VS.

Boston College has become a veteran of late-December bowls, making the Emerald Bowl an unsurprising destination for the Eagles. USC’s disappointing finish dropped the Trojans out of the BCS for the first time since 2001, with a Dec. 26 trip to San Francisco and a matchup with BC serving as their consolation.

8:00 PM ET, December 26, 2009
AT&T Park , SAN FRANCISCO, CA
ESPN

Boston College Eagles with an overall record of 8-4 were inconsistent in their first season under coach Frank Spaziani, but reached a bowl for the 11th straight year despite being picked to finish last in the ACC’s Atlantic Division in the league’s preseason poll. All 10 of BC’s bowls during the streak took place from Dec. 25-31, including a win over Colorado State in the 2003 Emerald Bowl, then known as the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl. The team won eight straight bowl games before a 16-14 loss to Vanderbilt in the Music City Bowl last year. Despite its underdog status, the Eagles will be grateful to face a high-profile opponent like USC. Losses to Clemson, Virginia Tech and North Carolina derailed the Eagles’ bid to reach the ACC title game for the third straight season. Shaky quarterback play was one of the major issues, as freshman QB Dave Shinskie completed 52.8 percent of his passes — last in the conference — and threw 13 interceptions along with 14 touchdowns. The 25-year-old Shinskie played minor league baseball for six years before joining the Eagles, who had no quarterbacks with college experience on their roster at the start of the season. Other players like RB Montel Harris, RB Josh Haden, WR Rich Gunnell and WR Colin Larmond Jr. will be in charge to score against USC’s defense and it won’t be such an easy task to complete, they will need to rely on the running game mostly since the QB is not as good to carry the whole team by air. Boston College can’t afford to lose the turnover battle, and one of the biggest keys to accomplishing that goal is staying out of third-and-longs. While QB David Shinskie has a strong arm, the 25-year-old true freshman doesn’t make sound decisions under pressure, and the Southern Cal pass rush will tee off on him in these situations. Furthermore, his deep ball can sail on him when he’s forced to move around in the pocket, and SS Will Harris has the ball skills to turn any errant throw over the middle into an interception. It’s also worth noting that Shinskie doesn’t have great pocket presence, making him vulnerable to strip sacks.

No.24 USC Trojans won at least 11 games and a share of the Pac-10 title each of the last seven years, finishing all of those seasons in the Rose Bowl or the Orange Bowl. The Trojans finished with an overall record of 8-4, though, were unable to continue those trends in 2009. The departure of QB Mark Sanchez for the NFL made freshman QB Matt Barkley the starter, and the 19-year-old led the Pac-10 with 12 interceptions. The Trojans also dealt with inconsistency on defense, allowing more than 35 points three times after having done so twice prior to this season since coach Pete Carroll was hired in 2001. USC was 6-1 and ranked fourth in late October, but lost three of its final five games and fell out of the Top 25 for the first time since the end of the 2001 season. The Trojans will play in a non-BCS bowl for the first time since Carroll’s first season, but they will still be favored to beat BC. Players like RB Joe McKnight, RB Allen Bradford, WR Damian Williams and WR Ronald Johnson will complete offense that certainly will crush BC’s defense without a problem.

GAME ODDS

BOSTON COLLEGE 44
USC -9

THIS WILL BE A VERY SPECIAL BOWL FOR BOSTON COLLEGE SINCE THEY GET TO PLAY USC THAT DIDN’T PLAY GOOD AT ALL THIS YEAR. BC BELIEVES THEY HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BEAT A TEAM LIKE USC NOW THAT IS NOT PLAYING AT THEIR BEST BUT THEY ARE FAR FROM ACCOMPLISHING THAT. MY PICK WILL BE USC TROJANS -9.

CHECK OUR LATEST ODDS ON NCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWLS AND OUR BONUS PROMOTIONS AT GAMBLERS PALACE SPORTSBOOK & CASINO.

Related posts:

1. 2009 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Utah Vs. California
2. 2009 MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Oregon St Vs. BYU Odds and Predictions
3. 2009 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Southern Miss Vs. Mid Tenn St.
4. 2009 New Mexico Bowl Fresno St. Vs. Wyoming Odds and Predictions
5. NCAA Week 7 USC Vs. Notre Dame Odds and Predictions