The final 2012 BCS Rankings are out, as is the bowl game schedule for the 2012-13 season, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are analyzing the 35 bowl games and how everything shook out for the 70 teams that are going to be involved with bowl bashes this year, leading all the way up to the BCS Championship Game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Arizona Wildcats
Gildan New Mexico Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 15th, 1:00 ET
Gildan New Mexico Bowl Location: University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
Gildan New Mexico Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Gildan New Mexico Bowl Odds: Arizona -8 (73)
Closing Gildan New Mexico Bowl Lines: Arizona -8.5 (79)

Click Here for our 2012 New Mexico Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Gildan New Mexico Bowl Preview: The New Mexico Bowl has to be thrilled with this one, and it should be a heck of a start to the bowl season this year. Nevada and Arizona both have fantastic offenses, and they should combine for a heck of a lot of points. The Wolf Pack finished 7-5 this year, and they challenged a lot of the solid teams out of the Mountain West on the campaign. Arizona was ranked in the Top 25 once upon a time, but it finished 7-5 and stayed competitive in the Pac-12 South for the mass majority of the campaign. The Wolf Pack have only won one bowl game in their last six tries coming into this one, while the Wildcats have been slaughtered in each of their last two bowl games. Head Coach Rich Rodriguez was pummeled in his last bowl game when he was coaching for Michigan as well.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl Recap: What a game we had here at the New Mexico Bowl! We thought that we were going to see a show on the ground by two of the top rushing teams in the nation, and we weren’t disappointed. Not only RB Ka’Deem Carey and RB Stefphon Jefferson reached triple digits rushing, but QB Cody Fajardo did as well. The Pack jumped out to a 21-0 lead that saw Arizona defenders brawling on their own sidelines. That seemed to spark the rest of the team though, as the Wildcats clawed backed to 21-21. It wasn’t the last big deficit that they had to overcome, though. It was 45-28 at the end of the third quarter as well. Arizona scored two TDs in the final 50 seconds of the game, including recovering an onside kick to put together the comeback to avoid the upset. WR Austin Hill had 175 yards and two TDs, while QB Matt Scott threw for 382 yards and three scores in the victory.

2012 New Mexico Bowl Result: Arizona 49 – Nevada 48

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Toledo Rockets vs. Utah State Aggies
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 15th, 4:30 ET
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Location: Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Odds: Utah State -8 (59)
Closing Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Lines: Utah State -10 (59.5)

Click Here for our 2012 Idaho Potato Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Preview: Toledo was one of the many teams out of the MAC that stole a bowl bid from the big time conferences this year. The Rockets didn’t end up getting into the MAC Championship Game this year, but they have had a heck of a year, going 9-3 with just two conference losses. Utah State accepted the bowl bid to the Potato Bowl early, and this is going to mark the second straight year that the Aggies have paid a visit to the Smurf Turf. They were beaten by Ohio last year 24-23 in a remarkable game. The team has just one bowl win ever, a 1993 victory in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Famous Idaho Bowl Recap: For three quarters, Toledo did a nice job keeping the Potato Bowl a close game. However, in a span of just 3:01, RB Kerwynn Williams put up three rushing touchdowns. There were a pair of rushing TDs that went for at least 60 yards on the day for the Aggies, while the Rockets, in the end, never scored an offensive touchdown. You wouldn’t think that Utah State would have put up 582 yards by looking at the way that the game was going, but Williams had 235 yards on the ground, and QB Chuckie Keeton had 92 yards of his own. QB Austin Dantin had a terrible game for the Rockets, throwing for just 132 yards with two picks. It should have been a much closer game than it was, but after looking at the final stats, it’s tough to argue with that final margin.

2012 Idaho Potato Bowl Result: Utah State 41 – Toledo 15

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: BYU Cougars vs. San Diego State Aztecs
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, December 20th, 8:00 ET
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Odds: BYU -2.5 (52)
Closing San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Lines: BYU -3 (46)

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San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Preview: The Cougars really haven’t had much to be excited about this season, as they have really known from the get go that they are going to come here to the Poinsettia Bowl. On the same token, there isn’t a lot for San Diego State to be excited about, staying here at home for a bowl game this year. Still, in a year in which the Aztecs truly were supposed to struggle, they got 17 TDs out of RB Adam Muema and ended up finishing with a share of the Mountain West title. The Aztecs have won their last seven games, covering the college football spreads in six of the seven. The Cougs have only beaten two bowl eligible teams all season long, but they did beat San Diego State in the most recent meeting of these teams, a 24-21 victory in 2010 when these teams still shared the MWC together before the BYU left the conference for independence.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Recap: Sloppy offensive play highlighted the entire night in San Diego, and unless you really like your defense, this wasn’t a game that you were probably all that interested in. There were a total of eight blunders on the night, and neither team reached 300 yards of offense. The BYU defense was absolutely as good as advertised, especially in the second half. The Aztecs led 6-3 at intermission, and matters stayed that way into the fourth. In that final stanza though, the Cougs returned both a fumble and an interception for a touchdown to seal the game. QB Riley Nelson was only able to throw two passes and run the ball once with his bad back, and he threw one of the six total INTs between the two teams on the day. Both QB James Lark and QB Adam Dingwell, neither of which figured to be leading their team at any point at the outset of this season, were terrible. RB Adam Muema was probably the offensive star of the game with 103 rushing yards on 26 carries, though RB Jamaal Williams did have the game’s only offensive score. WR Cody Hoffman led all receivers on both sides with 10 catches for 114 yards.

2012 Poinsettia Bowl Result: BYU 23 – San Diego State 6

Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl: UCF Knights vs. Ball State Cardinals
Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 21st, 7:30 ET
Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Odds: UCF -7 (60)
Closing Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Lines: UCF -7 (60)

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Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Preview: UCF had a chance to win Conference USA this year, but losing in overtime took the team from the Liberty Bowl down to the St. Petersburg Bowl. This is the final time that the Knights will play in a game under the C-USA banner, knowing that it is off to the Big East after this. Ball State is going to be thrilled to be coming to a bowl game with a chance to win 10 games this year. The Cardinals have never won a bowl game before, while UCF only has one bowl win, and these two teams between them only have nine bowl games between them. These two used to share the MAC together, and Ball State holds a 2-1 all-time record against the Knights.

Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Recap: The first half was all the Knights needed to win their second bowl game in school history. It was a sweet ending to what has been a bitter season for UCF, knowing that the team failed to win Conference USA, and it knows that it is going on bowl probation next year in all likelihood. It was a great game for QB Blake Bortles who threw for three TDs and 272 yards in one of the best games of his career. He also had a rushing score to boot that helped put the game away in a 28-7 first half. Ball State never got closer than 18 points again in the game. The Ball State defense allowed 494 total yards, and it allowed three rushers to get at least 50 yards on the ground, including Bortles, who led the team with 80 yards. QB Keith Wenning did throw for 217 yards and two TDs without a pick, but he was sacked four times. RB Jahwan Edwards led the way with 89 rushing yards, but he was largely ineffective. WR Willie Snead had both of the Ball State touchdowns, but he was outshined by RB Latavius Murray, who had six catches for 33 yards and two TDs and 71 yards and a score on the ground.

2012 Beef ‘O’Brady’s Bowl Result: UCF 38 – Ball State 17

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns vs. East Carolina Pirates
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 22nd, 12:00 ET
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Location: Mercedes Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Odds: Louisiana Lafayette -4.5 (67)
Closing R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Lines: Louisiana Lafayette -6.5 (70)

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R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Preview: Louisiana Lafayette has to be happy to be back here at the New Orleans Bowl for the second straight year. The team was able to win its first every bowl game last year in this venue, and now, it is going to be back with a chance to do it for the second straight year. The Cajuns won eight games, but perhaps their most notable game came when they were beaten by the Florida Gators in a game that could have been had over the SEC reps. Meanwhile, East Carolina made very few mistakes in Conference USA this year, but the one loss that the team had to UCF on the road took it out of the C-USA title game. It’s a nice consolation prize to be in a bowl game that is relatively close to home. These two teams haven’t met since 1990, a win for the Cajuns over the Pirates.

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Recap: The ‘total’ ended up moving all over the place in the final 36 hours on the New Orleans Bowl odds, but in the end, all of the action that moved the line up to 70 proved to be the winning formula. Louisiana Lafayette looked great out of the blocks up 28-7, but the lead was short lived. Just over a quarter later, the Pirates had stormed back to tie the game up at 31-31, but from there, QB Terrance Broadway took over and made sure that the Cajuns would be safe to win their second straight New Orleans Bowl, their second bowl title ever in school history. Broadway finished out the afternoon with 316 yards and a TD with a pick, but perhaps more important were his 108 yards on the ground. The Sun Belt reps rushed for 267 yards and four scores on the day. In defeat, RB Reggie Bullock rushed for two TDs for the Pirates, while QB Shane Carden had two TDs passing and a pick. The Ragin’ Cajuns might have allowed 421 total yards of offense, but they did hold WR Justin Hardy down to just 59 yards on five receptions.

2012 New Orleans Bowl Result: Louisiana Lafayette 43 – East Carolina 34

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl: Washington Huskies vs. Boise State Broncos
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 22nd, 3:30 ET
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Location: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Odds: Boise State -7.5 (46)
Closing MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Lines: Boise State -4 (44)

Click Here for our 2012 Las Vegas Bowl Game Odds Analysis

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Preview: Washington has been one of these teams that has been stuck in the middle of the Pac-12 over the course of the last few years, but that’s a huge step up from where Head Coach Steve Sarkisian took this team over. The Huskies are coming off of a year in which they played an absolutely brutal schedule, but that last loss to Washington State in the Apple Cup was probably a bad omen for this game. Boise State was close to being in the BCS this year, but with two losses, it was just too difficult to get the Broncos the big time pay day. The men from the Smurf Turf are coming back to Sin City for the third straight year, and they have already beaten both Utah and Arizona State in those campaigns. These two teams met in Seattle in 2007, a game that the Huskies won 24-10.

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Recap: K Michael Frisina atoned for his mistake in a big way with 1:22 left in Las Vegas Bowl to give the Broncos yet another bowl victory under Head Coach Chris Petersen. Frisina missed an extra point in the first quarter that proved to be a cause for concern for the whole game. The Broncos ended up missing a two-point conversion in the second quarterthat made the lead 18-3 instead of 20-3, and they ultimately ended up down a point in the fourth until late on. This looked like a relatively low scoring game with just 54 points, but both teams eclipsed the 400+ yard mark on the afternoon in Sin City. QB Keith Price threw for jsut 242 yards and a TD with two picks, but RB Bishop Sankey was the star in defeat with 205 yards and a score on the ground. QB Joe Southwick threw for 264 yards and two scores, while WR Chris Potter also threw a touchdown pass on a trick play. Freshman TE Holden Huff was the unlikeliest of heroes. He had just 15 receptions and 215 yards the whole season long prior to the Las Vegas Bowl, but he had both of Southwick’s passing touchdowns come his way.

2012 Las Vegas Bowl Result: Boise State 28 – Washington 26

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Fresno State Bulldogs vs. SMU Mustangs
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 24th, 8:00 ET
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Odds: Fresno State -11.5 (62)
Closing Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Lines: Fresno State -13 (62.5)

Click Here for our 2012 Hawaii Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Preview: Fresno State is going to take the relatively short trek out to the Big Island for the Hawaii Bowl this year, and it is going to be taking on an SMU team that has to be thrilled just to be in a bowl game. QB Derek Carr had a fantastic season for the Bulldogs, and he has a chance to lead this team to a 10-win season if this bowl game could be won. The Mustangs only just barely got into a bowl game by winning the very last game of the season. SMU is forever going to be tied to Hawaii as well, as Head Coach June Jones coached the Warriors to the BCS in his previous job. The hometown crowd might be biased in favor of the Mustangs. These two teams have actually played against each other six times from 1999 through 2004, and the Bulldogs won the final five meetings of these two teams before the series came to an end.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Recap: The first big upset of the season came on the Big Island, where the Mustangs always looked like the better of the two teams against Fresno State in spite of the fact that they were certainly the lesser of the two teams all season long. Head Coach June Jones was absolutely the better prepared coach for this one, and it showed from the opening kickoff to the final whistle in a bloody game for the MWC reps. A pair of field goals, a pair of rushing touchdowns, and a safety in the second quarter was really all that the Mustangs needed to produce on the day to win, as they took a 22-0 lead into the locker room. Fresno State made it a little interesting early in the third, but in the end, a pair of QB Derek Carr pick sixes ended any chance of coming back in the game. Carr and the Fresno State offense turned the ball over four times and was hit for a safety, and RB Robbie Rouse uncharacteristically only had 13 carries for 22 yards. Carr threw for 362 yards, while WR Davante Adams had 13 catches, 144 yards, and a TD. However, this one was all about SMU. The team rushed for 169 yards and two TDs in total, and that more than made up for the fact that QB Garrett Gilbert only threw for 212 yards and had a pair of picks.

2012 Hawaii Bowl Result: SMU 43 – Fresno State 10

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Central Michigan Chippewas vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Date/Time: Wednesday, December 26th, 7:30 ET
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Odds: Western Kentucky -6 (57)
Closing Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Lines: Western Kentucky -6 (55.5)

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Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Preview: It has to be incredibly shocking to see even one of Central Michigan or Western Kentucky in a bowl game this year. The Chippewas were absolutely shocked to get a call from the Little Caesars Bowl, as they finished just 6-6 in the MAC. They owe a fruit basket to all of the teams that made themselves ineligible and were banned from bowl games this year, as they needed every single last one of them to get into a bowl game. Western Kentucky is super thrilled to be in its first bowl game ever, though it is probably lucky to be here with both Middle Tennessee State and Louisiana Tech left behind. Central Michigan has only played in six bowl games in its history, but the last two both came against Sun Belt teams, Florida Atlantic in the Motor City Bowl and Troy in the GMAC Bowl.

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Recap: The Hilltoppers had never been to a bowl game before, but they did ultimately stand a chance to win the game by going for it on 4th and 2 from inside the Central Michigan 20 yard line. A field goal would have tied it, but the team went for the win instead and paid the ultimate price by failing on fourth down, falling short of their first ever triumph in a bowl. Instead, it was QB Ryan Radcliff, who threw for three TDs that was celebrating for the Chippies, as he threw for 253 yards and three scores. RB Zurlon Tipton rushed for 101 yards, while both WR Andrew Flory (3/105/2) and WR Cody Wilson (10/101/1) had huge days. RB Antonio Andrews was held down to just 184 all-purpose yards, which was a brutal disappointment considering how big of a year he had had prior to that point.

2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Result: Central Michigan 24 – Western Kentucky 21

Military Bowl: Bowling Green Falcons vs. San Jose State Spartans
Military Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, December 27th, 3:00 ET
Military Bowl Location: RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
Military Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Military Bowl Odds: San Jose State -8 (49.5)
Closing Military Bowl Lines: San Jose State -7 (46)

Click Here for our 2012 Military Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Military Bowl Preview: San Jose State finished ranked in the Top 25 in the BCS this year, and the team is going to be rewarded with a trip to the Military Bowl thanks to the fact that the WAC didn’t have much in the way of bowl tie-ins this year. The Falcons knew that they were going to come out of the MAC this year to get to a bowl, and they took the contingency spot to come to DC. This is a great defensive team that should be tested in a big way by a great San Jose State team that averaged 35.2 points per game this year. The Spartans are playing in just their second bowl game since 1990, and the last time we saw them in a bowl, they beat New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl 20-12.

Military Bowl Recap: It took a furious comeback in the dying moments of the game, but the Spartans were able to come back from deficits of 13-10 and 20-19 in the second half to beat Bowling Green in an odd Military Bowl. A game that was supposed to revolve around two defenses did only end up with 49 points on the board, but there was only one turnover a side, and SJSU put up some massive numbers in the passing game. There was no doubt that QB David Fales was the hero of the show, as he went 33-of-43 for 395 yards with two scores. QB Matt Schilz was frustrating as he has been for most of the year for the Falcons, but the defense kept them in the game. The final two drives for the Spartans though, ended in 10 points, and that proved to be the difference in the game.

2012 Military Bowl Result: San Jose State 29 – Bowling Green 20

Belk Bowl: Duke Blue Devils vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
Belk Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, December 27th, 6:30 ET
Belk Bowl Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Belk Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Belk Bowl Odds: Cincinnati -10.5 (58)
Closing Belk Bowl Lines: Cincinnati -9 (62)

Click Here for our 2012 Belk Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Belk Bowl Preview: It’s truly remarkable to see the Dookies here in a bowl game this year, as they haven’t been in a bowl game since 1995. They haven’t won a bowl game since the 1960 Cotton Bowl either. Not only is this a bowl game for Head Coach David Cutcliffe and company, but it’s a de facto home game as well against a Cincinnati team that was clearly never more than third best this year in the Big East. The Bearcats did their job to get to a bowl game, but they were never really serious contenders to get into the BCS, and they were always worse than both Louisville and Rutgers this year. UC won the Liberty Bowl last year, but this is the first time that it is going to be playing in the Belk Bowl in this, the team’s first ever game against Duke.

Belk Bowl Recap: Right out of the gates, the Blue Devils jumped out to a 16-0 lead on the Bearcats, but they just weren’t able to hold off what proved to be a significantly better team in the end out of the Big East. Cincinnati went on a 48-18 run to end the game, including scoring 27 in a row in a stretch from the end of the first quarter through the middle of the third. Duke scored once on special teams with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, and the sealing score came when Nick Temple raced a QB Sean Renfree pick 55 yards the other way for a touchdown. QB Brendon Kay threw for 332 yards and four TDs, but no pass was more important than his 83-yard touchdown strike with 1:06 left in the game to TE Travis Kelce to take the lead. It was a huge offensive day all around for both teams. Duke had 560 yards of offense, led by Renfree’s 358 yards, while UC had a 300+ yard passer, a 100+ yard rusher, and two 100+ yard receivers. The Blue Devils were ultimately killed by losing the turnover battle 4-0. The quest for the team’s first bowl win in a generation rages on, though Duke definitely didn’t embarrass itself and was incredibly unlucky not to cover.

2012 Belk Bowl Result: Cincinnati 48 – Duke 34

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: UCLA Bruins vs. Baylor Bears
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, December 27th, 9:45 ET
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Odds: Baylor -1 (74.5)
Closing Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Lines: UCLA -3 (82)

Click Here for our 2012 Holiday Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Preview: If you like your quarterbacks, this is the game for you. One of the top veteran signal callers out of the Big XII, QB Nick Florence, is going to be squaring off with one of the best freshmen quarterbacks in the whole country, QB Brett Hundley. UCLA played in the Pac-12 Championship Game for the second straight season this year, but the team finished at 9-4 this year, significantly better than last year’s 6-7 team that had to file a waiver just to play in a bowl. Baylor was an underdog to get to a bowl game for most of the year, but the squad pulled off the upset over Kansas State to change the course of the season. Ultimately, the Bears won their final three games of the year, and they have been appropriately rewarded by moving up the Big XII bowl ladder in a big way to get to the Holiday Bowl.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Recap: It was a game that was supposed to be all about its offense, but in the end, someone forgot to tell the Bruins that that was the case. Baylor did everything that it needed to do, putting up 49 points, including 35 points that were scored in just about a quarter and a half’s worth of game time. The Bruins didn’t turn the ball over and actually went +3 in the turnover department, or matters would have been much, much worse. QB Brett Hundley had inflated numbers, as he threw for 329 yards and three scores, most of which came in garbage time. QB Nick Florence only threw the ball a shocking 13 times for 188 yards with two TDs and no picks, but that didn’t stop RB Lache Seastrunk and RB Glasco Martin from combining to carry the ball 37 times for 236 yards and four scores. The key was the Baylor defense though, which held RB Johnathan Frankoin to just 34 yards on 14 carries and had a total of six sacks on the day.

2012 Holiday Bowl Result: Baylor 49 – UCLA 26

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl: Louisiana Monroe Warhawks vs. Ohio Bobcats
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 28th, 2:00 ET
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Location: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Odds: Louisiana Monroe -6 (59)
Closing AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Lines: Louisiana Monroe -6.5 (59)

Click Here for our 2012 Independence Bowl Game Odds Analysis

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Preview: One team once beat a Top 10 team in the country. The other team was ranked in the BCS and was once considered a potential BCS buster. Neither one really finished the year on great terms though, as Louisiana Monroe slumped to a 2-2 mark in its final three games, and Ohio dropped its final three games. This is the first time that the Warhawks are going to be playing in a bowl game. The Bobcats won their first ever bowl game last year when they knocked off Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, though they are still just 1-5 all-time in bowl games.

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Recap: It was a day where the Bobcats were supposed to get some vengeance, and they got just that in the form of a huge victory over the Warhawks in what felt like a bit of a home game for the Sun Belt reps. ULM had just 313 total yards of offense and turned it over three times, all on QB Kolton Browning picks. RB Beau Blankenship was the star of the game with four touchdowns, though QB Tyler Tettleton also threw for 332 yards and two scores. Both WR Chase Cochran and WR Tyler Futrell had huge days, combining for 285 receiving yards on just eight receptions. Blankenship finished the afternoon with right at 100 rushing yards to propel the team to a huge victory to validate its spot in a bowl game this year.

2012 Independence Bowl Result: Ohio 45 – Louisiana Monroe 14

Russell Athletic Bowl: Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Russell Athletic Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 28th, 5:30 ET
Russell Athletic Bowl Location: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Russell Athletic Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Russell Athletic Bowl Odds: Pick ‘Em (43)
Closing Russell Athletic Bowl Lines: Virginia Tech -1 (42)

Click Here for our 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Russell Athletic Bowl Preview: The Russell Athletic Bowl is going to bring together two programs that used to play against each other in the Big East. Virginia Tech really struggled this year just to get to six wins, but it was able to scratch and claw just to get into a bowl game when push finally came to shove by beating Virginia. Rutgers has to be disappointed to be here and not in the Sugar Bowl, but losing at home to Louisville was a punishable task that cost the university quite a bit of money and stature. Still, it was a great year for the Scarlet Knights, and the chance to win 10 games is still there. After going to just one bowl game in 1978 in its history, Rutgers is now playing in a bowl for the seventh time in the last eight years. The club has won five bowl games in a row. These former rivals have played each other 14 times, and the Hokies are 11-3 in those games, including winning all 11 meetings since 1993. The last nine of those all resulted in wins of 16 points or greater.

Russell Athletic Bowl Recap: Though it was the first overtime game of the bowl season, it certainly wasn’t the prettiest game of the year. It took over three quarters to get the first offensive touchdown on the board, and the 21-yard pass from QB Logan Thomas to WR Corey Fuller turned out to be the only TD either side scored on the day with their offense. Rutgers started the game with a defensive score on the first snap of the game, but it managed just a field goal for the rest of the game. The two quarterbacks only combined to go 32-of-79 for 322 yards with a TD and three picks, and they were sacked a combined seven times. Neither team reached 200 yards of offense, and the rain in the Sunshine State didn’t help matters out any either. Virginia Tech had a total of four yards rushing, but it did score the final 10 points of regulation, and it got the only points of the extra frame as well. Two missed field goals by K Nick Borgese, including the one from 42 yards out in overtime that could have tied it, really came back to bite the Scarlet Knights in the backside.

2012 Russell Athletic Bowl Result: Virginia Tech 13 – Rutgers 10 (OT)

Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 28th, 9:00 ET
Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Odds: Texas Tech -13 (57)
Closing Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Lines: Texas Tech -13 (55)

Click Here for our 2012 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas Odds Analysis

Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Preview: It’s going to be a de facto home game for the Red Raiders on December 28th, knowing that they don’t have to travel all that far to get to Reliant Stadium. It has been a great year for Head Coach Tommy Tuberville, who is bringing his team to a bowl game this year in a campaign that saved his job for at least a year to come. Minnesota came out of the blocks at 4-0, but it really didn’t play much in the way of competition out of conference. Going 2-6 in the weakened Big Ten wasn’t great, but it was good enough to get the Gophers to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. These two teams played against each other in a fantastic Insight Bowl in 2006, a game that the Red Raiders won 44-41.

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas Recap: Few figured that the Golden Gophers were going to be able to put up a fight with the Red Raiders in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, but that’s exactly what ended up happening in a game that was close the whole way. Neither team ever led by more than seven points, and neither team ever scored more than 14 in a row. Minnesota took a 31-24 lead on QB Philip Nelson’s second TD pass of the game early in the fourth, but a TD pass from QB Seth Doege to WR Eric Ward from 35 yards away tied the game. Minnesota had a chance to win it, but Nelson showed his freshman mistakes by throwing the pick that set up Texas Tech for the game winning field goal as tie expired. It was a game effort from the Gophers, who absolutely exceeded their expectations by accounting for 373 yards and 31 points, but it wasn’t enough. Doege only threw for 271 yards with a TD and two picks. WR Darrin Moore had 11 catches for 84 yards in a relatively quiet offensive game on all accounts.

2012 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas Result: Texas Tech 34 – Minnesota 31

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Rice Owls vs. Air Force Falcons
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 29th, 11:45 ET
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Odds: Rice -1 (61)
Closing Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Lines: Rice -1 (60.5)

Click Here for our 2012 Armed Forces Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Preview: It took all the way to the last game of the season, but the Owls made it to a bowl game this year in relatively shocking fashion. They won their final four games of the campaign to do it, and they covered five of their final six after a brutal start to the season. Still, there was only one win against a bowl eligible team, which doesn’t help matters in this game any. Of course, Air Force wasn’t exactly a fantastic 6-6 team in the Mountain West either. The club failed to cover its final four games, and it really more or less just limped to the finish line after a strong start to the season. You have to go back to 1998 to find the last time that these two played against each other, a game that the Falcons won 22-16.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Recap: It was interesting to see how the bowl game betting lines shifted at the end of the week to give Rice the edge once again, and all of the late action got it right. Air Force scored a couple of touchdowns early on, but in the end, the triple option was totally stymied and was held down to just 166 total rushing yards. The Falcons managed just 12 first downs on the day and 214 yards with three turnovers and no points in the second half. Rice turned the ball over three times as well, but it converted 10 times on third down and finished with 503 yards of offense. With QB Taylor McHargue on the bench, QB Driphus Jackson came in and went 15-of-21 for 264 yards with two scores and no picks. WR Jordan Taylor finished up the day with nine catches, 153 yards, and three scores.

2012 Armed Forces Bowl Result: Rice 33 – Air Force 14

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Syracuse Orange vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 29th, 3:15 ET
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening New Era Pinstripe Bowl Odds: West Virginia -4 (68)
Closing New Era Pinstripe Bowl Lines: West Virginia -4 (70)

Click Here for our 2012 Pinstripe Bowl Game Odds Analysis

New Era Pinstripe Bowl Preview: The Orange knew that they were going to be in the Pinstripe Bowl if they could have just figured out how to get to six wins this year. They got the job done by taking down Louisville on Senior Day at home, and now, they are going to get yet another de facto home game. West Virginia started off a 5-0 this year and was considered a team that could have contended for the BCS National Championship, but it lost its next five games to fall clear out of the Top 25. QB Geno Smith and QB Ryan Nassib are both NFL prospects at the quarterback position, so this game will be monitored closely by NFL scouts. These teams have met 59 times thanks to West Virginia’s old affiliations to the Big East. The Mountaineers are just 27-32 in those games, and the Orange pulled off upsets in each of the last two meetings between these clubs. Prior to that though, the Mountaineers had won eight in a row from 2002-2009.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl Recap: Head Coach Doug Marrone should be proud of his defense, which came up with the best effort that you’ll see in any bowl game this year. The Orange held once of the most potent offenses in America down to just 285 yards, sacked QB Geno Smith three times, and forced not just one, but two safeties. The Orange were the dominating team from the get go, and all of the damage came on the ground thanks to the fact that it was a snowy day in the Bronx. The two quarterbacks only combined to throw for 331 yards, but RB Prince-Tyson Gulley and RB Jerome Smith were monsters for the ‘Cuse. Gulley had 208 yards on 25 carries with two scores, and he was the top receiver on the team with five catches, 56 yards and a TD. Not to be outdone, RB Jerome Smith had 30 carries for 157 yards. This ended up being a one-sided romp from the start, and if you take out the 7/126/2 for WR Stedman Bailey, the rest of the Mountaineers just had nothing going on.

2012 Pinstripe Bowl Result: Syracuse 38 – West Virginia 14

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Navy Midshipmen vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 29th, 4:00 ET
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Location: AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN2
Opening Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Odds: Arizona State -14.5 (57)
Closing Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Lines: Arizona State -13 (54.5)

Click Here for our 2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Preview: The Middies are going to be going to San Francisco to take on the Sun Devils in San Francisco. The Midshipmen have been a dominating independent team for years and years, and this season has been no exception in spite of the fact that the club started off the year by getting thrashed by Notre Dame in Dublin. Arizona State probably kept itself here in the Pac-12 bowl ladder when it beat Arizona. The Sun Devils are going to bring a respectable offense to this game in San Fran.

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Recap: It was 21-0 at the end of the first quarter, and that was about all she wrote for the Middies in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. A pair of late touchdowns by Navy at least made the final score a bit more respectable, but there is no doubting that this was the biggest romp and the most lopsided game that you’ll see in the bowl campaign. Navy had 350 yards of offense, much of which came in the fourth quarter when the game was totally out of hand. Arizona State had 36 first downs and 648 yards, and it only faced seven third downs the entire game. RB Gee Gee Greene did have 112 yards on the ground and a kick return for a TD, but the rest of the notable stats belonged to the Sun Devils. QB Taylor Kelly had a virtually perfect game, throwing for 268 yards and TD on 17-of-19 passing. He also rushed for 81 yards and a TD. RB Cameron Marshall scored twice and had 58 rushing yards, while RB Marion Grice led all rushers with 159 yards and two TDs. WR Rashad Ross was the top receiver on the day for ASU, catching four passes for 139 yards and three TDs.

2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Result: Arizona State 62 – Navy 28

Valero Alamo Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs. Oregon State Beavers
Valero Alamo Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 29th, 6:45 ET
Valero Alamo Bowl Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Valero Alamo Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Valero Alamo Bowl Odds: Oregon State -1.5 (60)
Closing Valero Alamo Bowl Lines: Oregon State -3 (56.5)

Click Here for our 2012 Alamo Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Valero Alamo Bowl Preview: It was great to see Oregon State playing in the Alamo Bowl after a year in which the team really played tremendous football. Texas was a potential BCS team, but in the end, the squad was not just beaten, but slaughtered by the best teams in the Big XII (Kansas State and Oklahoma), and that really took the team out of the Cotton Bowl as well, dropping it here to the Alamo Bowl. The Beavers and Longhorns have met twice before, but you have to go back to 1980 and 1987 to find those meetings. Texas won both games by huge margins, outscoring the Beavs by a 48-8 margin on average. OSU had won five straight bowl games until it lost to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2009. This is the first bowl game the team has been since that point, and it came just in the nick of time for Head Coach Mike Riley, who was on one of the hotter seats in America at the outset of the campaign.

Valero Alamo Bowl Recap: A 20-10 lead at halftime and a 27-17 lead at the end of the third quarter just wasn’t enough for the Beavers, who ultimately put together an abysmal fourth quarter to get downed by the Longhorns in San Antonio. UT fans are going to look back at the game that QB David Ash had and pick it apart, but in the end, he threw for 241 yards and two scores, and he rushed for a touchdown as well. All three of his TDs came in the second half with the team trailing. Hats off to the Texas defense as well, which held a solid Oregon State offense to 297 yards and forced three turnovers. The 27 points allowed really isn’t indicative of how well the unit played. WR Marquise Goodwin had four catches for 68 yards and a TD, and he had a 64 yard run for a score as well for the Horns. A 36-yard touchdown catch with 2:53 remaining in the game sealed the deal for Texas.

2012 Alamo Bowl Result: Texas 31 – Oregon State 27

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: TCU Horned Frogs vs. Michigan State Spartans
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 29th, 10:15 ET
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Odds: TCU -1 (42.5)
Closing Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Lines: TCU -2 (40)

Click Here for our 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Preview: The Horned Frogs are awfully deserving of a great bowl bid here in their first season in the Big XII, and they were definitely the right choice here for the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. Michigan State was one of the last teams chosen in the Big Ten this year, and that’s only because the team just barely survived to wrap up the season at 6-6 after being ranked in the preseason Top 15. Believe it or not, these two teams have met once before, but it has been almost 70 years since then. The Spartans won 26-19 way back in 1953.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Recap: TCU was out in front of Michigan State for virtually the entire game. The club took a 13-0 lead into the locker room and deep into the third quarter before Head Coach Mark Dantonio elected to bench QB Andrew Maxwell, who had thrown for just 28 yards at the time, in favor of freshman QB Connon Cook. In doing so, Dantonio knows that he created a heck of a quarterback quandary going into the offseason. Cook only went 4-of-11 for 47 yards, but he also threw the TD pass to WR Aaron Burbridge that helped turn the game around. A bad turnover on special teams set Michigan State up again halfway through the fourth, and RB Le’Veon Bell made his mark by scoring to give MSU its first lead. Freshman K Jaden Oberkrom kicked a 53-yard field goal with just a few minutes remaining to give the Frogs back the lead, but in the end, K Dan Conroy booted a 47-yard field goal to take the game back for Sparty. The offensive numbers were ugly in this game, as the two teams combined for just over 500 yards of offense and just a total of 26 first downs. WR Josh Boyce had five catches for 91 yards for the Horned Frogs. Bell was the star of the show for the Spartans, as he had 145 yards on 32 carries.

2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Result: Michigan State 17 – TCU 16

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. Vanderbilt Commodores
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 31st, 12:00 ET
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Location: LP Field, Nashville, TN
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Odds: Vanderbilt -5.5 (52)
Closing Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Lines: Vanderbilt -7 (52.5)

Click Here for our 2012 Music City Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Preview: Vandy was hoping that it could get into one of the premier bowl games in the SEC this year, but the truth of the matter is that the university has to be thrilled to keep the team basically at home. The Commodores have been remarkable under Head Coach James Franklin, who now figures to be a hot coaching commodity for some of the biggest jobs open in the country. The Dores have only played in five bowl games before in their history, and one of those bowl wins was back in 2008 at none other than the Music City Bowl. This is the first time that the team has ever played in a bowl game in back to back years. The Wolfpack have won back to back bowl games, but after a 7-5 season, they are going to be going into battle in this one with an interim coach after Head Coach Tom O’Brien was canned at the end of the regular season. The Commodores won 7-0 when these teams met in 1946, but that is the only meeting that these teams have ever had.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Recap: It might have been New Year’s Eve 2012, but the Commodores were partying like it was 1955 on Monday, as they won just their third bowl game ever and their second in over five decades. Statistically speaking, it’s really tough to tell who won this game. NC State had 424 yards against the 225 of the Commodores, and the Wolfpack went 13-of-19 on third downs against just 3-of-14 for Vanderbilt. However, three fourth down converions on four attempts for the Dores and five NC State turnovers proved to be the great equalizer in this game. QB Mike Glennon was picked off three times, ruining his day in which he threw for 383 yards against a stellar defense. RB Zac Stacy rushed for 107 yards, and he was one of the three Commodores that rushed for a touchdown on the day. WR Tobias Palmer had an excellent day in defeat for NC State, but his 173 return yards, including a 94-yard touchdown, and 111 yards on eight receptions just weren’t nearly enough to sink Vanderbilt’s ship.

2012 Music City Bowl Result: Vanderbilt 38 – NC State 24

Hyundai Sun Bowl: USC Trojans vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Hyundai Sun Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 31st, 2:00 ET
Hyundai Sun Bowl Location: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
Hyundai Sun Bowl Television Coverage: CBS
Opening Hyundai Sun Bowl Odds: USC -10 (64.5)
Closing Hyundai Sun Bowl Lines: USC -7.5 (63)

Click Here for our 2012 Sun Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Hyundai Sun Bowl Preview: USC was a preseason Top 5 team, and it was considered to be one of the National Championship contenders, so it is definitely disappointing to see it in the Sun Bowl this year. The Trojans are going to be up for a challenge to get ready for the triple option offense of the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech got a waiver from the NCAA to be in a bowl game in spite of the fact that it finished 6-7 this year after losing in the closing moments to Florida State in the ACC Championship Game. The Men of Troy have taken on the Ramblin’ Wreck three times before, but there hasn’t been a meeting since 1973. USC holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Trojans have won seven of their last eight bowl games, but they haven’t been to a bowl since 2009 when the beat up Boston College 24-13.

Hyundai Sun Bowl Recap: There is definitely trouble in paradise right now for the Men of Troy. The Trojans just didn’t show up to the Sun Bowl, and even though they were 7.5-point favorites, they were destroyed 21-7 and were really never in this game. QB Max Wittek might have a bright future in LA, but this was his second straight terrible game to start his career. The frosh threw for just 107 yards on 14-of-37 passing with a TD and three picks, while RB Silas Redd was really the only notable member of the offense, rushing for 88 yards on 17 carries. In total, an offense that was touted as one of the best in the country this year, with at least five or six players that are going to be starting on Sundays really soon, put up just 10 first downs and 205 total yards, and the unit turned the ball over three times. Hats off to the Jackets though, who literally ran the Trojans over. Four different rushers had at least 46 yards on the ground, and the team rumbled for 294 yards with the triple option. In the end, Head Coach Lane Kiffin has to be on one of the hottest seats in America at the moment, and he has a lot of explaining to do, losing to a team that came into this one as a mediocre (at best) 6-7 team out of the supposedly inferior ACC. However, this was a real lesson in what happens when you don’t show up to play in a bowl game.

2012 Sun Bowl Result: Georgia Tech 21 – USC 7

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Iowa State Cyclones vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 31st, 3:30 ET
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Location: Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening AutoZone Liberty Bowl Odds: Tulsa -3 (52.5)
Closing AutoZone Liberty Bowl Lines: Tulsa -2 (50.5)

Click Here for our 2012 Liberty Bowl Game Odds Analysis

AutoZone Liberty Bowl Preview: Nothing like the Hurricane and the Cyclones playing against each other! Iowa State fell out of the Big XII bowl ladder, but it was able to get into the spot vacated by an SEC team here at the Liberty Bowl not all that far away from home. Tulsa won Conference USA by beating UCF not just once, but twice at home, and it is going to be back in the Liberty Bowl for the first time since 2005. The Golden Hurricane have won three of their last four bowl games, and they have scored at least 45 points in all three of those wins. These two teams aren’t separated by all that many miles relatively speaking, but they have only met once before, and that was way back in 1961, a game that was won by the Cyclones 27-6.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl Recap: As typically is the case in these rematch games, vengeance has been had. Tulsa was beaten right at the outset of the year by Iowa State, and at least after one quarter when the Golden Hurricane were down 17-7, it looked like the Liberty Bowl would be much of the same. However, the Conference USA reps put on a dominating show in the second half to walk away with a 31-17 triumph thanks to a yeoman’s effort by this defense. Tulsa allowed jsut 10 offensive points for the whole game, and QB Sam Richardson ended up getting benched for the Cyclones after a miserable day at the office. ISU had just two third down conversions, nine first downs in total, 268 yards, and three turnovers. Meanwhile, Tulsa just kept doing its job offensively. RB Trey Watts had 149 yards, RB Ja’Terian Douglas had 79 yards on just eight carries, QB Cody Green had 58 yards and a score, and Alex Singleton found the end zone three times. Watts not only led the team in rushing, but in receptions (4 for 17 yards) and in the return game (83 yards). Revenge had to be sweet for sure for the Golden Hurricane, who capped off a stellar 11-win season with a Liberty Bowl victory.

2012 Liberty Bowl Result: Tulsa 31 – Iowa State 17

Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU Tigers vs. Clemson Tigers
Chick-fil-A Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 31st, 7:30 ET
Chick-fil-A Bowl Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Chick-fil-A Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Chick-fil-A Bowl Odds: LSU -3.5 (57)
Closing Chick-fil-A Bowl Lines: LSU -6 (58)

Click Here for our 2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Chick-fil-A Bowl Preview: Clemson’s season started with a game here at the Georgia Dome against an SEC West team named the Tigers, and it is going to end that way as well. This Tiger Tale though, is going to be against LSU, a significantly tougher team to tame than Auburn turned out to be. The Bayou Bengals probably would have been in the Sugar Bowl had Florida lost to Florida State at the end of the year, but alas, that didn’t happen, and both of the Sunshine State bowl games and the Cotton Bowl passed on them. It should be great to see QB Tajh Boyd and this very talented Clemson offense go against the talented LSU defense. These two teams met in the 1959 Sugar Bowl, a 7-0 win for LSU, and the 1996 Peach Bowl, a 10-7 win for LSU. This is the fifth time that the Bayou Bengals are going to be playing in the Chick-fil-A Bowl/Peach Bowl, and they have gone 5-0 in those games. Clemson meanwhile, has been here at the Georgia Dome for a bowl seven times, going just 2-5 in those outings.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl Recap: All of the backers of the big teams had to be scratching their head all the way into 2013. LSU really never looked like the definitively better of the two teams in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, and it ultimately paid the price by getting beaten at the gun. Both quarterbacks were under duress all day long, as there were 11 sacks in this game. However, LSU’s offense, for the second straight year in a bowl game, came up incredibly flat. Yes, the unit put up 24 points, but a lot of that came thanks to the remarkable game of RB Jeremy Hill, who had 124 yards and two TDs. Beyond that though, the rest of this offense managed just 75 total yards, and the team had only nine first downs. Clemson had 32 first downs and 445 yards, but it still found itself in big trouble in the fourth quarter, behind 24-13 to the Bayou Bengals. Alas, it was the purple and orange clad Tigers that had the last laugh. A QB Tajh Boyd touchdown pass with 3:30 to play put the team in a position to tie the game, but they failed to convert the two-point try, leaving them with very little time to get the ball back and do something with it. Alas, the defense got the job done, put the ball back in Boyd’s hands, and he orchestrated one of the biggest drives that Clemson has had in quite some time. He converted on a 4th and 16 play against one of the best defenses in America to set up K Chandler Catanzaro from 37-yards away to win the game as the final buzzer sounded in the final game of 2012. Catanzaro would have been the goat of the game had that field goal sailed wide though, as he missed an extra point in the second quarter that the Tigers ended up chasing for the rest of the game. An emotional Head Coach Dabo Swinney couldn’t have been happier with the way that his team played in the fourth quarter.

2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl Result: Clemson 25 – LSU 24

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl: Northwestern Wildcats vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, January 1st, 12:00 ET
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl Location: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN2
Opening TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl Odds: Mississippi State -2 (52)
Closing TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl Lines: Northwestern -1.5 (55)

Click Here for our 2013 Gator Bowl Game Odds Analysis

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl Preview: In a year where so many teams in the Big Ten were down, Northwestern was a pleasant surprise, as the team finished with nine wins and has the opportunity to win 10 games for the first time since 1995 and just the third time in school history. The Wildcats haven’t won a bowl game since the 1949 Rose Bowl, though they have been to nine bowl games since 1996 and have lost all nine. Mississippi State started the campaign at 7-0 and really looked like it was going to challenge for the SEC West crown. However, it was beaten and beaten by three or more scores in four of its final five games of the year. These two teams have never played against each other before, but it isn’t the first time that MSU has played in the Gator Bowl. The Bulldogs beat the snot out of Michigan 52-14 here in Jacksonville two years ago. They have now won five straight bowl games dating back to 1999.

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl Recap: The poor Big Ten has just one bowl win thus far this year, and it came from Northwestern. The Wildcats never trailed against the SEC reps, and they played a huge game defensively that included allowing just 298 yards. Northwestern also forced four turnovers, most notably the pick by Quentin Williams that was returned 29 yards for a touchdown to set the tone of the game. Sure, the passing game for the Wildcats was bad, as neither QB Trevor Siemian nor QB Kain Colter was really able to do all that much. However, Colter rushed for 86 yards, and three different men rumbled for touchdowns in the victory. MSU shot itself in the foot by converting just 1-of-11 third downs on the day, and QB Tyler Russell was just terrible, completing 42.9 percent of his passes for an average of 4.0 yards per pass attempt with two TDS and four picks.

2013 Gator Bowl Result: Northwestern 34 – Mississippi State 20

Heart of Dallas Bowl: Purdue Boilermakers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Heart of Dallas Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, January 1st, 12:00 ET
Heart of Dallas Bowl Location: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
Heart of Dallas Bowl Television Coverage: ESPNU
Opening Heart of Dallas Bowl Odds: Oklahoma State -17.5 (69)
Closing Heart of Dallas Bowl Lines: Oklahoma State -18 (68)

Click Here for our 2013 Heart of Dallas Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Heart of Dallas Bowl Preview: We are a bit surprised that the Heart of Dallas Bowl didn’t take a team from the Lone Star State to this bowl game, but Oklahoma State is definitely going to be a great team to bring to the Cotton Bowl. Purdue just barely made it into a bowl game this year at 6-6, but the win over Indiana was good enough to get the job done. The 1997 Alamo Bowl was the only time that these clubs have met in the past, a 33-20 win for the Boilermakers. Purdue is hoping to claim its second straight bowl win. The Cowboys have won two seasons of bowl games in a row, including last year’s Fiesta Bowl in overtime over Stanford.

Heart of Dallas Bowl Recap: If there’s a bowl game that you just knew was going to be a romp, this was the one. Purdue never really looked like it had a shot in this one, and it was down 45-7 before it scored a couple of times to at least make this one look a bit more respectable. What’s worse for the Boilermakers is that they could have been killed by a lot more if not for a pair of 21-yard field goals that were settled for by the Cowboys. QB Robert Marve went the distance for the Boilers, throwing for 213 yards and two scores against two picks. Okie State might have had five different guys throw a pass and had eight different players record at least one carry, but that didn’t stop the club from dropping a whopping 528 yards of total offense. Five turnovers were what really did Purdue in, and the team was fortunate not to lose more fumbles, knowing that six were put on the ground and only three of those ended up being lost.

2013 Heart of Dallas Bowl Result: Oklahoma State 58 – Purdue 14

Outback Bowl: Michigan Wolverines vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
Outback Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, January 1st, 1:00 ET
Outback Bowl Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL
Outback Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Outback Bowl Odds: South Carolina -4.5 (48)
Closing Outback Bowl Lines: South Carolnia -5.5 (47.5)

Click Here for our 2013 Outback Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Outback Bowl Preview: The Gamecocks have slipped into the Sunshine State for a bowl game this year, and that’s a great reward for Head Coach Steve Spurrier and his team after a 10-2 regular season. South Carolina was clearly the third best team in the SEC East this year, but the squad might be one of the best seven or eight teams in America. Michigan played a brutal schedule, including losing to both the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in America, Notre Dame and Alabama. Head Coach Brady Hoke has done a remarkable job with this team this year, though the squad probably took a bit of a step backwards after losing four games. Michigan and South Carolina haven’t played each other since 1985, and both teams are 1-1 against the other in games played in the 80s.

Outback Bowl Recap: A failed two-point conversion with 20 seconds left in the game was all that kept South Carolina from covering the final number in the Outback Bowl. QB Dylan Thompson came in off of the bench to throw a 32-yard touchdown pass to WR Bruce Ellington late on to avoid blowing what was twice a double digit lead to the Wolverines. Thompson and QB Connor Shaw were remarkable in this one, as they combined to throw for 341 yards and four TDs with no picks. Shaw also rushed for 96 yards, which was a good thing considering the fact that RB Kenny Miles was the only running back to touch the ball for the Gamecocks, and he had five carries for just one yard with a lost fumble. The Wolverines did their share of fighting in this one, as QB Devin Gardner threw three touchdown passes, two of which went to WR Jeremy Gallon. Gallon had a big time day, catching nine balls for 145 yards and those two TDS, but he wasn’t the most effective receiver on the field. WR Ace Sanders had nine catches, 92 yards, and two TDs through the air, and he had a punt return for a touchdown that opened up the scoring. The final straw was that beautiful throw to Ellington though, and that was the one that made all the difference in the Outback Bowl. If you haven’t seen the DE Jadeveon Clowney hit on RB Vincent Smith, just go ahead and Google “Jadeveon Clowney hit” right now to see what might have been the defensive play of the year already.

2013 Outback Bowl Result: South Carolina

Capital One Bowl: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Capital One Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, January 1st, 1:00 ET
Capital One Bowl Location: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Capital One Bowl Television Coverage: ABC
Opening Capital One Bowl Odds: Georgia -8.5 (57)
Closing Capital One Bowl Lines: Georgia -9.5 (62)

Click Here for our 2013 Capital One Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Capital One Bowl Preview: Georgia has been bouncing all over the place in the Sunshine State over the course of the last few years, as the team went from the Outback Bowl last year to the Capital One Bowl this year. It’s a great reward for QB Aaron Murray and the gang, but there isn’t a doubt that there is still a lingering doubt as to what could have been had the last drive of the SEC Championship Game ended differently. Nebraska too, has to be wondering what could have been had it showed up in the Big Ten Championship Game, but after literally getting run over by Wisconsin in Indianapolis, there is no doubt that the team is lucky to even be considered the second best team out of the Big Ten. These two storied programs have met once before in a bowl game, the 1969 Sun Bowl, a game that was won 45-6 by the Children of the Corn.

Capital One Bowl Recap: Nebraska put up as good of a fight as any team did this year from the Big Ten in a bowl game, but it just wasn’t enough. The Outback Bowl ended up being a shootout from the start, and there ended up being over 1,000 yards of total offense and nearly 50 first downs in the game. In the end though, this is just QB Aaron Murray’s world, and we’re just playing in it. Murray might have made himself a frontrunner for next year’s Heisman Trophy by throwing for 428 yards and five touchdowns, including throwing TDs on three straight drives to take what was an eight-point Nebraska game and turn it into what looked like a one-sided romp. All five TDs covered at least 24 yards through the air, and as a result, both WR Chris Conley and WR Tavarres King ended up with over 100 yards receiving in spite of the fact that the two only cmbined for six catches. RB Rex Burkhead had 177 total yards of offense with two touchdowns in defeat, but QB Taylor Martinez tossed two picks as well that proved to be deflating. In the end, the SEC ruled supreme in the Sunshine State in a bowl game, and that just isn’t a surprise to anyone that has been watching college football for the past several years.

2013 Outback Bowl Result: Georgia 45 – Nebraska 31

Rose Bowl: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Stanford Cardinal
Rose Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, January 1st, 5:00 ET
Rose Bowl Location: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
Rose Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Rose Bowl Odds: Stanford -6.5 (48.5)
Closing Rose Bowl Lines: Stanford -4 (46)

Click Here for our 2013 Rose Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Rose Bowl Preview: Had you told anyone that the Badgers were going to be back in the Rose Bowl for the third straight season a month into the season, they would have told you that you were crazy. However, Wisky was never beaten by more than seven points this year, and its last three losses all came in overtime. The last two wins the team has had featured 62 and 70 points. Stanford has just two blemishes all year, one of which came against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a game that really could have been won. Meanwhile, the team finished out the year with seven straight wins, and it went 5-2 ATS in those games. The Badgers haven’t won the Rose Bowl since 2000, and ironically, that day, it knocked off none other than this Stanford team 17-9. The Cardinal haven’t won the Rose Bowl since 1972.

Rose Bowl Recap: The 2013 Rose Bowl proved to be just about everything that we figured it was going to be. Both defenses played tremendously well in the game, and a late pick thrown by senior QB Curt Phillips proved to be the difference for the Cardinal in their victory over the Badgers. We do give Wisconsin a lot of credit, though. In the blink of an eye, it was down 14-0 to the Cardinal before coming back and getting it as close as three points going into the third quarter. The game remained close through the middle of the fourth quarter when a K Jordan Williamson field goal upped the lead to six for Head Coach David Shaw and the gang. That was the final tally in what amounted to be the lowest scoring half of football we have seen in the bowl season this year. RB Montee Ball led a rushing attack that accounted for 228 yards against one of the best rush defenses in the nation, but Stanford countered by getting 88 yards and a score out of RB Stepfan Taylor. This was the third straight year that the Badgers paid a visit to the Rose Bowl, but for the third straight time, they ended up coming out on the wrong end of the proceedings.

2013 Rose Bowl Result: Stanford 20 – Wisconsin 14

Discover Orange Bowl: Florida State Seminoles vs. Northern Illinois Huskies
Discover Orange Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, January 1st, 8:30 ET
Discover Orange Bowl Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL
Discover Orange Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Discover Orange Bowl Odds: Florida State -14 (59.5)
Closing Discover Orange Bowl Lines: Florida State -14.5 (58)

Click Here for our 2013 Orange Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Discover Orange Bowl Preview: The BCS has officially been busted. The Huskies have finished in the Top 16, and they are now the first team from the MAC to get into the BCS. QB Jordan Lynch is going to be on display in this game against a Florida State defense that is clearly the most talented that he has faced all year long. Florida State found a way to win the ACC in spite of the fact that it really didn’t play all that well down the stretch, including losing to Florida and barely escaping Georgia Tech. FSU hasn’t played a team from the MAC since beating Western Michigan in 2006. NIU hasn’t played an ACC team since losing 20-0 to Maryland in 2004. The Huskies do have wins over the Terps along with Wake Forest in recent memory, though.

Discover Orange Bowl Recap: The little guys just weren’t able to stick around with the big boys on the big time stage this time around, as the Seminoles, playing the role of Goliath, crushed Northern Illinois, playing the role of David in Miami. FB Lonnie Pryor was the hero of the day for the Seminoles. He started the game by rumbling for a 60-yard touchdown, and he capped the game once and for all with a 37-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. QB EJ Manuel went 26-of-38 for 285 yards in the final game of his collegiate career, as he led this offense to 530 yards against the MAC reps. If not for eight penalties for nearly a football field’s worth of yards, the Noles probably would have put more on the board in this one. Give the Huskies credit though, as they tried everything that they could to get this game, including pulling out the onside kick and a fake punt to try to keep the Noles off of their game. A lot of it worked, but it just didn’t translate to points. In the end, QB Jordan Lynch only threw for 175 yards and 4.3 yards per pass attempt, and he rushed for only 44 yards on 23 carries. The Huskies, one of the most prolific rushing teams in the MAC, had just 271 total yards of offense, and 35 of that came on a fake punt. Matters were close in the third quarter when the lone NIU touchdown got it within seven, but in the end, the Seminoles tacked on a pair of late touchdowns to put away the Orange Bowl and win their third straight bowl game under the direction of Head Coach Jimbo Fisher.

2013 Orange Bowl Result: Florida State 31 – Northern Illinois 10

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Florida Gators vs. Louisville Cardinals
Allstate Sugar Bowl Date/Time: Wednesday, January 2nd, 8:30 ET
Allstate Sugar Bowl Location: Mercedes Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Allstate Sugar Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Allstate Sugar Bowl Odds: Florida -15 (47)
Closing Allstate Sugar Bowl Lines: Florida -14 (47)

Click Here for our 2013 Sugar Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Allstate Sugar Bowl Preview: Head Coach Charlie Strong might not be staying at Louisville long term, but he is going to have a heck of a game to look forward to this year. The Cardinals didn’t play well down the stretch, but they did win the de facto Big East Championship Game against Rutgers on the road to make it here to the BCS. And, thanks to Northern Illinois, Louisville moved up in the BCS bowl ladder to get to the Sugar Bowl, where the Gators are going to be waiting. Florida is the second team out of the SEC to get to a bowl game this year, and if not for the loss to Georgia, the Gators would have played for the SEC Championship instead of just coming here to the Bayou. UF beat Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl a few years back in the final game for QB Tim Tebow. The Cardinals are playing in the BCS for the second time, and they won the 2007 Orange Bowl against Wake Forest 24-13.

Allstate Sugar Bowl Recap: We had ourselves a good ol’ fashioned butt kicking in the Sugar Bowl, but it wasn’t the Gators that was supplying the boot for the backside. A DB Terell Floyd pick six on the opening play of the game set the tone for a dominating performance by the Louisville defense. The Cards held UF down to just 286 total yards of offense, and they forced three turnovers on the day. many of those yards came right at the end of the game as well when matters were out of reach. The Cardinals really didn’t get much in the way of resistence, as they were up at least 10 points for the final 52+ minutse of the game, including being up 24-3 and 33-10 before the Gators tacked on a pair of TDs. The offense for UF struggled as it has all year long, but the defense this time around wasn’t able to bail it out. QB Teddy Bridgewater threw for 266 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the day. Keep in mind too, that Louisivlle missed an extra point and a pair of field goals, or this could have been far worse. It was a sweet victory for Head Coach Charlie Strong, who eschewed a chance to go to the SEC to coach this year to stay at Louisville, where he ultimately beat his old team. It was a huge win for the Big East, which ended up with a very respectable bowl season when it was said and done with.

2013 Sugar Bowl Result: Louisville 33 – Florida 23

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oregon Ducks vs. Kansas State Wildcats
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, January 3rd, 8:30 ET
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Odds: Oregon -8 (79)
Closing Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Lines: Oregon -8 (74)

Click Here for our 2013 Fiesta Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Preview: It wasn’t all that long ago that Oregon and Kansas State were supposed to play for the BCS National Championship. Alas, in a span of just a few minutes of each other, both teams were handed their only loss of the season. The Ducks didn’t even get a chance to go on to win their conference with their loss, as they ultimately finished second in the Pac-12 North. Kansas State at least finished off the Big XII title. This is going to be the first time that these two schools have ever faced off against one another, and it comes on a huge stage in the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona, where the Ducks should have a bit of a home field advantage.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Recap: Before a single snap was taken in what was slated to be an offensive shootout, the Ducks were up 8-0, as they returned a kick for a touchdown and converted on a fake two-point conversion. Kansas State never got closer than within five points of the Quack Attack. It was a frustrating day for Heisman Trophy finalist, QB Collin Klein, who finished his career with the Cats by throwing for just 151 yards with a TD and two picks to go with just 30 rushing yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile on the other side of things, QB Marcus Mariota threw for 166 yards with two TDs, and he rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown as well. RB Kenjon Barner had 143 yards on 31 carries. Barner also caught a TD pass. WR De’Anthony Thomas had the opening kick return for a score, and he caught four passes for 60 yards and a TD. The game didn’t ultimately feature as much offense as it could have, as there were just 668 total yards in the game. When Head Coach Chip Kelly got the Gatorade bath, one has to wonder if that was the last time that we will ever see him on the collegiate sidelines again.

2013 Fiesta Bowl Result: Oregon 35 – Kansas State 17

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M Aggies vs. Oklahoma Sooners
AT&T Cotton Bowl Date/Time: Friday, January 4th, 8:00 ET
AT&T Cotton Bowl Location: Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
AT&T Cotton Bowl Television Coverage: FOX
Opening AT&T Cotton Bowl Odds: Texas A&M -3 (72)
Current AT&T Cotton Bowl Lines: Texas A&M -3 (72.5)

Click Here for our 2013 Cotton Bowl Game Odds Analysis

Cotton Bowl Preview: Johnny Football is headed to the Cotton Bowl. We think that it is admirable that the Cotton Bowl committee elected to take the Aggies instead of LSU to this bowl game, and obviously, having the Heisman Trophy winner really helped A&M’s cause. This was the surprise team of the year, and winning 10 games in the regular season and the first year for the team in the SEC was a real shock. Oklahoma also went 10-2 this year, but it has to get up for this game after arguably getting screwed out of the BCS when Northern Illinois finished ranked in the Top 16 in the BCS. Obviously, these two teams know all about each other, as they used to share the Big XII with one another. They met for the first time way back in 1903 and last met last year as conference foes. Oklahoma leads the all-time series 19-10, including winning eight of the last nine. The Sooners have only played in the Cotton Bowl once before, winning 10-3 over Arkansas. Meanwhile, A&M has played here in Dallas a whopping 12 times. However, the Aggies have lost six Cotton Bowls in a row dating back to 1991, and the team only has a 4-8 record in this bowl game.

Cotton Bowl Recap: The Johnny Football Heisman Campaign 2013 officially kicked off in style at the Cotton Bowl, where QB Johnny Manziel absolutely dominated a hapless Oklahoma defense. Manziel threw for 287 yards and two TDs and rushed for 229 yards and two more scores, essentially putting the team on his back for the full game to continue to grow his legend in just his freshman year. QB Landry Jones completed 35-of-48 passing, but he had just 278 yards with a TD and a pick against a game Texas A&M defenses. The second half of this game was truly pathetic for the Sooners, who were shut out to show for their work. The Aggies finished up the day with 633 yards and 28 first downs, and they both rushed and passed the ball for over 300 yards. Not only did Manziel star, but he had three receivers that had at least 80 yards. Oklahoma didn’t have a single receiver with even 70.

2013 Cotton Bowl Result: Texas A&M 41 – Oklahoma 13

BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Ole Miss Rebels
BBVA Compass Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, January 5th, 1:00 ET
BBVA Compass Bowl Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
BBVA Compass Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening BBVA Compass Bowl Odds: Ole Miss -2 (51.5)
Closing BBVA Compass Bowl Lines: Ole Miss -4.5 (54)

Click Here for our 2013 Compass Bowl Game Odds Analysis

BBVA Compass Bowl Preview: Ole Miss and Pittsburgh both needed to win their final game of the year to get into a bowl game this year, and both were able to get the job done. The Rebels at least played in the ridiculously tough SEC, and they played against Texas out of conference play for good measure. Pittsburgh lost to an FCS team (Youngstown State), and it was very lucky just to get here out of the weakened Big East. This is actually the third straight year that the Panthers have come to Legion Field for their bowl game. They lost to SMU last year but beat Kentucky two years ago. Ole Miss is going to be in a bowl game for the first time since the 2009 Cotton Bowl, and the club has won four bowl games in a row dating back to 2002.

BBVA Compass Bowl Recap: You just got the feeling from the get go that one of these teams wanted to be here in the Compass Bowl, and one had no desire whatsoever to do anything in preparation for this game. A pair of TD passes by QB Bo Wallace in the first quarter was the start of a great day for the sophomore, who ended the day with 151 yards and three scores. He did toss two picks, showing a bit of immaturity trying to force some throws at times, but there was never really a doubt as to which team was winning this game. RB I’Tavius Mathers finished off matters with a 62-yard touchdown run halfway through the fourth quarter to give Ole Miss a 28-point lead that would never be threatened again. U-Pitt finished up its season at a disappointing 6-7, and it had just 17 first downs and 266 yards of offense, 70 yards of which came on the final drive of the game when the game was totally out of reach.

2013 BBVA Compass Bowl Result: Ole Miss 38 – Pittsburgh 17

GoDaddy.com Bowl: Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves
GoDaddy.com Bowl Date/Time: Sunday, January 6th, 9:00 ET
GoDaddy.com Bowl Location: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL
GoDaddy.com Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening GoDaddy.com Bowl Odds: Pick ‘Em (62)
Current GoDaddy.com Bowl Lines: Arkansas State -3 (64)

GoDaddy.com Bowl Preview: Kent State and Arkansas State combined to win 20 games this year, and for the second straight year, the GoDaddy.com Bowl is going to be a great game between two of the better mid-major teams in America. The Red Wolves won the Sun Belt this year in the first year for Head Coach Gus Malzahn, while Kent State played in the MAC Championship Game and only just missed out on a spot in the BCS. The Red Wolves lost this game last year to Northern Illinois 38-20, and they have never won a bowl game before. The Golden Flashes have only played in one bowl game before, the 1972 Tangerine Bowl, a game that was lost to the University of Tampa.

GoDaddy.com Bowl Recap: In a game that featured a pair of teams that were losing their coaches, Arkansas State prevailed 17-13 in a sloppy GoDaddy.com Bowl on Sunday night. Though there was only one turnover in the game, there were also just 634 total yards of offense in the game and 19 first downs a side. Kent State did the job on the ground, rushing for 193 yards and an average of 5.4 yards per carry, but in the end, it was the Arkansas State defense that shut down QB Spencer Keith that made the difference. The offense lacked for the Red Wolves, as QB Ryan Aplin threw for just 213 yards and a TD in his final game, but it was enough to get Arkansas State its first ever bowl victory. The game was finally sealed with just a minute left in the proceedings, as Keith scrambled for just five yards when he needed eight to continue the game, just 20 yards away from the end zone that would have won it.

2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl Result: Arkansas State 17 – Kent State 13

Discover BCS National Championship Game: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Discover BCS National Championship Game Date/Time: Monday, January 7th, 8:30 ET
Discover BCS National Championship Game Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL
Discover BCS National Championship Game Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Discover BCS National Championship Game Odds: Alabama -10.5 (40)
Closing Discover BCS National Championship Game Lines: Alabama -10 (39.5)

Click Here for our 2013 BCS National Championship Game Odds Analysis

Click Here for our 2013 National Championship Keys to the Game

Discover BCS National Championship Game Preview: The computers may as well have been thrown out this year, as there was no doubt that the Crimson Tide and the Fighting Irish were the best two teams in America this year. Notre Dame was the only undefeated team in the land that was eligible to play for all of the marbles, while Alabama made it here by winning the SEC. There will be plenty of discussion for this game over the course of the next month and change, but it is clear that this is going to be a great defensive showdown between two of the best defenses that the country had to offer all year long.

Discover BCS National Championship Game Recap: It was all Alabama from the get go in this one, as the game was 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and 35-0 early in the second half before Notre Dame finally got itself on the scoreboard. The stats for this game were just as lopsided as the final score turned out to be. The Tide rolled to 532 yards of total offense, while Notre Dame had just 302 yards, many of which came in the final drives of the game after matters were totally out of hand. Aside from having his girlfriend showcased by Brent Musberger, QB AJ McCarron threw for 264 yards and four TDs. WR Amari Cooper had six grabs for 105 yards and two TDs, but the real production came on the ground. RB Eddie Lacy rushed 20 times for 140 yards and a score, while RB TJ Yeldon had 21 carries, 108 yards, and a touchdown to boot. Notre Dame only managed a total of 32 yards on the ground, well over 150 yards off of its average this year, and the defense was dominated for the first time all season long. This one was never close, as the Tide rolled to their 15th National Championship and their third title over the course of their last four seasons.

2013 BCS National Championship Game Result: Alabama 42 – Notre Dame 14

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The 2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl picks are going to be difficult to make, as the LSU Tigers and Clemson Tigers are set to do battle with one another in a SEC vs. ACC battle. Check out our Chick-Fil-A Bowl predictions and the keys to the game for LSU vs. Clemson.

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl: LSU Tigers vs. Clemson Tigers
2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 31st, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Key #1: LSU has to figure out how to get over last year’s debacle
The Tigers were the undefeated No. 1 team in the country last year when they laid the biggest egg of the season when they were beaten 21-0 by the Alabama Crimson Tide. Head Coach Les Miles has done remarkably well in bowl games historically, and the team is 11-4 since 1995 in bowl games. Last year’s loss was a blip on the radar, though a big blip at that, knowing that it cost the team a shot at winning the whole enchilada, and it came against an arch rival. This year’s game against Alabama was also lost, and the moniker is starting to build that this team can’t win the biggest of the big games. Though a number of the players on both sides of the ball that are gone from last year’s team, but there are plenty that are still here as well. There has to be a chip on the shoulder of this team, knowing not just that it was beaten last year, but that it was left out of a BCS bowl game this year as well in spite of its 10-2 season.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl Odds at Diamond Sportsbook
LSU Tigers -6
Clemson Tigers +6
Over/Under 59
Click Here to Bet Your Chick-Fil-A Bowl Picks!

Key #2: Tajh Boyd needs to come up big in the big time game
We have already spoken about what LSU has to bring to the table in this one and the chip that it is carrying on its shoulders, but there is probably even more weight on the shoulders of QB Tajh Boyd as well. Boyd had a great senior season, throwing for 3,550 yards and 34 TDs and rushing for 492 yards and nine TDs. However, when you look back at the last three games that he has played against SEC teams, the results haven’t been pretty. In those three games, two of which were lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks and one that was won against the Auburn Tigers, Boyd completed 52.8 percent of his passes for an average of 158.0 yards per game with three touchdowns and four picks. He also had 61 rushing yards and a TD in those games as well. The bottom line for the Clemson quarterback though, is that he only averaged helping his team put up 18.7 points per game in those outings, and that just isn’t good enough at any level. For a man that put up such remarkable stats over the course of his career, it’s shocking that he has really never beaten a big time team. In the last two years, he has two losses to South Carolina, a bad loss to Florida State in which the offense pulled every gimmick out of the books, and a 70-33 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Orange Bowl. If there is a man that needs a win to validate his career, Boyd is the man.

Key #3: The Bayou Bengals have to be careful with their special teams
It’s not all that often that you say that a punter is the man that might be the difference in a game, but with P Brad Wing, that clearly has to be the case. Wing has been sent home from Hot ‘Lanta, and that takes away one of the best special teams weapons in the entire country. Wing averaged 44.8 yards per punt this year, and he uncorked just a ton of huge bombs. On top of that, he also rarely gets punts returned against him, if reserve P Jamie Keehn can’t do the same, there are going to be some openings for WR Sammy Watkins and WR Adam Humphries, both of which have the ability to be tremendously explosive return men. Even if the defense does the job and the offense gets some points on the board, it could be frightening for the Tigers to have to punt the ball without Wing out there.

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The Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys are set to finish off the 2012 NFL regular season, and as a part of our analysis of the Week 17 betting lines, we are taking a look at some of the best NFL props on the board for this crucial Sunday Night Football matchup.

Team To Score First: This is an oddball happening that might just be totally random, and it might be something to really think about. The Redskins have won six games in a row both SU and ATS since their bye week. That’s quirky in itself, but what’s even quirkier is that four of those wins came in games in which the opponents scored first against them. Washington has had a lot of moxie in these games, and that could prove to be the case once again in this one. However, Dallas has had a good history of getting out of the blocks early, scoring first in two of its last three games. There’s got to be at least a 50/50 chance that the Cowboys are the team that draw first blood in this one. Dallas Cowboys To Score First (+100)

Tony Romo Over/Under 302.5 Passing Yards: Romo needs 315 passing yards to make it to 5,000 for the season, and many think that he has been playing the best ball of his career over the course of the last several weeks. The truth of the matter is that since Week 8 against the New York Giants, a game that was lost 29-24, Romo has been on fire. He has averaged 338.8 passing yards per game, has had three 400+ yard performances, seven 300+ yard performances, and he has a TD/INT ratio of 17/3. Washington’s secondary was torn apart for 441 yards when these two teams met back on Thanksgiving Day, and it still has one of the worst back fours of all of the potential playoff teams this year. Romo is going to be up against it, but we have to think that he is going to get to this number more often than he doesn’t in a spot like this one. Tony Romo Over 302.5 Passing Yards (-115)

Tony Romo Over/Under 1.5 Passing Touchdowns: Did you catch that last stat about Romo and his TD passes? He has 17 TD passes in his last eight games, including 12 in his last five games. He has at least two TD passes in four of those five outings, and the opportunities to get on the board via the pass are going to be there for sure in this one whether Mother Nature behaves and gives us good weather or not in Week 17. If Dallas has any chance to get into the playoffs, Romo is going to have no choice but to throw for at least two, and maybe a heck of a lot more touchdowns. Tony Romo Over 1.5 Touchdown Passes (-160)

Will Dez Bryant Score a Touchdown?: Broken finger or not, Bryant just continues to be a force for the Cowboys. He has hooked up with Romo for at least one touchdown in seven straight games. The pessimist could say that Bryant is due for a letdown game. However, we have to look at the pure numbers, and there is just no way that we could do anything but bet ‘yes’ on this prop. The argument could be made that Bryant has been the best receiver in the league over the course of the last seven weeks, in which he has averaged 6.6 receptions, 115.4 yards, and 1.4 touchdowns per game, and we have to think that he is going to find the end zone at least once in this one more often than not. Dez Bryant To Score a Touchdown (-115)

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins NFL Props @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 12/30/12):
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Score in the First 6 Minutes of the Game -120
No Score in the First 6 Minutes of the Game -110

Cowboys Score First +100
Redskins Score First -130

First Score a Touchdown -180
First Score Not a Touchdown +150

Longest Touchdown of the Game Over 47.5 Yards -115
Longest Touchdown of the Game Under 47.5 Yards -115

Tony Romo Passing Yards Over 302.5 -115
Tony Romo Passing Yards Under 302.5 -115

Tony Romo Touchdown Passes Over 1.5 -160
Tony Romo Touchdown Passes Under 1.5 +130

Dez Bryant Receiving Yards Over 85.5 -115
Dez Bryant Receiving Yards Under 85.5 -115

Dez Bryant Scores a Touchdown -115
Dez Bryant Doesn’t Score a Touchdown -115

Robert Griffin III Completions Over 19 -115
Robert Griffin III Completions Under 19 -115

Alfred Morris Rushing Yards Over 90.5 -115
Alfred Morris Rushing Yards Under 90.5 -115

Week 17 of the 2012 NFL campaign is going to get underway this weekend. Below you will find the current list of 2012 Week 17 NFL lines and spreads along with a breakdown of the Week 17 NFL odds. Be sure to check out the free NFL picks from the expert handicappers at Bankroll Sports this week…

There are only a total of 12 of the 16 games that are on the board as of Monday morning that we are able to dissect here at Bankroll Sports, but most of the games that are off the board are very questionable as to how they are being handled by some teams.

The Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts are both very much so up in the air with how things are going to go on Sunday. Houston knows that it is playing for the top seed in the AFC playoffs, while the Colts are playing for nothing but getting ready for the playoffs. It is still unknown how hard Indy is going to try to win this game, knowing that it is going on the road either to Baltimore or New England regardless of what happens in this one, but it is still going to be the first game that Head Coach Chuck Pagano is on the sidelines for his team since early on in the campaign.

It is equally suspect how the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to handle their Week 17 game now that their season is over against the Cleveland Browns, who are dealing with a questionable QB Brandon Weeden, who got hurt last week with a shoulder problem. Weeden isn’t the only starting quarterback that is up in the air due to injury, as the Oakland Raiders lost QB Carson Palmer last week to a rib injury and is very much so up in the air. That’s keep the Raiders and the San Diego Chargers off the board in the final game for Head Coach Norv Turner and GM AJ Smith with the Bolts.

The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off the board, knowing that Atlanta is likely resting its starter and Tampa Bay has to be ready to sit down QB Josh Freeman after he has thrown eight picks in his last two games combined.

It shouldn’t be considered all that much of a surprise that there are some absolutely huge favorites in Week 17 with some teams that have all to play for against others that are probably better served losing to try to improve their stock in the NFL Draft. The biggest of the favs is the Denver Broncos. The Broncos have rolled to wins in each of their last 10 games to get to 12-3, and they need to win to lock up a first round bye in the playoffs. They’re taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, who need to lose to win the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. KC is a 16-point underdog, making it the biggest underdog on the campaign.

The San Francisco 49ers are favored by 15 over the Arizona Cardinals in a game that has to be won to take down the NFC West title. If by chance Arizona pulls off the upset, the door opens for the Seattle Seahawks, who are the hottest team in football at the moment with 150 points scored in their last three games. Seattle isn’t likely to move up from the No. 5 seed, but just the possibility that the Niners could lose parlayed with the fact that the club is playing so well would clearly make Head Coach Pete Carroll think twice about putting anyone on the bench for this game. That’s why the Seahawks, playing at home, are favored by 10.5 in spite of the fact that their foes, the St. Louis Rams are playing well at the moment.

The New England Patriots are trying to move up in the AFC playoff picture from the No. 3 seed, and they are taking on the Miami Dolphins in Week 17 in a 4:25 ET kickoff. The Fins are getting 10.5 in spite of the fact that this is their equivalent of the Super Bowl. These two teams played a very tight encounter a few weeks ago in South Beach, but since that point, New England has been rolling, and it doesn’t look like it is going to be stopped in this one. The other massive favorties are the New York Giants at -9.5 against the Philadelphia Eagles in what should be the final game for Head Coach Andy Reid in the City of Brotherly Love.

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These aren’t nearly the only important games of the weekend, though. The Sunday Night Football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins will determine which team is going to win the NFC East. The Skins, playing at home, are favored by the value of home field advantage at -3 in what should be one of the biggest games of the entire season. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears are -3.5 in a do or die game against the Detroit Lions.

Of course, the Chicago game means absolutely nothing if the Minnesota Vikings figure out how to take down the Green Bay Packers at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Pack are the favored side at -3.5, but we have to remember that the Vikes were the big time underdogs in Week 16 against the Texans as well. This one is at home, and if it is won by Minnesota, it sets up a clash between these same two teams in all likelihood next week at Lambeau Field in the first round of the playoffs.

The Buffalo Bills are favored by 3.5 at home against the dysfunctional New York Jets in a battle to stay out of the gutter in the AFC East. The Cincinnati Bengals are giving three to the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore can still move up in the AFC playoff picture with a win and a New England loss, but largely, this game means nothing to a pair of teams that are going to be playing next week in the first round of the playoffs in the AFC. Four points is the NFL point spread for the Tennessee Titans over the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the New Orleans Saints are favored by 4.5 at home against the Carolina Panthers. This battle of two hot teams is featuring the highest ‘total’ of the week at 54 to boot. There are no games at this point that feature ‘totals’ below 41.5, but that will likely change as the week wears on. Keep it locked right here to Bankroll Sports for the Week 17 odds that are listed just below this post that we will keep updated throughout the week.

2012 NFL Week 17 Odds @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 12/29/12):
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Week 17 NFL Point Spreads for Sunday, December 30th (1:00 ET Kickoffs)
301 New York Jets +3.5
302 Buffalo Bills -3.5
Over/Under 39

305 Baltimore Ravens +1
306 Cincinnati Bengals -1
Over/Under 41

307 Cleveland Browns +11
308 Pittsburgh Steelers -11
Over/Under 34.5

309 Houston Texans -7
310 Indianapolis Colts +7
Over/Under 46.5

311 Jacksonville Jaguars +4
312 Tennessee Titans -4
Over/Under 41.5

313 Philadelphia Eagles +7
314 New York Giants -7
Over/Under 45.5

317 Chicago Bears -3
318 Detroit Lions +3
Over/Under 44.5

321 Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3.5
322 Atlanta Falcons -3.5
Over/Under 45.5

323 Carolina Panthers +5
324 New Orleans Saints -5
Over/Under 54

Week 17 NFL Spreads for Sunday, December 30th (4:25 ET Kickoffs)
303 Miami Dolphins +10
304 New England Patriots -10
Over/Under 46

319 Green Bay Packers -3.5
320 Minnesota Vikings +3.5
Over/Under 46

325 Kansas City Chiefs +16
326 Denver Broncos -16
Over/Under 42

327 Oakland Raiders +9.5
328 San Diego Chargers -9.5
Over/Under 39.5

329 Arizona Cardinals +16.5
330 San Francisco 49ers -16.5
Over/Under 39.5

331 St. Louis Rams +10.5
332 Seattle Seahawks -10.5
Over/Under 41

NFL Week 17 Betting Lines for Sunday Night Football, December 30th
315 Dallas Cowboys +3.5
316 Washington Redskins -3.5
Over/Under 48

2012 Music City Bowl picks are going to be entertaining to make this year, as we have two teams that are going to be going at it against each other in what could be an unpredictable game in the Vanderbilt Commodores and the NC State Wolfpack. Join us for our Music City Bowl keys to the game and our NC State vs. Vanderbilt predictions.

2012 Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. NC State Wolfpack
2012 Music City Bowl Location: LP Field, Nashville, TN
2012 Music City Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 31st, 12:00 p.m. (ET)
2012 Music City Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: Mike Glennon cannot get erratic with the football
QB Mike Glennon is a senior, and he is a leader. With Head Coach Tom O’Brien dismissed after a 7-5 season, it is suspect as to how well the Wolfpack are going to respond to their interim coaches. Glennon is the constant here in this lineup. He threw for over 3,600 yards on the campaign, but he knows that he is going to be up against it. This won’t be a third 400+ yard game on the season, and it is likely to be a clash in which he struggles to get much beyond 250 passing yards or so. That being said, Glennon has had a problem in his career of keeping his head on straight when matters are going badly. The Commodores rank ninth in the country against the pass, and they did that against the rough and tumble SEC. Granted, the passing games were never the stoutest in the SEC, but there were some good ones, and the ‘Dores really shut just about all of them down. Glennon threw 14 INTs this year, and seven of those came in just two games. If he tosses multiple picks in this one against an opportunistic team, the Wolfpack are in a ton of trouble.

Music City Bowl Odds at BetGuardian Sportsbook
Vanderbilt Commodores -7
NC State Wolfpack +7
Over/Under 51.5
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Key #2: The Wolfpack have to account for Jordan Matthews
Sammy Watkins, Brandon Ford, DeAndre Hopkins, Giovani Bernard, Eric Ebron, Marcus Leak, Phillip Dorsett, Rashawn Scott, Cordarrelle Patterson, Zach Rogers, Justin Hunter. That’s 11 different receivers that accounted for at least 75 receiving yards against the Wolfpack this year, and five of those went for at least 100 yards. The secondary for NC State played against teams like The Citadel, Wake Forest, Maryland, South Alabama, and Connecticut this year, and none of those teams are exactly known for their passing prowess. Take those games out, and what’s left is a secondary that is allowing over 300 yards per game through the air. The Commodores aren’t going to get to 300 yards in all likelihood, but WR Jordan Matthews has the potential to bust the game wide open all by himself. All too often, teams get caught trying to defend the run against Vandy, and rightfully so, knowing that the Dores average running it just under 40 times per game. However, Matthews had 1,262 receiving yards this year and finished off the campaign by catching a TD in four straight games. He also averaged 8.7 catches and 137.3 yards per game in his last three games as well, all of which were wins and covers for the Commodores.

Key #3: Vandy can’t get cute, has to stay committed to the run
Often times in these bowl games, with so much time to prepare for just one more game, coaches tend to get away from their comfort zone and throw some tricks into the bag that might mess with their own game plans more than anything else. As we just stated, the Commodores have made a living this year out of running the ball and throwing it to Matthews. The 39.1 runs per game was a very high number for this team this year, and that accounted for 59.4 percent of the plays run for the Dores. The Commodores have done a good job this year staying committed to the run regardless of their situation, as they ended up running the ball 57.2 percent of the time in games that they lost, but the higher the percentage, the better the results have generally been. The Wolfpack aren’t going to be able to stop the Commodores and RB Zac Stacy if he gets rumbling in the right direction, and Coach Franklin should know that and stick to the game plan for the attempt at the cover.

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Our 2012 bowl predictions continue on Monday, December 31st with the Liberty Bowl, and we are set to make our Liberty Bowl predictions, tips, and keys to the game for the duel between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

2012 Liberty Bowl: Iowa State Cyclones vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
2012 Liberty Bowl Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, TN
2012 Liberty Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 31st, 3:30 p.m. (ET)
2012 Liberty Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: The Golden Hurricane have to do more on the ground
When Tulsa is at its best, this is a team that can run all over the place. The offense operates at a breakneck speed, and the team runs the ball a ton. In fact, the squad averaged 47.3 rushing attempts per game this year, one of the top marks in the entire country. All three of the team’s top backs, RB Trey Watts, RB Ja’Terian Douglas, and RB Alex Singleton carried the ball at least 10 times per game this year, and each averaged at least 58.8 yards per game. Both Watts and Douglas averaged at least six yards per carry, while Singleton was the moose near the goal line, rushing for a whopping 21 touchdowns. The first time that these two teams met though, matters weren’t good for the Tulsa rushing attack. These three men only combined for 24 total carries, and the Golden Hurricane only had a total of 160 rushing yards. That just doesn’t cut it for a team that just doesn’t have a great passing game. We expect to see at least double the carries in this one for Tulsa that we saw from those backs the first time around, and if that turns out to be the case, the Golden Hurricane should be in good shape.

Liberty Bowl Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
Iowa State Cyclones -1.5
Tulsa Golden Hurricane +1.5
Over/Under 51
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Key #2: The moment can’t be too big for Sam Richardson
QB Sam Richardson has to be on Cloud Nine right now on the eve of his first ever bowl game. Just last year, he was still in high school in Central Florida, and he had to think that he was either going to redshirt this year or play sparingly. Instead, he has jumped over both QB Steele Jantz and QB Jared Barnett and is now the starting quarterback for the team. There is always a question as to how a freshman plays in a big game like this one, and this could be problematic. Remember that this is only going to be the third start for Richardson in his career. His numbers are good, as he has completed 62.1% of his passes for 412 yards and seven TDs without a pick, and he has rushed for 187 yards and a TD as well. However, he needs to keep his emotions in check and take his time against a Tulsa defense that has made its share of big plays on the season.

Key #3: The Iowa State offensive line has to be careful against a huge pass rush
Part of the problem that Richardson is going to have in this game is that his offensive line is going to have its hands full. Tulsa ranks third in the nation in sacks this year, and the team ended up with 48 sacks on the campaign. The Golden Hurricane also picked off 10 passes, had 55 pass deflections, and ultimately just made big play after big play. Granted, we know that Tulsa has allowed its share of big plays as well, and Richardson is going to have the opportunity to make some big time plays against this defense as well. When it was Jantz that was under center when these teams played at the outset of the season, he ended the day with -9 rushing yards on 13 carries. If Richardson ends up in this same type of a situation, it could be a long day for him and for this offense. If the Golden Hurricane get four or five sacks in this game, they should be in a situation to get the ‘W’.

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The X’s and O’s of the Sun Bowl predictions aren’t shared by many expert handicappers, but here at Bankroll Sports, we are giving up all of our insight and telling you all of the keys to the game for the USC Trojans vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Sun Bowl picks are some of the hardest to make this year of all of the bowl games, so don’t miss out on all of our USC vs. Georgia Tech predictions!

2012 Sun Bowl: USC Trojans vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2012 Sun Bowl Location: Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX
2012 Sun Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 31st, 2:00 p.m. (ET)
2012 Sun Bowl On TV: CBS

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: The Trojans have to care about this game
We question the motivation of teams all the time in bowl games like this one. USC was ranked as the No. 1 team in the country at one point early this season, and it was considered one of the early favorites to win the BCS National Championship. And yet what happened down the stretch? The team lost a game to the Arizona Wildcats on the road, and the wheels came off. The Men of Troy dropped four of their final five games of the year to drop from a team that still should have ultimately had a chance to play for the Rose Bowl to one that was lucky just to be in the Sun Bowl when push came to shove. What’s worse than just coming to the Sun Bowl is the fact that the only sub-.500 team playing in a bowl game this year is waiting. Georgia Tech went just 6-7 on the campaign, and it went 6-7 in spite of the fact that the ACC flat out stunk this year. It’s a tough matchup, not from a talent vs. talent standpoint for the Men of Troy, but from the standpoint that they have to put a lot of emotional effort into the game to win it. The potential is there for USC to win by 50. The potential is also there to lose by 20.

Sun Bowl Odds at BetRevolution Sportsbook
USC Trojans -7.5
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets +7.5
Over/Under 64.5
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Key #2: The front seven of the USC defense has to hang in there
On paper, this should be an insane mismatch. The front seven for the Trojans features just a ton of NFL type of talent that should be able to stop any offense that is thrown their way. With four weeks and 16 practices to prepare for the triple option, this defense should have had plenty of time to devise a plan to stop a very basic unit that probably doesn’t feature a single player that will ever take a meaningful snap (if a snap ever at all) at the next level. What makes this tough though, is the style of play. The Ramblin’ Wreck offensive linemen get low and cut block play after play, and even the best defensive lines have been frustrated as could be by this unit. On top of that, the pace of the game is always quick in spite of the fact that the clock moves quickly as well. Whether it be QB Vad Lee or QB Tevin Washington that is running the triple option, both men can get to the line of scrimmage quickly and force you to keep your same defense on the field. That’s what makes this matchup particularly tough for the full 60 minutes for the Trojans.

Key #3: Max Wittek just has to play better football than he did against Notre Dame
Needless to say, this wasn’t the season that the Men of Troy truly figured that they were going to be getting this year. QB Matt Barkley was supposed to win the Heisman Trophy, and he was supposed to be the man that triumphantly led USC to a minimum of the Pac-12 Championship Game and the Rose Bowl, if not the BCS National Championship Game. Instead, Barkley led the team to four losses before getting injured and replaced by QB Max Wittek in the finale against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Wittek is the future of this program for sure, but he is struggling in the present. Wittek went just 14-of-23 against Notre Dame in the last game of the regular season, and he is going to be facing a defensive front that just loves to bring the pressure from all angles. A seasoned veteran would probably pick up on all of that. Wittek, at times, looked like a dear in headlights going against the Irish. Was it the fact that Notre Dame’s defense is that good, or is Wittek really in need of that much more cultivating. That’s going to be the key on New Year’s Eve. If Wittek doesn’t at least play respectable ball, the Trojans may as well get out of Dodge and head back to LA.

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