Orange Bowl Prediction Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech

GAME INFO:

Bowl Game: Orange Bowl

Game Date/Time: Jan 1, 2009, 8:30 pm EST

Teams: Cincinnati Bearcats vs Virginia Tech Hokies

Location: Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

TV: FOX

THE TEAMS

The Cincinnati Bearcats ended up #12 in the AP Top 25. They were 11-2 overall and 6-2 in the Big East Conference. They scored 355 points and gave up 262.
The Virginia Tech Hokies ended the season ranked #21 in the AP Top 25. They finished with a 8-4 record and 5-3 in the ACC conference. They scored 289 points and have up 227.

THE LINE (subject to change)

Cincinnati is the favorite by 2 points. The Over/under is 41 points

THE PREVIEW

It's old-school Big East versus new-school Big East, as Virginia Tech was one of three teams that left the conference for the ACC before the 2005 season. While there might be some bad blood between the conferences, Cincinnati is grateful that the Hokies' departure opened up a Big East spot and allowed the school to clinch its first BCS bid. Neither team got to Miami the easy way. Cincinnati had to use five quarterbacks this season because of injuries, while Virginia Tech was 6-4 at one point.

THE PREDICTION

Cincinnati Bearcats 21 Virginia Tech Hokies 17
The Bearcats aerial attack combined with a good run defense should prevail in this battle between the ACC and the Big East. It wasn't long ago that the Hokies left the Big East for the ACC - And the Big East teams won't let them forget it!
Give the two points and take the under.

Rose Bowl Prediction Penn State vs. USC

GAME INFO:

Bowl Game: Rose Bowl

Game Date/Time: Jan 1, 2009, 4:30 pm EST

Teams: Penn State Nittany Lions vs USC Trojans

Location: Pasadena, California

TV: ABC

THE TEAMS

Penn State is ranked 6th in the AP Top 25 poll, with an 11-1 overall and 7-1 in the Big Ten. They have scored an astounding 482 yards and given up only 149.
USC is ranked 5th nationally in the AP top 25 poll, with an 11-1 record and 8-1 in the PAC-1- conference. They have score 450 points while giving up only 93 points.

THE LINE (subject to change)

USC is the favorite by 9 points. Over/Under is 45 points

THE PREVIEW

Points could be a valuable commodity in the Rose Bowl on Thursday as #6 Penn State faces #5 USC. The Trojans led the country in defense, allowing only 7.8 points per game while the Nittany Lions were not far behind allowing 12.4 points per game. The offenses of each team also have good numbers as the Trojans averaged 37.5 points per game while Penn State put up 40.2 points per game. "You wouldn't think it would be (a high-scoring game) because of these two defenses," Penn State offensive coordinator Galen Hall said. "We realize they're big, fast, strong, all that. You've got to mix it up. We've got to play our game, which is sort of wide-open. We've got to keep them off-balance. I'm not sure there's anyone as a group that's better than (the USC defense). They really are that good. They justifiably are the No. 1 defense in the nation."

THE PREDICTION

USC Trojans 28 Penn State Nittany Lions 27

Many of the analysts point to the USC Trojans winning eight straight against Big Ten teams by an average of 25 points. But Penn State is super talented and if it weren't for one bad game they would be the title game. Penn State will fall short by a point or two but JoePa will be proud of his players.
Take the 9 points and go with the Nittany Lions. Parlay that with the over to win big.

Capital One Bowl Prediction Georgia vs. Michigan State

GAME INFO:

Bowl Game: Capital One Bowl

Game Date/Time: Jan 1, 2009, 1:00 pm EST

Teams: Georgia Bulldogs vs Michigan State Spartans

Location: Orlando, FL

TV: ABC

THE TEAMS

The Georgia Bulldogs are 6-2 overall and 5-0 in the SEC Conference. They have scored 385 points and given up 307.
The Michigan State Spartans are also 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten Conference. They've scored 314 points and given up 263

THE LINE (subject to change)

Georgia is the favorite by 8 points. The Over/Under line is 56 points.

THE PREVIEW

It might be the year of the quarterback in college football, but two of the nation's finest running backs square off in Orlando. Doak Walker Award finalists Javon Ringer of Michigan State and Knowshon Moreno of Georgia rank third and 16th nationally in rushing average. An MSU team that admittedly has overachieved faces the preseason No. 1 Bulldogs, who didn't expect to be here.

THE PREDICTION

Georgia 52 Michigan State 14
No challenge here. The Georgia Bulldogs are angry to be even be playing in this game - they expected to be in the BCS title game before the year started. Expect the Bulldogs to let out their frustrations on the Spartans.

Outback Bowl Prediction South Carolina at Iowa

GAME INFO:

Bowl Game: Outback Bowl

Game Date/Time: Jan 1, 2009, 11:00 am EST

Teams: South Carolina Gamecocks vs Iowa Hawkeyes

Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fl

TV: ESPN

THE TEAMS

South Carolina finished the 2008 season with a 7-5 record and were 4-4 in the SEC. They have scored 260 points and given up 243.
Iowa completed an 8-4 season and 5-3 in the Big Ten Conference. They have scored 363 points while giving up only 159.

THE LINE (subject to change)

Iowa is the favorite by 3 1/2 points. The Over/under is 43

THE PREVIEW

Neither team has more than eight wins or a national ranking, but there should be some intrigue in Tampa with Shonn Greene, a hot Iowa squad and the Head Ball Coach. Iowa won five of its final six games, including an upset of Penn State, to reach its fifth January bowl game since 2002. South Carolina ranks 11th nationally in total defense, one spot ahead of Iowa.

THE PREDICTION

Iowa Hawkeyes 28 South Carolina Gamecocks 21
The Hawkeyes rushing attack, lead by Shonn Greene, will be the difference in this game. They are ranked 29th nationally while the Gamecocks are ranked 109th. Neither team has a convincing advantage in the passing game or on defense.

Gator Bowl Prediction Nebraska Vs. Clemson

GAME INFO:

Bowl Game: Gator Bowl

Game Date/Time: Jan 1, 2009, 1:00 pm EST

Teams: Nebraska vs Clemson

Venue: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Fl

TV: CBS

THE TEAMS

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the Big 12 Conference. They have scored 434 points while giving up 350.
The Clemson Tigers are 7-5 overall and 4-4 in the ACC conference. They have scored 306 points and given up only 199.

THE LINE (subject to change)

Clemson is the favorite by 2 1/2 points. The Over/under is 56 1/2

THE PREVIEW

Clemson won three straight under recently hired coach Dabo Swinney, who has begun to piece together his staff. The Tigers offense has been much more productive behind a healthy offensive line. The Huskers won five of their last six games in large part because of quarterback Joe Ganz, whose play was overshadowed by the Big 12's Heisman hopefuls.

THE PREDICTION

Nebraska Cornhuskers 35 Clemson Tigers 34
The Cornhuskers are ranked 12th in the nation in total offense. QB Joe Ganz has a completion percentage of 69%, throwing for 3332 yards, 23 TDS and only 10 interceptions. Nebraska's aerial attack will be the difference in this game.

College Bowls December 31, 2008: Chik-fil-A Bowl

GAME INFO:
Bowl Game: Chik-fil-A Bowl
Game Date/Time: Dec. 31, 7:30 pm EST
Teams: LSU Tigers vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPN

THE TEAMS
LSU has a 7-5 record overall. They are 5-3 at home and 2-2 on the road. They finished 3-5 in the SEC Conference. The Tigers have scored 364 points and given up 311 in 2008.
Georgia Tech is 9-3 overall, 6-1 at home and 3-2 on the road. They were 5-3 in the ACC conference. The Yellow Jackets have scored 314 points and given up 226 this season.

THE LINE
Georgia Tech is the favorite by 4 (-4). The Over/Under is 52 1/2

THE PREVIEW
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are ranked 34d in the country in rushing yards while LSU is 43rd. The LSU Tigers were the national champions last year but have fallen fast this year. The Tigers will have a tough time stopping the Yellow Jackets triple option rushing attack.

THE PREDICTION
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 31 LSU Tigers 26

The Yellow Jackets are one of the hottest teams in the ACC and in the nation. There will be no stopping their impressive rushing attack.

College Bowls December 31 2008: Insight Bowl

GAME INFO:

Bowl Game: Insight Bowl

Game Date/Time: Dec. 31, 5:30 PM EST

Teams: Kansas Jayhawks vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz

TV: NFL Network

THE TEAMS

Kansas is 7-5 overall, 5-2 at home and 2-3 on the road. They ae 4-4 in the Big 12 conference. The Jayhawks have scored 392 points and given up 354 in 2008.
Minnesota is also 7-5 overall, 4-3 at home, 3-2 on the road and 3-5 in the Big Ten conference. They have scored 281 points and given up 280.

THE LINE (subject to change)

KU is favorite by 9 points (-9) The over/under is 58 points

THE PREVIEW

The Jayhawks are ranked 23rd in total offense and the Golden Gophers are ranked 91st. Both teams prefer to pass and don't have strong running games.
KU QB Todd Reesing is top notch. He has passed for 3575 yards with 28 TDs versus 12 Interceptions. His completion percentage is an outstanding 65.7%. The Golden Gophers QB Adam Weber is also very good. He has passed for 2585 yards with 14 TDs and 8 Interceptions. His completion percentage is 62.8%
Both teams are low in the ranking for total rushing yard. KU is ranked 81st and Minnesota 105th in rushing in 2008

THE PREDICTION

Kansas Jayhawks 48 Minnesota Golden Gophers 35
The Golden Gophers will be unable to stop QB Todd Reesing -and that will be the difference. They will beat the spread in a high scoring affair.

College Bowls December 31, 2008: Brut Sun Bowl

GAME INFO:

Bowl Game: Brut Sun Bowl

Game Date/Time: Dec. 31, 2:00 PM EST

Teams: Oregon State vs. (#20) Pittsburgh

Location: El Paso, Texas TV: CBS

Announcers: Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson

THE TEAMS

The Oregon State Beavers are 8-4 Overall in 2008. They were 5-1 at home and 3-3 on the road. They finished 7-2 in their Pac 10 Conference. They scored 394 points while giving up 300 this college football season.
The Pittsburgh Panthers are 9-3 overall and are currently ranked #20 in college football. They were 4-2 at home and 5-1 on the road. They finished 5-2 in the Big East conference. They have scored 352 points and given up 276.

THE LINE (subject to change)Oregon State is favorite by 2 1/2 points (-2 1/2). The under/over is 51 1/2

THE PREVIEW

Both of these teams were in the running for BCS bowls but both suffered late-season losses that knocked them out of BCS bowl game contention. Both teams are evenl balanced with great running attacks. The Panthers have running back LeSean McCoy, who has run for 1403 yards on 284 carries and has 21 TDs. The Beavers counter with running back Jacquizz Rodgers, who has 1253 yards on 259 carries and 11 TDs.

THE PREDICTION

Oregan State Beavers 35 Pittsburgh Panthers 28The Beavers QB Lyle Moevao passing efficiency (60%) yards (2,341) and TDs (19) will be too much for the Panthers. The Panthers are ranked 67th overall in total offense (by yards) in 2008 and the Beavers are ranked 27th.

College Bowls December 31, 2008: Bell Helicopter Armed Forces

GAME INFO:

Bowl Game: Bell Helicopter Armed ForcesGame

Date/Time: Dec. 31, Noon EST

Teams: Houston vs. Air Force

Location: Fort Worth, Texas Amon G. Carter Stadium

Forecast: 53 - 31 degrees 0% chance of precipitation

TV: ESPN

THE TEAMS

Houston is 7-5 overall. They are 5-1 at home, 2-4 on the road, 6-2 in their Conference USA - West Division. The Cougars have scored 494 points while giving up 374.

Air Force Academy is 8-4 overall. 3-3 at home, 5-1 and the road. They are 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference. The Falcons have score 320 points while giving up 255.

THE LINE

Houston is the favorite by 3 1/2 (-3 1/2)

THE PREVIEW

The Houston Cougars are averaging 429 yards passing per game - that is #1 in the NCAA. Their total yards of 575 is also #1 in the land. Houston averages 41 points a game but give up, on average 31 points a game.
But the Air Force Academy Falcons ranked 5th nationally in yards rushing - averaging almost 270 yards on the ground. Falcons average 25 points and give up on average 21.
The game will be a classic battle between the AFA's run game against the high flying Cougars aerial attack.

THE PREDICTION

Houston Cougars 45 Air Force Academy 28Given that the Cougars can score at any time on any play - their will be no way to stop their attack. The Falcons should keep it close early but their defense will tire in the second half and that will be the difference.

Poinsettia Bowl Predictions TCU vs Boise State

GAME INFO

San Diego County Credit Union

State (#9) vs. TCU San Diego (#11)

Qualcomm Stadium

Dec. 23, 8 p.m. ESPN

TEAM RECORDS

The Boise State Broncos are 12-0. They have scored 473 points while giving up 147 this season

The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs are 1-2. They have scored 420 points and given up only 131.

THE LINE

TCU is the pre-game favorite by 3 points

PREVIEW

Boise State seems like the Rodney Dangerfield of college football. They are one of two undefeated teams in the country but were dissed by the BCS in BCS bowl selections.

The Poinsetta Bowl will be the showcase for the Broncos to show they deserved to be there. Boise State won't have it easy however, as they face the no. 11 Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. The Horned Frogs have the 13th best offense while the Broncos have the 2nd best offense in the nation.

This game will also set the claim to bragging rights to the better conference, TCU's Division I Mountain West Conference or Boise State's WAC.

THE MATCHUP

It looks like this will be a matchup between the TCU offense vs. Boise State defense. The Horned Frogs, who give up just a little under 11 points a game face a Broncos offense that averaged over 39 points this season.
The key to this game is if the Broncos running backs, Ian Johnson and Jeremy Avery can run against the Horned Frogs defense, led by DT Jeremy Hughes.
TCU offense's is not as healded as that of Boise State but they are capable of scoring with the tandom running back attack of Aaron Brown and Joseph Turner.

PREDICTION

Boise State 24 TCU 21
Boise State will prevail in a very close game that may be settled by a field goal in the waning minutes.

Bradford Brings Heisman Back To Oklahoma

Sam Bradford has won the 2008 Hesiman Trophy. The Oklahoma Sooners sophomre QB beat out the 2007 Heisman Trophy winnter Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators and Colt McCoy, junior QB of the Texas Longhorns.

The award marked the eight time in the last nine years that a quarterback has won the Heisman Trophy. The original was Ohio State's Archie Griffin who repeated the feat in 1974 and 1975.

The Award was presented live in New York and televised on ESPN.

The top 3 candidates were all underclassman and all quarterbacks.

Bradford's competition was Florida junior QB and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and Texas's Junior QB Colt McCoy.

Here are some statistics of the top 3 Heisman Trophy candidates:

Sam Bradford of the Oklahoma Sooners had a QB rating of 186.29 in 2008. He passed for 4,464 yards and 48 touchdowns. He was born on November 8, 1987 in Oklahoma City, Ok. He is 6-4 218 pounds. He is only a sophomore and is also 21 years old.

Tim Tebow had a QB rating of 176.74. He passed for 2,515 yards and 28 touchdowns. Over his career he has thrown for 6,159 yards and 65 touchdowns. Tebow was born on August 14, 1987 in Jacksonville, Florida. He is 6-3 240 lbs. He is only a junior and 21 years old.

Colt McCoy of the Texas Longhorns had a QB rating of 179.20 in 2008. He has thrown for 3,445 yards and 32 TDs.Colt was born on September 5, 1986 in Tuscola, Tx. He is 6-3 210 lbs. He is junior and 21 years old.

Why is it that quarterbacks are dominating the award this decade? The reason is that football has grown-up and morphed to utilize the pro-style Shot-Gun offense. The days of the Wishbone and Option running offenses just aren't enough to get teams to the college football titles games.

Sam Bradford's season is not finished. He will lead his Sooners against Tebow and the Florida Gators for the national championship in the BCS Championship on January 20th.

Congratulations to Sam Bradford!

2008-2009 BCS Championship Game Preview

The battle for the College Football National Championship will take place at Dolphin Stadium, Miami Florida on January 8,2009 @ 8pm The #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners (BCS rating 0.975) will take on #2 Florida Gators (BCS rating 0.947). The game will be aired on nationally on FOX.

The projected payout for the appearance is estimated to be $17.5 million per conference. Last year's Bowl game was won by LSU over Ohio State 38-24 in front of 79.651 fans. It got a 14.4 Nielsen Rating.

This year's matchup is expected to be a close game. The early line has Florida favored by 3 points. It will feature last year's Heisman Trophy winner, Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow and Oklahoma phenom QB Sam Bradford, who is leading this year's Heisman voting.

This game has the potential to be the best college football championship game ever. This is a matchup of the record-setting Oklahoma offense vs. a Florida attack that's better than anything former coach, Steve Spurrier ever put together. Both teams have complete, outstanding athletes. There are some questions about the toughness of OU, the secondary of Florida, and the head coaches with mega-watt star power will be among the main topics.

The coaching matchup stands to be one for the ages - matching Florida's Urban Meyer against Oklahoma's Bob Stoops. This is a game for bragging rights of who is the better conference. Florida came out on top is in the SEC and Oklahoma won the Big 12.

This game will most likely determine the Heisman Trophy. Currently, Oklahoma sophomore QB Sam Bradford is the leader. Florida's senior QB Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner is currently ranked in third place. It will be difficult to give the award to anyone other than these two stars.

LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
The Florida Gators last won the national championship back in 2007; Oklahoma last won it in 2000.

BREAKDOWN

Tim Tebow should be able to put some big numbers on the board. He is a dangerous passer, a great scrambler and he is big enough to run over people. However, the Florida defense hasn't really been tested by any team with the ability and talent of the OU offense.

On the flip side, the Oklahoma offense hasn't faced a team with this much defensive talent since the loss to Texas. Neither team makes mistakes —they're 1 (Florida) and 2 (Oklahoma) in turnover margin— Tebow and Sam Bradford are two of the most efficient passers in the history of college football, and each team gets to the quarterback ... there's a lot to chew on and digest.

EARLY PREDICTIONS

The early line on the game is Florida (-3) favored over the Sooners.

Oklahoma scored more than 60 points in it's last 5 games; a feat no other team in college football has ever accomphlished.The Gators were overpowering in their final seven games, winning by an average of 38.1points per game. Their win over the Crimson Tide, while tightly contested throughout, was enough to earn them a shot at winning their second national title in three years.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION

Oklahoma Sooners 45 Florida Gators 42

Oklahoma will kick a fieldgoal with less than 01:00 to play to win the National Championship

BCS Bowl 2009 Facts

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is a selection system designed to give the top two teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivisions (FBS) an opportunity to compete in a "national championship game". This championship is intended as a surrogate for a playoff system since the NCAA does not formally determine a champion in this category.

The BCS relies on a combination of polls and computer selection methods to determine relative team rankings, and to narrow the field to two teams to play in the BCS National Championship Game held after the other college bowl games. The winner of this game is crowned the BCS national champion, and is guaranteed at least a share of the national championship.

The system also selects matchups for the other prestigious BCS bowl games. The ten teams selected include the conference champion from each of the six BCS conferences plus four others ("at-large" selections). The BCS was created by formal agreement among six conferences, and has evolved to allow other conferences to participate to a lesser degree. It is not formally recognized by the NCAA as a collegiate championship.
BCS Bowl information and facts:

FedEx BCS National Championship Game
Jan. 8, 2009, 8 p.m. ET
Oklahoma Vs. Florida
(FOX)BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2

Bowl Facts
Field (capacity): Dolphin Stadium (72,230)
2009 Projected Payout Per Conference: $17.5 million
2008 Results: LSU 38, Ohio State 24
2008 Attendance: 79,651
2008 Nielsen Rating: 14.4

Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 2009, 5:10 p.m. ET
USC Vs. Penn State
(ABC) BCS vs. BCS

Bowl Facts
Field (capacity): The Rose Bowl (91,000)
2009 Projected Payout/Team: $17.5 million
2008 Results: Southern California 49, Illinois 17
2008 Attendance: 93,923 2008
Nielsen Rating: 11.11

FedEx Orange Bowl
Jan. 1, 2009, 8 p.m. ET
Cincinnati Vs. Virginia Tech
(FOX) BCS vs. BCS

Bowl Facts
Field (capacity): Dolphins Stadium (72,230)
2009 Projected Payout/Team: $17.5 million
2008 Results: Kansas 24, Va. Tech 21
2008 Attendance: 74,111 2008
Nielsen Rating: 7.40

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Jan. 2, 2009, 8 p.m. ET
Alabama Vs. Utah
(FOX) BCS vs. BCS

Bowl Facts
Field (capacity): Louisiana Superdome (72,000)
2009 Projected Payout Per Conference: $17.5 million
2008 Result: Georgia 41, Hawaii 10
2008 Attendance: 74,383
2008 Nielsen Rating: 7.0

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 5, 2009, 8:30 p.m. ET
Texas Vs. Ohio State
(FOX) BCS vs. BCS

Bowl Facts
Field (capacity): University of Phoenix Stadium (73,000)
2009 Projected Payout/Team: $17.5 million
2008 Results: W. Virginia 48, Oklahoma 28
2008 Attendance: 70.016
2008 Nielsen Rating: 7.70