Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Temple Owls (8-4) @ Wyoming Cowboys (8-4)
Date: December 17, 2011
Time: 2:00pm EST
Spread: Temple Owls -7
Over/Under: 48.5
Preview: Two very underrated teams will get together for the first bowl game of the 2011 season. The Temple Owls will take on the Wyoming Cowboys in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Both teams come into the game with 8-4 records. The Owls big win on the season came over Penn State early in the season. Temple finished just a game behind Ohio for the MAC – East title. The Owls are one of the best rushing teams in all of American; with over 250 yards per game. Temple’s top threat on the offensive side is Bernard Pierce. The running back rushed the football 248 times for 1,381 yards and 25 touchdowns. The Owls finished the regular season with three straight wins to get into the bowl game. For Wyoming, they beat Colorado State in their season finale. The Cowboys finished third place in the Mountain West Conference, with losses to TCU and Boise State. Wyoming’s other two losses in 2011 came to Utah State and Nebraska in consecutive weeks. The Cowboys scored 27 points per game, and also allowed 27 points per game.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Utah State Aggies (7-5) @ Ohio Bobcats (9-4)
Date: December 17, 2011
Time: 5:30pm EST
Spread: Utah State Aggies -3
Over/Under: 57.5
Preview: The Utah State Aggies will take on the Ohio Bobcats on December 17th in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The Aggies come into the game with a 7-5 record; which placed them in a tie with Nevada for second place in the Western Athletic Conference. Louisiana Tech won the conference. Utah State was 2-5 going into the November 6th game at Hawaii, but rattled off wins over the Warriors, San Jose State, Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico State to garner a bowl game. The Aggies are the sixth best rushing team in the country, averaging 277.5 yards per game. Utah State’s top running back Robert Turbin finished the regular season with 19 rushing touchdowns. For Ohio, they fell in the MAC title game to the Northern Illinois Huskies. Coming into that game, the Bobcats had won five straight games to win the East Division. The Bobcats are scoring 31 points per game, and allowing 22.1. Ohio’s quarterback Tyler Tettleton, son of former Major League Baseball star Mickey Tettleton threw for over 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns on the season.
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns (8-4) @ San Diego State Aztecs (8-4)
Date: December 17, 2011
Time: 9:00pm EST
Spread: San Diego State Aztecs -5
Over/Under: 58.5
Preview: The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns will play in their first bowl game in 41 years. Their opponent will be the San Diego State Aztecs, who are playing in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 1966-1967. The Ragin Cajuns finished the regular season 8-4, and 6-2 in Sun Belt play. They finished third in the conference behind Arkansas State and Western Kentucky. The Ragin Cajuns lost their final two regular season games to Arkansas State and Arizona; both on the road. The other two losses this season came to Oklahoma State and Western Kentucky. Quarterback Blaine Gautier threw for just shy of 2,500 yards and 20 touchdowns on the season. The San Diego State Aztecs are also 8-4 on the season. Their 4-3 record inside the Mountain West Conference garnered them fourth place. The Aztecs finished the regular season with a road win at UNLV, followed by a home win over Fresno State. San Diego State outscored opponents 29.8 – 24.4 on the season. The Aztecs running back Ronnie Hillman finished the year with over 1,600 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
Beef O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl
Florida International Panthers (8-4) @ Marshall Thundering Herd (6-6)
Date: December 20, 2011
Time: 8:20pm EST
Spread: Florida International Panthers -4
Over/Under: 49
Preview: The Florida International Panthers will take on the Marshall Thundering Herd on December 20th in the Beef O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl. The Panthers come into the game with a 8-4 record; winning their final three games of the season. Florida International finished fourth place in the Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers lone non-conference loss was to the Duke Blue Devils. Florida International, as a team scored 26.3 points per game, and allowed 19.4. The Panthers quarterback Wesley Carroll finished the season with 14 touchdown passes. For Marshall, they are coming in with a 6-6 record. The Thundering Herd finished with wins over East Carolina and Memphis to finish the season. The Thundering Herd finished second place in Conference USA – East Division. Marshall had a tough time on the offensive end; ranking 98th in total points scored, with just 22 points per game. The Thundering Herd rushed for 123.1 yards per game, which was also in the bottom quarter of the country. Marshall’s Aaron Dobson led the team with 10 touchdowns receptions on the season.
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
TCU Horned Frogs (10-2) @ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-4)
Date: December 21, 2011
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: TCU Horned Frogs -10.5
Over/Under: 55.5
Preview: The TCU Horned Frogs will take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. This game is part of the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on December 21st, 2011. The Horned Frogs come into the game with a 10-2 record on the season. TCU’s two losses came to Baylor and Southern Methodist. Despite missing their quarterback Andy Dalton from a season ago, the Horned Frogs were still able to put up 41.7 points per game. The Horned Frogs won the Mountain West Conference, when they beat Boise State on November 12th 36-35. For Louisiana Tech, they finished with an 8-4 record. The Bulldogs finished the season with seven straight wins. The final game of the regular season was on November 26th when they blanked New Mexico State. Louisiana Tech’s four losses came in the first five weeks at Southern Mississippi, with Houston, at Mississippi State and with Hawaii. The Bulldogs won the Western Athletic Conference by a single game, ahead of Utah State. The top offensive threat for Louisiana Tech appears to be quarterback Colby Cameron; who finished with 11 touchdowns.
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Arizona State Sun Devils (6-6) @ Boise State Broncos (11-1)
Date: December 22, 2011
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: Boise State Broncos -14
Over/Under: 66
Preview: The Pac-12 will take on the Mountain West Conference on December 22nd as part of the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl. The Arizona State Sun Devils, who recently hired a new head coach, will take on the Boise State Broncos. Arizona State had high expectations this season; but fell flat late in the season. Out went Dennis Erickson, as head coach, and the Sun Devils hired June Jones as the new head coach. The Sun Devils lost their final four games, and five out of their last six. The final two games of the regular season appeared to be the final straw for Erickson. The Sun Devils were beat by rival Arizona, and then the next week was downed by California. Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler led the team with nearly 3,700 passing yards, and 24 touchdowns on the season. The Sun Devils also saw their running back Cameron Marshall rush for 18 touchdowns. For Boise State, they feel a little disrespected with their bowl match-up. The Broncos finished in the Top 10 in the BCS standings, but did not get a big game sniff. The Broncos lost their only game on a missed field goal to TCU a few weeks ago. The Broncos are scoring 43.3 points per game, while the defense is allowing just 18.3. Kellen Moore finished the regular season with 3,507 passing yards and 41 touchdowns.
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Nevada Wolf Pack (7-5) @ Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (11-2)
Time: 8:00pm EST
Date: December 24, 2011
Spread: N/A
Over/Under: N/A
Preview: The Nevada Wolf Pack and Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles get to play on Christmas Even in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. The Wolf Pack finished the regular season with a 7-5 record. Nevada finished tied with Utah State for second place in the Western Athletic Conference. The Wolf Pack won their final game of the season 56-3 over Idaho. The win snapped a two game losing streak for Nevada, as they dropped decisions to Louisiana Tech and Utah State. The Wolf Pack finished in the Top 10 in rushing yards, as they picked up over 250 yards per game. Nevada’s top running back was Lampford Mark, who ran for 8 touchdowns. Southern Mississippi comes into the game as the winners of the Conference USA. The Golden Eagles upset Houston in the title game to claim the championship. During the regular season, the Golden Eagles lost games to Marshall and UAB. Southern Mississippi scored 37.8 points per game, which ranked 14th in the country. The Golden Eagles will be playing without their head coach Larry Fedora, who took the head coaching job at the University of North Carolina.
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
Missouri Tigers (7-5) @ North Carolina Tar Heels (7-5)
Time: 5:00pm EST
Date: December 26, 2011
Spread: Missouri Tigers -5
Over/Under: 52.5
Preview: The day after Christmas, the Missouri Tigers will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in part of the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl. Missouri finished the season strong, winning their final three games of the season. The Tigers downed Texas, Texas Tech and Kansas over that time. Missouri, without their stud quarterback of a season ago; Blaine Gabbert still threw for 263.3 yards per game on the season. Missouri went 5-4 in Big 12 play, which put them in fifth place. The Tar Heels come into the game led by interim head coach Everett Withers. The Tar Heels recently hired a new head coach, Larry Fedora, the former coach at Southern Mississippi. North Carolina finished 7-5, but lost four out of their final six games of the season. The Tar Heels quarterback Bryn Renner threw for over 2,700 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season. North Carolina finished tied with Miami for fourth place in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. This is the fourth straight season that North Carolina reached a bowl game.
Little Caesars Bowl
Western Michigan Broncos (7-5) @ Purdue Boilermakers (6-6)
Time: 4:30pm EST
Date: December 27, 2011
Spread: Purdue Boilermakers -2.5
Over/Under: 60
Preview: In the Little Caesars Bowl on December 27th, the Western Michigan Broncos will take on the Purdue Boilermakers. This game will be played at Ford Field in Detroit, home of the Lions. The Broncos come into the game with a 7-5 record, after finishing 5-3 in the MAC. Western Michigan smoked Akron 68-19 in the final regular season game of the season to assure an above .500 season. The Broncos scored 35.6 points per game, which ranked 18th in the country. Western Michigan, in the non-conference portion of their schedule beat Nichols State and Connecticut, while losing games to Michigan and Illinois. The Broncos wide receiver Jordan White led the team with 16 touchdown receptions. For Purdue, they were fortunate to become bowl eligible, after 4-5 with three games to play. The Boilermakers beat Ohio State in overtime, and then on the final weekend of the season, beat the Indiana Hoosiers on the road. The Boilermakers quarterback Caleb TerBush took over early in the season, and threw for 12 touchdowns on the season. Purdue finished third in the Leaders Division of the Big Ten. The Boilermakers finished behind Wisconsin and Penn State. Purdue has not played in a bowl game since 2007.
Belk Bowl
Louisville Cardinals (7-5) @ North Carolina State Wolf Pack (7-5)
Time: 8:00pm EST
Date: December 27, 2011
Spread: North Carolina State Wolf Pack -2.5
Over/Under: 44.5
Preview: Two teams that had surprisingly solid seasons from major conferences will get together in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte North Carolina. The Louisville Cardinals will take on the North Carolina State Wolf Pack on December 27th. Louisville finished in a three way tie atop the Big East standings. The Cardinals finished 5-2 in conference play, but lost the BCS bowl game bid to West Virginia. Louisville started the season 2-4, but came back with wins in five out of their last six games. The Cardinals only loss during that time was to the Pittsburgh Panthers. Louisville had a tough time scoring all season long; with just 20.8 points per game. Charlie Strong’s defense was solid, as they allowed 19.2 points per game. For North Carolina State, they were 2-3, but rallied to win five of their final seven. The Wolf Pack won their last two games of the regular season over Clemson and Maryland. The Wolf Pack finished fourth in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina State is led by quarterback Mike Glennon, who threw for 28 touchdowns on the season. North Carolina State scored 28 points per game, and allowed 24.8.
Military Bowl
Toledo Rockets (8-4) @ Air Force Falcons (7-5)
Date: December 28, 2011
Time: 4:30pm EST
Spread: Toledo Rockets -3
Over/Under: 69.5
Preview: The Toledo Rockets and Air Force Falcons will get together on December 28th for the Military Bowl. This game will be played in Washington D.C. and is sponsored by Northrop Grumman. The Rockets come into the game with an 8-4 record, and finished 7-1 in MAC play. In non-conference games, Toledo lost at Ohio State, at home to Boise State, and then fell to Syracuse. Since the 1-3 start, the Rockets won 7 of their final 8 games. The lone loss for the Rockets during that time was to Northern Illinois. Toledo finished in a with the Huskies for first place in the MAC – West. The Rockets were the 8th highest scoring team in the country, with 42.3 points per game. For Air Force, they are looking to win their third straight game and finish with 8 wins. The Falcons beat UNLV and Colorado State to finish 3-4 in Mountain West play. The Falcons finished behind TCU, Boise State, Wyoming and San Diego in the conference. Air Force was the second best rushing team in all of college football, with 320 yards per game. The Falcons have won seven games in a season for the fifth straight year.
Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl
California Bears (7-5) @ Texas Longhorns (7-5)
Date: December 28, 2011
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: Texas Longhorns -3
Over/Under: 47.5
Preview: The Pac-12 and Big 12 will get together on December 28th in the Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl. Both teams fared in the middle of the pack in their top echelon conference. The California Bears came into the game winners of three out of their final four games. In the season finale, California knocked off Arizona State to finish fourth in the North Division. The Bears are led by quarterback Zach Maynard. Maynard finished with 17 touchdown passes and nearly 2,900 yards. California won their first three games of the season; all non-conference. For Texas, Mack Brown expected more out of this year’s team. After failing to make a bowl game last season, the Longhorns wanted to bounce back in a big way. After starting 4-0, the Longhorns dropped 5 out of their last 7 games. The Longhorns final game of the regular season was a 48-24 loss to Robert Griffin III and the Baylor Bears. The best win for Texas on the season came on Thanksgiving Day when they rallied to beat the Aggies of Texas A+M. Texas scored just 28.7 points per game, while the defense allowed 23.3.
Champs Sports Bowl
Florida State Seminoles (8-4) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-4)
Date: December 29, 2011
Time: 5:30pm EST
Spread: Florida State Seminoles -3
Over/Under: 46.5
Preview: Two former college football powers will meet up on December 29th in the Champs Sports Bowl. The Florida State Seminoles and Notre Dame Fighting Irish will get together in Orlando Florida for the final game of the season. The Seminoles went 8-4, but feel they should have won more games. Florida State started the season 2-0, but then dropped three straight games to Oklahoma, Clemson and Wake Forest. The Seminoles bounced back to finish second in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Christian Ponder, the former Seminoles quarterback spent his rookie season in Minnesota as the Vikings quarterback. Without Ponder, the Seminoles turned to E.J. Manuel, who threw for 16 touchdowns on the year. For Notre Dame, Brian Kelly aided the Fighting Irish to eight wins in their final ten games. The Fighting Irish lost their first two games to South Florida and Michigan. Signature wins for Notre Dame came over Michigan State and Purdue. The Fighting Irish running back Jonas Gray finished the season with 12 touchdowns, while Tommy Rees threw for 2,708 yards and 19 touchdowns. This is the third straight season Florida State has played in the Champs Sports Bowl. Florida State has beat Notre Dame four out of six times in school history.
Valero Alamo Bowl
Washington Huskies (7-5) @ Baylor Bears (9-3)
Date: December 29, 2011
Time: 9:20pm EST
Spread: Baylor Bears -9
Over/Under: 78.5
Preview: In San Antonio, the Washington Huskies will take on the Baylor Bears in the Valero Alamo Bowl. The Huskies play out of the Pac-12, while the Bears play in the Big-12. Washington lost three out of their final four games to finish the season 7-5. The Huskies had a tough stretch where they were outscored 112-55 by Oregon, USC and Oregon State. Washington’s Keith Price threw 29 touchdown passes; with 6 of them to Jermaine Kerse. The Huskies finished third, behind Stanford and Oregon in the North Division of the Pac-12. The Bears are playing their final game with Heisman winner Robert Griffin III. The quarterback will be drafted in the 2012 NFL draft. Griffin III finished the regular season with 3,998 passes yards, 644 rushing yards, and a combined 45 touchdowns. Baylor ranked sixth in the country in points scored with 43.5 per game. The Bears also ranked fifth in passing yards, with nearly 357 per game. Baylor is playing in a bowl game for the second straight season. That is the first time since the 1991-1992 seasons they have played in back-to-back bowl games. Last season, the Bears lost to Illinois.
Bell Hellicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Brigham Young Cougars (9-3) @ Tulsa Hurricanes (8-4)
Date: December 30, 2011
Time: 12:00pm EST
Spread: Brigham Young Cougars -2.5
Over/Under: 55.5
Preview: The Brigham Young Cougars and Tulsa Hurricanes will get together on December 30th in the Armed Forces Bowl. This game will take place in Dallas, Texas. The Cougars come into the game with a 9-3 record. Their three losses came to Texas, Utah and Texas Christian. Brigham Young ranked 23rd in defense, as they allowed just over 20 points per game. The Cougars offense is led by Riley Nelson, who finished the regular season with 1,467 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. Brigham Young passed for over 250 yards per game. For Tulsa, they are led by G.J. Kinne. The quarterback for the Hurricanes put up over 2,800 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. Tulsa’s four losses this season all came to ranked opponents. The Hurricanes started 1-3 with losses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Boise State. After winning seven straight games, the Hurricanes fell in the regular season finale to the Houston Cougars. Tulsa scored over 34 points per game as a team.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-4) @ Iowa State Cyclones (6-6)
Date: December 30, 2011
Time: 3:20pm EST
Spread: Rutgers Scarlet Knights -1.5
Over/Under: 44.5
Preview: In the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights – out of the Big East, will take on the Iowa State Cyclones – from the Big 12. The Scarlet Knights are 8-4 on the season, and finished 4-3 in conference play. The Scarlet Knights finished 12th in points allowed, as their defense yielded just 18.8 points per game. Rutgers finished the season with a tough loss at Connecticut 40-22. That loss snapped a three game winning streak for the Scarlet Knights. For Iowa State, they are known for their upset win over Oklahoma State. The loss for the Cowboys is what kept them out of the national title game in January. The Cyclones with that win became bowl eligible. After that win, the Iowa State lost their next two games to Oklahoma and Kansas State. The Cyclones finished 8th place in a 10 team league. Rutgers did not make a bowl game last season, and Iowa State is playing in their 7th in the last 12 seasons. This game will be played at Yankees Stadium in New York.
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-6) @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-6)
Date: December 30, 2011
Time: 6:40pm EST
Spread: Mississippi State Bulldogs -6.5
Over/Under: 48
Preview: A pair of .500 teams will get together in Nashville for the Music City Bowl. This game will be played on December 30th, and feature a pair of .500 teams from the SEC and the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Mississippi State Bulldogs won just two conference games, and they came over Ole Miss and Kentucky. Mississippi State had higher expectations, as they started the season at Auburn, taking a close loss. On the season, the Bulldogs scored 25.5 points per game, and allowed just fewer than 20. Vick Ballard was the top offensive threat for Mississippi State, as he rushed for over 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns. For Wake Forest, their 31-10 win over Maryland on November 19th made them bowl eligible. The Demon Deacons were sweating it; after starting 5-2, and falling in their next three games. Wake Forest’s signature win came over Florida State in early October. The Demon Deacons had a tough time running the football, as they averaged just under 120 yards per game. This is the first bowl game appearance for Wake Forest since 2008.
Insight Bowl
Iowa Hawkeyes (7-5) @ Oklahoma Sooners (9-3)
Date: December 30, 2011
Time: 10:00pm EST
Spread: Oklahoma Sooners -13.5
Over/Under: 58
Preview: In Tempe Arizona, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Oklahoma Sooners will get together in the Insight Bowl. This game will take place on December 30th. The Hawkeyes finished 7-5, and 4-4 in Big Ten play. The biggest win for Iowa came on November 5th when they upset the Michigan Wolverines. Kirk Ferentz’ team fell in the regular season finale 20-7 to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. On the year, Iowa could not extend their winning streak to over two games, but did not lose two in a row all season long. For Oklahoma, the non BCS bowl game is a disappointment. The Sooners were pre-season #1, but three losses later sent them out of the picture. Bob Stoopes’ team lost Ryan Broyles mid-season, which certainly affected the offense. Oklahoma lost on the last weekend of the regular season by 34 points to rival Oklahoma State. Landry Jones, the Sooners quarterback threw for over 4,300 yards and 28 touchdowns on the season. This is the second straight year, the Hawkeyes finished the season in Tempe. Overall, Iowa has won three straight bowl games. This is just the second time the Sooners have played in the Insight Bowl. The other came in 1977, when they picked up a win.
Meineke Car Care Bowl
Texas A+M Aggies (6-6) @ Northwestern Wildcats (6-6)
Date: December 31, 2011
Time: 12:00pm EST
Spread: Texas A+M Aggies -9.5
Over/Under: 65
Preview: The Texas A+M Aggies will take on the Northwestern Wildcats in the Meineke Car Care Bowl on New Year’s Eve. The Aggies and Wildcats both play in a major conference, and both finished .500 on the season. Texas A+M started the season 5-2, but dropped four of their last five games. The Aggies were great offensively most of the season, scoring just shy of 40 points per game. Ryan Tannehill and Cyrus Gray were the top offensive stars for the Aggies, as Tannehill threw for 28 touchdowns, and Gray rushed for 12. The Aggies lost their regular season finale to Texas on Thanksgiving Day. The Northwestern Wildcats played their first few games without quarterback Dan Persa. After returning, the quarterback threw for over 2,100 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Wildcats became bowl eligible on November 19th with a win over Minnesota. The final game of the season, Northwestern lost to Michigan State. The Wildcats scored 29.5 points per game, and allowed just over 27. Texas A+M is playing with an interim head coach, as Mike Sherman was fired at the end of the regular season.
Hyundai Sun Bowl
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-4) @ Utah Utes (7-5)
Date: December 31, 2011
Time: 2:00pm EST
Spread: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets -3.5
Over/Under: 50.5
Preview: The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will take on the Utah Utes in the Hyuandi Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The Yellow Jackets are 8-4 on the season, and finished 5-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Georgia Tech was the third best rushing team in the nation with over 315 yards per game. The Yellow Jackets quarterback Tevin Washington threw for 10 touchdowns, while rushing for 14 more. Georgia Tech came off a loss to their rival Georgia in the season finale. The Utah Utes come into the game with a 7-5 record, in their first season as a member of the Pac-12. The Utes won four straight games, before falling to Colorado in the final game of the season. Jordan Wynn, the Utah quarterback had a tough season, and eventually was replaced by Jon Hays. Utah’s running back John White led the team with 14 rushing touchdowns, and over 1,400 yards.
Liberty Bowl
Cincinnati Bearcats (9-3) @ Vanderbilt Commodores (6-6)
Date: December 31, 2011
Time: 3:30pm EST
Spread: Vanderbilt Commodores -2.5
Over/Under: 48.5
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Illinois Fighting Illini (6-6) @ UCLA Bruins (6-7)
Date: December 31, 2011
Time: 3:30pm EST
Spread: Illinois Fighting Illini -2.5
Over/Under: 47.5
Preview: In the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl; the Illinois Fighting Illini will take on the UCLA Bruins. Several story lines come into this game, as both teams are playing without their head coach. The Fighting Illini fired Ron Zook and the Bruins let go of Rick Neuheisel. Another story features Illinois, who won their first six games coming into the game with a six game losing streak. UCLA is playing in the game with a record under .500, as they lost in the Pac-12 title game to Oregon. The Illini finished 2-5 in Big Ten play, after beating Northwestern and Indiana to complete the season. Illinois finished the season with a blow-out loss at Minnesota. The Illini had a tough time offensively, as they scored just 22.8 points per game. For UCLA, their final two losses at USC and Oregon came by a combined score of 99-31. The Bruins won the Pac-12 South due to the fact USC was deemed ineligible due to NCAA violations.
Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Virginia Cavailers (8-4) @ Auburn Tigers (7-5)
Date: December 31, 2011
Time: 7:30pm EST
Spread: Auburn Tigers -2
Over/Under: 49
Preview: The Virginia Cavaliers and Auburn Tigers will get together on New Year’s Day in the Chick-Fil-A- Bowl, played in Atlanta. Virginia finished 8-4 on the season, and 5-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Cavaliers are trying to rid of the nasty taste in their mouth after state rival Virginia Tech beat them 38-0 in the season finale. The Cavaliers had their four game losing streak snapped in the loss. The four wins for Virginia came over Miami, Maryland, Duke and Florida State. The Cavaliers scored 23.2 points per game, and they allowed 22.3. For Auburn, last season, they won the national title; downing the Oregon Ducks. This season, after losing several key members, including Cam Newton, they finished with a 7-5 record, and 4-4 record in SEC play. The Tigers have not won two in a row since their wins over Florida Atlantic and South Carolina at the end of September and early October. The Tigers are led by Michael Dyer, who rushed for 10 touchdowns on the season. Auburn’s pass defense was not very good, as they ranked 106th with 153.4 yards per game. The Tigers finished behind LSU, Alabama and Arkansas in the SEC- West.
TicketCity Bowl
Houston Cougars (12-1) @ Penn State Nittany Lions (9-3)
Date: January 2, 2012
Time: 12:00pm EST
Spread: Houston Cougars -5.5
Over/Under: 56.5
Preview: On January 2nd, the Houston Cougars will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in the TicketCityBowl. Both teams had solid seasons, but both fell short of their ultimate goal. The Houston Cougars finished with a 12-1 record; winning the Conference USA – East Division. The Cougars hosted the Conference USA title game, but were smoked by Southern Mississippi. Case Keenum had a terrific season for the Cougars, tossing for over 5,000 yards and 45 touchdowns. Houston was the top passing team in the country with 443.8 yards per game, and also the top scoring team, with 50.8 points per game. Houston scored their season low 28 in the loss to the Golden Eagles. For Penn State, gone is Joe Paterno, but more football is to be played. After the tough scandal for Penn State, they finished with a 9-3 record. The Nittany Lions had a chance to win the Big Ten – Leaders Division, but fell to Wisconsin in the final game of the season. The Penn State defense was great this season, allowing just 15.7 points per game. Penn State offensively ranked 110th in the nation with just under 20 points per game. The Nittany Lions’ top offensive threat was running back Silas Redd, with over 1,100 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Outback Bowl
Michigan State Spartans (10-3) @ Georgia Bulldogs (10-3)
Date: January 2, 2012
Time: 1:00pm EST
Spread: Georgia Bulldogs -3.5
Over/Under: 50
Preview: The Big Ten and the SEC will collide on January 2nd as the Michigan State Spartans and Georgia Bulldogs play in the Outback Bowl. The game will be played in Tampa Florida. This game features the runner-up from both conferences. The Michigan State Spartans lost to Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, while the Georgia Bulldogs were smoked by LSU. Michigan State and Georgia also both share 10-3 records. The Spartans ranked as the 9th best team on the defensive end, allowing 17.5 points per game. Michigan State won the Big Ten title with their 55-3 thrashing of Indiana followed by a road win at Northwestern. The biggest wins of the season for Michigan State came on October 15th and October 22nd when they beat Michigan and Wisconsin consecutively. For Georgia, after losing two in a row to start the season – they rattled off 10 straight wins. The Bulldogs led LSU early on in the title game, but saw the Tigers score the final 42 points. Aaron Murray, the Georgia quarterback completed the 2011 season with over 2,800 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. Georgia’s two losses were to Boise State and South Carolina.
Capital One Bowl
Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3) @ South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2)
Date: January 2, 2012
Time: 1:00pm EST
Spread: South Carolina Gamecocks -2.5
Over/Under: 46.5
Preview: The Capital One Bowl will be played on January 2nd 2012. This game features the Nebraska Cornhuskers out of the Big Ten, against the South Carolina Gamecocks of the SEC. The venue for this game will be Orlando, Florida. Nebraska finished 9-3 overall, and 5-3 in their first season as a member of the Big Ten. The Cornhuskers took losses to Wisconsin, Northwestern and Michigan. Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead carry the Cornhuskers offense. Martinez threw for 1,973 yards and 12 touchdowns, while rushing for just shy of 900 more. Burkhead was the leading running back for the Cornhuskers, with 1,268 yards and 15 touchdowns. For South Carolina, Steve Spurrier brings a group in that lost both their starting quarterback and running back. Marcus Lattimore, after rushing for 818 yards and 10 touchdowns went down with a season ending injury. South Carolina ended the regular season with three straight wins. On the final Saturday of the regular season, the Gamecocks beat rival Clemson in convincing fashion. The Gamecocks lost to Auburn and Arkansas, and finished runner-up to Georgia in the SEC – East. This is just the second time since 1988 that Nebraska has played in a Florida bowl game. The last two seasons, the Cornhuskers went to San Diego.
Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl
Ohio State Buckeyes (6-6) @ Florida Gators (6-6)
Date: January 2, 2012
Time: 1:00pm EST
Spread: Florida Gators -2.5
Over/Under: 44
Preview: In the Taxslayor.com Gator Bowl, the Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the Florida Gators. This game takes place on January 2nd, 2012 in Jacksonville Florida. This game features two teams from major conferences that had disappointing seasons. Ohio State, despite all the drama surrounding their program lost their final three games of the regular season to fall out of contention in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes offense, which lost Terrelle Pryor from a season ago had a tough time scoring; averaging just 25.1 points per game. The Buckeyes finished behind Wisconsin, Penn State and Purdue in the Big Ten – Leaders Division. For Florida, Will Muschamp’s first season as the head man did not go as planned. The Gators lost six of their final eight games, and finished with a 3-5 SEC record. Florida’s offense also had its problems; scoring just 25.6 points per game. The Gators lost on the final Saturday of regular season 21-7 to state rival Florida State. This game is a re-match of the 2007 BCS title game, and also is being called the Urban Meyer game, as it pits his new team (2012) against his old team (2010).
Rose Bowl
Wisconsin Badgers (11-2) @ Oregon Ducks (11-2)
Date: January 2, 2012
Time: 5:00pm EST
Spread: Oregon Ducks -6
Over/Under: 72
Preview: In the “grand daddy of them all” the Wisconsin Badgers will take on the Oregon Ducks in Pasadena on January 2nd. The Rose Bowl features the winner of the Big Ten, against the winner of the Pac-12. The Wisconsin Badgers come into the game with a win over Michigan State in the Big Ten title game. The win was revenge for one of the two Badgers losses in 2011. For Oregon, they were able to blow-out UCLA in the Pac-12 title game. The Ducks lost to LSU and USC on the season. Wisconsin is the fourth best scoring team in the country, averaging over 44 points per game. The Badgers are led by Monte Ball, who rushed for 32 touchdowns on the season. Russell Wilson, who transferred from North Carolina State, was the quarterback for Wisconsin. Wilson threw for over 2,800 yards and 31 touchdowns. The Badgers were 10th in rushing with 237 yards per game. For Oregon, they finished as the 3rd highest scoring team in the nation. Oregon scored just over 46 points per game. The Ducks did most of their scoring via the run game, which averaged just shy of 300 yards per game. Last season, Oregon played in the national title game, to lose to Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers. The Ducks saw LaMichael James lead with 17 rushing touchdowns in 2011.
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Stanford Cardinal (11-1) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-1)
Date: January 2, 2012
Time: 8:30pm EST
Spread: Oklahoma State Cowboys -3.5
Over/Under: 74
Preview: In the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the Stanford Cardinal will take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys. This game features the second best team out of the Pac-12 against the winner of the Big 12 conference. Stanford and Oklahoma State are both 11-1, with the Cardinal losing to Oregon, and Oklahoma State falling at Iowa State. These two teams were the next two in line for the BCS national title game. The Stanford Cardinal will see their final game out of quarterback Andrew Luck. Luck expects to be the #1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft. This season, at Stanford, he threw for 3,170 yards and 35 touchdowns. His top offensive teammate was Stepfan Taylor, with 8 rushing touchdowns. The Cardinal scored 43.6 points per game, and allowed 20.3. Stanford completed the regular season on November 26th with a 28-14 win over Notre Dame. For Oklahoma State, their blow-out win over Oklahoma in the season finale was not enough to propel them ahead of Alabama. The Cowboys were the 2nd best scoring team in the nation; averaging just shy of 50 points per game. Brandon Weeden, the Cowboys quarterback completed over 375 passes for 4,328 yards and 34 touchdowns. Justin Blackmon expects to be the top receiver drafted, caught 113 passes, with 15 of them for touchdowns. The Cowboys were the second best passing team in the nation with 386 yards per game.
AllState Sugar Bowl
Michigan Wolverines (10-2) @ Virginia Tech Hokies (11-2)
Date: January 3, 2012
Time: 8:30pm EST
Spread: Michigan Wolverines -2.5
Over/Under: 50.5
Preview: The Michigan Wolverines and Virginia Tech Hokies will square off in the AllState Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The Wolverines finished with a 10-2 record, and garnered the second BCS bowl game, outside of Wisconsin. The Hokies come into the game with an 11-2 record; with both losses coming to the Clemson Tigers. Michigan lost games to Michigan State and Iowa in Brady Hoke’s first season at the helm. Denard Robinson, the dynamic quarterback threw for 18 touchdowns, while rushing for 16 more. The Wolverines as a team scored 34.2 points per game, and allowed 17.2. Michigan finished the season strong; winning their final three games; over Illinois, Nebraska and Ohio State. For Virginia Tech, they garnered the second BCS game out of the Atlantic Coast Conference. In games against Clemson; the Hokies were outscored 61-13. In other games, the Hokies scored nearly 30 points per game. Virginia Tech’s quarterback Logan Thomas threw for 19 touchdowns, and rushed for 10 more. The battle between Robinson and Thomas will be one of the better match-ups of the bowl season.
Discover Orange Bowl
West Virginia Mountaineers (9-3) @ Clemson Tigers (10-3)
Date: January 4, 2012
Time: 8:30pm EST
Spread: Clemson Tigers -3.5
Over/Under: 60.5
Preview: The Big East champion West Virginia Mountaineers will take on the Atlantic Coast Conference Champion Clemson Tigers. This game will be played in Miami, as part of the Discover Orange Bowl. West Virginia tied with Cincinnati and Louisville, but won the tiebreaker due to BCS standings. The Mountaineers three losses came to LSU, Syracuse and Louisville. West Virginia ranked 7th in passing yards, with over 340 yards per game. The key for West Virginia offensively was Geno Smith. The quarterback threw for just shy of 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns on the season. For Clemson, Dabo Sweeney’s squad made a great comeback from their regular season finale loss to South Carolina. In fact, the Tigers lost their final two games. The other two losses came to Georgia Tech and North Carolina State. The Tigers saw Tajh Boyd have a huge season. Boyd led the Tigers to 284.8 passing yards per game. The Tigers offense also enjoyed A.J. Ellington rushing for 10 touchdowns on the season. This is the first time since 1981 that Clemson played in the Orange Bowl.
AT+T Cotton Bowl
Kansas State Wildcats (10-2) @ Arkansas Razorbacks (10-2)
Date: January 6, 2012
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: Arkansas Razorbacks -7.5
Over/Under: 62.5
Preview: In the AT+T Cotton Bowl in Dallas, the Kansas State Wildcats will take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. Both teams come in with a 10-2 record; finishing just behind their conference winners. Kansas State finished behind Oklahoma State in the Big 12, while the Razorbacks finished below LSU and Alabama in the SEC. The Wildcats two losses came to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Bill Snyder’s team stated the season 7-0, and is looking to snap their three game losing streak in bowl games. The 2011 edition scored 33.1 points per game, led by Collin Klein. The quarterback threw for 12 touchdowns, and also rushed for 26. The Wildcats played in one of the best college football games of the season. On November 12th the Wildcats beat Texas A+ M 53-50 in four overtimes. For Arkansas, their two losses are not to be ashamed of. On September 24th, the Razorbacks lost at Alabama 38-14. Then, after winning 7 in a row, Arkansas lost at LSU on the final Saturday of the season. The Razorbacks are scoring 37.4 points per game, led by quarterback Tyler Wilson. Wilson threw for over 3,400 yards and 22 touchdowns. In the last three wins for Arkansas, they scored a total of 137 points.
BBVA Compass Bowl
Southern Methodist Mustangs (7-5) @ Pittsburgh Panthers (6-6)
Date: January 7, 2012
Time: 1:00pm EST
Spread: Pittsburgh Panthers -3.5
Over/Under: 47.5
Preview: As part of the BBVA Compass Bowl, the Southern Methodist Mustangs will take on the Pittsburgh Panthers. This game will take place on January 7th, 2012 and be played in Birmingham, Alabama. The Southern Methodist Mustangs finished 7-5 on the season, and went 5-3 in Conference USA play. SMU started the season 5-1, but lost four of their final five games to hang onto dear life. The Mustangs did pick up a win on the final week of the season, beating the lowly Rice Owls. Southern Methodist scored 25.7 points per game, while allowing teams to score 24.5. The top offensive player for the Mustangs was running back Zach Line. Line rushed for over 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns. SMU finished behind Houston and Tulsa in the East Division. Pittsburgh is playing without their head coach Todd Graham. Graham left to become the head coach at Arizona State University last week. The Panthers finished 6-6, but had to win their final game of the regular season to get there. Pittsburgh beat Syracuse 33-20, after losing a tight game to West Virginia over Thanksgiving. The Panthers are playing in Birmingham for the second straight bowl season.
Godaddy.com Bowl
Arkansas State Redhawks (10-2) @ Northern Illinois Huskies (10-3)
Date: January 8, 2012
Time: 9:00pm EST
Spread: Arkansas State Redhawks -1.5
Over/Under: 62.5
Preview: In the second to last bowl game of the 2011 – 2012 season; the Arkansas State Redhawks will take on the Northern Illinois Huskies. This game is the Godaddy.com Bowl and will take place at Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The game features the winner of the Sun Belt Conference against the winner of the MAC. The Redhawks are 10-2 on the season, while the Huskies finished with a 10-3 record. The Redhawks started the season with losses to Illinois and Virginia Tech. Following that, Arkansas State won their final nine games. The Redhawks quarterback Ryan Aplin tossed for 3,235 yards and 18 touchdowns. Arkansas State won their regular season finale over Troy 45-14. For Northern Illinois, it took a 23-20 win in the MAC title over Ohio to get here. The three losses for the Huskies came to Kansas, Wisconsin and Central Michigan. The Huskies scored 38.3 points per game, via their 247 rushing yards per game. Chandler Harnish had another solid season for Northern Illinois. The quarterback threw for 26 touchdowns, and rushed for 11 more. This is the sixth straight season; Northern Illinois has played in a bowl game. The Huskies have won 10 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history. Arkansas State is the first team to ever win the Sun Belt Conference with 10 wins.
BCS National Title Game
Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) @ LSU Tigers (13-0)
Date: January 9, 2012
Time: 8:30pm EST
Spread: Alabama Crimson Tide -1
Over/Under: 40
Preview: In the final college football game of the season, the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers will get together in the BCS National Title Game. This game will be played on Monday Night; January 9th, 2012. The venue for the game will be the SuperDome, home of the New Orleans Saints. This game is a re-match of the 9-6 overtime win by LSU back on November 5th. This is guaranteed to be the sixth straight national title for the SEC. Alabama won the title in January 2010, and then saw their rival Auburn win it in 2011. Now these two teams are trying to grab the title. The Crimson Tide are led by former LSU head coach Nick Saban. Alabama was the top defensive team in the nation, allowing 8.8 points per game. Offensively, the Crimson Tide saw their running back Trent Richardson rush for 1583 yards and 20 touchdowns. Alabama finished the season with three straight wins over Mississippi State, Georgia Southern and Auburn. In those three games, the Crimson Tide averaged winning 40-13. For LSU, they are looking to win their 14th game of the season. After falling behind 10-0 in the SEC title game, the Tigers scored 42 unanswered points. LSU is the second best defensive team, allowing 10.5 points per game. Les Miles is the head coach of the Tigers. His team saw quarterback Jarrett Lee take control of the offense, and throw for 14 touchdowns. The Tigers only had two games all season long where they scored under 35 points in a game.
