On Monday, Mark McGwire finally came clean and admitted that he used performance enhancing drugs throughout his career, including during the memorable 1998 season.

 

This admission does absolutely nothing because everyone who considers themselves a baseball fan seemed to know that McGwire used steroids. This admission is far too late to do any good for McGwire’s image. If McGwire was to be forgiven, he should have admitted to using steroids and asked for forgiveness at the hearings in Washington five years ago.

 

Mark McGwire has spent the last five years calling everyone liars and avoiding questions about steroids. Throughout those five years there have been plenty of athletes that admitted to cheating, such as Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte, who were forgiven by the American public. McGwire was able to see that the public was forgiving of stars that admitted their wrongs. Instead of learning from the example set by others, McGwire sat back and continued to avoid questions and maintain his innocence. Mark was hoping to fall out of the public eye and is only admitting this now, not because he feels bad, but because he is back in the media as the hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals.

 

The timing of this story is very interesting. It comes so shortly after the Hall of Fame voting and the announcement that McGwire may be used as a pinch-hitter during the playoffs. McGwire may have felt that he only received  23.7% of the Hall of Fame votes because of the cloudiness that surrounded his career. By clearing up and answering all the questions McGwire can only HELP his Hall of Fame chances.

 

The low percentage of votes show that the voters do not respect McGwire and that they feel he is not worth of a spot in Cooperstown. It can be safely assumed that many voters did not vote for him because of the assumption that he used steroids. After seeing how others were forgiven, McGwire hopes that his apology and admission will help him gain credibility amongst the Hall of Fame voters.

 

While he ultimately did the right thing, some feel that it may be too little too late. Some are happy with the admission while some are questioning why it took so long. Americans are generally forgiving of their athletes and McGwire’s forgiveness will come, it is now just a matter of when and whether or not the Hall of Fame Voters will forgive him in the same way that the public will.

 

 

 

After becoming only the second team in modern history to finish the season 14-0, (Ohio State in 2002 and Alabama became the 3^rd team in the National Championship Game) the Boise State Broncos look to have a ton of momentum heading into the 2010 college football season.

 

Boise State is returning more starters than any other team in the country. Their only significant losses are tight end Richie Brockel and cornerback Kyle Wilson. Quarterback Kellen Moore will be returning after being named WAC Offensive Player of the Year and First-team All-WAC. More threw for 39 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The Broncos will also bring back two all-conference wide receivers, an all-conference running back and an offensive line that surrendered the fewest amount of sacks in the country last year.

 

Boise State has have four undefeated regular seasons since 2004 and has shown time and time again that they deserve the recognition and respect that is usually saved for schools in major conferences.

 

The Broncos should be at least ranked in the preseason top ten, but deserve to be ranked in the top five. They have a solid non-conference schedule in which they play three bowl teams, including a game against Virginia Tech (another team that should be preseason top ten) which will be played at FedEx Field.

 

Virginia Tech looks to be the only team standing in the way of Boise State making an appearance in the BCS National Championship game. If the Broncos are able to survive the Virginia Tech game, they should have no problems finishing the year undefeated.

 

A high preseason ranking, coupled with an undefeated season should be enough for Boise State to finish the year in the top two of the BCS Standings. October 2, 2010, Boise State travels to FedEx Field with the weight of all non-BCS schools on their shoulders. If the Broncos win, every college football fan gets what they have been waiting for…a non-BCS school playing for the National Championship.

The 2009-10 College Football Season has come to a close. Over the past month, college football fans were treated to thirty-four bowl games. The bowl season is often the most exciting time of the year as it provides one last opportunity for us to watch our favorite teams. For those of you who may have missed a bowl, or just want to relive it, the summaries of all thirty-four bowl games are here:

 

 

New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State vs. Wyoming

            Fresno State was supposed to win this game behind the rushing attack led by Ryan Matthews. However, Wyoming stole the show by containing Matthews and winning 35-28 in double overtime. The turning point of this game came in the first overtime when the Bulldogs had first and goal at the 1 and were turned away on four straight run plays, two to Matthews, by the Wyoming defensive line.

 

 

St. Petersburg Bowl: UCF vs. Rutgers

            Mahamed Sanu dominated this game as he ran for two touchdowns and caught a third. The versatile wide receiver helped Rutgers earn a fourth straight bowl victory, a school record. Game ball can also be awarded to the Rutgers run defense which limited UCF to 32 yards on 30 carries.

 

 

R+L Carriers New Orleans: Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee

            You can’t say enough about MTSU quarterback Dwight Dasher. He accounted for 366 total yards of offense and four touchdowns. The Blue Raiders fell behind 14-0 but railed to a 42-32 victory.

 

 

Las Vegas Bowl: Oregon State vs. BYU

            The wind, great defense, and lack of offensive execution defined this game. BYU cruised to an easy 44-20 victory over the Beavers. Oregon State never found the rhythm offensively and they were absolutely dominated start to finish. The Beavers scored on their opening possession and didn’t score again until late in the fourth quarter. The wind had an impact on the game, but BYU would have won this game regardless. The Cougar defense came out prepared and rattled quarterback Sean Canfield throughout the game.

 

 

Poinsettia Bowl: Utah vs. Cal

            After falling behind 14-0, Utah rallied back to win 37-27. Shane Vereen filled in nicely for the injured Jahvid Best as he rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns. The star of the night was Utah’s freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn who threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns. The Utes extended their bowl winning streak to nine.     

 

 

Hawaii Bowl: Nevada vs. SMU.

            SMU had not been to a bowl game since 1984. They truly understand how special it is to go to a bowl game, so they made sure to enjoy every minute of this one. June Jones led his team to a stunning 45-10 victory over the heavily favored Nevada Wolfpack. Nevada came into the game leading the country in rushing at over 350 yards per game, but the SMU defense was able to hold Nevada to only 265 yards on the ground.

 

 

Little Caesars Bowl: Marshall vs. Ohio

            Ohio fell behind early, but stormed back late. A late missed field goal and a interception in the last four minutes of the game cost the Bobcats the bowl victory. Marshall executed in the final minutes and held on for a 21-17 victory.

           

 

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Pitt vs. North Carolina

            With 52 seconds remaining Pittsburgh kicker Dan Hutchins made a 33 yard field goal to give the Panthers the 19-17 victory. This game was virtually even as the teams finished within 30 yards of total offense of each other. The time of possession differed by just 50 seconds. The big difference was the turnovers. North Carolina committed two, while Pittsburgh only limited themselves to one.

 

 

Emerald Bowl: Boston College vs. USC

            After an 0-2 start, USC got the Pac-10 in the win column with a 24-13 victory over Boston College. This game was full of ups and downs. Both teams had moments of brilliance and moments that made you scratch your head. In the end, it was the Trojan defense that made the difference as they dominated Boston College all night.

           

 

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: Kentucky vs. Clemson

            In his final game as a Clemson Tiger C.J. Spiller did not disappoint. The running back had 176 total yards and scored a touchdown to help lead Clemson to a 21-13 victory. Clemson earned its first bowl win since the 2005 Champs Sports Bowl.

 

 

Independence Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Georgia

            Once again the team that won the turnover battle won the game. Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson threw two third quarter interceptions that helped propel Georgia to a 44-20 victory. Georgia also blocked two kicks to seal the fourth straight postseason loss for the Aggies.

           

 

EagleBank Bowl: UCLA vs. Temple

            Because it was their first bowl appearance in thirty years, the Temple Owls got off to a fast start as they lead 21-7 late in the second quarter. At halftime UCLA closed the gap to 21-10. The Bruins were able to shut out the Owls for the entire second half and rally to a thrilling 30-21 victory. Temple was in the game until late in the 4^th quarter, but they continued to fall short in crucial situations, costing them the game.         

 

 

Champs Sports Bowl: Miami vs. Wisconsin

            Wisconsin outplayed Miami for most of the night. The 20-14 game should not have been as close as the score indicated. Miami had a chance to win the game late as they recovered an onside kick, but they were unable to score. Big-10 Offensive player of the year John Clay came up huge for Wisconsin and led the Badgers to victory.

 

 

Humanitarian Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Idaho

            Bowling Green’s 5^th year senior wide receiver Freddie Barnes set the NCAA record for career receptions, unfortunately his 17 catches 200+ yards and three touchdowns were not enough as Idaho stole the win 43-42. Bowling Green scored with just 16 seconds remaining, but Idaho completed a long pass and then scored a touchdown with just four seconds left on the clock. Rather than kicking the PAT to tie the game, Idaho went for two and came away with a thrilling one point victory.

 

 

Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. Nebraska

            This game was over from the time it started. The Cornhuskers dominated in all phases of the game. The 33-0 Nebraska win was the first shutout in the history of the Holiday Bowl. Arizona had just 33 yards of total offense at halftime as the Nebraska defense harassed Nick Foles and the Wildcat offense foe the entire 60 minutes of play.           

Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force

           

 

Sun Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Stanford

            It was evident from the very beginning that Stanford missed their redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Luck. The Cardinal stayed in the game, but without their starting quarterback the offense was one dimensional. Oklahoma knew that Stanford would have to rely heavily on Toby Gerhart. The Sooners stuffed the box, and held on for the win.

           

           

Texas Bowl: Navy vs. Missouri

            Navy limited Missouri’s passing attack and used the triple option offense to keep Missouri off the field. The Midshipmen were impressive in their victory. The offense controlled the clock. Missouri had no answer and was unable to get their defense off the field and their offense on to it.

 

 

Insight Bowl: Minnesota vs. Iowa State

            Iowa State holds on to a 14-13 victory to seal their first winning season since 2005. Minnesota put themselves in position to win, but fumbled the ball at Iowa State’s 15 yard line late in the 4^th quarter.

 

 

Chick-fil-A: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee

            Virginia Tech was only up three at half, but outscored Tennessee 20-0 in the second half to roll to a 37-14 victory. This marks Virginia Techs sixth straight ten win season, second only to Texas. It also marks the first time in school history that Virginia Tech has won back to back bowl games.

 

 

Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Auburn

            Auburn tried to lose this game, but Northwestern wouldn’t let them. The Tigers won 38-35 in overtime. Northwestern missed three field goals and had an extra point attempt blocked. After Auburn scored first in overtime, Northwestern decided to go for a fake field goal and the win, rather than kick and send the game to a second overtime. Northwestern was stopped on the fake and the Tigers stole a win.

           

 

Capital One Bowl: Penn State vs. LSU

            Penn State scored on a late field goal to come away with a 19-17 win. This game was close the entire way and was severely impacted by the absolutely horrible field conditions.

 

 

Gator Bowl: West Virginia vs. Florida State

Florida State 33 West Virginia 21. The Seminoles sent Bobby Bowden riding off into the sunset with an upset victory over the 16^th ranked Mountaineers. E.J Manuel was the star of the game as he threw for 189 yards and ran for 70 yards and a touchdown. He was named game MVP.

           

 

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon

            Defense wins championships. The 5^th ranked Ohio State defense proved to much for the high-powered Oregon offensive attack. The Ducks never got going offensively as Ohio State was able to control the clock and the tempo. Ohio State’s 26-17 victory snaps their BCS losing streak and helps regain some much needed credibility for the Big 10.     

 

 

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Cincinnati

            The story going into this game was all about Tebow’s last game as a collegiate player. The former Heisman winning quarterback did not disappoint. Tebow had 533 yards of total offense, setting a BCS bowl game record for an individual player. Tebow was pulled late in the fourth quarter to chants of “Thank You Tim.” Tebow was also named the MVP of the 2010 Sugar Bowl. Florida won 51-24. The Gators now have back to back 13 win seasons which is something that had never been done in Division 1 football.

 

 

International Bowl: South Florida vs. Northern Illinois

            South Florida ran away with an easy 27-3 victory in the International Bowl. After an uneventful first half that ended tied at 3, South Florida opened up the half with 10 points on its first two possessions. USF put on 14 points in the fourth and ran away with the win in Toronto.

           

 

Papa Johns Bowl: South Carolina vs. UConn

            Andre Dixon ran for 126 yards and a touchdown and the UConn defense limited South Carolina to only 205 total yards of offense. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier described the game as a “sad, sad effort.” UConn won 20-7.

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss

           

 

Liberty Bowl: Arkansas vs. East Carolina

            Dexter McCluster rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-7 Cotton Bowl victory for the Runnin Rebels. Ole Miss was able to limit Zac Robinson to just 119 yards passing. The real story of this game was the turnovers, Oklahoma State had seven, six in the fourth quarter alone.         

 

 

Alamo Bowl: Michigan State vs. Texas Tech

            Taylor Potts was having a great game at quarterback, but the Red Raider offense needed a spark so interim head coach Ruffin McNeal decided to put in Steven Sheffield. The backup quarterback converted two huge first downs and completed 9 of 11 passes to lead Texas Tech to a 41-31 Alamo Bowl victory.

           

           

Fiesta Bowl: TCU vs. Boise State

            It was the TCU defense that everyone was talking about, but the Boise State defense was the one that showed up and made the critical plays necessary to win the game. As the Horned Frogs were driving late in the game, Boise State intercepted a tipped ball with 36 seconds left in the game to seal the 17-10 victory. The turning point in the game occurred while the game was still tied at 10. There were about nine minutes left and Boise State was faced with a fourth and nine. Everyone expects trick plays from the Broncos and they could not have chosen a better time to run a fake punt. They executed it perfectly and gained 27 yards, setting up the game-winning touchdown run.

 

 

Orange Bowl: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech

            Georgia Tech had possibly the worst half that it could have had in the first half. The Yellow Jacket offense managed to gain just 32 total yards over the first 30 minutes of football. Luckily, their defense kept them in the game by only allowing 14 points and scoring a touchdown on an interception. Georgia Tech started to move the ball in the second half, but a late interception and a three and out deep in their own territory ultimately proved too much to overcome. Iowa played great defense all night and made just enough plays on offense to come away with a 24-14 victory.

 

 

GMAC Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Troy

            In the last bowl game prior to the National Championship, Central Michigan and Troy treated us to a double overtime thriller. Ultimately quarterback Dan LeFevour and Central Michigan came away with a 44-41 victory. LeFevour led a late touchdown drive to put the Chippewas ahead with 1:17 remaining. However, the defense could not hold off the Trojans and allowed a field goal that sent the game into overtime. Both teams got into the end-zone during the first overtime. In the second overtime Troy had a field goal attempt blocked meaning that all Central Michigan had to do was put points on the board. The Chippewas ran three straight plays and Andrew Aguila hit a 37 yard field goal to give his team the victory.

           

 

BCS National Championship: Texas vs. Alabama

            After being stopped on the first drive of the game, Alabama decided to go with a fake punt. The pass was intercepted and set up Texas with great field position. The Longhorns were able to capitalize and get a field goal, but they lost quarterback Colt McCoy who suffered a right shoulder surgery and sat out the remainder of the game. With their backup quarterback in the game Texas was unable to do anything offensively for the rest of the first half. Just when it seemed as if it couldn’t get any worse, Texas got intercepted on a shovel pass that Alabama returned for a touchdown with just three seconds remaining in the half. The Crimson Tide led 24-6 at the break. The game remained scoreless for most of the third, but with just under two minutes remaining Garrett Gilbert hit Jordan Shipley for a 44 yard touchdown pass. Texas kicked and recovered an onside kick following the touchdown, but went three and out. The Texas defense played great all night and kept Texas in the game. With six and a half minutes to go, Gilbert hit Shipley for their second touchdown connection of the night. Texas went for two and pulled to within three points. The Longhorns got the ball back, but fumbled the ball at their own three yard line. Mark Ingram rushed for his second touchdown of the game giving Alabama a ten point lead with two minutes to go. Alabama held on and won 37-21.

 

 

Congratulations to the 2009-10 NCAA Champion Alabama Crimson Tide.

College football fans wait all year for Bowl Season and it is finally upon us. This year there are 34 bowls which will be featuring five undefeated teams.

 

 

New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State vs. Wyoming

            Wyoming coach Dave Christensen is the only first-year Mountain West coach to get his team into a bowl game. However, his great season will end with a loss as Fresno State should run all over a Wyoming defense that is allowing 170 rushing yards per game.

 

St. Petersburg Bowl: UCF vs. Rutgers

            Since these two teams look even on paper, it would be easy to take UCF because they are playing at home. However, Rutgers has played against better competition all year and has shown that it can win on the road when it beat then 24^th ranked USF 31-0 in the Sunshine State. Rutgers has been trying to recruit in the state of Florida for years and this year they will win the bowl game and show recruits why they should play football in the Big East.

 

R+L Carriers New Orleans: Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee

            Middle Tennessee is on a six game win streak and should make it seven with a bowl victory. Both these teams have impressive offenses meaning that the defensive units will decide this game. The front seven of Middle Tennessee leads the nation in tackles for loss and is fourth in sacks per game. They will be the difference and should lead the Blue Raiders to victory.

 

Las Vegas Bowl: Oregon State vs. BYU

            Oregon State leads the all-time series 5-3 and will be leading when time expires at the Vegas Bowl. The Cougars are favored to win, but Oregon State is a good team that was one win away from a Rose Bowl Berth. The Beavers have a balanced offensive attack and will rely on Canfield and the Rodgers brothers to get the victory.

 

Poinsettia Bowl: Utah vs. Cal

            Utah has won 8 straight bowl games, but will not be able to keep up with Cal. The Golden Bears will welcome back running back Jahvid Best who has not played since he suffered a concussion versus Oregon State. Utah lost all three games that it played against ranked opponents this season. Utah’s nine win are a result of their schedule and not necessarily their talent level. They are a good team that will compete with Cal, but in the end the Bears should win.

 

Hawaii Bowl: Nevada vs. SMU

            SMU is going to its first bowl game since 1984. This is the same team that lost to Washington State so no one should be expecting much. Nevada has thee 1,000 yard rushers and boasts the nation’s best rushing attack. Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw for 1,875 yards this year and will lead the Wolf Pack to a win in Hawaii.

 

Little Caesars Bowl: Marshall vs. Ohio

            Ohio has a hard time defending the run and Marshall has a star running back, but it is hard to pick a team that has in interim head coach. Marshall Head coach Mark Snyder resigned after the final regular season game. Bowl games are often determined by coaching changes that take place shortly after the regular season ends. Ohio began to click late in the season and will continue to roll with a bowl game victory.

 

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Pitt vs. North Carolina

            North Carolina has been inconsistent all year and their lack of consistent execution will cost them in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Pittsburgh was impressive in the Big East Championship, but lost a heartbreaker. The Panthers will get back on track and should be celebrating a bowl victory in late December.

 

Emerald Bowl: Boston College vs. USC

            While both teams will enter the game at 8-4 their seasons had two very different stories. Boston College overachieved and is excited to be playing in a bowl game. USC has gone to a BCS bowl each of the past seven seasons and is not ranked in the top 25 for the first time in eight years. The Trojans have lost three of their final five games, but should win this game because they are the more talented team. USC may come out uninspired because they are not playing in a BCS Bowl, but the Trojans are the better team and should come away with a victory.

 

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: Kentucky vs. Clemson

            Clemson was five points away from winning the ACC and clinching a BCS berth. C.J Spiller will lead Clemson to a victory over a Kentucky team that was only 3-5 in conference play this season.

 

Independence Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Georgia

            Georgia has lost three defensive coaches since the season ended. This will make it harder for them to prepare for an A&M offense that was showcased to the country on Thanksgiving against Texas. A&M averages 33 points a game and Georgia gives up 26 points per game. Georgia has struggled on defense all year and they will continue to struggle in the Independence Bowl.

 

EagleBank Bowl: UCLA vs. Temple

            After Navy beat Army, UCLA was guaranteed a spot in the EagleBank Bowl. UCLA has struggled this year because of the lack of consistency from the quarterback position. However, Rick Neuheisel is a good coach who will get the most out of his team with the extra time to prepare. Look for a Bruin victory.

 

Champs Sports Bowl: Miami vs. Wisconsin

            Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year John Clay will look to continue his great rushing season in the Champs Sports Bowl. Miami struggled in the second half of the season, but I like them to win this game because it will be played in Orlando. As evidenced by their early season wins, Miami has the talent to be a great team if they could only execute consistently. Miami has the ability to win this bowl game and they will come away with a victory.

 

Humanitarian Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Idaho

            This game looks to be a high-scoring match-up that could go either way. I’m picking Idaho solely for the fact that this game is in the state of Idaho so they should have the “home-field” advantage which is all so important in close games.

 

Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. Nebraska

            Both teams come into this bowl game with completely different emotions. Arizona is thrilled after coming off a win over USC, while Nebraska is bewildered following a last second loss to Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game. Arizona will be without defensive coordinator Mark Stoops who just accepted a job at Florida State. The Wildcats should be okay though because Nebraska does not have very much of an offense. Arizona will struggle against Nebraska’s defense, but they should be able to score enough points to come away with a narrow victory.

 

Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force

            The nation’s best passing attack (Houston) will be facing the nation’s best passing defense (Air Force). Case Keenum and the Houston Cougars won this match-up last year, but Air Force has an improved defense and should be able to slow down the passing attack. Houston may be favored, but I’m picking the defense to win this game and that means I’m going with Air Force.

 

Sun Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Stanford

            Not only has Bob Stoops lost five of his last six bowl games, but he is also playing without his tight end and his Heisman winning quarterback. Stanford will be playing in a bowl for the first time in eight years and the Cardinal will be motivated to win the game. Freshman quarterback Andrew Luck, may be out of this game, but Stanford will still have the ability to run the ball with Toby Gerhart. The 235 pound running back carried the Cardinal all season and he will carry them to a bowl victory in El Paso.

 

Texas Bowl: Navy vs. Missouri

            Navy likes to run the ball, Missouri likes to throw. The Tigers have scored at least 32 points in each of its past five games. Navy is always impressive, but it is hard to see them slowing down the Tigers in this match up. The Missouri offense is just too good and will put up plenty of points in this matchup.

 

Insight Bowl: Minnesota vs. Iowa State

            Iowa State was 2-10 last year and will finish off a great turn-around season with a bowl appearance. This should be a close game and I’m giving Iowa State the edge because of their ability to run the ball and control the clock. Iowa State averages 178 rushing yards per game which is 36^th in the country.

 

Chick-fil-A: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee

            In his first year as head coach, Lane Kiffin will lead Tennessee to Atlanta where they will play Virginia Tech. The Hokies have a great rushing attack led by Ryan Williams who had nine 100 yard games this season. Virginia Tech is the better team and is ranked 11^th in the country for a reason. They have lost in their past two trips to Atlanta, but that streak will end on New Year’s Eve.

 

Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Auburn

            Auburn has lost five of its past six while Northwestern has been on a hot streak winning four of its past five. Auburn is the better team, but Northwestern will be motivated to capture its first bowl win since 1949. I’m picking Northwestern because they are the hotter team with more to play for.

 

Capital One Bowl: Penn State vs. LSU

            Big-10 vs. SEC. Both teams started out the season with BCS dreams. LSU is full of speed and athleticism which usually give teams from the Big-10 trouble. This game will also be played in the state of Florida which is much closer for LSU meaning that the stands will be full of yellow and purple. It’s hard to pick against legendary Joe Paterno, but this time it seems like picking Les Miles is the safer bet. Hopefully for LSU fans, the Tigers won’t have to manage the clock and win this game in the closing seconds.

 

Gator Bowl: West Virginia vs. Florida State

            The story of this game is that it is the last game for legendary coach Bobby Bowden. The sad reality is that he will go out on a loss. Florida State has struggled defensively all year and it is hard to imagine them stopping the Big East’s number two rushing attack.

 

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon

            Number seven versus number eight. Fourth ranked rushing attack versus fifth ranked rush defense. Pac-10 versus Big-10. Ohio State versus Oregon should be a pretty good Rose Bowl. The Ducks have always had a great offense but the difference this year is the Ducks’ defense. Ohio State has lost its past two bowl games and will extend its streak to three in Pasadena. The Ducks should get the victory and erase the idea that that Pac-10 is a one team conference.

 

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Cincinnati

            Tim Tebow’s last game as well as Cincinnati’s first game without Brian Kelly. The legendary Florida Gator quarterback will finish up his career in the Sugar Bowl. Cincinnati will be looking to prove that they belong, but will fall short because of the distractions of losing their head coach in addition to Tim Tebow’s desire to win his final game. Tebow is a fierce competitor who hates to lose more than he loves to win. His competitive nature will lead the Gators to victory as he has done so many times before.

 

International Bowl: South Florida vs. Northern Illinois

            South Florida started the year 5-0 but finished just 7-5. The Bulls are much more athletic than Northern Illinois, but have problems with consistency. Since the Bulls will have ample time to prepare, I expect that they will be able to properly prepare and use their skill and natural athleticism to bury Northern Illinois.

 

Papa Johns Bowl: South Carolina vs. UConn

            After the death of Jasper Howard, UConn became everyone’s favorite team. The Huskies are on a three game win streak and will beat South Carolina in their bowl game. South Carolina lost four of its final six.

 

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss

            Both these teams were in the top ten early in the year and suffered disappointing losses. Ole Miss’ Dexter McCluster has the chance to become the first player in SEC history to rush for 1,000 yards and have 500 receiving yards in the same season. Jevean Snead and Zack Robinson are both talented quarterbacks, but the loss of Dez Bryant will hurt the Cowboys and lead to an Ole Miss victory.

 

Liberty Bowl: Arkansas vs. East Carolina

            Despite coming off an impressive upset of Houston to win the Conference USA title, East Carolina will lose to Arkansas. The Razorbacks will have the home field advantage as many fans will be able to make the drive to Memphis, Tennessee, to watch their team in a bowl game. The Razorbacks will show that playing in the nation’s best conference has left them battle tested and ready to face a worthy East Carolina team.

 

Alamo Bowl: Michigan State vs. Texas Tech

            Texas Tech loves to throw the ball and should have a field day throwing against the Spartans who ranked 103 in pass defense and allowed 29 passing touchdowns on the season. Michigan State is also good at throwing the ball, but the Red Raider defense has been better than expected all year and will come up with enough stops to get their team the w.

 

Fiesta Bowl: TCU vs. Boise State

            TCU may be ranked higher, but Boise State will win this game because of one reason: Kellen Moore.       These are two of the nation’s top offenses averaging 44 and 40 points per game. The defense will take a back seat in this game as everyone watches the two high powered offenses go to work. Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore has throw for 39 touchdown passes and just three interceptions on the year. Moore is the most efficient quarterback in the country and will ensure that Boise State improves to 2-0 in the Fiesta Bowl.

 

Orange Bowl: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech

            Georgia Tech has a triple option offense that has looked unstoppable all year long. Iowa has become known as the luckiest team in the country after they pulled out close win after close win. The Hawkeyes flirted with disaster all year long and it will finally cost them when they go up against a great offense like Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have the ability to control the game and the tempo and will be able to keep Iowa off the field. Iowa had seven wins this season that were decided in the last minute. While this game may be exciting and decided late, the Hawkeyes will not finish on top.

 

GMAC Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Troy

            Central Michigan won their third MAC Championship in the past four years. Dan LeFevour is an outstanding quarterback who threw for 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. Troy is coming off a Sun Belt championship, but will fall short against Central Michigan Chippewas.

 

BCS National Championship: Texas vs. Alabama

            While the Crimson Tide defense was impressive against Florida and the Longhorns were less than impressive against Nebraska; I’m still picking Texas. The Texas defense will key in on Heisman winner Mark Ingram and force McElroy to beat them. Having faced Nebraska the Longhorns know what facing a great defense is like. Alabama is a better defense than Nebraska, but the Longhorns got a taste and will have the incentive to prepare and get ready. Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley lead a passing attack that will put points on the board and will help to return the crystal ball to Austin.

It took until the final week of the regular season, but the Pac-10 Conference finally has a champion. Congratulations to the University of Oregon Ducks and good luck in the Rose Bowl.

 

 

Oregon State @ Oregon: This year’s Civil War not only lived up to the hype, but it surpassed it as well. On a Thursday night with the whole nation watching, the Oregon schools put on a show. In the end the Ducks high-octane offense was to much for the Beavers to handle as the Beavers failed to make crucial stops late in the fourth quarter. LaMichael James struggle in the first half, but broke loose after halftime and rushed for a career high three touchdowns and over 150 yards in the 37-33 victory.

 

 

Arizona @ USC: The Wildcats went in to Los Angeles and upset the 18^th ranked USC Trojans 21-17. USC never found the rhythm offensively. The crowd and the team were lackluster and apathetic all afternoon. By winning this game, Arizona clinches second place in the Pac-10 and will represent the conference in the Holiday Bowl. USC will fall to sixth and will play in the Poinsettia Bowl.

 

 

Cal @ Washington: In what was possibly his last game as a collegiate quarterback, Jake Locker put on a show. The junior quarterback passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more. Cal will get to play again in a bowl game while Washington’s season is over. The Huskies showed promise for their future, but a lot of that will depend on Jake Locker’s decision.