Our 2012 bowl predictions continue on Saturday, December 29th with the Armed Forces Bowl, and we are set to make our Armed Forces Bowl predictions, tips, and keys to the game for the duel between the Rice Owls and the Air Force Falcons.

2012 Armed Forces Bowl: Rice Owls vs. Air Force Falcons
2012 Armed Forces Bowl Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
2012 Armed Forces Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 29th, 11:45 a.m. (ET)
2012 Armed Forces Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

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Key #1: The Owls have to figure out the triple option
This is sort of the duh statement of the year at this point for the Armed Forces Bowl. Rice allowed over 192 yards per game on the ground this year and ranked 92nd in the country in rushing defense. However, this is a totally different style of defense than what the team has seen all year long in Conference USA. QB Connor Dietz and the gang are going to run it about 80-85% of the time, and the rushes are going to come from all different directions. It’s all about assignment football for Rice in this game, and with three weeks of practice to prepare for this one, there really are no excuses for players that are out of position. Still, saying it and executing it are two totally different things to do, and Rice is going to have a tough time getting the job done. There will be busted plays for sure, but in the end, the Owls are going to have to limit those big time plays. Around 300 yards is the threshold in this one. Anything more than that and Air Force is going to be in great shape. Anything less, and the Owls should be able to win this one if all else turns out to be equal in the end.

Armed Forces Bowl Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
Rice Owls +2.5
Air Force Falcons -2.5
Over/Under 61.5
Click Here to Bet Your Armed Forces Bowl Picks!

Key #2: Taylor McHargue has to be a star
QB Taylor McHargue is clearly the heart and soul of the Rice offense. He is the man that takes the snaps, and he’s the one that is going to do about 40% of the rushing of the football as well. The key might be McHargue throwing the football, though. In his last three games of the year, he completed over 65% of his passes, averaged 254.3 passing yards per game, and had two scores with just one pick. In those games, the team averaged 39.3 points per game. McHargue has averaged less than 6.7 yards per pass attempt four times this year, and the team went 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in those games. It went 6-2 SU and 6-1-1 ATS in the eight games aside from that. It’s clear to see that McHargue is the key to the Rice offense, and he is going to have to take advantage of a very suspect Air Force defense if he is going to win this one.

Key #3: Cody Getz has to get the football and be the pilot of the offense
There were five players that had at least 400 rushing yards this year for the Falcons, and RB Cody Getz was the leader of the pack with 1,213 yards and nine TDs. He did all of this in just 10 games, and he had some ones to remember in there for sure. In his first two games of the year against the Idaho State Bengals and the Michigan Wolverines, he had three TDs in each game. Getz accounted for 887 yards and eight TDs on the ground in his first five games of the campaign but just 65.2 yards per game and one score in his last five games. In the last three losses of the year for the Falcons, Getz had 82, 55, and 23 yards, and that just doesn’t cut it. Granted, we know that there could be others that ultimately get the job done for Air Force, but it is clear that Getz is likely going to have to have a big time game to pick up a victory.

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The college football betting world has been waiting for this day all year, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are zooming in on the props on the card on Saturday that are worth backing. Be sure to sign up for an account at Hollywood Sportsbook for the best NCAA props on the internet!

Texas/Rice Longest Touchdown Over/Under 57.5 Yards
This is quite the interesting prop to back in this game. HC Mack Brown has made the vow that he is going to use the rushing game more this year, especially considering the strength of his plethora of running backs. Without WR Jordan Shipley in the fold, QB Garrett Gilbert is probably going to see his playbook thumbed down quite a bit. The Longhorns are going to be perfectly content to get out of this game with a modest score line even though that hasn’t been the case in recent seasons against the Owls. Rice hasn’t even formally named a starting quarterback yet, and three different players could be in the rotation by the time it is said and done. That being said, we tend to believe that the longest touchdown will be Under 57.5 yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) more than at least 55 percent of the time.

Florida Gators Over/Under 45 Points
The Gators are going to want to make one heck of a statement in this game. We tend to believe that the rushing combination of RBs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps is going to go wild for the Gators, but the man that we are really keeping an eye on is QB John Brantley. Many think that Brantley has a better arm than the departed QB Tim Tebow, and HC Urban Meyer is going to be out to prove a point that his Gators are going to be National Championship contenders once again this year. Though even beating lowly Miami by 70 points wouldn’t ultimately decide the season, we tend to believe that this 45 point barrier is significantly too low. Look for the Gators to go Over 45 points (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Saturday afternoon.

Oregon State Beavers Over/Under 18.5 Points
We know that the Horned Frogs have one heck of a defense, but this is an Oregon State team we are speaking of that has the potential to bust plays wide open at the drop of a hat. The Beavers have two very, very dangerous threats in RB Jacquizz Rodgers and his brother, WR James Rodgers, and though they are going to have to adapt to a new quarterback, that doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to find pay dirt. HC Mike Riley knows what he is doing at this level, and he is going to have his boys ready to take on this defense in what could be the most important game of the year. TCU is rightfully favored by double digits in this game, but that doesn’t mean that the Beavs won’t be able to drop at least three tuddies on the board. Oregon State will go Over 18.5 points (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) and could threaten to pull off a big upset. Don’t be afraid to go with the Longest Touchdown of the Oregon State/TCU game Over 48.5 yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) either.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Over/Under 33.5 Points
The Irish are in their first game under new HC Brian Kelly, but that doesn’t mean that they are guaranteed to all of a sudden run up and down the field and cripple what the offense did last year. Don’t get us wrong, this is still a very talented team offensively. QB Dayne Crist has a ton of potential, and WR Michael Floyd, TE Zach Rudolph, and RB Armando Allen are amongst some of the most talented skill position players in the country. However, you don’t just immediately replace QB Jimmy Clausen and WR Golden Tate and think that your offense is going to be able to drop five TDs in a game against a Big Ten opponent. Purdue is going to challenge Notre Dame in this game every step of the way, so we don’t think that a blowout is in the cards. All that being said, we don’t like the Irish offense in this game to do this much damage. Go with Notre Dame Under 33.5 points (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Junior Hemingway Over/Under 2 Receptions
My, what a sucker prop this is! Hemingway only went over two receptions in a game twice all of last season and he had two games in which he pushed that two. Yes, this is a man that could really stretch the field for the Wolverines, but it is tough to get him the football for the various Michigan quarterbacks. There has just been no continuity on this offense yet this year, which is going to cause a rotation of QBs under center for HC Rich Rodriguez. Parlay all of that with the fact that the Huskies are going to try their best to milk the clock and make this game as short as possible with the rushing abilities of RB Jordan Todman, and the recipe is ripe for fewer plays than normal in this game. It looks so enticing to take a receiver at this level over two receptions, as it only requires three little dump passes to produce a winner. Trust us that it won’t happen more often than not. Hemingway will go Under 2 receptions (+115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) in this game and in several others this year.

The 2010 college football betting season is nearly here! Though anyone can rank the teams No. 1 to No. 25 in the nation in terms of SU records, here at Bankroll Sports, we are ranking our Top 25 underrated teams that could be monsters for your against the college football odds this season.

25. Ball State Cardinals (2-10, 6-5 ATS in 2009) – After a magical run in 2008 in which the Cardinals flirted with an undefeated season, Ball State came crashing back down to Earth last year under first-year HC Stan Parrish. However, this year Ball State returns their entire offense from 2009, including 2nd team All-MAC RB Miquale Lewis who should go down as the school’s all-time leading rusher with even a halfway decent 2010 campaign. The Cardinals have been friends to college football betting fans over the past five years, going 35-22-1 ATS in that span.

24. Air Force Falcons (8-5, 7-4-1 ATS in 2009) – Since taking over for the legendary Fisher DeBerry, HC Troy Calhoun has excelled in his first three years at the Air Force Academy, taking the Falcons to a 25-14 record and three straight Armed Forces Bowl appearances. QB Tim Jefferson is a dual-threat passer who can beat team with his arm or his legs and should be one of the best in the conference if he can stay healthy for the whole season.

23. Syracuse Orange (4-8, 6-5 ATS in 2009) – The Orange may be seen as a surprising candidate to be on this list, but Syracuse showed marked improvement in their first year under new HC Doug Marrone. Although the Orange managed just one more win in 2009 than in 2008, the Syracuse program showed signs of life for the first time in years, especially when the mass exodus of 20+ players prior to the start of the 2009 season is considered. The key to the offense will be RB Delone Carter who carried the ball for 1,021 yards and 11 TDs last year.

22. Rice Owls (2-10, 4-7-1 ATS in 2009) – Much like Ball State, Rice went from a fantastic 2008 CFB wagering season to a disastrous campaign in 2009. For the 2010 season though, the Owls bring back 18 starters and one of the more experienced offensive lines in the nation to provide protection for QB Nick Fanuzzi. Fanuzzi showed some promise last season in completing 60 percent of his passes for 1,598 yards with 11 TDs and eight INTs and will look to get even better in 2010.

21. Idaho Vandals (8-5, 8-5 ATS in 2009) – In any other conference in America, QB Nathan Enderle would have garnered all-conference honors last season and would be considered one of the conference favorites for Offensive Player of the Year. Last season, Venderle completed over 60 percent of his passes for 2,906 yards with 22 TDs and nine INTs while leading the Vandals to their first winning season of the decade.

20. Oregon State Beavers (8-5, 7-5 ATS in 2009) – Over the last decade, the Beavers have been one of the best teams against the NCAA betting odds in the country, going 68-48-1 ATS. With the return of the Rodgers brothers (WR James and RB Jacquizz), HC Mike Riley’s Beavers have one of the most formidable offenses in the Pac-10 and should once again challenge for the Pac-10 title now that the Trojans are ineligible to take home the trophy.

19. North Texas Mean Green (2-10, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – With only five wins over the past three seasons, it seems rather unlikely that North Texas could be on any Top 25 list, but the Mean Green have 17 returning starters and a very manageable schedule. RB Lance Dunbar had a monster season for North Texas last year, carrying the ball for 1,378 yards and 17 touchdowns en route to 1st team All-SBC honors in 2009. Dunbar looks to continue the tradition of quality running backs at North Texas, following in the footsteps of Jamario Thomas and Cedric Cobbs.

18. Baylor Bears (4-8, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Many pundits thought that 2009 would be the year that the Baylor Bears turned the corner, but those dreams were derailed in Week 3 after sensational QB Robert Griffin tore his ACL and back-up QB Blake Szymanski injured his shoulder. Griffin looks like he is back to form though and if he can stay healthy has a real chance to take the Bears to their first bowl appearance since 1994.

17. Miami Redhawks (1-11, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Things haven’t looked good in Oxford over the past half decade, but there is reason for Redhawks fans to be excited in 2010. In HC Mike Haywood’s second year, the Redhawks return 19 starters from 2009 while many of their opponents in the MAC East are reloading. Miami probably isn’t good enough to make a bowl this season, but should keep games close and cover a lot of college football gambling spreads.

16. UTEP Miners (4-8, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Inconsistent wouldn’t even begin to describe the UTEP Miners’ 2009 season. In their first C-USA game of the season, the Miners upset #12 and then undefeated Houston 58-41 as a two TD underdog on the NCAA gambling odds. In UTEP’s very next game they suffered an embarrassing 15 point loss at Memphis, giving the Tigers their only FBS win of 2009. With one of the best backfield tandems in the conference in QB Trevor Vittatoe and All-American RB Donald Buckram, the Miners will be able to put up a lot of points this season.

15. South Carolina Gamecocks (7-6, 7-5 ATS in 2009) – With the graduation of the record-setting Tim Tebow, the SEC East is the most open its been in years and the Gamecocks are in good position to take advantage of this. They usually have one of the better defenses in the country and if QB Stephen Garcia can continue to develop like he has over the past two seasons, South Carolina could flirt with a 10 win season.

14. Connecticut Huskies (8-5, 9-2-1 ATS in 2009) – Few would deny that Randy Edsall has done one of the best jobs in the country in guiding UConn from the FCS level to the FBS level. Over the past three years, Edsall has really hit his stride with the team going 25-14 and winning back-to-back bowl games. The Huskies have also been one of the best teams for NCAA wagering enthusiasts with the team going 63-42-2 ATS since 2000.

13. Texas A&M Aggies (6-7, 6-7 ATS in 2009) – Mike Sherman’s Aggies benefit from only having four road games this year, and in only one of those four road games (@ Texas) will they be a prohibitive underdog. Texas A&M has 16 returning starters this season, including QB Jerrod Johnson who passed for 3,579 yards to go with 30 TDs against just eight interceptions on his way to a 2nd team All-Big 12 selection in 2009.

12. UCF Knights (8-5, 9-3 ATS in 2009) – Last year, not much was expected of the UCF Knights after a 2008 campaign in which the Knights had one of the worst offenses in the country. However, HC George O’Leary turned to the running game last year and found a valuable asset in RB Brynn Harvey. Last season, Harvey ran for 1,109 yards and 14 touchdowns while picking up 3rd team All-C-USA honors. Harvey suffered a knee injury in spring, but is expected to miss no more than a few games at most.

11. Michigan Wolverines (5-7, 5-6 ATS in 2009) – HC Rich Rodriguez might be on the hottest seat in the country after managing just an 8-16 record and zero bowl appearances in his first two seasons as the head coach of one of the most storied programs in the country. This season, though, will be the first where Rodriguez has a clear-cut choice at QB to run his system in Tate Forcier. With Forcier at the helm, the Wolverines will almost certainly improve on their paltry 7-16 mark against the CFB betting line over the past two seasons.

10. Temple Owls (9-4, 8-4 ATS in 2009) – Al Golden has done a remarkable job in turning around a horrific Temple program that hadn’t made a bowl game in 30 years prior to the Owls making the EagleBank Bowl in 2009. This season, the Owls return almost all of their skill position players and 16 starters to a team that should be considered the favorite to win the MAC East.

9. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-5, 5-6 ATS in 2009) – North Carolina may have the best defense in the country this season with a bevy of NFL prospects at every position along the defensive front. DE Robert Quinn, LB Quan Sturdivant, CB Kendric Burney, and FS Deunta Williams all garnered 1st team All-ACC selections in 2009, while DT Marvin Austin, LB Bruce Carter, and SS Da’Norris Searcy all picked up 2nd team honors. With 19 returning starters in all, the Tar Heels should be one of the best teams against the NCAA odds in 2010.

8. Nevada Wolfpack (8-5, 7-6 ATS in 2009) – When QB Colin Kaepernick pulls the strings, the Wolfpack have one of the most exciting offenses in the country. Last season, Nevada managed an NCAA first when the Wolfpack had three different players (Kaepernick, Vai Taua, and Luke Lippencott) rush for over 1000 yards. In WAC play, the Wolfpack have been especially great the past five seasons, going 26-14 ATS for CFB wagering fans over that time.

7. Washington Huskies (5-7, 7-5 ATS in 2009) – Jake Locker is considered by many to be the top pick in the 2011 draft, and the strong-armed quarterback showed off just what he could do in his first year under new HC Steve Sarkisian. In 2009, Locker became much more polished as a quarterback, throwing for 2,800 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in a season where they flirted with a bowl bid. This year, with 18 returning starters, the Huskies will be in great shape to make their first bowl appearance since 2002.

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-6, 4-8 ATS in 2009) – Although QB Jimmy Clausen and WR Golden Tate have departed, the Fighting Irish are primed to turn some heads in the first year of new HC Brian Kelly. Kelly had one of the best offenses in the country at Cincinnati last year and inherits an offense with a lot of weapons in RB Armando Allen, WR Michael Floyd, and TE Kyle Rudolph. The key to the season for Notre Dame will be how well sophomore QB Dayne Crist can perform in his first season running the offense.

5. Florida State Seminoles (7-6, 4-8 ATS in 2009) – Before getting hurt, QB Christian Ponder looked well on his way to having one of the best seasons in school history. Still, Ponder finished with great numbers, completing 68.8 percent of his passes for 2,717 yards with 14 TDs and seven picks. He’ll also have the luxury of being behind one of the best and most experienced offensive lines in the country, anchored by Jacobs Award winning LG Rodney Hudson.

4. Auburn Tigers (8-5, 6-6 ATS in 2009) – Despite questions over whether he was the right man for the job or not, HC Gene Chizik led the Tigers to a respectable season in 2009. With the help of offensive guru Gus Malzahn, the Tigers offense went from one of the worst in the SEC in 2008 (17.3 PPG) to one of the best in the conference last year (33.3 PPG). The Tigers dodge both the Vols and the Gators in conference play and with eight home games could turn many heads this NCAA wagering season.

3. Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (10-3, 10-3 ATS in 2009) – QB Dwight Dasher may have been playing in the lowly Sun Belt last season, but his numbers were good enough for any conference in the country. The athletic Dasher turned a lot of heads in 2009, by throwing for 2,789 yards along with 23 TDs and 14 INTs while also running for 1154 yards and 13 scores. With Dasher under center, the Blue Raiders have a very good chance for back-to-back 10 win seasons.

2. Cincinnati Bearcats (12-1, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Though QB Tony Pike and HC Brian Kelly have since departed, the Bearcats should still have one of the best offenses in the Big East in 2010 under new HC Butch Jones and QB Zach Collaros. Collaros was impressive in his limited playing time in 2009, completing 75 percent of his passes for 1,434 yards with ten TDs against just two INTs. USC transfer WR Vidal Hazelton will also pack some punch to a WR corps that lost Mardy Gilyard.

1. Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-4, 9-5 ATS in 2009) – Since taking over for Bill Callahan, Bo Pelini has brought respect back to the Blackshirts and pride back to Husker Nation. Pelini’s Huskers were one last second FG away from making it to a BCS bowl and ruining Texas’ undefeated season in the Big XII Title Game, and although they do lose Heisman Trophy candidate DT Ndamakong Suh, Nebraska returns six starters to the defense that only gave up 10.4 PPG last CFB gambling season.