Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you had a wonderful holiday yesterday. We enter the meat of the bowl season with six games on the 26th. With all the Big Ten games, I will also include a gambling tip for those games. All times central
December 26th
Saint Petersburg Bowl
Connecticut (6-6, 4-4, American) vs Marshall (9-3, 6-2, C-USA)
Would I go if Iowa was playing: 3/10
Florida has nice weather but this one is in on the Gulf side near Tampa, a city with very much a “meh” feel. Plus it is right up against the holiday. I’d pass.
Would I go if I was a UConn fan: 3/10
All the above issues as well as the fact that this is a .500 Huskie team. I like the direction Bob Diaco has this program going, especially defensively, and finishing 3-1 to secure a bowl was nice but outside better weather than the east (most years), this doesn’t offer too much.
Would I go if I was a Marshall fan: 4.5/10
This Herd team beat Purdue, beat a C-USA title game representative in Southern Miss and now has a shot for a 10 win season. Not small potatoes but between expenses to fly, the holiday, etc., I’m not sure getting some more sun than West Virginia is worth it.
…So, should we watch on TV: 8/10
Ah, now TV…this is a different question. If you like defensive football, you have a great clash in this one. Marshall was the best defense in C-USA and ended up 14th nationally. UConn gave up 1.4 points per game more than Marshall, a staggering 19th nationally. These units can flat out ball. MU quarterback Chase Litton is the biggest difference maker offensively for either team so if he can crack the Huskie d, Marshall should be able to check another goal off their list.
- 10am, ESPN
Hyundai Sun Bowl
Miami – FL (8-4, 5-3, ACC) vs Washington State (8-4, 6-3, Pac 12)
Would I go if Iowa was playing: 7.5/10
In theory going to west Texas doesn’t sound like much fun but there are a lot of museums, solid weather (December high average is 45), and I love Mexican food.
Would I go if I was a Miami fan: 4/10
Since firing Al Golden, the ‘Canes finished 4-1 with their lone loss to UNC. They came on strong but, this is the U. Do you really travel to the Sun Bowl for a four loss team? Do you really travel anywhere when you are already living in Miami?
Would I go if I was a WSU fan: 8/10
WSU hasn’t won a bowl game since 2003. They were ranked and very competitive this year. Luke Falk is only a sophomore so this could be the springboard season to greater glory. This is undoubtedly a hungry fan base and they might find a good meal in El Paso for building up this long-dorment program.
…So, should we watch on TV: 10/10
Luke Falk vs Brad Kayaa, what a qb battle. They lead the first (Falk) and 27th (Kayaa) rated passing offenses per yards a game in the nation. As a result both are solid scoring outfits, both finishing about 50th. Curiously, neither has any identity defensively being tied for 83rd and even more surprising, Miami has a worse rushing attack. Miami has better athletes but Falk should be health(ier) and UM’s one-dimensional offense could give WSU a great way to cap off their season.
- 1pm, CBS
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl
Washington (6-6, 4-5, Pac 12) vs Southern Miss (9-4, 7-1, C-USA)
Would I go if Iowa was playing: 4/10
It’s strange, when I think of places I want to go in Texas both El Paso and San Antonio come to mind before Dallas. Maybe I watched too much Walker Texas Ranger so I feel like I’ve been there but I’m just not jumping at the chance to go to Dallas.
Would I go if I was a Washington fan: 4/10
Huskies won their last two to clinch a bowl but at 6-6 and seeing how good Stanford, Oregon, and now WSU is, I’m not sure if there is as much anticipation, even with a bowl win.
Would I go if I was a USM fan: 8/10
This was one of the worst programs for several years and they came out of nowhere to win a division in C-USA, get to nine wins, and make bowl. The drive from Hattiesburg is an easy 7 hours. Getting to see Nick Mullens’ and the 12th rated scoring offense against a solid 12th ranked nationally defense from a power-five league also sounds quite intriguing.
…So, should we watch on TV: 9/10
And that is the reason to watch. USM put 28 on Nebraska, played Mississippi State tough and other than a meltdown at Marshall and Western Kentucky, they were in all their games. UW had a freshman qb and boy did it it show at times. Thankfully, that defense bailed out Chris Peterson’s gang on more than one occasion. Lastly, always curious in these g5 vs p5 showdowns if the group of five team has enough athletes to battle. I trust Mullens but will he get any help?
- 1:20pm, ESPN
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Indiana (6-6, 2-6, Big Ten) vs Duke (7-5, 4-4, ACC)
Would I go if Iowa was playing: 5.5/10
I’m just not a big New York fan. What might convince me to go is to stay for NYE as kind of a once in a lifetime trip to see the ball drop live. That’s still a big maybe.
Would I go if I was an Indiana fan: 10/10
First bowl game since 2007 and just the second since 1993 and you get to go to a fun city like New York? Done and done.
Would I go if I was a Duke fan: 3/10
This is the fourth straight bowl for Duke and prior to their collapse, this team was thinking about something a lot closer to New Year’s Day than the 26th.
…So, should we watch on TV: 8.5/10
That collapse by Duke was stunning. They went 1-4 down the stretch and barely beat Wake Forest to get that 7th win. Indiana is the opposite, they were sitting at 4-6 after a murderer’s row of a schedule before winning out to lock up a bowl berth. I’m curious to see if the same team that pestered MSU, pushed Iowa, took Michigan to OT and went toe-to-toe with Ohio State shows up and waxes a Duke team that is reeling or if the same-ol Hoosiers do Indiana-football like things and blow an opportunity to build momentum for this program.
Gambling Guide
IU -3, Over/Under 72
Indiana has the 116th ranked defense and Duke has (this may surprise some) the 55th best offense despite losing a ton of solid players from last year’s club. I expect the over to be splashed. On one hand, Duke’s defense has had time to get back to early season form with the layoff and did finish 45th overall but they have gone over their season average five of the last six games during the meltdown. I’ll gladly give three with Nate Sudfeld and Kevin Wilson leading these Hoosiers.
- 2:30pm, ABC
Camping World Independence Bowl
Tulsa (6-6, 3-5, American) vs Virginia Tech (6-6, 4-4, ACC)
Would I go if Iowa was playing: 0/10
Shreveport, Louisiana…where Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana meet. Okay. Third wettest month of the year down there and while an average high of 58 is nice, I’m just not sure there is enough to warrant a trip. Feel free to convince me Shreveportians.
Would I go if I was a Tulsa fan: 9/10
It is rare to get psyched over a 6-6 team but with a win over bowl team New Mexico and some frisky performances in the AAC, this team might be starting to regain some life after not making a bowl since 2012. Plus the drive is only 5 and a half hours.
Would I go if I was a Virginia Tech fan: 0/10
I’m all for going to support Beamer in his farewell but wasn’t that already done in Blacksburg? Flying (it is over 13 hours to drive) on Christmas to see a 6-6 ball club in a second-level bowl game just to say goodbye seems like a waste of time, money, and effort.
…So, should we watch on TV: 1/10
Both teams lost to ECU, who went 5-7. VT played a FCS team. Tulsa’s defense is 120th. VT’s offensive splits were 66th scoring, 71st rushing, 95th passing. Yikes. Hats off to the Beamer for having a hall of fame career but this game has next to nothing going for it.
- 4:45pm, ESPN
Foster Farms Bowl
Nebraska (5-7, 3-5, Big Ten) vs UCLA (8-4, 5-4, Pac 12)
Would I go if Iowa was playing: 6/10
Been to San Fran, great city. Bay Area in general is an awesome mix with SF and Oakland being so different. Santa Clara is an hour south but still close enough in the mix to get this a passing grade. Don’t forget San Jose is right there, too.
Would I go if I was a Nebraska fan: 0/10
You saw that record, right?
Would I go if I was a UCLA fan: 6.5/10
It is drivable (5 hours) and a super quick flight but would also be very bittersweet. This team showed so much promise but came up short against ASU and WSU at home. Either win would have put them in the Pac 12 title game. They also lost to both Stanford and USC to provide the final nail in the coffin on their opportunity to play for a league championship.
…So, should we watch on TV: 4.5/10
Nebraska almost singlehandedly makes this a stinker (I mean a 5-7 team in a bowl, honestly). You know what saves it (sort of), is the idea of freshman sensation Josh Rosen picking apart the 7th worst pass defense in the entire nation.
Gambling Guide
UCLA -6.5, O/U 61
UCLA doesn’t have the greatest defense either sitting at 52nd. I can see this game being in the neighborhood of 35-28 which not only covers the over but also the spread! Bruins rack up passing yards but those pesky Huskers keep it tight.
- 8:15pm, ESPN
Lightning Round
Indiana vs Duke – IU, Over
Nebraska vs UCLA – UCLA, Over
Big Ten and Counting 