The X’s and O’s of the Beef O’Brady’s 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 UCF Knights vs. Ball State Cardinals. The Beef O’Brady’s 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 UCF vs. Ball State predictions!

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2012 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl: UCF Knights vs. Ball State Cardinals
2012 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
2012 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 21st, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
2012 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Key #1: Blake Bortles has to keep control of the football
The Knights only turned the ball over a grand total of 15 times this year, and just seven came off of the arm of Bortles. Keeping those picks down has been key for UCF to stay in games and to win them. It has been over five games since the last time Bortles threw an interception, and he is going to be determined to keep that up here in the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl. Ball State only picked off seven passes and forced seven fumbles this year, making it one of the worst teams in the nation in forced turnovers, lower than some of the worst teams in the land. It’s not that the Knights are going to win this game if they don’t turn the ball over, but if they do turn it over more than once, perhaps twice, they almost certainly have no chance whatsoever to win the game, as the team preaches playing good defense and running the football. This is a club that isn’t afraid to punt, and it has to take advantage of that by not turning it over.

Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Odds at BetRevolution Sportsbook
UCF Knights -7
Ball State Cardinals +7
Over/Under 61.5
Click Here to Bet Your Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Picks!

Key #2: Keith Wenning has to stay away from AJ Bouye
Wenning threw 10 picks this year for the Cardinals, but he still threw 22 TDs and has two great wide receivers in WR Willie Snead and WR Jamill Smith. The two men have combined for 151 receptions, 1,776 yards, and 13 TDs this year, and both can light up the Knights for sure if given the chance. However, Wenning has to be smart with the football. UCF’s best DB is Conference USA second team All-Conference DB AJ Bouye, who is one of the three players in the history of the school to return both a pick and a fumble for a touchdown in the same season. Bouye is probably the best player in this secondary, and he is one of the ones that might hear his name called in the NFL Draft come April. He can’t cover both Snead and Smith though, and Wenning has to be smart and figure out how to keep the ball away from the crafty senior, because disastrous things have been proven to potentially happen when push comes to shove when the ball comes his way.

Key #3: Jahwan Edwards has to poke some holes in the UCF defense
Part of the key to keeping the ball away from Bouye and those Knights’ defenders is going to be getting the ball going with the run. We know that RB Jahwan Edwards can run the ball and bust some big ones, as he averaged 6.1 yards per carry this year and had 14 trips to the end zone. But can the sophomore stay consistent? That’s the real question here, knowing that he has had four games this year with less than 80 yards and three with more than 140 yards. Edwards also had six games this year where he averaged over 6.0 yards per carry, but he also had four games in which he averaged less than 5.0 yards per carry as well. If Edwards doesn’t get up to that 5.0 yards per carry mark against a defense that ranked 64th in the nation against the rush, it is going to be a long day for Wenning and this passing attack in the teeth of a ferocious pass rush.

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The Louisville Cardinals fought long and hard all season long to beat the college football odds often enough to make it to the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg, FL. The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles had an up and down season, but they were certainly one of the best teams in a very respectable Conference USA. These two are going to be in the Sunshine State on Tuesday, December 21st to continue the bowl season. Check of these three keys to the game for these two teams as they get ready to wage war against each other and before you make your Beef O’Brady’s picks.

Key #1: Bilal Powell must be strong for the Cardinals
Louisville thought that it was going to be a team that was based on the pass all season long, but Head Coach Charlie Strong really found a diamond in the rough in the form of Bilal Powell. Powell, who hadn’t rushed for even 400 yards in a season prior to this, busted out for easily the biggest year of his life, rushing for 1,330 yards and ten TDs. The rushing attack was great for the Redbirds all season long, averaging 181.9 yards per game, ranking No. 32 in the land. With Adam Froman dealing with a leg injury, Powell is going to be the man in charge of this offense. Southern Miss had one of the best defenses in Conference USA this year against opposing ground games, allowing just 109.8 yards per game. One way or the other, this is going to be the biggest key for both teams, as Powell won’t just be providing points to the game, but will be keeping that potent SMS offense off of the field.

Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Odds at BetUS Sportsbook
Louisville Cardinals -2.5
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles +2.5
Over/Under 57
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Key #2: The “better” SMS defense has to be the one that comes to play
We’ve mentioned how great the Golden Eagles were against the rush this year, but part of the reason for that is because teams have been destroying their secondary all year long. They gave up 248.8 yards per game through the air, ranking No. 103 in the nation. This defense was torched for at least 41 points five times this year, including basically every game against a rock solid offense. Louisville, at least by Big East standards, didn’t have a great ‘O’ this year, but there’s no telling what could happen when you pit these teams against each other from these different conferences, especially when you’re talking about bowl games with weeks and weeks to prepare for the games. However, we know if the bad ‘D’ that allowed 56 points to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the finale of the regular season, the Golden Eagles really don’t stand even half of a chance of winning this game.

Key #3: The passing game has to get something going for the Golden Eagles
This is going to be a fantastic showdown between these two units. The Golden Eagles have one of the most dynamic offenses in the country, and the argument could be made that this might be the best SMS offense in the school’s history. There weren’t a ton of teams that averaged at least 200 yards per game both through the air and on the ground. QB Austin Davis has rushed for 436 yards and has thrown for 2,898 yards. He really only had a few games to really be disappointed with, and for every game that was a dud, he had at least one that was a real stud effort. The ground game for the Golden Eagles is likely to at least something going, as there are just too many good rushers on this team, including RB Kendrick Hardy, RB Desmond Johnson, and RB Tracey Lampley, all of which had at least 350 yards on the year. Davis needs to be a rock in this one and work the ball around to all of his targets. The Big East wasn’t a fantastic passing league this year, which probably skews some of the numbers for the Louisville passing defense. Still, this is no mistake the Strong came over from the University of Florida and immediately made this defense a formidable one. The Cards averaged allowing just 162.5 yards per game this year, ranking No. 9 in the country.