Bowl Season '11 Preview: 'At Least They're Teams You've Heard Of' Edition

by Kyle_Martin on Dec 27, 2011 9:00 AM EST in Football

Bowl season gets real this week with a full ten bowl games between the 27th and the 30th.

Little Ceasar's Bowl
Purdue Boilermakers vs. Western Michigan Broncos
Tuesday, Dec. 27th at 4:30 PM in Detroit, MI
ESPN/ESPN3

Watchability Rating: 5

Pertinent Information:
This is the second time in four years the Boilermakers will be playing a bowl game at Ford Field in Detroit. The last time they were there in 2007 they also played a directional Michigan team. I sense a theme! W. Michigan has a pretty good quarterback in Alex Carder (3400 yards passing, 28 TDs) who accounted for more offense than either Caleb TerBush and Robert Mavre did combined.

Line:
Purdue -3 O/U 60

Belk Bowl
Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Tuesday, Dec. 27th at 8 PM in Charlotte, NC
ESPN

Watchability Rating: 3

Pertinent Information:
Louisville came close to playing in a BCS bowl thanks to the incredibly mediocrity of the Big East this year. Instead, they have to settle for a bowl game in NCSU's home state. NCSU had a so-so year as well, but also managed to hand Clemson their most Clemson loss of the year. Neither team will be mistaken for an offensive juggernaut, as both finished 94th or worse in the NCAA in total offense.

Line:
NC St. -1 O/U 44.5

Military Bowl
Toledo Rockets vs. Air Force Falcons
Wednesday, Dec. 28th at 4:30 PM
ESPN/ESPN3

Watchability Rating: 8

Pertinent Information:
Who's had the best offense in college football since the start of November? Yup, the Toledo Rockets. Toledo comes into the game in the top 10 in the nation in yards/game and points/game. Air Force isn't too shabby on offense either. The Falcons' 320 rushing yards/game ranks second in the nation and their 34.4 points/game has them just outside the top 30 in the country.

Line:
Toledo -3 O/U 70

Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl
Wednesday, Dec. 28th at 8 PM
ESPN/ESPN3

Watchability Rating: 5

Pertinent Information:
Texas has had a rough couple of years since losing the MNC game to Alabama in 2010. After missing a bowl last year, Texas struggled to a 7-5 record amidst an unsettled quarterback situation (sound familiar?). Texas has lost 3 of their last 4 games while Cal won 3 of their final 4.

Line:
Texas -3 O/U 48

Champs Sports Bowl
Florida State Seminoles vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Thursday, Dec. 29th at 5:30 PM
ESPN/ESPN 3D/ESPN3

Watchability Rating: 8

Pertinent Information:
What was once an elite matchup is now a game between two has-beens. That doesn't mean we're not in store for an entertaining game. After starting off slow with a 2-3 record, FSU recovered to win 6 of 7 games. Notre Dame started the season 0-2 before reeling off two 4-game win streaks. Both teams average 30+ points a game and rank in the top 35 in passing.

Line:
FSU -3 O/U 46

Valero Alamo Bowl
Washington Huskies vs. Baylor Bears
Thursday, Dec. 29th at 9 PM
ESPN/ESPN3

Watchability Rating: 9

Pertinent Information:
The Heisman Trophy winner, Robert Griffin III, will likely be making the last start of his collegiate career on Thursday night. Griffin is 2 passing yards shy of 4,000 on the season, which he'll likely pick up as he leads the nation's second best offense against the Huskies' 94th ranked defense.

Line:
Baylor -10 O/U 78.5

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
BYU Cougars vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
Friday, Dec. 30th at 12 PM
ESPN/ESPN3

Watchability Rating: 7

Pertinent Information:
Tulsa has four losses this year, each to teams ranked in the top 10 at the time (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Boise State, Houston). However, BYU has won 8 of their last 9 games and have outscored their past 3 opponents 125-34.

Line:
BYU -1 O/U 55

New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Iowa State Cyclones
Friday, Dec. 30th at 3:20 PM
ESPN/ESPN3

Watchability Rating: 4

Pertinent Information:
Rutgers could have been playing in a BCS game this year. Instead, they were blown out in their final game against the 5-7 Connecticut Huskies and fell to the Pinstripe Bowl. Iowa State finished the season with a 6-6 record, but played a particularly difficult schedule that included games against seven ranked teams. Iowa State went 2-5 in those games, but one of their wins was against then #2 Oklahoma State.

Line:
Rutgers -1.5 O/U 44.5

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Friday, Dec. 30th at 6:40 PM
ESPN/ESPN3

Watchability Rating: 3

Pertinent Information:
Two 6-6 teams meeting in a bowl game generally doesn't inspire a lot of excitement. Perhaps they should spice the game up by making a bet that the losing coach has to take the Penn State job.

Line:
MSU -7 O/U 48

Insight Bowl
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Friday, Dec. 30th at 10 PM
ESPN/ESPN3

Watchability Rating: 7

Pertinent Information:
The Insight Bowl has to be a disappointment for the Sooners, who were the preseason #1 team. However, after dropping two of their final three games, Oklahoma played themselves right out of the BCS picture. Iowa is playing in their second consecutive Insight Bowl (they beat Missouri 27-24 last year) after having their second straight up and down season.

Line:
OU -14 O/U 57.5

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Comments

You missed listing the teams playing in the

Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl.

Nice quick and dirty previews though. Love the watchability ratings.

"The only difference between a brown-noser and a shit head is depth perception"
-PSU_Lions_84

by dbl5030 on Dec 27, 2011 9:05 AM EST reply actions

hahah oops

They all ran together on my screen after awhile. Guess I need a proofreader

Formerly known as kmart93
Black Shoe Diaries

by Kyle_Martin on Dec 27, 2011 4:33 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

Lol, the internet is great for that.

"The only difference between a brown-noser and a shit head is depth perception"
-PSU_Lions_84

by dbl5030 on Dec 28, 2011 11:42 AM EST up reply actions

Good work, but

meh……I only will be watching one bowl game this year.

by FB6244 on Dec 27, 2011 9:07 AM EST reply actions

Now

is when my bowl picks typically go to crap. So far, I am kicking some ass.

.....that which we are, WE ARE;
One equal temper of heroic hearts

by SarcasmJam on Dec 27, 2011 9:13 AM EST reply actions

My computer says Purdue beating WMU is the most likely individual result of any B1G bowl game

with an over 85% chance of it happening. The second and third most likely results are TAMU over jNW and Oklahoma over Iowa; each over 80%.

I don’t totally believe those numbers. Purdue is a team that lost to Rice and beat Ohio State. WMU is a team that lost to EMU but beat NIU. I agree that Purdue should win, but I think WMU has a better chance than Penn State would of going 2-0 against LSU and Alabama. The computer says they’re roughly the same

jNW is dangerous, and I don’t think TAMU is anywhere close to as good as the computer thinks they are. jNW is a not-quite-as-good-but-scrappier Arkansas, and Arkansas beat TAMU.

Iowa-Oklahoma will come down to the QBs. Oklahoma is as impressive of a 9-3 team as you’ll find, and Iowa is a 7-5 team. Here’s the thing: Oklahoma is 3-3 when the opposing QB doesn’t throw an INT, and one of those wins was over Kansas (who cares?) and another was over Kansas State, who didn’t throw the ball at all until they were trying to play catch up. In all 3 of those losses, Jones threw at least one pick. If Vandenberg can avoid giving up the football and the Iowa DBs can get a pick or two, this could be a game. If not, Iowa might get crushed.

GO IOWA AWESOME

by ckmneon on Dec 27, 2011 9:52 AM EST reply actions

Does you computer have any thoughts on PSU naming a head coach before my 2 year old enrolls at Dear Old State?

"WHY IS EVERYONE THE FREAKING STUPID?" BMAN13

by kijana's acl on Dec 27, 2011 11:23 AM EST up reply actions

PSU has a head coach

his name is Tom Bradley.

Whether or not they give him a contract or name somebody else, well….I’m done projecting any sort of logic onto the BoT.

GO IOWA AWESOME

by ckmneon on Dec 27, 2011 11:32 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs

Of course

I was thinking of someone who has greater than one tenth of one percent chance of being the head coach come August 2012.

"WHY IS EVERYONE THE FREAKING STUPID?" BMAN13

by kijana's acl on Dec 27, 2011 1:23 PM EST up reply actions

I endorse this comment.

"Woop woop." - Waylon Jennings

by ReadingRambler on Dec 27, 2011 2:13 PM EST up reply actions

My predictions...

Purdue 37, Western Michigan 24
NC State 24, Louisville 17
Toledo 35, Air Force 28
Notre Dame 24, FSU 21
Baylor 45, Washington 31
BYU 27, Tulsa 24
Iowa State 20, Rutgers 17
Oklahoma 34, Iowa 17
… and your upset special:
Wake Forest 27, Mississippi State 24

by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 27, 2011 2:33 PM EST reply actions

I agree with these.

Except I’m not sure Miss St loses

Formerly known as kmart93
Black Shoe Diaries

by Kyle_Martin on Dec 27, 2011 4:35 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

Toledo is definitely more talented than Air Force

but too often this season the Rockets have not played up to their potential, and now they don’t have their coach. I can’t see Washington being within 14 of Baylor after the 2nd quarter. As for ISU-Rutgers and ND-FSU, neither team winning by 20+ would surprise me in the least.

But overall, I concur

GO IOWA AWESOME

by ckmneon on Dec 27, 2011 11:21 PM EST up reply actions