The Iowa State Cyclones only just made it into the bowl season this year, but they got the job done and will be headed to the 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl. There, they will try to beat the 2011 college football bowl game odds against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Iowa State Cyclones
Pinstripe Bowl Location: New Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Pinstripe Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 30th, 3:20 p.m. (ET)
Pinstripe Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2011-12 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: ISU’s defense has to stay strong
When you look at the last three games of the year for the Cyclones, you see 31, 26, and 30 points allowed, and you would think that that isn’t all that great. However, when you consider the fact that those games were home against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, at the Oklahoma Sooners, and at the Kansas State Wildcats, you realize just how well this unit has played. In fact, over the course of the first six games of the season, Iowa State’s defense was just atrocious, allowing 41 or more points three times. However, something happened around October 29th with the win against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and from that point on, this unit has absolutely overachieved. Rutgers doesn’t have an overwhelming offense to say the least, so we are expecting the Cyclones to come up with a good effort in the 20s or so if they are to win this game.

Pinstripe Bowl Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Rutgers Scarlet Knights -1.5
Iowa State Cyclones +1.5
Over/Under 44.5
Click Here to Bet The Pinstripe Bowl Picks!

Key #2: Mohamed Sanu needs to make his big impact on this game
This has been a year in which Sanu has finally been used more as a receiver than anything else. In the past, Head Coach Greg Schiano has used him as a passer, a runner, a return man, a receiver… you name it, Sanu did it. This year though, he was tempered and held to just being the team’s top wide out and a return man. He had 1,144 yards on 109 receptions with seven TDs, and he was the primary punt returner as well, though he only had 56 yards on 11 returns. Schiano knows that Sanu is going to have to get involved in a tremendous way in this one, as he is the best (and really the only) tremendous superstar that can bust a touchdown on any given play. If Sanu touches the ball 15 times in this game, he is going to need to make sure at least a few of those are the big time impact plays that change the course of a game.

Key #3: One team has to excel in the kicking game
The kicking game has been absolutely atrocious for both of these teams this year, and playing outdoors in a wild, potentially windy stadium like Yankee Stadium isn’t going to help. Iowa State missed four extra points this year and only converted on 10-of-16 field goal attempts. Only one kick was made from longer than 43 yards this year, and the team went 1-of-4 in those situations. It is clear that the Cyclones have to get inside the Rutgers 30 yard line to even think about booting a field goal, especially if the wind is kicking up. K San San Te for Rutgers wasn’t all that much better this year. He missed a PAT and went just 18-of-28 on field goals. He missed three field goals from 50+, three from 40-49 yards, but most notably, four from 20-39 yards. To make matter worse for Rutgers, its punting game isn’t all that great either, averaging less than 40 yards per punt, which isn’t getting the job done. You would like to think that the team that makes the most plays in the kicking game will be the one that proves to be victorious, but in this case, it is probably going to be the team that makes the most mistakes will probably prove to lose.

Click Here to get the best college football picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our Pinstripe Bowl picks and the NCAA football picks for the rest of the bowl game odds.

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College Football betting season will be here in just over a month! To get you ready, let’s take a look at the odds to win the very contentious Big East conference at Bankroll Sports, sponsored by BetUS.com.

Among the solid contenders for this year’s title are the Pittsburgh Panthers (+250 at BetUS). The offense has a new starting quarterback in sophomore Tino Sunseri, but new QBs are not uncommon this year in the conference. Plenty of talent surrounds him, starting with RB Dion Lewis, last season’s National Freshman of the Year. Sunseri will also have two talented throwing options in junior Jonathan Baldwin and sophomore Mike Shanahan. The defense will remain difficult to beat, with an excellent pair of pass rushing senior DEs in Jaball Sheard and Greg Romeus. Senior safety Dom DeCicco will anchor the secondary. The Panthers have a difficult schedule; they will face Connecticut and Cincinnati on the road, while hosting West Virginia. However, non-conference games against Utah and Miami(FL) will prepare this unit for Big East glory.

The Connecticut Huskies (+250 at BetUS.com) lost several close games last season, but return plenty of stars to take another crack at the title. It starts with senior QB Zach Frazer, who didn’t end up with impressive numbers last season, but had a strong finish. He is accompanied by junior running back Jordan Todman, a rising star in the Big East. The wide receiving corps is now lacking a big playmaker, but juniors Kashif and Isiah Moore at least have some experience. On defense, there is little concern. Eight starters return, including first-team all conference linebacker Lawrence Wilson. Three of the front four are also back. The Huskies kickoff conference play at Rutgers, but things are made slightly easier because Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Cincinnati all travel to East Hartford.

Looking to sneak into contention are the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+500 at BetUS). Their offense features the return of QB Tom Savage, who showed great talent last season as a freshman. With him will be a versatile weapon in sophomore WR Mohammed Sanu. Senior RB Joe Martinek will again lead the rushing attack, while freshman Casey Turner will provide a second option. The Knights’ defense could again be one of the best in the nation, let alone the conference. All-American DT Scott Vallone leads a large line upfront. Two senior starting linebackers return, and safety Joe Lefegad will lead the secondary. Rutgers opens conference play at home against Connecticut, with spread out road tests at Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and West Virginia.

The Big East is loaded with talent, but somebody has to lose. In the cellar, you will find the Louisville Cardinals (+800 at BetUS). First year head coach Charlie Strong is implementing a new spread offense for senior quarterback Adam Froman, who took a beating on the field and on the stat sheet last year. A razor thin wide receiving unit will be led by junior Doug Beaumont, who didn’t catch a touchdown pass last year, and sophomore Josh Chichester. The rushing attack will be led by three backs: Victor Anderson, Darius Ashley, and Bilal Powell. A defense that has just four starters returning will see plenty of new faces. Short of two senior linebackers coming back, several starters remain unnamed. The team is expecting big things from freshman DT De’Antre Rhodes. It will take awhile for this unit to gel, and the pressure will be on as the offense learns its new system.

Big East Odds @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 7/27/10):
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Connecticut +250
Pittsburgh +250
West Virginia +250
Cincinnati +500
Rutgers +500
South Florida +500
Louisville +800
Syracuse +1500