Jerry Jones’s cavernous crown jewel in north Texas will be the site for this year’s AT&T Cotton Bowl, which features the upstart Kansas State Wildcats of the Big 12 taking on the prolific Arkansas Razorbacks. There could be no shortage of scoring in this battle in the Lone Star State.
The Big Ten’s Michigan Wolverines invade the Superdome in New Orleans on Tuesday, Jan.3 to tangle with the ACC’s Virginia Tech Hokies in this season’s Sugar Bowl. The game is set to get underway at 8:30 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
College football’s Holy Grail will feature a re-match of the two best teams in the nation; all the BCS whining and quibbling aside, that ought to be the aim of this match-up. Oklahoma State fans and SEC haters might disagree with me, but if you watched Alabama and LSU extensively this season, you know it is the truth.
As the New Year approaches, college basketball dishes up an anticipated Big East opener between the No. 12 Georgetown Hoyas who vaulted four spots in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, and the No. 4 Louisville Cardinals this Wednesday on ESPN2.
Each week, the CappersPicks.com fantasy football guru Dave B brings you players you need to be paying attention to – Remember – fantasy football championships are often won by those who live eat and breath fantasy football.
After all of the weekly games are finished be sure to check our waiver wire column, cheatsheets, a who’s hot, and who’s not report plus more in our fantasy football guide.
How will the Pittsburgh Panthers respond to a shocking loss this past week? Pitt was rolling along in the top ten before falling at home to unranked Wagner. The Panthers must put the pieces together quickly as they travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame Tuesday night.
Usually Big Ten vs MAC matchups happen in September, this is a rare December chance for the little sister conference to exact some revenge for early beatdowns.
The 2011 Alamo Bowl presents what appears to be an epic battle of David vs. Goliath, as Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III and a revamped No. 16 Baylor Bears take on the Washington Huskies who bring the worst pass defenses in the FBS into the matchup.
A lot of things have changed since the Bruins and Illini met over five seasons ago.
And now what in the past would have been a matchup of two very good teams, has turned into a meeting of the worst that college football has seen in a bowl meeting in the past several seasons.
Iowa State lost their last 2 games of the season, but they scored 2 wins facing ranked teams including beating an undefeated Oklahoma State team in one of the biggest upsets in the nation this season.
The Bulls locked up MVP Derrick Rose with a long-term contract and Chicago will be back in the mix for the NBA title this season, but there are some question marks.
The Hawks made a few decent pick-ups in the off-season, but lost 6th man scorer Jamal Crawford and his loss may really hurt.
The Thunder made it to the Western Conference Finals last season and since they did not make much noise this off-season they will have to be carried by young stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to get back there again.
The Mavericks are coming off their first ever NBA title, but can they repeat? Good question. The Mavs are not getting any younger, they lost on of their key players from last season, but they did make a great pick up in the off-season.
The Big East’s Cincinnati Bearcats close-out 2011 with a trip to Memphis to take-on the Vanderbilt Commodores from the SEC in this season’s Liberty Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
Date: December 28, 4:30 PM EST
Venue: RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.
Betting Lines from BetOnline.com
Moneyline: Toledo (-165) Air Force (+145)
Spread: Toledo -3
Over/Under: 70
Toledo received a lot of time on ESPN during the MAC midweek games this year. During those national broadcasts, we saw the greatness of the Toledo offense and the weakness of the Rockets defense.
Air Force didn’t get as much air time this year, but they should feel right at home in the Military Bowl. Both teams have finished the season on a hot streak. Who will end the year with a big bowl win?
Tim Beckman was hired as the new head coach at Illinois, and he won’t be coaching Toledo in this one. The Rockets have won seven of their last eight games. Their only loss during that time was a 63-60 loss at the hands of Northern Illinois.
Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens have split time under center this year for Toledo. Both of them have put up tremendous numbers. Dantin is listed as questionable for this game due to a concussion. Owens has a 71.4% completion percentage, and he has thrown 15 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. Toledo’s offense is so tough to stop because of their amazing balance. The Rockets average 272 yards per game through the air and 222 per game on the ground. Eric Page is the team’s best play maker. Page racked up 111 receptions during the regular season. The Rockets average 42.2 points per contest.
Toledo’s defense actually did a pretty good job this year against the run, but the secondary has had all sorts of trouble stopping the pass. The Rockets gave up 278 yards per game through the air. In their last three games, Toledo allowed 36 points per game. This defense must step up against the option attack. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Tim Jefferson Jr. is a four-year starter at quarterback for Air Force. Jefferson is a good decision-maker in the triple option attack, and he has improved his passing each year. He completed 61% of his passes for 1,478 yards during the regular season. Jefferson threw for 12 touchdowns and ran for 10 more. Asher Clark was the team’s top tailback this season. Clark averaged an astounding 7.3 yards per carry. Mike Dewitt is a top-notch fullback who ran for 10 touchdowns in 2011. Air Force ranked 19th in the nation in total offense this year. It’s no secret that this team wants to run the ball constantly, but it is very tough to stop.
The Falcons defense was exactly the opposite of Toledo this season. While Air Force did a great job against the pass, they were extremely vulnerable against the run. Air Force has a very badly undersized front four, and they have been dominated by most physical offensive lines this season. Overall, Air Force is giving up 27.2 points per game this year.
Both teams will be looking to run the ball early and often here. It’s hard to imagine a game with so many rushing attempts going over such a high total, but I think it will. Toledo should have trouble with the triple option, and the Rockets should be able to roll over the undersized Falcons defensive front.
Free College Football Pick: Over 70
Score Prediction: Toledo 38 Air Force 35
