It is that wonderful time of year again and for college football bowl season. December 18 - January 10. Are you ready?
We didn't have a lot of BCS controversy this year, the biggest BCS debate was between TCU and Boise State, how about that? There was no argument for the No. 2 spot, there were no major disappointments aside from Kyle Brotzman.
After that, the most disappointing thing might have been Oregon slipping from No. 1 to No. 2 which all that means it that they're wearing their road jerseys which means their combination of uniforms to choose from just decreased by like a thousand. Either way, they have brand new Nike ProCombat uniforms to debut on January 10 in the BCS Championship Game.
Like we do every year, we've got some great matchups like Michigan State-Alabama; we've got some legendary matchups like Penn State-Florida; we've got a non-AQ battle like Boise State-Utah; we've got the Triple-Option offense bowl featuring Georgia Tech and Air Force; and of course we've got matchups that no one cares about like Ohio-Troy and FIU-Toledo; and we've got big names not playing in the postseason like Texas and USC.
We get great matchups every year and we get those matchups that no one cares about except me. Sometimes, those turn out to be the best games on the field. Very competitive and down to the wire.
Who can forget that Bowling Green-Idaho game last year in the Humanitarian Bowl? Epic ending to that game. Northwestern-Auburn was insane. And then we had guys like Kyle Padron of SMU and Austyn Carta-Samuels of Wyoming burst onto the college football landscape.
Which matchup will be the next exciting game and who will be the next breakout player?
I'll preview the bowls as we go along through these next two weeks. Check in the night before or the morning of the date of the game.
But for now, here's my broken-down Matchup Advantages for every game.
MATCHUP ADVANTAGES
New Mexico Bowl: BYU Cougars (6-6) vs. UTEP Miners (6-6)
Quarterback: Heaps is improved and depends which Vittatoe we see. So I’ll say Tied for now
Running game: UTEP
Receivers: BYU
Offensive Line: BYU
Defensive Line: BYU
Linebackers: BYU
Secondary: BYU
Special Teams: BYU
uDrove Humanitarian Bowl: Northern Illinois Huskies (10-3) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs (8-4)
Quarterback: Northern Illinois
Running game: Tied
Receivers: Fresno State
Offensive Line: Fresno State
Defensive Line: Northern Illinois
Linebackers: Northern Illinois
Secondary: Fresno State
Special Teams: Fresno State
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Ohio Bobcats (8-4) vs. Troy Trojans (7-5)
Quarterback: Troy
Running game: Ohio
Receivers: Troy
Offensive Line: Troy
Defensive Line: Troy
Linebackers: Ohio
Secondary: Ohio
Special Teams: Troy
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl: Louisville Cardinals (6-6) vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (7-5)
Quarterback: Southern Miss
Running game: Louisville
Receivers: Southern Miss
Offensive Line: Louisville
Defensive Line: Louisville
Linebackers: Southern Miss
Secondary: Louisville
Special Teams: Southern Miss
MAACO Bowl Las Vegas: Utah (10-2) vs. Boise State (11-1)
Quarterback: Boise State
Running game: Boise State
Receivers: Boise State
Offensive Line: Boise State
Defensive Line: Boise State
Linebackers: Utah
Secondary: Boise State
Special Teams: Boise State
SD County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego State (8-4) vs. Navy (9-3)
Quarterback: Tied
Running game: Navy
Receivers: San Diego State
Offensive Line: Navy
Defensive Line: San Diego State
Linebackers: San Diego State
Secondary: San Diego State
Special Teams: Navy
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (9-3) vs. Hawaii Warriors (10-3)
Quarterback: Tied
Running game: Tulsa
Receivers: Hawaii
Offensive Line: Tulsa
Defensive Line: Hawaii
Linebackers: Tulsa
Secondary: Hawaii
Special Teams: Tulsa
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Florida International Golden Panthers (6-6) vs. Toledo Rockets (8-4)
Quarterback: Toledo
Running game: Toledo
Receivers: Toledo
Offensive Line: Toledo
Defensive Line: Florida International
Linebackers: Florida International
Secondary: Toledo
Special Teams: Toledo
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl: Georgia Tech (6-6) vs. Air Force (8-4)
Quarterback: Tied
Running game: Georgia Tech
Receivers: Georgia Tech
Offensive Line: Air Force
Defensive Line: Georgia Tech
Linebackers: Air Force
Secondary: Air Force
Special Teams: Georgia Tech
Champs Sports Bowl: North Carolina State Wolf Pack (8-4) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (9-3)
Quarterback: Tied
Running game: West Virginia
Receivers: West Virginia
Offensive Line: NC State
Defensive Line: West Virginia
Linebackers: NC State
Secondary: West Virginia
Special Teams: West Virginia
Insight Bowl: Iowa Hawkeyes (7-5) vs. Missouri Tigers (10-2)
Quarterback: Tough to pick against Blaine Gabbert but Ricky Stanzi has risen up late in games…Iowa
Running game: Iowa
Receivers: Missouri (Iowa without Derrell Johnson-Koulianos)
Offensive Line: Missouri
Defensive Line: Iowa
Linebackers: Missouri
Secondary: Tied
Special Teams: Iowa
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman: Maryland Terrapins (8-4) vs. East Carolina Pirates (6-6)
Quarterback: East Carolina
Running game: Maryland
Receivers: East Carolina as a group > Torrey Smith
Offensive Line: Maryland
Defensive Line: Maryland
Linebackers: Maryland
Secondary: Maryland
Special Teams: East Carolina
Texas Bowl: Illinois Fighting Illini (6-6) vs. Baylor Bears (7-5)
Quarterback: Baylor
Running game: Illinois
Receivers: Baylor
Offensive Line: Illinois
Defensive Line: Illinois
Linebackers: Baylor
Secondary: Baylor
Special Teams: Baylor
Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-2) vs. Arizona Wildcats (7-5)
Quarterback: Tough pick…Oklahoma State
Running game: Oklahoma State
Receivers: Oklahoma State
Offensive Line: Oklahoma State
Defensive Line: Oklahoma State
Linebackers: Oklahoma State
Secondary: Arizona
Special Teams: Oklahoma State
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: SMU Mustangs (7-6) vs. Army Black Knights (6-6)
Quarterback: SMU
Running game: Army
Receivers: SMU
Offensive Line: Army
Defensive Line: Army
Linebackers: SMU
Secondary: SMU
Special Teams: SMU
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas State Wildcats (7-5) vs. Syracuse Orange (7-5)
Quarterback: Syracuse
Running game: Tough pick… Kansas State
Receivers: Syracuse
Offensive Line: Syracuse
Defensive Line: Syracuse
Linebackers: Syracuse
Secondary: Syracuse
Special Teams: Kansas State
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: North Carolina Tar Heels (7-5) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (6-6)
Quarterback: North Carolina …although freshman Tyler Bray is really coming along for Tennessee, Yates is proven
Running game: Tennessee
Receivers: Tennessee… great young receivers, UNC veterans are prone to drops
Offensive Line: Tennessee
Defensive Line: North Carolina (even without Marvin Austin and Robert Quinn)
Linebackers: North Carolina (best group in the country)
Secondary: North Carolina
Special Teams: Tennessee
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3) vs. Washington Huskies (6-6)
Quarterback: Washington
Running game: Nebraska
Receivers: Nebraska
Offensive Line: Nebraska
Defensive Line: Nebraska
Linebackers: Nebraska
Secondary: Nebraska
Special Teams: Nebraska
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Clemson Tigers (6-6) vs. South Florida Bulls (7-5)
Quarterback: Tied
Running game: South Florida …Clemson better players, not better on-the-field results
Receivers: South Florida
Offensive Line: Clemson
Defensive Line: Clemson
Linebackers: Clemson
Secondary: Clemson
Special Teams: Clemson
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Miami Hurricanes (7-5) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-5)
Quarterback: Miami
Running game: Miami
Receivers: Miami
Offensive Line: Miami
Defensive Line: Miami
Linebackers: Notre Dame
Secondary: Miami
Special Teams: Notre Dame
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Central Florida Knights (10-3) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (6-6)
Quarterback: Tied
Running game: Georgia
Receivers: Georgia
Offensive Line: Georgia
Defensive Line: Central Florida
Linebackers: Georgia
Secondary: Central Florida
Special Teams: Central Florida
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Florida State Seminoles (9-4) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (9-4)
Quarterback: Florida State
Running game: South Carolina
Receivers: South Carolina
Offensive Line: Florida State
Defensive Line: Tied
Linebackers: Florida State
Secondary: Tied
Special Teams: Florida State
TicketCity Bowl: Northwestern Wildcats (7-5) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-5)
Quarterback: Texas Tech
Running game: Texas Tech
Receivers: Texas Tech
Offensive Line: Texas Tech
Defensive Line: Northwestern
Linebackers: Northwestern
Secondary: Northwestern
Special Teams: Texas Tech
Outback Bowl: Penn State Nittany Lions (7-5) vs. Florida Gators (7-5)
Quarterback: Penn State
Running game: Florida
Receivers: Penn State … great athletes on Florida’s side, but haven’t put up the numbers
Offensive Line: Penn State … vastly improved
Defensive Line: Florida
Linebackers: Penn State
Secondary: Florida
Special Teams: Florida
Capital One Bowl: Michigan State Spartans (11-1) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3)
Quarterback: Michigan State …don’t like Greg McElroy under pressure
Running game: Michigan State … Alabama’s running game underachieving
Receivers: Alabama
Offensive Line: Alabama
Defensive Line: Alabama
Linebackers: Tied
Secondary: Alabama
Special Teams: Michigan State
Gator Bowl: Michigan Wolverines (7-5) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4)
Quarterback: Michigan
Running game: Michigan
Receivers: Mississippi State
Offensive Line: Michigan
Defensive Line: Mississippi State
Linebackers: Mississippi State
Secondary: Mississippi State
Special Teams: Mississippi State
GoDaddy.com Bowl: Miami (Ohio) Redhawks (9-4) vs. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (6-6)
Quarterback: Middle Tennessee
Running game: Miami
Receivers: Miami
Offensive Line: Miami
Defensive Line: Middle Tennessee
Linebackers: Miami
Secondary: Middle Tennessee
Special Teams: Middle Tennessee
AT&T Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M (9-3) vs. LSU (10-2)
Quarterback: Texas A&M
Running game: Texas A&M
Receivers: Texas A&M
Offensive Line: LSU
Defensive Line: Tied
Linebackers: Texas A&M …barely
Secondary: LSU
Special Teams: LSU
BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (6-6)
Quarterback: Pittsburgh
Running game: Pittsburgh
Receivers: Pittsburgh
Offensive Line: Pittsburgh
Defensive Line: Pittsburgh
Linebackers: Kentucky
Secondary: Pittsburgh
Special Teams: Pittsburgh
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Boston College Eagles (7-5) vs. Nevada Wolfpack (12-1)
Quarterback: Nevada
Running game: Nevada
Receivers: Nevada
Offensive Line: Boston College
Defensive Line: Nevada
Linebackers: Boston College
Secondary: Nevada
Special Teams: Boston College
Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO: Wisconsin Badgers (11-1) vs. TCU Horned Frogs (12-0)
Quarterback: Wisconsin
Running game: Wisconsin
Receivers: TCU
Offensive Line: Wisconsin
Defensive Line: Tied…kind of
Linebackers: TCU
Secondary: TCU
Special Teams: Tied
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma Sooners (11-2) vs. Connecticut Huskies (8-4)
Quarterback: Oklahoma
Running game: UConn
Receivers: Oklahoma
Offensive Line: UConn
Defensive Line: Oklahoma
Linebackers: Oklahoma
Secondary: Oklahoma
Special Teams: Oklahoma
Discover Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech Hokies (11-2) vs. Stanford Cardinal (11-1)
Quarterback: Stanford … with a little bit of Luck
Running game: Virginia Tech
Receivers: Tied
Offensive Line: Stanford
Defensive Line: Stanford
Linebackers: Tied
Secondary: Virginia Tech
Special Teams: Virginia Tech
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Arkansas Razorbacks (10-2) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1)
Quarterback: with the game on the line, I would want Terrelle Pryor… Ohio State
Running game: Arkansas
Receivers: Ohio State (Ark w/o Greg Childs, Joe Adams battling injury)
Offensive Line: Tied
Defensive Line: Ohio State
Linebackers: Arkansas
Secondary: Tied
Special Teams: Arkansas
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game: Auburn Tigers (13-0) vs. Oregon Ducks (12-0)
Quarterback: Auburn
Running game: Oregon
Receivers: Auburn
Offensive Line: Auburn
Defensive Line: Auburn
Linebackers: Auburn
Secondary: Oregon
Special Teams: Auburn
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