The Syracuse Orange haven’t played in a bowl game since 2004, and but they are going to be back and better than ever on Thursday when they take on the Kansas State Wildcats in a de facto home game at the Pinstripe Bowl. This is the first annual edition of this game, and it should be a classic, especially in New Yankee Stadium, one of the most interesting venues of any of the bowl games this year. However, to us, this game isn’t about pageantry, glitz, and glamour. It’s about beating the Pinstripe Bowl odds! These are the three keys to the game that you need to remember to consider when betting this one.

Key #1: Ryan Nassib is going to have to find some new options to work with
The biggest problem that the Orange might have in this game is that WR Van Chew is still nursing a groin injury. As it is, the top receiver on this team hasn’t caught more than three passes in a game since October 16th. However, the fact that he is the top target for the Orange and only has 41 catches for 611 yards and five scores isn’t good. We know that the ‘Cuse can run the football, but there is going to be a major problem if they can’t get the ball in the air. Nassib only threw for 2,095 yards and 16 TDs all season long, and though he doesn’t exactly need a 300+ yard performance, he does need to at least put some fear in the KSU defense. The next leading receiver on this team was WR Alec Lemon, who only had 30 catches, 377 yards, and four TDs. There were three players that caught 30+ passes aside from Chew, but one of them was RB Antwon Bailey, who only averaged 8.7 yards per reception and was largely just used as a check down option.

Key #2: Stopping Daniel Thomas is the key for the ‘Cuse
Head Coach Bill Snyder hates his quarterback situation so much that he benched his senior leader, QB Carson Coffman at the end of the season, and he put his faith in QB Collin Klein. There was so much faith in Klein in that first game against the Texas Longhorns that the Wildcats threw a grand total of two passes, and both were to Thomas out of the backfield. Needless to say, this is a one man band at times, as Thomas went for 1,495 yards and 16 TDs on the season. He’ll probably have over 300 carries for the season by the time this game is over, and he is still trying to make a name for himself in order to make the NFL. There were some pretty darn good running games this year in the Big East, but the Orange really didn’t allow all that many yards on the year. Giving up just 113.7 yards per game on the ground ranked No. 13 in the country. RB Jordan Todman did run for 130 yards and two TDs against these guys when the Connecticut Huskies came to the Carrier Dome, while the duo of Pittsburgh Panthers runners, RB Dion Lewis and RB Ray Graham combined for 131 yards and a score. West Virginia Mountaineers RB Noel Devine also ran for 122 yards. Hope is there, but Thomas is going to have to do a lot more than just run for 120 yards or so to be able to beat the Orange.

Key #3: Syracuse has to play better than its schedule this year
Though these teams had matching 7-5 records, there is clearly a tremendous discrepancy in the schedules that they played. The Orange took on a terrible conference, arguably worse than the Mountain West and maybe even the WAC, and though they played four road games in conference (and won all four, mind you), only the one against the West Virginia Mountaineers was really of any note. That win and the one against the South Florida Bulls were the only two against bowl teams this year. A non conference slate that featured wins against the Akron Zips and a pair of FCS teams doesn’t leave much to be desired. K-State played a significantly harder out of conference schedule, as the UCF Knights turned out to be the Conference USA champs and a legitimate Top 25 contender, while the UCLA Bruins and North Texas Mean Green turned out to put up tremendous fights. Just in general though, the day to day grind in the Big XII was significantly harder and probably prepped the Cats for this game significantly better than the Big East did for the Orange.

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The SMU Mustangs and Army Black Knights probably aren’t the two sexiest bowl teams in the world, but they are both feel good stories, and they should make for a fantastic college football betting action. Before making your Armed Forces Bowl picks in this one on Thursday afternoon, be sure to check out the three keys to which team is beating the NCAA football odds.

Key #1: Jared Hassin has to become a 1,000 yard rusher
The triple option really needs to shine for the Black Knights to have any chance of succeeding in the Armed Forces Bowl. QB Trent Steelman is going to be responsible for both running the ball on his own and getting Hassin the football. Though Steelman is the man that will be the catalyst, Hassin is the one that needs to get the tough yards up the gut. Hassin has a chance to become the second 1,000 yard rusher for the Cadets in the last 20 years if he can get just 69 yards in the Armed Forces Bowl. He had a terrible time in the final few games of the regular season, accounting for just 148 yards on 46 carries with just one TD since November 13th. The Mustangs were torched by the UCF Knights in the Conference USA Championship Game just a few weeks ago, and that only made the rushing numbers for the year even worse. Allowing 142.2 yards per game ranked just No. 51 in the nation, but we have to remember that Conference USA is a conference that is more known for its passing than its rushing. The winner of this battle between Hassin and the SMU front seven is probably going to win this duel.

Key #2: Kyle Padron needs to be a superstar
This key really goes back to Hassin as well, as taking care of the football on offense will limit the Mustangs and their lethal passing attack. This is why Army held teams to just 190.5 yards per game through the air this year, but again, we have to remember that this was a schedule that wasn’t very tough, as there wasn’t a bowl eligible team that was beaten this year, and there were only five on the entire schedule. Meanwhile, SMU averaged 273.8 yards per game on the year through the air, which ranked No. 22 in the land. QB Kyle Padron has a real chance to make a name for himself in his second season as a starting quarterback. He put up a real dud against UCF four weeks ago, and he would love to make a big time rebound. He threw for 3,526 yards and 29 TDs this year, though Head Coach June Jones really would have rather seen his signal caller throw fewer than 12 picks. Both WR Aldrick Robinson and WR Cole Beasley should be in store for a great game, as both were 1,000 yard receivers this year. Robinson caught 60 passes for 1,225 yards, an average of 20.4 yards per reception, and he found the end zone 13 times. Beasley was more of a workhorse, catching 84 passes for 1,036 yards and six TDs.

Key #3: Zach Line cannot be forgotten on either side of the ball
Army really can’t just sell out against the pass in this one, or the running game is going to really sneak up on it and bite it in the butt. Padron has some wheels, as he rushed for 254 yards and four TDs this year, but the man of the hour is going to be RB Zach Line. You don’t normally think about a June Jones offense featuring a 1,500 yard rusher, but Line already has 1,391 yards and ten TDs in 2010. This sophomore had back to back 30 carry games against the Marshall Thundering Herd and the East Carolina Pirates, and he finished up the season with 419 yards and three scores in his last three games combined. Needless to say, Line will get his touches in the finale of his sophomore season, if for no other reason, that he’ll be able to build some momentum coming into next year when the Mustangs should really be ready to rock and roll.

The Alamo Bowl is always one of the more interesting bowl games of the season, and this year should be no exception. Down in the Lone Star State, we’ll have our second bowl game of the day. Right at the conclusion of the Texas Bowl, the eyes on those making college football picks will turn to San Antonio, where the Oklahoma State Cowboys will look to wrap up a successful campaign against the struggling Arizona Wildcats. We have three very crucial keys to the game that must be analyzed in order to make your Alamo Bowl picks in this shootout in San Antonio.

Key #1: One of these two defenses really needs to find a way to improve its game
At the beginning of the season, the Wildcats had one of the most feared defenses in the entire country. They essentially shut out the Toledo Rockets and kept the Citadel Bulldogs to just two field goals. Sure, the Iowa Hawkeyes managed 27 points, but the Cal Golden Bears and Washington State Cougars didn’t reach double digits in points, and the Washington Huskies and UCLA Bruins were held to 14 and 21 points respectively. That’s when the wheels really fell off, though. The Stanford Cardinal and Oregon Ducks, both teams which run very similar offenses to that of Okie State, put 42 and 48 points on the board respectively, and in the interim, allowing 30 to an Arizona State Sun Devils squad that really never got much going this year against the Pac-10 was a bit embarrassing. For Oklahoma State, there was no doubt that this was a year for struggling, though it almost seems palatable when you consider how strong this offense was. The Pokes are coming off of a bad game against the Oklahoma Sooners in Bedlam in which they allowed 47 points, one of the worst games of their season. If you just take bowl teams this year, Okie State allowed an average of 32.3 points per game. In fairness, this was a brutal schedule that featured eight bowl teams and three other road games, with the only reprieve being a home opener against Wazzu. If the Cowboys can figure out how to keep Arizona under their averages of 413.5 yards and 27.8 points per game allowed, there won’t be any stopping them in the Alamo Bowl.

Key #2: Nick Foles needs to get the winning touch again
We really do feel bad for Foles in this one. We know that the young man out of Austin would have had an absolutely tremendous year if not for the fact that he basically missed three full games with a knee injury that has plagued him ever since. If you had prorated his numbers over the entire season, Foles would be coming into this game with roughly 340 completions, nearly 4,000 yards, and 25 scores, and he would have been looked at as a passer that can keep up with the offense of the Cowboys. However, due to the injury, he is still shy of both the 3,000 yard and 20 TD barriers, though he should reach both of those fairly early on in the Alamo Bowl. Since coming back to the lineup, Foles has averaged 327.8 passing yards per game, but his team is 0-4 to show for it. He hasn’t won a game in which he both started and finished since September 25th against the Cal Golden Bears in spite of the fact that he has thrown three TD passes in four of the five losses. It’s not getting into the passing groove that we’re worried about with Foles. It’s the fact that we aren’t so sure that he really knows how to win anymore.

Key #3: The Pokes need to stay well rounded with their offense
No problem. Okie State nearly averaged 350+ yards per game through the air and 200+ yards per game on the ground this year. The Cowboys only rank behind the mighty Oregon Ducks this year in terms of total offense, as they are at 540.5 yards per game. However, this is the only team in the country that can profess to having a 1,500+ yard rusher and a 1,500+ yard passer. RB Kendall Hunter rushed the ball 261 times this year for 1,516 yards and 16 scores. However, if you think that makes this a running team, you’re crazy. QB Brandon Weeden threw for 4,037 yards and 32 TDs thanks to the fact that this is one of the quickest offenses in the nation in terms of running plays. The Cowboys averaged taking 75.8 snaps per game this year, and you can bet that they are going to try to reach at least 80, if not 90 in this game to really keep the pressure on the Wildcat defense. For as great as both Weeden and Hunter were this year, it is pretty clear that the best NFL prospect of the bunch is WR Justin Blackmon, who caught 102 passes for 1,665 yards and 18 TDs this year, and had he not been suspended for that DUI back in November, he would have really been a serious threat to reach the 2,000 yard mark in this, just his sophomore campaign.

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Two of the more likable bowl teams this season are going to meet up at Reliant Stadium on Wednesday night, as the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Baylor Bears square off in the annual Texas Bowl. Parsing through these two teams could be tough, as they both have their strengths and weaknesses, and both looked very shoddy in their final performances of the season. However, one team has to claim victory, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’ve got the keys to the game that you need to watch out for before you make your Texas Bowl picks.

Key #1: Someone has to figure out how to stop Mikel LeShoure
Easier said than done. LeShoure absolutely ran wild at the end of this season, accounting for four straight games with at least 120 yards after going five straight games without hitting that barrier. It is clear that this junior is making a tremendous statement for next season, as he rumbled for 1,513 yards and 14 TDs, following well in the footsteps of Pittsburgh Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall. Remember what happened the last time LeShoure played a game at a neutral site? He rushed the ball 33 times for 330 yards and a pair of TDs against the Northwestern Wildcats in the best day for an Illinois running back ever, and the best day that any back in the nation had this year. In total, LeShoure reached the 100+ yard mark eight times this season, and he has visited the end zone at least twice in a game six times. LeShoure has scored at least one TD in six straight games and has totaled 14 scores between rushing and receiving in that stretch. The Baylor rush defense struggled at times this year, particularly down the stretch when the team allowed 52 to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 42 to the Texas A&M Aggies, and 53 to the Oklahoma Sooners. In total, allowing 153.2 yards per game was a remotely respectable number, ranking No. 67 in the country, but that’s just not going to get the job done in this game, as you know the Illini, who have one of the best rushing attacks in America, are not relenting.

Key #2: Robert Griffin has to be the star that he is
Griffin really could have gone to basically any college that he wanted to, and everyone in Waco knew when he showed up in green and gold, it was only going to be a matter of time before he shined as a star and helped revive a program that has been in the depths of the Big XII since its formation. Now, in the final year of the conference in the form we know it in, Griffin has been the man to get the job done and carry this team to this, its first bowl game since before the Big XII was created. He led an offense this year that averaged 480.4 yards and 32.6 points per game, and it was a unit that was able to really shoot it out with some of the best teams in one of the best conferences in the country. Whether via his legs or his arm, there really is no stopping Griffin at times. He posted a QB rating of at least 100 in every single one of his games this year until the finale against the Sooners, and he rushed for 175 yards and a TD combined in his final two games of the season. The junior had the best year of his career, accounting for 3,195 yards as a passer and 591 on the ground, totaling 29 TDs against just eight picks. When you look at the average numbers this year for the Illinois defense, you see some respectable numbers at 340.4 yards and 24.2 points per game allowed, but we need to dig a little deeper in this one. Mobile quarterbacks aren’t exactly strewn all over the Big Ten, but there were three games this year against some majorly mobile stars. Yes, Northern Illinois’ Chandler Harnish and Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor were held to 22 and 24 points respectively, but Michigan’s Denard Robinson put 67 on the board! Obviously, an effort like that on Wednesday will spell death for the Illini.

Key #3: It’s time for the world to be introduced to Nathan Scheelhaase
Even though he is only a true freshman, Scheelhaase has arguably saved the job of Head Coach Ron Zook and has the Illinois program on the path to success in the near future. The young man was trusted with the starting signal caller job from Day 1 in Champaign, and he really didn’t disappoint. The only problem with Scheelhaase is that he really didn’t do a great job as a passer this year. He didn’t throw the ball more than 27 times in a game even once this year, and as a result, his only games with more than 200 yards passing came against the Southern Illinois Salukis and in that three OT thriller against Michigan in Ann Arbor. However, on the ground is a different story. Scheelhaase came right out of the blocks and rushed for 76 yards against a Missouri Tigers defense that turned out to be one of the best units in the country, and he ended up with five games with at least 95 yards as a runner this year. His best game was his last one against the Fresno State Bulldogs in which he rumbled for 1331 yards on 24 carries. It marked the fourth time in five games that he reached at least the 95 yard barrier. Scheelhaase ended the regular season with 815 yards and four scores on the ground, numbers which aren’t all that bad for a man that was sacked 20 times.