Recently in Bowls 2008 Category

12/30 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl - Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Oregon (9-3)

This matchup features Oklahoma State, a major surprise this year in the Big 12 South, and Oregon, a top Pac-10 team. Both squads have a very strong running game complemented by a good passing attack.

Passing Offense - Oklahoma State. The Cowboys' 43rd ranked passing offense is led by quarterback Zac Robinson. The junior has 2,735 yards and 24 touchdowns against 8 interceptions in his second year as a starter. Sophomore Dez Bryant is one of the best wide receivers in the country. Bryant has 74 catches for 1,313 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew is a top-end NFL prospect. The senior has 36 catches for 421 yards while missing four games due to injury. Sophomore Jeremiah Masoli has played most of the year at quarterback for Oregon, and has 1,486 yards and 12 touchdowns against 4 interceptions.

Rushing Offense - Oregon. Both teams have top-ten rushing offenses (Oregon 4th and Oklahoma State 7th), but Oregon's three-headed attack gets the advantage. Senior running back Jeremiah Johnson rushed for 1,133 yards and 12 touchdowns this year, including 227 yards against Oregon State. Junior LeGarrette Blount, a junior college transfer, has run for 928 yards and 16 touchdowns. Quarterback Masoli has 612 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Oklahoma State also uses three different runners - sophomore running back Kendall Hunter, junior running back Keith Toston, and the quarterback, Robinson. Hunter, who was compared to Gale Sayers by ESPN analyst Lou Holtz, has run for 1,518 yards and 14 touchdowns this year, Toston has run for 658 yards and 9 touchdowns, and Robinson has gained 508 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Passing Defense - Oregon. Both teams have terrible passing defenses. Oklahoma State ranks 76th in pass efficiency defense and 110th in pass defense and Oregon ranks 57th in pass efficiency defense and 108th in pass defense. Oklahoma State has faced much better passing offenses in the Big 12, but Oregon's playmakers on defense make the difference. Senior defensive lineman Nick Reed has 13 sacks, junior Will Tukuafu has seven sacks, junior defensive back Will Thurmond III has four interceptions, junior Jairus Byrd has four interceptions, senior safety and NFL prospect Patrick Chung has 82 tackles, and junior T.J. Ward has 93 tackles, leading the team. Oklahoma State gave up 387 yards and four touchdowns to Houston's Case Keenum, 391 yards and two touchdowns to Texas' Colt McCoy, 456 yards and six touchdowns to Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, and 370 yards and four touchdowns to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford.

Rushing Defense - Oregon. Oklahoma State has faced a lot of teams that simply don't run the ball, and Oregon still has the better ranked rush defense (23rd to 26th). The Ducks held Boise State to 38 yards, Oregon State to 89 yards, and Arizona State to 107 yards rushing. Oklahoma State allowed 184 yards to Texas A&M, 133 yards to Texas, and 187 yards to Oklahoma.

The Holiday Bowl has classically been a shoot-out, and this year will be no different. Oklahoma State has the 8th ranked scoring offense and the 69th ranked scoring defense. Oregon has the 7th ranked scoring offense and the 78th ranked scoring defense. This is a classic case of Big 12 offense versus Pac-10 defense. Oregon's offense is good enough to hang with the Cowboys, and you know what they say: "Defense wins championships." Or bowl games. Oregon with the win.

12/30 Texas Bowl - Rice (9-3) vs. Western Michigan (9-3)

This will be a matchup between two high flying pass offenses with great quarterback-wide receiver combos against below average pass defenses. Rice hasn't won a bowl game in 50 years, and Western Michigan has never won a bowl game.

Passing Offense - Rice. The Owls rank 5th in the country with 327.83 passing yards per game. Senior quarterback Chase Clement has passed for 3,812 yards and 41 touchdowns against only 7 interceptions. Clement passed for five touchdowns or more in five different games this year, and had at least one touchdown in every game. Clement has two great targets to throw to, senior wide receiver Jarett Dillard and sophomore tight end James Casey. Dillard has 79 catches for 1,224 yards and 19 touchdowns this season, and Casey has 104 catches for 1,217 yards and 12 touchdowns. Dillard now has 4,052 yards and 59 touchdowns in his career at Rice. Junior quarterback Tim Hiller leads a Western Michigan passing attack that ranks 10th in the nation with 301.17 yards per game. Hiller has 3,527 yards and 34 touchdowns against 8 interceptions this season, and has four reliable receivers that he spreads the ball out to. Senior Jamarko Simmons has 98 catches for 1,184 yards and 7 touchdowns, senior Schneider Julien has 58 catches for 682 yards and 5 touchdowns, sophomore Juan Nunez has 55 catches for 661 yards and 7 touchdowns, and senior tight end Branden Ledbetter has 44 catches for 458 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Rushing Offense - Rice. Western Michigan's Brandon West is a better back than Rice's C.J. Ugokwe, but Clement makes the difference for the Owls. The quarterback has 621 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground this year, and has run for six touchdowns in his last five games. Ugokwe, a junior, has 755 yards and two touchdowns this year, while West, also a junior, has 970 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground this year.

Passing Defense - Western Michigan. Both teams don't have desirable passing defenses - Rice ranks 96th in pass efficiency defense and 112th in pass defense and Western Michigan ranks 62nd in pass efficiency defense and 96th in pass defense - but the Broncos get the edge. Western Michigan held Buffalo's Drew Willy to 157 yards and one interception, intercepted Eastern Michigan's Andy Schmitt twice, and intercepted Illinois' Juice Williams twice. Rice allowed 329 yards and four touchdowns to Texas' Colt McCoy, four touchdowns to Tulsa's David Johnson, and 494 yards and five touchdowns to Houston's Case Keenum.

Rushing Defense - Western Michigan. The Broncos rank 59th in the country in rushing defense, giving up 140.92 yards per game on the ground, while Rice ranks 102nd, allowing 192.92 yards per game. The Owls surrendered 150 yards and two touchdowns to Memphis, 259 yards and three touchdowns to Texas, and 461 yards and four touchdowns to Army.

The only real quality opponents Western Michigan has played this year are Nebraska, Central Michigan, and Ball State. Those are also the Broncos' three losses. Chase Clement and Rice's high flying attack should come out with the victory in Texas.

12/30 Roady's Humanitarian Bowl - Nevada (7-5) vs. Maryland (7-5)

The Terrapins have been remarkably inconsistent this year. They beat Cal, Clemson, Wake Forest, and North Carolina, but lost to Middle Tennessee State and Virginia and snuck by Delaware.

Passing Offense - Nevada. Colin Kaepernick is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. The sophomore has 2,479 yards through the air with 19 touchdowns against 5 interceptions. In the last game of the season (against Louisiana Tech) Kaepernick threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Marko Mitchell has been Kapernick's main target. Mitchell has 56 catches for 1,011 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Junior Chris Turner is the starter for the Terrapins, and has been as inconsistent as the team. Turner has 2,318 yards and 11 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. The real key for the Maryland offense is Darrius Heyward-Bey, a junior and a top NFL prospect. Heyward-Bey has 38 catches for 561 yards and five touchdowns through the air as well as 14 carries for 208 yards and one touchdown.

Rushing Offense - Nevada. Most of Kaepernick's damage is done on the ground. He has 1,115 yards rushing with 16 touchdowns, including 240 yards and three touchdowns against UNLV. The Wolfpack ranks second in the nation with 291.42 rushing yards per game. Starting halfback Vai Taua has also had a fantastic year for Nevada. The sophomore has 1,420 yards and 14 touchdowns this year. Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott has 959 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground this year.

Passing Defense - Maryland. The Terrapins rank 64th in pass efficiency defense and 57th in pass defense. They held Clemson's Cullen Harper to 151 yards and one interception, Wake Forest's Riley Skinner to 127 yards, and Florida State's Christian Ponder to 143 yards. Nevada's passing defense has been dreadful this year. The Wolfpack rank 84th in pass efficiency defense and dead last in pass defense, 119th. They gave up 405 yards and four touchdowns to Missouri's Chase Daniel, 409 yards and three touchdowns to New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook, and 414 yards and three touchdowns to Boise State's Kellen Moore.

Rushing Defense - Nevada. Although much of it is due to opponents' knowledge that they can pass on the Wolfpack, it is impossible to ignore that they rank 3rd in the nation in rushing defense. Nevada held Missouri's Derrick Washington to 75 yards, Hawaii to 42 yards rushing, and Boise State to 70 yards rushing. Maryland, who ranks 73rd in rushing defense, has had trouble containing opponents on the ground all year. The Terrapins allowed 221 yards to Clemson, 201 yards to Virginia, and 175 yards to Boston College.

The game is being played on Boise State's blue turf, where Nevada has significantly more experience. Nevada runs the Pistol formation on offense - the high percentage of running plays and play-action passes should confuse the Terrapins defense. Nevada in an upset.

12/29 Valero Alamo Bowl - Missouri (9-4) vs. Northwestern (9-3)

Missouri came in to the year with national championship hopes that were snapped by losses to Oklahoma State and Kansas and blowouts to Texas and Oklahoma. Northwestern, who was 6-6 last year, had a very surprising season to finish 9-3.

Pass Offense - Missouri. The Tigers' passing offense is one of the best in the nation, ranked 4th in the country (but only 3rd in the Big 12). Chase Daniel came into the year with Heisman talk, and while he did not quite live up to that hype, he still had a great year. The senior passed for 4.135 yards and 37 touchdowns against 15 interceptions, as well as 252 yards and one touchdown on the ground. The main threat for the Tigers, however, is sophomore Jeremy Maclin. Maclin has 95 receptions for 1,221 yards and 12 touchdowns this year, 35 carries for 250 yards and two touchdowns, 41 kick returns for 987 yards and a touchdown, and 19 punt returns for 188 yards. He leads the nation with 203.54 all-purpose yards per game. Missouri also has one of the top tight ends in the country, senior Chase Coffman. Coffman has 83 receptions for 920 yards and ten touchdowns this year. C.J. Bacher will start at quarterback for Northwestern. The senior, who missed two games late in the year, has passed for 2,128 yards and 14 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Seniors Ross Lane and Eric Peterman are Bacher's top targets. Lane has 55 receptions for 563 yards and two touchdowns and Peterman has 52 catches for 654 yards and five touchdowns.

Rushing Offense - Northwestern. Missouri is better statistically on the ground (averaging 157.08 yards per game against the Wildcats' 147.58), but Northwestern has star senior Tyrell Sutton back. Sutton missed the last four games of the regular season due to injury, but still led the Wildcats with 776 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Sutton should help Northwestern's offense establish the pace. Missouri's Derrick Washington is 57th in the country with 76.31 yards per game. The sophomore has 992 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.

Passing Defense - Northwestern. Missouri's passing defense is just awful. The Tigers rank 81st in pass efficiency defense and 117th in pass defense this season. Texas' Colt McCoy threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns, Kansas' Todd Reesing threw for 375 yards and four touchdowns, and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns against Missouri. The Tigers are giving up more than 285 yards through the air to opponents this season. Northwestern ranks 27th in pass efficiency defense and 73rd in pass defense, led by defensive end Corey Wootton. The junior has 10 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss this season.

Rushing Defense - Missouri. Partially because teams know they can pass on the Tigers, Missouri's run defense has been pretty good this year, surrendering only 128.92 yards per game on the ground, good for 38th in the country. Missouri held Illinois to 81 yards, Buffalo to 49 yards, and Colorado's Darrell Scott to 24 yards. The Tigers are led by star linebacker Sean Witherspoon, who had 138 tackles this season. Northwestern allowed 159 yards and a touchdown to Iowa's Shonn Greene, 140 yards and two touchdowns to Ohio State's Chris Wells, 119 yards to Michigan's Carlos Brown, and 123 yards to Illinois.

Motivation is definitely a question here. Missouri was hoping to contend for a national title, but limped into the conference championship game and was blown out. Northwestern could not be happier with where they're at this season. However, this is the last game of Chase Daniel's college career, so he'll play his heart out. Northwestern's passing defense is better than Missouri's, but it's not good enough to contain Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin. Expect Maclin to explode every time he touches the ball, and Missouri wins in a shootout.

12/29 Papajohns.com Bowl - Rutgers (7-5) vs. North Carolina State (6-6)

This is a matchup between two teams that had poor starts to the season but finished strong to get to a bowl. The Scarlet Knights began the year 1-5 but ended with six straight wins. The Wolfpack finished the year with four straight wins (including wins over Wake Forest and North Carolina) to become bowl eligible after starting 2-6.

Passing Offense - Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights, led by senior quarterback Mike Teel, are ranked 22nd in the nation in passing offense, averaging over 266 yards per game through the air. Teel, like Rutgers, started out the year slowly, throwing seven interceptions against two touchdowns in his first four games. Teel rebounded, however, and threw for 21 touchdowns against 5 interceptions over the last eight games, including six touchdowns against Pittsburgh and seven against Louisville. Junior Kenny Britt has had a fantastic year at wide receiver for Rutgers. Britt has 81 catches for 1,252 yards and six touchdowns this season, and ranks second in the country in receiving yards per game and eighth in receptions per game. Redshirt freshman Russell Wilson has stepped into the starting role well for the Wolfpack, throwing for 1,769 yards and 19 touchdowns against only one interception in his nine games started.

Rushing Offense - North Carolina State. Both teams have not run the ball well this year, but the edge goes to the Wolfpack here. Senior Andre Brown has had the bulk of the carries for NC State, and has 757 yards and six touchdowns. Junior Jamelle Eugene has 432 yards and two touchdowns, and Wilson has 342 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Rutgers has not had consistent play at the running back position all year. Freshman Jourdan Brooks leads the team with 480 yards and six touchdowns and fellow freshman Joe Martinek has 346 yards and four touchdowns.

Passing Defense - Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights rank 31st and 80th in pass defense and pass efficiency defense, respectively, while the Wolfpack rank 94th and 70th in those two categories. Rutgers held Fresno State's Tom Brandstater to 216 yards, intercepted South Florida's Matt Grothe three times, and held West Virginia's Pat White to 137 yards through the air. North Carolina State allowed 262 yards and two touchdowns to Clemson's Cullen Harper, 428 yards and two touchdowns to Boston College's Chris Crane, and 317 yards and two touchdowns to Duke's Thaddeus Lewis.

Rushing Defense - Rutgers. Not only does Rutgers have the better statistics (53rd ranked rush defense against NC State's 65th), but they have faced tougher competition. The Scarlet Knights had to face run crazy Navy, West Virginia, and Army, as well as stars such as Connecticut's Donald Brown and Pittsburgh's LeSean McCoy. South Carolina ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns, South Florida ran for 245 yards and three touchdowns, and Boston College ran for 150 yards and three touchdowns against the Wolfpack.

This should be a good game between two teams with a lot of momentum coming into the game. Both teams have great quarterbacks, but expect the experience of Mike Teel to give Rutgers the win.

12/28 Independence Bowl - Louisiana Tech (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (6-6)

Louisiana Tech started the year with an upset win over Mississippi State, but were one of only three teams to lose to Army (hapless Eastern Michigan and Tulane were the other two). Northern Illinois lost to Minnesota, Western Michigan, and Tennessee by an average of only 3.67 points, but their biggest quality win was against Bowling Green.

Passing Offense - Northern Illinois. Freshman Chandler Harnish has had a good year for the Huskies, throwing for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in the seven games he has started. Harnish also has run for 478 yards and four touchdowns. Against Minnesota, the freshman threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Louisiana Tech has had quarterback issues all year. After Georgia Tech transfer Taylor Bennett started the first five games for the Bulldogs, sophomore Ross Jenkins took over. Jenkins has 1,011 yards passing and seven touchdowns this year against three interceptions, and is 5-2 as a starter. Sophomore wide receiver Phillip Livas has had a good year for Louisiana Tech, catching 39 passes for 589 yards and two touchdowns.

Rushing Offense - Louisiana Tech. Each team has a three-headed running attack, but I'll give the advantage to the Bulldogs here. Louisiana Tech ranks 24th in the country with 195 yards rushing per game, while Northern Illinois ranks 38th with a little more than 172 yards per game. The Bulldogs are led by starting tailback Daniel Porter, who has 1,086 yards and eight touchdowns on the year. Patrick Jackson has also gotten significant playing time out of the backfield for Louisiana Tech. The senior has 644 yards and eight touchdowns, as well as three receiving touchdowns. Rounding out their rushing attack is Livas. The wide receiver has 322 yards on the ground this year with two scores. Northern Illinois' starting running back Meco Brown has gotten most of the carries this season. The freshman has 526 yards and two touchdowns this year. Chad Spann has gotten most of the goal line carries for the Huskies, and has eight touchdowns this season.

Passing Defense - Northern Illinois. The Huskies rank 61st in pass efficiency defense and a resounding 5th in pass defense, compared to 93rd and 116th for the Bulldogs. Northern Illinois is led on the defensive line by senior Larry English, an NFL prospect. English has 9 sacks and 15 tackles for a loss this season. The Huskies held Eastern Michigan's Andy Schmitt to 140 yards and an interception, Bowling Green's Tyler Sheehan to 92 yards and a touchdown, and Kent State's Julian Edelman to 126 yards. Kansas's Todd Reesing ripped through the Bulldogs' defense for 412 yards and three touchdowns, New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook threw for 486 yards and four touchdowns, Nevada's Colin Kaepernick threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns, and Fresno State's Tom Brandstater threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns against Louisiana Tech.

Rushing Defense - Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs have the 11th ranked rushing defense in the country, surrendering just under 100 yards per game on the ground. Bad news for the Bulldogs, however, is that five of their top seven tacklers are defensive backs, meaning their front seven is not making the tackles they are supposed to be making. Junior Antonio Baker leads the team with 111 tackles. Northern Illinois is ranked 60th in the country in rush defense, giving up more than 140 yards per game.

These are two rushing-based teams that have struggled through the air all year. Look for Phillip Livas to be the X-factor in this game. The sophomore also has two punt returns for a touchdown this year and is one of the nation's best at returning kicks. Louisiana Tech wins in Shreveport, Louisiana.

12/27 Emerald Bowl - California (8-4) vs. Miami (Fl.) (7-5)

This a matchup between two historically great programs trying to get back to their previous heights. Miami missed a bowl game last season, Randy Shannon's first as the Hurricanes' head coach, but are back this year with a 7-5 record. Miami has suspended five players for this game, including starting quarterback Robert Marve, for breaking unspecified team rules (Marve was suspended for "a miscommunication about absentees for a class").

Passing Offense - California. Both teams have a quarterback starting that has not started the majority of the year. Nate Longshore was recently named the starter for this game for the Bears, supplanting sophomore Kevin Riley. Cal has gone back and forth between these two quarterbacks all year - Longshore has 930 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions this year and Riley has 1,360 yards, fourteen touchdowns and six interceptions. Freshman Jacory Harris, who hasn't lost a game he's started in three years going back to his last two years in high school, will get the start over Marve for the Hurricanes. Harris has 1,001 yards passing, 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions on the year.

Rushing Offense - California. Cal sophomore Jahvid Best is one of the best running backs in the nation. Even though he missed one game, Best has 1,394 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, and is averaging 8 yards per carry, including 311 yards and 4 touchdowns against Washington. Best also has 27 catches for 246 yards and one touchdown. Freshman Shane Vereen has also done a great job rushing for the Bears, gaining 679 yards and four touchdowns on the ground this year. Miami sophomore Graig Cooper has 778 yards and 4 touchdowns this season.

Passing Defense - California. Both teams have very strong passing defenses. Miami is ranked 13th in pass defense and 43rd in pass efficiency defense. Cal is ranked 43rd in pass defense and 5th in pass efficiency defense. Cal held Colorado State's Billy Farris to 96 yards and two interceptions, Oregon's Jeremiah Masoli and Justin Roper to a combined 84 yards and two interceptions, and Oregon State's Lyle Moevao to 145 yards and an interception. Miami allowed 256 yards and two touchdowns through the air to Florida's Tim Tebow, 242 yards and two touchdowns to North Carolina's Cameron Sexton, and 240 yards and a touchdown to Virginia's Marc Verica.

Rushing Defense - California. Cal is ranked 25th in the country is rushing defense, allowing just over 122 yards per game on the ground, and Miami is ranked 69th. Cal held Michigan State's Javon Ringer to 81 yards, Colorado State's Gartrell Johnson III to 63 yards, and Arizona State to 71 yards . Miami allowed 310 yards and four touchdowns on the ground to Florida State, 195 yards to Wake Forest, and 472 yards and four touchdowns to Georgia Tech.

Randy Shannon has done a great job at Miami to revitalize that program, but they're not quite there yet. Cal is just the better team this year, and they're playing in San Francisco. Cal for the win.

12/27/08 Champs Sports Bowl - Florida State (8-4) vs. Wisconsin (7-5)

This has been a disappointing season for Wisconsin, who expected to compete for the Big Ten title (or at least get ten wins). The Badgers lost to Michigan, who missed their first bowl game in 32 years at 3-9. Florida State has shown stretches of being a very good team, blowing out Maryland and Clemson, but also could not get it done against Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Boston College.

Passing Offense - Florida State. Neither team has had a lot of success passing, Florida State ranks 87th and Wisconsin ranks 82nd, but Florida State's receivers give them the edge. Senior Greg Carr, standing at 6'6" 217 pounds, has 31 catches with 464 yards and three touchdowns this year. Carr has been a great goal line threat for the Seminoles in his career, scoring 28 touchdowns in his four years as a starter. Christian Ponder, the sophomore quarterback for the 'Noles, has had trouble holding on to the ball, throwing 13 interceptions against 12 touchdowns. Dustin Sherer has had similar problems in his seven games as a starter, throwing for 1,257 yards and 5 touchdowns against five interceptions. Ponder, however, has run for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns this season.

Rushing Offense - Wisconsin. Junior running back P.J. Hill's production has dropped every year since he was a freshman, but he has still ran for 1,051 yards and 13 touchdowns this year. Freshman John Clay is part of the reason for Hill's stat drop - he's been stealing carries from the junior, and rightfully so. Clay has 852 yards and seven touchdowns on 144 carries, including three 100 yards games. Senior Antone Smith carries the load for the Seminoles, with 753 yards and 14 touchdowns this year. Jermaine Thomas, a freshman, also gets significant carries for Florida State. Thomas has 478 yards and 3 touchdowns this season.

Passing Defense - Florida State. The Seminoles rank 8th and 25th in the nation in passing defense and pass efficiency defense, respectively. The Badgers rank 35th and 21st in those two categories. Florida State held Miami's Robert Marve to 122 yards and two interceptions, Boston College's Chris Crane to 181 yards, and Maryland's Chris Turner to 149 yards and two interceptions. Wisconsin held Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor to 144 yards and one interception, Penn State's Darryl Clark to 244 yards, and Illinois' Juice Williams to 221 yards and three interceptions. Sophomore defensive back Niles Brinkley has four interceptions for the Badgers. For Florida State, junior Everette Brown is third in the country with 13 sacks.

Rushing Defense - Florida State. The Seminoles rank 33rd in the country in rushing defense, giving up 126.83 yards per game on the ground. Wisconsin is not far behind them, ranked 42nd in the country. Florida State held Wake Forest's Josh Adams to 66 yards, Colorado's Darrell Scott to 20 yards, and Miami's Graig Cooper to 31 yards. Wisconsin held Fresno State to 118 yards, Penn State to 106 yards, and held Michigan State superstar Javon Ringer to 54 yards. However, they gave up 276 yards to FCS team Cal Poly, 168 yards to Ohio State's Chris Wells, and 217 yards to Iowa's Shonn Greene.

This will be a matchup between two good passing defenses that won't see much action. This should be a good game between two physical teams that can pound it out on the ground. The Seminoles have the speed to just run past Wisconsin, and they just bring in a different kind of recruit than the Badgers do. Florida State with the win.

12/26 Motor City Bowl - Central Michigan (8-4) vs Florida Atlantic (6-6)

This bowl features two teams with excellent junior quarterbacks. Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour is a big runner in the Ben Roethlisberger mold. Florida Atlantic's Rusty Smith is a pro-style quarterback who is one of the best passers in the Sun Belt.

Passing Offense - Central Michigan. The Chippewas rank 13th in the nation with 292.83 yards per game through the air. LeFevour ranks 11th in the country with 306.70 yards of total offense per game. The junior has 2,531 yards passing, 536 yards rushing, and 25 total touchdowns this season while missing two games. Central Michigan also has a pair of star receivers in Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown. Anderson, a junior, has 59 catches with 839 yards and 6 touchdowns while Brown, a sophomore, has 82 catches with 906 yards and 9 touchdowns. Brown is also the top punt returner in the country, averaging 20.67 yards per return. Florida Atlantic's Smith has 2,918 yards and 22 touchdowns this year through the air, but has also thrown 14 interceptions. Cortez Gent, a junior wide receiver for the Owls, has 53 receptions for 837 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Rushing Offense - Florida Atlantic. The Owls rank 66th in the country with 141 yards per game on the ground, while the Chippewas rank 74th with 134.25. What really gives the Owls the edge, however, is the consistent play of halfback Charles Pierre. Pierre has 937 yards and 8 touchdowns this year on the ground, including a 194 yard, two touchdown performance again Western Kentucky. Central Michigan's Ontario Sneed has not had a 100-yard rushing performance this season, and only has 519 rushing yards this year.

Passing Defense - Florida Atlantic. Central Michigan's passing defense is just dreadful. Out of 119 FBS teams, the Chippewas rank 105th and 118th in pass efficiency defense and pass defense, respectively. This is not even a question of whether Florida Atlantic's passing defense is good (the Owls rank 86th and 80th in those two categories), but just how awful Central Michigan's passing defense is.

Rushing Defense - Central Michigan. While some of this might be because teams realize how much they can pass on the Chippewas, Central Michigan's run defense is 51st in the country, giving up 138.58 yards per game on the ground. Florida Atlantic ranks 98th in the country, allowing 183 rushing yards per game. Michigan State's Javon Ringer ran for 282 yards and two touchdowns, Troy ran for 234 yards and Western Kentucky ran for 240 yards against the Owls.

This should be a close game between two teams that were expected to win their conference this year. Central Michigan lost their last two games of the year after winning six in a row, and Florida Atlantic won five of their last six to become bowl eligible. I'll take Florida Atlantic in a close one. Central Michigan would rather be in the GMAC bowl, and Rusty Smith will rip through the Chippewas' porous pass defense.

12/24 Hawaii Bowl - Hawaii (7-5) vs. Notre Dame (6-6)

Notre Dame has not won a bowl game since January of 1994. I repeat. Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish, has not won a bowl game since January of 1994. 89 teams have won bowl games since the Irish last tasted postseason victory. For the first time in their history, Notre Dame lost to a team with eight losses (Syracuse).

Passing Offense - Hawaii. June Jones, Colt Brennan and the excellent wide receiving trio of Ryan Grice-Mullens, Davonne Bess and Jason Rivers may be gone, but these are still your pass happy Rainbow Warriors. Hawaii ranks 33rd in the country with 245.54 yards per game through the air, and Greg Alexander has found his groove at quarterback. The junior took over the starting job in the eighth game of the season, and has passed for 1,634 yards with 12 touchdowns (and 3 on the ground) against 4 interceptions. Notre Dame's over hyped sophomore quarterback Jimmy Clausen has been a disappointment once again. Clausen has thrown 20 touchdowns against 17 interceptions. He has thrown multiple picks in seven of his twelve games, including four against Boston College.

Rushing Offense - Hawaii. Both of these teams have abysmal rushing offenses, Notre Dame ranked 99th in the country and Hawaii ranked 107th. What gives Hawaii the advantage, in my opinion, is the running ability of Greg Alexander. Alexander has rushed for 155 yards and 3 touchdowns this season, including 57 yards against Utah State and 43 against Washington State. Neither team has a back with over 600 yards rushing.

Passing Defense - Hawaii. Notre Dame has a better pass defense statistically, ranking 18th in pass efficiency defense and 30th in pass defense compared to 63rd and 54th for Hawaii, but the Fighting Irish have faced only three or four quarterbacks that can be considered quality this season - Michigan State's Brian Hoyer (and that's a stretch), Purdue's Curtis Painter, Boston College's Chris Crane, and USC's Mark Sanchez. Hoyer was held to 143 yards (while Javon Ringer ran for 201 and two touchdowns) and Crane only threw for 79 yards and one touchdown(while Montel Harris ran for 120 yards), but Painter threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns and Sanchez threw for 267 yards and two scores as well. The Warriors held Florida's Tim Tebow to 137 yards and one touchdown, Fresno State's Tom Brandstater to 204 yards and three interceptions, Louisiana Tech's Taylor Bennett to 152 yards and 2 interceptions, and Cincinnati's Tony Pike 108 yards and 2 interceptions.

Rushing Defense - Hawaii. The reason why Notre Dame's passing offense looks so good statistically is because how dreadful their rushing defense is. Ringer ran for 201 yards and two touchdowns against the Irish, North Carolina's Shaun Draughn (who?) ran for 91 yards, Pittsburgh's LeSean McCoy ran for 169 yards, and Navy and USC each ran for over 170 yards. Defensive lineman David Veikune and linebacker Solomon Elimimian lead the Warriors on defense. Veikune leads Hawaii with 10 sacks and 18 tackles for a loss, while Elimimian is tops on the team with 112 tackles.

This is the first sweep I've had in terms of categories. Even the South Florida-Memphis blowout wasn't a sweep - I gave Memphis the edge in rushing offense. Expect this game, however, to be closer than that one. Hawaii is playing at their home field. The only road game the Irish have won this year was at 0-12 Washington. Hawaii by a score.

12/23 Poinsettia Bowl - Boise State (12-0) vs. TCU (10-2)

This is, by far, the most interesting non-BCS bowl game. Both teams average over 35 points per game, are in the top 30 in total offense, and are in the top 20 in total defense. Both have a young star quarterback and feel like they should have been in the BCS hunt.

Passing Offense - Boise State. Freshman Kellen Moore has had an unbelievable season this year, ranking 10th in the nation in passing efficiency, passing for 25 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. Moore was especially good in the Broncos' biggest games this year, passing for 386 yards and 3 touchdowns against Oregon and 414 yards and 3 touchdowns against Nevada. The Broncos have three wide receivers who have played very well this season - Jeremy Childs, Austin Pettis, and Vinny Perretta. Childs has 65 catches for 741 yards and 7 touchdowns, Pettis has 45 catches for 502 yards and 9 touchdowns, and Perretta has 34 catches with 500 yards and 2 touchdowns (as well as 2 rushing touchdowns). Andy Dalton leads TCU on offense, and has passed for 2,045 yards and 11 touchdowns this year against 4 interceptions in the Horned Frogs' run-heavy offense.

Rushing Offense - TCU. The Horned Frogs are averaging 215.67 yards per game on the ground, good for 13th in the nation. They don't have on player who stands out, but five are averaging more than 30 rushing yards per game. Boise also uses a multiple back system, but it is focused around Ian Johnson. Most college football fans know Johnson as the player who scored on the winning Statue-of-Liberty play in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. This year, Johnson has split carries with Jeremy Avery, DJ Harper, and Doug Martin, all capable backs who can score at any time.

Passing Defense - TCU. The Horned Frogs rank 4th and 9th in pass efficiency defense and pass defense, respectively. The Broncos rank 3rd and 37th. TCU's Jerry Hughes, a junior defensive end, is one of the best in the country. The All-American has 14 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss this year, and will look to disrupt the Broncos' passing game on every down. TCU held BYU's Max Hall to 274 yards and no touchdowns and Utah's Brian Johnson to 230 yards and one touchdown. The Broncos are led on defense by a star secondary. Cornerbacks Kyle Wilson and Brandyn Thompson have five and four interceptions, respectively, and freshman safety George Iloka has four as well. Hard-hitting sophomore Jeron Johnson leads the team with 87 tackles.

Rushing Defense - TCU. The Horned Frogs have the top ranked rushing defense in the country, surrendering only 48.67 yards per ground this season. TCU held New Mexico's Rodney Ferguson to 59 yards, the Oklahoma Sooners to 25 yards, Colorado State's Gartrell Johnson III to 30 yards, and BYU's Harvey Unga to 53 yards. Linebacker Jason Phillips leads the team with 79 tackles.

I've gone back and forth over this game since the selections were announced. TCU's only two losses came against Top-6 teams Utah and Oklahoma, and they thrashed BYU, Air Force and Stanford. Boise State finished the regular season undefeated for the third time in five years (2004, 2006, 2008), their best win coming against Oregon in Eugene. The last time these two teams played in a bowl game against each other, Boise beat out TCU 34-31 in 2003. Expect a repeat tonight - Boise State by the slimmest of margins.

On a side note, I have been a Broncos fan for six or seven years, so my prediction could be biased.

12/21 New Orleans Bowl - Troy (8-4) vs. Southern Miss (6-6)

Southern Miss won their last four games to become bowl eligible, but they will have to face a very tough Troy team to finish the year with a winning record.

Passing Offense - Southern Miss. These teams are very evenly matched in the passing game, but the Golden Eagles get the edge with a pair of great freshman. Quarterback Austin Davis has passed for 2,852 yards this year, with 21 touchdowns against 8 interceptions. Davis has also ran for 471 yards and 9 touchdowns this year. Fellow freshman DeAndre Brown, a wide receiver, has been simply outstanding for Southern Miss. Brown has 66 catches for 1,108 yards and 12 touchdowns. Troy quarterback Levi Brown took over the starting job in the Trojans' sixth game of the season, leading Troy to a 33-23 victory over Florida International. Brown has passed for 1,775 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, and has passed for two or more touchdowns in all but one of the games that he has started. Jerrel Jernigan has had a solid year for the Trojans at wide receiver - the sophomore has 68 catches for 802 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Rushing Offense - Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles have one of the best running backs in the country, and this could be his chance to get on to the national spotlight. Damion Fletcher, a junior, has started at halfback since he was a true freshman at Southern Miss. Fletcher needs 65 yards to make this his third straight season of at least 1,300 yards and one touchdown to make it three straight of ten, even while missing one game this season. Fletcher is averaging 6.2 yards per carry, and ran for over 200 yards against Louisiana Lafayette and UTEP. DuJuan Harris has had a solid season as Troy's tailback, rushing for 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns in his sophomore season.

Passing Defense - Troy. The Trojans are led on defense by senior cornerback Terence Moore, who is tied for fifth in the country with six interceptions. Defensive end Brandon Lang gives Troy a great pass rusher - he has 11 sacks and 19 tackles for a loss this season. Troy ranks 16th and 23rd in pass efficiency defense and pass defense, respectively. The Trojans held Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor to 139 yards passing (albeit four touchdowns and 66 yards rushing), Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson to 254 yards (with three touchdowns), LSU's Jarrett Lee to 216 yards, and Arkansas State's Corey Leonard to 172 yards and two interceptions. The Golden Eagles are ranked 59th and 84th, respectively, in pass efficiency defense and pass defense. Leonard threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns against them, Boise State's Kellen Moore threw for three touchdowns, and Rice's Chase Clement threw for 444 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Rushing Defense - Troy. The Trojans are ranked 54th in the nation in rushing defense, while the Golden Eagles are ranked 68th. Memphis's Curtis Steele ran for 178 yards against Southern Miss, and Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Michael Desormeaux ran for 146 yards against them. Troy held Florida Atlantic to 75 yards rushing, Florida International to 83 yards rushing, and North Texas to 92 yards on the ground.

Troy had a very strong season, finishing 8-4, and played a very tough non-conference schedule. After Division 1-AA cupcake Alcorn State, the Trojans had to face Ohio State, Oklahoma State, and LSU. Troy lost to the Buckeyes by 18, and only a 30-0 LSU outburst in the fourth quarter kept the Trojans from upsetting the Tigers. I'll give the edge to Troy and their balanced play - they are ranked in the top 60 nationally in all 17 major statistics.

12/20 Las Vegas Bowl - BYU (10-2) vs. Arizona (7-5)

I wrote a lengthy preview of this game and left it at school, so I'll make this one a little bit briefer than usual.

Pass Offense - BYU. Max Hall and the BYU passing offense is one of the best in the country, ranking 7th with 308.92 passing yards per game. Hall has had a terrific year, passing for 34 touchdowns, but what really gives them the advantage is the play of Austin Collie and Dennis Pitta. Collie leads the country with 118.25 receiving yards per game, and Pitta has 78 catches with 1,025 yards and 6 touchdowns. Willie Tuitama is a great quarterback for Arizona, and Rob Gronkowski is one of the best tight ends in the country. The sophomore tight end has 43 catches, 645 yards and 10 touchdowns this year for the Wildcats.

Rushing Offense - Arizona. The Wildcats' Nicolas Grigsby has 1,066 yards and 12 touchdowns this year, but the X-factor is freshman Keola Antolin. Antolin has 525 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, including 3 against Cal and 4 against Oregon. Harvey Unga has 1,061 yards for the Cougars this year, and has scored 10 touchdowns. Fui Vakapuna is a great blocking fullback, but BYU's running game stops at Unga.

Passing Defense - Arizona. The Wildcats have one of the strongest pass defenses in the country, ranking 16th and 14th in pass efficiency defense and pass defense, respectively. Trevin Wade has 4 interceptions for Arizona this year, and Marquis Hundley and Devin Ross each have 3. BYU ranks 58th and 59th in pass efficiency defense and pass defense, respectively. Defensive end and NFL prospect Jan Jorgensen's numbers are down from last year, from 14 sacks to 5, and from 22 tackles for a loss to 10.

Rushing Defense - Arizona. Arizona ranks 42nd and BYU ranks 65th in rushing defense this year, and the Wildcats held Arizona State to 38 yards on the ground. Matt Bauman leads the Cougars with 101 tackles this season.

When you get to the end of the college football season, sometimes you look back at certain teams' schedules and think "Hey, that win wasn't as big as I thought it was." BYU is one of those teams. Two wins that were seen as quality earlier in the season, Washington and UCLA, now don't look that impressive. Washington, who BYU beat after a celebration call in the end zone caused a missed extra point attempt, went 0-12. UCLA, who had beat a ranked Tennessee team earlier (speaking of teams that weren't as good as we thought), lost to BYU 59-0. The Bruins finished the season 4-8. Arizona in an upset, but this game, like most bowl games this year, could go either way.

The EagleBank Bowl, the first bowl game of the season, starts in a few minutes. It pits Navy against Wake Forest at RFK Stadium. Tune in to ESPN to watch it at 11.

12/20 St. Petersburg Bowl - South Florida (7-5) vs. Memphis (6-6)

12/20 New Mexico Bowl - Fresno State (7-5) vs. Colorado State (6-6)

Let's see, mediocre team from a mediocre conference that had high expectations as a BCS buster coming into the year, or a mediocre team from a better conference with low expectations coming into the year that struggled to make a bowl game? Both teams are hard to figure out - Fresno State beat Rutgers and San Jose State but lost to Louisana Tech and snuck by Toledo; Colorado State beat a very good Houston team and hung with BYU but barely beat hapless Sacramento State and San Diego State.

Passing Offense - Colorado State. The quarterback matchup is almost even - Fresno State's Tom Brandstater might even have a slight edge over Colorado State's Billy Farris - but junior Rashaun Greer makes the difference. The Rams' star receiver ranks 18th in the country with 87 receiving yards per game, and has 62 receptions with 1,045 yards in his first year of playing time. Dion Morton is also a dynamic receiver for the Rams, grabbing 48 catches with 830 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, second in the Mountain West Conference. Both teams have NFL prospects at tight end, Bear Pascoe for Fresno State (37 catches, 361 yards and 4 touchdowns), and Kory Sperry for Colorado State (37 catches, 470 yards and 5 touchdowns).

Rushing Offense - Fresno State. The Bulldogs are averaging 45 more yards per game on the ground than the Rams, led by their balanced attack of Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding. Miller has 699 yards and 5 touchdowns this year, and is averaging 6.53 yards per carry. Harding has 702 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season, averaging 5.44 yards per carry, and also has 115 yards receiving. Gartrell Johnson III, the Rams' starting back, has 1,191 yards and 10 touchdowns this season and is better than Miller or Harding, but the combination of the two gives Fresno State the advantage on the ground.

Passing Defense - Fresno State. The Bulldogs, led by junior cornerback A.J. Jefferson, are allowing 196.17 yards per game through the air, 4th in the conference and 50th in the country. Jefferson also stars as a kick returner - he is 5th in the nation with 29.29 yards per return - so expect to see his number a lot. The Bulldogs held New Mexico State stud Chase Holbrook to a mere 192 yards and one touchdown and Wisconsin's Allan Evridge to 143 yards and one touchdown. By contrast, the Rams are allowing 222.83 passing yards per game, 9th in the conference and 83rd in the country. Houston's Case Keenum passed for 385 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Rams (Colorado State did manage to intercept three of his passes), and BYU's Max Hall threw for 389 yards and 5 touchdowns against them.

Rushing Defense - Colorado State. Both teams have a putrid rushing defense, the Rams ranked 99th in the country, allowing 185.25 yards per game, and the Bulldogs ranked 104th, giving up 197.33. The Bulldogs allowed 472 yards rushing to Colin Kaepernick, Vai Taua and the Nevada Wolfpack, P.J. Hill of Wisconsin gained 112 yards against them, and Boise State ran for 246 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Bulldogs. Colorado State held Darrell Scott of Colorado, Jahvid Best of California, and Rodney Ferguson of New Mexico to under 100 yards this season, so the Rams get the slight edge.

Both teams have strong offenses and relatively weak defenses, especially on the rushing end. Expect Tom Brandstater, Rashaun Greer, Gartrell Johnson III, and Bear Pascoe to have big games, and I'll go with coach Pat Hill and the Fresno State Bulldogs. However, this game could go either way, and if the Rams can force a few turnovers, they can come out with the victory in Albuquerque.

12/20 EagleBank Bowl - Navy (8-4) vs. Wake Forest (7-5)

The first game is a tough one to pick. Wake has played a tougher schedule this year in the tight ACC and Navy lost to dreadful Notre Dame. However, Navy hasn't allowed a point in the two games since, the two teams met earlier this year in Winston-Salem and the Midshipmen came out with a 27-14 win, and this game is basically in Navy's backyard at RFK Stadium. Let's look at the matchup.

Passing Offense - Wake Forest. Passing is a not a facet of Navy's offense. The Midshipmen rank second to last in the nation with 63 passing yards per game. Wake Forest's passing game has struggled as well this year, but they still average more than three times as many passing yards per game as Navy. The Demon Deacons are averaging 188.67 passing yards per game, 84th in the nation. Junior quarterback and three-year starter Riley Skinner has had a disappointing season, throwing 12 touchdowns against 7 interceptions. Four of those interceptions came against Navy earlier this year.

Rushing Offense - Navy. Easy. The Midshipmen have the best rushing attack in the nation, averaging almost 300 yards per game. Halfback Shun White and fullback Eric Kettani both rank in the top 55 in the nation in rushing. Wake Forest is averaging only 111.58 yards per game on the ground, 100th best in the country. They have no rusher in the top 100 in the country.

Passing Defense - Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons, led by stud cornerback Alphonso Smith, have the 28th best passing defense, allowing only 184.25 yards through the air per game. Smith is tied for fifth in the country with six interceptions this year. The Demon Deacons also rank 19th in pass efficiency defense. Wake held Clemson's Cullen Harper to 177 yards and one touchdown and Duke's Thaddeus Lewis to 227 yards with two interceptions. Navy ranks 76th in passing defense and a dreadful 90th in pass efficiency defense. Ball State quarterback Nate Davis threw for 326 yards and 4 touchdowns and the Midshipmen, Lewis threw for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Temple's Adam DiMichele threw for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Rushing Defense - Navy. This is a close one, the Midshipmen rank 31st and Wake ranks 21st, but Navy ran for 322 yards against the Demon Deacons in September, so they have proven they can run on them. Navy's stats are hurt by the fact that they faced fellow run-crazy military academies Army and Air Force, as well as the equally ground-prone Northern Illinois Huskies. Wake is led on defense by top-flight NFL prospect Aaron Curry at linebacker. Curry has 101 tackles, including 18 for a loss.

I'll give the edge to Navy in a good matchup between a great rushing offense and a very good defense. One of the highlights of the weekend will be seeing big Eric Kettani and Aaron Curry crash up the middle. Whoever can win this scrum will come out with the victory.