Bowl Breakdown - Part II
By Mike Rose
VegasInsider.com
It's the most wonderful time of the year for college football betting fans, as there are 35 bowl games on tap to break down and find winners in. Today, we're taking a look at the second eight bowl games of the year, starting with the Military Bowl on December 27th through the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl on December 28th.
Military Bowl - Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Maryland Terrapins
Opening Line: Marshall -2.5
There aren't many bowl games where Conference USA teams are favored over Big Five conference teams (in fact, this is the only one). Marshall has a high-flying offense, but it doesn't have a great record against bowl teams this year, allowing 36.6 points per game in said games. Maryland has never lost a game to a mid-major conference team in a bowl game in its history.
Texas Bowl - Syracuse Orange vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Opening Line: Minnesota -4
This is a game sharps will love, especially if Minnesota QB Philip Nelson is out with an undisclosed injury. The Gophers covered their last six of the season, but they only scored a grand total of 10 points in their last two games combined. Syracuse has a 12-2 ATS record in bowl games since 1988, and it had to scratch and claw just to get to a bowl this year.
Fight Hunger Bowl - BYU Cougars vs. Washington Huskies
Opening Line: Washington -3
Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall and the Cougs are 4-0 SU and ATS in their last four bowl games, and though this is one of the tougher games on their docket this year, they are sure to be up for the challenge. Washington has to get used to life without Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, and interim coaches are just 7-11 in their last 18 bowl games. They're just 5-10 when they know that they are lame ducks and aren't getting the head coaching gigs at the end of those games.
Pinstripe Bowl - Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Opening Line: Notre Dame -14
The Fighting Irish are one of the biggest favorites of the bowl season, and they're the only two-TD favorite before January 1st. They have some of the most impressive wins of the season, but their wins by two touchdowns are few and far between. Rutgers stunk it up all year, and it was 0-5 against bowl teams on the season. To make matters worse, the Scarlet Knights lost the worst bowl game of last season by far, that horridly offensive played game against Virginia Tech in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
Belk Bowl - Cincinnati Bearcats vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Opening Line: North Carolina -3
The Bearcats have to wonder what they did wrong here. They have now played three straight games essentially "on the road" in the bowl season. However, they beat Duke in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte last year and beat Vandy in the Liberty Bowl the year before, so this one is winnable as well. The Tar Heels weren't eligible for a bowl game last year thanks to the NCAA, so they'll be hungry in this one for sure.
Russell Athletic Bowl - Miami Hurricanes vs. Louisville Cardinals
Opening Line: Louisville -3
Louisville and Miami are both underrated teams, and that makes this one of the best bowl games of the year. The Cardinals have won and covered three of their last four bowl games, including besting Florida as big dogs last year in the Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes haven't won a bowl game since 2006, and they haven't been eligible for a bowl game since 2010.
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl - Michigan Wolverines vs. Kansas State Wildcats
Opening Line: Kansas State -3.5
The Wildcats are 0-5 SU and ATS in their last five bowl games, but the Wolverines have had a history of really struggling badly in minor bowl games as well. This feels a lot like when Head Coach Rich Rodriguez was fired after a bad season when the team was whacked by Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl. If the same thing happens here in Tempe, don't be shocked if Head Coach Brady Hoke gets fired.
Football Betting Tips: Late December Bowl Games
By Jim Feist
Playbook.com
As 2013 draws to a close, we find ourselves smack in the middle of the bowls. You shouldn't be bowled-out, either, as the bowls slowly build to the crescendo that is the Auburn/Florida State showdown.
Hawaii Bowl (Tues, Dec. 24): A pair of teams with great passing offenses that slumped down the stretch. Boise State (8-4 SU/6-6 ATS) is 2-4 SU/3-3 ATS away from home and the Broncos will be playing their first game under interim coach Bob Gregory. Senior QB Joe Southwick (12 TDs, 5 INTs) is back from an October ankle injury while soph RB Jay Ajayi (1,328 yds, 5.9 ypc) is a powerful back. Boise State's 91st ranked pass defense that gave up 460 yards and four touchdowns through the air to Fresno State, which is a concern against a pass-happy Oregon State (6-6 SU/6-6 ATS) offense. The Beavers average 34.5 points, 382 yds passing (No. 3 in the nation) behind junior QB Sean Mannion (36 TDs, 14 INTs, 4,403 yds, 66%) and junior WR Brandin Cooks (1,670 yds, 13.9 ypc, 15 TDs). Mike Riley's team started 6-1, then folded, losing the last 5. The Beavers are 11-6-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record and the underdogs are on a 6-2 ATS Hawaii Bowl run.
Little Caesar's Bowl (Thurs., Dec. 26): Pitt (6-6 SU, 4-7-1 ATS) didn't exactly tear it up to make this bowl indoors at Ford Field, on a 2-4 SU/2-3-1 ATS run. They were outscored for the season and rank 112th in rushing. The offense has senior QB Tom Savage (21 TDs, 9 INTs) and a pair of talented targets in Tyler Boyd and Devin Street. Pitt is on a 7-2 run under the total. The Panthers have wins over Notre Dame and Duke. Bowling Green (10-3) is riding high after its big upset of undefeated Northern Illinois in the MAC title game, 47-27. This team ranks 5th in the nation in points allowed (14.8 ppg) and has plenty of offensive punch averaging 35.4 points and over 206 yards rushing and passing, led by sophomore QB Matt Johnson (23 TDs, 7 INTs). However, they lose their head coach as Dave Clawson, off to Wake Forest.
Fight Hunger Bowl (Fri., Dec. 27): Offense against defense! Washington (8-4) is another team in a bowl with a head coaching change, with Steve Sarkasian jumping back to USC. This is one of the best offensive teams in the country, led by senior quarterback Keith Price (20 TDs, 5 INTs), averaging 38.5 points, 243 yards rushing and 271 yards passing. He's got the Pac-12's leading rusher, Bishop Sankey (1,775 yards, 5.8 ypc) to help him. BYU (8-4) scored plenty of points (31.3 ppg) but did it on the ground, 10th in the nation in rushing with 274.6 yards per game, 74th in passing. Linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Uani' Unga lead a terrific Cougar defense that allows 21.3 points per contest.
Wild Wings Bowl (Sat., Dec. 28): Michigan (7-5) squeezed into a bowl despite a 5-0 start, losing 5 of its final 7 games. They put it all on the line against Ohio State in a thrilling 42-41 loss in the finale, but the offense went mostly cold down the stretch scoring 6, 13, 27 and 21 in the previous four. Michigan is on a 4-1 run under the total. This offense finished 100th in the nation in rushing. The Wolverines have a flair for the dramatic: In addition to the Ohio State thriller, they played a pair of multiple overtime games (2 and 4 OTs), and five other games decided by 4 points or less. By contrast, Kansas State (7-5) began the season 2-4 before winning five out of its last six games, on a 6-2 ATS run. Bill Snyder's team has great balanced averaging 33.4 points, 220.8 yards passing and 180 yards rushing behind QBs Jake Waters and Dan Sams, while RB John Hubert (968 yards) averages 5.3 yards per carry. Kansas State has lost its last five bowl games.
Alamo Bowl (Mon., Dec. 30): Texas (8-4) and Oregon (12-2) clash, a pair of teams that had huge expectations this fall and came up short. Mack Brown felt the heat all season, starting and finishing 1-2 sandwiched around a 6-game win streak. The Longhorns did not fare well when stepping up, getting blown out by Ole Miss (44-23), Oklahoma State (38-13) and Baylor (30-10). Texas is riding a 12-1 SU streak in its past 13 bowl games. Oregon is third in the nation in points (46.8 ppg), averaging 294.7 yards passing and 278 yards rushing, but the Ducks lost steam after a late season lost to rival Stanford, going 2-2 SU, 0-4 ATS. The favorites are 4-1 ATS in the past 5 Alamo Bowls and the under is 6-2 in Oregon's last eight bowl games.
Bowl Breakdown - Part III
By Mike Rose
VegasInsider.com
It's the most wonderful time of the year for college football betting fans, as there are 35 bowl games on tap to break down and find winners in. Today, we're taking a look at the final bowl games of 2013, starting with the Armed Forces Bowl on December 30th through the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on December 31st.
Armed Forces Bowl - Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders vs. Navy Midshipmen
Opening Line: Navy -6.5
We have already seen the MAC struggle in the bowl season in a big time way. Is Conference USA next? The Blue Raiders only beat one bowl team this year, the Marshall Thundering Herd, and they could have their hands full against Navy if the Middies get their defense in order. They had allowed over 600 yards in their last two bowl games, both of which turned out to be easy losses.
Music City Bowl - Ole Miss Rebels vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Opening Line: Ole Miss -3
The Rebels have been great of late in bowl games, going 4-0-1 ATS in their last five, while Georgia Tech snapped a seven-game losing streak in bowls last season in the Sun Bowl against the USC Trojans. History suggests that this is going to be a game where the Rebs succeed as well, as they have been getting beaten up by the rough and tumble SEC all year long, while the triple option for the Ramblin' Wreck has had no success whatsoever against the SEC.
Alamo Bowl - Oregon Ducks vs. Texas Longhorns
Opening Line: Oregon -13.5
There is a lot of emotion here in this bowl game, as it is a de facto home game for Texas against one of the best teams in the country in the final game for Head Coach Mack Brown. Brown's legacy is going to be in his bowl wins, which have come in scores for sure. The only bowl loss he has had since 2003 came in the National Championship Game. Oregon's offense, which is good for over 45 points per game in the last four seasons combined, has averaged just 29.0 points per game in its last four bowl games.
Holiday Bowl - Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Opening Line: Arizona State -14
There was a point when T-Tech was ranked in the Top 10 in the land, but it has been beaten in five straight games both SU and ATS coming into the Holiday Bowl. The Red Raiders are 1-5 ATS in their last six bowl games in spite of the fact that they are 5-1 SU in those games. The Sun Devils waxed the Navy Midshipmen last season in their bowl game, and they are going to be flying high for sure after being one of the best teams in the Pac-12 this year.
AdvoCare v100 Bowl - Arizona Wildcats vs. Boston College Eagles
Opening Line: Arizona -7.5
We hope you like running the ball, because this game is going to feature a heck of a lot of it. The Wildcats' RB Ka'Deem Carey is one of the best pro prospects in the NFL Draft this year at the tailback position, and he is going against RB Andre Williams, who was one of the Heisman Trophy finalists. This is the second straight season in which Arizona has taken on a team with the nation's leading rusher, as it beat the Nevada Wolf Pack in a stunning come from behind victory in last year's New Mexico Bowl.
Sun Bowl - Virginia Tech Hokies vs. UCLA Bruins
Opening Line: UCLA -7
Here's another case where the Pac-12 is favored over the ACC in a big time way, as QB Brett Hundley, who struggled mightily in the second half of the season this year, goes against one of the best defenses in America from Virginia Tech. The Hokies have maxed out at 24 points in five of their last six bowl games, and they might have a tough time getting past the three and a half TD mark again in this one.
Liberty Bowl - Rice Owls vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Opening Line: Mississippi State -7
This is where we are going to find out whether the Owls were really capable of playing against SEC teams this year or not. They might have won 10 games, but they are getting no respect here against an MSU team which only barely squeaked into a bowl. Head Coach Dan Mullen has a good history in these bowl games, but this is the first time we have seen the Bulldogs play against a team of this caliber in quite some time.
Chick-Fil-A Bowl - Duke Blue Devils vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Opening Line: Texas A&M -11.5
The Dookies have had no troubles going against the big boys in the nation this year, and though they have mostly failed in those situations, they are going to come at this game full of gusto for sure. It's tremendous exposure for a program which is playing in consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history and for a team which hasn't won a bowl game in over a half century. The Aggies are seeing QB Johnny Manziel go to the NFL after this one is over in all likelihood, and they're hoping for one last great performance to lead the way like he did when they destroyed the Oklahoma Sooners in the Cotton Bowl last year.
Big Ten Bowl Report - Part II
By ASAWins.com
Gator Bowl
Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (8-4 SU, 3-8-1 ATS)
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1
Time/TV: 1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Line: Bulldogs (-9, 60.5)
Venue: EverBank Field
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Haven’t we done this before? Nebraska and Georgia met in the Capital One Bowl on year ago, with Georgia winning 45-31 behind five touchdown passes from Aaron Murray. Despite being just one year removed from that meeting – this game will have a much different feel. Neither of the returning QB’s from last year’s game will play here as Georgia’s QB Murray suffered a torn ACL in the 2nd to last game while Nebraska’s QB Taylor Martinez has not been fully healthy all season (just one appearance in Big Ten play). Nebraska is another Big Ten team that can’t wait to get back on the field. The Huskers lost their final game of the season at home on Black Friday to Iowa, 38-17. After the game, head coach Bo Pelini had to endure questions from the media on if he’d be fired or not. It seems that Nebraska will stick with Pelini, at least for one more game, before heading to the offseason. Nebraska finished 3-3 down the stretch. They lost at Minnesota by 11, vs. Michigan State by 13, and vs. Iowa by 21. Wins over that stretch included home vs. Northwestern by 3, at Michigan by 4, and at Penn State by 3 in overtime – meaning Nebraska came dangerously close to a complete second half breakdown this season.
Redshirt freshman Tommy Armstrong, Jr. will get the start at QB here and he’ll need to throw well for the Huskers to win. He should be ready for action after a late-season ankle injury derailed him after he took over for an injured Taylor Martinez back in October. Armstrong completes just 53 percent of his passes and has seven TD and seven INT. If Armstrong struggles, Nebraska could turn to Ron Kellogg III, who started the finale vs. Iowa, but struggled in hitting 19-of-37 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. RB Ameer Abdullah has been the only constant for this offense. He rushed for 1,568 yards and eight scores this season, hitting the 100-yard mark in all but two games this season. He did that despite Nebraska shifting around its offensive line all season long after a string of injuries.
Speaking of injuries, no team in the nation had it worse than the Georgia Bulldogs. Six starters on offense suffered torn ACL’s this season (!) and high hopes of a national title went quickly out the window after a loss to Clemson in the first week of the season. Credit the Bulldogs for not quitting on the season as they won four of the final five games – including an overtime win over in-state rival Georgia Tech in the final week of the season. QB Hutson Mason will get his 2nd career start here in place of Murray. Mason has completed 64.8% of his passes for 648 yards with 4 TD and 2 INT in a little over two games of work. The offense hasn’t missed much with him under center as he led the team to 59 points and 41 points in his two games that he commandeered the offense. Star RB Gurley battled injuries throughout the year (missed three full games) but should be fully rested and healthy for the bowl game. He still finished with 903 rush yards (6.2 YPC), 344 receiving yards, and 15 total touchdowns (four TD in the finale against GA Tech). He finished with 125 rush yards and a score last year against Nebraska and could have another big day against this struggling Nebraska D.
Georgia’s defense lost a ton of talent to the NFL after last season and it showed early. They allowed 33 PPG through the first seven weeks but showed great improvement over the final five – surrendering just 23.4 PPG. Pelini and the Huskers would like nothing more than to close this season out on a high note with a win here over Georgia, but they’ll have to limit their mistakes. Nebraska finished minus-12 for the year in turnover margin, better than only three teams nationally. Georgia has faced three Big Ten teams in the last five Bowl games – going 2-1 SU & ATS in those games (only loss was a 3-point defeat to Michigan State in the 2011 Outback Bowl. Nebraska is 0-3 SU & ATS in the last three Bowl games, losing the last two to SEC schools.
Capital One Bowl
Wisconsin Badgers (9-3 SU, 9-2-1 ATS) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2 SU, 6-6 ATS)
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1
Time/TV: 1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
Line: Badgers (-1, 49.5)
Venue: Florida Citrus Stadium
Location: Orlando, FL
Both of these squads finished as the third selection out of their respective conferences. Wisconsin’s loss in the final week of the regular season prevented them from being BCS Bowl eligible while South Carolina was behind Auburn & Alabama. No Big Ten team wants to get on the field more than the Badgers, who delivered their worst performance of the season in their final game against Penn State. Their stellar defense picked a bad game to have an off day as PSU racked up 465 yards and 31 points, including 339 pass yards and 4 TD from freshman QB Hackenberg. This UW defense finished 6th in rush defense, total defense, and scoring defense, and 12th against the pass. Seven of their 12 opponents were held to 10 points or fewer and not one surpassed 32 points. Offensively this unit is led by the duo of James White and Melvin Gordon at running back. Both earned 2nd Team Big Ten honors and form the No. 8 run game (283 YPG) in the nation. The speedy duo helped the Badgers average an FBS-best 8.3 yards per carry outside the tackles, and both rushed for more than 1,300 yards and combined for 25 touchdowns. Wisconsin will try to get its running attack going early in this game and take some of the pressure off of QB Stave – who did not play well to close out the season. Stave threw a career-high three interceptions against PSU and practice reports indicate that Wisconsin is giving reps to JUCO-transfer Tanner McEvoy in case Stave underperforms again.
This offense will face one of their toughest tests of the season against this fierce South Carolina defensive front. The Gamecocks ranked 32nd against the run and 18th in total defense despite playing a buzz saw of a schedule in the SEC. Just one of South Carolina’s opponents scored more than 28 points (Georgia back on September 7th) and the Gamecocks held their final five opponents (Missouri, Mississippi State, Florida, Coastal Carolina, and Clemson) to just 16.2 PPG. They won those five games by a combined 181-81 margin. The star of the show for the Gamecocks was supposed to be defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Nagging injuries and constant double-teams left him with a pedestrian season. The real stars were QB Connor Shaw and RB Mike Davis. Shaw continued to show the country why he's one of the most underrated performers. Shaw battled injuries and showed up for the Gamecocks when it mattered most. He finished the year with 2,135 yards with 21 touchdowns to just one interception. Davis, who is as much a home run threat as a legitimate between-the-tackles bruiser, rushed for 1,134 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first year as a starter.
South Carolina’s resume is stronger as it boasts wins against Central Florida (AAC Champ) Missouri (SEC runner-up), and Clemson (playing in the Orange Bowl). Wisconsin lost its two marquee games this season: @Arizona State in a highly controversial ending and @Ohio State by seven points. Despite not returning to the Rose Bowl for the fourth consecutive season, all signs point to the Badgers being highly motivated for this game. For one, they lost all three of those Rose Bowls and they have a strong group of seniors (Jared Abbrederis, James White, and Chris Borland to name a few) that want to end their collegiate career with a Bowl victory. South Carolina has won back-to-back Bowl games, both against Big Ten opponents (Nebraska in 2011, Michigan in 2012).
Outback Bowl
Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4 SU, 7-5 ATS) vs. LSU Tigers (9-3 SU, 5-6-1 ATS)
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1
Time/TV: 1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
Line: Tigers (-7, 49)
Venue: Raymond James Stadium
Location: Tampa, FL
Iowa bounced back nicely after a dismal 4-8 finish in 2012. Many doubted Kirk Ferentz’s team in the preseason and few had the team pegged as the 2nd best in the Legends division. Stout defensive play and a strong rushing attack led the team to an 8-4 finish, including three straight victories to close out the season. Their four losses came against Northern Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin – who boast a combined record of 45-6. The Hawkeyes' success starts on defense, where they ranked in the top 20 nationally against both the pass and the run (7th overall in yards allowed). Everything revolves around a standout trio of senior linebackers in James Morris, Anthony Hitchens and Christian Kirksey, who combined for nearly 300 tackles and more than 30 tackles for loss. Rushing yards don’t come easy against this team as opponents average just 3.5 YPC and have scored just 5 rushing touchdowns against this Iowa defense all season long.
LSU will be dependent on running the ball as the Tigers’ starting QB all season, Zach Mettenberger, injured his knee and will miss this game. Freshman Anthony Jennings will get the start under center for LSU. He has attempted just 10 passes in relief duty this season, completing six for 99 yards with one TD. He has two of the nation’s top receivers to throw to in Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. Both have over 1,100 receiving yards this season with 18 combined touchdowns. Still, expect LSU to lean on a running attack led by RB’s Hill & Magee. Hill (1,185 rush yards) averages 6.8 yards per carry with 14 touchdowns while Magee (614 yards) averages 7.8 YPC with eight touchdowns. This LSU defense lost a ton of talent to the NFL last season and it has not been the dominant unit that we’ve come to expect from LSU. It’s a big testament to defensive coordinator John Chavis that he has this team ranked 20th in total defense and 31st in scoring defense. This defense had its ups (21 points allowed to Auburn, 10 points allowed to Texas A&M) and its downs (44 points allowed to Georgia, 38 points allowed to Alabama), but overall is a pretty stout unit.
Iowa’s offense is far from explosive and LSU’s defense has the talent edge over the Hawkeyes O. The Hawks finished 81st in yards per game and 74th in points per game. The RB trio of Weisman, Bullock, and Canzeri combined for 1,852 rush yards (4.7 YPC) and 10 TD. First year QB Rudock finished with 2,281 pass yards (60.2%) with 18 TD and 12 INT. He has also shown the ability to extend plays with his legs (223 rush yards and 5 scores). LSU had much higher hopes than the Outback Bowl this season while Iowa is thrilled to go Bowling again after a one-year hiatus – so motivation will be a key factor in this game. LSU has dropped three of its last four Bowl games. Iowa has won three of its last four Bowl games, including a 21-point win over SEC South Carolina in the 20089 version of the Outback Bowl. These two last met in 2005 in the Capital One Bowl, with Iowa winning 30-25.
Rose Bowl
Michigan State Spartans (12-1 SU, 8-4-1 ATS) vs. Stanford Cardinal (11-2 SU, 7-6 ATS)
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1
Time/TV: 5:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
Line: Cardinal (-4, 41)
Venue: Rose Bowl
Location: Pasadena, CA
The 100th Rose Bowl in 2014 looks more like a 1950’s style Rose Bowl as it features two suffocating defense and two power-style offenses. The first thing that jumps out about this matchup is the similar styles. Much like Stanford’s 20-14 win against Wisconsin in the Rose last year, points could be at a premium. Both Stanford (18.6 ppg) and Michigan State (12.7) allow fewer than 20 points per game, and the Spartans lead the nation in total defense. Neither team has allowed more than 28 points in a game this year; both allowed 28 on two occasions. Stanford will play in its second consecutive Rose Bowl after a definitive win over Arizona State in the Pac-12 Championship game. The Cardinal had +206 yards and had three touchdowns of 22+ yards. Stanford’s stout defense held ASU to just 311 yards and QB Kelly to just 173 pass yards and one TD.
There’s nothing sexy about this team as they use a power-run style behind RB Gaffney. Gaffney has 1,613 rush yards (5.3 YPC) and 20 rush TD this season (rush TD in every game but one this season). QB Hogan manages games well, but the passing attack is where this team struggles. Hogan has completed 61.4% of his passes this year with 20 TD and just 9 INT. He had just 14 TD in conference play and that includes a 5 TD performance against lowly Cal. MSU will be by far the best defense that Stanford faces this season. Rushing yards won’t be easy to come by against the top-ranked rushing defense (80 rush YPG allowed) and Hogan will be forced to make plays with his arm.
Michigan State was able to overcome an uncharacteristically poor performance from its defense to win the Big Ten Championship against previously undefeated Ohio State. OSU was able to gain 273 rush yards on 6.8 YPC, but the Spartans forced a number of key stops as OSU was just 1-of-10 on third down and 0-of-2 on 4th down. Offensively QB Cook passed for a career-high 304 yards and three touchdowns and RB Langford rushed for over 100 yards for the eighth consecutive game and sealed the game with a 26-yard rush TD with 2:16 remaining to seal the victory. Cook made huge strides this year and has developed into one of the top QB’s in the conference with 20 TD and just 5 INT this season. A balanced offense is the perfect complement to a suffocating defense and allowed the Spartans to win each of their nine Big Ten games by 10 points or more this season.
MSU leads the nation in fewest yards allowed (248.2 ypg), rush yards allowed (80.8 ypg) and third-down conversions allowed (27.7 percent), and ranks second in pass efficiency defense and fourth in points allowed. This is Stanford’s fourth straight BCS game and second straight Rose Bowl. The Spartans will play in their first BCS Bowl and haven’t been to the Rose Bowl since 1988, when they beat USC 20-17. The teams’ only common opponent is Notre Dame. The Irish handed Michigan State its only loss of the season, 17-13 on Sept. 21., but fell 27-20 at Stanford on Nov. 30. Stanford has won its last 10 games against ranked opponents, with the last loss coming two years ago in the Fiesta Bowl to Oklahoma State.