PIONEER LAS VEGAS BOWL
Las Vegas, NV - Although a trip to Las Vegas seems enticing, BYU was hoping it wouldn't have to make it - again.
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The 17th-ranked Cougars, who were hoping to land a spot in a BCS bowl game before this season began, make their fourth straight appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 20 when they face an Arizona team playing in its first bowl in a decade.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made the Arizona –3 point spread favorites for the Las Vegas Bowl against BYU. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 75% of more than 10,589 bets for this game have been placed on the BYU +3.
After winning the Mountain West Conference with identical 11-2 records in 2006 and '07, BYU had high expectations for this season and was picked to win the league. The Cougars were ranked 16th in the AP preseason poll, and jumped to as high as No. 8 before losing to unranked TCU 32-7 on Oct. 16.
BYU lost its bid for a share of its third straight conference title with a 48-24 defeat to then-No. 8 Utah in its regular-season finale on Nov. 22. The loss meant another trip to the Las Vegas Bowl for the Cougars (10-2).
"I think any team starting out a season, their goal should be to win all their football games and to make it to a BCS bowl game," defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen said. "Obviously we want to be there. I'm sure if you asked Arizona that question, they'd want to be there, too. But if we're not going to be there, this is a great place to be."
The Cougars are no strangers to playing in Las Vegas. They've won the last two bowls at Sam Boyd Stadium, blocking a field goal last year to preserve a 17-16 win over UCLA and defeating Oregon 38-8 in 2006. BYU lost to California 35-28 in the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl.
Although the Cougars were hoping to play in a more attractive bowl, coach Bronco Mendenhall wants his team focused on its opponent, not the site.
"I think there's maybe an overemphasis on playing or preparing for a place that you've been before - really, the focus is on playing a team," Mendenhall said.
While BYU should be familiar with the surroundings of Las Vegas and what to expect in a bowl setting, this will be an entirely new experience for the Wildcats (7-5).
Arizona is in the midst of its first winning season since 1998, when it went 12-1 and beat Nebraska 23-20 in the Holiday Bowl - the program's last bowl appearance.
"No one on our team has ever been in a bowl game," senior quarterback Willie Tuitama said. "This is our first time. We hear our coaches telling stories about the bowl games they've been to so we're definitely excited to be here."
Arizona was picked to finish seventh in the Pac-10 this season, but ended up two spots better following a 31-10 win over archrival Arizona State in its regular-season finale Dec. 6.
"It's been a long journey to get to this point but I couldn't be more proud of our players, especially the seniors, for enduring some of the tough times you have to go through to rebuild a program," said coach Mike Stoops, who was hired in 2004.
This will be the third straight season these two programs meet. The Cougars defeated Arizona 20-7 at home in the 2007 season opener after the Wildcats won the 2006 opener 16-13 at Arizona Stadium.
Both teams are led by strong-armed quarterbacks running high-powered offenses.
Max Hall directs BYU, which is 19th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring (35.3 points per game) and 17th in total offense (444.8 yards per game).
Hall led the Mountain West in passing yards (3,629), touchdowns (34) and passer rating (160.3), but didn't have much luck against Utah, throwing no touchdowns and a career-high five interceptions. Hall may have another tough time in this game, as Arizona is 14th in the FBS in pass defense (169.7).
While Hall struggled his last time out, running back Harvey Unga had another outstanding performance, rushing for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Unga finished fourth in the Mountain West with 1,061 rushing yards.
Arizona is 20th in the nation in total defense (302.1), but has been vulnerable when playing away from Tucson. The Wildcats limited opponents to 14.7 points in their seven home games, but gave up 30.6 in their five road contests.
Fortunately, the offense has usually been able to bail them out.
Arizona is 16th in the nation in scoring (37.1), and Tuitama finished second in the Pac-10 in passing yards (2,763), touchdowns (21) and QB rating (143.0).
In last season's meeting, Tuitama completed 26 of 36 passes for 216 yards and one touchdown, while Hall was 26-of-39 for 288 yards and two scores.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series 11-9-1 against their former Western Athletic Conference foe.
Las Vegas Bowl Public Betting Trends:
All games in this series since 1992
BYU is 2-0 against the spread versus ARIZONA since 1992
ARIZONA is 1-1 straight up against BYU since 1992
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1992
Games over the last 3 seasons
BYU is 2-0 against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 1-1 straight up against BYU over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
Las Vegas Bowl Key Player Injuries:
BYU
[LB] Dan Van Sweden expected to miss entire season - Leg - 08/16/08
[LB] Dan Van Sweden expected to miss entire season - Leg - 08/16/08
[LB] Shawn Doman missed last game, upgraded to probable. - Appendix - 11/1
[LB] Shawn Doman missed last game, upgraded to probable. - Appendix - 11/1
[DT] Terrance Hooks missed last game %27?%27 - Knee - 11/17/08
[DT] Terrance Hooks missed last game %27?%27 - Knee - 11/17/08
[CB] G Pittman has decided to transfer. - Academics - 10/21/08
[CB] G Pittman has decided to transfer. - Academics - 10/21/08
[DB] Scott Johnson is downgraded to doubtful - Groin - 11/22/08
[DB] Scott Johnson is downgraded to doubtful - Groin - 11/22/08
[LB] Daniel Sorensen upgraded to probable. - Ankle - 11/19/08
[LB] Daniel Sorensen upgraded to probable. - Ankle - 11/19/08
[DB] Andrew Rich is upgraded to probable - Head - 11/18/08
[DB] Andrew Rich is upgraded to probable - Head - 11/18/08
[WR] Michael Reed injured last game,%27?%27 - Leg - 11/22/08
[WR] Michael Reed injured last game,%27?%27 - Leg - 11/22/08
[TE] Dennis Pitta is downgraded to %27?%27 - Knee - 11/22/08
[TE] Dennis Pitta is downgraded to %27?%27 - Knee - 11/22/08
[TE] Ray Feinga is upgraded to probable - Back - 11/22/08
[TE] Ray Feinga is upgraded to probable - Back - 11/22/08
ARIZONA
No significant injuries.
MAGICJACK.COM BOWL
St. Petersburg, FL - Following consecutive 9-4 finishes, South Florida was looking to take the next step after earning its first preseason ranking in school history.
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Instead, the Bulls couldn't measure up to those expectations and will travel 32 miles to Tropicana Field for the St. Petersburg Bowl on Dec. 20 against Memphis.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made the South Florida –13 point spread favorites for the MagicJack Bowl against Memphis. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 61% of more than 2,194 bets for this game have been placed on the South Florida -13.
South Florida opened this season with five straight wins and was the No. 10 team in the nation, but lost five of its last seven to finish 7-5. Last season, the Bulls won their final three Big East contests and finished a game back of co-champs West Virginia and Connecticut. In 2006, they won three of their last four, including a victory over the then-No. 7 Mountaineers.
South Florida can take solace in making its fourth straight bowl appearance. The Bulls have gone 1-2 in the previous three, including a 56-21 loss to Oregon in last year's Sun Bowl.
"There's great programs out there not going to bowl games this year, and our seniors are going to have four bowl rings," coach Jim Leavitt said. "That's a neat deal, and I'm proud of them for that."
South Florida struggled offensively at the end of the season, failing to score more than 20 points in the final five games and producing a season-low for points in its finale, a 13-7 loss at West Virginia. The Bulls averaged 14.8 points in their defeats and 34.9 in their victories.
For the third straight year, quarterback Matt Grothe led South Florida in rushing, but his production dropped from 872 yards last season to 508 in 2008. Mike Ford finished with 373 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 10 games after having 645 and running for 12 TDs as a freshman last season.
Grothe set a career high with 2,675 passing yards and tied his career best with 15 touchdowns, but he also threw 14 interceptions for the third straight year. The junior has 11 of those picks in the last five games, with three touchdowns over that span.
On defense, George Selvie led the team for the second straight season in sacks, but had just 5 1/2 after posting 14 1/2 last season. The junior defensive end also made just 12 1/2 tackles for loss after leading the nation with 31 1/2 in 2007.
South Florida's defense ranks 13th in the country, allowing 291.8 yards per game, and ninth against the run (97.7). The Bulls will face a Memphis team with the nation's 18th-best rushing attack at 205.6 yards per game, and 22nd-ranked offense (432.2).
"I think they are the most active defensive front we've played against," Tigers coach Tommy West said. "They don't blitz much because they don't have to. Their front four makes it happen. We have our work cut out us for, but I think one of the big keys will be how well we run the ball."
Helping Memphis (6-6) become one of the nation's top rushing teams was the addition of junior running back Curtis Steele. The junior college transfer had 1,175 yards and seven touchdowns to become the school's first 1,000-yard rusher since DeAngelo Williams in 2005.
Another junior college transfer, Arkelon Hall, passed for 2,121 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Tigers were down to their third-string quarterback in Brett Toney after Hall and Will Hudgens went out on successive series in a 30-10 loss Oct. 18 at East Carolina. Toney started wins over Southern Miss and SMU.
Those two victories, along with a 45-6 win over Tulane in the season finale with Hall back, helped Memphis become bowl eligible for the fifth time in the last six years.
None of the Tigers' six wins came over opponents who finished with a winning record, and they defeated just one bowl team - Southern Miss.
Before its win over Tulane, the Memphis defense yielded 27.8 points per game.
The Tigers have won three of their five all-time bowl games, falling 44-27 to Florida Atlantic in last season's New Orleans Bowl.
The Bulls and Tigers played from 2001-04 and split the four meetings, with Memphis winning the last game 31-15 in Tampa.
MagicJack Bowl Top Betting Trends:
All games in this series since 1992
MEMPHIS is 2-1 against the spread versus S FLORIDA since 1992
S FLORIDA is 2-2 straight up against MEMPHIS since 1992
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1992
MagicJack Bowl Key Player Injuries
MEMPHIS
(!) [QB] Will Hudgens is expected to miss the rest of the season. - Knee -
[QB] Tyler Bass expected to miss the rest of the season - Knee - 10/27/08
S FLORIDA
[SF] Danny Verpaele expected to miss 6 weeks. - Foot - 10/21/08
- Danny Tolley is out indefinitely - ACL - 08/07/08
[KR] Justin Teachey is out for the season. - Quad - 11/13/08
[LB] Brouce Mompremier expected to miss remainder of the season - Head - 1
[CB] Tyller Roberts is expected to play. - Ankle - 12/03/08
EAGLE BANK BOWL
Washington, D.C. - Navy proved to be better than Wake Forest in their first meeting this season. Judging by how each team has fared since that game, not much may change when they match up for a second time.
With revenge on its mind, Wake Forest will have to find a way to score against Navy's suddenly stifling defense as the teams meet in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl at RFK Stadium on Saturday.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made the Wake Forest –3 point spread favorites for the EagleBank Bowl against Navy. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 55% of more than 12,332 bets for this game have been placed on the Navy +3.
Wake Forest (7-5) and Navy (9-4) have the honor of playing the first of 34 bowl games this season, leading up to Oklahoma and Florida meeting for the national championship on Jan. 8.
While bowl matchups often feature teams that haven't faced one another in some time and have little history, this game is an exception. Navy and then-No. 16 Wake Forest met back on Sept. 27 in Winston-Salem, with the Midshipmen holding on to win 24-17 for their first victory over a ranked team since 1985.
"Navy is a great football team and they're going to give us fits again," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "They run the wishbone and the option as well as anyone in the country. They're playing great defense right now."
That was an extremely disappointing loss for Wake Forest, which was 3-0 after forcing seven turnovers in a 12-3 win at Florida State a week earlier. Riley Skinner threw four interceptions, including a fourth-quarter pick that ended any chance the heavily favored Demon Deacons had at a comeback.
This will mark the first time in 63 years that the Demon Deacons have played a team twice in the same season. In 1945, they played to a 13-all tie against South Carolina in the regular season, then defeated the Gamecocks 26-14 in the Gator Bowl in their first-ever bowl appearance.
"It's a great opportunity. We played them earlier this year in which we lost a game we thought we could have won," Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith said. "We didn't play as well, we didn't play Wake Forest football."
After allowing a combined 76 points in losses to Duke and Ball State, Navy kept Wake Forest off the scoreboard until the third quarter and yielded only 43 rushing yards.
"It was a phenomenal job of our kids fighting, scratching and clawing," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said after the win. "Our defense played phenomenal today. Every situation that we put them in, our defense just stepped up."
The victory provided a huge lift for the Midshipmen, who went on to win five of their final seven games, including victories over Northern Illinois and Army by a combined 50-0 score to close the regular season. Navy has not allowed a point since losing 27-21 to Notre Dame on Nov. 15.
Besides beating their archrivals for the seventh straight time, the best thing about Navy's 34-0 rout of Army on Dec. 6 was the return of quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who has been limited to five games this season with a hamstring injury. Kaheaku-Enhada was injured in the second quarter against Wake Forest, but looked strong directing Navy's option offense against Army.
"It was huge. I wanted to get back, actually contribute to the team effort," Kaheaku-Enhada said. "I haven't done anything all year long. I felt bad for the guys because I haven't really been here."
Behind the 1-2 punch of Shun White and Eric Kettani, Navy led the nation with 298.3 rushing yards per game. White racked up 1,021 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games, ranking third nationally with an 8.7 yards-per-carry average. Kettani, meanwhile, totaled 932 yards - including a career-high 175 against Wake Forest - and four TDs on 176 carries.
White and Kettani are the first set of 2,000-yard career rushing teammates Navy has ever had.
Although they will play in a bowl for three straight seasons for the first time in school history, the Demon Deacons only won four of their final nine games. They finished in four-way tie for third place in the ACC's Atlantic Division.
Coming off a 9-4 season that included a win over Connecticut in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, the Demon Deacons had loftier goals in mind than a 7-5 record with nine starters returning on defense and Skinner and running back Josh Adams - the 2006 and 2007 ACC Rookies of the Year, respectively - returning on offense.
Wake's offense underachieved all season, and putting up points against Navy's defense could be a problem. The Deacons rank 103rd nationally in total offense (315.7), 101st in rushing yards (111.6) and 97th in scoring offense (20.3). They have scored only 20 touchdowns in 41 trips inside the red zone.
Since throwing four interceptions in the loss to Wake Forest, Skinner has thrown for six touchdowns and three picks in his last eight games.
Adams, meanwhile, took a step back this season after rushing for 953 yards as a freshman. Slowed by a sprained ankle, he was limited to 389 yards and carried only 11 times for 32 yards in the final three games.
Wake Forest holds a 6-3 lead in the all-time series with Navy. The Demon Deacons had won four straight against the Midshipmen until Navy's win in September.
EagleBank Bowl Top Betting Trends:
All games in this series since 1992
WAKE FOREST is 4-3 against the spread versus NAVY since 1992
WAKE FOREST is 5-2 straight up against NAVY since 1992
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1992
Games over the last 3 seasons
WAKE FOREST is 1-1 against the spread versus NAVY over the last 3 seasons
WAKE FOREST is 1-1 straight up against NAVY over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
EagleBank Bowl Player Injuries:
NAVY
[QB] Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada is probable, %27?%27 to start - Hamstring -
- Anthony Gaskins injured last game, %27?%27 - Ankle - 12/02/08
[OT] Andrew McGinn is expected to miss the rest of the season. - Concussio
[DE] Matt Nechak missed last game ,%27?%27 - Knee - 11/30/08
WAKE FOREST
- Trey Bailey out for the season - Ankle - 10/20/08
- Barrett McMillin expected to miss - Knee - 11/26/08
[DL] Alex Frye suspended for rest of season - Suspension - 11/19/08
BCS Title Game
Miami, FL - The BCS championship game participants are the subject of some controversy for the third straight season.
Unlike the past two years, that's taken a back seat to the matchup of Florida and Oklahoma - one that appears to be one of the contest's most compelling showdowns in some time.
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In producing a battle between Tim Tebow-led Florida and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford's Oklahoma squad, the BCS has a dream meeting of superstar quarterbacks and high-powered offenses set for Jan. 8 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Florida –3 point spread favorites for the BCS National Championship Game against Oklahoma. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 59% of more than 16,740 bets for this game have been placed on the Florida -3.
The teams earned their spots in the title game by dominating college football over the final two months. Second-ranked Oklahoma (12-1) scored at least 58 points in each of its last six games, winning by an average of 33.3 points. The Sooners, winners of seven in a row overall, pounded then-unbeaten and No. 2 Texas Tech 65-21 on Nov. 22, and followed that with blowouts of then-No. 11 Oklahoma State and then-No. 19 Missouri in the Big 12 title game.
Oklahoma's current stretch of four straight 60-point games is the longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision since Tulsa had five in a row in 1919.
Top-ranked Florida (12-1), meanwhile, won its final nine games and knocked off then-No. 1 Alabama in the SEC championship game as it earned a chance to play for its second BCS title in three seasons.
"I'm just really honored and excited to be here," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "Everybody involved with this bowl game is just first-class and coming to the city of Miami is always a fantastic experience. We're excited about it ... it's exciting for the competition and challenge of it."
Stoops will be seeking his second national title, the first coming when Oklahoma defeated Florida State in the 2001 Orange Bowl, but his last two trips to the championship game didn't go nearly as well. The Sooners were pounded 55-19 by Southern California in the Orange Bowl in 2005 and fell 21-14 to LSU in the '04 Sugar Bowl.
While there again were some questions raised about whether the right teams will play for the title this season, this matchup is much less controversial than the last two championship contests, which saw lopsided wins over Ohio State by Florida in 2006 and LSU last year. Both finalists were hotly debated each time, arguments that weren't necessarily settled by the games' results.
Texas, edged out by the Gators for the No. 2 spot in the BCS standings this year, felt it deserved the spot in Miami because it dealt Oklahoma its only loss - coming when the Sooners were ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. And USC, fifth behind Alabama in the BCS, can make the case that it's been overlooked despite possessing the nation's best defense that allowed 7.8 points per game.
The overpowering performances of Florida and Oklahoma down the stretch, however, proved to be the decisive factors.
"We beat five ranked teams and three ranked teams as the last three games of the year," Stoops said. "That decided it."
Stoops' squad has looked unstoppable since the loss to the Longhorns. The Sooners made it look easy at times despite playing in the Big 12 South, the toughest division in the country this season, as they rode an overwhelming offense into the championship game.
Bradford led the nation with 48 touchdown passes while throwing just six interceptions. He topped the country with a 186.3 efficiency rating and was second with 4,464 passing yards.
Six Oklahoma receivers had at least 395 yards, and four totaled more than 600. Bradford's favorite targets were Juaquin Iglesias (1,092 yards, 10 touchdowns), Jermaine Gresham (888, 12), Manuel Johnson (685, 9, 18.0-yard per-catch average) and Ryan Broyles (661, 6 TDs).
The Sooners are anything but one-dimensional offensively, as they also featured a versatile and prolific running attack this season, although that running game suffered a major loss in mid-December.
Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray each rushed for more than 1,000 yards, but the sophomore Murray won't play Jan. 8 because of a ruptured hamstring. Murray ran for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns, and had 395 receiving yards and four TDs.
Oklahoma still has leading rusher Brown, a junior who rolled up 1,110 yards and 20 TDs on the ground, and Murray will be replaced by junior Mossis Madu, who ran for 483 yards and six scores.
Murray's injury makes the presence of Bradford all the more important. Bradford beat out Tebow, last year's Heisman winner, and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy for college football's most prestigious individual award. The accolade came on the strength of leading a team that's set NCAA records with 97 touchdowns and 702 points.
"We're ready to get back to work to get ready for (Jan.) 8th," Bradford, who underwent surgery on his non-throwing hand in early December, said at the Heisman ceremony. "When we started this season, winning the national championship was the first goal we put down as a team."
Florida, though, may boast the best leader in the nation in the multi-threat Tebow, who this year became just the second player to repeat as Maxwell Award winner given to the most outstanding collegiate player. He put together another excellent season after struggling somewhat early on, throwing for 2,515 yards, 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions to go with a 176.7 rating - second in the country behind Bradford. He also rushed for 682 yards and 12 TDs.
While his numbers were down somewhat from his brilliant 2007, his role as the team's emotional center was apparent during Florida's 31-20 victory over the Crimson Tide on Dec. 6. Tebow threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns, ran for a team-high 57 yards and fired up his teammates with some emotional, fist-pumping cheerleading throughout the contest.
"I've had some great players, and I've got some great players on this team," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "But I've never had one like this. Tim's got something special inside him. I'm not talking about throwing. I'm not talking about running. I'm talking about making everyone around him better."
Tebow needed to be at his best in the SEC title game with Percy Harvin unable to go. The Florida running back, who rushed for 543 yards to go with 595 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns this season, couldn't play because of a sprained ankle.
The Gators' depth was apparent in the game as freshman Jeff Demps ran 13 times for 53 yards and a touchdown, but Harvin is expected to be ready for Oklahoma.
Along with Tebow and Harvin, Meyer found out Dec. 16 that he'll have his offensive coordinator to call plays for them. Dan Mullen, named coach at Mississippi State on Dec. 10, plans to stay with the Gators through the championship game.
``The goal is to win the game, and I think right now, unless something changes, it looks like that's going to happen,'' Meyer said of Mullen being with the team Jan. 8. ``Is that the best chance of us winning that game, with the mechanics of the game the way we do them? Probably yes. So right now I'd say the plan is he'll be up in the press box.''
Meyer hopes his team will gain an edge from what could resemble a home crowd for Florida at Dolphin Stadium. The Gators have 13 players from the greater Miami area alone.
"I hope it's a home-field advantage," Meyer said. "I'd be disappointed if it wasn't a tremendous showing (by Gators fans), but I know Oklahoma has a great tradition of traveling fans as well. In the back of our minds, even in the front of some of our minds, this was our target to get to Miami - because it's our home state, because of recruiting, because of all of the above."
As high-powered as the two offenses in this game are, the decisive factor could end up being Florida's defense. The speedy, opportunistic unit was fifth in the country with 12.8 points allowed per game, second with 24 interceptions and tied for eighth with 279.3 yards a contest.
Oklahoma, by contrast, gave up 24.5 points and 359.1 yards per game.
Florida's defense is led by safety Ahmad Black, who returned six interceptions for 191 yards and two touchdowns, linebacker Brandon Spikes (team-high 87 tackles, four INTs, two TDs) and defensive back Joe Haden, who returned three picks for 136 yards and made 77 tackles. Carlos Dunlap topped the Gators with nine sacks, while Jermain Cunningham added six.
"I know they're talented, I know they're fast, I see enough highlights to see all the skill and the speed," Stoops said. "But that isn't surprising."
Neither team seems likely to give the ball away much. Oklahoma committed nine turnovers all season, fewest in FBS, while Florida had 11 to tie for the second-fewest.
These teams will be meeting for the first time.
BCS National Championship Game Key Player Injuries:
FLORIDA
[QB] Cameron Newton is out indefinitely - Suspension - 11/22/08
(!) [WR] Percy Harvin injured last game, "?". - Ankle - 11/29/08
[TE] Cornelius Ingram is out for the season. - ACL - 08/09/08
- Jim Barrie expected to miss entire season - ACL - 08/12/08
[DT] Omar Hunter is out indefinitely. - Ankle - 10/11/08
[DL] Matt Patchan is downgraded to expected to miss rest of season - Knee
[LB] Brendan Beal is expected to miss entire season - ACL - 08/12/08
[CB] Jacques Rickerson has been kicked off the team. - Legal problems - 11
[SF] Dorian Munroe expected to miss entire season - ACL - 08/07/08
[DT] Brandon Antwine is expected to miss the rest of the season. - Knee -
OKLAHOMA
[DB] Jonathan Nelson expected to miss 6 weeks - Knee - 09/28/08
(!) [QB] Sam Bradford is probable - Thumb - 11/30/08
[WR] Tyler Stradford has left the team. - None - 10/04/08
[DE] Auston English missed last game, %27?%27 - Knee - 12/02/08
[DE] John Williams is out indefinitely. - Personal - 09/02/08
[LB] Austin Box injured last game doubtful - Knee - 11/29/08
[LB] Ryan Reynolds out for the season - Knee - 10/11/08
[TE] Eric Mensik is expected to miss at least 4 weeks. - Ankle - 09/24/08
GMAC Bowl
Mobile, AL - Star quarterback Nate Davis has decided to stay with Ball State even though he's good enough to move on.
Coach Brady Hoke has decided not to make such a commitment.
With Hoke having landed a new job, Davis looks to bounce back from his worst effort of the season when the 23rd-ranked Cardinals face Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl at Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 6.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Ball State –2.5 point spread favorites for the GMAC Bowl against Tulsa. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 54% of more than 1,613 bets for this game have been placed on the Ball State –2.5.
Hoke, who has gone 34-38 in six seasons with Ball State (12-1), will coach San Diego State next season and has decided not to lead the Cardinals in their second straight bowl game. It's uncertain who will take on head coaching duties for Ball State.
The Cardinals are led by Davis, the Mid-American Conference offensive player of the year. Davis has been watched closely by NFL scouts, but has decided to return for his senior year.
"I will come back," Davis said. "There's no doubt about it. It's been the plan all along."
Davis has passed for 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and his 3,446 yards have made him the first quarterback in Cardinals history to throw for more than 3,000 in a season twice. In 2007, he passed for 3,667 yards to become the first Ball State player to ever reach 3,000.
This will be a matchup of two of the nation's top quarterbacks, with David Johnson having an outstanding season for the Golden Hurricane (10-3). Davis and Johnson rank among the top 10 in the nation in passing efficiency, but both players stumbled in their respective conference championship games.
Davis played a part in each of Ball State's four fumbles in a 42-24 loss to Buffalo in the MAC championship on Dec. 5, a defeat that dropped the Cardinals from No. 12 in the poll and ended their shot at a perfect season.
Buffalo returned two of the fumbles for touchdowns and turned the other two into TDs.
Davis was also picked off once while throwing one TD pass. It was his second INT in five games, and it came with NFL scouts in attendance.
Johnson threw a career-high five INTs in the Golden Hurricane's 27-24 loss to East Carolina in the Conference USA championship game on Dec. 6. It was the third loss in five games for Tulsa, and the first time Johnson had ever thrown more than two interceptions.
"Naturally, we're disappointed we didn't win the Conference USA championship, but on the same hand we're very excited to have the opportunity to represent Conference USA at the GMAC Bowl and play an opponent like Ball State," Tulsa coach Todd Graham said. "They're a 12-1 team and a nationally ranked team which is what we're excited about."
Davis and Johnson can bounce back in a hurry, and this matchup is expected to be high scoring as both teams boast top offenses.
The Cardinals have set a team record with 476 points and rank 17th in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 36.6 points a contest.
Davis is complemented by an outstanding running game. MiQuale Lewis is one of the nation's most productive backs, compiling 1,701 yards and 22 TDs in his first season as Ball State's featured ball carrier.
Tarrion Adams is the workhorse for Tulsa, rushing for 1,341 yard and 11 TDs. The Golden Hurricane rank eighth in the nation in rushing, averaging 254.8 yards per game.
But Tulsa, second in the nation with 565.0 yards a contest, is clearly led by Johnson. The senior is second in the nation with a 179.6 passer rating, completing 64.8 percent of his attempts for 3,866 yards and 43 TDs against 11 INTs in his first season as a starter.
The normally efficient Johnson had thrown 13 interceptions in 12 games before the Conference USA championship, but was off target from the start. He threw an interception on the first play of the game.
"I always tell them to keep plugging, to go to the next snap, to forget what is behind you and press forward like we do every game," Graham said.
Tulsa was held to a season-low 399 yards, and Johnson finished with 195 yards on 23-for-42 passing. It was only the third time this season he was held below 200 yards.
The Golden Hurricane are making their fourth straight bowl appearance.
Tulsa beat Bowling Green 63-7 in last season's GMAC Bowl. It was the largest margin of victory in bowl history, topping Alabama's 61-6 win over Syracuse in the 1953 Orange Bowl.
Ball State is 0-6 in bowl games. The Cardinals lost 52-30 to Rutgers in last season's International Bowl despite getting three TD passes from Davis.
This will be the first meeting between Ball State and Tulsa.
GMAC Bowl Key Player Injuries:
BALL ST
(!) [WR] Dante Love is out for the season. - Neck - 09/22/08
[DE] Justin Woodard is out for the season - Leg - 10/21/08
TULSA
- Justin Morsey injured last game - Undisclosed - 12/02/08
Fiesta Bowl
Glendale, AZ - Texas coach Mack Brown thinks his team should be playing for the national championship, but he's done talking about the BCS system.
After all, he has to prepare for an Ohio State program that's appeared in the last two title games.
The third-ranked Longhorns try to put all the controversy surrounding their non-selection to the BCS championship game behind them when they take on No. 10 Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 5 in Glendale, Ariz.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Texas –9 point spread favorites for the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 70% of more than 12,081 bets for this game have been placed on the Texas -9.
Texas (11-1) looked like it was on its way to earning a spot in the national title game on Nov. 1 when it was the No. 1 team in the nation and led then-No. 6 Texas Tech 33-32 with 1:29 left in the game.
The Red Raiders, though, scored a touchdown with 1 second remaining to hand the Longhorns their only loss, 39-33. Still, Texas felt it was in good shape because it had three victories over ranked teams on its resume, most notably a 45-35 win over then-No. 1 Oklahoma on Oct. 11.
The Longhorns finished in a three-way tie with the Sooners and Red Raiders in the Big 12 South, but were denied a spot in the conference title game because Oklahoma won the tiebreaker with a higher BCS ranking - even with its loss to Texas.
The Sooners went on to defeat Missouri in the Big 12 championship game, earning a chance to face Florida for the national title on Jan. 8 in Miami.
"It's time for us to put behind us all the BCS stuff and move forward and look forward to a great game," Brown said. "The BCS doesn't satisfy everybody. We've been on the positive side of it a few times. We've been on the negative side a few times."
The Longhorns were on the positive side after the 2005 season, when they beat Southern California 41-38 in the Rose Bowl to win the national championship. Vince Young had a dominating performance in that game for Texas, which is now led by another outstanding quarterback.
Heisman Trophy finalist Colt McCoy just finished one of the best regular seasons in Texas history, setting school records with 3,445 yards and 32 TDs to go along with an NCAA-record 77.6 percent completion rate. He also leads the Longhorns with 576 rushing yards and is second on the team with 10 rushing touchdowns.
"He's been the heart of our offense," Brown said. "He means to this team what Vince Young meant to the one in 2005. ... I can't imagine a player that means more to his team than Colt does to ours."
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is well aware of what McCoy and the Longhorns can do on the field.
"They've just been very steady, very consistent," said Tressel, whose team finished 10-2 and earned a share of its fourth straight Big Ten title. "They were a top, top team this year and that's what we're going to face."
The Buckeyes are used to facing top teams in a BCS game. They'll be playing in a BCS bowl for the seventh time in the 11-year history of the system, tying USC and Oklahoma for the most appearances.
Ohio State, though, doesn't have fond memories of its last two BCS games.
The Buckeyes were outplayed in losing the national title game two years in a row, falling 41-14 to Florida following the 2006 season and 38-24 to LSU last season after winning their first four BCS games.
"To be honest, we don't try to think about it too much," star linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "We're going to get asked that question over and over and over until you win one of those games."
The Buckeyes were the No. 2 team in the AP preseason poll and had a chance to take over the top spot on Sept. 13, but were outclassed by then-No. 1 USC 35-3.
That defeat led Tressel to make a switch at quarterback, installing true freshman Terrelle Pryor as the starter over senior Todd Boeckman. The move paid off as Pryor led Ohio State to an 8-1 finish, with the only loss coming by a touchdown against Rose Bowl-bound Penn State on Oct. 25.
Pryor completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 1,158 yards and threw 12 TDs and four interceptions over those nine games. He also rushed 99 times for 424 yards and five scores during that span, finishing as the second-leading rusher (553) on the team behind Chris "Beanie" Wells (1,091).
Defensively, both teams finished in the top 20 in the nation in scoring defense, as Ohio State allowed 13.1 points per game and Texas gave up 18.6. The Buckeyes, however, were eighth in total defense, allowing 279.3 yards per game, while the Longhorns ranked 50th (339.9).
Ohio State limited opponents to the sixth-fewest passing yards per game (164.3), but Tressel knows it's going to be a different story against McCoy and the Longhorns, who were 11th in the nation with 299.5 yards in the air.
"They have tremendous execution, they're good at every spot," he said. "I think sometimes statistics are misleading. Our guys will get ready to go and I hope we do a great job against them.
"Ohio State against Texas, I don't know, it doesn't get much better than that."
This is just the third all-time meeting between the Buckeyes and Longhorns, but they'll be playing for the third time in four seasons. Young led second-ranked Texas to a 25-22 win at No. 4 Ohio State on Sept. 10, 2005, before the top-ranked Buckeyes returned the favor on Sept. 9, 2006, with a 24-7 road victory over McCoy and No. 2 Texas.
That was just the second game of McCoy's career and one of his only seven losses against a school-record 31 victories.
Texas has played in one Fiesta Bowl, losing to Penn State 38-15 after the 1996 season, while Ohio State will be appearing in the game for the sixth time - fourth since 2003.
The Buckeyes lost 31-19 to the Nittany Lions in their first Fiesta Bowl in 1980 before winning their next four appearances, most recently 34-20 over Notre Dame following the 2005 season.
Fiesta Bowl Public Betting Trends:
All games in this series since 1992
TEXAS is 1-1 against the spread versus OHIO ST since 1992
TEXAS is 1-1 straight up against OHIO ST since 1992
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1992
Games over the last 3 seasons
OHIO ST is 1-0 against the spread versus TEXAS over the last 3 seasons
OHIO ST is 1-0 straight up against TEXAS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
Fiesta Bowl Key Player Injuries:
OHIO ST
[OG] Ben Person is out indefinitely. - Leg - 11/12/08
- Mike Adams expected to miss the rest of the season - Ankle - 10/16/08
- J.B. Shugarts expected to miss the rest of the season - Shoulder - 10
[DE] Lawrence Wilson expected to miss the rest of the season - Knee - 10/1
[CB] Andre Amos expected to miss the rest of the season. - Knee - 10/01/08
TEXAS
[FB] Luke Tiemann is expected to miss the rest of the season. - ACL - 09/2
[TE] Blaine Irby is expected to miss the rest of the season. - Knee - 09/2
[TE] Josh Marshall out indefinitely - Shoulder - 09/01/08
[C] Chris Hall missed last game %27?%27 - Knee - 11/27/08
[C] Buck Burnette has been dismissed from the team. - Dismissed - 11/06/08
[DB] Aaron Williams missed last game %27?%27 - Illness - 11/27/08
[DB] Ishie Oduegwu out indefinitely - Shoulder - 09/01/08
Trevor Gerland expected to miss remainder of the season - Knee - 11/08
[TE] Ian Harris missed last game %27?%27 - Neck - 11/27/08
International Bowl
Toronto, Canada - After a half-century of waiting, Buffalo is finally gearing up for its first bowl appearance.
Bet The 2009 International Bowl
Coming off an improbable Mid-American Conference title, the Bulls look to wrap up a memorable season with a win in the International Bowl against Connecticut, which boasts the nation's top rusher, at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on Jan. 3.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Connecticut –4.5 point spread favorites for the International Bowl against Buffalo. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 60% of more than 1,178 bets for this game have been placed on the Connecticut –4.5.
Although this will be Buffalo's first bowl appearance in its 94-year history, this is its second bowl invitation.
The 1958 team went 8-1 and was invited to the Tangerine Bowl, but Buffalo (8-5) declined the invitation because its black players wouldn't have been able to participate.
A few years ago, it didn't look like another bowl invitation was going to come anytime soon for the Bulls.
Buffalo went 10-69 in its first seven seasons in the Football Bowl Subdivision prior to Turner Gill taking over as a first-time coach in 2006.
The Bulls didn't see an immediate improvement under Gill - the former Nebraska star quarterback and 1983 Heisman Trophy finalist - as the team went 2-10 in his first season, but they improved to 5-7 to finish third in the East Division in 2007.
Buffalo got off to a slow start this season, losing four of its first six games, but a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback in a 27-24 overtime win over Army on Oct. 18 marked a turning point. That victory sparked a five-game win streak that included a 43-40 quadruple-overtime win at Akron on Nov. 13 and a 40-34 double-overtime win at Bowling Green a week later that clinched Buffalo its first East title.
In the conference title game on Dec. 5, the Bulls upset previously undefeated and then-No. 12 Ball State 42-24 to capture their first MAC championship.
"I'm just proud,'' Gill said. "We came to a program where there wasn't a lot of hope or expectations. We came together as a unit and that's why this football team is successful.''
Gill has emerged as a hot commodity after turning around what had been a laughingstock of a program, with his name linked to various schools with coaching vacancies.
"Maybe my work is done here, I don't know that,'' Gill said. "There's some things that are probably going to happen, but I don't know when.''
First things first, the Bulls are trying to defeat a Connecticut (7-5) team making its second straight bowl appearance.
The Huskies, who are in their seventh season in the FBS, lost to Wake Forest 24-10 in last season's Meineke Bowl after defeating Toledo 39-10 in the 2004 Motor City Bowl.
"For the overall good of the program, it's a significant step to be in back-to-back bowls," UConn coach Randy Edsall said. "When you take a look at where we were and where we are right now...I just want to give the kids a lot of credit for doing what they've done."
The Huskies got off to a fast start to the season by winning their first five games, but went just 2-5 the rest of the way to finish in fifth place in the Big East.
UConn's offense was extremely inconsistent over its final seven games, scoring 79 points in its two wins, but just 58 in the losses. In their regular-season finale, a 34-10 loss to then-No. 23 Pittsburgh on Dec. 6, the Huskies turned the ball over five times - the third time this season they committed five in a game.
While quarterbacks Tyler Lorenzen (two touchdowns, eight interceptions) and Zach Frazer (two touchdowns, six interceptions) have struggled, running back Donald Brown has carried the offense.
Brown led the FBS with 1,822 rushing yards, scored 17 touchdowns and was named the Big East offensive player of the year. He went over 100 yards in 10 games and over 200 yards twice.
The junior announced he will return to the Huskies for his senior year and already has a goal in mind.
"Yeah, we can explore the options, see what they have to say, but I'm coming back,'' Brown said. "My goal is to go to the Orange Bowl. That's what I want to do, and next year will be my last shot.''
Brown should be able to find room to run in Toronto, as Buffalo is 83rd in the nation in rush defense (158.8 yards per game), and has allowed an average of 195.9 rushing yards in its last seven contests.
While its defense has been susceptible, Buffalo was led by an offense that was second in the MAC in scoring (31.1 points per game).
Senior quarterback Drew Willy threw for 3,091 yards, 25 touchdowns and five interceptions, and has been at his best lately, throwing 13 TD passes and one interception in his last seven games.
Running back James Starks, who was named to the first team all-MAC, led the ground attack. The junior rushed for 1,308 yards and scored 15 TDs, and has helped put the Bulls in position to finish with nine wins for the first time since the 1986 team went 9-2.
"It was, 'UB doesn't win, blah, blah blah.' It was real bad,'' Starks said. "Now I can talk to those people and say, 'Hey, look at what we did.'''
Buffalo has lost the last four meetings with the Huskies, and is 4-12 in the all-time series. In the last meeting in 2005, UConn won 38-0.
International Bowl Public Betting Trends:
All games in this series since 1992
CONNECTICUT is 4-2 against the spread versus BUFFALO since 1992
CONNECTICUT is 6-1 straight up against BUFFALO since 1992
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1992
International Bowl Key Player Injuries:
BUFFALO
No significant injuries.
CONNECTICUT
[RB] Andre Dixon expected to miss - Suspension - 12/02/08
[RB] Andre Dixon out indefinitely - Suspension - 12/03/08
[TE] Steve Brouse is out 6 - 8 weeks - Leg - 09/28/08
- Alex LaMagdelanie is out for the season. - Shoulder - 09/12/08
[DT] Jarrell Miller has left the team. - Personal - 08/02/08
[LB] CJ Marck expected to miss - Personal - 12/03/08
[LB] Greg Llyod missed last game, expected to miss - Personal - 11/30/08
[DB] Darius Butler out 4 - 6 weeks - Ankle - 11/03/08
Sugar Bowl
New Orleans, LA - Alabama owns the most extensive bowl history in college football.
The Crimson Tide will look to add to it when they face Utah, a school making a record-setting appearance in the Bowl Championship Series, in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.
The fourth-ranked Crimson Tide (12-1) were 15 minutes away from a spot in the BCS title game, carrying a 20-17 lead into the fourth quarter of their SEC championship matchup with then-No. 2 Florida. Alabama couldn't close it out, losing 31-20 and settling for its 13th appearance in the Sugar Bowl - its most frequent destination among its NCAA-leading 56 bowl games.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Alabama –10.5 point spread favorites for the Sugar Bowl against Utah. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 88% of more than 7,883 bets for this game have been placed on the Alabama –10.5.
"Our players are certainly disappointed,'' coach Nick Saban said. "But this is an opportunity. If you're going to be a great team, when you lose, you want to come back and play your best the next time you play.''
Before becoming part of the BCS, the Sugar Bowl was a constant source of happy memories for the Tide during their dominance of the SEC under Paul "Bear" Bryant, who coached the team from 1958-82 and won national titles after Sugar Bowl victories in 1962, '79 and '80. Alabama's last appearance in New Orleans came on New Year's Day in 1993, when a 34-13 win over Miami capped a 13-0 season under Gene Stallings for its 12th and most recent national championship.
Alabama is 8-4 in the Sugar Bowl, and its 31 bowl victories lead the nation.
While not nearly as long, No. 7 Utah (12-0) also has a good track record in bowl games, going 10-3 and carrying the second-longest active bowl winning streak at six games - highlighted by a 2005 Fiesta Bowl victory over Pittsburgh that capped a 12-0 season.
The Utes, however, have reached new heights with this year's bowl berth. Utah, sixth in the BCS standings, is the first school from a non-BCS conference to play in a second BCS game since the format was created in 1998.
"Hopefully we can keep this going and keep it up and make this a yearly thing,'' said Utah quarterback Brian Johnson, a backup on the 2004 squad that was the first team from a non-BCS conference to qualify. "I've been saying all along I felt we were an elite team. We'll get a chance to prove ourselves.''
Utah's appearance marks the third straight year a non-BCS school is playing in a lucrative BCS bowl, with this year's payout for the Sugar Bowl an estimated $17 million. Boise State capped an unbeaten season with a victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, but Hawaii was routed by Georgia in last season's Sugar Bowl - something executives from the Sugar Bowl committee pondered before extending the Utes an invitation.
"When you look at schools like Utah and Boise State, they've played up,'' Sugar Bowl executive Paul Hoolahan said. ``They've played competitively against top-name schools. To go 12-0 with the schedule they have, with the way they play, the way they get after it, I think it's a safe bet with those teams. Particularly Utah. We're comfortable they will compete at a very high level.''
The Utes also have the nation's longest active winning streak at 13 games after the Tide's 13-game run ended against Florida.
Utah will take on an Alabama team that averages 31.2 points and 196.5 rushing yards. Junior left tackle and Outland Trophy winner Andre Smith anchors an offensive line that created plenty of holes for tailback Glen Coffee, who had 1,347 yards and 10 touchdowns, with four 100-yard games and a 200-yard effort.
Coffee can break Bobby Humphrey's single-season school rushing mark with 125 yards against Utah.
Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson doesn't have big numbers - throwing for 2,096 yards and nine touchdowns - but he was intercepted just six times after being picked off 12 times last year. Julio Jones quickly emerged as his favorite target, as the 6-foot-4 freshman had team highs of 51 catches, 847 yards and four TDs - all Alabama rookie records for a receiver.
Alabama's biggest strength, though, is its defense. The Tide ranked third in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 256.9 yards allowed per game, fourth in rush defense at 78.9 and sixth in scoring defense with 13.0 points a game.
Terrence Cody, the 6-5, 380-pound defensive lineman that anchors the front four, had 23 tackles and 4.5 for losses. Sophomore linebacker Rolando McClain had a team-high 91 tackles - 11 for losses - along with three sacks and an interception.
That vaunted defense should receive a test from Utah, which finished no worse than 41st in the FBS in 10 major statistical categories and was 15th in scoring at 37.4 points per game, reaching the 40-point mark six times. Johnson, the 2008 Mountain West offensive player of the year, threw for 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns in a balanced offense - five receivers had at least 23 catches and three scores.
Freddie Brown had 65 catches for 775 yards and seven touchdowns and became Johnson's go-to receiver the last four games, totaling 35 receptions and 381 yards with three TDs. On the ground, Matt Asiata and Darrell Mack combined for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns, with Asiata averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
The Utes finished 12th in the FBS in scoring defense at 17.3 points per game and 14th in rushing defense, yielding 104.8 yards per contest.
This will be the first meeting between the schools. Utah is 0-6 against SEC teams, although it hasn't played one since a loss at Tennessee in 1984.
Sugar Bowl Key Player Injuries:
UTAH
[DT] Lei Talamaivao is expected to miss entire season - Ankle - 09/07/08
[LB] Matt Martinez is out for the season. - Bicep - 09/17/08
ALABAMA
[QB] Nick Fanuzzi has transferred. - None - 08/26/08
[RB] Roy Upchurch is %27?%27 - Neck - 12/01/08
[LB] Jimmy Johns has been suspended from the team. - Disciplinary - 07/01/
[LB] Ezekial Knight expected to miss entire season. - Illness - 07/17/08
[WR] Will Oakley missed last game %27?%27 - Shoulder - 11/29/08
Liberty Bowl
Memphis, TN - Playing in their first January bowl game in 17 years as the culmination to an already memorable season was enough to make this one of East Carolina's best years in recent history.
The decision by coach Skip Holtz to remain with the program gives the Pirates even more reason to be excited for the future.
East Carolina takes on Kentucky in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Jan. 3, looking for its first 10-win season since 1991.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made East Carolina –1.5 point spread favorites for the Liberty Bowl against Kentucky. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 57% of more than 1,508 bets for this game have been placed on the East Carolina –1.5.
The Pirates' matchup against the Wildcats caps a season which began with back-to-back wins over Top 25 teams Virginia Tech and West Virginia. East Carolina (9-4) rose to No. 14 in the polls but then lost three straight games. It finished the season with wins in six of seven, including a 27-24 victory over Tulsa on Dec. 6 for the Conference USA title, East Carolina's first conference crown since winning the Southern Conference in 1976.
This is the third consecutive bowl game for the Pirates, who beat Boise State 41-38 in the Hawaii Bowl in 2007, and lost to South Florida in the Papajohns.com Bowl in 2006. It's also the first January bowl game for the team since a 37-34 victory over N.C. State in the 1992 Peach Bowl
"It's going to be a phenomenal trip," said Holtz, in his fourth season at East Carolina. "This is what we've talked about beginning with the first day of practice - the road to Memphis and what we've got to do to get there. I can't tell you how excited we are as a program and as a university to be there."
The increased attention to East Carolina fueled speculation Holtz would leave for a more high-profile program, but he put the rumors to rest by withdrawing his name from consideration for the head coaching position at Syracuse.
"While it is always flattering for others to have an interest in your abilities, I simply am too focused on our preparations for the bowl game and many other of our short and long-term goals to fairly evaluate what I feel is a promising situation at Syracuse." Holtz said.
The Pirates' 2008 season is made all the more impressive considering they rank 83rd in the nation in total offense with 336.0 yards per game and 78th in points at 23.8 per game. Quarterback Patrick Pinkney was effective, throwing for 2,379 yards, 12 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in 13 games. He completed 62.7 percent of his passes and threw for at least 200 yards seven times.
The Wildcats (6-6), meanwhile, will likely have their backup quarterback under center after starter Randall Cobb underwent knee surgery on Dec. 2 and likely will be unavailable. Mike Hartline would start in his place after losing his starting job last month after struggling against Florida and Mississippi State. He's thrown eight touchdowns and seven interceptions this season while completing 54.6 percent of his passes.
"He (Hartline) is throwing the ball and doing some very good things," coach Rich Brooks said. "The receivers are catching it better, so hopefully that will transmit to the game."
The Wildcats are also hoping their defense, which was stellar at the start of the season but struggled in the second half, can help make up for the uncertainty of the offense. Kentucky held its first seven opponents to an average of 11.9 points, but it gave up an average of 35.4 in the last five games, including 63 to Florida and 42 to Georgia.
Kentucky lost three straight to end the season, but is appearing in its third consecutive bowl game - tying a school record set from 1950-52, when they made three consecutive January bowl appearances.
Last season the Wildcats beat Florida State 35-28 in the Music City Bowl.
"All I heard after the last year was, 'Well, Kentucky's success is measured in two-year cycles,'" Brooks said. "We want to make sure that is not the case. We want it to be not only three in a row, but four, five and six in a row. We have a lot of work to do. For the seniors going out, this is their last opportunity to do something significant; players returning, they need to keep that streak alive."
Kentucky won the only previous game between the teams, 6-3 on Nov. 13, 1993.
Liberty Bowl Public Betting Trends:
All games in this series since 1992
E CAROLINA is 1-0 against the spread versus KENTUCKY since 1992
KENTUCKY is 1-0 straight up against E CAROLINA since 1992
Liberty Bowl Key Player Injuries:
E CAROLINA
[RB] Dominique Lindsay is out for the season. - Knee - 08/17/08
[RB] Jonathan Williams is out indefinitely. - Suspension - 10/22/08
[RB] DaRonte McNeil has transferred. - None - 08/26/08
[WR] Jamar Bryant is out indefinitely. - Suspension - 10/09/08
[WR] TJ Lee is expected to miss the rest of the season. - Leg - 11/11/08
[WR] DeMorio Waymon has transferred. - None - 08/26/08
[OT] Stanley Bryant expected to miss the rest of the season. - Knee - 11/1
[DT] Khalif Mitchell is downgraded to doubtful - Back - 12/02/08
[DT] Brandon Setzer expected to miss the entire season - Knee - 08/14/08
[DE] Marcus Hands is downgraded to doubtful - Back - 12/02/08
[LB] Melvin Patterson missed last game %27?%27 - Leg - 11/28/08
[LB] Quentin Cotton expected to miss the rest of the season - Knee - 09/14
[CB] Jerek Hewett is expected to miss the rest of the season - Shoulder -
[CB] Darryl Reynolds is downgraded to doubtful - Ankle - 12/02/08
KENTUCKY
[CB] Paul Warford will miss entire season - Eligibility - 08/07/08
- Jess Beets out for the rest of the season - Knee - 11/04/08
[RG] Stuart Hines is out indefinitely. - Knee - 10/07/08
(!) [QB] Curtis Pulley has been dismissed from the team. - Disciplinary -
[RB] Derrick Locke is out for the rest of the season. - Knee - 10/20/08
[WR] DeMoreo Ford out for season - Concussion - 11/10/08
[WR] Dicky Lyons is out for the rest of the season. - Knee - 10/11/08
[WR] EJ Fields is out indefinitely - Hamstring - 09/07/08
[QB] Randall Cobb is doubtful for upcoming bowl game - Knee - 12/01/08
Cotton Bowl
Dallas, TX - Texas Tech has opportunity to complete the winningest season in school history in a year it achieved its highest-ever ranking.
To earn the record-setting victory, the Red Raiders will have to knock off a team that defeated the previous two national champions this season.
In what could be one of the most entertaining games of this bowl season, the No. 8 Red Raiders and their high-powered offense will match up with the 20th-ranked Rebels on Friday in the final Cotton Bowl in the 73-year history of Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Texas Tech –4.5 point spread favorites for the Cotton Bowl against Ole’ Miss. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 71% of more than 11,764 bets for this game have been placed on the Texas Tech –4.5.
Texas Tech was worthy of a BCS bowl berth after finishing 11-1 and tying Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12 South with a 7-1 record. Because no conference can have more than two teams in the BCS, however, the Red Raiders were left out while the Longhorns and Sooners earned invitations.
That hasn't diminished the sense of accomplishment for coach Mike Leach's team, which rose as high as No. 2 in the AP poll and was 10-0 following a wild last-second win over then-No. 1 Texas on Nov. 1. The Red Raiders routed then-No. 8 Oklahoma State a week later, but any chance at a perfect season and a national championship ended with a 65-21 loss to then-fifth-ranked Oklahoma on Nov. 22.
"Eleven and one is pretty special, especially out of Texas Tech,'' quarterback Graham Harrell said. "We did a lot of good things this season so hopefully a lot of people will respect that.''
While his team won't be playing for a national title, Harrell gets to end his college career in Dallas, roughly 35 miles from his hometown of Ennis, Texas.
"The chance to go back home and play in front of my family and friends from Ennis is going to be very special," Harrell said. "We thought all along that our team could do some special things this year and getting the invitation to the Cotton Bowl is something we are all proud of."
Harrell will be looking to lead Texas Tech to the highest win total in the program's 84-year history. The Red Raiders went 11-1 in 1953 and 1973.
Texas Tech also has the honor of playing in the final Cotton Bowl at Cotton Bowl Stadium before the game moves to the Dallas Cowboys' new $1 billion-plus stadium next year.
The Red Raiders' opponent in this game may be a surprise to some, but Mississippi (8-4) is one of the hottest teams in the country, having won five straight, including season-ending victories over LSU and Mississippi State by a combined 76-13.
Winless in the SEC last season, the Rebels responded in a big way to first-year coach Houston Nutt after winning 13 games over the previous four years. Ole Miss knocked off 2006 national champion Florida - which is in the BCS title game again this year - on the road Sept. 27, and also defeated defending national champ LSU in Baton Rouge on Nov. 22.
Nutt's team was competitive in its four losses, each coming by a touchdown or less and by a total of 19 points.
"We gained a lot of confidence when we beat Florida in The Swamp, but we couldn't handle success very well the following week (a 31-24 loss to South Carolina)," Nutt said. "We got on a roll so the last five weeks and November has been fun, but it starts with our seniors they've taken ownership of our team."
This is the Rebels' first bowl appearance since the Eli Manning-led team beat Oklahoma State in the 2004 Cotton Bowl.
Nutt is no stranger to the Cotton Bowl, having guided Arkansas there during the 1999 and 2001 seasons. He earned another trip to Dallas with the Razorbacks last year, but resigned after beating LSU in the regular season finale and didn't coach in the game.
As impressive as Mississippi has been lately, a matchup with Texas Tech should present a severe test. The Rebels gave up 17.8 points per game this season - 15th in the nation - but slowing down Harrell, star receiver Michael Crabtree and an offense that puts up a 44.6 points per game will be extremely difficult.
"Harrell is so cool and confident and the receivers he has and their defense are underrated, they are so good," Nutt said. "I can see why they lost just one ball game."
Harrell had another season worthy of Heisman Trophy consideration, ranking second in the country in passing yards (4,747) and tying for fourth in touchdowns (41). This game gives Harrell an opportunity to pad his Big 12 career lead in yards (15,429) and completions (1,367) and could make him the NCAA's all-time leader in TD passes, as he needs two to surpass Colt Brennan's record of 131.
Harrell has been excellent in his last two bowl games. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Red Raiders pulled off the biggest comeback in bowl history in 2006, rallying from 31 points down to beat Minnesota 44-41 in the Insight Bowl. He threw for three scores in last year's Gator Bowl, helping Texas Tech overcome a 17-point deficit in the final four minutes of a 31-28 win over Virginia.
The Cotton Bowl also represents a homecoming for Crabtree, a Dallas native who had 93 receptions for 1,135 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Crabtree became the first repeat winner of the Biletnikoff Award as the country's top receiver after he was the first freshman to take the honor in 2007.
Mississippi quarterback Jevan Snead, a one-time backup to Texas' Colt McCoy, hails from San Angelo, Texas. Although his numbers don't approach Harrell's, Snead leads a balanced offense that averaged nearly 31 points per game and ranked third in the SEC in rushing and fourth in passing.
Texas Tech is 2-2 against Mississippi, winning the last two regular season meetings in 2002 and '03. The Rebels, though, beat the Red Raiders in the Independence Bowl in 1986 and 1998.
Texas Tech is 0-3 in the Cotton Bowl, making appearances in 1939, 1995 and 2006. Ole Miss is 2-1 in the game, appearing in 1956 and 1962 along with the '04 victory.
Cotton Bowl Public Betting Trends:
All games in this series since 1992
TEXAS TECH is 2-1 against the spread versus OLE MISS since 1992
TEXAS TECH is 2-1 straight up against OLE MISS since 1992
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1992
Cotton Bowl Key Player Injuries:
OLE MISS
No significant injuries.
TEXAS TECH
(!) [QB] Graham Harrell is probable - Hand - 12/01/08
Gator Bowl
Jacksonville, FL - A season filled with high expectations for Clemson resulted in a slow start and an unexpected coaching change. Still, the Tigers find themselves playing in a bowl game on New Year's Day.
Clemson can cap a tumultuous season with a win over Nebraska in the Gator Bowl in a matchup involving teams that finished strong.
Both teams come into this contest in Jacksonville on three-game winning streaks. Clemson (7-5) also was victorious in four of its last five games, while Nebraska (8-4) took five of its final six.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Clemson –3 point spread favorites for the Gator Bowl against Nebraska. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 52% of more than 2,062 bets for this game have been placed on the Nebraska +3.
"The way they finished and the way we finished, that's probably why they wanted to put these two teams together," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.
The Tigers will make a record ninth Gator Bowl appearance, and their first since 2001. Given the hype coming into the season, though, Clemson may have thought it would be playing in another part of Florida for the national championship.
Entering its 10th season under Tommy Bowden, Clemson was ranked ninth in the Top 25 and considered a clear-cut favorite to win the ACC. The Tigers, though, started with a 34-10 loss to Alabama that dropped them out of the poll.
After winning three straight - including two non-conference routs - all seemed well for Bowden's team. Lackluster losses to Maryland and Wake Forest, however, and the inability to get much production from quarterback Cullen Harper and the backfield of James Davis and C.J. Spiller resulted in Bowden resigning on Oct. 13 and being replaced by Swinney.
"There's a lot of things still on the table for this team," Swinney said after being given the job on an interim basis.
Clemson narrowly lost to Georgia Tech in Swinney's debut, but averaged 347.0 yards during double-digit wins over Duke, Virginia and South Carolina to close the regular season.
Swinney, who will return as coach next season, said the players' resiliency was the reason for Clemson being able to play in the postseason.
"It is a great honor for us and a great tribute to our team for what they have accomplished over the last seven weeks," he said. "When we were a 3-4 football team, we could only dream about a New Year's Day bowl and for that to be a reality is a very special thing.
"You have to give all the credit to the players because they got it done. Playing on New Year's Day goes back to the players. We talked about it on Oct. 13 and set our goals, and this was one of them."
It's not yet known which quarterback will start for Clemson. Freshman Willy Korn had surgery earlier this month on his throwing shoulder and is undergoing rehabilitation.
In six games, Korn was 26-of-38 for 216 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Harper, a senior, threw for 2,395 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 12 games. That was a huge drop from last season, when Harper fell just short of 3,000 yards passing with 27 touchdowns and six picks.
Though he had 11 touchdowns, Davis finished with only 725 rushing yards after running for more than 1,000 each of the past two seasons. Spiller had 612 yards with seven rushing scores in 11 games.
Aaron Kelly is the Tigers' top receiver (61 catches, 648 yards), followed by Jacoby Ford (50, 598). Those two along with Spiller and Michael Palmer lead Clemson with three receiving TDs each.
Nebraska, in its first season under Bo Pelini, finds itself in the Gator Bowl for the first time. This will be the Cornhuskers' 45th bowl appearance, and first in Florida since beating Tennessee in the 1998 Orange Bowl for the national championship.
Pelini, the former LSU defensive coordinator, said Nebraska is headed in the right direction after four dismal seasons under Bill Callahan.
"We wanted to make progress," Pelini said. "We feel we made some progress - not as far as we wanted to go, as far as the record is concerned, but it gives us an opportunity to get one more win."
As interim coach in place of Frank Solich in 2003, Pelini guided Nebraska to a 17-3 win over Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl.
The Huskers followed a season-opening three-game winning streak with three straight losses, two against ranked foes Missouri and Texas Tech. Nebraska's lone loss in its final six games was to Big 12 champion Oklahoma in Norman.
Led by senior quarterback Joe Ganz, Nebraska scored 141 points in its final three games. Ganz completed 71.6 percent of his passes for 823 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions in wins over Kansas, Kansas State and Colorado.
In a conference that includes Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, Heisman finalist Colt McCoy of Texas, former finalist Chase Daniel of Missouri and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, it's easy to overlook Ganz. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes this season for 3,332 yards with 23 touchdowns.
Nate Swift and Mike McNeill were on the receiving end of most of Ganz's passes. Swift led the team with 60 catches for 909 yards and nine TDs, while McNeill had 29 receptions - six for touchdowns.
On the ground, the Huskers were led by Roy Helu (804 yards) and Marlon Lucky (517), who each had seven scores. Quentin Castille added six and Ganz five.
That helped Nebraska finish in the top 20 in the nation in scoring with 36.2 points per game. Pelini's squad will be tested by Clemson's defense, which was 10th in the nation allowing an average of 16.6 points.
Clemson and Nebraska have met before in a bowl game. The Tigers wrapped up a 12-0 season and won the 1981 national championship with a 22-15 victory over the Huskers in the Orange Bowl.
Gator Bowl Key Player Injuries:
CLEMSON
[2nd QB] Willy Korn - Shoulder - 12/07/08
[Backup QB] Kyle Parker is out indefinitely. - Wrist - 11/13/08
[OG] Barry Humphries is expected to miss remainder of the season. - ACL -
[DT] Jamie Cumbie likely to miss rest of season - Wrist - 09/04/08
[DE] Ricky Sapp is expected to miss the rest of the season. - Knee - 11/24
NEBRASKA
[DE] Barry Turner out for the season. - Leg - 09/06/08
[DT] Kevin Dixon has been dismissed from the team. - Disciplinary - 08/07/
[LB] Phillip Dillard is probable. - Ankle - 12/10/08
[LB] Cody Glenn is out indefinitely. - Suspension - 11/11/08
[CB] Anthony Blue is out indefinitely - Knee - 08/30/08
Outback Bowl
Tampa, FL - South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is well aware that his team is getting a reputation for fading down the stretch.
He hopes the Gamecocks can buck that trend by beating an Iowa squad that's surging into the postseason.
The Gamecocks look to avoid their third straight defeat and end what could go down as another late-season collapse Jan. 1 in the Outback Bowl against the Hawkeyes, who have ridden running back Shonn Greene and one of the nation's best defenses to five wins in their last six games.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Iowa –3.5 point spread favorites for the Outback Bowl against South Carolina. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 70% of more than 1,851 bets for this game have been placed on the Iowa –3.5.
South Carolina (7-5) became bowl eligible with six wins in a span of seven games from Sept. 20-Nov. 8 before closing the regular season with back-to-back losses. The Gamecocks were routed 56-6 by Florida on Nov. 15 - the worst loss of Spurrier's illustrious career - before falling 31-14 to Clemson on Nov. 29.
That was Spurrier's third loss in four games against archrival Clemson since taking over at South Carolina, and it was the third time in his four seasons that the Gamecocks have faded down the stretch.
They dropped their last two games in 2005, including an Independence Bowl loss to Missouri, and finished 2007 on a five-game losing streak that kept them out of the postseason.
Spurrier was vocal with his criticism of his players over the last several weeks of this season, particularly after the finale, during which he benched star tight end Jared Cook in the second half for lack of effort.
"We are 7-5 and it is what it is," Spurrier said after that game. "We will try our best to represent South Carolina better (in the bowl game) than we have these past two games."
After learning that his team would be headed to Tampa, Spurrier said he'd try a more relaxed approach in preparation for the bowl game.
"We are going to try to be a little bit more positive. Maybe, I've been a little negative at times," he said. "... We are going to try our best to regroup with our team. We are going to try and be encouraging and positive and try to get our confidence back here between now and game time."
Senior receiver Kenny McKinley is anxious for the opportunity to end the season on a high note, something South Carolina has accomplished just once in the last six years - a win over Houston in the 2006 Liberty Bowl.
"We lost our last two games," McKinley said. "A win could salvage our season."
The Hawkeyes (8-4) are coming into this game with a completely different attitude, having overcome a three-game losing streak with five wins in their last six games, including 24-23 over then-No. 3 Penn State in their only game against a ranked opponent this season.
"It was a lot of fun," coach Kirk Ferentz said after Iowa capped its late-season surge with a 55-0 rout of Minnesota on Nov. 22. "It didn't start out easy. Credit goes to our players. They hung in there and in the end a lot of good things happened."
Many of those good things were accomplished by Greene, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and the Doak Walker Award winner as the nation's best running back.
The 5-foot-11, 235-pounder ran for 206 yards in 10 games in 2006 and sat out last season because he didn't meet academic standards, then returned to set a school record with 1,729 rushing yards this season. He was the only Football Bowl Subdivision back to rush for at least 100 yards in every game.
Greene's success helped Iowa rank second in the Big Ten with 30.3 points per game while recording its highest win total since going 10-2 in 2004. The Hawkeyes combined for a 12-13 record over the previous two seasons and didn't get a bowl invitation despite being eligible in 2007, their first time without a postseason appearance since 2000. Ferentz said that adds extra significance to this year's bowl.
"It's like a player missing a year," he said. "I think they appreciate their opportunities a little more. Certainly for us to be back and playing in a great bowl, that's going to make it that much better for us, so we're thrilled."
While Greene led a much-improved offense, the Hawkeyes may have been even more impressive on the other side of the ball. They held opponents to 13.3 points and 289.5 yards per game, ranking eighth and 12th in the FBS, respectively.
The defense gave up nine points or fewer five times, and kept Iowa in each game it played - the Hawkeyes' four losses were by a combined 12 points.
The Gamecocks also held their own defensively, ranking 11th in the FBS with 288.9 yards allowed per game, including 160.3 in the air - the third-best pass defense in the nation.
That should provide a challenge for Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who threw for 987 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions in the Hawkeyes' last six games after starting the season in a backup role.
South Carolina will also turn to a former backup under center in freshman Stephen Garcia, who was named the starter for the bowl game after Chris Smelley threw four interceptions - all of which led to touchdowns - in the regular-season finale.
In seven games this season, Garcia was 56-for-104 for 753 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.
"I'm really excited about it," said Garcia, a native of nearby Lutz, Fla. "It's a big opportunity for me as a quarterback and for the team in general."
This will be the third appearance for both teams in the Outback Bowl, where the Hawkeyes are 1-1 and the Gamecocks are 2-0. Iowa and South Carolina are meeting for the first time.
Outback Bowl Key Player Injuries:
IOWA
[OG] Andy Kuempel is "?" - Shoulder - 12/08/08
- Dace Richardson is expected to miss entire season - Knee - 08/07/08
[SF] Harold Dalton is out indefinitely - Suspension - 11/03/08
S CAROLINA
[OG] Heath Batchelor has been suspended indefinitely. - Disciplinary - 10/
- Lemuel Jeanpierre out for the rest of the season - Knee - 11/02/08
[RB] Eric Baker is doubtful - Ankle - 12/11/08
Chick - fil - A Bowl
Atlanta, GA - A rough season that ended with five losses in its final eight games has left LSU as the first defending national champion to play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Judging by how the Tigers' opponent for the game closed the season, LSU needs to get over its disappointment quickly.
Bet The 2008 Chick - fil - A Bowl
The Tigers face a tough matchup Dec. 31 in the Georgia Dome when they take on No. 14 Georgia Tech, which comes in as one of the hottest offensive teams in the country.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Georgia Tech –4 point spread favorites for the Chick-fil-A Bowl against LSU. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 75% of more than 3,659 bets for this game have been placed on the Georgia Tech -4.
LSU (7-5) got off to a 4-0 start this year after going 12-2 and routing Ohio State in the BCS title game last season, but problems quickly became apparent after that. The Tigers' first loss came by a 51-21 score against then-No. 11 Florida on Oct. 11, and the season went downhill from there.
The Tigers gave up 52 points in a defeat to then-No. 9 Georgia two games later, and ended up allowing 250 points over their final eight games - just 29 less than they gave up in all of 2007.
"Obviously, it was a tough way to end the season, but this is an outstanding bowl to go to," LSU coach Les Miles told the school's official Web site. "It will be on national television on New Year's Eve. It has no competition for air time so a lot of America will be watching the game. It's a tough matchup; Georgia Tech is a tough team ? they had over 400 yards rushing against Georgia.
"I think it's going to be a really outstanding game, but I feel really confident that our team is going to step up and play really well and be really motivated to play this game."
Miles has already taken notice of the eye-opening performance by the Yellow Jackets (9-3) in their regular season finale. Georgia Tech rolled up 409 rushing yards out of its triple-option offense against then-No. 13 Georgia - a popular preseason national championship pick that started the year ranked No. 1 - in a 45-42 road victory Nov. 29.
That win was Georgia Tech's third in four games - all against ranked opponents - and was the second straight contest in which the Yellow Jackets rushed for more than 400 yards. They had 472 in a 41-23 win over then-No. 23 Miami on Nov. 20.
Georgia Tech finished third in the nation with 282.3 rushing yards per game, and whether that powerful ground attack dominates once more will likely be what decides this game. LSU was 17th in the country in run defense at 105.7 yards allowed per contest.
"They have a pretty potent offense. The last time I've seen an option offense was at Parkview Baptist (high school)," Tigers linebacker Darry Beckwith said. "As far as a college football team running it, I have not seen it, and those guys have great athletes. When you get that type of system and type of offense with the athletes that they have at running back and quarterback, it can be dangerous."
The players that make it dangerous are ACC leading rusher and conference player of the year Jonathan Dwyer, who ran for 1,328 yards, 12 touchdowns and a 7.0 yard per-carry average, Roddy Jones (658 yards, 9.1 per carry) and quarterback Josh Nesbitt (631 yards, seven TDs).
"We realize LSU is going to be a formidable challenge," said coach Paul Johnson, the ACC coach of the year whose team was kept out of the league title game by a tiebreaker. "They're one year removed from being a national championship team. They've got a great tradition and a great history."
Johnson's team will try to wear down another tough SEC squad with its ground game and get a strong effort out of its defense, which allowed 18.8 points and 312.7 yards per game on the season but slipped a bit over the final five games. The Yellow Jackets gave up 29.0 points and 368.4 yards a contest over that span.
That could be problematic against LSU's typically deep roster of offensive talent, led by running back Charles Scott (1,109 yards, 15 touchdowns), receiver Brandon LaFell (903 yards, eight TDs) and multi-threat back Keiland Williams. The junior rushed for 375 yards, caught 11 passes for 124 yards and returned 13 kickoffs for 290 yards.
The bruising Scott, along with Williams and 5-foot-5 Trindon Holliday, make up a versatile and speedy LSU rushing game that utilizes direct snaps to running backs and averaged 167.3 yards on the year.
What LSU doesn't have is a veteran presence at quarterback. Miles kicked troubled Ryan Perrilloux - the MVP of last season's SEC title game - off the team during the offseason. That left sophomore Jarrett Lee, who's shown flashes of ability amid stretches of inconsistency, as the starter this season.
LSU will need to be at its best against a formidable opponent that will essentially be playing a home game. The Georgia Dome is less than two miles from Georgia Tech's home field, Bobby Dodd Stadium.
"I get to stay home for Christmas," Dwyer said. "I know my mom is very excited."
While Georgia Tech has lots of factors working in its favor, it's taking on a team that's been outstanding in recent bowls - especially this one, as LSU is 4-0 in the game.
The contest will be a rematch of the 2000 bowl - then still known as the Peach Bowl - that was won 28-14 by LSU, and the Tigers were also on the winning end of the biggest rout in the bowl's history, 40-3 over Miami three seasons ago.
That win was the first of three straight bowl victories for LSU under Miles. The Tigers, who beat Florida State in the first Peach Bowl in 1968, will be making their school-record ninth straight bowl appearance, while Tech will be playing in a bowl for the 12th consecutive year.
The teams' meeting in 2000 was their 18th overall, but first since 1963. The Yellow Jackets lead the series 12-6.
Chick-fil-A Bowl Public Betting Trends:
All games in this series since 1992
LSU is 1-0 against the spread versus GEORGIA TECH since 1992
LSU is 1-0 straight up against GEORGIA TECH since 1992
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1992
Chick-fil-A Bowl Key Player Injuries
LSU
[QB] Jordan Jefferson is expected to start - Nose - 11/23/08
[C] T-Bob Hebert is out for the season. - Knee - 10/23/08
GEORGIA TECH
[OT] Andrew Gardner expected to miss the rest of the season. - Shoulder -
[CB] Jerrard Tarrant has been suspended from the team. - Suspension - 07/08
Insight Bowl
Tempe, Arizona - Simply qualifying for a bowl game is not enough for both Kansas and Minnesota.
These programs feel they have plenty to play for in their first meeting in 35 years in the Insight Bowl on New Year's Eve at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Kansas –10 point spread favorites for the Insight Bowl against Minnesota. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 51% of more than 2,682 bets for this game have been placed on the Kansas -10.
A year ago, both were in very different situations than they are now while preparing to play for the first time since Kansas won 34-19 at Lawrence in 1973.
Last December, the Jayhawks were on the verge of beating Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl to cap a remarkable 12-1 season. Minnesota, meanwhile, was wondering how to rebound from a disastrous 1-11 season under first-year coach Tim Brewster.
Now, both hope to end once-promising seasons on a positive note.
Despite losing four of its final six contests, Kansas (7-5) is not satisfied with recording consecutive bowl berths for the first time in school history.
"To have the chance to win back-to-back bowls is something that we want to go out with. It is really important for us to get this win," Kansas offensive lineman Adrian Mayes said.
Minnesota's turnaround, however, is one of the best stories of 2008.
"Minnesota has made huge strides," said Kansas coach Mark Mangino of the Gophers, who allowed 23.3 points per game this season after their opponents averaged 36.7 in 2007. "They are making outstanding progress."
The Gophers (7-5) opened with four straight victories before falling 34-21 at then-No. 14 Ohio State on Sept. 27. Minnesota was 7-1 and ranked in the Top 25 before hitting a skid it will try to stop in this contest.
Minnesota was outscored 143-55 while dropping its final four games to finish 3-5 in the Big Ten. Despite the losing streak, Brewster is not disappointed and expects his team to be ready to end the season on a positive note.
"I could not be more proud of what our team has accomplished this season and I am thrilled that all their hard work is being rewarded," he said. "It's really clear in my mind what we need to do to improve as a football team and to compete at the highest level."
While the Gophers' defense led by All-Big Ten lineman Willie VanDeSteeg (9 1/2 sacks) hopes to be up to task against Kansas' 27th-ranked offense averaging 32.7 points, Minnesota's own offense must get going again.
Sophomore quarterback Adam Weber and junior receiver Eric Decker were among the top players in the Big Ten, but did little down the stretch.
Decker, first in the conference with a school-record 76 receptions, caught three passes for 30 yards and no touchdowns in his last two games while missing a 35-32 loss at Wisconsin on Nov. 15 due to an ankle injury.
Healthy, the 6-foot-2 Decker will pose a serious challenge for a vulnerable Kansas defense that allows 29.5 points per game.
Weber completed a league-best 62.8 percent of his passes for 2,585 yards - second in the Big Ten - with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Weber, though, threw for 434 yards and three TDs with four interceptions in his last three games, including two in a 55-0 loss to Iowa to conclude the regular season.
"Their quarterback is a good player," Kansas cornerback Justin Thornton said. "He kind of reminds me of (Kansas quarterback) Todd (Reesing). It'll be a great test for us."
Reesing could be the best player on the field after practically rewriting parts of the school's record book.
The junior broke four single-season records - completions (302), attempts (460), total yards (3,683) and yards passing (3,575) - in 2008, and helped the Jayhawks end the regular season with a 40-37 upset of then-No. 12 Missouri on Nov. 29.
Reesing was 37-for-51 for 375 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winner to Kerry Meier with 27 seconds left in the game.
"His play was phenomenal,'' Mangino said. "I get this feeling when I watch him that you can almost see this competitive spirit radiate from him.''
Meier had a school-record 14 of his team-leading 87 receptions against Missouri. He finished third in the Big 12 behind the Tigers' Jeremy Maclin (95) and Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree (93).
Though Kansas won't be playing in a BCS bowl this season, Mangino is happy with the progress of his team that was battered by injuries and went 4-4 to finish third in Big 12's North Division.
"We played one of the toughest schedules in the country," said Mangino, whose team's league losses came to Nebraska, and Top 10 teams Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas. "The way (the regular season) ended is much better."
While the teams have split six all-time meetings, Kansas is 5-6 in bowl games and making its fourth appearance in seven seasons under Mangino.
Minnesota is 5-7 in bowl games and playing in its first since losing 44-41 in overtime to Texas Tech in the 2006 Insight Bowl.
Insight Bowl Key Player Injuries:
MINNESOTA
No significant injuries.
KANSAS
[RB] Carmon Boyd-Anderson has decided to transfer. - Personal - 08/16/08
[PK] Stephen Hoge has left the team. - Personal - 08/19/08
[LB] Justin Springer expected to miss rest of the season. - Undisclosed -
Kyle Davis has quit the team. - Personal - 08/16/08
Sun Bowl
El Paso, TX - LeSean McCoy ran for more yards than any freshman running back in the nation last season, but it wasn't enough to lead Pittsburgh to a bowl game.
Jacquizz Rodgers took McCoy's mantle as college football's top first-year rusher in 2008, but he wasn't around to get Oregon State to the bowl it was so desperately seeking.
An injury kept Rodgers from the 24th-ranked Beavers' regular-season finale, but they'll hope to have their star tailback on the field on Dec. 31 in the Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas, to battle McCoy and the No. 18 Panthers.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sports Interaction have made Oregon State –3 point spread favorites for the Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh. Current College Fooball Public Betting Information shows that 51% of more than 7,104 bets for this game have been placed on the Pittsburgh -3.
McCoy set a Big East freshman record by running for 1,328 yards last season, but with an inconsistent passing attack and a shaky defense, Pitt spent the holidays at home for the third time in as many years under coach Dave Wannstedt.
Though it was another disappointing season in the Steel City, it ended on an overwhelmingly positive note. The Panthers upset arch-rival West Virginia in their regular-season finale, using 148 yards from McCoy to propel them to a 13-9 win that kept the Mountaineers from wrapping up a spot in the national championship game.
McCoy improved as a sophomore, running for 1,403 yards and 21 touchdowns - tied for the second-most in the nation - and he elevated the team around him. He ran for at least 142 yards in five straight games, including a 156-yard, three-touchdown performance against Navy on Oct. 18, capping a five-game streak for Pitt (9-3).
"That guy is good. He is going to be playing on Sundays," Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said of McCoy. "Don't be surprised to see him in Honolulu (in the Pro Bowl) in a few years. He is as good a back as we have seen all year."
McCoy rushed for a career-high 183 yards in Pitt's 19-15 win on Nov. 28, then had a key 47-yard touchdown run a week later as the Panthers wrapped up a trip to El Paso with a 34-10 win at Connecticut.
That victory gave the Panthers their first nine-win season since 1982, a feat that seemed unobtainable following a surprising home loss to Bowling Green in its season opener.
"It shows the character of the players and the coaches, never giving up and coming every day to practice to work hard and get better,'' McCoy said.
Oregon State (8-4) also got off to a rocky start, dropping its first two games at Stanford and Penn State. But the Beavers got a taste of what Rodgers could provide, as he scored twice against the Nittany Lions and two more times the following week in a win over Hawaii.
Rodgers' breakout game, though, came Sept. 25 against previously top-ranked Southern California. Oregon State stunned the Trojans in Corvallis 27-21 behind 186 yards and two scores from Rodgers, its first win over a No. 1 team in 41 years and a victory that made the Beavers the Pac-10 front-runners.
Oregon State won its next six conference games as well, setting up a home finale in the Civil War against Oregon on Nov. 29. With a victory, the Beavers would head to their first Rose Bowl in 44 years.
But Rodgers hurt his shoulder in a win at Arizona a week earlier, and couldn't play against the Ducks. The disparity in the ground game was the big difference in the 65-38 loss as the Beavers were outrushed 385-89.
"There will be some residual effect from (not winning that game), but this is no time for babies," coach Mike Riley said. "We can't whine about that anymore, we're going to have to get ready to go."
Rodgers' shoulder is improving, and there's a good chance the 5-foot-6 back, who became the Pac-10's first freshman to win offensive player of the year honors, will play in the Sun Bowl in his home state of Texas.
One Beaver who almost certainly won't play is his brother, James, who was the team's starting running back with Jacquizz sidelined. James Rodgers averaged 8.9 yards on 46 carries and was second on the team with 51 receptions, but he suffered a broken collarbone against Oregon.
If Jacquizz Rodgers can go, he'll be running at a Pitt defense led by senior linebacker Scott McKillop, the Big East defensive player of the year. McKillop ranks second nationally with 6.5 solo tackles per game.
The game could come down to which junior quarterback makes the fewest mistakes, and if that's the case, the Beavers may have the edge. Lyle Moevao is coming off his best game of the season, a 374-yard, five-touchdown performance against Oregon. Seven of his 27 completions went to All-Pac-10 receiver Sammie Stroughter, who had 145 of his conference-leading 952 yards.
Pitt quarterback Bill Stull, meanwhile, threw nine touchdowns in 11 games, and was rarely asked to make plays downfield with McCoy and versatile senior back LaRod Stephens-Howling behind him.
Oregon State is 4-0 in bowl games under Riley, including a 39-38 win over Missouri in the 2006 Sun Bowl.
The Beavers and Panthers have played once previously, a 38-13 Pitt win in the 2002 Insight Bowl that was Oregon State's last bowl loss. That was the Panthers' last postseason victory.
Sun Bowl Public Betting Trends:
All games in this series since 1992
PITTSBURGH is 1-0 against the spread versus OREGON ST since 1992
PITTSBURGH is 1-0 straight up against OREGON ST since 1992
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1992
Sun Bowl Key Player Injuries:
PITTSBURGH
No significant injuries.
OREGON ST
(!) [RB] Jacquizz Rodgers missed last game %27?%27 - Shoulder - 11/29/08
[RB] Patrick Fuller has transferred - None - 09/01/08
[WR] James Rodgers injured last game, expected to miss - Collarbone - 12/0
[WR] Kyle Brown is expected to miss the rest of the season. - Achilles - 1
- Brent McNeil is out indefinitely - Toe - 09/01/08
- Jeremy Perry is out indefinitely. - Knee - 10/18/08
[SF] Bryan Payton has transferred - None - 09/01/08