Illinois 9-3 (6-2), 2nd Big Ten
vs
USC 10-2 (7-2), 1st Pacific-10

January 1, 4:30pm, ABC

Two seasons ago the Illinois football program hit rock bottom. In 2005 they won two games all year and went winless in the Big Ten, but two years later, Ron Zook has them playing in the Granddaddy of them all. The USC Trojans had high hopes for this season. I think you would be hard pressed to find a publication that did not have the Trojans playing in the national title game. But a shocking loss to Stanford and later to Oregon derailed those thoughts. Now the Trojans are healthy, and looking to show that they are the best team in the country.

Illinois is a very young team that runs the spread offense. Their quarterback, Juice Williams, has had some tough times during the year but he had a breakout game in the win at Columbus against Ohio State. Williams threw for over 1400 yards with 13 touchdowns, but he made some mental mistakes which cost his team as he threw 10 interceptions. He is a threat running the ball too, gaining 774 yards on the ground, scoring 7 touchdowns that way. The leading rusher for the Illini and the Big Ten is Rashard Mendenhall who ran for over 1500 yards and 16 touchdowns. Freshman Arrelious Benn is their top receiver and a threat in the return game that the Trojans have to account for. On defense, the Illini have the 23rd ranked rushing defense and 73rd ranked passing defense. The passing defense is going to have their hands full with the Trojans, and the plethora of quality receivers.

The Trojans had a rough year, with most of their offensive players at one time or another missed games due to injuries. In 9 games John David Booty threw for 2100 yards and 20 touchdowns. The receivers I was referring to are Fred Davis, Patrick Turner, and Vidal Hazelton who have combined for 1900 yards and 14 touchdowns. On the ground, the Trojans have not been that effective, as their leading rusher,Chauncey Washington, only has 894 yards. The strength of USC’s defense is how they play the run, and they are going to be going up against the 5th ranked rushing offense. The Trojans are 4th in rushing defense only giving up 79 yards per game, 2nd in total defense, and 3rd in scoring defense only giving up 15 points per game.

I expect Ron Zook to really play the no respect card. No one thinks that Illinois has a shot in the game, and really who can blame them. Yes, they did beat Ohio State, but they did not look that spectacular throughout most of the season. This team is young and has never been in a game of this magnitude before. Watching USC’s last two games against Arizona State and UCLA, you saw a team that was healthy and determined to show the country how good they really are. Illinois will put out a good effort against the Trojans, better than Michigan did last year, but USC is just too talented and experienced for the Illini to over come. USC 31 Illinois 16

Picking Illinois to Win (0%)
No one

Picking USC to Win (100%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, Pitch Right, Kansas It’s Business Time, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Sportsbone TV, Rizzo Sports, MizzouRAH, MidWest Coast Bias, The Enlightened Spartan, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, ITB Ron Juckett, ITB Charlie Swager, Football Frontier, The LSC Scoop, Corn Nation, Richard Dixon, Mrs Corn Nation, Brian Isaacson, Logan Jaffe, Brant Chruscial, Matt Kieta, Dan Schoonover, Lou Nemec, Timmy B, Greg Gowins, Sunny Verma, Lorena The Dodgerchick, Pete Boivin, Jason Stiver, Cyril Tircuit, Jeff Brancolini, Rodney Polston

Texas Tech 8-4 (4-4), 3rd Big 12 - South Division
vs
Virginia 9-3 (6-2), 2nd Atlantic Coast - Coastal

January 1, 1:00 pm, CBS

The Gator Bowl is a game where the strength of the high powered Texas Tech offense will go up against the tough Virginia defense. I will be the first to admit that I thought that the Cavaliers would be lucky to finish with 6 wins and go to a bowl game, but Al Groh got his team focused and had them challenging for the ACC Coastal division title. Texas Tech on the other hand, had what I would call a normal year for them winning eight games. Their marquee win was their last game where they beat Oklahoma and consequently knocked them out of the BCS title game.

The Red Raiders are a spread you out, throw the ball 50 plus times a game kind of team. Graham Harrell threw for a ton of yards this year, passing for 5298 yards with 45 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Reading numbers like that you will see why this offense is ranked 1st in passing offense, 2nd in total offense, and 6th in scoring offense, garnering 41 points per game. Youngster Michael Crabtree is Harrell’s main recieiver. The speed and size of Crabtree allowed him to catch 125 ball for 1861 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Tech defense is about average but they do hold their opponents to only 20 points per game, which is peanuts when you compare it to how many they score each game.

As I said before, the Cavs have been so good because of the way they play defense. The Cavs won 5 games this year by 2 points or less. So they are use to being in close game. Offensively, Virginia is a below average team, 92nd in rushing offense, 78th in passing offense, and 85th in scoring offense with 24 points per game. Chris Long, son of TV announcer Howie Long, is the one of the main reasons the Cavs are 16th in total defense and 13th in scoring defense giving up just under 19 points per game. Long was third in the nation with 14 sacks, and he will be key in getting pressure on Harrell and hopefully forcing him into making bad throws.

Even though Virginia had an impressive resume’ winning 9 games this year, they could’ve easily only won 6 with all the games that were really close. The Cavs definitely do not have the offense to keep up in a scoring fest with the Red Raiders, so for them to win they have to keep the Red Raiders under 20 points. I don’t see that happened, especially with the Harrell-Crabtree connection. The Red Raiders will be held below their season average, but the Cavs won’t be able to score enough to keep it close. Texas Tech 38 Virginia 13

Picking Texas Tech to Win (66%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, ITB Charlie Swager, The LSC Scoop, Corn Nation, Pitch Right, Kansas It’s Business Time, Sportsbone TV, MizzouRAH, Matt Kieta, Lorena The Dodgerchick, Jason Stiver, Rodney Polston, Dan Schoonover, Timmy B, Greg Gowins, Richard Dixon, Brian Isaacson, Logan Jaffe, Brant Churscial

Picking Virginia to Win (34%)
The Enlightened Spartan, ITB Ron Juckett, Football Frontier, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Rizzo Sports, Sunny Verma, Pete Boivin, Cyril Tircuit, Jeff Brancolini, Lou Nemec, Mrs Corn Nation

Michigan 8-4 (6-2), 2nd Big Ten
vs
Florida 9-3 (5-3), 3rd Southeastern - East

January 1, 1:00 pm, ABC

For Michigan, their year started out just horrible. First they were embarrassed by Appalachian State in their opener and then Oregon came into the Big House and put a huge number on them. Those two teams had one thing in common, both ran the spread offense. When Michigan faces Florida in the Capital One Bowl, they will be facing another team that runs the spread, but unfortunately for the Wolverines, they are the masters of the spread. This will be Lloyd Carr’s last game as the Michigan coach. Carr resigned after the Ohio State game and will be replaced by Rich Rodriquez.

Florida is led by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. Tebow became the first player in college football history to run for 20 touchdowns and pass for 20 touchdowns in one season. In total, Tebow threw for 3132 yards and 29 touchdowns and ran for 838 yards and 22 touchdowns. He isn’t the only one that will hurt you on offense. Percy Harvin is an explosive player that ran for almost 600 yards on the ground and led the team in receiving with 781 yards. Both of those players are a big reason why Florida is the 14th ranked offense and is 4thin total points, scoring over 43 points per game. Defensively, the Gators are 10th against the run, and they will be tested going up against Michael Hart of Michigan. Their passing defense has been less than stellar. That could be a way that Michigan moves the ball, through the air.

Michigan has been plagued with injuries on offense. Chad Henne and Michael Hart have missed games, but at least at quarterback, Ryan Mallet has proved that he can fill in nicely. Mallet might be playing in his last game as a Wolverine, much speculation surrounds him because if the Rodriquez brings in the spread offense, Mallet might be a prime candidate to transfer. Hart is the Michigan offense, in 9 games he has run for 1232 and 12 touchdowns. Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington are two big and fast receivers who have combined for 1800 yards and 17 touchdowns. They could be key going up against the weaker Florida secondary. On defense, the Wolverines rank 7th against the pass and only give up 20 points per game. But they will be in for a big test stopping the spread of the Gators.

The Wolverine have lost 4 straight bowl games, the last team they beat? Florida in the 2003 Outback Bowl. Carr has moved his stuff out of his office and is hoping that a miracle can happen to go out a winner against the Gators. But unfortunately for him, they are going to need a huge miracle. The Gator might have 3 losses, but they could be the best 3 loss team in the country. Like in the game against Ohio State, Michigan will come out playing with a lot of emotion, but after the first quarter, it will fade. That is when Florida will take over and send Michigan to their fifth straight bowl loss. Tebow will throw for two and run for another two in a comfortable Gator victory. Florida 38 Michigan 13

Picking Michigan to Win (3%)
Lou Nemec

Picking Florida to Win (97%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, MidWest Coast Bias, The Enlightened Spartan, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, ITB Ron Juckett, ITB Charlie Swager, Football Frontier, The LSC Scoop, Corn Nation, Pitch Right, Kansas It’s Business Time, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Sportsbone TV, Rizzo Sports, MizzouRah, Matt Kieta, Sunny Verma, Lorena The Dodgerchick, Pete Boivin, Jason Stiver, Cyril Tircuit, Rodney Polston, Jeff Brancolini, Dan Schoonover, Timmy B, Greg Gowins, Richard Dixon, Mrs Corn Nation, Brian Isaacson, Logan Jaffe, Brant Chruscial

Missouri 11-2 (7-1), 1st Big 12 - North Division
vs
Arkansas 8-4 (4-4), 3rd Southeastern - West

January 1, 11:30pm, FOX

The Missouri Tigers were one win away against Oklahoma in the Big 12 Title game of playing in the National Title game, but a loss in that game has them playing against a Nutt-less Razorback team. Houston Nutt resigned as Arkansas’ coach, only to turn around and take the Mississippi job the day after. The Razorbacks went out and got former Falcons and Louisville coach Bobby Petrino to come in and take their vacancy. In other news, Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden might not be able to play in the game because of allegations that he took gifts from an agent. To read more about this match-up don’t forget to visit my good pal MizzouRAH.

The Missouri Tigers are built around the strong arm and leadership of their quarterback Chase Daniel. Daniel leads the 7th ranked passing offense and 5th ranked offense overall. In 2007, Daniel has thrown for 4170 yards with 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He struggles a bit against the Sooners and I believe that is why they lost that game. Tony Temple is back at running back. He missed two games this season because of an injury, but in 11 games he has rushed for 758 yards and 8 touchdowns. Jeremy Maclin (1000 yards receiving) and Martin Rucker (815 yards receiving) combine for 17 touchdowns and are a difficult challenge for anyone to cover, that includes a defense in Arkansas that ranks 37th against the pass. The Missouri defense is a terrible 101st against the pass, but given that Arkansas does not beat teams through the air, that should not hurt the Tigers. Against the run, Missouri is 26th against the run, giving up only 118 yards per game. They will have their hands full with Felix Jones and possibly Darren McFadden.

Darren McFadden is the offense for the Razorbacks. He lines up at running back, slot receiver, and even at quarterback. In 12 games this season, McFadden rushed for 1725 yards and his partner in the backfield, Felix Jones added another 1100 yards. The duo also combined for 28 rushing touchdowns. For Arkansas to have a chance to win, quarterback Casey Dick must have a good game. Dick has thrown for 1498 yards with 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. I think they must take advantage of the fact that Missouri’s weakness is their pass defense.

A lot of this game’s outcome has to do on whether or not Darren McFadden will play. If he doesn’t, I don’t think Arkansas has a chance in this game, but even if he does play I still give the decided advantage to Missouri. The Tigers are going to be playing with a chip on their shoulder since Kansas, a team they beat, got into the BCS and they were left out. They are going to want to prove that they should’ve been there, and will take it out on a leaderless Razorback team. Missouri 41 Arkansas 20

Picking Missouri to Win (75%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, MizzouRAH, The Enlightened Spartan, ITB Ron Juckett, ITB Charlie Swager, Football Frontier, The LSC Scoop, Corn Nation, Pitch Right, Kansas It’s Business Time, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Rizzo Sports, Matt Kieta, Sunny Verma, Lorena The Dodgerchick, Jason Stiver, Cyril Tircuit, Rodney Polston, Dan Schoonover, Timmy B, Greg Gowins, Richard Dixon, Mrs Corn Nation, Brian Isaacson

Picking Arkansas to Win (25%)
MidWest Coast Bias, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, Sportsbone TV, Pete Boivin, Jeff Brancolini, Lou Nemec, Logan Jaffe, Brant Chruscial

Tennessee 9-4 (6-2), 1st Southeastern - East
vs
Wisconsin 9-3 (5-3), 4th Big Ten

January 1, 11:00 am, ESPN

Tennessee comes to the Outback Bowl for the second year in a row, but this year they do it without three starters. Those starters are among a half dozen Tennessee Volunteers who have been ruled academically ineligible for the Outback Bowl. Wisconsin had a up and down season, but ended the year on a good note. The Badgers got some more good news when their stud tight end Travis Beckum, decided to come back for his senior year. This is a big game for the Big Ten as they hope to erase the bad bowl season they had last year.

Tennessee was only 7 points away from playing in a BCS bowl, losing to LSU in the SEC Championship game, but even in losing that game the Vols looked like a good team. They will be without their offensive coordinator, who left to coach Duke, but their stud quarterback, Erik Ainge, will still be there. Ainge has thrown for 3157 yards and 29 touchdowns, and should thank his offensive line for most of that because Ainge is the least sacked QB in the nation. This year the Vols have done some damage on the ground with Arian Foster who has rushed for 1162 yards and 11 touchdowns. Ainge will be missing his #1 receiver, Lucas Taylor due to the suspensions mentioned earlier.

When you talk about Badger football, you usually think about a tough running game. Well this year’s team is no different. PJ Hill Jr was the main back for Wisconsin, but unfortunately it looks as if he will not be able to play in the Outback Bowl due to a high ankle sprain. That will put more pressure on quarterback Tyler Donovan (2452 yards 16 touchdowns) and Hill’s backup Zach Brown. Donovan will still have Travis Beckum to throw to and Beckum is going to create a lot of mismatched with the Vols secondary. The Badgers are above average in the pass defense category, but I doubt they’ve faced a pass offense like Tennessee will throw at them.

If all things were equal here, I think Wisconsin would have a good chance to win. But without their top running back Hill, the Badgers are going to have a tough time winning this game. Wisconsin did well going down the stretch without Hill, but again I don’t think they faced the quality of competition as they will in this bowl game. Tennessee has a tough, balanced attack with Ainge and Foster, which makes it hard for defensive coordinators to scheme against. I think Wisconsin will be able to keep it close early, but unlike last year’s Outback Bowl, the Vols will pull it out for a victory in the second half. Tennessee 27 Wisconsin 13

Picking Tennessee to Win (56%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Sportsbone TV, Rizzo Sports, ITB Ron Juckett, ITB Charlie Swager, Football Frontier, The LSC Scoop, MidWest Coast Bias, Mrs Corn Nation, Brian Isaacson, Brant Chruscial, Greg Gowins, Pete Boivin, Jason Stiver, Cyril Tircuit, Matt Kieta

Picking Wisconsin to Win (44%)
Pitch Right, Kansas It’s Business Time, The Enlightened Spartan, MizzouRAH, Corn Nation, Logan Jaffe, Jeff Brancolini, Dan Schoonover, Lou Nemec, Timmy B, Richard Dixon, Rodney Polston, Sunny Verma, Lorena The Dodgerchick

Indiana 7-5 (3-5), 7th Big Ten
vs
Oklahoma State 6-6 (4-4), 3rd Big 12 - South Division

December 31, 6:00 pm, NFL Network

Play 13 was the motto for the 2007 Indiana Hoosiers. They adapted it after losing their coach, Terry Hoeppner, on June 19th. The players, coaches, and fans dedicated this season to a coach they loved and he would’ve been proud as the Hoosiers are going to a bowl game for the first time in 14 years. Oklahoma State has had an up and down year, most notably they are known to be coached by, Mike Gundy, the guy who flipped out on a reporter in a post game tirade.

The Cowboys are a team that relies on the run, ranking 7th in the nation in rushing offense. Most of those yards come from running back Dantrell Savage and his 1172 yards but quarterback Zac Robinson ran for 777 yards on his own. Add to that, the 2522 yards passing with 20 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions and one can understand why he beat out Bobby Reid. The Cowboys are going to have to find a way to sure up their passing defense which ranked 116th in the country since they will be going up against All Big Ten receiver James Hardy.

The Hoosiers have a duel threat quarterback of their own in Sophomore Kellen Lewis. Lewis leads Indiana in passing with 2839 yards passing 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and in rushing with 653 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground. But the real threat of the Indiana offense is their tall, fast wide receiver James Hardy. Hardy caught 74 balls for 1075 yards and 16 touchdowns, and is poised to have a field day against Oklahoma State’s poor pass defense. Indiana on defense is a bit below average against the run and the pass, so while Indiana might be able to throw on the Cowboys, I believe the Cowboys can use a mix of run and pass to gain on the Hoosiers.

Looking at the team rankings, it isn’t hard to see that there will be a lot of points scored during this game. I believe James Hardy is a special player and he is someone who can take over a game, like Calvin Johnson did in 2006. Hardy is going to have a monster game against the Cowboys; maybe topping the 200 yard plateau in receiving yards for the game. The Cowboys will also score a lot of points but in the end I believe it will be Indiana’s desire to win that will lead them to their first 8 win season since 1993. Indiana 49 Oklahoma State 45

Picking Indiana to Win (34%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, Pitch Right, The Enlightened Spartan, Sportsbone TV, MidWest Coast Bias, Brant Chruscial, Jeff Brancolini, Jason Stiver, Cyril Tircuit, Sunny Verma, Lorena The Dodgerchick

Picking Oklahoma State to Win (66%)
Kansas It’s Business Time, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Rizzo Sports, MizzouRAH, ITB Ron Juckett, ITB Charlie Swager, Football Frontier, The LSC Scoop, Corn Nation, Mrs Corn Nation, Brian Isaacson, Logan Jaffe, Lou Nemec, Timmy B, Greg Gowins, Richard Dixon, Rodney Polston, Pete Boivin, Matt Kieta

Clemson 9-3 (5-3), 2nd Atlantic Coast - Atlantic
vs
Auburn 8-4 (5-3), 2nd Southeastern - West

December 31, 7:30pm, ESPN

If you like defense, then the 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl is one you shouldn’t miss. Clemson is looking for their first 10 win season since 1990 while Auburn is sporting its worst record since 2003 when they only won 7 games. Auburn has won 12 straight against Clemson, including a 21-17 victory in the 1998 Chick-fil-A Bowl in the only meeting between the schools since 1971.

The Clemson Tigers have two of the best backs in the ACC, if not the country in James Davis and CJ Spiller. The two combined have run for 1800 yards and 11 touchdowns. Their quarterback, Cullen Harper, is one of the best kept secrets in the country. Matt Ryan got all the hype in the ACC, but Harper actually had a better year. He threw for 2887 yards 27 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. Even though the Tigers are going to be missing two of their linebackers due to suspension their defense is still one of the best. They give up only 18 points per game and are 6th in the country in total defense.

The other Tigers in the game, Auburn, boasts a defense that is even statically better than Clemson’s. They are 8th in total defense but only give up 16 points per game, and that is tremendous when you consider they play in the SEC with a lot of good team offenses. Their offense does as good as their quarterback Brandon Cox does. When he has a good game they win, if he throws multiple interceptions, they will most likely lose. Running the ball they have Ben Tate and Brad Lester, who missed part of the season because of injury. The two added up for 1300 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Auburn has been in a lot of low scoring close games this year and if they want to beat Clemson, Auburn cannot let them score more that 17 points. Unlike last year’s high flying Chick-fil-A Bowl, I expect a low scoring defensive slugfest. This is just a shot in the dark but look for Auburn’s kicker, Wes Byrum, to kick the game winning Field Goal just like he did against Florida this year to pull out a 3 point victory. Auburn 17 Clemson 14

Picking Clemson to Win (41%)
Pitch Right, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Sportsbone TV, Football Frontier, MidWest Coast Bias, The LSC Scoop, Mrs Corn Nation, Brian Isaacson, Logan Jaffe, Jeff Brancolini, Greg Gowins, Cyril Tircuit, Matt Kieta

Picking Auburn to Win (59%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, Kansas It’s Business Time, The Enlightened Spartan, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, Rizzo Sports, MizzouRAH, ITB Ron Juckett, ITB Charlie Swager, Corn Nation, Brant Chruscial, Dan Schoonover, Lou Nemec, Timmy B, Richard Dixon, Rodney Polston, Pete Boivin, Jason Stiver, Sunny Verma, Lorena The Dodgerchick

Kentucky 7-5 (3-5), 4th Southeastern - East
vs
Florida State 7-5 (4-4), 4th Atlantic Coast - Atlantic

December 31, 4:00pm, ESPN

The big story for the Music City Bowl is not the game itself, it is the fact that 36 players on the Seminoles roster are not available to play either due to injury, rules violation, or the academic cheating scandal. This is a black eye for a program that is looking to come back into the National scene. The Wildcats of Kentucky have had up and down season, but overall this is a good team. Rich Brooks has done a good job building this program into respectability.

Before the suspension of all of those players, the big story surrounding Florida State is how the school laid out a succession plan that has Jumbo Fisher taking over for Bobby Bowden when he decides to leave. Quarterback has been a position that has not be so stable for Florida State, but with Xavier Lee out for the bowl game, it is Drew Weatherford’s job. This season Weatherford has thrown for 1773 yards with 8 touchdowns and 1 interception. For a team that use to run the ball so well, Antone Smith was the leading rusher this season with a little over 650 yards. De’ Cody Fagg, Greg Carr, and Preston Parker are good targets for Weatherford, but their inconsistent play has plagued them. On defense, the Seminoles are good against the run but below average against the pass and Kentucky is going to be able to exploit that weakness.

Andre Woodson was once a Heisman Candidate, but after a few midseason losses, he fell off the radar. That does not mean he isn’t a special player. Woodson is a strong armed, athletic quarterback who has thrown for 3351 yards, 36 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions. Rafael Little and Derrick Locke have added up to 1400 yards on the ground but each has missed some time due to injuries. On defense, the Wildcats are an impressive 22nd against the pass in a tough SEC Conference, but below average against the run. I think that sets them up perfect going up against a depleted Seminole offense.

It is one thing to lose 2 or 3 players, but to lose 36 for one game is a serious blow that not even the best teams in the country can over come. For the Seminoles it is a chance for them to get some playing time for the youngster and to see how they handle pressure. For Kentucky, it is time for them to send out Andre Woodson and the rest of their seniors out with a victory. Kentucky is much better than their 7 win record shows, and they will prove it beating the Seminoles with ease. Kentucky 40 Florida State 13

Picking Kentucky to Win (87.5%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, ITB Charlie Swager, Football Frontier, The LSC Scoop, Corn Nation, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Sportsbone TV, Rizzo Sports, ITB Ron Juckett, The Enlightened Spartan, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, Kansas It’s Business Time, Pitch Right, MidWest Coast Bias, Rodney Polston, Pete Boivin, Jason Stiver, Sunny Verma, Lorena The Dodgerchick, Matt Kieta, Timmy B, Greg Gowins, Richard Dixon, Dan Schoonover, Lou Nemec, Brian Isaacson, Logan Jaffe, Jeff Brancolini

Picking Florida State to Win (12.5%)
MizzouRAH, Cyril Tircuit, Mrs Corn Nation, Brant Chruscial

South Florida 9-3 (4-3), 3rd Big East
vs
Oregon 8-4 (5-4), 4th Pacific-10

December 31, 2:00pm, CBS

Even though these two teams are on different coasts, they share one thing in common; both at one time during the season were ranked #2 in the BCS. South Florida was the first to do it starting the season 6-0 before losing their next three games. Oregon reached #2, then lost the last three games of the season. The Ducks have not been the same team since losing starting quarterback Dennis Dixon.

It is anyone’s best guess who will play quarterback for the Ducks in the Sun Bowl. After Dixon’s injury, Cody Kempt, Brady Leaf and redshirt freshman Justin Roper have all seen time behind center. Combined the three have thrown for almost 500 yards, only 2 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. With that ineffectiveness at quarterback, it puts all of the pressure on Jonathan Stewart’s shoulders. In 12 games, Stewart rushed for 1469 yards and 10 touchdowns. Without Dixon in the lineup the Ducks have struggled moving the ball and not turning the ball over. Defensively the Ducks are better against the run than the pass and lead the nation in tackles for loss.

Like Oregon, the Bulls rely on their quarterback to be the catalyst of their offense. Sophomore Matt Grothe leads the Bulls in passing (2473 yards and 13 touchdowns) and rushing (832 yards and 10 touchdowns). He is a tough player for defenses to defend but since he is still young he has shown he will turn the ball over, throwing 12 interceptions on the year. On defense the Bulls are extremely tough, and you don’t have to look any further than defensive end George Selvie. Selvie leads the nation in tackles for a loss and is an excellent pass rusher too. He is able to rush the passer so well because South Florida has a pair of superb cornerbacks that allow the defensive coordinator to play a lot of man and blitz. South Florida’s 19th rank rush defense will be put to the test when the go up against Stewart.

If Dennis Dixon were healthy, this would be a great game and a very tough one to pick. But given the fact that he is out, the other Ducks quarterback have struggled, and South Florida has such a fast, attacking defense; I think the Ducks are doomed in this one. Their defense will need to force Grothe to turn the ball over and hope that Jonathan Stewart can overcome the stacked boxed that he will see against Oregon. Any way you put it, I think that South Florida has the upper hand and will win this game. South Florida 38 Oregon 17

Picking South Florida to Win (75%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, ITB Charlie Swager, Football Frontier, Corn Nation, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Sportsbone TV, Rizzo Sports, MizzouRAH, ITB Ron Juckett, The Enlightened Spartan, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, Kansas It’s Business Time, Pitch Right, MidWest Coast Bias, Pete Boivin, Jason Stiver, Lorena The Dodgerchick, Matt Kieta, Timmy B, Richard Dixon, Dan Schoonover, Brian Isaacson, Logan Jaffe, Brant Chruscial

Picking Oregon to Win (25%)
The LSC Scoop, Rodney Polston, Cyril Tircuit, Sunny Verma, Greg Gowins, Lou Nemec, Mrs Corn Nation, Jeff Brancolini

Georgia Tech 7-5 (4-4), 3rd Atlantic Coast - Coastal
vs
Fresno State 8-4 (6-2), 3rd Western Athletic

December 31 2:00 pm, ESPN2

Georgia Tech will have to wait till after this game for the Paul Johnson era to start, and already many receivers are concerned that he will not need them if Johnson brings the triple option offense with him. Both teams have won the last time they played in this bowl game. Fresno State comes into the game playing in their 8th bowl game in 9 years, winning 3 of their last 4 regular season games but to win against the Yellow Jackets their offense will have to protect their QB because Tech averages 4 sacks per game.

The Bulldog offense is as balanced as you can get it, averaging 202 yards on the ground and through the air. Tom Brandstater had an average year throwing for 2369 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. On the ground, Fresno State is led by Ryan Mathews and Lonyae Miller, both of which have missed time this year because of injuries. If Fresno State has a weakness on defense, it is against the run. The Bulldogs give up around 180 yards per game on the ground, and that isn’t a good sign when you are going against a back like Tashard Choice.

The Yellow Jackets are in flux, between coaches, but they still boast one of the best defenses in the land. They are 12th against the run, 32nd against the pass, and 11th overall. On an average, Georgia Tech gives up only 19 points per game. Yards and points are a premium against the Yellow Jackets. On offense their strength is running the ball with Tashard Choice. In 11 games, Choice has run for 1310 yards with 10 touchdowns. Taylor Bennett had a coming out party in last year’s bowl game, but cooled off after the loss of Calvin Johnson to the NFL. Bennett threw 3 more interceptions than touchdowns, and must protect the ball if Georgia Tech wants to win.

Smash mouth football is the name of the game when you come and play the 2007 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. I think the Bulldogs are going to be in for a world of hurting and right now it isn’t shaping up too good for the Western Athletic Conference. With Boise State and Nevada losing; Fresno State and Hawaii must pick up the slack. The Bulldogs just do not have the line play to stop the Yellow Jackets and they will have a hard time gaining any yards against their tough defense. Georgia Tech 24 Fresno State 10

Picking Georgia Tech to Win (76%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, Rizzo Sports, Sportsbone TV, MidWest Coast Bias, ITB Ron Juckett, Football Frontier, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, The LSC Scoop, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Greg Gowins, Richard Dixon, Brian Isaacson, Logan Jaffe, Brant Chruscial, Dan Schoonover, Lou Nemec, Mrs Corn Nation, Matt Kieta, Timmy B, Cyril Tircuit, Rodney Polston

Picking Fresno State to Win (34%)
MizzouRAH, Kansas It’s Business Time, Pitch Right, ITB Charlie Swager, The Enlightened Spartan, Corn Nation, Jeff Brancolini, Sunny Verma, Lorena The Dodgerchick, Pete Boivin, Jason Stiver