finale WIN OVER ILLINOIS. You always want to peak at the right time and that's exactly what Fresno State QB Ryan Colburn did completing 66.1 percent for 523 yards and three touchdowns in the final two games, victories over Idaho and Illinois. Fresno State is 2-0 SU in the Humanitarian Bowl lifetime while NIU is 2-9 SU and ATS versus opponents greater than .500. HOW BAD IS THE MAC? Consider this: Since 2008, MAC bowlers are 1-11 SU, 0-11-1 ATS since 2008. Plus it certainly doesn't hurt knowing that Coach Hill is 5-0 ATS as an underdog off an underdog win, like he did against Illinois. The last 15 times Northern Illinois has met a competitor that was bowl-caliber, the Huskies are 2-13 SU. In terms of size, it would seem Fresno State would have a significant advantage. The Bulldogs have three seniors on the offensive line and average 6-3, 312 pounds. Northern Illinois is small in terms of the defensive line. They have three senioors but only average 265 pounds. I have to believe fan support will be heavy on WAC representative Fresno State, who traditionally plays on the blue field. How many residents and supporters from DeKalb, Illinois will make the trek to Boise, Idaho a week before Christmas? Fresno State lost four games this year. Three were to the WAC co-champions, who all finished in the top 25. The other was a road loss to an SEC school (Ole Miss). Fresno State thrives in the role of an underdog historically and has beaten top-notch programs on the road. This decade the Bulldogs played Wisconsin three times. They beat them in Madison and lost to them three times by three points or less (twice on the road). They won at Rutgers in 2008, lost at Oregon by a field goal in 2005, won at Washington and K-State in 2004, won at Colorado in 2001. Northern Illinois opened the season with a 17-point loss at 5-7 Iowa State this year. Fresno State recorded 37 sacks this year and has already faced the explosive attacks of Boise, Nevada, and Hawaii plus Cincinnati, Ole Miss, and Illinois out of conference. Senior defensive end Chris Carter and junior defensive tackle Logan Harrell have a combined 21 1/2 sacks. I like the fact QB Colburn is a senior compiling a 20-9 touchdown to pick ratio this year against stiff competition and having Rouse back as a weapon. The Bulldogs should be comfortable on the blue turf in these surroundings and certainly have the more stable coaching situation. Plus you must consider the MAC in the bowls in recent seasons. Who dominated their conference more than Central Michigan the past four seasons with Dan LeFevour at the controls? Yet since 2007, CMU was only 1-2 SU, 1-1-1 ATS in bowls with their only win coming against Troy in double overtime in last year's GMAC Bowl. I don't consider Northern Illinois any better than Central Michigan and I know QB Harnish isn't in the same neighborhood statistically with LeFevour. This is the 4th consecutive game away from home for Northern Illinois. I don't like taking interim coaches knowing they are about to be replaced. That's the scenario for the Huskies. Former linebacker Coach Tom Matukewicz will serve as head coach here but ultimately the job will go to Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Doeren. Despite playing an extremely soft schedule, Northern Illinois defensively allowed 21 or more points seven times.