The final 2011 BCS Rankings are out, as is the bowl game schedule for the 2011-12 season, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are analyzing the 35 bowl games and how everything shook out for the 70 teams that are going to be involved with bowl bashes this year, leading all the way up to the BCS Championship Game between the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Temple Owls vs. Wyoming Cowboys
Gildan New Mexico Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 17th, 2:00 ET
Gildan New Mexico Bowl Location: University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
Gildan New Mexico Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Gildan New Mexico Bowl Odds: Temple -6.5 (47)
Closing Gildan New Mexico Bowl Lines: Temple -7 (51)

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The Buzz: The Owls got screwed out of a bowl game last year with eight wins, but this year, they dropped into the New Mexico Bowl when the Pac-12 didn’t come anywhere near filling its bowl allotment. Wyoming is a team with an ugly offense, but it found ways to win games against the teams in the bottom of the MWC. There could be a heck of a lot of defense in this, the first bowl game of the season.

New Mexico Bowl Recap: Temple did everything that it wanted on the ground from the opening drive of the game when the team moved the ball 90 yards on 13 plays. It was all Owls, save for one drive in each half by the Cowboys. Three QB Brett Smith INTs proved to be killers for Wyoming as well. Temple finished the day with 253 yards on the ground en route to an easy cover. A TD with 10 seconds left in the game was the one that finally got this game past the ‘total’. One could argue that ‘under’ bettors were unlucky, especially the ones that got in right at the end when the line closed at 51. New Mexico Bowl Final Score: Temple 37 – Wyoming 15

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio Bobcats vs. Utah State Aggies
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 17th, 5:30 ET
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Location: Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Odds: Utah State -3.5 (55)
Closing Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Lines: Utah State -1 (61.5)

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The Buzz: Ohio is going to be feeling sorry for itself after blowing a huge lead in the MAC Championship Game, but it will have over two weeks to get ready for Utah State. It’s good to see the Aggies in a bowl game for the first time since the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl. They haven’t won a game since the 1993 Las Vegas Bowl, and before that, you have to go back to 1961 to see the last time USU was in a bowl.

Potato Bowl Recap: The Bobcats celebrated in Boise on the Smurf Turf, winning their first bowl game in team history, and what an ending it was! QB Tyler Tettleton ran in a TD from a yard out with 20 seconds left to clinch the game. We feel bad for Utah State, which was on the verge of its second bowl win from start to finish. The Aggies only trailed for those 20 seconds, but those are the only 20 seconds that mattered. In spite of the fact that two USU backs ran for over 100 yards, the last laugh went to Tettleton, who had 219 passing yards and 44 rushing yards, accounting for all three of the scores for the U of O on the day. Potato Bowl Final Score: Ohio 24 – Utah State 23

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: San Diego State Aztecs vs. Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 17th, 9:00 ET
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Odds: San Diego State -4.5 (59)
Closing R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Lines: Sam Diego State -6 (59)

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The Buzz: Think there is going to be a bit of a home field advantage in this one for the Cajuns? ULL doesn’t have to travel far at all to make it to the Superdome, while San Diego State has to fly clear across the country for this one. The Aztecs thought that they were going to contend for the BCS this year, but they just didn’t have the oomph of TCU or Boise State, and it was punished as a result with this long trip to the Bayou.

New Orleans Bowl Recap: It was a day for the offenses for sure, as both teams accounted for well over 400 yards passing the pigskin. ULL led the game from the end of the first quarter through the majority of the game, but when push came to shove, it took a 50-yard field goal sneaking just inside the left upright to get the job done for the Cajuns for their first bowl win in school history. New Orleans Bowl Final Score: Louisiana Lafayette 32 – San Diego State 30

Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl: Florida International Golden Panthers vs. Marshall Thundering Herd
Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, December 20th, 8:00 ET
Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Odds: Florida International -5 (51)
Closing Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Lines: Florida International -4 (48)

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The Buzz: Of all of the bowl games this year, this probably isn’t the one that you are going to be racing to sit down and watch. Marshall doesn’t exactly play pretty football, and the truth of the matter is that a 6-6 team in Conference USA is nothing to write home about. We’re thrilled to see the Golden Panthers back in a bowl game for a second straight year. They are clearly on the up and up and are headed to special things under Head Coach Mario Cristobal.

Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Recap: There weren’t many answers that the Marshall defense had for TY Hilton, who had a big time last game for the Golden Panthers. That being said, he accounted for a huge portion of the just 251 yards of offense that FIU had on the day. It could be the last game for Head Coach Mario Cristobal, who is linked to the job opening at Pittsburgh. Marshall only had 311 yards of offense, but it got a big time blocked punt in the fourth quarter that flipped the tide of the game. The Golden Panthers were shut out in the second half, and that made the difference in the third upset of the bowl season. Beef ‘O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Final Score: Marshall 20 – Florida International 10

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: TCU Horned Frogs vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Date/Time: Wednesday, December 21st, 8:00 ET
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Odds: TCU -12.5 (56)
Closing San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Lines: TCU -10 (53)

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The Buzz: The Horned Frogs have a heck of a lot of soul searching to do to see whether they really are going to show up in this game or not. They really thought that they were going to be in the BCS after watching Houston lose in the C-USA title game. Instead, they didn’t make it into the Top 16, and they are stuck here in the Poinsettia Bowl as the MWC champs. Louisiana Tech knows that it is going to be up against it in this one, but an upset would go a long way towards getting some respect for a WAC conference that just doesn’t have much in the way of sturdy teams right now.

Poinsettia Bowl Recap: We darn near had another big time upset in the bowl season on Wednesday night, as the Horned Frogs were given everything that they could handle and then some from a game bunch of Bulldogs. The WAC champs represented themselves well, and if you take out a third quarter in which they only had six plays for a grand total of two yards, they really did look like the better of these two teams. In the end, it turned out to be another great game for Head Coach Gary Patterson, as bowl wins are bowl wins, and it is probably the last time that TCU will have to play in a game like this one now that it is heading over to the Big XII next season. Poinsettia Bowl Final Score: TCU 31 – Louisiana Tech 24

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Boise State Broncos
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, December 22nd, 8:00 ET
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Location: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Odds: Boise State -13.5 (68)
Closing MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Lines: Boise State -14 (65)

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The Buzz: Arizona State is likely going to end its season with a losing record even though it was a year in which there was a heck of a lot of hope. Head Coach Dennis Erickson won’t be here to see it though, as he has already been let go. Boise State hung on to some dim BCS bowl hopes, but it knew that the missed field goal against TCU on the Smurf Turf ended any realistic chance that it really had.

Las Vegas Bowl Recap: The senior class of Boise State was out to get its 50th career win, and it did just that in fine fashion in what really amounted to be the first bowl game in which there was absolutely zero doubt about who the superior team was. Arizona State, playing under Head Coach Dennis Erickson for the final time, had very little heart for the majority of the game, and the one stretch in which the Sun Devils really did look like they were going to try to make a game out of this, QB Brock Osweiler was picked off in the end zone and watched as Jamar Taylor raced it the other way 100 yards for a touchdown. It was the second 100 yard score of the day for Boise, and its second of three defensive or special teams touchdowns. Arizona State was dominated so badly that it netted -11 yards of rushing on the day. Las Vegas Bowl Final Score: Boise State 56 – Arizona State 24

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 24th, 8:00 ET
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Odds: Southern Miss -6 (61)
Closing Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Lines: Southern Miss -7.5 (64.5)

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The Buzz: The Golden Eagles should be in the Liberty Bowl as the C-USA champs, but a vacation to Hawaii for the holidays is a pretty nice consolation prize. The Wolf Pack are the WAC reps in this one, which is a strange rarity considering the fact that the Hawaii Warriors are almost always in this game. This isn’t nearly the first time that Nevada has been here to the Big Island for its bowl game, though, and this should be one of the more entertaining bowl games before the new year.

Hawaii Bowl Recap: If you take out the second quarter of this game, there were only a grand total of 10 points scored in the entire clash. This really wasn’t the prettiest bowl game in the world, as there were four turnovers and 13 penalties between the two teams (not to mention 17 punts!). RB Lampford Mark was the hero for Nevada, as he rushed for 183 yards and two scores, but the passing game really struggled from start to finish. QB Austin Davis wasn’t anything particularly special on the day, but he did hit WR Kelvin Bolden for the game winning score with around six minutes to play in the fourth quarter to provide the difference. Late bettors on the Wolf Pack survived by a hook in a game that really should have been covered the whole way with ease. Hawaii Bowl Final Score: Southern Miss 24 – Nevada 17

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl: North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Missouri Tigers
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 26th, 5:00 ET
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Location: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN2
Opening AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Odds: Missouri -4 (53)
Closing AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Lines: Missouri -5.5 (52.5)

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The Buzz: Mizzou came on at the end of the year, and it knows that it is a 7-5 team that has the talent of a 9-3 or even a 10-2 team. The Big XII was fantastic this year, and we expect good things from it in the bowl season. You can bet that this is an important game for conference bragging rights, as the Big XII was passed over for a second BCS bowl team in favor of the ACC. UNC is happy to be here in spite of all of the off the field troubles that the program has had over the course of the last two years.

Independence Bowl Recap: Scoring 31 unanswered points in a matter of about a quarter and a half was all that Missouri needed to lock up the Independence Bowl in its final game before heading to the SEC next year. Both James Franklin and Kendial Marshall had over 100 rushing yards for the Tigers, who dominated this one with 513 total yards of offense. Bryn Renner threw for 317 yards and three TDs in defeat for the Tar Heels, who only had a total of 42 rushing yards for the whole game. Missouri only punted twice in the game and only turned the ball over once. TJ Moe did it all, throwing for 40 yards and a score, rushing for 10 yards, and accounting for 97 return yards. Independence Bowl Final Score: Missouri 41 – North Carolina 24

Little Caesars Bowl: Western Michigan Broncos vs. Purdue Boilermakers
Little Caesars Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, December 27th, 4:30 ET
Little Caesars Bowl Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Little Caesars Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Little Caesars Bowl Odds: Purdue -2.5 (60)
Closing Little Caesars Bowl Lines: Purdue -1 (62.5)

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The Buzz: If you like passing the football, this is going to be the game for you. The Boilers have always had a rich history of throwing the ball, though missing QB Rob Henry is going to hurt. QB Alex Carder will surely put the ball in the air at least 40 times in this one. WMU was probably the fifth choice out of the MAC, which is great news for a conference which usually only ends up with three bids. Last year, the Broncos were left home in spite of the fact that they were bowl eligible.

Little Caesars Bowl Recap: It almost seems comical to think that a Big Ten team had to pull out virtually every stop to beat a middle of the road MAC team, but Western Michigan was good enough to beat the Boilers on this day. Purdue parlayed three first half turnovers into two TDs, got a kick return for a score, and even recovered two onside kicks in the first 30 minutes of play to really shock WMU. Give credit to the Broncos for fighting back, as they had a shot to win this game in the final two minutes, but the sixth turnover of the game proved to finally be the undoing for them. QB Alex Carder threw for 413 yards and three scores, but he was picked off four times and lost two fumbles. WR Jordan White had a huge day, catching 13 balls for 249 yards and a TD in his final collegiate game. Purdue fumbled the ball seven times on the day and was fortunate to only lose four of them, and it committed nine penalties. However, in the end, the Boilermakers were just barely good enough to snare a victory. Little Caesars Bowl Final Score: Purdue 37 – Western Michigan 32

Belk Bowl: Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Belk Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, December 27th, 8:00 ET
Belk Bowl Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Belk Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Belk Bowl Odds: NC State -2.5 (45.5)
Closing Belk Bowl Lines: NC State -1.5 (44)

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The Buzz: Louisville finished tied for first place in the Big East, and it really came on strong at the end of the year in conference. NC State had some good wins, but some very concerning losses this year. These two teams play strong defense and often have bogged down offenses, so this one has the potential to be one of the lower scoring bowl games of the bunch.

Belk Bowl Recap: Home field advantange definitely turned out to be important for the Wolfpack in this one, as they came on strong in the middle of the game to steal the victory against the co-Big East champs. Give Louisville some credit for playing hard to make this a game at the end, but three QB Teddy Bridgewater INTs against the top pick team in the nation proved to be too much to overcome. WR TJ Graham was the game’s hero, as he accounted for 65 return yards and seven catches, 116 yards, and two TDs in the final game of his fantastic career in Raleigh. Belk Bowl Final Score: NC State 31 – Louisville 24

Military Bowl: Toledo Rockets vs. Air Force Falcons
Military Bowl Date/Time: Wednesday, December 28th, 4:30 ET
Military Bowl Location: RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
Military Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Military Bowl Odds: Toledo -3 (71)
Closing Military Bowl Lines: Toledo -3 (69)

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The Buzz: It seems awfully appropriate to put Air Force in a game that is played in our nation’s capitol. The Falcons are going to play a fast game with their triple option attack, while Toledo is going to count on a pair of quarterbacks to try to get the ball up the field. The Rockets scored a whopping 507 points this year, the most in the offense happy MAC.

Military Bowl Recap: There were 35 points scored in just a six-minute stretch in the first quarter, and the points just kept on coming after that for both of these teams. There weren’t as many yards of offense as you would think, as there were plenty of short fields, and 14 Toledo points came directly from either special teams or defense. QB Terrence Owens threw for 210 yards and three TDs. The Rockets jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and the teams literally traded blows back and forth from that point forward. The Falcons never led, but they did force ties at 21, 28, and 35. They looked to tie the game with just over a minute to go after QB Tim Jefferson Jr. threw a TD pass on 4th down to put they within a point. Air Force elected to go for two and the win instead of trying to send the game to OT, but it failed, and the Rockets were able to run out the clock to get out of the Military Bowl with a narrow one point win. Military Bowl Final Score: Toledo 42 – Air Force 41

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: California Golden Bears vs. Texas Longhorns
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Date/Time: Wednesday, December 28th, 8:00 ET
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Odds: Texas -3.5 (48)
Closing Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Lines: Texas -3 (48)

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The Buzz: The Holiday Bowl has to be thrilled with this matchup. It gets a de facto home team with the Golden Bears, and it gets a team that will travel in bunches in the Longhorns. Texas’ defense was one of the best in the Big XII, which should make this an interesting test for Cal, which is used to playing the questionable defenses in the Pac-12.

Holiday Bowl Recap: The last two years have really been disappointing for Texas, as it failed to make a bowl game last year and never was really in a position to challenge for a BCS bowl bid or the Big XII title this year. QB David Ash caught a touchdown pass for UT’s first score of the game, and he later scored the more conventional way with his arm to lead the Horns to a Holiday Bowl triumph. Give some credit to P Justin Tucker, who had to punt the ball nine times. He landed three inside of the 20 and uncorked two bombs that flipped the field. Cal shot itself in the foot over and over again. It fumbled six times, losing four of the six, and QB Zach Maynard was also picked off once. Maynard was sacked six times, and as a result, the offense only ended up with a dreadful 195 yards of total offense. Holiday Bowl Final Score: Texas 21 – California 10

Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State Seminoles vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Champs Sports Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, December 29th, 5:30 ET
Champs Sports Bowl Location: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Champs Sports Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Champs Sports Bowl Odds: Florida State -3 (48)
Closing Champs Sports Bowl Lines: Florida State -3 (47)

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The Buzz: The Irish and the Noles have had a rich history against one another, and this should just be another fantastic chapter in this old rivalry. Neither team is going to be happy to be in Orlando for this game, as both had the talent to be a BCS team this year. These two defenses have the potential to be nasty, so this could be a very hardnosed game.

Champs Sports Bowl Recap: For a full three quarters, it looked like the Seminoles were just sleepwalking and had zero interesting in beating the Fighting Irish in the Champs Sports Bowl. Seemingly the mass majority of FSU’s 290 total yards of offense came in the second half, when the team scored all 18 of its points. Both WR Kenny Shaw and WR Rashad Greene really came out of nowhere to have great games for Head Coach Jimbo Fisher and company, as the two combined for nine grabs, 163 yards and a score, all of which came in the second half. Notre Dame has some quarterback problems to say the least, as neither QB Tommy Rees nor QB Andrew Hendrix really ended up being anywhere near worthwhile in this game, as the Irish only scored one offensive touchdown. It wasn’t the prettiest bowl game of the season to say the least, but FSU got the job done and should finish the season ranked in the Top 25 once again as a result. Champs Sports Bowl Final Score: Florida State 18 – Notre Dame 14

Valero Alamo Bowl: Washington Huskies vs. Baylor Bears
Valero Alamo Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, December 29th, 9:00 ET
Valero Alamo Bowl Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Valero Alamo Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Valero Alamo Bowl Odds: Baylor -9 (78)
Closing Valero Alamo Bowl Lines: Baylor -8 (80)

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The Buzz: The Bears were eligible for BCS consideration as a Top 14 team, but they probably were never seriously considered for the Sugar Bowl. This is going to be the last game for QB Robert Griffin III, arguably the most important player that Baylor has had in a number of years. Washington gets a solid Pac-12 bowl bid for the second straight year, showing that this team has come a long, long way under the direction of Head Coach Steve Sarkisian.

Alamo Bowl Recap: You aren’t going to find a crazier game than the one that we saw in San Antonio on Thursday night! The statistics from this game were absolutely absurd, and you would have never believed it had you seen Washington play in the Holiday Bowl last year in a totally inept offensive game against Nebraska. QB Keith Price threw for 438 yards and four TDs, while WR Jermaine Kearse had 198 receiving yards and a TD. RB Chris Polk had 147 yards and a TD on the ground, while Price had three rushing touchdowns to go with his four through the air. QB Robert Griffin III was actually nothing special on this day, though. He only threw for 295 yards and a TD and had 55 rushing yards and a score. However… on the ground, the Bears had not just one, not two, but a whopping three 100+ yard rushers. RB Jarred Salubi and WR Tevin Reese both had over 100 yards on the ground on a total of just seven carries. Baylor’s biggest contributor though, was RB Terrence Ganaway, who scored five times and rushed for 200 yards. All five scores came in the final 24 minutes of the game. In the end, Baylor finished with 777 yards of offense, while Washington had 620. There were 59 first downs. Baylor led 21-7 at the end of the first quarter but proceeded to allow 28 straight points to fall behind. The Bears were down 18 after U-Dub’s first score of the third quarter, but from that point on, it was all Ganaway and the offense. Baylor finished the game on a ridiculous 43-14 scoring run over 27 minutes of football to take the Alamo Bowl. If you didn’t see it, you missed what will surely be the most entertaining bowl games of the year. Alamo Bowl Final Score: Baylor 67 – Washington 56

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: BYU Cougars vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 30th, 12:00 ET
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Odds: BYU -3 (55.5)
Closing Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Lines: Tulsa -2.5 (59.5)

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The Buzz: The Cougars and Golden Hurricane have awesome offenses, and with a few weeks to prepare for this game, there could be a heck of a lot of points put on the board when this one is said and done. Tulsa isn’t your average 8-4 team, as its four losses came against Boise State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Houston, and it was a dominating team aside from that. This is BYU’s first bowl game without conference affiliation.

Armed Forces Bowl Recap: All of the late line movement on the Golden Hurricane and the ‘over’ was absolutely wrong, and those bettors who backed Tulsa watched their bets go up in flames when QB Riley Nelson hit WR Cody Hoffman for a two yard TD with just 41 seconds left in the Armed Forces Bowl. For a game that was supposed to have a ton of offense, it was the two defenses that really had the biggest say. There were only 621 total yards of offense in the game (pales in comparison to what either TEAM did in the Alamo Bowl, huh?). Neither team was really able to get anything going on the ground, and in the end, it was Hoffman and his eight catches, 122 yards, and three total TDs that made the difference in the BYU victory. Armed Forces Bowl Final Score: BYU 24 – Tulsa 21

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Iowa State Cyclones vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 30th, 3:20 ET
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Location: New Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening New Era Pinstripe Bowl Odds: Rutgers -2 (44.5)
Closing New Era Pinstripe Bowl Lines: Iowa State -1.5 (46)

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The Buzz: If we have as good of a Pinstripe Bowl this year as we did last year when Kansas State and Syracuse were here, this will be a doozy. Iowa State has been as stingy as could be down the stretch, sticking in front of the college football odds against Oklahoma and Kansas State, and beating Oklahoma State outright. Rutgers limped through the end of the regular season and wasn’t quite good enough to get a split of the Big East title. The Scarlet Knights need to find some offense to stick around with ISU for sure, though it should have a big home field advantage.

Pinstripe Bowl Recap: The Pinstripe Bowl wasn’t nearly as exciting this year as it was a season ago, but Head Coach Greg Schiano won’t mind. This was a big win for his program, as it builds some credibility for the boys from the tiny town of Piscataway and will certainly help in recruiting, especially in the Northeast. QB Chas Dodd threw an 86-yard TD pass to WR Brandon Coleman for the game clinching score, as the Cyclones were just never able to get back on their feet from that point on. ISU turned the ball over three times and only mustered 311 yards of offense. RB Jawan Jamison was the hero for the Scarlet Knights, as he rushed for 133 yards and two TDs in the victory. Pinstripe Bowl Final Score: Rutgers 27 – Iowa State 13

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 30th, 6:40 ET
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Location: LP Field, Nashville, TN
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Odds: Mississippi State -6.5 (48)
Closing Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Lines: Mississippi State -7 (48)

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The Buzz: The Deacs and Bulldogs were both right at the bottom of the bowl ladders in their respective conferences, but they are both going to be thrilled to be here in the Music City Bowl. Neither really has to travel all that far to get here, and just like last year when Tennessee played against North Carolina in this game, the Music City Bowl should be thrilled with a fantastic turnout at LP Field.

Music City Bowl Recap: Head Coach Dan Mullen knew that if he kept running right at the Wake Forest defense that eventually, he would be able to make the big time breakthrough to blow the game open. The game never did get out of reach, but RB Vick Ballard had the two plays that truly changed the game. He only had 48 yards on his other 11 carries, but Ballard also had touchdown runs of 60 yards and 72 yards for two of the three offensive TDs for the day for MSU. The Demon Deacons just couldn’t capitalize on four Mississippi State turnovers, and they had to punt the football eight times on the day. RB Brandon Pendergrass was lucky to average three yards per carry, while QB Tanner Price was under the gun the whole game. In the end, the Bulldogs were just too much defensively, and in spite of the fact that Wake had the ball with a chance to win with less than two minutes left in the game, it just couldn’t seal the deal. Music City Bowl Final Score: Mississippi State 23 – Wake Forest 17

Insight Bowl: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Insight Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 30th, 10:00 ET
Insight Bowl Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ
Insight Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Insight Bowl Odds: Oklahoma -14 (58)
Closing Insight Bowl Lines: Oklahoma -13.5 (57.5)

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The Buzz: The Sooners were hoping to get to Arizona for their bowl game, but they were hoping that it would be University of Phoenix Stadium, not Sun Devil Stadium. Getting crushed in Bedlam by Oklahoma State not only took OU out of the BCS, but out of the Cotton Bowl as well. Iowa will be happy to be in the Insight Bowl, and it will love the fact that it has a fantastic program like Oklahoma here to play against it in what could be a great bowl game.

Insight Bowl Recap: Did the Sooners really care about this game? It was hard to tell in the first half. They were winning by two TDs, but they really only had 80 yards of offense. The Iowa offense just didn’t have enough in it to capitalize on the lackluster offensive day for OU. Missing out on RB Marcus Coker proved to hurt, as the rest of the rushing game just didn’t cut it. QB Blake Bell had three of rushing touchdowns including the game icing score with less than a minute to play that gave the Sooners the backdoor cover, making up for what missing a slew of backs in the backfield couldn’t do. Iowa tried to rally in the fourth quarter from down 21-0, but after scoring TDs on back to back drives to get back within one score, Oklahoma was basically able to salt the game away by making it a two score game and just taking the wind out of the Hawkeyes’ sails. Insight Bowl Final Score: Oklahoma 31 – Iowa 14

Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl: Texas A&M Aggies vs. Northwestern Wildcats
Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 31st, 12:00 ET
Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Odds: Texas A&M -10 (65)
Closing Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl Lines: Texas A&M -9.5 (68.5)

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The Buzz: The Aggies are going to go into this one with a new coach, as Mike Sherman was dismissed. Still, A&M will have a strong home field advantage against a Northwestern club that has been all over the board this year. This team has a road win at Nebraska, but it also has some glaring losses that don’t look anything like those of a bowl team.

Car Care Bowl Recap: It wasn’t the prettiest game in the world at times, but A&M was able to hold off a late Northwestern run to claim the Meineke Car Care Bowl to finish out 2011. A 30-7 coming into the fourth quarter was only a seven point cushion until the Aggies kicked a field goal with less than a minute to play to put the game away. QB Ryan Tannehill threw for 329 yards and a TD for A&M to lead the way, while both WRs Jeff Fuller and Ryan Swope had over 100 receiving yards. It was the Aggies’ defense that really shined though, as the Wildcats only mustered a total of 278 yards of offense. Car Care Bowl Final Score: Texas A&M 33 – Northwestern 22

Hyundai Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Utah Utes
Hyundai Sun Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 31st, 2:00 ET
Hyundai Sun Bowl Location: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
Hyundai Sun Bowl Television Coverage: CBS
Opening Hyundai Sun Bowl Odds: Georgia Tech -3.5 (50.5)
Current Hyundai Sun Bowl Lines: Georgia Tech -1.5 (49)

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The Buzz: Utah lost its chance to play for the Pac-12 Championship when it lost to Colorado, and it probably brought the team way, way down the Pac-12 bowl ladder. Georgia Tech does own a victory over the conference champs, Clemson, and it probably feels like it has been given a rough draw here in the Sun Bowl instead of one of the more glamorous bowl games that the ACC had to offer, especially with V-Tech getting a second bid to the BCS for the ACC.

Sun Bowl Recap: The Yellow Jackets really looked like they were going to notch a rare bowl victory in this one, but the Utes had a tremendous fourth quarter to erase a 24-10 Georgia Tech lead. QB Jon Hays could have been the goat, as he threw a pick six to end the third quarter, but he had both fourth quarter touchdowns, including a deep ball to WR DeVonte Christopher with less than two minutes to play to send the game into overtime. The Ramblin’ Wreck had a chance to win at the gun, but they missed a 48-yard field goal. Tech did draw first blood with a field goal in overtime, but on third and goal, RB John White IV capped off a great season by running the ball in front eight yards out to give Utah the bowl victory. Hays didn’t even complete half of his passes on the day, and he was frustrated from start to finish by a stingy Yellow Jackets’ defense. However, Christopher had 74 yards and the game-tying TD. White rushed for 115 yards and the game winning score. The triple option for Head Coach Paul Johnson managed 311 yards on the ground, but it couldn’t get the job done when it mattered most. Sun Bowl Final Score: Utah 30 – Georgia Tech 27 (OT)

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Vanderbilt Commodores
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 31st, 3:30 ET
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Location: Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Television Coverage: ABC
Opening AutoZone Liberty Bowl Odds: Vanderbilt -2.5 (49.5)
Current AutoZone Liberty Bowl Lines: Vanderbilt -2 (51)

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The Buzz: The Dores basically get to stay at home and play in Memphis, not all that far up the road from Nashville. Cincinnati has to be happy that it won a share of the Big East title this year, but there was never a chance to win the conference once the Mountaineers won on the final Thursday of the season. The Cats looked good down the stretch in spite of the fact that QB Zach Collaros has been out of the lineup.

Liberty Bowl Recap: The Liberty Bowl was a defensive struggle for three quarters, and then all of a sudden, the points came flying on the board. There were 17 points scored and three lead changes in just 44 seconds, and the final one of those scores, a 90 yard kick return for a touchdown by Ralph Abernathy proved to be the game winner. UC overcame two missed field goals, three fumbles, and a terrible day by QB Zach Collaros to win this de facto road game. RB Isaiah Pead was the real star, rushing for 149 yards and a TD. The Commodores only managed 295 yards all day long, and only one play, a 68 yard TD pass to Chris Boyd, went for even 25 yards in the entire game. Liberty Bowl Final Score: Cincinnati 31 – Vanderbilt 24

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Illinois Fighting Illini vs. UCLA Bruins
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 31st, 3:30 ET
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Location: AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Odds: Illinois -2.5 (46.5)
Current Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Lines: Illinois -3 (44.5)

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The Buzz: Yuck. There’s going to be an interim coach that picks up his first career win in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, as both Illinois and UCLA have canned their head coaches. The Illini lost their last six games of the year, and they are probably lucky to just have been selected for a bowl game. UCLA is the only team with a losing record to play in a bowl game this year, as it was granted a spot in a bowl game after being the reps in the Pac-12 South in the first conference title game.

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Recap: The battle between Illinois and UCLA was as bad as we figured that it would be, and the end result saw the Bruins become the first team in the history of college football to finish a season at 6-8. They are also the first team to play in a bowl game and finish that year with eight defeats. The two quarterbacks only barely combined to complete half of their passes, and there were barely 500 total yards of offense in the game. There were five total fumbles, three total turnovers, nine total penalties, and a whopping 13 punts in a game that was drab from the start. QB Kevin Prince threw two TD passes, but he also had an INT returned for a touchdown as well. QB Nathan Scheelhaase threw for just 139 yards, but his 60 yard TD pass to WR AJ Jenkins put the game away. Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Final Score: Illinois 20 – UCLA 14

Chick-fil-A Bowl: Virginia Cavaliers vs. Auburn Tigers
Chick-fil-A Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 31st, 7:30 ET
Chick-fil-A Bowl Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Chick-fil-A Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Chick-fil-A Bowl Odds: Auburn -1.5 (48.5)
Current Chick-fil-A Bowl Lines: Auburn -3 (49)

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The Buzz: The SEC West gets another great bowl bid here with Auburn going to the Chick-fil-A Bowl. It’s not quite the National Championship Game, but the Tigers have to be happy to be in a bowl game like this in a year in which many thought that they wouldn’t be playing in a bowl game. Virginia had a great end to the season, save for that dud against Virginia Tech in the last game of the regular season, but the Chic-fil-A Bowl rewarded the Cavvies with a great bowl bid to close out 2011.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl Recap: Chalk another one up for the SEC… Auburn scored 28 points in a span of less than 20 minutes in the first half to take control of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, and a blocked punt for a safety in the third quarter proved to really be the straw that broke Virginia’s back. The Cavaliers really looked overmatched for most of this game, though the statistics will say that this duel was a lot more level than the final score suggests. WR Emory Blake had 108 yards on six receptions for the victors, while RB Onterrio McCalebb spurred a rushing effort that accounted for 273 yards in spite of the fact that leading rusher RB Michael Dyer was suspended for the game. McCalebb finished with 109 yards and a TD on the ground and 53 yards and a TD as a receiver as well. WR Chris Byrd caught six passes for 103 yards and two TDs for UVA. RB Perry Jones totaled 122 all-purpose yards on the day. QB Michael Rocco threw for 312 yards and two TDs in defeat. Chick-Fil-A Bowl Final Score: Auburn 43 – Virginia 24

TicketCity Bowl: Houston Cougars vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
TicketCity Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 12:00 ET
TicketCity Bowl Location: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
TicketCity Bowl Television Coverage: ESPNU
Opening TicketCity Bowl Odds: Houston -5 (57.5)
Closing TicketCity Bowl Lines: Houston -6.5 (55.5)

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The Buzz: Talk about a pair of teams that could have been so much more… The Nittany Lions were on track for the Rose Bowl just three weeks ago, and they didn’t end up even playing for the Big Ten Championship. Houston went from a BCS bowl bid to the TicketCity Bowl in one bad performance at home in the C-USA title game. This is the final game in the career of QB Case Keenum, who could be up against it versus a tremendous Penn State defense.

TicketCity Bowl Recap: The Houston offense probably would have like to have done more in the final game for QB Case Keenum, but dropping 30 points on the PSU defense was a solid accomplishment and was more than enough to overcome and incredibly lackluster Nittany Lions offense. Keenum threw for 539 yards and three TDs without being picked off in the final game of his illustrious collegiate career. Of course, that meant that some of his receivers had some great days. WR Patrick Edwards had a whopping 228 yards and two scores on 10 catches, while WR Justin Johnson caught 12 balls for 148 yards and a TD. Penn State’s offense only managed 306 yards, 69 of which came on one TD play, and the offense turned the ball over three times, all on QB Robert Bolden INTs. QB Matt McGloin didn’t play in the game after a locker room scuffle left him with a concussion. TicketCity Bowl Final Score: Houston 30 – Penn State 14

Outback Bowl: Michigan State Spartans vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Outback Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 1:00 ET
Outback Bowl Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL
Outback Bowl Television Coverage: ABC
Opening Outback Bowl Odds: Georgia -4 (52.5)
Closing Outback Bowl Lines: Georgia -2.5 (48)

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The Buzz: The Spartans are probably happy that they don’t have to go back to the Capital One Bowl this year, where they were smashed a season ago by Alabama. We tended to think that these two teams would be in Orlando against one another, but the game in Tampa Bay isn’t exactly a slacking bowl game either. These two teams are very deserving of being in this game against one another in a game that might be a heck of a lot better than half of the BCS bowl games.

Outback Bowl Recap: It wasn’t quite the same type of game as the Hail Mary game that beat the Badgers this year or the Little Giants game that beat Notre Dame last season, but the Outback Bowl was another one of those great Michigan State moments that the Spartans’ faithful will live with forever. Sparty was down 16-0 in the first half but stormed back in the second half by scoring 27 points, including the score with 22 ticks left on the clock that sent the game to overtime. What started as a defensive battle ended that way as well, as there wasn’t a single TD in three overtimes. In fact, thanks to two missed field goals by the normally reliable K Blair Walsh, the second of which was blocked on the final play of the game, UGA couldn’t even put points on the board in two of the three excess frames. Though some of the offensive numbers were ugly, such as a combined six turnovers, two failed two-point conversion attempts, 15 total punts, and a safety on a completed pass, there were actually some heroes to note. Brandon Boykin had a big time day returning kicks and punts, accounting for 162 yards and a TD. WR Tavarres King had 205 yards and a TD reception for the Dawgs. The hero for MSU was WR Brian Linthicum. Hadn’t heard of Linthicum before? Neither had most. He only had one game with more than two receptions on the whole season before this point, but he had seven grabs for 115 yards in the victory for Michigan State. Outback Bowl Final Score: Michigan State 33 – Georgia 30 (OT)

Capital One Bowl: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
Capital One Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 1:00 ET
Capital One Bowl Location: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Capital One Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Capital One Bowl Odds: South Carolina -1 (48)
Closing Capital One Bowl Lines: South Carolina -2.5 (45)

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The Buzz: The Gamecocks got the first non-BCS bid from the SEC to the Capital One Bowl, probably under the premise that they were able to beat Georgia in the second week of the season. On the same hand, Nebraska beat Michigan State when those two met in the regular season. This is the first time that Nebraska will represent the Big Ten in a bowl game, and though it’s not the Rose Bowl, it is still a fantastic bid.

Capital One Bowl Recap: In a day of SEC dominance, it was South Carolina that probably came up with the most impressive performance. Head Coach Steve Spurrier promised his players rings if they won this game, as they would be the first set of Gamecocks to win 11 games in a season. You can tell that the motivation was there in this game to say the least. Nebraska was held down to just 253 yards of offense with a pair of turnovers. The Huskers committed 10 penalties on the afternoon in their first bowl game represening the Big Ten. QB Taylor Martinez and RB Rex Burkhead both struggled on the ground all day long, and Nebraska just didn’t have the ability to throw the ball either with Martinez. WR Alshon Jeffrey had a frustrating season, but he finished up strongly, catching four passes for 148 yards and a TD. QB Connor Shaw really didn’t do anything special, but he threw for 230 yards and ran for 42 yards, keeping the SC offense balanced, and he more importantly kept a hold on the pigskin all day long. It was a special ending to a special year in Columbia. Capital One Bowl Final Score: South Carolina 30 – Nebraska 13

Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Florida Gators
Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 1:00 ET
Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl Location: Ever Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN2
Opening Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl Odds: Florida -2 (44)
Closing Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl Lines: Florida -3 (44)

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The Buzz: Here’s an interesting game… Urban Meyer’s old team against Urban Meyer’s newest team. Meyer, of course, won’t have a direct impact on this game, but you can bet that there will be some bad blood in this game. These two schools have had a lot of history, including playing in National Championship Games both in basketball and football. Both of these teams have major offensive issues, though OSU is going in the right direction, while UF is going in the wrong direction.

Gator Bowl Recap: Neither team reached 300 yards of offense on the day, but as we have seen in so many big time games before this year, special teams made all the difference in the aptly named Gator Bowl. The first time that these two teams met on the gridiron in the ’07 BCS National Championship Game, WR Ted Ginn Jr. started off the game by returning a kick for a touchdown. It was the last score that the Buckeyes would have for awhile. This time around though, it was UF that was getting scores from its special teams. WR Andre Debose returned a punt for a TD in the first half, and UF blocked a punt and scored with it in the third quarter to take an otherwise relatively close game and blow it open. QB Braxton Miller did a decent job maintaining the OSU offense, but he was sacked six teams and really didn’t have much of a chance. We give the Ohio State defense some credit, as it didn’t allow a single play of more than 20 yards all day to the Gators, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to get the job done. Gator Bowl Final Score: Florida 24 – Ohio State 17

Rose Bowl: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Oregon Ducks
Rose Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 5:00 ET
Rose Bowl Location: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
Rose Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Rose Bowl Odds: Oregon -6.5 (72)
Current Rose Bowl Lines: Oregon -4 (74)

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The Buzz: Wisconsin is back in the Rose Bowl for the second straight year, and it definitely has some unfinished business after losing to TCU. The Ducks are playing in the BCS again, and they have to be happy to not be playing against an SEC West team. They have been beaten by two of them in the last calendar year, and now, they have a chance to bring their amazing offense against a usually stout Badgers defense.

Rose Bowl Recap: If you were hoping to see a lot of offense and some exciting plays in the Rose Bowl, you weren’t disappointed with the way that things panned out. The Ducks and Badgers combined for over 1,100 yards of offense and a ridiculous host of big time plays. WR DeAnthony Thomas had two carries on the game, and they went 64 and 99 yards for touchdowns. RB LaMichael James did the more conventional carrying of the pigskin for Oregon, coming up with 159 yards and a TD on 25 carries. QB Darren Thomas came up with three TDs on the day through the air. Though Wisconsin’s offense had some big time numbers as well, we have to tip our hat to the U of O defense. The Badgers didn’t score in the fourth quarter, which was a real accomplishment against a unit that had scored seemingly every single time it had touched the ball prior to that. In defeat, RB Montee Ball had 164 yards and a TD for the Badgers, but it wasn’t enough in the end. Rose Bowl Final Score: Oregon 45 – Wisconsin 38

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Stanford Cardinal vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 8:30 ET
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Odds: Oklahoma State -3.5 (75.5)
Closing Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Lines: Oklahoma State -4.5 (72.5)

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The Buzz: Stanford and Okie State both had their chances to be in the BCS National Championship Game, but both lost the one big game of the year, and this is the punishment. That being said, these two are both simply awesome, and they both have the potential to put a slew of points on the board. This is probably the last game for QB Andrew Luck before going to the Indianapolis Colts, but QB Brandon Weeden isn’t going to want to go quietly in his final collegiate game as well.

Fiesta Bowl Recap: WR Justin Blackmon had the day of his life in the Fiesta Bowl, and it proved to be the final time that he will suit up for the Pokes after declaring for the NFL Draft after the game was over with. He had 186 yards and three TDs through the air to really make the difference for the Oklahoma State passing game. The Cowboys strangely had nothing going on the ground at all, a testament to the strength of the Stanford defense, but QB Brandon Weeden threw for 399 yards and three TDs and also had a touchdown scamper. QB Andrew Luck ended his collegiate career by throwing for 347 yards and two TDs. Again, we have to harp on special teams for ruining what really should have been a Stanford victory. The Cardinal were up 14-0 at the outset of the game and were up 38-31 with just a few minutes remaining. Okie State tied the game at 38, but Luck marched his team into a position to win the game at the death. K Jordan Williamson missed his second field goal attempt of the day from in close, and he went on to miss in the first possession in OT as well. The Cowboys finished it off from there, kicking a 22 yard field goal on the game’s final play to at least stake a claim to the National Championship should Alabama beat LSU. Fiesta Bowl Final Score: Oklahoma State 41 – Stanford 38

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Michigan Wolverines vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Allstate Sugar Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, January 3rd, 8:30 ET
Allstate Sugar Bowl Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Allstate Sugar Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Allstate Sugar Bowl Odds: Michigan -2 (51.5)
Closing Allstate Sugar Bowl Lines: Michigan -3 (52.5)

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The Buzz: The Wolverines and the Hokies were both sweating bullets going into the 11th hour, as they both knew that they had a chance to be in the BCS, but that nothing was guaranteed. Michigan just barely snuck in the Top 14 to become eligible, while V-Tech was eligible relatively comfortably. The Hokies have only suffered losses this year to Clemson. Michigan’s catastrophic loss was to Michigan State in East Lansing, but the team did win 10 games this year and never collapsed down the stretch as we were all expecting after years of second half slumps under the direction of Head Coach Rich Rodriguez. We give Head Coach Brady Hoke all the credit in the world for the way that he has handled this team this year.

Sugar Bowl Recap: To say that the Sugar Bowl was a back and forth tilt is a bit of an understatement. V-Tech jumped out to the 6-0 lead with a pair of field goals, but the Wolverines scored the next 17 points to take the lead. The Hokies tied it up, and the teams exchanged field goals to go into overtime. There, the truly odd gaffes in special teams cost Head Coach Frank Beamer and the gang. The offense stalled out after three plays in OT and ended up missing a field goal. The defense did its job, at least forcing a long field goal try, but K Brendan Gibbons knocked it home from 37 yards out to win the game. Big Blue was held to just 184 total yards and 12 first downs for the game, a testament to how well the Hokies really played defensively. That being said, the offense coughed the ball up twice and the team committed seven penalties that proved to be killers. In the end, that’s how the Sugar Bowl was won to cap off a fantastic season for Head Coach Brady Hoke and the Wolverines. Sugar Bowl Final Score: Michigan 23 – Virginia Tech 20

Discover Orange Bowl: Clemson Tigers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Discover Orange Bowl Date/Time: Wednesday, January 4th, 8:30 ET
Discover Orange Bowl Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL
Discover Orange Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Discover Orange Bowl Odds: Clemson -3.5 (60.5)
Closing Discover Orange Bowl Lines: Clemson -3 (64)

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The Buzz: This is going to be the last time that a bowl game is played in this stadium before the brand new stadium opens up in South Beach. Clemson was a bit of a shocking winner of the ACC, beating Virginia Tech not just once, but twice, while WVU won the three way tiebreaker between it, Cincinnati, and Louisville for the spot in the Orange Bowl.

Orange Bowl Recap: The BCS was officially a disaster for the ACC. Just a night after watching Virginia Tech lose a game that it probably should have won, the Clemson was absolutely manhandled by the Mountaineers’ passing game. What started as a back and forth game turned into a disaster for the Tigers when RB Andre Ellington fumbled at the goal line, the ball was picked up, and raced 99 yards the other direction for a West Virginia touchdown. The heavens opened at that point, leading to 35 points in the quarter for the boys in blue and gold. QB Geno Smith threw for 401 yards and six TDs with no picks. Of course, that meant a big time game for some receivers as well. WR Tavon Austin had 117 yards and four trips to the end zone, while WR Stedman Bailey had 82 yards and a score. In total, WVU came up with 589 yards and 31 first downs. For Clemson, QB Tajh Boyd threw for 250 yards and rushed for 32 more. The fumble marred an otherwise solid game for Ellington, who had 116 yards and a TD in defeat. WR Sammy Watkins was basically kept in check, as he only had five grabs for 66 yards and a TD. In the end though, the offense did enough. It was the defense that brutally let the Tigers down. Orange Bowl Final Score: West Virginia 70 – Clemson 33

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Kansas State Wildcats @ Arkansas Razorbacks
AT&T Cotton Bowl Date/Time: Friday, January 6th, 8:00 ET
AT&T Cotton Bowl Location: Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
AT&T Cotton Bowl Television Coverage: FOX
Opening AT&T Cotton Bowl Odds: Arkansas -7.5 (64)
Closing AT&T Cotton Bowl Lines: Arkansas -9 (65)

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The Buzz: It’s not often that you see a bowl game that isn’t a BCS game between a pair of Top 10 teams. Kansas State probably got the biggest shaft of any team in the BCS, but at least the Cotton Bowl gave it the courtesy of being the first non-BCS team selected to a bowl game from the Big XII. Arkansas is probably one of the best five teams in the game, but it wasn’t one of the best two in its own division, let alone its own conference.

Cotton Bowl Recap: The Cotton Bowl proved to be a lot more of a competitive game than most thought, as the Kansas State defense did a significantly better job against the Arkansas offense than figured. QB Tyler Wilson only threw for 216 yards, though he did have two TDs. It took over 17 minutes for the Hogs to get their first first down of the game. The game was really blown open in the second quarter when WR Joe Adams took a punt return back 51 yards for a TD for the initial major score of the contest. Kansas State was playing catch up the entire game after that point, though it never got closer than a field goal again. QB Collin Klein tied an FBS record for most TDs in a season on the ground by a quarterback by logging his 27th score of the year, but he was held in check for the most part. It wasn’t the prettiest Cotton Bowl in the world, but for the SEC West, it was another triumph. In all likelihood, the division will finish up with three teams ranked in the Top 5 in the country. Cotton Bowl Final Score: Arkansas 29 – Kansas State 16

BBVA Compass Bowl: SMU Mustangs vs. Pittsburgh Panthers
BBVA Compass Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, January 7th, 1:00 ET
BBVA Compass Bowl Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
BBVA Compass Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening BBVA Compass Bowl Odds: Pittsburgh -5.5 (48.5)
Closing BBVA Compass Bowl Lines: Pittsburgh -3.5 (48.5)

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The Buzz: SMU’s high flying offense is going to head to Sweet Home Alabama for hte BBVA Compass Bowl. The Panthers have to be happy just to be playing in a bowl game, a right that they earned on the final day of the season by beating Syracuse. These two teams both play very quick offenses, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that there are going to be a slew of points.

BBVA Compass Bowl Recap: The Mustangs came right out of the blocks with guns blazing, scoring 21 in the first quarter, and they never looked back. The Pittsburgh offense had troubles moving the football all day long, and it just didn’t look like a team that was all that interested in playing that well after Head Coach Todd Graham moved on to Arizona State. The Panthers only had 10 total rushing yards, a far cry from the team that had several 200+ yard efforts on the ground as a team this year. SMU, not a team normally known for its defense, held the Panthers to just 205 total yards of offense. It seems interesting that the Mustangs were able to win this game with just 300 total yards of offense, over 150 of which came in the first quarter. WR Darius Johnson was the hero, catching seven passes for 120 yards and a TD. BBVA Compass Bowl Final Score: SMU 28 – Pittsburgh 6

GoDaddy.com Bowl: Arkansas State Red Wolves vs. Northern Illinois Huskies
GoDaddy.com Bowl Date/Time: Sunday, January 8th, 9:00 ET
GoDaddy.com Bowl Location: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL
GoDaddy.com Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening GoDaddy.com Bowl Odds: Arkansas State -1 (62)
Closing GoDaddy.com Bowl Lines: Arkansas State -1.5 (66)

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The Buzz: This is the final bowl game of the year before the BCS National Championship Game, and though this is normally not a great game, this is going to be a great one. QB Chandler Harnish and QB Ryan Aplin are two of the better signal callers in the non-AQ schools in the game. This is actually one of the rare bowl games that pits two teams against one another that have reached double digits in wins.

GoDaddy.com Bowl Recap: The Red Wolves came out of the gate with sound and fury, logging the first 13 points in the game against the MAC champs. They definitely looked like the better team at the start, but from that point on, turnovers proved to be killed. The Huskies forced five ASU blunders, and that proved to be the major difference. A pick six by Dechane Durante was the icer in the fourth quarter that gave the MAC another bowl victory to finish up its campaign. Surprisingly, neither team really got it going on the ground, as there wasn’t a rusher in the game that logged even 30 yards on the ground. QBs Ryan Aplin and Chandler Harnish didn’t disappoint, though. Harnish threw for 274 yards and a pair of scores, while Aplin had 353 yards but was killed by three picks. WR Martel Moore had eight catches for 224 yards and a TD for the Huskies, while WR Taylor Stockemer had 11 catches for 185 yards and a score in defeat for Arkansas State. GoDaddy.com Bowl Final Score: Northern Illinois 38 – Arkansas State 20

Allstate BCS National Championship Game: LSU Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Allstate BCS National Championship Game Date/Time: Monday, January 9th, 8:30 ET
Allstate BCS National Championship Game Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Allstate BCS National Championship Game Television Coverage: ESPN
Opening Allstate BCS National Championship Game Odds: LSU -1 (40)
Closing Allstate BCS National Championship Game Lines: Alabama -2.5 (41)

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The Buzz: And let the debate begin… There’s no doubt that LSU is the top team in America right now, as it is the only team with a goose egg in its win column in the entire nation. However, having Alabama in the title game is something that not everyone is okay with, especially knowing that the Tide lost to the Bayou Bengals at home. If the first meeting of these teams was the “Game of the Century,” we can’t even imagine just how much hype there is going to be for this game between now and January 9th.

BCS National Championship Recap: If there was any doubt whatsoever as to whether the Tigers or the Tide were really the better team, Alabama almost certainly proved it on Monday night. The Bayou Bengals were 13-0 coming into the game, and though they were certainly the team that played the better schedule over the course of the year, they were likely not the better team the first time around and certainly weren’t the second time. QB Jordan Jefferson and the LSU offenses were just stymied for the entire game. The unit only managed five first downs, and it never even got possession in Alabama territory a single time over the course of the game. The defense for the Tide proved that it was the best in the nation by pitching a shutout, and the final score could have been a heck of a lot worse had they converted seven field goal attempts into more than 15 points. The Crimson Tide had their flaws this year, but they were pretty much only in the kicking game. Aside from that, this was a truly dominating effort. Alabama coasted to its 14th National Championship and the third for Head Coach Nick Saban. LSU’s dreams of a split title went up in flames with that dud of an effort, as it didn’t even finish the year ranked No. 2 in the land. That distinction instead, went to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. BCS National Championship Final Score: Alabama 21 – LSU 0

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The final 2010 BCS Rankings are out, as are all of the bowl games for the 2010-11 season, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are analyzing the 35 bowl games and how everything shook out for the 70 teams that are going to be involved with bowl bashes this year, leading all the way up to the BCS Championship Game between the Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers.

New Mexico Bowl: UTEP Miners vs. BYU Cougars
Game Time: Saturday, December 18th, 2:00 ET
Opening New Mexico Bowl Odds: BYU -11.5
Closing New Mexico Bowl Lines: BYU -10.5
The Buzz: The Miners are probably the least deserving of all of the bowl teams this year, as they clearly ended the season as a real downer team. BYU was on a roll before losing the Holy War. Still, they’re a deserving entrant into the New Mexico Bowl out of the MWC as a .500 club. Watch out for QB Jake Heaps to make a big time impact.
Final Wrap: The Cougs came out in this one and dominated from start to finish. The Miners just looked like a totally overmatched team and never had a shot at beating the New Mexico Bowl odds. A late TD made the score look somewhat more respectable… sort of. BYU 52 – UTEP 24
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Humanitarian Bowl: Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Fresno State Bulldogs
Game Time: Saturday, December 18th, 5:30 ET
Opening Humanitarian Bowl Odds: Northern Illinois -3
Closing Humanitarian Bowl Lines: Northern Illinois -1.5
The Buzz: This is going to be the first game for the Huskies without Head Coach Jerry Kill, as he has left Northern Illinois to go to the Big Ten with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. It was awfully upsetting to lose out on the MAC Championship, but at least this was a nice consolation prize. Fresno State was one of the better teams in the WAC this year that you probably didn’t hear a lot about, but it has already beaten the Illinois Fighting Illini, a team that these Huskies already lost to.
Final Wrap: We were wrong in this one about the Huskies, as they came out with gusto and played very well, especially offensively. Harnish and Spann were the real deal against a solid Fresno State team. The Bulldogs just never got anything going, and Hill and company finished the year with a bitter defeat. Northern Illinois 40 – Fresno State 17
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New Orleans Bowl: Ohio Bobcats vs. Troy Trojans
Game Time: Saturday, December 18th, 8:00 ET
Opening New Orleans Bowl Odds: Troy -1.5
Closing New Orleans Bowl Lines: Troy -2
The Buzz: The Bobcats were probably the last team that made it to a bowl game this year, as the Temple Owls were left behind in spite of the fact that they won eight games. The Trojans were a power once again in the Sun Belt this year, but they weren’t good enough to win the conference. They’ll look for another bowl win here in the Bayou in December. This line came off the board on Wednesday, December 15th when news broke that QB Boo Jackson was probably out of the game due to academic ineligibility.
Final Wrap: Jackson ended up playing in this game regardless, as he had his academic issues working out. However, a 24-0 second quarter for the Trojans really put the game away and made the point moot. Robinson threw for 387 yards and four scores, while Troy racked up 600+ yards of offense in a game that was never really in doubt. Troy 48 – Ohio 21
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Beef O’Brady’s Bowl: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles vs. Louisville Cardinals
Game Time: Tuesday, December 21st, 8:00 ET
Opening Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Odds: Louisville -3.5
Closing Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Lines: Louisville -2
The Buzz: It’s great to see Louisville playing in a bowl game after seeing it get crippled by team after team in the Big East for years in the Steve Kragthorpe era. Head Coach Charlie Strong will count on RB Bilal Powell to take down the Golden Eagles, who came up just short of winning the Conference USA East Division. This isn’t a team to mess with, though. Just ask the UCF Knights, who were beaten by SMS on their home turf.
Final Wrap: Southern Miss was able to open up a 14-0 lead, but we give a lot of credit to Coach Strong for leading his troops back from a ton of bad spots to pull off a dramatic victory at the gun in the most thrilling bowl game of the year to date. The MVP of the game might have been QB Justin Burke, who was forced into action due to the injury to QB Adam Froman, and his two TDs and no picks were key to winning this game. The Beef O’Brady’s line ended up in a dead middle for the books, though the ‘Ville covered the closing number. Louisville 31 – Southern Mississippi 28
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MAACO Las Vegas Bowl: Utah Utes vs. Boise State Broncos
Game Time: Wednesday, December 22nd, 8:00 ET
Opening Las Vegas Bowl Odds: Boise State -17
Closing Las Vegas Bowl Lines: Boise State -15.5
The Buzz: What a matchup we have here! The Utes and Broncos were both Top 10 teams for quite some time this year, and they are clearly the top two teams from mid-major conferences this season. Utah is going to be counting on QB Terrence Cain to beat the Broncos, who are going to count on a probable Heisman Trophy finalist, QB Kellen Moore. The only question is whether Boise State is going to be up for this one, since it clearly doesn’t have the luster of any of the BCS bowl games.
Final Wrap: The Broncos really didn’t look like they were going to be ready for this game, but they were in a position to challenge this number, but when push came to shove, QB Kellen Moore was able to rally his troops and put together a fantastic performance. Boise State might be back in a great position next year after a dominating defense took care of business against the Utes. Boise State 26 – Utah 3
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Poinsettia Bowl: Navy Midshipmen vs. San Diego State Aztecs
Game Time: Thursday, December 23rd, 8:00 ET
Opening Poinsettia Bowl Odds: San Diego State -5.5
Closing Poinsettia Bowl Lines: San Diego State -3
The Buzz: This seems like the perfect match made in heaven for this bowl game, as the home team, the Aztecs, are taking on a Navy team that will travel to anywhere in the country. The offensive firepower of these two teams is phenomenal, as San Diego State and QB Ryan Lindley will be taking on QB Ricky Dobbs and that patented triple option offense of the Naval Academy. This should be a great one at Qualcomm Stadium.
Final Wrap: Rain really hassled the field conditions at Qualcomm Stadium, and though the thought was there that this would only hamper the host Aztecs, this was totally a different story. Navy really never got anything going offensively, while RB Ronnie Hillman was able to run for 228 yards and three TDs as a part of a 555 yard effort to help sink Navy. San Diego State 35 – Navy 14
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Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii Warriors vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Game Time: Friday, December 24th, 8:00 ET
Opening Hawaii Bowl Odds: Hawaii -12
Closing Hawaii Bowl Lines: Hawaii -10
The Buzz: Two of the best mid-major teams that you probably haven’t heard a lot about duke it out on the Big Island. Obviously, the Warriors are going to be at a huge advantage here due to the fact that they are the home team and are used to this type of environment. QB Bryant Moniz has 5,000 passing yards for the season in his sights, but QB GJ Kinne and the Golden Hurricane aren’t going to go down without a fight. The winner of this one probably finishes the year with a Top 25 ranking.
Final Wrap: Everyone really thought that QB Bryant Moniz and company were just going to roll all over the Tulsa offense, and though there were a ton of yards to speak of, five picks combined were really killer to the effort. Give Tulsa a ton of credit for going into Aloha Stadium and coming out with a tremendous victory on a day in which it was a severe underdog. Every time Hawaii got close, the Golden Hurricane pulled away. Moniz reached his 5,000 yards for the year, but it was a bad day to be a Warrior. Tulsa 62 – Hawaii 35
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Little Caesars Bowl: Florida International Golden Panthers vs. Toledo Rockets
Game Time: Sunday, December 26th, 8:30 ET
Opening Little Caesars Bowl Odds: Toledo -2
Closing Little Caesars Bowl Lines: Florida International -2
The Buzz: The Rockets are going to be led into battle by a freshman quarterback in this one, as QB Austin Dantin could be back after missing the end of the regular season with a shoulder injury. FIU won the Sun Belt this year and is playing in its first bowl game in school history. QB Wesley Carroll has this type of experience with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, but this is his first chance to really take a team into battle in a big time duel that is very winnable.
Final Wrap: Give both of these teams all of the credit in the world, as they really did go all out to win this one. Scoring a TD for Toledo at the end prompted the Rockets to go for two to take a one point lead with less than two minutes to play, but FIU wouldn’t be denied, marching right now the field to kick the game winning field goal as time expired. It was the first bowl win in the first bowl appearance in the history of the Golden Panthers. The oddsmakers were killed in this one, as all of the late action was on Florida International. The end result was a push, but many on the Golden Panthers proved to be triumphant. Florida International 34 – Toledo 32
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Independence Bowl: Air Force Falcons vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Game Time: Monday, December 27th, 5:00 ET
Opening Independence Bowl Odds: Air Force -2.5
Closing Independence Bowl Lines: Air Force -3
The Buzz: If you like running the football, this one is for you! Both of these triple option offenses have their injury woes right now. RB Jared Tew isn’t going to be playing for Air Force, while QB Josh Nesbitt is out for the slumping Yellow Jackets. These two teams were also nightmares for college football betting fans all year, but one will reign supreme in the Independence Bowl.
Final Wrap: Turnovers really killed Georgia Tech in this defensive showdown. Neither one of these offenses proved to be that much better than the other, but both teams sustained some tremendously long drives over the course of the game. Georgia Tech fumbled inside the Air Force 5 yard line after a drive that ate over half the third quarter, and then proceeded to lose two punts via muffs. A pick on the final drive of the game ended any hope that the Ramblin’ Wreck had of a comeback. The Falcons did a lot more throwing the football than they probably figured upon, but in the end, their one TD and two field goals were enough to best the boys from the ACC. Air Force 14 – Georgia Tech 7
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Champs Sports Bowl: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. NC State Wolfpack
Game Time: Tuesday, December 28th, 6:30 ET
Opening Champs Sports Bowl Odds: West Virginia -2.5
Closing Champs Sports Bowl Lines: West Virginia -3
The Buzz: Two teams that were probably good enough to be BCS teams from their respective conferences, and this is going to be a great matchup between two of the best teams from solid conferences. The Mountaineers have a fantastic defense and will look to use this unit to get the job done against QB Russell Wilson and the Wolfpack, who came up just shy of winning the ACC Atlantic Division.
Final Wrap: This was supposed to be a game in which the West Virginia defense shined, but instead, it was just another showing as to why the ACC was a superior conference to the Big East on the season. QB Russell Wilson and company didn’t have to do all that much, as the Mountaineers just never got anything going offensive down in the Sunshine State. NC State 23 – West Virginia 7
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Insight Bowl: Missouri Tigers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
Game Time: Tuesday, December 28th, 10:00 ET
Opening Insight Bowl Odds: Missouri -1
Closing Insight Bowl Lines: Missouri -3
The Buzz: These two teams have to feel like they got hosed just a bit, as both were solid Top 10 teams once upon a time this season. The Tigers won ten games and nearly won the Big XII North, and this is going to be a great challenge for QB Blaine Gabbert. Meanwhile, QB Ricky Stanzi knows that this is the end of the road on a great career, but his team has really fallen flat in recent weeks and was knocked from the Top 10 clear out of the Top 25. Iowa is currently off the board in this one due to the fact that there could be as many as a dozen players suspended for the Insight Bowl, including leading rusher RB Adam Robinson.
Final Wrap: This turned out to be one of the most exciting bowl games of the season to date, as the Insight Bowl provided us with some great offense, some stellar defense, and a timely finish. A pick six by Micah Hyde made the difference with less than six minutes to play for the Hawkeyes, who overcame over 500 yards of offense from the Tigers on the day to come away with the victory to snap a three game losing skid at the end of the season. Iowa 27 – Missouri 24
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Military Bowl: Maryland Terrapins vs. East Carolina Pirates
Game Time: Wednesday, December 29th, 2:30 ET
Opening Military Bowl Odds: Maryland -7.5
Closing Military Bowl Lines: Maryland -7.5
The Buzz: This is a great prize for the Terps, who get to play right around their home for a bowl game a year after finishing near the gutter in the ACC. HC Ralph Friedgen would really rather play in one of the elite ACC bowls, but this is going to be a great battle nonetheless. The Pirates have one of the most dynamic players in the game in QB Dominique Davis, but this defense is going to be tested in a big way, just as they were by most of Conference USA. Friedgen was forced out of this job and will likely be replaced by former Texas Tech Red Raiders mastermind, Mike Leach once this game is over with.
Final Wrap: There was certainly some animosity at the end of this one, as Maryland tried to run up the score to give it 50+ points as a gift to Friedgen for his departure from the school. The Terps really did dominate this one from the get go though, as it was clear that there were no answers for RB Da’Rel Scott, who rushed for 200 yards, or RB DJ Adams, who had four TDs on the ground. Maryland 51 – East Carolina 20
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Texas Bowl: Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Baylor Bears
Game Time: Wednesday, December 29th, 6:00 ET
Opening Texas Bowl Odds: Baylor -1.5
Current Texas Bowl Lines: Illinois -2.5
The Buzz: The Bears are getting to play right near their home, which will play right into the hands of QB Robert Griffin and company. Griffin is clearly going to be the man of the hour in this one, but QB Nathan Scheelhaase and RB Mikel LeShoure could be in for great games as well. This should be a great duel in the Lone Star State between two teams that are certainly up and coming in the country.
Final Wrap: Baylor was able to move the ball, but it just couldn’t put the pigskin in the end zone. ‘Over’ bettors probably deserved better, knowing that there were nearly 1,000 yards of offense between these two teams. In the end though, QB Nathan Scheelhaase was virtually perfect, and he and RB Mikel LeShoure really led the Illini well in a dominating win at the Texas Bowl. Illinois 38 – Baylor 14
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Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Arizona Wildcats
Game Time: Wednesday, December 29th, 9:15 ET
Opening Alamo Bowl Odds: Oklahokma State -6
Closing Alamo Bowl Lines: Oklahoma State -4.5
The Buzz: Both of these teams were Top 25 caliber squads for most of the season. QB Nick Foles was hurt for a portion of the season, but he should still have a field day against an Okie State defense that was suspect at times. It’s a shame that the Cowboys couldn’t win Bedlam and the Big XII South, and the punishment was dropping all the way to the Alamo Bowl. QB Brandon Weeden, RB Kendall Hunter, and WR Justin Blackmon make up one of the best offensive trios in the country.
Final Wrap: There was no stopping Blackmon and the Pokes on offense in this one. The game started off ominously for the Wildcats when they botched a punt and gave the ball right back to Okie State after stopping it three and out on the first possession of the game. The Cowboys made no mistakes and never looked back, as they were in front of this spread the rest of the way and were never challenged. This marks the second straight year in which UA was crushed in a bowl game by a Big XII foe after losing 33-0 last year against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Holiday Bowl. Oklahoma State 36 – Arizona 10
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Armed Forces Bowl: Army Black Knights vs. SMU Mustangs
Game Time: Thursday, December 30th, 12:00 ET
Opening Armed Forces Bowl Odds: SMU -7
Closing Armed Forces Bowl Lines: SMU -7.5
The Buzz: The Black Knights are going to a bowl game for the first time since 1996, and you know that there will be a strong black and gold contingent on hand for this one. Head Coach June Jones did a great job with SMU this year and nearly was able to win Conference USA. Though QB Kyle Padron would much rather be playing in the Liberty Bowl this year, this is a nice consolation prize for a team that is clearly on the rise.
Final Wrap: Army won its first bowl game in 25 years on SMU’s home turf thanks to a vicious defense that pitched a shutout in the first half and forced three turnovers. Still, at the end, the Mustangs could’ve won with a field goal, but the 47 yard boot sailed wide to seal their fate to finish at .500.
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Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas State Wildcats vs. Syracuse Orange
Game Time: Thursday, December 30th, 3:15 ET
Opening Pinstripe Bowl Odds: Kansas State -2.5
Closing Pinstripe Bowl Lines: Syracuse -1
The Buzz: The first annual Pinstripe Bowl isn’t going to be the greatest game of the year, but it could certainly be an entertaining one. You know that the Orange faithful are going to be out in droves for this one, as this is their first bowl game since the team was legitimate relevant. K-State struggled down the stretch after briefly hitting the Top 25, and RB Daniel Thomas is going to be leaned upon heavily to slow down a Syracuse defense that had some fantastic games in the Big East this year.
Final Wrap: It was arguably the best game of the season when these two teams hooked up, proving once again why we, the college football betting fans, absolutely love bowl games. These two teams went back to forth all game long, as neither team led by more than eight points the entire way. When push came to shove, a failed fake field goal attempt put the Wildcats in a hole, but they had a chance to tie the game. However, a personal foul call that was incredibly questionable took the two point conversion back to the 18 yard line. QB Carson Coffman failed on the convert, and the Cats never got the ball back.
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Music City Bowl: North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Tennesseee Volunteers
Game Time: Thursday, December 30th, 6:45 ET
Opening Music City Bowl Odds: North Carolina -2.5
Closing Music City Bowl Lines: Tennessee -1
The Buzz: These two teams probably underachieved for most of the season, as the Tar Heels and Volunteers really had some big time expectations. UNC really has fought well this year without a big chunk of its defense, and it will be happy to be here playing in Nashville on a season which could have ended in a disaster. The Vols won their final four games of the season to become bowl eligible, which was a great accomplishment in the SEC for Head Coach Derek Dooley and company.
Final Wrap: You will never see a crazier ending to a game than we saw in the Music City Bowl. Tennessee had this game won until the very end. Forget about the officiating and the questionable calls in the last 30 seconds. The bottom line for the Vols is that they shouldn’t have allowed North Carolina to march 60 yards with no timeouts, no questions asked. This was the first OT game of the year, and the argument could be made that UT really should have gone for two in the overtime when it had the chance. Instead, North Carolina got an INT in the second possession in the extra frame and put it away with a game winning field goal to give both ‘under’ bettors and Tennessee backers a horrendously difficult beat.
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Holiday Bowl: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Washington Huskies
Game Time: Thursday, December 30th, 10:00 ET
Opening Holiday Bowl Odds: Nebraska -13.5
Current Holiday Bowl Lines: Nebraska -11.5
The Buzz: The Cornhuskers will be representing the Big XII one last time at the Holiday Bowl, when they take on the Huskies. One of the best, young QBs in the nation, QB Taylor Martinez will take on one of the best veterans, QB Jake Locker. This is the first time the great Locker is going to be playing in a bowl game, and it should be a great swan song for a man that is going to be one of the top draft picks this year.
Final Wrap: We knew the way this line plummeted down the stretch boded well for the Huskies. They got a tremendous amount of revenge for that loss in the regular season and essentially dominated the Huskers the same way that they were dominated back in Seattle earlier this year. QB Jake Locker went out a winner in his first bowl game, giving Head Coach Steve Sarkisian the biggest coaching win of his career.
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Meineke Car Care Bowl: South Florida Bulls vs. Clemson Tigers
Game Time: Friday, December 31st, 12:00 ET
Opening Meineke Car Care Bowl Odds: Clemson -5
Closing Meineke Car Care Bowl Lines: Clemson -4.5
The Buzz: This isn’t the sexiest game of the year by any means, but there are certainly some real stars that can shine in this one. QB BJ Daniels has led his team to a bowl game once again as a sophomore, but he is going to have a tough test trying to keep up with RB Andre Ellington and the Clemson offense.
Final Wrap: South Florida really took the “bull” by the horns in this one, as they used a great game from QB BJ Daniels to dominate this one in a lot greater fashion than the final score suggests. The Tigers really didn’t get anything going in this one until right at the very end, when it scored a pair of TDs and made things awfully interesting the final two minutes. Still, this was a game in which South Florida really never had a question about losing. South Florida 31 – Clemson 26
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Sun Bowl: Miami Hurricanes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Game Time: Friday, December 31st, 2:00 ET
Opening Sun Bowl Odds: Miami -3.5
Closing Sun Bowl Lines: Miami -2.5
The Buzz: It will be interesting to see how the Hurricanes react to life without Head Coach Randy Shannon, as this quite often is a situation where a team rallies around its new skipper. The Fighting Irish won their last three games of the season to get into this bowl game, and QB Tommy Rees has done really well in relief of the injured QB Dayne Crist.
Final Wrap: It was an absolutely awful day for QB Jacory Harris, who was picked off three times on consecutive drives and was benched in the second quarter in favor of the banged up QB Stephen Morris. Still, the Hurricanes fought their hardest to at least make this game reasonable. In the end though, there was too much Tommy Rees and too much WR Michael Floyd for Miami to stop. Notre Dame led this sucker wire to wire and dominated the Sun Bowl. Notre Dame 33 – Miami 17
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Liberty Bowl: UCF Knights vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Game Time: Friday, December 31st, 3:30 ET
Opening Liberty Bowl Odds: Georgia -7.5
Closing Liberty Bowl Lines: Georgia -6
The Buzz: The Knights are out to really claim a big time scalp here, as the Bulldogs were one of the better teams in the SEC East down the stretch this season. UCF won Conference USA with ease and was really the best team that the conference had to offer us this year. UGA got very, very lucky with a freshman QB in Aaron Murray and having WR AJ Green suspended for the first four games of the season just to be in this spot. We figure that Head Coach Mark Richt needs to beat the Knights to keep his job, and even that might not be assured.
Final Wrap: It wasn’t the prettiest work of art in the world, but the Knights nailed down their first bowl win in school history on RB Latavius Murray’s TD run in the fourth quarter, the only touchdown of the game. Georgia’s offense never really got involved in the game, and Head Coach Mark Richt is inevitably going to find himself having to answer a ton of questions after finishing under .500 for the first time in a decade and a half. UCF 10 – Georgia 6
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Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Florida State Seminoles vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
Game Time: Friday, December 31st, 7:30 ET
Opening Chick-Fil-A Bowl Odds: South Carolina -3
Closing Chick-Fil-A Bowl Lines: South Carolina -2
The Buzz: The runner up in the ACC Championship Game earned a great trip to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl this year in Atlanta, and though the Noles probably should be taking on a lesser SEC foe, the Bulldogs are the team that they are facing. Head Coach Steve Spurrier is familiar with Florida State coming on the schedule against the Florida Gators every year. This is the first time the Ol’ Ball Coach will face the team that terrorized him for years in the Sunshine State.
Final Wrap: DB Greg Reid made a real case to be one of the best cover men and kick/punt retuners in the nation in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, as he paced the Noles to a relatively easy victory over South Carolina. The Gamecocks lost RB Marcus Lattimore on the first drive of the game and never really recovered. They also never led on the night. QB Christian Ponder didn’t make it out of the first quarter in the final game in his career, but QB EJ Manuel played well in a game that featured a ton of defense. In the end though, FSU got the best of its old nemesis for the first bowl win for Head Coach Jimbo Fisher. Florida State 26 – South Carolina 17
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Ticket City Bowl: Northwestern Wildcats vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Game Time: Saturday, January 1st, 12:00 ET
Opening Ticket City Bowl Odds: Texas Tech -9.5
Closing Ticket City Bowl Lines: Texas Tech -7.5
The Buzz: The Wildcats have really slumped during the end of the season since QB Dan Persa was injured for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Truth be told, they’re probably lucky to be playing in a bowl game after such a terrible end of the year. Texas Tech has played well at times, though the Big XII really took its toll on the Red Raiders all season long. This could be a real shootout in the Lone Star State.
Final Wrap: The Red Raiders were flying high offensively from the get go, and the Wildcats just never really had enough going on defense to really make this a game again. Texas Tech was the rightful winner in this one, as QB Taylor Potts and his offense were just never stopped on a consistent basis. Give Northwestern some credit for getting so many points on the board even with so many pieces to the puzzle out on offense, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to claim the first Ticket City Bowl. Texas Tech 45 – Northwestern 38
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Outback Bowl: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Florida Gators
Game Time: Saturday, January 1st, 1:00 ET
Opening Outback Bowl Odds: Florida -7
Closing Outback Bowl Lines: Florida -7
The Buzz: The Gators moved up on the SEC bowl ladder this year to stay in the state of Florida, but they are a very suspect team for this game. Penn State got to this point by using a pair of quarterbacks, but the ball right now belongs to QB Matt McGloin. These two storied programs have a lot to prove on New Year’s Day, and it should be a good one at Raymond James Stadium. The stunning news of Head Coach Urban Meyer’s departure from Florida has sent shockwaves through this game, as it will mark the end of an era in Gainesville. New Head Coach Will Muschamp will be looking on intently in Tampa Bay in this one as he prepares to take over his first major college program.
Final Wrap: The Nittany Lions really deserved better in this game, as they were in front of this number the entire way until QB Matt McGloin threw a pick six with less than two minutes to play. Florida had a great day offensively, using three different men to take snaps, and though the Penn State defense was admirable on the day, the pick six and a blocked punt returned for a TD were too much to overcome. Florida 37 – Penn State 24
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Capital One Bowl: Michigan State Spartans vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Game Time: Saturday, January 1st, 1:00 ET
Opening Capital One Bowl Odds: Alabama -11
Closing Capital One Bowl Lines: Alabama -7.5
The Buzz: The Spartans were the odd team out in this mess known as the three teams stuck atop the Big Ten at 11-1, and though Head Coach Mark Dantonio didn’t take his team to the BCS, he did bring it to the Capital One Bowl, where it will face a stern challenge from the defending National Champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide. This was a very uncharacteristic three loss season for the Tide, who hope to rebound from a bad loss to the Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl with a ‘W’ on New Year’s Day.
Final Wrap: There was a ton of late movement on the Spartans in this one, but my, was it not warranted! This game was absolutely a romp from square one, and there was nothing that a physically dominated Michigan State team could do about it. This was the biggest beat down of the bowl season for good reason, as the defending champs made a huge statement for the start of next season. Alabama 49 – Michigan State 7
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Gator Bowl: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Michigan Wolverines
Game Time: Saturday, January 1st, 1:30 ET
Opening Gator Bowl Odds: Mississippi State -6
Closing Gator Bowl Lines: Mississippi State -3
The Buzz: Head Coach Dan Mullen had a great season this year, taking the Bulldogs to eight wins in the toughest conference and the toughest division in America. The Wolverines are going to be in question during this whole time leading up to this bowl game, as it is going to be very questionable whether Head Coach Rich Rodriguez has done enough to keep his job. QB Denard Robinson was one of the most dynamic players in the entire country this year, and he will be on display against a tough, tough ‘D’ in this one.
Final Wrap: It was the worst day in a bowl game in the history of Michigan football, and we can’t help but wonder if this was the last time that we will see Head Coach Rich Rodriguez on the sidelines in maize and blue. QB Chris Relf had a coming out party, while the defense for the Bulldogs flexed their muscles against QB Denard Robinson and the Big Blue offense. The second quarter blew this game open, but the second half is what will probably get Rodriguez dismissed. Mississippi State 52 – Michigan 14
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Rose Bowl: TCU Horned Frogs vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Game Time: Saturday, January 1st, 4:30 ET
Opening Rose Bowl Odds: TCU -3
Closing Rose Bowl Lines: TCU -3.5
The Buzz: This is the chance for the little giants to really make a big time difference in a huge game. Bringing the Horned Frogs to Pasadena certainly breaks tradition, but it is a deserving spot for the 12-0 mid majors to be. The Badgers had a great season in the Big Ten this year, and they really could make a statement in a big way if they win this game and slay the best small team in the nation. The rushing trio of RBs John Clay, James White, and Montee Ball could all end up with 1,000 yards if this game is a blowout in favor of the Badgers.
Final Wrap: It was the case of a little man beating up the big boys on New Year’s Day, as the Horned Frogs took the best shot that the Badgers had to offer and picked up the win in the Rose Bowl. The final stand came on a two point conversion play in which the Horned Frogs came up with the stop, which marked the biggest win in the history of the program. Wisky got its cover on the Rose Bowl odds, but no one in Fort Worth really cares. TCU 21 – Wisconsin 19
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Fiesta Bowl: Connecticut Huskies vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Game Time: Saturday, January 1st, 8:00 ET
Opening Fiesta Bowl Odds: Oklahoma -17
Closing Fiesta Bowl Lines: Oklahoma -14.5
The Buzz: The Huskies are playing in their first BCS bowl game ever, but this is going to be a very, very difficult task indeed. They’ll be facing one of the best offenses in the country, and a unit that is going to have a full month to prepare for the worst that a Big East defense can present. Yikes. RB Jordan Todman is going to have to be huge for UConn in this one if it plans on making any noise whatsoever. The Sooners will deploy all of their best weapons in this one, including QB Landry Jones, RB DeMarco Murray, and WR Ryan Broyles.
Final Wrap: It was a bad night for the Huskies, who ultimately ended up getting trounced by the Sooners and lost their head coach all in one swoop. It appears as though it is Head Coach Randy Edsall that is going to the Maryland Terrapins and not Mike Leach. For Oklahoma, coming out and dominating against the Big East champs really did set aside all of the lousy play in this location in the past. Oklahoma 48 – Connecticut 20
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Orange Bowl: Stanford Cardinal vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Game Time: Monday, January 3rd, 8:00 ET
Opening Orange Bowl Odds: Stanford -3
Closing Orange Bowl Lines: Stanford -3.5
The Buzz: The Cardinal deservedly ended up in the BCS, but they were probably treated awfully poorly by the BCS bowl committees, as they have to travel all the way across the country and already have their share of problems trying to fill games in their own stadium. Virginia Tech was a lock to play here after winning the ACC, and the Hokies are going to try to send out QB Tyrod Taylor, the ACC’s Player of the Year and the school’s winningest starting quarterback, out with a bang.
Final Wrap: If this really was the last time that we saw both QB Andrew Luck and Head Coach Jim Harbaugh in Stanford colors, it was certainly a sight to remember. A huge second half poured it on for the Cardinal to take down the ACC champs, though there is really nothing for Head Coach Frank Beamer to hang his head about. The Pac-10 clearly had its best showing of the bowl season to date. Stanford 40 – Virginia Tech 12
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Sugar Bowl: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Game Time: Tuesday, January 4th, 8:00 ET
Opening Sugar Bowl Odds: Ohio State -3
Closing Sugar Bowl Lines: Ohio State -3
The Buzz: The Buckeyes have to feel a bit slighted by the fact that they aren’t going to Pasadena this year, but the bottom line is that they were beaten the Wisconsin Badgers and get what they deserve for it. Arkansas made a huge run through the SEC West at the end of the season, and it owes a thank you card to the Alabama Crimson Tide for blowing that 24-0 lead against the Auburn Tigers to become the SEC’s No. 2 team. Still, QB Ryan Mallett and company deserved a BCS bid after winning ten games in the rough and tumble SEC.
Final Wrap: On a day in which the Buckeyes really thought they were going to be running away with the Sugar Bowl title, Arkansas really fought valiently, and had it picked up a blocked punt and potentially returned it for a TD instead of just falling on the ball, this might have been a different scenario. In what amounted to be one of the best bowl games of the season though, it was QB Terrelle Pryor, potentially making his last appearance as a Buckeye, who really shined, as he got it done with his legs and his arm, making the difference in a narrow escape from the Bayou. Ohio State 31 – Arkansas 26
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GoDaddy.com Bowl: Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders vs. Miami Redhawks
Game Time: Thursday, January 6th, 8:00 ET
Opening GoDaddy.com Bowl Odds: Miami -2
Closing GoDaddy.com Bowl Lines: Middle Tennessee State -1.5
The Buzz: The Blue Raiders found their way into a bowl game in spite of the fact that they got off to a horrifying start to the season that included QB Dwight Dasher getting suspended for the first month of the campaign. Miami was the shocking winner of the MAC this year, pulling off the upset as 18.5 point underdogs. Hopefully, the late bowl start time can give enough time for QB Zac Dysert to get back into the lineup.
Final Wrap: QB Dwight Dasher and RB Phillip Tanner both had some great gains on the ground in this one, but there was just no making up for some dumb mistakes and some huge plays by the Redhawks. There was never a doubt that Miami was the better team in this game, and though this was one that really did stay close for a long period of time, QB Austin Boucher was able to generate enough offense in the end to post a relatively easy victory. Miami 35 – Middle Tennessee State 21
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Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M Aggies vs. LSU Tigers
Game Time: Friday, January 7th, 8:00 ET
Opening Cotton Bowl Odds: LSU -2
Closing Cotton Bowl Lines: LSU -1
The Buzz: The Aggies and Tigers are playing in one of the annual classics that never gets ignored. The Cotton Bowl is a fantastic game every single year, and this won’t be an exception. QB Ryan Tannehill was great down the stretch, as Texas A&M won a number of games that it didn’t seem like it had a chance in, and the end result was a well deserved stay-cation in the Lone Star State.
Final Wrap: The LSU defense really excelled in this one, especially down the stretch. The Tigers got a solid game from RB Steven Ridley, who became academically eligible for the game and ended up rumbling for 105 yards and a TD. Little known RB Spencer Ware accounted for 102 yards, while QB Jordan Jefferson, who was much maligned this season, went the entire way under center, throwing for 158 yards and three TDs and rushing for 67 yards and a score to boot. LSU 41 – Texas A&M 24
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BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Kentucky Wildcats
Game Time: Saturday, January 8th, 12:00 ET
Opening BBVA Compass Bowl Odds: Pittsburgh -3
Closing BBVA Compass Bowl Lines: Pittsburgh -4.5
The Buzz: The Wildcats know that they barely snuck into a bowl game this year with six wins out of the SEC, but it’s still good to see Head Coach Joker Phillips bringing his team to a bowl in his first season in charge in Lexington. Pittsburgh was one of the biggest disappointments of the year, as it had no business ever blowing the Big East title. RB Dion Lewis and RB Ray Graham are going to be the keys to victory should the Panthers earn it in this bowl game.
Final Wrap: In the end the, the loss of suspended QB Mike Hartline really did prove to be too much for UK to overcome. The Cats never really got great play out of their offense, and the defense couldn’t stop either of the U-Pitt running backs consistently enough to make a big difference. Contrary to popular belief, the Panthers really did look like a squad that wanted to be here in Alabama, and they were easily the better team for the majority of the game. Pittsburgh 27 – Kentucky 10
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Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Boston College Eagles vs. Nevada Wolf Pack
Game Time: Sunday, January 9th, 9:00 ET
Opening Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Odds: Nevada -9.5
Closing Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Lines: Nevada -7.5
The Buzz: Two of the hottest teams in the country hook up in San Fran. The WAC champs, the Wolf Pack, are surprising entrants into this game, but it is absolutely deserving after erasing a three score deficit against the Boise State Broncos at home. BC looks like a renewed squad under the direction of QB Chase Rettig. The defense has a lot of work to do to be able to figure out how to stop the Pistol attack.
Final Wrap: The Wolf Pack seniors that worked so hard to get to this point finished out the season with flying colors, though they weren’t quite good enough offensively on this day to beat the college football odds. The Eagles were great on defense, but Rettig looked lost under center, and he just wasn’t able to capitalize on opportunities given to him. In the end, Nevada was clearly the better team, but BC was a viable option and the winning one for NCAA football picks. Nevada 20 – Boston College 13
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BCS National Championship: Oregon Ducks vs. Auburn Tigers
Game Time: Monday, January 10th, 8:30 ET
Opening BCS National Championship Odds: Auburn -3
Closing BCS National Championship Lines: Oregon -1
The Buzz: The Ducks and Tigers were two of the best teams all season long, and they were the only two teams from major college football that were able to run the table. They are both deserving candidates in this game, and two of the best players in the nation are going to be on display as well. Probable Heisman Trophy winner, QB Cam Newton is going to be squaring off against probable Heisman Trophy runner up RB LaMichael James. This should be an up and down affair in which both of these teams should be lighting up the scoreboard at will.
Final Wrap: It was supposed to be an offensive showcase. We saw plenty of thrills and spills, and there were plenty of yards, but in a game where both teams were expected to hit 40 points, it took a Wes Byrum field goal as time expired to get to 40 points in total between the two teams. RB Michael Dyer’s ridiculous 37 yard run on the closing drive of the game set up the winner, and it gave the Tigers their first title in the Gene Chizik era. Auburn 22 – Oregon 19
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The College Football version of the postseason is underway and teams they would normally never play each other are squared off to battle in front of the nation. The College Football Bowl season is always exciting for a number of reasons. One reason is that fans get to see their favorite teams play one last game. Often times these teams get to play schools from another conference which promises for exciting football. Ever year the Bowl Season has some great games and its share of one-sided affairs. However, this season the majority of the Bowl Games have been really intriguing. Nearly every game has been very close and this Bowl Season has been perhaps a lot more entertaining than in previous years.

So far there has been 8 Bowl Games played this season. While usually the Bowl Games that take place early in the postseason are not as entertaining, this season all the games have been impressive. The majority of College Football fans do not tune into the Bowl Games until New Year’s Day or afterwards when the top games are featured. The early games are often mismatches and bad football games. This season has not disappointed as almost every game has been close and fun to watch. In the 8 Bowls played, 6 of those games have been settled by 10 points or less. Christmas Eve’s Sheraton Hawaii Bowl was a one-sided affair, but many watched to see if the Notre Dame Fighting Irish could end the nation’s longest Bowl losing streak. The Fighting Irish snapped the 9 straight Bowl losses streak pounded on Hawaii 49-21. While the game was not as close as others, it was still highly rated for viewings and was fun to watch. The only other game that was one-sided was that of the Magicjack Bowl with the South Florida Bulls crushing the Memphis Tigers 41-14. For the rest of the Bowl Season, it has been nothing but great football.

Wake Forest and Navy started off the season with a great game in the EagleBank Bowl. Navy jumped out in front 13-0, but could not hold off the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest would rally in an exciting comeback to pull off the victory 29-19. The New Mexico Bowl was the next to take the stage and it would showcase two very talented offenses in a scoring shootout. Talk about exciting, Colorado State and Fresno State combined to score 75 points. Colorado State would hold on late for a 40-35 win over Fresno State in what was a fun game to watch for two schools you normally may not see on T.V. The Bowl Season is always full of upsets and surprises, but nobody really expected Arizona to be able to pull off a victory against #16 BYU. However, the Wildcats did just that when they took down Brigham Young 31-21. The game was a great battle for the nation to watch between the PAC-10 and the Mountain West Conferences.

Two of the best games so far this postseason came from the Poinsettia and New Orleans Bowl Games. The New Orleans Bowl showcased an instant classic between Southern Mississippi and Troy. The Trojans came into the game as the favorites and the two teams went back and forth trading the lead the entire game. Regulation time could not decide this exciting battle as the teams had to go to overtime. In College Football, both teams get the ball in overtime. Southern Miss scored on a field goal in their offensive possession. Troy was held on offensive and attempted a field goal of their own, however the Golden Eagle blocked the field goal to end the game highlighting one of the more exciting games in recent history. Another absolute wonderful football games came in the way of the Poinsettia Bowl. #11 TCU faced off with one of only two undefeated teams in College Football this season in #9 Boise State. The battle between nearly two top 10 teams would be anything but disappointing. The Broncos felt a little disappointment as they felt they should have received an at-large BCS Bowl berth due to their undefeated campaign. A win over TCU who sports the nation 2nd best overall defense would have made their statement even stronger. The Broncos jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the game and seemed to be rolling. However, the defense for TCU would rise to the challenge shutting down Boise State for the rest of the game. TCU captured a late game winning in exciting fashion 17-16 ending Boise State’s undefeated season. The win marked the 4th straight Bowl victory for TCU which equaled a school-record.

Last night’s Bowl match-up was another that did not disappoint football fans. Florida Atlantic and Central Michigan held up a strong battle featuring two inferior programs. The Owls of Florida Atlantic held on by a field goal 24-21 to capture the win in the Motor City Bowl. The game capped off a series of great games in the last week over the Christmas Holidays. From here on out, the Bowl Games will pick up in numbers. Today there will be 3 exciting Bowl Games to take place and many will follow featuring highly notable teams. If the start of this Bowl Season is any indication of how the next two weeks will play out, then we are in for some very exciting football.

3 Other games that will be worth to keep an eye on besides the game everybody will be watching in the BCS Championship is:

Capitol One Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan State

Two teams with identical records (9-3) square off in a classic battle between the SEC and the Big 10. Georgia brings the speed of the SEC and the Spartans bring a powerful running game to the table. This should be a great game highlighting the play of two conferences that take great pride in beating each other

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State

This particular match-up features two of football’s elite powerhouses. The Trojans are hosting in their 4th straight Rose Bowl. The game should be rather low-scoring compared to the way many would expect. USC has one of the best defenses in recent memory and Penn State has a great defensive themselves along with a good running game. These two teams were both predicted at times to contend for a National Title this season and it will be interesting to see who can conquer who in a clash of titans.

Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech

The Red Raiders were ranked as high as #2 this season before getting blasted by Oklahoma. Ole Miss is among one of the most improved teams in the nation. Texas Tech has one of the very best offenses in College Football, but it will be interesting to see how they stack up against an SEC defense. The SEC has made their name known for defense in recent years and they will get the chance again in a game that many think Ole Miss has no chance to win.

The College Football Bowl Schedule has now been released and we look forward to an exciting college football postseason. The Holiday season looks to bring a number of big football match-ups and conference showdowns. While all the Bowl games look to be exciting, we break down the top 10 Bowl Games to watch over the Holidays.

10. Sheraton Hawaii Bowl (Honolulu, HI)
Hawaii Warriors (7-6) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-6)
The Hawaii Warriors will stay on the island the postseason as they host the Fighting Irish. The Irish barely made it into the postseason and will be fighting to end their NCAA record 9 straight bowl games losses. The Warriors played very well to end the season while the Irish only won once out of the last 5 games of the season. The Hawaii bowl has not been very popular for the media over the years, but Notre Dame should bring some attention to the island this time around.

9. Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando, Florida)
Florida State Seminoles (8-4) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (7-5)
The Seminoles were the class of the ACC for much of the early season, but fell off a bit down the stretch. The Noles won 6 of their first 7 games, but simply ran out of steam late in the year. Wisconsin went through a tough middle season stretch losing 4 games in a row but recovered towards the end of the year nicely. The Badgers failed to score any impressive victories this year in the Big 10 or outside the conference for that matter. The advantage should go to Florida State in this game considering Wisconsin has struggled against strong defenses plus the Seminoles stay inside the state and will not have travel very far.

8. Outback Bowl (Tampa, FL)
South Carolina Gamecocks (7-5) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4)
The Outback Bowl has had a history of great games between the SEC and the Big 10. South Carolina defeated Ohio State in their last two trips to the Outback Bowl in 2000 and 2001. Iowa ruined Penn State’s chances at a National Championship this season with a 24-23 victory. The Hawkeyes closed out the season pretty well winning 5 of their last 6 games. This game should be a low scoring affair showcasing two of the better defenses in college football. South Carolina should have the advantage if they can keep from turning over the ball which has been their problem all year. Still, this game has the makings to be a very physical SEC vs. Big 10 battle.

7. Konica Minolta Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, FL)
Clemson Tigers (7-5) vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-4)
The Clemson Tigers rebounded very well from their early season meltdown. The Tigers started the year ranked #9 in the nation, but things quickly fell apart. Tommy Bowden resigned as Coach leaving the team to interim coach Dabo Swinney. The Tigers ended the year strong winning 4 of their last 5 games and earned Swinney the Head Coach Job at Clemson. Nebraska on the other hand had a solid season from start to end. The Cornhuskers 3 of 4 losses came from teams ranked in the top 7 in the country at that particular time. This game will be fun to watch because anything could happen. Nebraska could hold the slight edge considering they have an offense that tends to score a lot of points while Clemson has been subject to inconsistency.

6. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona)
#3 Texas Longhorns (11-1) vs. #10 Ohio State (10-2)
This game probably has a sour taste for Longhorn fans considering they may feel they should have had a shot to play in the National Championship. The Longhorns were kept out of the Big 12 and BCS Title Game due to the BCS System which has failed miserably with the number of quality football teams this season. Texas beat Oklahoma but the computer ranking placed Oklahoma in the title game. Texas has the ability to play with anyone in the country and will be the favorite over the Buckeyes. Ohio State will not be playing in a National Championship this year as they have over the past two seasons when they were beat in both games by the teams from the SEC. The Buckeyes will bring a tough defense and strong running attack, but doubtfully will have the power to keep up with the Longhorns offense.

5. Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego, CA)
TCU Horned Frogs (10-2) vs. #9 Boise State Broncos (12-0)
This particular match-up has the makings to be a great game. Boise State is one of only two undefeated teams left in college football along with Utah. This game will be a grudge match when the Boise State offense meets a stout TCU defense. The Horned Frogs two losses this season came from Oklahoma and a 3 point loss to Utah. TCU is a very physical team that will give the Broncos a tough time. Boise State has been strong on both sides of the ball this season and has a very dangerous scoring offense that can strike quickly. The stage is set for a very exciting game as two different styles of football meet. Boise State tends to score a lot of points while TCU games are usually low score defensive struggles. Boise State should be the favorite, but TCU perhaps will be prime for the upset. Anybody could win this one.

4. Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA)
#4 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) vs. #7 Utah Utes (12-0)
Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide will not get to play for a National Title after losing the SEC Championship. However, the Crimson Tide will get a chance to do what no team has done this season in defeating Utah. The Utes ended the year as one of only two undefeated teams in America earning them an at-large BCS Bowl bid. Alabama will bring the power of the SEC to do battle with the Mountain West Champions. The game has important implications regarding the current BCS System. If Utah could pull of the victory, the definitely have the argument they should have been giving the chance to play in a National Championship despite their relatively easy schedule this season. Alabama should be able to win this game in the trenches, but as Boise State proved against Oklahoma, anything can happen.

3. AT&T Cotton Bowl (Dallas, TX)
#8 Texas Tech (11-1) vs. #20 Mississippi Rebels (8-4)
Texas Tech ended the season with one loss just like other Big 12 teams Oklahoma and Texas. The Red Raiders lost the conference tie-breaker considering they were ranked around #10 in the nation after suffering a blowout loss to Oklahoma. I have this game ranked higher than where many would rank this game because I feel it stages an interesting matchup between the SEC and Big 12. The Red Raiders were ranked as high as #2 in the nation this year with their explosive high scoring offense. Houston Nutt has done a heck of a job at Mississippi this season leading the Rebels to an 8-4 record with more wins than the previous two seasons combined. The Rebels are the only team to beat Florida this season as well. While Texas Tech will be the favorite, Mississippi will try to come up with a defensive scheme to confuse the Red Raider offense. One of the best in the Big 12 takes on an SEC team to be considered middle of the road in their conference.

2. Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)
#5 Southern Cal Trojans (11-1) vs. #6 Penn State Nittany Lions (11-1)
A pair of one loss conference champions square off in Pasadena, California. USC won the Pac-10 Title this season while Penn State grabbed the Big 10 crown. Both teams have a legitimate argument that they deserved attention for playing in the National Championship, and one team will try to justify that argument. USC is playing as good of defense as anyone in college football while Penn State was a single point away from having a perfect season. This clash of titans will take place in the home of the Trojans where they will be playing in their 4^th straight Rose Bowl. Considering the level of play the Trojan defense has played this season, I give the advantage to USC in this matchup.

1. BCS National Championship (Miami,FL)
#1 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) vs. #2 Florida Gators (12-1)
Despite the BCS controversy, the two best teams in the National will be playing in college football’s biggest game. The Sooners and the Gators separated themselves from the rest of the college football world with their huge blowouts and explosive offense. This title game will be extremely exciting to watch and you can bet that there will be a bunch of points scored. Two of the best scoring offenses in the nation will square off and all eyes will be watching this epic battle. The Sooners will be gunning to dethrone the SEC from the 2 year reign as National Champions while Florida will be trying to win their 2^nd Championship in 3 years. Oklahoma broke a NCAA record to end the season becoming the first team ever to score 60 points or more in 5 straight games. Florida blew through the SEC with blowouts like no team has in a very long time and sealed the deal with a tough SEC Championship victory over Alabama. It seems like neither team is possible of being defeated considering how well they have been playing late in the season. The interesting matchup to watch will be if the Gators defense be able to slow down the Sooner offense. I would like to give the advantage to Oklahoma, but the SEC has proven that they are a conference that breeds National Titles.

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