Friday, December 17, 2010

2010 Bowl Season: Matchup Advantages

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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