Meineke, Sun, Liberty, Chick-fil-A Bowl News and Notes

Meineke Car Care Bowl Preview
By: Matt Zemek

In a game named after a muffler company, how entirely appropriate it is that the two offenses involved don’t make much of any noise.

Yes, the Clemson Tigers and the South Florida Bulls are two teams that have rarely been able to live up to their talent and potential over the past few years. A smooth drive down the field – the kind of display the folks at Meineke want people to have when it comes to their cars – just doesn’t emerge very often for the schools who will come to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a late-December bowl date. Two of the more dysfunctional bowl teams – and offenses – in college football will try to play at a high level in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

One simply shouldn’t expect either Clemson or USF to get there. The cars these teams drive are clunkers, precisely the kinds of vehicles that need to be serviced by the sponsor of this bowl.

The Tigers stumbled to a 6-6 finish one season after winning the ACC’s Atlantic Division. Coach Dabo Swinney has been flustered and frustrated this year, especially in response to the play of his veteran quarterback, Kyle Parker. Clemson fans were initially very happy when Parker, a Major League Baseball prospect who signed with the Colorado Rockies, announced his intention to play football for the Tigers this season. However, Parker has played the part of a very distracted young man awaiting professional stardom in a different sport. He’s endured several multi-turnover games and was yanked from his team’s rivalry game on Nov. 27 against South Carolina. A very sloppy 14-13 win over North Carolina State is the only thing that kept Clemson in the bowl derby this year.

The Bulls were in the midst of a transition year of sorts, as new coach Skip Holtz came from East Carolina to replace fired coach Jim Leavitt. USF was not predicted to take the Big East Conference by storm, but then again, no one anticipated the league being as bad as it was. Yet, the Bulls couldn’t do a whole lot of anything with the opportunity that was put in front of them. South Florida lost at home to Syracuse in an ugly 13-9 affair and fell decisively to an inconsistent Pittsburgh team, too. USF did bump off Louisville and Cincinnati on the road, but those performances only underscore the blown chances at home in Tampa. USF lost to eventual Big East champion Connecticut at home in its season finale, but before that game, the Bulls did finish the month of November with a big road win at in-state rival Miami. That contest just might pay dividends on the recruiting trail and make the Bulls a bigger, better force in time for 2011.

This is a game in which the winning team will be the team that makes fewer mistakes. Kyle Parker is always a good bet to make more mistakes than the other team’s starting quarterback. Then again, whoever starts for South Florida – be it regular season-long starter B.J. Daniels or late-season fill-in Bobby Eveld (due to the quadricep injury Daniels suffered in November) – isn’t exactly airtight with the ball, either. If you are a pigskin Picasso and you live to see artful, elegant play with balletic and graceful open-field movements – the kinds of displays that are captured in slow motion on NFL Films and pour joy into your soul, making your heart sing with gladness – this is not the game for you. It’s going to be ugly, choppy, uneven, and filled with a considerable portion of dysfunctionality.

STAT PACK

Clemson

Passing Yards Per Game: 191.4 (National ranking out of 120 FBS teams: 84)

Rushing Yards Per Game: 146.4 (Ranking: 73)

Points Per Game: 23.8 (Ranking: 86)

Points Allowed Per Game: 17.8 (Ranking: 9)

South Florida

Passing: 162.5 ypg (Ranking: 101)

Rushing: 149.4 ypg (Ranking: 70)

Scoring: 23.5 ppg (Ranking: 88)

Scoring Defense: 19.5 ppg (Ranking: 19)

Sun Bowl Preview
By: Matt Zemek

A convenient headline can now be given to the most TV-friendly non-January bowl game in this 2010-2011 bowl season: “Golden Sunshine, Golden Dome, Golden Hurricanes.” A fresh coaching hire has just stirred up the pot and made a West Texas showdown that much more intriguing for college football fans across America. When the Miami Hurricanes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have at it near the Mexican border, the main storyline will be different from what most folks initially expected.

Over a week ago, when this matchup was first announced, all anyone could think of was the great and glorious (albeit brief) history shared by these schools. The 1980s were marked by the heated and colorful clashes between the bad-boy-image-embracing Miami Hurricanes and the good-Catholic-banner-holding Notre Dame Fighting Irish. These big-name schools now gather in El Paso for a very intriguing Sun Bowl matchup that has achieved a sellout at the box-office window in a very, very short time – less than 48 hours, in fact. The game sold out because of what these teams did in the 1980s, but now there’s a new angle to this Sun-filled showdown: new Miami head coach Al Golden.

Yes, Miami – The U, a citadel of college football supremacy in the 1980s and early 90s – has now tabbed a Temple head coach as its new sideline sultan. Golden brought Temple to its first bowl game since 1979 last season, and this year he engineered an 8-4 campaign in Philadelphia. Golden was expected to hang on and wait for Joe Paterno to retire at Penn State, but since Paterno has no intentions of stepping down, Golden evidently couldn’t wait to grab a bigger coaching job. That’s understandable, and the people in South Florida are happy about it. Golden spared the Canes from having to take Marc Trestman, the runner-up for the job; the hiring of a Canadian Football League coach with a mediocre track record in American professional football would not have excited Miami fans at all. Golden brings a resume that will generate more excitement in Coral Gables, Florida.

Before Golden came along, though, the Hurricanes did not envision a season that would put them in West Texas at the end of 2010. Miami intended to win the ACC Coastal Division and then the conference as a whole. Quarterback Jacory Harris returned one year after demonstrating his considerable talents in 2009. The Hurricanes were expected to dominate on the offensive side of the ball, but that never happened. Head coach Randy Shannon watched his team fold like a flour tortilla in an ugly home-field loss to archrival Florida State. When Miami then lost at home to South Florida in the season finale, a 7-5 mark made Shannon’s situation untenable, and he was fired. Miami – at press time – has not found a permanent replacement for Shannon.

The Fighting Irish, at an earlier juncture in their season, were in deep trouble in terms of making a bowl at all. Coach Brian Kelly was under fire for off-field incidents and for losing at home to Tulsa. Notre Dame’s starting quarterback, Dayne Crist, had been knocked out for the remainder of the season with an injury, and with Utah traveling to South Bend on Nov. 13, the Irish were expected to lose to the Utes. However, Notre Dame answered with a complete performance in a 28-3 victory that revived the team’s season and led to a three-game winning streak which culminated in a 20-16 road win at USC on Nov. 27. The Irish should consider themselves fortunate to be here.

The two teams have both used at least three quarterbacks during the year. Tommy Rees will almost certainly get the call for Notre Dame in this game, while Miami’s situation is less certain. At any rate, Notre Dame figures to be a lot more confident right now, while Miami’s unsettled coaching situation is likely to serve as a factor that will inhibit the Canes and prevent them from playing the way they need to play.

STAT PACK

Miami

Passing Yards Per Game: 232.2 (National ranking out of 120 FBS teams: 49)

Rushing Yards Per Game: 190.4 (Ranking: 26)

Points Per Game: 27.1 (Ranking: 58)

Points Allowed Per Game: 19.7 (Ranking: 21)

Notre Dame

Passing: 257.4 ypg (Ranking: 29)

Rushing: 120.8 ypg (Ranking: 96)

Scoring: 25.8 ppg (Ranking: 73)

Scoring Defense: 20.5 ppg (Ranking: 29)

Liberty Bowl Preview
By: Matt Zemek

A convenient headline can now be given to the most TV-friendly non-January bowl game in this 2010-2011 bowl season: “Golden Libertyshine, Golden Dome, Bulldogs.” A fresh coaching hire has just stirred up the pot and made a West Texas showdown that much more intriguing for college football fans across America. When the Miami Hurricanes and the UCF Golden Knights have at it near the Mexican border, the main storyline will be different from what most folks initially expected.

Over a week ago, when this matchup was first announced, all anyone could think of was the great and glorious (albeit brief) history shared by these schools. The 1980s were marked by the heated and colorful clashes between the bad-boy-image-embracing Miami Hurricanes and the good-Catholic-banner-holding UCF Golden Knights. These big-name schools now gather in El Paso for a very intriguing Liberty Bowl matchup that has achieved a sellout at the box-office window in a very, very short time – less than 48 hours, in fact. The game sold out because of what these teams did in the 1980s, but now there’s a new angle to this Liberty-filled showdown: new Miami head coach Al Golden.

Yes, Miami – The U, a citadel of college football supremacy in the 1980s and early 90s – has now tabbed a Temple head coach as its new sideline sultan. Golden brought Temple to its first bowl game since 1979 last season, and this year he engineered an 8-4 campaign in Philadelphia. Golden was expected to hang on and wait for Joe Paterno to retire at Penn State, but since Paterno has no intentions of stepping down, Golden evidently couldn’t wait to grab a bigger coaching job. That’s understandable, and the people in South Florida are happy about it. Golden spared the Canes from having to take Marc Trestman, the runner-up for the job; the hiring of a Canadian Football League coach with a mediocre track record in American professional football would not have excited Miami fans at all. Golden brings a resume that will generate more excitement in Coral Gables, Florida.

Before Golden came along, though, the Hurricanes did not envision a season that would put them in West Texas at the end of 2010. Miami intended to win the ACC Coastal Division and then the conference as a whole. Quarterback Jacory Harris returned one year after demonstrating his considerable talents in 2009. The Hurricanes were expected to dominate on the offensive side of the ball, but that never happened. Head coach Randy Shannon watched his team fold like a flour tortilla in an ugly home-field loss to archrival Florida State. When Miami then lost at home to South Florida in the season finale, a 7-5 mark made Shannon’s situation untenable, and he was fired. Miami – at press time – has not found a permanent replacement for Shannon.

The Golden Knights, at an earlier juncture in their season, were in deep trouble in terms of making a bowl at all. Coach Brian Kelly was under fire for off-field incidents and for losing at home to Georgia. UCF’s starting quarterback, Dayne Crist, had been knocked out for the remainder of the season with an injury, and with Utah traveling to South Bend on Nov. 13, the Irish were expected to lose to the Utes. However, UCF answered with a complete performance in a 28-3 victory that revived the team’s season and led to a three-game winning streak which culminated in a 20-16 road win at USC on Nov. 27. The Irish should consider themselves fortunate to be here.

The two teams have both used at least three quarterbacks during the year. Tommy Rees will almost certainly get the call for UCF in this game, while Miami’s situation is less certain. At any rate, UCF figures to be a lot more confident right now, while Miami’s unsettled coaching situation is likely to serve as a factor that will inhibit the Canes and prevent them from playing the way they need to play.

STAT PACK

Miami

Passing Yards Per Game: 232.2 (National ranking out of 120 FBS teams: 49)

Rushing Yards Per Game: 190.4 (Ranking: 26)

Points Per Game: 27.1 (Ranking: 58)

Points Allowed Per Game: 19.7 (Ranking: 21)

UCF

Passing: 257.4 ypg (Ranking: 29)

Rushing: 120.8 ypg (Ranking: 96)

Scoring: 25.8 ppg (Ranking: 73)

Scoring Defense: 20.5 ppg (Ranking: 29)

Chick-Fil-A Bowl Preview
By: Lauren Goddard

Some are calling the Chick-Fil-A Bowl matchup between Florida State University and the University of South Carolina a "rivalry renewed" of sorts. While FSU will face its old nemesis Steve Spurrier, Seminole coach Jimbo Fisher has never met Spurrier to date, but that doesn't mean he won't be prepared.

In Fisher's first meeting against FSU rivals this season, he stands with a 2-0 record. Florida State handily defeated Miami (in Miami) 45-17 and ended their regular season with a 31-7 route of Florida in Tallahassee. After the season, both Florida coach Urban Meyer and Miami coach Randy Shannon have left their teams leaving Fisher as the most tenured coach of Florida's "Big Three" schools. But while big wins over rivals, a 9-3 regular season, and an ACC Atlantic Division title are impressive, Fisher would like to end the season with a bowl win over a very good South Carolina team.

Florida State's long history with Steve Spurrier dates back to the first meeting between Spurrier and legendary Seminole coach Bobby Bowden in 1990. For ten years, Bowden's Seminoles battled Spurrier's Gators. During that time, the Seminoles took away a 7-4-1 record over the Gators, including the "Choke at Doak", a game that saw the Seminoles come back from down 31-3 at the beginning of the fourth quarter to earn a tie in the pre-overtime era of college football. The years between 1990 and 2000 were highly successful for both programs, who combined for three national championships, fourteen conference championships, and three Heisman winners.

While both Bowden and Spurrier were successful in the '90s, the programs and coaches have seen changes since those seasons. Florida State no longer has coach Bowden at the helm and is fighting back from half a decade of disappointing seasons. Spurrier has moved on and now coaches a South Carolina program that hasn't won a conference championship since 1969 (ACC title). Both are coming off disappointing losses in their respective conference championship games and look to reach the 10-win mark with a bowl victory.

In the SEC Championship Game, the Gamecocks faced the No. 2 Auburn Tigers, who had posted a 12-0 record in the regular season. Though the Gamecocks fell to Auburn earlier in the year by only eight points, the Tigers were on a roll late in the season and there was nothing South Carolina could do to stop them. At the end of the SEC Championship game, Auburn had defeated USC 56-17.

In the ACC Championship Game, Florida State met a dominant Virginia Tech team that was on a 10-game winning streak. The Seminoles barely squeaked into the game thanks to a late-season Maryland upset of ACC Atlantic contender North Carolina State. While the ACC title game was close early, Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor proved too much for the Noles to handle and the Hokies won the conference title by a score of 44-33.

Now both teams have been given the Chick-fil-A Bowl as a sort of "consolation" prize for losing their conference games. Both will look to end their season on a positive note and cap off one of the best seasons each school has seen in a while.

The bowl game will be Seminole quarterback and former Heisman candidate Christian Ponder's final game at Florida State. While Ponder was anticipated to have a Heisman-worthy season this year, injuries to his throwing elbow has kept him from excelling and has kept him out of a few games. Ponder recently had surgery to remove scar tissue from his elbow, but Coach Fisher is hopeful that Ponder will be able to start the bowl game.

For South Carolina, one player has made the difference this year—freshman running back Marcus Lattimore. The number one recruit out of high school last season chose to stay in his home state and attend the University of South Carolina despite the best efforts of several universities (including FSU) to pull him away. So far this season, Lattimore has recorded 1,198 yards on 248 carries, scoring 17 touchdowns. (In comparison, FSU's leading rusher has 6 touchdowns on the year, although FSU does utilize a multiple running back system.)

The former FSU recruit Lattimore could be the key in this ACC-SEC matchup. FSU's run defense is ranked 25th in the nation, but has been struggling to stop the run recently. If the Noles can hold Lattimore to minimal yards, Florida State will walk away with their third straight bowl win in the past three years. If not, South Carolina could post their first bowl win since 2006.

Friday's Early Bowls
By Judd Hall

For most of the country, Friday will be the last work day of 2010. For others, they’ll have the day off to be left to their own devices. What better way to spend the early part of your day than to sweat out the first two bowl games on a four-game slate? We’ll start out in Charlotte with a defensive battle, then hit the border for a big name matchup in El Paso.

Meineke Car Care Bowl

If defensive struggles fit your taste, then the face-off in Charlotte between the Bulls and Clemson (6-6 straight up, 5-6 against the spread) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. The Tigers are getting the love as 5½-point favorites with a total of 40 ½ at most sportsbooks. Gamblers can play on USF to win outright for a plus-190 (risk $100 to win $190) return.

South Florida (7-5 SU, 4-7 ATS) had a bumpy first season under Skip Holtz’s guidance. The Bulls had a tough second half to loss at Florida, but did pick up a great win at Miami in a game that ultimately cost Randy Shannon his job. Now USF is making its second trip to Charlotte for this contest, the first appearance was a 14-0 loss to North Carolina State in the 2005 edition.

The Bulls closed out the year with a 1-2 mark that saw both defeats come by a total of 10 points to Pittsburgh and Connecticut. While that isn’t a great mark, you have to keep in mind that they were without B.J. Daniels for the second half of the Miami game and all of the tilt with the Huskies. Bobby Eveld performed well in his absence, but Daniels (1,496 passing yards, 87 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns) gives South Florida its best chance to win.

Even if Daniels can’t get things going by himself, he’ll still have one hell of a defense trying to shorten the field. South Florida is allowing 131.9 YPG on the ground to rank 33rd in the nation. And that unit has shown to be strong against Miami, who ran for 165 yards with 71 of those yards coming on one play.

Clemson knows how the Bulls feel on offense as they’re in the lower half of the FBS when it comes to running (146.4 YPG, 85th) and throwing (191.4 YPG, 85th) the ball. Jamie Harper is the Tigers’ top choice to move the ball after Andre Ellington went down with a foot injury. Harper did pick up 273 rushing yards against Florida State and Wake Forest, but has struggled to run effectively for the rest of the year with 396 yards in his other 10 games.

While there have been some breakdowns in the secondary on a few occasions this season, the run defense has been the hallmark of the Tigers’ stoppers. They are giving up just 131.7 YPG on the ground this season. And if you’re worried about them getting to the quarterback, just remember defensive lineman Da’Quan Bowers leads all defenders with 15.5 sacks this season.

The Bulls have been a good bowl bet recently, winning and covering their last two postseason affairs. Clemson comes into the test having snapped a three-game bowl losing skid with last year’s 21-13 Music City Bowl triumph over Kentucky.

The Tigers have gone 6-1 SU and 3-4 ATS this year as favorites. The better wager to make on those games is to take the ‘under’ as it is 6-1 in those situations in 2010.

USF has posted a 3-1 SU and ATS record over its last four games this season as an underdog. The ‘under’ also went 3-1 in that stretch.

Sun Bowl

If name recognition is what will get people to watch, then the Sun Bowl is the game to see. That’s what the good people of El Paso are banking on when Notre Dame (7-5 SU, 6-4 ATS) takes on the Hurricanes on Friday afternoon in a meeting of old rivals.

Miami (7-5 SU, 4-7 ATS) comes into this game in a state of flux at the helm after Randy Shannon got his walking papers after a choke job to close out the year against USF. Jeff Stoutland will be running things on the sidelines this week as new coach Al Golden watches somewhere in the stands at Sun Bowl Stadium.

Both teams enter this game with uncertainties at the quarterback position.

The Hurricanes come into the game not knowing who will be under center. Jacory Harris started the season atop the depth chart. However, Harris has not been the most accurate passer this season (54.8 completion percentage) and has almost as many interceptions (12) as he does touchdowns (14) before concussions knocked him out for all or part of Miami’s last five games. Harris has been slated as the started from recent reports, but don’t be shocked to see true freshman Stephen Morris back on the field during this game. Although, Morris might be a tough watch after four picks to just one score in his last two outings.

Brian Kelly looked like he had the right man in place to run his offense this season in junior Dayne Crist. But he went down with a knee injury against Tulsa on Oct. 30, leaving true freshman Tommy Rees to be baptized by fire, so to speak. Rees has hit some bumps in the road over the last five games, but has still connected on 63 percent of his throws for 150.8 YPG with 10 touchdowns.

Rees will have his work cut out for him against a Miami defense that is 2nd nationally against the pass (146.3 YPG). And you can bet your priest a case of sacramental wine that Michael Floyd (916 receiving yards, 10 TD) will be locked down. That means Cierre Wood could be under the spotlight even more after replacing the injured Armando Allen.

Miami won’t be perfect on offense either by any stretch. The Hurricanes seem to focus most of the scoring to Leonard Hankerson, who has scored 12 touchdowns on 66 receptions for 1,085 yards. Travis Benjamin (49-for-699) and LaRon Byrd (37-for-394) give the ‘Canes a couple of extra outlets, but aren’t up to the same caliber as Hankerson. Notre Dame has improved over the season in stopping passing attacks, allowing just 138 YPG over its last three games of the season.

The Hurricanes are listed as 2 ½-point favorites with a total of 47. Notre Dame can be had to win outright at plus-120 (risk $100 to win $120).

The last time these two teams met was back in 1990 in South Bend, a 29-20 win for the Irish as three-point pups. Over the last five meetings, Miami is 3-2 SU and ATS, with the ‘over’ going 3-2.

Miami has not been a great short favorite recently, evidenced by a 1-3 SU and ATS record when posted as no more than a three-point fave. Notre Dame is 4-0 SU and ATS when listed as no worse than a three-point pup over the last five years. The ‘over’ is 4-0 in those games as well.

vegasinsider.com

Friday's Late Action
By Brian Edwards

Once upon a time, Steve Spurrier’s teams at Florida would face FSU every season in late November. More often than not from 1994-2001, the winner would have a chance to win a national championship. That dynamic made for a bitter rivalry that was matched by no other in the 1990s.

Nine years after Spurrier left UF to “try his ballplays in the NFL,” he gets another shot at the Seminoles, who have a new head coach and are looking to cap a promising season at the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta. Also, another SEC team is in action on New Year’s Eve, so let’s get you prepped for bets, ballgames and beverages galore.

**Central Florida vs. Georgia **

The Conference USA champs will square off against an SEC school in this year’s Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Most betting shops have installed Georgia (6-6 straight up, 4-7 against the spread) as a 6 ½-point favorite with a total of 55 ½. Bettors can take UCF to win outright for a plus-210 return (risk $100 to win $210).

Central Florida (10-3 SU, 9-3 ATS) won the C-USA title game by beating SMU 17-7 as a 7 ½-point home ‘chalk.’ The 24 combined points stayed way ‘under’ the 55 ½-point total. Latavius Murray rushed for 94 yards and one touchdown, while Jeff Godfrey threw for 167 yards and one TD without committing a turnover.

UCF averages 192.5 yards rushing per game, as Murray, Godfrey and RB Ronnie Weaver have each rushed for more than 500 yards on the season. Godfrey has a 13/6 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while Weaver has 11 rushing TDs to his credit.

Mark Richt’s team finished the regular season with a 42-34 non-covering victory over arch-rival Ga. Tech, which covered the spread as a 14-point road underdog in Athens. Redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray produced another stellar performance, completing 15-of-19 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.

In UGA’s last three games, Murray really started to get into a groove, throwing nine TD passes compared to zero interceptions. For the season, the Tampa Plant High School product had a 24/6 TD-INT ratio. Murray clearly looks like he’ll be a first-team All-SEC selection at the QB position in the 2011 preseason.

Murray’s favorite target is junior WR A.J. Green, who will most likely be a top-five pick in the NFL Draft if he decides to turn pro. An Atlanta television station reported that he would declare several days ago, but Green took to twitter to deny that report. Due to the potential lockout situation, the UGA faithful hold out a glimmer of hope that Green might return to Athens for his senior campaign. He missed the first four games of this year due to suspension, but he’s been busy making up for it since. Green has 49 catches for 771 yards and nine TDs.

UGA owns a 1-2 record both SU and ATS as a single-digit favorite this year. Meanwhile, UFC covered the number in its lone underdog spot of the season, a 17-13 loss at Kansas St. as a 6½-point puppy.

Totals have been an overall wash (6-6) for UCF after the ‘under’ cashed in its last two outings.

The ‘over’ is 8-3 overall for UGA, hitting in each of its last four games and six of its last seven.

George O’Leary’s squad went to the St. Petersburg Bowl last year, losing 45-24 to Rutgers as a 2 ½-point underdog. The Knights have been to two other bowl games in school history, losing 10-3 to Mississippi St. in the 2007 Liberty Bowl. They also dropped a 49-48 decision to Nevada in overtime at the 2005 Hawaii Bowl, but did take the cash as 2½-point underdogs.

UGA has won four consecutive bowl games, including last year’s 44-20 win over Texas A&M as a 6 ½-point favorite at the Independence Bowl. The Dawgs haven’t lost in the postseason since a Sugar Bowl defeat against West Va. (38-35) in 2005 when the game was played at the Ga. Dome due to the damages done to the Superdome by Hurricane Katrina.

Kick-off is slated for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**South Carolina vs. Florida State**

During Spurrier’s 12-year tenure at Florida, his teams were 5-8-1 against Florida State. Although the Gators had a losing record in the 14 showdowns between Spurrier and Bobby Bowden, they won two of the biggest meetings. UF beat FSU 52-20 to win the BCS Championship Game in New Orleans on Jan. 2 of 1997, avenging a 24-21 loss in Tallahassee six weeks beforehand. Then in the ’97 regular-season finale, UF played the role of the spoiler, riding Fred Taylor’s four TD runs to a 32-29 win to deny the ‘Noles a trip to the national-title game.

Most betting shops are listing South Carolina (9-4 SU, 7-5 ATS) as a three-point favorite with the total in the 54-55 range. Gamblers can take FSU to win outright for a plus-135 payout (risk $100 to win $135).

Both teams are looking to bounce back from double-digit losses in their respective conference championship games. Auburn thumped the Gamecocks by a 56-17 count as a four-point favorite, while the Seminoles lost a 44-33 decision to Va. Tech as 4 ½-point underdogs.

FSU senior quarterback Christian Ponder couldn’t go in the ACC Championship Game, but he will get the starting nod at the Ga. Dome. Ponder has 20 touchdown passes compared to eight interceptions despite being bothered by an injured elbow for much of the year.

South Carolina is led by freshman running back Marcus Lattimore, who has rushed for 1,198 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Gamecocks also have one of the nation’s premier wide receivers in Alshon Jeffery, who has made 79 receptions for 1,387 yards and nine TDs. QB Stephen Garcia has a 20/11 touchdown-to-interception ratio and has run for six TDs.

South Carolina owns a 2-2 record both straight up and against the spread in four games as a single-digit favorite. FSU has been an underdog three times, going 1-2 both SU and ATS.

The ‘under’ is 8-4 overall for FSU, but the ‘over’ has hit at an 8-4 overall clip for the Gamecocks.

“South Carolina played 11 games against teams in bowl games this year,” VegasInsider.com handicapper Marc Lawrence said on this week’s edition of the Insider Edge on VI Radio. “Although the Gamecocks haven’t been good in bowl games lately, I like them laying this short number. Spurrier will have his team ready to make amends for blowout losses to UConn and Iowa the last two postseasons.”

FSU has won four of its last six bowl games but most importantly for our purposes, it has covered the spread in all six of those contests. As Lawrence mentioned, the ‘Cocks have taken woodshed treatment by a combined score of 51-17 to the Huskies and Hawkeyes in ’09 and ’08, respectively, at the Papajohns.com and Outback Bowls.

ESPN will provide television coverage at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

vegasinsider.com.

Friday Bowl Notes

Car Care Bowl

South Florida won three of last four bowls; they were favored in all four games; last time they were bowl dog, it was here in '05, when they lost 14-0 to NC State (+3.5). QB Daniels was hurt during season but expects to play here; he's no great shakes but is mobile when healthy. Four of last five USF games were decided by 3 or less points- they finished year 4-2, instead of folding down stretch like they had in previous seasons.

Clemson lost three of last four bowls, despite being favored in all four-- they've got a soph QB who is quitting football to go play pro baseball, which is part of why Tigers struggled so much in '10. Clemson might be 6-6, but they lost to unbeaten Auburn in OT. Tigers scored 14 points or less in four of last five games; their last eight games stayed under. This is a talented team but as usual, Clemson underachieved.

Favorites are 4-3 vs spread in last seven Car Care Bowls, even though in three of last four, the deciding margin was one or two points. ACC clubs lost last two, after winning first five Car Care Bowls.

Sun Bowl

Miami fired its coach and its new starting QB sprained his ankle during week at practice, so previous starter Harris gets nod here. 'canes lost last two bowls 24-17/20-14; their only bowl win since '04 (1-3) was against Nevada by a point. Miami is 2-3 in last five games, losing as 12/15 point favorites to Virginia/USF. With as many distractions as they've had since season ended, not sure how Miami could be favored over anyone.

Notre Dame has one bowl win since 1994, two years ago at Hawai'i in Hawai'i Bowl (49-21); their last four bowl losses are all by 14+ points. Irish won last three games to get to 7-5, allowing only 22 points in those wins- they beat USC for first time in nine years in an LA monsoon. ND allowed 20 or less points in its wins, 28+ in its losses- they're 3-1 when an underdog this year. Irish are 4-1 vs spread away from home.

If you omit the 3-0 Oregon State-Pitt debacle two years ago, the average total in last six Sun Bowls would be 68.5. Hard to endorse Miami when they have separate issues involving firing the coach and injured QB.

Liberty Bowl

Central Florida is 0-3 in bowl games, losing 10-3 to Miss State of SEC in this game three years ago- they gave up 49-45 points in their other bowl appearances. Knights had best season ever under O'Leary, winning eight of last nine games. UCF was underdog only once all year, losing 17-13 at Kansas State (+7)- they allowed 12.7 ppg in winning last three games. UCF converted over 50% on third down in eight of its last nine games.

Georgia won its last four bowls, covering last three as a favorite; Richt was at Florida State with Bobby Bowden when Seminoles were winning all their bowl games. Dawgs started this season 1-4, then got hot when star WR Green's suspension ended- they won five of last seven games, scoring 31 points in both their last two losses. Six of last seven Georgia games went over the total. Dawgs allowed 31+ points in last four games vs D-I foes.

Underdogs covered five of last six Liberty Bowls; weather has often been a factor in this game, so check the weather before playing totals. A game with two really good young QBs is expected to produce lot of points.

Chick-fil-A Bowl

South Carolina lost four of last five bowls, despite being favored in four of the five games; they scored total of 10 points in losing bowls the last two years (31-10/20-7). 9-4 Gamecocks allowed 31+ points in all four of their losses- they made SEC title game for first time, but got blown out by Auburn. Carolina is 5-3 as favorite this year- they were +2 or better in turnovers in each of its last four wins.

Florida State won three of its last four bowls, with average total of 60.8 in the four games- they were underdog in three of the four games. FSU's last three bowl wins were all by 12+ points. Seminoles allowed 19 or less points in all their wins this year; they gave up 47-28-37-44 points in the four losses- they're 1-2 as an underdog. Ponder is expected to play after missing ACC title game with an elbow injury.

South Carolina is 4-11 all-time in bowls; Spurrier is 7-9 as a bowl coach. Would expect pretty good game; both teams have veteran QBs. They've both had good seasons, so they should be excited to be here. Underdogs won SU in four of last five Chick-fil-A Bowls.

Tips and Trends

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Miami Hurricanes

FIGHTING IRISH: Behind Coach Kelly, Notre Dame is finishing the season strong. The Irish have won their past 3 games SU, 2 of which came as the listed underdog. Notre Dame was 7-5 SU and 5-5-2 ATS overall this season. The Irish were 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS away from home this year. The Irish were 3-1 ATS as the listed underdog this season. Notre Dame has a top 30 passing offense, led by QB Dayne Crist. Crist has led a passing attack that is averaging 257 YPG this year. Notre Dame is averaging 25.8 PPG for the season, while giving up 20.5 PPG. The Fighting Irish are 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games following an ATS win. Notre Dame is 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game. The Fighting Irish are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games played on turf. Notre Dame is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 bowl games.

Fighting Irish are 6-1 ATS last 7 games as an underdog.
Under is 9-1 last 10 games against the ACC.

Key Injuries - S Dan McCarthy (shoulder) is doubtful.

Projected Score: 24 (SIDE of the Day)

HURRICANES: (-3, O/U 47) Miami had a frustrating season this year, culminating with back to back losses at home to end the regular season. Miami went 7-5 SU and 5-7 ATS overall this year. The Hurricanes started the year thinking they could compete for a BCS championship. Instead, they are playing before New Years in a bowl game where some are questioning their mental state. Miami is 4-1 ATS as a single digit favorite this season. The Hurricanes rank in the top 50 in both passing and rushing offense this year. Miami averages 27.1 PPG this year while giving up just 19.7 PPG. The Hurricanes are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as the listed favorite. Miami is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games played in December. The Hurricanes are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Hurricanes are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a SU loss.

Hurricanes are 1-4 ATS last 5 Bowl games as a favorite.
Under is 6-0-1 last 7 games overall.

Key Injuries - QB Jacory Harris (concussion) is probable.

Projected Score: 21

Florida St. Seminoles vs South Carolina Gamecocks

SEMINOLES: Florida St. is coming off a loss in their conference championship as well, a 33-44 SU loss to Virginia Tech. Florida St. is 9-4 SU and 7-6 ATS overall this season. The Seminoles are 3-3 both SU and ATS away from home this year. Florida St. is 1-2 ATS as the listed underdog this season. The Seminoles have scored at least 30 PTS in 4 of their past 5 games overall. Florida St. is averaging 31.8 PPG this season, while allowing just 19.8 PPG. The Seminoles are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog up to a field goal. The Seminoles are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 bowl games as the listed underdog. Florida St. is 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games. The Seminoles are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games played in December. Florida St. is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.

Seminoles are 5-0-1 ATS last 6 bowl games.
Under is 5-1 last 6 non-conference games.

Key Injuries - QB Christian Ponder (elbow) is probable.

Projected Score: 28

GAMECOCKS: (-3, O/U 54.5) The last time South Carolina took the field, they were playing Auburn in the SEC Championship game. The Gamecocks were blown out in that contest, and they've had plenty of time to think about it. South Carolina gets another high profile opponent tonight, so they are likely to be plenty motivated. The Gamecocks are 9-4 SU and 7-6 ATS overall this year. South Carolina is 3-2 both SU and ATS overall this season. The Gamecocks are 2-2 ATS as a single digit favorite this year. The Gamecocks average 32 PPG this season while giving up 22.9 PPG this season. The Gamecocks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a SU loss. South Carolina is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite up to a field goal. The Gamecocks are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games. South Carolina is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against the ACC. The Gamecocks are 9-4 ATS against a team with a winning record. South Carolina is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.

Gamecocks are 4-0 ATS last 4 games following a double-digit loss at home.
Over is 8-2 last 10 neutral site games.

Key Injuries - LB Shaq Wilson (hamstring) is questionable.

Projected Score: 31 (OVER-Total of the Day)