The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas pits teams from the Big XII and the Big Ten against one another, as the Northwestern Wildcats go in search of the upset on the NCAA football bowl odds against the Texas A&M Aggies.

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Texas A&M Aggies vs. Northwestern Wildcats
Meineke Car Care Bowl Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Meineke Car Care Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 31st, 12:00 p.m. (ET)
Meineke Car Care 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: A&M has to want to be in this game
This was a season of “What if” for the Aggies. They were really the cream of the crop at the outset of the season in the Big XII, and they were expected to challenge the Oklahoma Sooners for the league title. However, a loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys early on in the year for the second straight season spoiled the party. Unlike last year though, the team never really rebounded, and it ended up with a disappointing .500 campaign. A&M doesn’t really get all that much of a road trip for this bowl game, and it has to take on a Northwestern team that is high on life every time that it gets to play anywhere near January 1st. The Wildcats are going to bring their “A Game,” and the question is whether the Aggies will as well or not. Without Mike Sherman calling the shots any longer with this program, it is a wonder whether or not A&M will have any desire to try to come out to win this game.

Meineke Car Care Bowl Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Texas A&M Aggies -10
Northwestern Wildcats +10
Over/Under 67
Click Here to Bet The Meineke Car Care Bowl Picks!

Key #2: Northwestern has to keep its offense balanced
When QB Dan Persa is calling the shots for this offense, the Wildcats do a great job of moving the ball with the passing game. He is a remarkable accurate passer, and the offensive scheme is a bit of a West Coast look which promotes a lot of short, convertible passes. However, the ground game is always a question mark. The team’s most talented back, RB Mike Trumpy has been out of the lineup since October and won’t play in this one, and Persa’s legs don’t work nearly as well as they did before he got injured at the end of last season. QB Kain Kolter lines up all over the field and throws it, runs it, and catches it, but his rushing yards aren’t the ones that we are concerned about. The trio of RBs Jacob Schmidt, Treyvon Green, and Adonis Smith, who combined for over 1,000 yards this year, really need to make sure that this offense stays balanced. Getting away from the run could be a bad thing against the Aggies, but it is easy to do considering the fact that they rank No. 13 in the nation against the run at just 106.0 yards per game.

Key #3: Cyrus Gray needs to do it all for the Aggies
Northwestern has had all sorts of problems trying to stop some of the best running backs in the Big Ten, and Gray is the type of runner that could really kill it. He rumbled for 1,045 yards and 12 TDs on the year, and he also caught 31 passes out of the backfield and could be a factor that way as well. Without RB Christine Michael, who is out for the season with a knee injury, the backfield really belongs to just Gray. He may return some kicks as well. The end result is that the ball needs to get in Gray’s hands at least 20-25 times in this one, and if it doesn’t, the Aggies could be in some trouble.

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

Current Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma Game Odds Can Be Found Below

This is an interesting season in the Big XII, due to the fact that there are only 10 teams this season. The Oklahoma Sooners are the overwhelming favorites to claim the conference crown, but the biggest team that might be standing in their way are the Texas A&M Aggies. There is a huge advantage to the Sooners with this one being played in Norman, but the Aggies definitely have their chance to make a big time impact on the conference title race and the National Championship picture.

Texas A&M Aggies @ Oklahoma Sooners Picks & Info
Texas A&M Aggies @ Oklahoma Sooners Date: Saturday, November 5th
Texas A&M Aggies @ Oklahoma Sooners Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK
Texas A&M Aggies @ Oklahoma Sooners Spread: Oklahoma Sooners -9.5

The good news for the Aggies this year is that the mass majority of their games of importance are either at home or at neutral sites. In fact, this is going to be the second time all season long that A&M leaves the Lone Star State, and it is only the second of three trips outside of the state. Last year, QB Ryan Tannehill really had a nice game in relief of the ineffective QB Jerrod Johnson, throwing for 225 yards and two TDs. The 33-19 victory was the biggest of the season for A&M, and it really sparked it to such a fantastic season. It was the first time that the Aggies won a game in this series since 2002, but they haven’t won a game here in Norman since 1997.

Texas A&M Aggies vs. Oklahoma Sooners Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Texas A&M 33 – Oklahoma 19
2009: Oklahoma 65 – Texas A&M 10
2008: Oklahoma 66 – Texas A&M 28
2007: Oklahoma 42 – Texas A&M 14
2006: Oklahoma 17 – Texas A&M 16
2005: Oklahoma 36 – Texas A&M 30
2004: Oklahoma 42 – Texas A&M 35
2003: Oklahoma 77 – Texas A&M 0
2002: Texas A&M 30 – Oklahoma 26
2001: Oklahoma 31 – Texas A&M 10
2000: Oklahoma 35 – Texas A&M 31
1999: Oklahoma 51 – Texas A&M 6
1998: Texas A&M 29 – Oklahoma 0
1997: Texas A&M 51 – Oklahoma 7
1996: Texas A&M 33 – Oklahoma 16

The Sooners really have a bone to pick with the Aggies this year after that loss last season, and an offense that put up 372 yards worth of offense is almost totally intact. QB Landry Jones had to throw 59 passes in last year’s defeat, but he only came up with 36 completions and 290 total yards. The rushing game just didn’t have it either on the day. Head Coach Bob Stoops knows that his defense can’t let Tannehill and the A&M offense have its way once again like it did last year.

Texas A&M Aggies @ Oklahoma Sooners Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/30/11):
(Get a HUGE 50% Bonus at 5Dimes.com When Using This Link)

Texas A&M Aggies (+9.5) @ Oklahoma Sooners

In the state of Texas, football is a heck of a lot more than just a game, especially when two of the teams from in state are playing one another. A Big XII title could be on the line at the end of the season when the Texas A&M Aggies play host to the Texas Longhorns in what is clearly one of the best battles on the NCAA football odds of the season.

Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies Picks & Info
Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies Date: Thursday, November 24th, 2011
Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies Location: Kyle Field, College Station, TX
Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies Spread: Texas A&M Aggies -6

Texas was really a train wreck last season, finishing 5-7 and just 2-6 in conference play. Now, Head Coach Mack Brown also has to deal with the loss of his defensive coordinator, and his coach in waiting, Will Muschamp, who fled to the University of Florida in the offseason. This year though, the question is going to be whether QB Garrett Gilbert is going to be able to step up. He was an absolute disaster in 2010, throwing for just 2,744 yards and 10 TDs against 17 picks, numbers which just pale in comparison to those of his predecessors like Colt McCoy and Vince Young.

Texas Longhorns vs. Texas A&M Aggies Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Texas A&M 24 – Texas 17
2009: Texas 49 – Texas A&M 39
2008: Texas 49 – Texas A&M 9
2007: Texas A&M 38 – Texas 30
2006: Texas A&M 12 – Texas 7
2005: Texas 40 – Texas A&M 29
2004: Texas 26 – Texas A&M 13
2003: Texas 46 – Texas A&M 15
2002: Texas 50 – Texas A&M 20
2001: Texas 21 – Texas A&M 7
2000: Texas 43 – Texas A&M 17
1999: Texas A&M 20 – Texas 16
1998: Texas 26 – Texas A&M 24
1997: Texas A&M 27 – Texas 16
1996: Texas 51 – Texas A&M 16
1995: Texas 16 – Texas A&M 6

For a change, the Aggies are really going to be the decided favorite in this game, something that they haven’t been in a number of years. And why not? Head Coach Mike Sherman saved his job last year by taking out his onetime Heisman Trophy contender, QB Jerrod Johnson and replacing him with QB Ryan Tannehill, who absolutely lit the world on fire. The Aggies have a great returning backfield and should have an offense that is tough to stop. The question is whether or not a defense which allowed 366 yards per game last season and had some absolutely brutal moments against teams like Oklahoma State and LSU can right the ship and keep A&M in the driver’s seat. This should be a game that Aggies fans are definitely looking forward to this season, as it could really be a romp. This might not be a bad number to invest in right now at -6.

Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/17/11):
(Get a HUGE 50% Bonus at 5Dimes.com When Using This Link)

Texas Longhorns (+6) @ Texas A&M Aggies

Though neither the LSU Tigers nor the Texas A&M Aggies were quite good enough this year to make it to a BCS bowl game, there is no doubt that this one on Friday night at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX is surely going to be one that you don’t want to miss! The 75th annual Cotton Bowl kicks off on Friday night, and before you even think about making your college football picks for this game, be sure to check out our three keys to the game.

Key #1: Ryan Tannehill has to play at his best against his toughest task of the season
Though we know that the Aggies went 6-0 SU and ATS from the point that Tannehill came under center replacing QB Jerrod Johnson, we have to remember that this is going to be just his sixth start in his career. He has only thrown for just over 1,500 yards in his career and that he has only thrown the ball a total of 208 times. For as great as Tannehill played this year, we also have to remember that he really didn’t do all that hot against the two toughest defenses he faced this year, those of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Texas Longhorns. In those two games, he only combined to put 33 points on the board, and he threw for an even 300 yards and just one TD between the two games. If he only has around 150 yards passing in this one, the Bayou Bengals are going to be swarming all over the place. This LSU ‘D’ might have allowed 31 and 36 points in its last two games respectively, but it still held teams under 300 yards per game this year and is a very lethal bunch, especially to an inexperienced signal caller.

Cotton Bowl Odds at JustBet
Texas A&M Aggies +2
LSU Tigers -2
Over/Under 49
Click Here to Bet on Your Cotton Bowl Picks!

Key #2: Stevan Ridley needs to play and play effectively to give the LSU offense a chance at scoring
Ridley was never really the greatest back on the face of the earth, but after essentially just being a backup for years, he had a solid season this year, rushing for 1,043 yards and 14 TDs. Though he never really had that bust out game that you were waiting for, he did have a very consistent season in the SEC, running for at least 75 but no more than 90 yards against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Mississippi Rebels, and Arkansas Razorbacks in his last three conference tussles. Ridley touched the ball 236 times this year, and he had 14 of the team’s 34 offensive touchdowns. There really isn’t a passing game to speak of, as neither QB Jordan Jefferson nor QB Jarrett Lee really has a clue all the time about where the pigskin is going, and every time they are struggling, they put the pigskin back in his hands. A&M had a fantastic defense this year, ranking No. 23 in the land against the rush at 116.2 yards per game, and in the Big XII, that’s really an impressive feat.

Key #3: There’s going to have to be a star shine for A&M that we probably don’t see coming
It’s easy to think that either RB Cyrus Gray or WR Jeff Fuller is going to have to be the star that shines the brightest outside of Tannehill for the Aggies to pull off the modest upset against the Bayou Bengals in this one, but we tend to believe that there is going to be an X-Factor in here somewhere that makes the difference for A&M to win. Sophomore WR Kenric McNeal has come on strong over the course of the last two games that he has played, catching ten total passes for 114 yards. He’ll be the fourth wide receiver in the spread packages that Head Coach Mike Sherman calls for, and he’ll probably be the target against either a linebacker or an LSU safety that might not be as great at covering as some of the DBs. Regardless of whether it is McNeal or someone else that you aren’t thinking of, someone has to step up to make the big time difference here for the Aggies.

The 2010 college football betting season is nearly here! Though anyone can rank the teams No. 1 to No. 25 in the nation in terms of SU records, here at Bankroll Sports, we are ranking our Top 25 underrated teams that could be monsters for your against the college football odds this season.

25. Ball State Cardinals (2-10, 6-5 ATS in 2009) – After a magical run in 2008 in which the Cardinals flirted with an undefeated season, Ball State came crashing back down to Earth last year under first-year HC Stan Parrish. However, this year Ball State returns their entire offense from 2009, including 2nd team All-MAC RB Miquale Lewis who should go down as the school’s all-time leading rusher with even a halfway decent 2010 campaign. The Cardinals have been friends to college football betting fans over the past five years, going 35-22-1 ATS in that span.

24. Air Force Falcons (8-5, 7-4-1 ATS in 2009) – Since taking over for the legendary Fisher DeBerry, HC Troy Calhoun has excelled in his first three years at the Air Force Academy, taking the Falcons to a 25-14 record and three straight Armed Forces Bowl appearances. QB Tim Jefferson is a dual-threat passer who can beat team with his arm or his legs and should be one of the best in the conference if he can stay healthy for the whole season.

23. Syracuse Orange (4-8, 6-5 ATS in 2009) – The Orange may be seen as a surprising candidate to be on this list, but Syracuse showed marked improvement in their first year under new HC Doug Marrone. Although the Orange managed just one more win in 2009 than in 2008, the Syracuse program showed signs of life for the first time in years, especially when the mass exodus of 20+ players prior to the start of the 2009 season is considered. The key to the offense will be RB Delone Carter who carried the ball for 1,021 yards and 11 TDs last year.

22. Rice Owls (2-10, 4-7-1 ATS in 2009) – Much like Ball State, Rice went from a fantastic 2008 CFB wagering season to a disastrous campaign in 2009. For the 2010 season though, the Owls bring back 18 starters and one of the more experienced offensive lines in the nation to provide protection for QB Nick Fanuzzi. Fanuzzi showed some promise last season in completing 60 percent of his passes for 1,598 yards with 11 TDs and eight INTs and will look to get even better in 2010.

21. Idaho Vandals (8-5, 8-5 ATS in 2009) – In any other conference in America, QB Nathan Enderle would have garnered all-conference honors last season and would be considered one of the conference favorites for Offensive Player of the Year. Last season, Venderle completed over 60 percent of his passes for 2,906 yards with 22 TDs and nine INTs while leading the Vandals to their first winning season of the decade.

20. Oregon State Beavers (8-5, 7-5 ATS in 2009) – Over the last decade, the Beavers have been one of the best teams against the NCAA betting odds in the country, going 68-48-1 ATS. With the return of the Rodgers brothers (WR James and RB Jacquizz), HC Mike Riley’s Beavers have one of the most formidable offenses in the Pac-10 and should once again challenge for the Pac-10 title now that the Trojans are ineligible to take home the trophy.

19. North Texas Mean Green (2-10, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – With only five wins over the past three seasons, it seems rather unlikely that North Texas could be on any Top 25 list, but the Mean Green have 17 returning starters and a very manageable schedule. RB Lance Dunbar had a monster season for North Texas last year, carrying the ball for 1,378 yards and 17 touchdowns en route to 1st team All-SBC honors in 2009. Dunbar looks to continue the tradition of quality running backs at North Texas, following in the footsteps of Jamario Thomas and Cedric Cobbs.

18. Baylor Bears (4-8, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Many pundits thought that 2009 would be the year that the Baylor Bears turned the corner, but those dreams were derailed in Week 3 after sensational QB Robert Griffin tore his ACL and back-up QB Blake Szymanski injured his shoulder. Griffin looks like he is back to form though and if he can stay healthy has a real chance to take the Bears to their first bowl appearance since 1994.

17. Miami Redhawks (1-11, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Things haven’t looked good in Oxford over the past half decade, but there is reason for Redhawks fans to be excited in 2010. In HC Mike Haywood’s second year, the Redhawks return 19 starters from 2009 while many of their opponents in the MAC East are reloading. Miami probably isn’t good enough to make a bowl this season, but should keep games close and cover a lot of college football gambling spreads.

16. UTEP Miners (4-8, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Inconsistent wouldn’t even begin to describe the UTEP Miners’ 2009 season. In their first C-USA game of the season, the Miners upset #12 and then undefeated Houston 58-41 as a two TD underdog on the NCAA gambling odds. In UTEP’s very next game they suffered an embarrassing 15 point loss at Memphis, giving the Tigers their only FBS win of 2009. With one of the best backfield tandems in the conference in QB Trevor Vittatoe and All-American RB Donald Buckram, the Miners will be able to put up a lot of points this season.

15. South Carolina Gamecocks (7-6, 7-5 ATS in 2009) – With the graduation of the record-setting Tim Tebow, the SEC East is the most open its been in years and the Gamecocks are in good position to take advantage of this. They usually have one of the better defenses in the country and if QB Stephen Garcia can continue to develop like he has over the past two seasons, South Carolina could flirt with a 10 win season.

14. Connecticut Huskies (8-5, 9-2-1 ATS in 2009) – Few would deny that Randy Edsall has done one of the best jobs in the country in guiding UConn from the FCS level to the FBS level. Over the past three years, Edsall has really hit his stride with the team going 25-14 and winning back-to-back bowl games. The Huskies have also been one of the best teams for NCAA wagering enthusiasts with the team going 63-42-2 ATS since 2000.

13. Texas A&M Aggies (6-7, 6-7 ATS in 2009) – Mike Sherman’s Aggies benefit from only having four road games this year, and in only one of those four road games (@ Texas) will they be a prohibitive underdog. Texas A&M has 16 returning starters this season, including QB Jerrod Johnson who passed for 3,579 yards to go with 30 TDs against just eight interceptions on his way to a 2nd team All-Big 12 selection in 2009.

12. UCF Knights (8-5, 9-3 ATS in 2009) – Last year, not much was expected of the UCF Knights after a 2008 campaign in which the Knights had one of the worst offenses in the country. However, HC George O’Leary turned to the running game last year and found a valuable asset in RB Brynn Harvey. Last season, Harvey ran for 1,109 yards and 14 touchdowns while picking up 3rd team All-C-USA honors. Harvey suffered a knee injury in spring, but is expected to miss no more than a few games at most.

11. Michigan Wolverines (5-7, 5-6 ATS in 2009) – HC Rich Rodriguez might be on the hottest seat in the country after managing just an 8-16 record and zero bowl appearances in his first two seasons as the head coach of one of the most storied programs in the country. This season, though, will be the first where Rodriguez has a clear-cut choice at QB to run his system in Tate Forcier. With Forcier at the helm, the Wolverines will almost certainly improve on their paltry 7-16 mark against the CFB betting line over the past two seasons.

10. Temple Owls (9-4, 8-4 ATS in 2009) – Al Golden has done a remarkable job in turning around a horrific Temple program that hadn’t made a bowl game in 30 years prior to the Owls making the EagleBank Bowl in 2009. This season, the Owls return almost all of their skill position players and 16 starters to a team that should be considered the favorite to win the MAC East.

9. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-5, 5-6 ATS in 2009) – North Carolina may have the best defense in the country this season with a bevy of NFL prospects at every position along the defensive front. DE Robert Quinn, LB Quan Sturdivant, CB Kendric Burney, and FS Deunta Williams all garnered 1st team All-ACC selections in 2009, while DT Marvin Austin, LB Bruce Carter, and SS Da’Norris Searcy all picked up 2nd team honors. With 19 returning starters in all, the Tar Heels should be one of the best teams against the NCAA odds in 2010.

8. Nevada Wolfpack (8-5, 7-6 ATS in 2009) – When QB Colin Kaepernick pulls the strings, the Wolfpack have one of the most exciting offenses in the country. Last season, Nevada managed an NCAA first when the Wolfpack had three different players (Kaepernick, Vai Taua, and Luke Lippencott) rush for over 1000 yards. In WAC play, the Wolfpack have been especially great the past five seasons, going 26-14 ATS for CFB wagering fans over that time.

7. Washington Huskies (5-7, 7-5 ATS in 2009) – Jake Locker is considered by many to be the top pick in the 2011 draft, and the strong-armed quarterback showed off just what he could do in his first year under new HC Steve Sarkisian. In 2009, Locker became much more polished as a quarterback, throwing for 2,800 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in a season where they flirted with a bowl bid. This year, with 18 returning starters, the Huskies will be in great shape to make their first bowl appearance since 2002.

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-6, 4-8 ATS in 2009) – Although QB Jimmy Clausen and WR Golden Tate have departed, the Fighting Irish are primed to turn some heads in the first year of new HC Brian Kelly. Kelly had one of the best offenses in the country at Cincinnati last year and inherits an offense with a lot of weapons in RB Armando Allen, WR Michael Floyd, and TE Kyle Rudolph. The key to the season for Notre Dame will be how well sophomore QB Dayne Crist can perform in his first season running the offense.

5. Florida State Seminoles (7-6, 4-8 ATS in 2009) – Before getting hurt, QB Christian Ponder looked well on his way to having one of the best seasons in school history. Still, Ponder finished with great numbers, completing 68.8 percent of his passes for 2,717 yards with 14 TDs and seven picks. He’ll also have the luxury of being behind one of the best and most experienced offensive lines in the country, anchored by Jacobs Award winning LG Rodney Hudson.

4. Auburn Tigers (8-5, 6-6 ATS in 2009) – Despite questions over whether he was the right man for the job or not, HC Gene Chizik led the Tigers to a respectable season in 2009. With the help of offensive guru Gus Malzahn, the Tigers offense went from one of the worst in the SEC in 2008 (17.3 PPG) to one of the best in the conference last year (33.3 PPG). The Tigers dodge both the Vols and the Gators in conference play and with eight home games could turn many heads this NCAA wagering season.

3. Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (10-3, 10-3 ATS in 2009) – QB Dwight Dasher may have been playing in the lowly Sun Belt last season, but his numbers were good enough for any conference in the country. The athletic Dasher turned a lot of heads in 2009, by throwing for 2,789 yards along with 23 TDs and 14 INTs while also running for 1154 yards and 13 scores. With Dasher under center, the Blue Raiders have a very good chance for back-to-back 10 win seasons.

2. Cincinnati Bearcats (12-1, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Though QB Tony Pike and HC Brian Kelly have since departed, the Bearcats should still have one of the best offenses in the Big East in 2010 under new HC Butch Jones and QB Zach Collaros. Collaros was impressive in his limited playing time in 2009, completing 75 percent of his passes for 1,434 yards with ten TDs against just two INTs. USC transfer WR Vidal Hazelton will also pack some punch to a WR corps that lost Mardy Gilyard.

1. Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-4, 9-5 ATS in 2009) – Since taking over for Bill Callahan, Bo Pelini has brought respect back to the Blackshirts and pride back to Husker Nation. Pelini’s Huskers were one last second FG away from making it to a BCS bowl and ruining Texas’ undefeated season in the Big XII Title Game, and although they do lose Heisman Trophy candidate DT Ndamakong Suh, Nebraska returns six starters to the defense that only gave up 10.4 PPG last CFB gambling season.