Rivalry week college football matchups are some of the best of the year, and one of the matchups that we are going to be keeping a close eye on this November is the clash between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Clemson Tigers. These two teams hate each other, and they usually have very chippy battles. It is one of the most underrated games of the season virtually every year, and though it is rare that National Championship hopes are on the line, these two are often both Top 20 teams, making this a big time momentum building game for both as they head into the bowl season or their respective conference championship games.

South Carolina Gamecocks @ Clemson Tigers Picks & Info
South Carolina Gamecocks @ Clemson Tigers Date: Saturday, November 24th
South Carolina Gamecocks @ Clemson Tigers Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
South Carolina Gamecocks @ Clemson Tigers Spread: Clemson Tigers -2.5

Head Coach Steve Spurrier has done a remarkable job getting his Gamecocks on the map, and now, they are one of the most dominating teams in the SEC East. This is going to be a bit of a frustrating year, knowing that QB Stephen Garcia and WR Alshon Jeffrey are both gone, and RB Marcus Lattimore is injured and likely will be out for the year. The good news is that RB Brandon Wilds really showed a heck of a lot of promise in his time on the field last year as well. It is definitely going to be a year where the defense is going to have to be key. There are six returners coming back from this unit, but three of them are in the secondary, which was one of the best in the SEC a season ago. Watch out for DE Jadeveon Clowney, who is going to be one of the best pass rushers in the nation.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Clemson Tigers Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: South Carolina 34 – Clemson 13
2010: South Carolina 29 – Clemson 7
2009: South Carolina 34 – Clemson 17
2008: Clemson 31 – South Carolina 14
2007: Clemson 23 – South Carolina 21
2006: South Carolina 31 – Clemson 28
2005: Clemson 13 – South Carolina 9
2004: Clemson 29 – South Carolina 7
2003: Clemson 63 – South Carolina 17
2002: Clemson 27 – South Carolina 20
2001: South Carolina 20 – Clemson 15
2000: Clemson 16 – South Carolina 14
1999: Clemson 31 – South Carolina 21
1998: Clemson 28 – South Carolina 19
1997: Clemson 47 – South Carolina 21
1996: South Carolina 34 – Clemson 31
1995: Clemson 38 – South Carolina 17

The Clemson offense is only returning seven starters, but the men that are going to be out there on the field are going to be Heisman Trophy types of players. QB Tajh Boyd is on the Heisman Watch list to start out the season, but he is only going to go as far as WR Sammy Watkins takes him. Watkins is just a sophomore, but he proved to be one of the best and most exciting players in the entire nation this past season. RB Andre Ellington is back once again too, and he had a heck of a season in 2011. All four of the defensive backs are going to be returning, but up front, there are a lot of problems on both lines of scrimmage. There is just one returner to the defensive line and two to the offensive line, though we do know that C Dalton Freeman is going to be an All-ACC player this year if he stays healthy.

South Carolina @ Clemson Free Picks^^: The Gamecocks are going to be the stronger of these two teams at the end of the season as we see it. The fact that we are going to be getting them a plus points is great right now, and it is a point spread that we are going to be taking advantage of. Remember that South Carolina has won three games in a row in this series, and the “Ol’ Ball Coach” isn’t going to take this one lightly regardless of whether there is a National Championship on the line or not.

^^Note: These college football picks are independent of the picks of our Expert NCAA Football Handicappers. These NCAA football picks are made as of 8/12/12, though we will keep the college football matchup page updated for this clash on the week of the game.

When the South Carolina @ Clemson odds are on the board on the week of 11/24, we will have our college football picks that you won’t want to miss!

Every single season, one of the most interesting teams to analyze on the college football odds is Boise State. The boys from the Blue Field always have the potential to run the table under Head Coach Chris Petersen, and they have to do so if they want to play in a BCS bowl game. This year, the deck is going to be stacked against the Broncos though, as they know that they have to go through a bit of a tougher schedule to get the job done, and that schedule starts with what should be a heck of a game against the Michigan State Spartans, who are going to be locked and loaded once again in 2012. Sparty is primed for another great run to the Big Ten Championship Game, and the time could be here for them to take a trip back to the Rose Bowl after two near misses in which they were stuck in Florida for bowl games. This should be a great measuring stick for both teams, and it all goes down on the first Friday night of the season.

Boise State Broncos @ Michigan State Spartans Picks & Info
Boise State Broncos @ Michigan State Spartans Date: Friday, August 31st
Boise State Broncos @ Michigan State Spartans Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
Boise State Broncos @ Michigan State Spartans Spread: Michigan State Spartans -7

Boise State knows that it isn’t going to set the world on fire again this year, though winning this game would go a long way towards getting some momentum going for the move to the Big East after this season. The problem that Petersen has in this campaign is, just like the TCU Horned Frogs last year, the squad really has to rebuild. The Broncos lost two major offensive talents in QB Kellen Moore and RB Doug Martin, and that leaves them to build their offense around QB Joe Southwick, who figures to take over as the club’s leader for the next two years if he pans out. There are just five starters returning on offense and four on defense, and for this first game to be in primetime on the road against a Big Ten team might be all too much to ask for. Southwick is going to need to keep his wits about him for sure and maintain good control on the pigskin. If he can do that, the talent and coaching will be able to guide this team this year. Not doing that though, and there could be a disaster waiting to happen, as the rest of this club is quite raw.

Boise State Broncos vs. Michigan State Spartans Past Games (Since 1995)
None

Michigan State isn’t going to be the top team in the Big Ten this year, but it could still find a way to compete if the play of QB Andrew Maxwell turns out to be good enough to get the job done. He is going to have a great back behind him in Le’Veon Bell, and the offensive line returns four of its five starters. The problem though, is that that’s all of the returners that the unit has to work with. Eight on the other side of the ball are back though, and if defense and running the ball really wins championships, this is a good combination to have, especially with a young quarterback and no truly experienced wide receivers on offense. Watch out for DE William Gholston in this one, as he might turn out to have a great game against a potentially very bad offensive line.

Boise State @ Michigan State Free Picks^^: We really think that Maxwell is the real deal and that he’ll be able to come out of the blocks and get the job done for the Spartans. This just feels like the game a few years ago, before Boise State was really on the map, in which it went to Georgia and got creamed by the Bulldogs. The talent just isn’t there for this team this year. One of these clubs has the potential to be a Top 10 team, the other doesn’t. Simple as that. Lay the touchdown with the Spartans, though teasing them with the ‘under’ might be a smart play as well.

^^Note: This is a college football prediction that is made as of 8/8/12, and it does not reflect the opinions that our expert NCAA Football handicappers will have on this game. This article by our very talented sports blog staff is for entertainment and informational purposes only. If you would like to purchase our premium college football picks for the year, please Click Here

Our expert college football handicappers have their huge 10* NCAA Football Game of the Month going (@ 8pm EST) in the Boise State @ Michigan State matchup for Friday, August 31, 2012.

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You’re not going to find a better matchup with more historical significance than the annual Army/Navy Game, and this is going to be the 113th battle between these two military powers on the gridiron. Navy leads the current series 56-49-7, and the domination of the Middies has been present over the course of the last 10 years, all of which have been won by the Naval Academy. This is going to be another frustrating year for both of the service academies on the football field in all likelihood, but this could also be the game that determines the winner of the Commander-in-Chief Trophy for the team that has the best annual record against the other service academies. Especially knowing that this is a standalone game on the schedule, its pageantry, pomp, and circumstance is definitely worthy of it being called one of our Top 25 matchups for the 2012 college football season regardless of whether this will be the cleanest played game in the world or not.

Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen Picks & Info
Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen Date: Saturday, December 8th
Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen Spread: Navy Midshipmen -3.5

The poor Black Knights have only been to one bowl game since 1996, the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl, and this year really doesn’t seem like it has all that much promise either. QB Trent Steelman is back, and he might be the best quarterback running the triple option in the country at this point. When he was out of the lineup last year for Army, the team just had zero chance of passing the ball at any point. The ground game has a lot of its power back from last year, led by RB Raymond Maples, who regularly touches the ball at least 10 times in every game in spite of the fact that he is a slotback and not really a traditional rusher. The problem that the Black Knights have is that they are incredibly thin at the offensive line spots. Everyone has to know exactly what their role is on the offensive line and keep to their assignments, and if those assignments are blown, the play being ran is in a heck of a lot of trouble. With just three returners on this side of the ball, it could be tough to get some traction. That being said, this is the final game of the year and not the first game of the year, and the potential is definitely there for this makeshift OL to become more of a strength of the team by the time December rolls around.

Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: Navy 27 – Army 21
2010: Navy 31 – Army 17
2009: Navy 17 – Army 3
2008: Navy 34 – Army 0
2007: Navy 38 – Army 3
2006: Navy 26 – Army 14
2005: Navy 42 – Army 23
2004: Navy 42 – Army 13
2003: Navy 34 – Army 6
2002: Navy 58 – Army 12
2001: Army 26 – Navy 17
2000: Navy 30 – Army 28
1999: Navy 19 – Army 9
1998: Army 34 – Navy 30
1997: Navy 39 – Army 7
1996: Army 28 – Navy 24
1995: Army 14 – Navy 13

The Naval Academy took a massive dive last season down to just 5-7, but this year, the hope is at least somewhere there that it can get back to a bowl game this season. QB Trey Miller is going to likely be leading the charge, and slotbacks Gee Gee Greene and John Howell will be returning as well. The problem is that QB Kriss Proctor is out, and FB Alexander Teich, who has been a staple at the head of the wishbone for the Middies for years, has departed as well. That’s going to leave two massive holes in the main parts of the Navy offense. The Midshipmen have a worse offensive line position than the Black Knights do. There are only three experienced offensive linemen that are returning to this team. With a little more passing, and a significantly easier schedule after the first two weeks of the year though, there is no doubt that this could be the game that makes or breaks a bowl campaign for the Midshipmen.

Army/Navy Game Free Picks^^: Could this be the year that the Black Knights break the dreaded losing streak to Navy? The opportunity is most certainly going to be there for them to do so. This time of year, it’s all about value, and while you have the opportunity to take the points, we suggest that you do so. By the time that his game rolls around, both of these teams might have very comparable records, and in the end, the Black Knights might end up being favored, especially if there is a bowl game on the line for them.

^^Please Note: The Army/Navy Game picks listed above on our sports betting blog are made by our staff writers. These football picks are based upon the betting lines listed on 8/4/12 and do not reflect the actual expert handicapping picks at Bankroll Sports. Click Here to receive our premium expert handicappers NCAA Football Picks for the 2012 campaign.

You can purchase our premium Army/Navy Game picks from our experts on Saturday, 12/8

The TCU Horned Frogs will have already played a few of their games in their brand new conference, the Big XII before the end of October, but this is when they are likely to face their biggest test of the season to date. Join our college football expert handicappers, as we take a look at the No. 25 game in our list of the Top 25 NCAA Football Game Matchups of the year when the Horned Frogs travel to Boone Pickens Stadium to battle it out with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. This is going to be the first time that these two teams have met, and with both ranked in the preseason Top 25, there is no doubt that both clubs are going to be using this as a great measuring stick in the middle of the season for just how good they have the potential to be.

TCU Horned Frogs @ Oklahoma State Cowboys Picks & Info
TCU Horned Frogs @ Oklahoma State Cowboys Date: Saturday, October 27th
TCU Horned Frogs @ Oklahoma State Cowboys Location: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
TCU Horned Frogs @ Oklahoma State Cowboys Spread: Oklahoma State Cowboys -7.5

The Horned Frogs very well could be 7-0 and ranked in the Top 10 in the country by the time this one kicks off, as they are going to be favored in all of their games to open up the campaign, save for perhaps a date against the Baylor Bears on October 13th. This defense is always up to the challenge of facing some of the best offenses in the country, and though and with seven starters and two other key contributors from last year’s team coming back to this unit, we expect to see good things happening. The offensive line needs to be rebuilt just a bit, but with the way that the Cowboys struggled on defense last year, the ground game with RBs Ed Wesley, Matthew Tucker, and Waymon James could all have quite good outings. This is most certainly the type of game in which TCU can go on the road and pull off the upset.

TCU Horned Frogs vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys Past Games (Since 1995)
None

We should know by this game against TCU whether Oklahoma State is going to be a legitimate contender for the BCS National Championship for the second straight season or not. We see a lot of returners on the squad, which should help out quite a bit, but the big question mark is going to be whether QB Clint Chelf can take over as the leader for this offense left by QB Brandon Weeden. It doesn’t help either that WR Justin Blackmon is gone. What is notable for the Pokes though, is that this is a great spot in the schedule. The games surrounding this one aren’t all that challenging, and the next big time game comes two weeks later when the West Virginia Mountaineers come to town. There will have been plenty of time for Chelf to pick up the offense, but whether he has the ability to sink or swim is definitely a question that is up for debate.

TCU @ Oklahoma State Free Picks^^: The Horned Frogs are certainly going to give the Cowboys a run for their money in this game. Getting 7.5 points right off the bat is a heck of a start for a team that has such a good defense against a team that has a very big question mark at quarterback. We’d take the points on the 2012 college football betting lines.

^^Notice: The NCAA football picks & predictions listed on the sports betting blog are made by our staff writers early in the season and do not represent the Bankroll Sports expert handicapping team’s actual premium service releases. Click Here to receive our expert handicappers premium college football picks for the 2012 football season.

You can purchase our premium TCU vs Oklahoma State picks from our experts on Saturday, 10/27

There is just one game left on the college football TV schedule, and that game takes us to the Louisiana Superdome for the BCS National Championship. There has been a ton of pomp and circumstance surrounding this game over the course of the last month or so, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are taking one last look at the LSU Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide. Check out our National Championship prop picks courtesy of Bovada Sportsbook.

AJ McCarron Over/Under 200.5 Passing Yards
McCarron threw for 199 yards when these two teams met the first time around, but we just aren’t all that sure that that is going to be the case again in this one. The Georgia Bulldogs were a great passing team this year, and QB Aaron Murray was frustrated the entire game by this LSU defense. The Bayou Bengals have two of the best corners in the nation, and getting the ball to anyone aside from RB Trent Richardson on screens is going to be dangerous to say the least. The Crimson Tide do have the receivers to be able to do some damage when push comes to shove, but we just don’t see this much in terms of yardage allowed by the LSU secondary. McCarron Under 200.5 Passing Yards (-110 at Bovada Sportsbook)

Trent Richardson Over/Under 28.5 Receiving Yards
Richardson did plenty of damage to these Tigers earlier this year as a receiver, accounting for 80 yards through the air. Granted, most of that came on one long play, but in the end, he had five catches and eight targets on McCarron’s 28 pass attempts. There is going to be a heck of a lot of checking down in this one, and we see Richardson getting plenty of looks. This is a man that caught 27 passes this year for 327 yards, so we know that he has the hands to be able to make the receptions to make this prop stand up. Richardson might not have the day on the ground for the Tide, but we do think that he is going to be used as a receiver quite a bit. He should get at least into the 40s in this game in receiving yards in our estimation. Richardson Over 28.5 Receiving Yards (-110 at Bovada Sportsbook)

Will Rueben Randle Score a Touchdown?
If this game turns out to be anything like the first meeting, there won’t be any touchdowns to speak of, so all of these props will turn out to be “No.” We do think that there will at least be a few TDs in this one, and that would make Randle a prime candidate to get the job done on a deep ball. However, for the last month, these Alabama corners have been hearing all about how the Tigers have the best corners in the nation. Yet it was the Crimson Tide that ranked No. 1 in literally every single major defensive yardage category this year, and you can bet that these corners have something to prove. Randle did catch 50 balls this year for 904 yards and eight trips to the end zone, and he is surely the deep threat in this game, but if you are asking us whether he is going to get behind the Alabama secondary in this game, we certainly don’t think so. This seems like an awfully short price on a man that only scored eight TDs all season long. Randle To Not Score a TD (-180 at Bovada Sportsbook)

Total Turnovers Over/Under 3.5
Though both of these defenses forced a ton of turnovers this year, the truth of the matter is that neither one turned the ball over all that much, including in the game against one another back in November. There were a grand total of four turnovers in the first meeting, but QB Jarrett Lee threw two of them, while WR Marquis Maze threw one as well. These teams simply don’t lose fumbles, and in the punt return game, DB Tyrann Mathieu has some of the best hands in the game, while P Brad Wing’s punts are basically never returned. That will certainly cut down the number of opportunities that either team has at turning the ball over. There could be a ton of punts in this one, just like there was the first time around, but we don’t see a slew of turnovers. Asking either team to force more than two turnovers against the other in this one is going to be a tall, tall task, and we just don’t see any way that it happens. It’s chalky, but it is certainly the right play to make. Under 3.5 Total Turnovers (-350 at Bovada Sportsbook)

Will Either Team Score Three Straight Times
Sure, if you are really a believer that these two teams are going to play another one of these wild 9-6 games that ends in overtime, you are better served betting the “No” on this prop. That being said, we think that suckers are going to take that +120 all day long, as the thought has to be whether there are going to be three scores, let alone three scores coming in a row by the same team. It only needs to happen once though, and in at least two out of every three games, it happens. Both of these teams are good enough offensively to make it happen, and in the event that this one starts to get out of hand (and don’t discount the fact that it might), it will be clear that someone will score three straight times, either when trying to post a comeback, or trying to pull away from the other once and for all. A Team Scores Three Straight Times (-160 at Bovada Sportsbook)

And it all comes down to this… The BCS National Championship Game odds will finally be contested by the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers at the Louisiana Superdome. The “Game of the Century” from earlier this year will be replayed, and we offer up the five Alabama vs. LSU keys to the game for the biggest game of the year.

BCS National Championship Game: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. LSU Tigers
BCS National Championship Game Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
BCS National Championship Game Date/Time: Monday, January 9th, 8:30 p.m. (ET)
BCS National Championship Game Television Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2011-12 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: Trent Richardson has to be a star
In fairness to Richardson, he did a heck of a lot in the first meeting between these two teams. He had 80 yards receiving and another 89 on the ground, and at the end of the day, that really made him the top offensive player on the field in a game in which there wasn’t a single touchdown scored. With 1,583 rushing yards, 327 receiving yards, and a total of 23 TDs, Richardson was good enough to win the Heisman Trophy this year. Those were numbers that were just as good as those of RB Mark Ingram when he won the Heisman Trophy two years ago. There haven’t been many players that have found some holes in that stout LSU defense, and for as great as those corners are on the outside, the best way to get the ball going anywhere against it is probably right up the middle of the field. Whether it is going to be by throwing the ball to him or letting him run it up there, the Tide have to find some way to really get Richardson going.

Key #2: Jordan Jefferson can’t turn the ball over like Jarrett Lee did
LSU fans that are screaming at the tops of their lungs that the Bayou Bengals should be favored in this game, especially with the slight home field advantage probably going their team’s way can definitely rest on the fact that Jefferson should be taking all of the snaps in this game, barring injury. Lee tossed two INTs to the tremendous Alabama defense, and with as sneakily good as that Tide offense can be, you just can’t give the ball up. Jefferson has done a nice job this year after that suspension for the off the field issues at the outset of the season. He has rebounded and gotten back in the good graces of the fans in Baton Rouge and with his coaching staff. His numbers aren’t particularly special at this point, as 684 passing yards and 248 rushing yards in basically six full games worth of playing time or so isn’t that special, but what Jefferson does that Lee doesn’t is manage a game and not turn the ball over. Jefferson only has one pick this year, and he historically does a nice job protecting the rock.

BCS National Championship Game Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Alabama Crimson Tide -1
LSU Tigers +1
Over/Under 41
Click Here to Bet The BCS National Championship Game Picks!

Key #3: Alabama’s special teams cannot be its downfall again
Anyone who watched the first “Game of the Century” can’t make the argument that the Bayou Bengals were clearly the better team. Alabama could have been argued as definitively the better side, but in truth, we would probably be splitting hairs to pick one team over the other. The real difference in that first meeting were the poor Crimson Tide special teams. It felt like it didn’t matter which kicker was coming out to give the ball the big boot, the ball wasn’t going through the uprights. It’s a miracle that the Tide picked up two field goals in that game with as badly as the ball was being kicked. This wasn’t just a problem in this game, though. Alabama only converted on 62.1 percent of its field goal tries this season, and that won’t cut it.

Key #4: LSU simply has to make Alabama punt the ball more
You would figure in a game that was tied 6-6 at the end of regulation would feature a ton of punts on both sides, right? Not quite in this case. The Crimson Tide only punted the ball twice to LSU, which really limited the amount of touches that DB Tyrann Mathieu had on the football. Mathieu ended up being a Heisman Trophy finalist this year because of the way that he broke open the games against the Arkansas Razorbacks and Georgia Bulldogs in successive weeks on national television. The “Honey Badger” as they call him, averaged well over 16 yards per punt return, and getting the ball into his hands is key. The Tide had more drives end on missed field goals than anything else on the day, and if you’re the Bayou Bengals, you can’t put yourself in that position once again.

Key #5: Brad Wing has to have another huge game
You’ll notice that we’re not talking a heck of a lot about offense or defense in this game. These two teams are absolutely mirror images of one another, save for the fact that the rushing game for Alabama is basically Richardson’s game, save for when he needs a spell, whereas LSU is going to use four or five different backs for a total of 40 carries per game. Wing can be a real game changer, though. He averaged over 44 yards per punt this year, and he was a dynamo when he really needed to be. Wing can punt the ball with either foot, and he has that rugby style kick that sometimes can turn into a fake punt if the coast is clear. It is just something for the Crimson Tide to think about, and it probably won’t let the likes of Richardson or WR Marquis Maze get free. Wing has allowed a grand total of six yards on punt returns this year, and he would really love for that to keep up in the BCS National Championship Game.

Click Here to get the best college football picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our BCS National Championship Game picks and the NCAA football picks for the rest of the bowl game odds.

A day off in the bowl betting bonanza on January 5th won’t stop us from enjoying another fantastic game on the college football bowl schedule on the 6th. The Kansas State Wildcats and Arkansas Razorbacks were both good enough to be BCS quality teams this year, and they are going to face off in the 2012 Cotton Bowl.

Cotton Bowl: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Kansas State Wildcats
Cotton Bowl Location: Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
Cotton Bowl Date/Time: Friday, January 6th, 8:00 p.m. (ET)
Cotton Bowl Television Coverage: FOX

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2011-12 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: Collin Klein has to have the biggest heart on the field
Say what you want about Klein. We know that he isn’t a great passer. We know that he stands very little chance of completing even 60 percent of his passes in any game that he plays. We know that he looks to run first and then throw the ball. We know that, for a mobile quarterback, he has a miserable yards per carry average right around 4.0. However, with all that being said, you can’t measure a kid’s heart, and that’s exactly what Klein has. This is a man that carries the ball over 24 times per game out of the quarterback spot, and he isn’t doing a heck of a lot of sliding or running out of bounds. There’s a reason that he led the team in scoring with 26 TDs on the campaign and why he came up with 1,099 rushing yards. Klein has the ability to do some real damage, and though his offense’s numbers aren’t all that impressive in totality this year, he just finds ways to keep putting points on the board, a trait that has to show to beat the Hogs.

Cotton Bowl Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Arkansas Razorbacks -7.5
Kansas State Wildcats +7.5
Over/Under 62.5
Click Here to Bet The Cotton Bowl Picks!

Key #2: The Razorbacks cannot let their special teams beat them
The Hogs were only beaten twice this year, once by the Alabama Crimson Tide and once by the LSU Tigers. Both games were on the road, and they were against the two best teams in the country. There was no shame in either defeat, but both games shared a common bond: Bad punt coverage. Against Alabama, WR Marquis Maze had 125 punt return yards, including an 83 yarder that came all the way back for a touchdown. That took a 17-7 game and made it 24-7. The Hogs were beaten 38-14. Against the Bayou Bengals, DB Tyrann Mathieu had two massive punt returns and totaled 115 yards on two runbacks. One went for 92 yards and a TD. From that point on, LSU outscored Arkansas 34-3.

Key #3: Tyler Wilson has to shred a very suspect secondary
In fairness to the Wildcats, they had to play a schedule this year that included taking on Robert Griffin III, Seth Doege, Landry Jones, Brandon Weeden, and Ryan Tannehill. If we had to play those five guys, who will combine for over 20,000 passing yards when the bowl season is said and done with, we would have a secondary with some suspect numbers as well. However, Wilson is another one of these quarterbacks that could inch near 4,000 yards when the season is said and done with. He has 3,422 yards and is averaging a rock solid 8.4 yards per pass attempt this year, and he has a great set of receivers that can really spread the field all over the place. Wilson also did a nice job taking care of the pigskin on the campaign, throwing just six picks against 22 TDs. KSU’s secondary can be had; just look at the 505 yards and five TDs that Jones came up with when the Oklahoma Sooners came to Manhattan. Wilson just has to take advantage of it if the Razorbacks are going to have a shot at beating the Cotton Bowl odds.

Click Here to get the best college football picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our Cotton Bowl picks and the NCAA football picks for the rest of the bowl game odds.