Georgia Tech facing Iowa may be the least attractive matchup of the BCS games, but the Orange Bowl could end up being the most intriguing one. In what appears to be a classic case of a high-powered offense versus a stingy defense, the No.9 Yellow Jackets will try to run their way past the No.10 Hawkeyes when the teams meet Jan. 5 in Miami.

8:00 PM ET, January 5, 2010
Land Shark Stadium , MIAMI, FL
FOX

No.10 Iowa Hawkeyes finished their season with a great record of 10-2 and on 2nd place at Big Ten Conference. They expect a lot of good things for this game since they got back QB Ricky Stanzi and top RB Adam Robinson (775 yards) from injuries and that should help Iowa put points on the board in case this game becomes a high-scoring affair. Stanzi led the Hawkeyes to a 9-0 start before leaving a 17-10 loss to Northwestern on Nov. 7 with an ankle injury that required surgery. Other players involved in offense are QB James Vandenberg, RB Brandon Wegher, WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and WR Marvin McNutt. This is all Iowa has to offer and I doubt it will make a huge difference on the field but I am sure they will try.

No.9 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets went 11-2 and beat Clemson 39-34 in the ACC championship game to win the crown for the first time since sharing it with Florida State in 1998. It was the Yellow Jackets’ first outright ACC title since 1990.This is only coach Paul Johnson’s second season on board and the team is reacting positively to his coaching abilities. Johnson’s spread option offense has been the key to Georgia Tech’s success and we can expect the same thing on this game, it could be a very high scoring game. The Yellow Jackets are 11th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense and will be facing a Hawkeyes squad that is 11th in total defense. Georgia Tech averages 442.7 yards with 307.2 of them coming on the ground, good for second in the nation. Iowa gives up 286.7 total yards per game, 122.0 rushing. Also The Yellow Jackets are 11th in the country with 35.3 points per game while the Hawkeyes are 10th in scoring defense, allowing 15.5 a contest. RB Jonathan Dwyer and QB Josh Nesbitt will be the key pieces in Georgia Tech’s offensive strategy. Other players involved in offense are WR Demaryius Thomas and RB Embry Peeples. Basically all Georgia Tech has to do is to attack and try to weaken Iowa’s tough defense.

GAME ODDS

IOWA 50½
GEORGIA TECH -3½

THE BOWL WILL BE A HIGH SCORING ONE, GEORGIA TECH WON’T HAVE MERCY AND THEY WILL TRY TO SCORE IN EVERY POSSESSION. IOWA WILL NEED A LOT OF EFFORT ON DEFENSE AND THEY NEED TO STOP THE TRAIN THAT IS COMING TOWARDS THEM. MY PICK WILL BE GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS -3½.

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2010 FEDEX Orange Bowl Iowa Vs. Georgia Tech Odds and Predictions

Keeping Texas Tech’s high-powered offense in check figured to be hard enough for Michigan State. Doing it without 11 suspended players makes that assignment an even greater challenge for the Spartans. Michigan State could be hard-pressed to avoid a fourth straight postseason loss when it faces the Red Raiders and the nation’s second-ranked pass offense in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2.

9:00 PM ET, January 2, 2010
Alamodome , SAN ANTONIO, TX
ESPN

Michigan State Spartans with an overall record of 6-6 have been struggling all year long with the pass defense. They ranked 103rd in that category and allowed 29 touchdown passes while getting five interceptions — tied for the fewest in the nation and those are awful numbers against a passing team like the Red Raiders. Slowing down the Red Raiders with a full complement of players was already difficult, but the Spartans will be undermanned in this matchup after Dantonio suspended 11 players for their roles in a dormitory brawl Nov. 22. RB Glenn Winston and DB Roderick Jenrette were dismissed from the team while starters Chris L. Rucker — the team’s top cover corner — WR B.J. Cunningham and WR Mark Dell are among those suspended. QB Kirk Cousins will have a tough job now that his team is partially suspended, it will be incredibly hard to make it happen now more than ever. Michigan State biggest asset will be junior LB Greg Jones, the Big Ten defensive player of the year who ranked third in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 141 tackles — the eighth-best single-season total in school history. He also had nine of the team’s 34 sacks. The point here for Michigan State will be to try and hold the team together (what’s left of it) and try to stop Texas Tech passing game. Other players involved in offense are QB Keith Nichol, RB Larry Caper, RB Edwin Baker, WR Blair White and WR B.J. Cunningham.

Texas Tech Red Raiders finished their regular season with an overall record of 8-4 and they were 3rd on the Big 12 South. After sharing the Big 12 title last season and narrowly missing out on qualifying for the BCS, Texas Tech managed another successful campaign under coach Mike Leach in what figured to be a rebuilding year. A victory in San Antonio would give the Red Raiders six bowls wins in the Leach era and three straight seasons of at least nine victories. Strong quarterback play has never been an issue for the Red Raiders under Leach, but injuries this season to QB Taylor Potts and QB Steven Sheffield forced him to use three signal-callers. Potts began the season in the No. 1 role and has won five of nine starts. He looked particularly strong late in the season, completing 66 of 102 passes for 657 yards with four touchdowns in the final two games — wins over Oklahoma and Baylor. Potts led the Big 12 with 306.8 passing yards per game. Potts has a multitude of targets at his disposal as the Red Raiders had nine players with at least 20 receptions. Freshman WR Alexander Torres led the team with 65 catches and 791 yards, and was second with six touchdowns. RB Baron Batch is the top threat out of the backfield, leading Texas Tech with 784 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns — 12 on the ground. While the Red Raiders’ offense garners most of the notoriety, the defense exceeded expectations. Led by senior DE Brandon Sharpe, who recorded a school-record 15 sacks to rank second nationally, Texas Tech allowed a respectable 348.8 yards and 21.8 points per game. Other players involved in offense are RB Eric Stephens and WR Detron Lewis.

GAME ODDS

MICHIGAN STATE 60½
TEXAS TECH -8

A TEAM LIKE MICHIGAN WITH SO MANY SUSPENDED PLAYERS SHOULDN’T HAVE QUALIFIED FOR A BOWL BUT MAKING A SUPERHUMAN EFFORT THEY DID SO THEY ACTUALLY DESERVE TO BE HERE. TEXAS TECH NATURALLY WITH A BETTER RECORD AND A FULL ROSTER APPEARS TO BE SUPERIOR BOTH IN OFFENSE AND DEFENSE SO I EXPECT A LONG NIGHT FOR THE SPARTANS. MY PICK WILL BE TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS -8.

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2010 Valero Alamo Bowl Michigan St Vs. Texas Tech Odds

East Carolina and Arkansas have different reasons to view a Liberty Bowl triumph as further validation of successful seasons. These teams meet Jan. 2 in Memphis, Tenn., with the Pirates attempting to avoid a second straight loss in this bowl and the Razorbacks trying to add another key foundation block under Bobby Petrino.

5:30 PM ET, January 2, 2010
Liberty Bowl , MEMPHIS, TN
ESPN

Arkansas Razorbacks ended their regular season with an overall record of 7-5, not bad for a tough division like SEC West where they finished in 4th place. This will be their first bowl appearance under second-year coach Bobby Petrino, who appears to be far better suited as a college coach than in the NFL. Petrino returned to the college ranks after a disastrous 13-game stint with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 — a job he got on the strength of a stellar 41-9 record in four years at Louisville. This season, the Razorbacks finished atop the SEC in scoring (37.3 points per game), passing (303.3 yards per game) and passing touchdowns (31). Petrino is slowly changing this team, but the was able to shaped a great player like QB Ryan Mallett and make him a high level QB. Mallett who was benched last season threw for 3,422 yards and 29 touchdowns with seven interceptions and was a Manning Award finalist as one of the top signal-callers in the country. He also broke or tied 16 school records, and Arkansas set a school mark with 3,640 passing yards. The Razorbacks strategy will be simple, they scored at least 30 points in nine of their 12 games and averaged 44.8 points and 471.4 yards in the final five. They have a balanced attack, as four players have rushed for at least 300 yards and five receivers have at least 300, that is all offense and they will try to run the Pirates over with everything they have got. Other players involved in offense are QB Tyler Wilson, RB Michael Smith, RB Broderick Green, WR Greg Childs and WR Jarius Wright.

East Carolina Pirates finished their season with an overall record of 9-4 in the C-USA East where they were 1st place. They return to the Liberty Bowl for the second consecutive season after defeating then-No.18 Houston 38-32 in the Conference USA Championship game. The Pirates are the first team to win consecutive titles since the conference switched to a two-division format in 2005. The Liberty Bowl gives East Carolina the chance to record its first 10-win season since 1991. The Pirates had the same opportunity last year, only to lose 25-19 to Kentucky after blowing a 16-3 halftime lead. QB Patrick Pinkney will be one of the few players to watched from East Carolina. He played well for them in last year’s bowl, completing 18 of 36 passes for 296 yards and one touchdown. He’ll be aided by another great player, junior WR Dwayne Harris, the MVP of the Conference USA title game and the conference’s special teams player of the year. Other players involved in offense will be QB Josh Jordan, RB Dominique Lindsay, RB Brandon Jackson and WR Darryl Freeney. The Pirates strategy will be simple enough, defend at all costs and score in the few chances they get, they will based the offense throwing so they need to defend really good since the air game is not always accurate.

GAME ODDS

ARKANSAS -7½
EAST CAROLINA 63½

ARKANSAS COMES TO THIS BOWL GAME FROM A TOUGHER DIVISION THAN EAST CAROLINA AND THEIR RECORD DOESN’T MEAN THAT THEY PLAYED BAD, SEC IS JUST MORE COMPETITIVE THAN THE CONFERENCE USA AND WE ALL KNOW THAT ARKANSAS HAS MORE SCORING RESOURCES THAN THE PIRATES SO IT WILL BE OFFENSE VS DEFENSE ALL THE WAY. MY PICK WILL BE ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS -7½.

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2010 Autozone Liberty Bowl Arkansas Vs. East Carolina Odds

The 19th-ranked Cowboys go for their school record-tying 10th win Jan. 2 in the first Cotton Bowl held at Cowboys Stadium, where they’ll meet Mississippi and coach Houston Nutt, a former Oklahoma State backup who’s looking for his second Cotton Bowl victory in as many seasons with the Rebels.

2:00 PM ET, January 2, 2010
Cowboys Stadium, ARLINGTON, TX
FOX

No.19 Oklahoma State Cowboys with a record of 9-3 looked poised for a BCS bowl bid before a 27-0 loss to Oklahoma in the regular-season finale Nov. 28. The Cowboys, shut out for the first time since 2005, lost their seventh straight against the Sooners and failed to clinch their first 10-win campaign since Gundy was under center to lead them to consecutive 10-2 finishes in 1987 and ‘88. The Cowboys have great numbers in offense and that will be all they need, the players responsible for those numbers are QB Zac Robinson, QB Brandon Weeden, RB Keith Toston, RB Beau Johnson, WR Hubert Anyiam and WR Dez Bryant. The key for the Cowboys success will be a quick running offense and the defense to pick a couple of balls since Ole Miss throws alot more than Oklahoma State.

Ole Miss Rebels or Mississippi Rebels closed a strong season on a sour note with a loss to their chief rival. Their 41-27 defeat at Mississippi State on Nov. 28 snapped their three-game winning streak and dropped them from the Top 25. QB Jevan Snead threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns against the Bulldogs but was intercepted three times, and RB Dexter McCluster was held to 82 yards on the ground after averaging 184.8 over his previous four contests. McCluster, the offensive MVP of last year’s Cotton Bowl, could have a hard time bouncing back against an Oklahoma State defense that’s limited opponents to 87.7 yards per game on the ground, the sixth-lowest mark in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Cowboys allow 329.9 total yards and 21.8 points per game. Other players involved in offense are QB Nathan Stanley, RB Brandon Bolden and WR Shay Hodge. The key for the Rebels success will go directly into McCluster’s legs, he could be the missing piece of the puzzle and if he is on then it will be very hard for the Cowboys to stop such a great player.

GAME ODDS

OKLAHOMA STATE -3 -120
MISSISSIPPI 50½

THIS COULD BE A GREAT GAME BETWEEN TEAMS THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR IN ATTACK AND DEFENSE. THEIR STYLE I DIFFERENT BUT THEY RACK THE SAME AMOUNT OF POINTS, YARDS, ETC SO THIS IS A TOUGH ONE TO PREDICT. MY PICK WILL BE OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS -3-120.

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2010 AT&T Cotton Bowl Oklahoma St Vs. Ole Miss Odds and Predictions

Following a regular season marred by tragedy, Connecticut will get one more opportunity to win in honor of a slain teammate. With the memory of Jasper Howard still prevalent, the Huskies meet South Carolina for the first time Jan. 2 at the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.

2:00 PM ET, January 2, 2010
Legion Field , BIRMINGHAM, AL
ESPN

South Carolina Gamecocks finished tied with Kentucky for fourth in the SEC East, and its 261 points were second-fewest in the division ahead of last-place Vanderbilt. After a 6-2 start, including an upset of then-No.4 Mississippi in late September, the Gamecocks lost by double digits to Tennessee, Arkansas and former No.1 Florida before closing the season with a 34-17 win over then-No.15 Clemson on Nov. 28. Still, coach Steve Spurrier was pleased his team was invited to go to Legion Field, where he has some history. The 1966 Heisman Trophy winner played there while in the USFL in the 1980s, and guided Florida to SEC title games there in 1992 and 1993. South Carolina has a talented roster on offense, those players are QB Stephen Garcia, QB Reid McCollum, RB Kenny Miles, RB Brian Maddox, WR Alshon Jeffery and WR Moe Brown. These players are playing at their best level, although they have been struggling with inconsistency they could win this game easily.

Connecticut Huskies season changed Oct. 18 when CB Justin Howard, a starting player and expectant father, was stabbed to death during a fight outside a school-sponsored dance. Hours earlier, Howard starred in a 38-25 victory over Louisville. He had a career-high 11 tackles and forced a fumble just as the Cardinals threatened to score with the Huskies leading 21-13 in the third quarter. Connecticut with a record of 7-5 posted three straight close losses — two were against ranked foes West Virginia and Cincinnati — before a late surge. Following victories at Notre Dame and home against Syracuse, the Huskies closed the regular season Dec. 5 by beating South Florida 29-27 on Dave Teggart’s 42-yard field goal as time expired. Having one of the best running-back tandems in the nation has helped. RB Jordan Todman (1,201 yards) was second in the Big East with 14 rushing touchdowns, one more than RB Andre Dixon (988 yards). Connecticut likely needs that ground game to continue its solid production because the passing game is less than stellar. QB Zach Frazer, who only regained the starting job when QB Cody Endres suffered a season-ending knee injury in October, has completed only 54.3 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions in seven games. basically all Connecticut has to do is run the ball the same way they have done this year and defend like crazy , they could get it done if they really apply themselves. Other players in offense are WR Marcus Easley and WR Kashif Moore and they could see few passes since as I pointed out the key for the game will be to run the ball, not to throw it.

GAME ODDS

SOUTH CAROLINA -4½
CONNECTICUT 51½

CONNECTICUT IS LOOKING TO REDEEMED THEIR LOST PLAYER AND SOUTH CAROLINA WILL NOT MAKE IT EASY ON THEM. THE HUSKIES WILL RUN THE BALL AND WILL WAIT FOR THE DEFENSE TO PICK UP SOMETHING, IT COULD BE A VERY DEFENSIVE GAME BUT THE FACT IS THAT SOUTH CAROLINA LOOKS BETTER AND THEY WILL END UP KILLING CONNECTICUT. MY PICK WILL BE SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS -4½.

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2010 Papajohns.com Bowl South Carolina Vs. Connecticut Odds

While Northern Illinois is focused on averting a third straight bowl loss, South Florida’s biggest concern heading into its fifth straight postseason game is to avoid being consumed by an off-field distraction. The Huskies and Bulls face each other for the third time when they meet in the International Bowl at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Jan. 2.

12:00 PM ET, January 2, 2010
Rogers Centre , TORONTO, ON
ESPN

South Florida Bulls finished their season with a record of 7-5 and at 6th place on the Big East Conference. South Florida lost five of its last seven for the second straight year, dropping its final two against then-No.19 Miami and Connecticut. Still, the Bulls’ run of five bowl appearances in five years of BCS membership puts them in elite company. Texas, Florida, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Georgia and Georgia Tech are the only other teams to reach a bowl in each year as a member of a BCS conference. The Bulls weapon will be freshman QB B.J. Daniels who has done a solid job since senior QB Matt Grothe suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game. Daniels has thrown for 1,766 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while rushing for 798 yards and nine scores. Also Junior WR Carlton Mitchell is the school’s all-time leader with 1,554 receiving yards. He has 612 yards this year and needs 50 more to set the South Florida single-season record and he is the most valuable asset the Bulls have. Other players involved in offense are RB Moise Plancher and WR
A.J. Love. On defense players like DL Jason Pierre-Paul and DL George Selvie have combined for nine sacks and 24 tackles for loss, leading a defense that ranked third in the Big East at 328.7 yards allowed per contest. They will need to really apply themselves on offense and wait for the defense to do their job.

Northern Illinois Huskies are going to their second straight bowl and their fourth in six seasons.The Huskies finished with a record of 7-5 feeling confident despite losing its final two games to Ohio and Central Michigan, the Mid-American Conference title game representatives. The Huskies, however, have dropped two straight bowl games since winning the 2004 Silicon Valley Classic. The Huskies have their hopes on Junior RB Chad Spann, that ran for a team-leading 945 yards and scored 20 touchdowns, while backup RB Me’co Brown added 645 yards and four TDs for the Huskies. Basically the whole strategy will be running the ball as many times as possible while Junior DL Jake Coffman will help with his huge numbers. He had 7 1/2 sacks and 12 1/2 tackles for loss as the leader of a defense that was second in the MAC at 21.2 points allowed per game. Other players involved in offense are QB Chandler Harnish, QB DeMarcus Grady, WR Landon Cox and WR Marcus Lewis.

GAME ODDS

SOUTH FLORIDA -7 -105
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 49

THE GAME WILL BE A BRUTAL DEFENSIVE GAME IN WHICH NORTHERN ILLINOIS COULD HAVE THE UPPER HAND IF THEY GET THEIR RUNNING GAME GOING. SOUTH FLORIDA HAS A SOLID QB THAT CAN TAKE THEM OUT OF TROUBLE IF THEY ARE EVER IN ONE SO IT COULD BE A BACK AND FORWARD GAME. MY PICK WILL BE SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS -7 -105.

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2010 International Bowl South Florida Vs. Northern Illinois

In a BCS game that may not be for the national championship but is second-to-none in regard to intrigue and subplots, Tebow’s Florida Gators head to the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day to take on an abandoned yet unblemished Cincinnati team feeling cheated — in more ways than one. Less than a week after leading the Bearcats to a wild 45-44 win over Pittsburgh to complete a 12-0 regular season and give them a Big East title — and days after a joint teleconference with Gators coach Urban Meyer hyping the matchup in New Orleans — Kelly jolted the Queen City for the greener pastures of Notre Dame.

8:30 PM ET, January 1, 2010
Superdome , NEW ORLEANS, LA
FOX

No.3 Cincinnati Bearcats finished their amazing season with an undefeated record of 12-0 and holding the Big East Conference title but it seems that wasn’t enough to show their faces at the BCS national title game, but it was incredibly close. The Bearcats can throw the ball around with the best of them, and the matchup between their potent offense and Meyer’s stalwart defense will go a long way in determining the game’s outcome. Led by QB Tony Pike and playmaking WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati ranks first in the country in passing efficiency and sixth in total offense. Those are numbers to consider to have a better idea of what will happen on this game, by the looks of it it will be a full passing game with an occasional run, but mostly air time for Pike and company. Other players involved in the offense are QB Zach Collaros, RB Isaiah Pead, RB Jacob Ramsey and WR Armon Binns also as important by air as leader Gilyard. Without the head coach we could say that the Bearcats’ chances to win this game are far good, this will be the biggest test for a team that played their best ball ever and they sure deserve to be here, they will do as much as possible to prove their ex-coach that he took the wrong choice.

No.5 Florida Gators all-star QB Tim Tebow was hoping to cap one of the most accomplished college football careers in history with an undefeated season. Brian Kelly had a chance at one, and threw it away. Tebow will close the curtain on one of the greatest careers college football has ever seen, but he does so coming off a disappointing loss to the Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game, squashing any chance of a fairy-tale ending and halting the fifth-ranked Gators’ school-record and nation-best 22-game winning streak. The accomplishments of college football’s poster boy are overwhelming: one Heisman Trophy, two national titles, 56 rushing touchdowns, 85 passing scores, 2,896 rushing yards and 8,803 passing yards. But there’s little doubt he’d sacrifice those gaudy numbers for a rematch against Alabama. Other players involved in offense will be QB
John Brantley, RB Jeffery Demps, WR Riley Cooper and TE Aaron Hernandez. Florida will get some help on defense, DE Carlos Dunlap was reinstated Dec. 18 after being suspended for the SEC title game following his arrest for driving under the influence. Dunlap has 35 tackles and seven sacks, and the junior is expected to enter the NFL draft. Florida’s strongest offense will be ground work so we can expect Florida to control the ball at all times, this could be the perfect scenario for the Gators that are looking to redeemed themselves after the heartbreaking defeat on the SEC Championship.

GAME ODDS

CINCINNATI 57½
FLORIDA -11

THE GAME WILL BE OPEN SEASON FOR TIM TEBOW AND COMPANY. THEY WILL RUN AND CONTROL THE BALL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND THEY WILL TRY TO HOLD THE PASSING GAME THAT HAS BEEN CINCI’S STRONGEST ASSET. THE ODDS ARE HUGE ON FLORIDA’S FAVOR BUT I THINK THE NUMBER IS TOO BIG. MY PICK WILL BE CINCINNATI BEARCATS +11.

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2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl Cincinnati Vs. Florida Odds and Predictions

Ohio State and Oregon both ended the regular season playing their best ball. Whichever team plays better New Year’s Day will be crowned Rose Bowl champion. Big Ten champions for the fifth straight season, the No.8 Buckeyes will carry a five-game winning streak into Pasadena to face a No.7 Ducks team that overcame early season adversity to claim its first Pac-10 title since 2001.

4:30 PM ET, January 1, 2010
Rose Bowl , PASADENA, CA
ABC

No.8 Ohio State Buckeyes with an overall record of 10-2 closed the month with a pair of easy wins, setting the stage for a banner November. The Buckeyes won 24-7 at then-No.10 Penn State and 27-24 in overtime over then-No.13 Iowa before wrapping up the outright Big Ten title with a 21-10 victory at Michigan. That is definitely one of the best novembers you can expect. he surge earned Ohio State its fifth straight BCS bowl appearance and first trip to the Rose Bowl since the 1996 season, when it defeated Arizona State. Led by sophomore QB Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State averaged 29.3 points and scored 30 or more seven times. Pryor completed 55.8 percent of his passes for 1,828 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and rushed for a team-high 707 yards and seven more scores. But not all are great news for the Buckeyes on offense, WR Duron Carter won’t be available for this game. Ohio State officials announced Dec. 17 that the freshman, tied for fifth on the team in receptions with 13 for 176 yards and one touchdown, would sit out. Other players involved in offense are QB Joe Bauserman, RB Brandon Saine, WR DeVier Posey and WR Dane Sanzenbacher.

No.7 Oregon Ducks also with an overall record of 10-2 couldn’t have envisioned a happy holiday season after its opener, a 19-8 loss at then-No. 14 Boise State which ended in ugly fashion when senior RB LeGarrette Blount punched Broncos DE Byron Hout after the game. The Ducks suspended Blount for the season the next day. They quickly put the incident behind them, though, as redshirt freshman RB LaMichael James took Blount’s place in the lineup and the entire team stepped up. James ran for 1,476 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry for a Ducks team that averaged 44.4 points while winning 10 of its final 11. The Ducks claimed the Pac-10 crown Dec. 3 with a 37-33 victory over then-No.13 Oregon State in the annual Civil War game. They’re 4-0 against ranked opponents since losing to Boise State, including a pair of routs against teams in the top 10 — 42-3 over then-No.6 California and 47-20 over then-No.4 Southern California. Along with Blount and James, QB Jeremiah Masoli gives the Ducks another threat on the ground. The junior ran for 659 yards and 12 touchdowns while completing 58.9 percent of his passes for 2,066 yards with 15 TDs and five interceptions. Oregon’s offense will be tested by a defense that’s limiting opponents to 12.2 points and 262.5 total yards per game, and an average of 83.4 yards on the ground — fifth in the nation. Ohio State is one of five FBS teams that did not allow a 100-yard individual rushing performance. So basically Oregon comes to this game with their weapons drawn and hoping their All-star running backs can do their job in the only way the know how. Other players involved in offense are QB Nate Costa, WR Jeff Maehl and TE Ed Dickson.

GAME ODDS

OHIO STATE 50½
OREGON -3½

BOTH TEAMS HAVE SIMILAR NUMBERS ALTHOUGH THE DUCKS RANK A LITTLE HIGHER IN EVERY STAT BUT THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE WILL BE THE FACT THAT OREGON WILL BRING BACK BLOUNT AND WILL KEEP JAMES AS A STARTER, THAT WILL CREATE A TRIPLE THREAT THAT COULD BE WAY TOO MUCH TO HANDLE BY THE BUCKEYES’ DEFENSIVE LINE. MY PICK WILL BE OREGON DUCKS -3½.

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2010 Rose Bowl Presented By CITI Ohio State Vs. Oregon

No.13 Penn State Nittany Lions and No.12 LSU Tigers haven’t played since the end of Joe Paterno’s eighth season in Happy Valley, but they’ll meet again Jan. 1 in the Capital One Bowl as Paterno looks to cap his 44th year by adding to his record 23 postseason victories.

1:00 PM ET, January 1, 2010
Florida Citrus Bowl , ORLANDO, FL
ABC

No.13 Penn State Nittany Lions with a record of 10-2 had a shot at making a second straight BCS appearance after finishing in the top 14 of the final BCS standings, but home losses to Iowa and Ohio State — the Big Ten’s top two teams — ultimately kept the Nittany Lions out. Penn State was even in consideration despite lacking a win over a ranked opponent was mainly due to a fan base that travels well and Paterno, whose record of 393 wins among major college coaches appears safer by the day with the pending retirement of Florida State’s Bobby Bowden. The best victory in the bunch for Paterno’s 21st 10-win team was tough to pinpoint, however. The Nittany Lions were outscored 45-17 and held to an average of 254.0 yards of offense in their two losses, but their six conference victories came by an average of nearly three touchdowns — with a 42-14 rout at Michigan State in their finale the most lopsided. The players involved in the offense of Penn State will be QB Daryll Clark, QB Kevin Newsome, RB Evan Royster, RB Stephfon Green, WR Derek Moye and WR Graham Zug. These are the guys responsible to bring the victory home but it could be a little difficult against a very talented LSU defense.

LSU Tigers forced 36 turnovers in 14 games and allowed 288.8 yards per game on their way to winning the 2008 BCS championship, but they have not had the same success since. LSU has created 37 turnovers in 25 games the last two seasons — three in its final five regular-season games. Of equal concern was the amount of yardage the Tigers allowed in their final four contests. LSU had allowed 293.0 yards per game as it started 7-1, but gave up 393.8 in splitting its last four games. That defense squandered a 17-6 halftime lead in LSU’s Nov. 28 finale against Arkansas before Josh Jasper kicked a 41-yard field goal at the end of regulation and a 36-yarder in overtime to give the Tigers a 33-30 win. LSU will have on offense QB Jordan Jefferson, QB Jarrett Lee, RB Charles Scott, RB Keiland Williams, WR Brandon LaFell and WR Terrance Toliver making a perfect combination capable of scoring in any way. The magic of this team could be if they get to stop Penn State, the defense is pretty decent but they need to shape up their act to be able to get the win.

GAME ODDS

PENN STATE 43½
LSU -2½

THIS GAME COULD BE OVER REALLY QUICK IF BOTH TEAMS ARE NOT CAREFUL IN DEFENSE. BOTH ARE PERFECTLY READY TO SCORE AT ANY GIVEN TIME SO THE BEST THEY CAN DO IS BLITZ OVER EACHOTHER’S QB AND EXPECT THE BEST OUT OF IT. MY PICK IS LSU TIGERS -2½.

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2010 Capital One Bowl Penn State Vs. LSU Odds and Predictions

Northwestern is making its first trip to a January bowl game since 1997 because of the way it finished the regular season, but success in the postseason has eluded the Wildcats for decades. Auburn didn’t get as many big wins down the stretch in 2009, but the Tigers haven’t had much trouble closing strong in bowl season.

11:00 AM ET, January 1, 2010
Raymond James Stadium , TAMPA, FL
ESPN

Northwestern Wildcats with an overall record of 8-4 stumbled early in 2009, suffering back-to-back losses to Syracuse and Minnesota teams that combined for 10 regular-season wins. But the Wildcats won six of eight following a 2-2 start, and they capped the regular season with three straight wins, including victories over then-No. 8 Iowa and then-No.17 Wisconsin. The Wildcats hope to deliver another victory as they try again to end a 60-year streak without a bowl win. They beat California in the 1949 Rose Bowl in their first postseason appearance, but they’ve dropped each of their six bowl trips since then. That is quite a streak, 60 years is too long for the fans to enjoy a victory on the bowl season, this could be the magic year. The key players responsible for the offense are QB Mike Kafka, QB Dan Persa, RB Arby Fields, WR Andrew Brewer and WR Zeke Markshausen and may be this could be the lucky bunch to score as many times as possible to bring the victory home.

Auburn Tigers look to shake off a tough finish to SEC play with their sixth bowl win in eight seasons. The Tigers have won five of six bowl games since the 2002 season, with the lone loss coming against Wisconsin in the 2006 Capital One Bowl. Also the Tigers didn’t make a bowl game last season after dropping six of their last seven to finish 5-7, and they didn’t completely resolve their struggles down the stretch this season under first-year coach Gene Chizik, losing five of seven after a 5-0 start. This could be problematic for a team looking to redeem themselves after a mediocre season. Although some losses were by 7 points or less it’s not enough, they could have made an extra effort here and there but they didn’t. Couple of seniors the coach will miss will be QB Chris Todd and RB Ben Tate. Todd ranks fourth in the SEC with 21 touchdown passes and has thrown only six interceptions, while Tate was fourth in the conference with 1,254 rushing yards. Together, they’ve led an Auburn team that’s third in the SEC with 432.3 scrimmage yards and 32.9 points per game. Other key players involved in offense will be QB Neil Caudle, RB Onterio McCalebb, WR Darvin Adams and WR Terrell Zachery. This team look solid enough and they might be able to win this one without a problem.

GAME ODDS

NORTHWESTERN 54½
AUBURN -7

AUBURN STARTED GREAT AND FINISHED VERY WEAK WHILE NORTHWESTERN HAD A GOOD WINNING STREAK AND THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH DUE FOR A WIN AT THE BOWLS. NORTHWESTERN HAS BETTER MOMENTUM SO IT IS NATURAL THAT WE THINK THAT 7 IS A HUGE NUMBER FOR A GAME LIKE THIS. MY PICK WILL NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS +7.

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2010 Outback Bowl Northwestern Vs. Auburn Odds and Predictions