2009 Orange Bowl Expert Pick – #10 Iowa vs. #9 Georgia Tech
No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2 SU, 8-3 ATS) vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-2 SU, 8-4 ATS)
Tuesday, January 5: 8:00 p.m.
BetUS.com Betting Odds: Georgia Tech -4, Total Points 50 ½
Here are some NCAA football betting trends which may impact this game:
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Iowa: 14-2 SU in their last 16 games
Iowa: 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games
Iowa: The total has gone UNDER in 4 of their last 6 games
Georgia Tech: 9-1 SU in their last 10 games
Georgia Tech: 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games
One of the most intriguing matchups of the entire bowl season will come from Miami, where the Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
For Iowa Hawkeyes, everything starts with one of the top defenses in all of college football. A deep and talented front seven stars Adrian Clayborn at defensive tackle and Pat Angerer and Jeremiah Hunter at linebacker. The group was one of the country’s best all season, as they ranked 10 th in scoring defense and 11 th in total defense, while allowing just 164 yards passing a game.
Offensively, the Hawkeyes will never score a ton of points, but were efficient throughout the year. 
And truthfully, they should be even better in this bowl game, thanks to a healthy Ricky Stanzi. Stanzi, who was on his way to a potential All-Big 10 performance this year, got hurt in the Hawkeyes second to last game of the season, with Iowa ultimately losing the two games he missed, against Northwestern and Ohio State. He should be back though, and the Hawkeyes can use him, as he threw for 2100 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year. A very, very important note however is that he also threw 14 interceptions in the 10 ½ games he played in this year.
As for Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets offense, well they are simply one of the most efficient running teams in college football. They are led by running back Jonathan Dwyer and quarterback Josh Nesbitt, a backfield that combined for a staggering 2000 yards and 32 touchdowns on the year. Although the Yellow Jackets prefer not to throw the ball often, they do have a very capable wide receiver in Demaryius “Bebe,” Thomas. Thomas, a junior, had just 46 catches on the year, but finished second in the FBS with an average of 25 yards per catch.
On defense, the Yellow Jackets have struggled as of late, allowing 27 or more points in four of their last five games.
Despite those defensive struggles, I still expect the Yellow Jackets to win this game. But, considering that three of Georgia Tech’s last four games were decided by six points or less, I’m not sure that they can cover the bowl game betting odds in this one.
The Yellow Jackets are a team that seems to always play close, but always find ways to win games. Because of it, I like Iowa to cover the betting odds, while Georgia Tech should win the Orange Bowl straight up.
Our Pick: Iowa +4
One reply on “2010 Orange Bowl: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech Preview/Pick”
I like the Yellow Jackets in this one. However, if Iowa can exploit a mediocre GT defense early on, this could be interesting. Not to mention that the Hawkeyes D is solid.