Yesterday: 2-2

Overall: 16-12

College Playoff  Semifinal

Goodyear Cotton Bowl

Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) vs. Michigan State

Spartans (12-1)

AT&T Stadium, Dallas (80,000 but expandable to 100,000)

7 PM CT/8PM ET

ESPN

Chris, Herbie, Heather

Referees: Big 12, Mike Defee

Coaches

Alabama:

Nick Saban: born Oct. 31, 1951, 64 years old, Fairmont, West Virginia. Twenty years as a college head coach: 189-60-1, 76%;  @ Alabama 8 years: 98-18, 84%; 6 SEC championships: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015;  Four National titles: 2003 @ LSU, 2009, 2011, 2012 @ Alabama. Bowls: 8-8

Michigan State:

Mark Dantonio: born, March 9, 1956, 59 years old, El Paso Texas. 11 years as a head coach; 105-49, 68%; 8 years at Michigan State, 87-32, 73%; 3 years prior at Cincinnati. 3 Big Ten titles, 2011, 2013, 2015. Bowls: 5-4.

Weather: Retractable roof, no issue

Key players:

Alabama:

Running back Derrick Henry: 339 carries for 1,986 yards, all time college rushing record. 23 TDs, led the country. 5.9 yards per carry. 152.8 per game. Heisman Trophy winner.  Quarterback Jake Coker: 222-of-338, 66%, 2,489 yards, 17 TDs, 8 Ints. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley: 75 receptions, 893 yards, 5 TDs;  wide receiver ArDarius Stewart: 54 receptions for 600 yards, 4 TDs; Richard Mullaney, 34-308, 5 TDs.

Defense: Middle linebacker Reggie Ragland: 90 tackles, 6.5 for loss of -23 yards, 2.5 sacks, heart and soul of the defense. Linebacker Reuben Foster: 60 tackles, 7 for loss of -19. Defensive end Jonathan Allen: 12.5 tackles for loss of -77 yards, 10 sacks for -73 yards. Defensive end Tim Williams: 11.5 tackles for loss of -82 yards, 9.5 sacks. Safety Eddie Jackson 5 interceptions for 230 yards, 2 TDs. Marlon Humphrey 3 ints. Minkah Fitzpatrick, 2 ints, 1 punt block return for a TD, 3 TDs total. Crimson Tide with 16 interceptions on the season. 46 sacks on the season leads the country.

Michigan State:

Quarterback Connor Cook: 210-of-389, 57%, 2,921 yards, 24 TDs, 5 interceptions; Running back L.J. Scott: 140 carries, 691 yards, 11 TDs; wide receiver Aaron Burbridge: 80 receptions, 1219 yards, 7 TDs. Wide receiver R.J. Shelton: 41-484, 4 TDs. Wide receiver Macgarrett Kings: 38-492, 5 TDs. Defense: linebacker Riley Bullough, leading tackler, 95 tackles, 7 for loss, 4 sacks, 2 ints; linebacker Darien Harris 82 tackles, 7 for loss. Defensive end Shilique Calhoun, 14.5 tackles for loss of -81 yards, 10.5 sacks for -74 yards. Safety Montae Nicholson, 3 interceptions, 60 yards.

Line: Alabama by 10

Analysis

Alabama’s lines on both sides of the ball are big, powerful and dominant. A’Shawn Robinson (6’4″, 312), Jarran Reed (6’4″,313), Jonathan Allen (defensive end (6’3″, 283) and company form the most formidable defensive front in college football AND in the NFL. I think this Alabama defense is not only historically good in terms of all time great defenses in college football, I see this group as better than any defense I’ve seen in the National Football League. The Broncos have a good defense, maybe they’re as good. But that’s it. Alabama could stop most NFL offenses. Then you have Derrick Henry, one of the most prolific backs in college football history. What a class act, too. Derrick’s Heisman acceptance speech was memorably good. Class kid. Tremendous football player. I like what Jake Coker has done this season. He’s been not only a good game manager, but he’s been much more than that. He’s been a playmaker. People said that about A.J. McCarron and I always thought he was a tremendous playmaker also and underrated in that regard. I see Coke in the same light. He’ll be looking for big plays with Calvin and ArDarius in the passing game. Maybe Kenyan Drake can have a good night for the Tide. I know Alabama fans would like to see that as would his teammates and coaches.

Michigan State plays good defense and pretty good offense. It’s almost seems impossible how they beat Michigan on the game ending botched punt that they returned for a six and the victory. Then they beat Ohio State on a late field goal, and Iowa with a 15 play, 98 yard drive and scored the game winning TD with time expiring. Connor Cook is a good quarterback, and L.J. Scott is a good running back. Their defense is solid as Mark Dantonio always has solid, physical defenses.

Final Analysis, Prediction

The Crimson Tide has the best coach and best coaching staff in the country. They also have the best players. Derrick Henry is going to pop some runs and grind out some runs, and the offensive line will take over in the fourth quarter. Coker will hit Ridley and Stewart for some explosive plays, quite possibly house calls, and the defense will be what they are; the best in the country and immovable and dominant. Alabama is just too good for Michigan State this time. No disrespect to Michigan State, but this Alabama defense is as good a unit as there has ever been in college football, and Derrick Henry and company churn out yards and make big plays when they need to. See the Crimson Tide moving on to the University of Phoenix Stadium next Monday night, 1-11-16, @ 7:30 PM CT/8:30 PM ET to play the Oklahoma-Clemson winner in the national championship game on ESPN.

Alabama 31, Michigan State 14

College football Semifinal

Capital One Orange Bowl

Clemson (13-0) vs. Oklahoma (11-1)

Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL. (76,100)

3 PM CT/4 PM ET

ESPN

Brad, Todd Holly

Refs: Big Ten, Mike Cannon

Weather: 81, partly cloudy, 0% rain, wind SE 9 MPH

Line: OU by 4

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have had a magnificent year. DeShaun Watson was second in the Heisman voting and was a tremendous player and leader for his football team. DeShaun completed 287-of-413 passes, 70%, for 3,512 yards and 30 TDs against 11 ints and ran for 887 more yards and 11 more TDs. Wayne Gallman is a tremendous running back, who rushed for 1,332 yards and 10 TDs. Clemson averages 38 points per game on offense. But today, I like OU quarterback Baker Mayfield (243-of-354, 69%, 35 TDs, 5 ints) and running back Samaje Perine (1,291 yards and 15 TDs) to push the Sooners barely over the top of the Clemson Tigers in what should be a tremendous game. OU will move on to face the Crimson Tide in what should be an epic national championship game a week from Monday, January 11,2016.

Oklahoma 45, Clemson 42

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl

Houston (12-1) vs. Florida State (10-2)

Georgia Dome, Atlanta (71,228)

11 AM CT/Noon ET

ESPN

Dave Pasch, Brian Griese, Tom Luginbill

Refs: SEC, Tom Ritter

FSU by 7

Houston has had a super year under first year head coach Tom Herman, and quarterback Greg Ward Jr. has been awesome, completing 207-of-304 passes, 68%, for 2,590 yards, 16 TDs and five ints, and running for 1,041 yards and 19 more TDs. But I like superb FSU running back Dalvin Cook, who has rushed for 1,658 yards and 18 TDs, to be the story here for the Noles, as they take care of business and set their sights for a big 2016 season, though it should be a very good game. Houston is a good football team.

Florida State 35, Houston 31

It’s been a classic bowl season this December with some epics. And it gets even better now.

The buildup to the spectacles coming up started yesterday in the Russell Athletic Bowl when Baylor blasted North Carolina, 49-38, in Orlando, then Leonard Fournette ran all over Texas Tech’s defense to the tune of 212 yards, four rushing TDs and one 44 yard receiving TD, as the LSU Bengal Tigers blasted the Red Raiders in the Advocare V100 Bowl in Houston, 56-27.

Now it gets even more interesting with four terrific bowl matchups today on the slate, including three with SEC teams involved, with one of them being the Auburn Tigers.

Here are my top five Power conferences in order heading into the final acts of what has been a riveting bowl season that is about to get more scintillating.

1. SEC: It starts with the Crimson Tide of Alabama and keeps on going. The SEC will prove it in this final four days of the bowl season.

2. Big 12: A really good conference. The Big 12 doesn’t play defense like the SEC, but Oklahoma is a high quality team as are Baylor and TCU.

3. Pac-12: Stanford and the teams out on the left coast are excellent clubs. They’ve shown some metal in the postseason so far going 5-1. USC in action tonight, Stanford New Year’s Day against Iowa in the Rose Bowl, Oregon in a terrific matchup with TCU in the Alamo Bowl Saturday, Jan. 2nd, and Arizona State finishing off the regular bowl season against West Virginia in the Cactus Bowl.

4. Big Ten: Somewhat of an overrated conference. Ohio State has been a disappointment even though they’ve gone 11-1. With the talent they had coming into this season they should have reached the playoff. But some lackluster performances and a loss to Michigan State at home knocked them out. The offensive play calling and some serious head cases on the team cost them the opportunity to be in the playoff. Michigan State is solid, but not great. Michigan is not there yet. Maybe at some point, but Jim Harbaugh has some work to do to get back into the elite company of college football. Iowa is a fine team. Far from great, but pretty good. But they’re certainly not an elite team and were totally overrated this year.

5. ACC: They’ve been getting taken to the woodshed some; see Pittsburgh and North Carolina. This is the least impressive of the Power Five conferences. In the upcoming bowl games, it should show up even more.

Bowl Record: 14-10

Today’s games

Birmingham Bowl

Auburn (6-6, 2-6 SEC) vs. Memphis (9-3, 5-2

American Athletic)

Legion Field, B’ham (71,594)

11 AM CT/Noon ET

ESPN

Talent: Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Paul Carcaterra

Whistles: ACC, Jeff Heaser

Weather: 56 at kickoff, rain, 90% and 100% at noon CT, but tapering off after that. Wind minimal NNW 2 MPH

Line: AU by 3

When you talk about Memphis, it all starts with quarterback Paxton Lynch. The 6’7″, 245 redshirt junior has completed 69% of his passes, 280-of-406 for 3,670 yards, 28 TDs against only three interceptions. He’s tough to stop. His receiving corps is led by Mose Frazier, who has caught 66 passes for 750 yards and four TDs, and Anthony Miller, who has hauled in 44 passes for 684 yards and five, 7’s. Wide out Tevin Jones has 19 catches for 300 yards and four TDs on top of those other two. Frazier and Miller are 5’11, 190, but Jones is 6’2″, 225. They have three other receivers with three TD catches. They like to throw it around with Lynch. The Memphis Tigers leading rusher is Doroland Dorceus, who has rushed for 613 yards on 144 carries, 4.3 average per carry, and eight TDs. Jarvis Cooper and Sam Craft have added five TDs on the ground.  Lynch is a pretty decent running quarterback, too. He’s only rushed for 240 yards, but he can be difficult to bring down when he’s scrambling.

On defense, they are aggressive and like to bring pressure on the quarterback. Mike linebacker Leonard Pegues, a 5’11”, 240 pound senior, leads the Tigers in tackles with 65 and has 7 tackles for loss of 22 yards. Sophomore defensive end Christian Johnson, 6’5″, 255,  has 6.5 tackles for loss of -25 yards. He also leads the team in sacks with 4.  Safety Reggie Ball leads the defense in interceptions with 3.

For AU, it’ll be about the running game and play action passing. It appears Jeremy Johnson and Sean White will both play though Gus hasn’t shown his hand on what he’ll do. White sounds healthy, and Johnson actually played a good game in the Iron Bowl, but just didn’t get a lot of help from his receivers except for Jason Smith’s terrific catch and run for a seven against the Crimson Tide. But it’ll be about the running game for the Auburn Tigers today. Peyton Barber rushed for 976 yards and 13 TDs this season. He’ll be one of the workhorses. Jovon Robinson will be the other and he’s shown signs of his excellent credentials coming out of high school and junior college. He had some really good games towards the end of the season. I expect Jovon to have a good day today on the ground. I look for Kerryon Johnson and Roc Thomas to play big roles and maybe get a house call or two in from distance. Johnson completed 94-of-156 passes, 60%, for 1,043 yards, nine TDs but seven ints. He looked out of sorts at times, but I still actually believe in him. He’s a great kid and wants to do well. White completed 75-of-130, 58%, for 1,064 yards, 1 TD and two ints, but I believe in his talent also. Ricardo Louis, who caught 45 passes for 699 yards and three TDs, could help today. So could Marcus Davis, 28-174 1 TD, Melvin Ray, 18-229, 2 TDs, and Jason Smith, 12-192, 1, seven.

***Update*** Gus starting Sean White

On defense, Carl Lawson should be all systems go today, and that will help the defense. He, Montravius Adams and DeVonte Lambert need to get after Lynch and make him uncomfortable throwing the football. Safety Johnathan Ford led the team in tackles with 113 and intercepted two passes. Johnathan is a quality player. Casanova McKinzy, who led the team in tackles for loss with 10 for -45 yards and sacks with 5, needs to also get after Lynch from his defensive end spot. Carlton Davis, Ford and Blake Countess will need to try and turn Lynch over with interceptions.

Final Analysis

Auburn’s game plan will be to ground and pound the Memphis defense and contain Lynch on defense. It might be wet for a while, so holding onto the football will be at a premium. The Auburn Tigers will be looking for a new defensive coordinator and could announce as early as Saturday, but today, Lance Thompson will call the defense. The Auburn running game and a recharged spirit in the AU Tiger camp gets it done.

Auburn 35, Memphis 31

Belk Bowl

Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4 SEC) vs. NC State (7-

5, 3-5 ACC)

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. (73,298)

2:30 PM CT/3:30 PM ET

ESPN

Clay Matvick, John Congemi, Dawn Davenport

Stripes: Pac-12, Michael Batlin

Weather: 55% chance of scattered T-storms, dissipating through the game, 69 degrees, wind SW & MPH

Line: Mississippi State by 6

This game to me is all about Dak Prescott and his illustrious career in the SEC. It’s his final game in college and he wants to go out on top. Dak has completed 67% of his passes this season, 291-of-435 for 3,413 yards, 25 TDs against only four ints. He’s also run for 541 yards and 10, sevens. For his career, he’s piled up over 9,000 passing yards, 2,500 yards rushing, and over 100 TDs. He’s had a stellar career. His favorite targets are Fred Ross and De’Runnya Wilson. Ross is 6’2″, 210 and Wilson is 6’5″, 215. They are excellent targets. Ross has caught 81 passes for 933 yards and four TDs, and Wilson has added 55 catches for 822 yards and nine, 7’s. State’s running game is OK after Dak, as Brandon Holloway and Ashton Shumpert have rushed for 372 yards and 201 yards respectively. Holloway averages 4.7 yards per carry and can take it to the house, while Shumpert has more power, but averages only 3.7. Still he’s capable of having a good game today.

On defense, the Bulldogs leader is middle linebacker Richie Brown, who is outstanding. The 6’2″, 245 Brown has posted 101 tackles on the season with 12 for loss of 54 yards and a team leading 5.5 sacks on the season. He’s also intercepted a pass. He’s a game changer on defense for the Bullies. Defensive end A.J. Jefferson, 6’3″, 277 pounds, leads the team in tackles for loss with 13.5 for -65 yards. Defensive backs Will Redmond, Tavez Calhoun and Brandon Bryant all have two interceptions to lead the Bulldogs, though Redmond is out for the season with injury

For N.C. State, it’s also about their quarterback, Jacoby Brissett. Brissett, the transfer from Florida two years ago, has found a home at N.C. State and is making the most of it. He has completed 225-of-367 passes, 61%, for 2,448 yards, and 19 TDs against only four interceptions. Tight end Jaylen Samuels is Brissett’s favorite target, as he has caught 64 passes for 599 yards and 7 TDs. They lost starting running back Matt Dayes to a broken toe later in the season and they had dismissed their other star running back Shadrach Thornton earlier in the season. So NC State will have to be creative running the ball. Reggie Gallaspy II rushed for 316 yards and four TDs this season, so he’ll be counted on. On the other side of the ball, defensive end Mike Rose leads the team in tackles for loss with 15 for -72 yards, and also leads the team in sacks with 10.5 for -56 yards. Safety Hakim Jones leads the team in interceptions with 2.

Final Analysis

It could be a little sloppy out there and there will probably be some turnovers. The quarterback and skilled players who take care of the ball the best and are effective moving the football, and of course, getting it across the goal line, will win this game. May be more of a defensive game than some expected due to the weather. But I do like some offense too in this game with Dak and Brissett making plays both with their arms and their legs. Can’t go against Dak in his last game though.

Mississippi State 31, NC State 24

Music City Bowl

Texas A&M (8-4, 4-4 SEC) vs. Louisville (7-5, 5-

3 ACC)

Nissan Stadium, Nashvegas (69,143)

6 PM CT/7PM ET

ESPN

Tom Hart, Andre, Laura Rutledge

Stripes: Big 12, Alan Eck

Weather: 47 degrees, 0% rain, wind NW 4 MPH

Line: Louisville by 4

Kevin Sumlin lost his two quarterbacks to transfers, Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray. Looks like Murray will go to Oklahoma, while Allen hasn’t decided. It was rumored to be Texas, but nothing is definite. Sumlin also had to suspend wide receiver Speedy Noil for this game. Jake Hubenak will start for the Aggies at quarterback. Hubenak only threw 27 passes this season completing 12 for 92 yards, a touchdown and no ints. But he still has superstar wide receiver and punt returner Christain Kirk. The lightning fast Kirk caught 70 passes for 925 yards and six TDs. He’s also got Ricky Seals-Jones who caught 42 passes for 542 yards and three, 7’s, and Josh Reynolds, who caught 40 passes for 730 yards and five, 7’s. Tra Carson is a highly capable running back who ran for 1,059 yards and six TDs. James White is a pretty decent backup. Safety Armani Watts led the team in tackles with 111. Stud defensive end Myles Garrett led the team in tackles for loss with 18.5 for -91 yards and sacks with 11.5 for -16 yards. He’ll be a disruptor tonight. Nickelback Donovan Wilson led the team in interceptions this season with five.

Louisville will be led by dual threat quarterback Lamar Jackson, who completed 57% of his passes, 123-of-221 for 1,613 yards, 10 touchdowns but eight ints. He’s a really good runner though as he rushed for 734 yards and nine TDs. Running back Brandon Radcliff rushed for 587 and seven TDs. The receiving corps is led by Jamari Staples, who caught 36 passes on the season for 610 yards and three, 7’s, and James Quick who added 35 receptions for 551 yards and 5 TDs. Linebacker Keith Kelsey leads the team in tackles with 100, has 12 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Linebacker Devonte Fields leads the team in tackles for loss with 19 for -73 yards and sacks with 7.5. Cornerback Trumaine Washington leads the team in interceptions with four.

Final Analysis

The oddsmakers like Louisville here, but I like the wounded dog factor here with A&M. The Aggies are going to fight with a vengeance and they’ll play inspired. I really like Sumlin as a person and firmly believe that he’s also a very good football coach. The Aggies get it done in the Music City.

Texas A&M 38, Louisville 35

Holiday Bowl

USC (8-5, 6-3 Pac-12) vs. Wisconsin (9-3, 6-2

BigTen)

Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Cali (71,294)

9:30 PM CT/10:30 PM ET

ESPN

Adam Amin, Kelly Stouffer, Olivia Harlan

Stripes: SEC,  John McDaid

Weather: 55 degrees, Clear, 0% rain, wind minimal: NNE 3 MPH

Line: USC by 3 1/2

Cody Kessler, who completed 280-of-414 passes, 68%, for 3315 yards, 28 TDs against only six ints, and running back Ronald Jones, who rushed for 940 yards and eight TDs, have their way with Whisky.

USC 42, Wisconsin 30

Tomorrow: Playoffs? You want to talk about the Playoffs?

It’ll be time to.

Playoff Games

Cotton Bowl

Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) vs

Michigan State Spartans (12-1)

7 PM CT/8 PM ET

ESPN

Chris, Herbie, Heather

Crimson Tide by 10

Will have a lot to discuss on the Crimson Tide’s matchup with the Spartans tomorrow morning.

Orange Bowl

Clemson (13-0) vs. Oklahoma (11-1)

3 PM CT/4 PM ET

ESPN

Brad, Todd, Holly

OU by 3 1/2

Will discuss this one in detail as well, maybe not as much as about S, Derrick and the Tide, but will certainly break this one down.

Also: one of the other New Year’s Six Bowls

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl

Houston (12-1) vs. Florida State (10-2)

11 AM CT/Noon ET

ESPN

Dave Pasch, Grease, Luges

FSU by 7

Yesterday: 1-1

Navy 44, Pitt 25, L

Minnesota 21, Central Michigan 14, W

Overall: 13-7

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

California (7-5 overall, 4-5 Pac-12) vs. Air Force

(8-5, 6-2 Mountain West)

Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Tx. (50,000)

1 PM CT/2 PM ET

ESPN

Talent: Dave Flemming, Mike Bellotti, Allison Williams

Stripes: SEC, Matt Loeffler

Weather: Mostly cloudy, 44 degrees, 0% rain, Wind E 7 MPH

Line: Cal by 6 1/2

After watching Navy dismantle Pitt yesterday, I like the triple option of the Academy to play well in Fort Worth. Running back Jacobi Owens, who rushed for 1,038 yards and 6 TDs this season, and quarterback Karson Roberts, who rushed for 674 yards and nine TDs, should have big days and have a big part in the Falcons getting the job done in a close and exciting contest.

Air Force 35, Cal 31

Russell Athletic Bowl

Baylor (8-3, 6-3 Big 12) vs North Carolina (11-2,

8-0 ACC Lost to Clemson in ACC Championship

game, 45-37)

Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando (70,000)

4:30 PM CT/5:30 PM ET

ESPN

Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham, Dr. Jerry Punch

Laundry: Big Ten, John O’Neill

Weather: 83, Partly cloudy, 0% rain, wind SE 4 MPH

Line: UNC by 3 1/2

If all things were equal in this game, I would definitely go with Baylor. But Baylor’s two starting quarterbacks are injured and out, their best running back, Shock Linwood, 1,329 yards and 10 TDs, is out with an injury, and their leading wide receiver, Corey Coleman, who caught 74 passes for 1,363 yards and 20 TDs,  is also out with an injury. It’s going to be tough for Baylor, though Art Briles will do everything he can to keep this a really competitive game and give his team the chance to win. He’s an excellent coach. UNC has a lot of talent on offense though, and I just don’t believe Baylor can keep up with all the injuries they have on offense right now. Expect running back Elijah Hood, who ran for 1,345 yards and 17 TDs, and quarterback Marquise Williams, who threw for 21 TDs and ran for 867 yards and 11 more TDs, to have good games and for UNC to finish a terrific season with a 12-2 mark. Should be an entertaining game because Art Briles will figure out ways to put points on the board for his team, too.

North Carolina 35, Baylor 31

Nova Homes Loans Arizona Bowl

Colorado State (7-5, 5-3 Mountain West) vs.

Nevada (6-6, 4-4 Mountain West)

Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Zona (57,400)

6:30 PM CT/7:30 PM ET

American Sports Network ( DirecTV, Channel 640, Charter, Channel #02 WABM)

Ron Thulin, Doug Chapman, Shae Peppler, Monica McNutt

Stripes: American Athletic, Tracy Jones

Weather: Sunny, 50, 0% rain, wind, NW 6 MPH

Line: Colorado State by 3

Nevada has two 1,000 yard rushers in James Butler, who rushed for 1,153 yards and 8 TDs , and Don Jackson, who rushed for 1,029 yards and 8 TDs also. But looking at the schedules, I like Colorado State’s resume a little better.

Colorado State 34, Nevada 30

Advocare V100 Texas Bowl

No. 20 LSU (8-3, 5-3 SEC) vs. Texas Tech (7-5, 4-

5 Big 12)

NRG Stadium, Houston (71,795)

8 PM CT/9 PM ET

ESPN

Tess, Jess, Dave, Maria

Stripes: Pac-12, Land Clark

Weather: fine, basically indoors, roof covers most of field.

Line: LSU by 7

Leonard Fournette goes off. He ran for 1,741 yards and 18 TDs this season and this ain’t Alabama playing defense. Texas Tech will put up some points though.

LSU 48, Texas Tech 38

Tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 30th

Birmingham Bowl

Auburn vs. Memphis

11 AM CT/Noon ET, ESPN

Belk Bowl

NC State vs. Mississippi State

2:30 PM CT/3:30 PM ET, ESPN

Music City Bowl

Texas A&M vs. Louisville

6 PM CT/7 PM ET, ESPN

Holiday Bowl

USC vs. Wisconsin

9:3o PM CT/10:30 PM ET, ESPN

Saturday: 5-1

Overall: 12-6

Military Bowl

Navy (10-2, 7-1 American Athletic) vs. Pittsburgh

(8-4, 6-2 ACC)

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD (34,000)

1:30 PM CT/2:30 PM ET

ESPN

Eamon McAaney, Rocky Boiman, Quint Kessenich

Refs: C-USA, Joe Pester

Weather: Cloudy, 0% rain, wind, ENE 15 MPH

Line: Navy by 3

Keenan Reynolds is the first name that comes to mind when looking at this game. Reynolds, the Navy senior quarterback, has set the all time career mark for rushing TDs in FBS with 85. The 5’11”, 205 pounder from Antioch, Tennessee has rushed for 1,229 yards and 21 TDs averaging 5 yards per carry and 102.4 per game this season. He has been dynamite at the Naval Academy. He should have been invited to New York City for the Heisman Trophy along with winner Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey and DeShaun Watson. I would have put Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield in there, too. But his career has been magnificent, and he’ll try to finish it off with a bowl win and cap an 11-2 season for the Midshipmen. Reynolds doesn’t pass much, but he’s pretty decent when he does. He’s 52-of-98, 53%, for 1,077 yards and 7 TDs against 1 int. His favorite target is Jamir Tillman, who has caught 27 passes for 570 yards and five, 7’s. Fullback Chris Swain is a load to tackle at 6’1″, 245. Swain has rushed for 909 yards and 10 TDs. The Panthers are going to have to somewhat slow down Reynolds and Swain to have a shot at victory. On defense, defensive end Will Anthony leads the team in tackles for loss with 11.5 for -82 yards and sacks with 7.5 for a loss of -58 yards. Safety Daiquan Thomasson and cornerback Brendon Clements are tied for the team lead in interceptions with two. Navy has just nine ints on the season.

For Pitt, they can move the chains and get in the end zone both on the ground and through the air. Running back Qadree Ollison has rushed for 1,048 yards and 10 TDs in place of superstar running back James Conner who injured a knee before the season started and was lost for the year. Conner then was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma on Thanksgiving, but seems to be doing as well as can be expected right now.

The 6’2″, 230 pound Ollison has been stellar in his place. The redshirt freshman is a load to tackle and is capable of making house calls when he gets into the secondary. In the passing game, quarterback Nate Peterman has completed 180-of-293 passes, 61%, for 2,150 yards and 19 TDs against only five TDs. His main target is 6’2″, 200 pound junior wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who caught 85 passes for 873 yards and 6 TDs. Tight end J.P. Holtz, a 6’4″, 250 pound senior,  has caught 24 passes for 350 yards and four 7’s.

On defense, the Panthers can bring some lumber under first year coach Pat Narduzzi, the architect of excellent defenses under Mark Dantonio at Michigan State as Dantonio’s long time defensive coordinator. Defensive end Ejuan Price, a 6’0″, 250 pound senior, has posted 19.5 tackles for loss of -120 yards, which leads the team. Price also leads the team in sacks with 11.5 for -89 yards. Strong safety Jordan Whitehead leads the team in tackles with 99, and that’s not always a great sign if your strong safety is your leading tackler. Pitt gives up 126 yards on the ground and 218 through the air on average. Cornerback Avonte Maddox is second on the team in tackles with 71 and leads the team in interceptions with three.

Final Analysis

Looking at the schedule, I like Pitt’s victories more than Navy’s. Pitt defeated Virginia Tech, 17-13, at Va. Tech, which was a 55-52 winner over Tulsa Saturday in the Independence Bowl. They also defeated Duke at Duke, 31-13, and Duke was a winner Saturday over Indiana in the Pinstripe Bowl, 44-41. Navy’s coach Ken Niumatalolo was showing heavy interest in the BYU head coaching job before and after the Army game. The BYU job came open when their coach, Bronco Mendenhall, took the head coaching job at Virginia. That seemed disruptive to the team as they barely got by Army, 21-17, in their final game of the season. They also got dismantled by Houston, 52-31, in the American Athletic Conference Championship game the week before. Pitt looks like the stronger team overall.

Pittsburgh 35, Navy 31

Quick Lane Bowl

Central Michigan (7-5, 6-2 MAC) vs. Minnesota

(5-7, 2-6 Big Ten)

Ford Field, Detroit (65,000)

4 PM CT/5 PM ET

ESPN2

Dave Neal, Matt Stinchcomb, Kayce Smith

Refs: Big 12, Dan Romeo

Indoors

Line: Minnesota by 4 1/2

Minnesota got into the postseason by having one of the three highest Academic Progress Reports along with Nebraska and San Jose State, which were both winners in their respective bowl games; San Jose State defeated Georgia State, 27-16, in the Cure Bowl two Saturdays ago, and Nebraska defeated UCLA in the Fosters Farms Bowl this past Saturday night, 37-29. So the 5-7 teams have done well.

Minnesota runs the ball pretty  well on offense with running back Shannon Brooks leading them in rushing with 644 yards and seven TDs, which is pretty good on TDs, but not overwhelming on yards though he does average 6.2 yards per carry. Rodney Smith is next with 596 yards and two TDs. Quarterback Mitch Leidner has completed 218-of-377 passes, 58%, for 2,478 yards, 13 TDs against 10 interceptions. His favorite target is wide receiver K.J. Maye, who has caught 65 passes for 706 yards and four TDs. Junior wide out Drew Wilitarsky, a 6’3″, 218 pound rangy receiver, has caught 36 passes for 472 yards and three, 7’s.

On defense, safety Antonio Johnson leads the team with 99 tackles. Linebacker Cody Poock is next with 95. Linebacker Jack Lynn leads the team in tackles for loss with 9.5 for -24 yards, and cornerbacks Briean Boddy- Calhoun and Jalen Myrick lead the defense with 3 ints. Myrick got hurt in November but is probable today.

Central Michigan is led by quarterback Cooper Bush, who has completed 309-of-460 passes, 67%, for 3,703 yards, 25 TDs against 10 interceptions. His favorite targets are wide receivers Jesse Kroll, who has caught 59 passes for 856 yards and four TDs, and Anthony Rice, who has caught 56 passes for 584 yards and four TDs, as well. The running game is not a big part of their offense as their rushing leader is running back Martez Walker, who has rushed for 373 yards on 106 carries for a 3.5 average and 2 TDs.

Safety Kavon Frazier leads the Chippewas defense in tackles with 103 and has an int on the season. Safety Tony Annese leads the defense in interceptions with two as the Chippewas defense only has six total ints on the season. Defensive end Blake Serpa leads the team in tackles for loss with 9.5 for a loss of 41 yards. Sherpa also leads the team in sacks with three.

Final Analysis

Minnesota may have gone 5-7 on the season, but had Michigan on the ropes losing in the last minute of the game when they went for the TD on the one yard line on fourth and one and didn’t convert to lose to the Wolverines at home, 29-26. They played Ohio State tough, losing 28-14 in Columbus. They also barely lost to Iowa on Nov. 14th, 40-35, at Iowa City. So they’ve been close to knocking off the major powers of the Big Ten. Central Michigan lost to a good Western Michigan team, 41-39, on the road. Western Michigan blasted Middle Tennessee in the Bahamas Bowl, 45-31, and was impressive doing it. They also have a close 28-23 home loss to Toledo. Toledo  blew out Temple in the Boca Raton Bowl, 32-17.

So this should be a close game. Going with Minnesota to make it the third 5-7 team to get the victory. That will make all three 5-7 teams winners in their bowl appearances.

Minnesota 31, Central Michigan 28

Tomorrow, Tuesday, 12-29-15

Four games to preview and predict

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

California vs. Air Force

1 PM CT/2 PM ET, ESPN

Russell Athletic Bowl

No.10 North Carolina vs. No.17 Baylor

4:30 PM CT/5:30 PM ET, ESPN

Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl

Nevada vs. Colorado State

6:30 PM CT/7:30 PM ET, American Sports Network; 638 or around there on

DirecTV, WABM, pretty sure that’s channel 68, not positive, on Charter

Advocare V100 Texas Bowl

No.20 LSU vs. Texas Tech

8 PM CT/9 PM ET, ESPN

It gets better and better each day. More fun today with six games on the docket. Here’s a look at them along with today’s prediction.

Wednesday:

Boise State 55, Northern Illinois? 7 (W)

Georgia Southern 58, Bowling Green 27 (L)

Thursday:

Western Michigan 45, Middle Tennessee 31 (W)

San Diego State 42, Cincy 7 (L)

Those 2 days: 2-2

Overall in Bowls: 7-5

Overall this season: 221-69 (76%)

Today

St. Petersburg Bowl

Connecticut (6-6, 4-4 American Athletic

Conference) vs. Marshall (9-3, 6-2 C-USA)

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fl. (40,473)

10 AM CT/11 AM ET

ESPN

Talent: Tom Hart, Anthony Becht, Tiffany Greene

Whistles: Mountain West, Kevin Mar

Weather: Indoors stadium

Line: Marshall by 5

Both of these teams play good defense as Marshall is ranked 14th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 18.4 points per game, while UConn is ranked 17th in the country yielding just 19.8 ppg. They are both strong against the pass, so this could be a grind it out kind of game.

Marshall does have good quarterback play from Chase Litton, the 6’6″, 207 pound true freshman, who has passed for 2,387 yards and 22 sevens against seven ints.

Both teams have good motivation for this game, and that’s key. I’ve seen teams this postseason that really want to win a bowl game, and I’ve seen other teams that are just there for the festivities. But UConn is making it’s first bowl appearance since the 2010 Fiesta Bowl, so they’ll be motivated, and Marshall, with a win today, can notch their third straight season of 10 or more victories. That would be a huge accomplishment for sixth year head coach Doc Holliday. The 58 year old head man is 49-28 at Marshall and 3-0 in bowl games. That’s impressive. Connecticut head coach Bob Diaco is in his second year, and after going 2-10 last year, the 42 year old head coach has the Huskies trending in the right direction finishing the regular season at 6-6.

The Thundering Herd’s Litton will be challenged in the passing game by ball hawking Huskies cornerback Jamar Summers. Summers is tied for third in the country with seven interceptions.

Marshall has their own defensive studs in linebacker Evan McKelvey and defensive end Gary Thompson. McKelvey leads the team in tackles with 113, including nine for loss, and Thompson leads the team in tackles for loss with 11 and sacks with eight. Both players should have good days against a Connecticut offense that averaged just 10 points a contest over the last three games of the season. The Huskies do have the best signature victory as they defeated American Athletic foe Houston, 20-17, on Nov. 21st. Houston, of course, is playing in one of the New Year’s Six Bowls,  the Chick Fil-A  Bowl at the Georgia Dome against Florida State on Dec 31st, New Year’s Eve, at 11 AM CT/Noon ET on ESPN.

Final verdict:

Both these teams are excited to be here and the defenses will probably be a major factor in the outcome. The defenses are basically a wash, but the Marshall offense with Litton are better, so I like the Thundering Herd to get’er done in St. Pete.

Marshall 24, UConn 10

Hyundai Sun Bowl

Miami (8-4, 5-3 ACC) vs. Washington State (8-

4, 6-3 Pac-12)

Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas (51,500)

1 PM CT/2 PM ET

CBS

Talent: Carter Blackburn, Gary, Allie

Stripes: Big Ten, Jerry McGinn

Weather: Cloudy, 20% rain at kickoff, but rain chances increase to 60% and 90% throughout the game. 47 high. Wind NNW @ 7 MPH

Line: Wash State by 2 1/2

Larry Scott will coach the Canes as Mark Richt comes in for the 2016 season for Miami, but Richt will have his stamp on this bowl game. Mike Leach, the mad scientist genius, is an offensive savant and has his quarterback, Luke Falk, leading the country in passing yards with 387.8. The Cougars have very good wide outs in Gabe Marks, who finished the regular season with 99 receptions for 1,125 yards and 14 TDs, and Dom Williams, who caught 73 passes for 997 yards and 11 sevens. They pass the ball all over the field, but will need to run it some if the weather forecast holds true. Gerard Wicks is their leading rusher with 599 yards and three TDs. Falk has completed 418-of-591 passes, 71%, for 4,266 yards, 36 TDs against eight ints.

The Canes are led by a gifted quarterback in Brad Kaaya, who completed 221-of-358 passes, 62%, for 3,019 yards, 15 TDs against only 4 ints. The Canes run the ball better than the Cougars, as tailback Joe Yearby rushed for 939 yards and six TDs, and Mark Walton added 438 yards and eight TDs.

Final decision

These are explosive offenses, but if the weather forecast is accurate, which is no guarantee, this will be a lower scoring game, but still a fun one. Like Leach and his Cougars to have a little more offense than the Canes.

Washington State 31, Miami 28

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl

Washington (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) vs. Southern

Miss (9-4, 7-1 C-USA)

Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Tx (92,100)

1:20 PM CT/2:20 PM ET

ESPN

Talent: Mike Corey, Ahmad Brooks, Kayce Smith

Laundry: American Athletic, Michael Roche

Weather: Thunderstorms at kickoff, 85% chance, but dissipating at 2 and 3 PM CT, but returning to 60% @4 PM. Wind a factor. SSE @ 19 MPH and increasing to SSE 21 throughout the game.

Line: Washington by 8 1/2

The Washington Huskies are excellent on defense and are led by senior linebacker Travis Feeny who has 15.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks this season. The Huskies defense has only given up 13 rushing TDs all year in 12 games. On offense, the Huskies are led by running back Myles Gaskin, who rushed for 1,121 yards on 201 carries this season for an average of 5.6 yards per carry and 10 TDs. Quarterback Jake Browning completed 63% of his passes, 210-of-334, for 16 TDs and 10 ints.

On the other side, Southern Miss is known for their offense. Running back Jalen Richard rushed for 1,098 yards and 14 TDs this season, while Ito Smith ran for 1,088 and eight TDs.

***Update*** Richard is out with a separated shoulder.

Quarterback Nick Mullens completed 63% of his passes, 306-of-483, for 36 TDs against 12 ints.

Final decision

With the expected weather conditions, the Huskies defense and pound it out running game should be a little better than Southern Miss’s more wide open approach.

Washington 21, Southern Miss 17

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Duke (7-5, 4-4 ACC) vs. Indiana (6-6, 2-6 Big

Ten)

Yankee Stadium, New York, New York (49,642)

2:30 PM CT/3:30 PM ET

ABC

Talent: Rece, Danny, Joey, Paul Carcaterra

Stripes: Pac-12, Chris Coyte

Weather: Cloudy, 51, 0% rain, wind NE 7 MPH

Line: Indiana by 2 1/2

Indiana running back Jordan Howard is a little banged up, but if he plays, which is very possible, he’s excellent as he’s rushed for 1,213 yards and nine TDs.  Update*** Howard is out.***

The backup to Howard, Devine Redding, has only rushed for 274 yards, but averaged 6.0 yards per carry in his last two games. Quarterback Nate Sudfield completed 219-of-361 passes, 61%, for 3,184 yards, 24 TDs and just five ints.

Duke counters with a good run defense which ranked 38th nationally against the run allowing just 3.4 yards per attempt. Duke is led by quarterback Thomas Sirk, who completed 234-of-390 passes, 60%, for 2,462 yards, 15 TDs against six interceptions. Sirk also rushed for 648 yards and six TDs. Running back Shaquille Powell rushed for 534 yards and three TDs. Sirk will need some help from Powell. DeVon Edwards has returned 3 kickoffs for sevens for Duke.

Final decision

I like David Cutcliffe’s Blue Devils to play just a little better on offense than Indiana in what will be a highly entertaining game. Edwards will take one back to the house and the Blue Devils get over the top against the Hoosiers.

Duke 35, Indiana 31

Camping World Independence Bowl

Virginia Tech (6-6, 4-4 ACC) vs. Tulsa (6-6, 3-5

American Athletic)

Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La. (65,000)

4:45 PM CT/5:45 PM ET

ESPN

Talent: Dave Lamont, Ray Bentley, Jane Slater

Whistles: Big 12, Cooper Castleberry

Weather: Cloudy, 15% rain, wind SE 14 MPH

Line: Va Tech by 14

Va. Tech may be favored by 14, but they’re really going to have to bear down in the secondary against all world receiver Keyarris Garrett of Tulsa. The 6’4″, 221 pound senior caught 88 passes for 1,451 yards and seven TDs this season. He turned in six games of over 100 yards receiving and in two of his game,  he eclipsed 200 yards in receiving. He caught 14 passes for 268 yards in a 66-42 loss to Memphis on Oct. 23rd.

Frank Beamer has had to suspend three players for this game, so that’s not  a good sign. One was a starter and two were backups.

I don’t love the feel of this game for Va. Tech, even though it’s Beamer’s last game. I see it as a close contest. But I’ll give Beamer a victory in the last game of his storied career at Virginia Tech. Va Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster’s defense will do enough and the offense will too, as the Hokies will get by the Hurricane and send Beamer out a winner, barely.

Va. Tech 31, Tulsa 30

Foster Farms Bowl

Nebraska (5-7, 3-5 Big Ten) vs. UCLA (8-4, 5-4

Pac-12)

Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco, Cali (68,500)

8:15 PM CT/9:15 PM ET

ESPN

Talent: Jason Benetti, Rod Gilmore, Shelley Smith

Laundry: ACC, Ron Cherry

Weather: 50 clear, 0% rain, wind minimal, ENE 2 MPH

Line: UCLA by 6 1/2

This is a superb matchup in the nightcap between two explosive offenses. UCLA is led by talented freshman quarterback Josh Rosen, who completed 60% of his passes, 266-of-447, for 20 TDs against nine ints, and stud running back Paul Perkins, who rushed for 1,275 yards and 13 TDs. Wide receiver Jordan Payton led the team in receptions with 75 for 1,068 and four TDs, and Thomas Duarte caught 49 passes for 820 yards and 10 TDs.

Nebraska will counter with quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., who can be erratic, but can also be a weapon,. He completed 55% of his passes, 210-of-383, for 2,856 yards, 21 TDs, but threw 16 interceptions. Running back Terrell Newby rushed for 743 yards and five TDs, and Armstrong Jr., good runner, ran for 324 and six TDs.

Final decision

My question with UCLA every game is which team will show up; a team that is motivated to win a football game, or a team that is just going through the motions. Jim Mora Jr. is a good football coach, but he has trouble sometimes getting the southern California kids motivated. Nebraska will be fired up to show the country that even though they finished 5-7 this season, they are worthy of earning a bowl bid and will play extremely hard. They did upset Michigan State at home on Nov. 7th, 39-38, which looked at the time that it might ruin the Spartans chance at the playoff. But the Spartans came back and got in with a huge victory over Ohio State at Columbus.

But Perkins will be big on the ground, and Rosen will make some plays in the vertical game. Armstrong will have a good game, but he’ll make a costly mistake or two. This should be an interesting matchup.

Nebraska is one of three teams that made bowl games with a 5-7 record. The other two are San Jose State and Minnesota. The NCAA did not have enough teams to fill out the 40 game bowl slate, so they did the best thing they could do; they filled the last three spots with the three teams that had the highest Academic Progress Reports. San Jose State did win their game over Georgia State, 27-16, in the Cure Bowl, and Minnesota plays Central Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl this Monday, 4 PM CT/5PM ET,  on ESPN.

UCLA 38, Nebraska 35

Yesterday: 0-2

Overall: 5-3

Today

Poinsettia Bowl

Boise State (8-4, 5-3 Mountain West) vs.

Northern Illinois? Are you kiddin me? (8-5, 6-2

Mid American)

Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Cali (71,294)

3:30 PM CT/4:30 PM ET

ESPN

Beth Mowins, David Diaz-Infante, Shelley Smith

Laundry crew: Sun Belt, Jeff Hilyer, lead ref

Weather: Cloudy, 63, 10% rain, Wind WSW 9 MPH

Line: Boise State by 8

Both teams have excellent tailbacks with Boise State featuring Jeremy McNichols, who has rushed for 1,244 yards and 18, sevens. He also has 46 receptions for 364 yards and five TDs., His 23 total TDs tied him with Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry for most in the nation this season.

Northern Illinois running back Joel Bouagnon led the MAC in rushing with 1,270 yards and 18 rushing TDs. If Bouagnon can have success running against a pretty good Broncos’ rush defense, which was 13th nationally against the run, it should open up the passing game, though the Huskies have struggled with injuries at quarterback.

Boise State freshman quarterback Brett Rypien was the Mountain West freshman of the year. He passed for 2,976 yards and 17 TDs this season.

Both teams struggled somewhat this season at times, but this should be an interesting game with a lot of players with a ton of heart on both sidelines.

The MAC teams have been good in this postseason so far with both Akron and Toledo getting W’s yesterday.  Terry Bowden and Akron defeated Utah State, 23-21, in a game which featured Utah State offensive coordinator Josh Heupel having major play calling problems. I was about to blow a gasket. Huepel’s running back, Devante Mays, ran it 12 times for 124 yards, but Huepel didn’t get him the ball enough. He could have run for 200 and Utah State would have won. Coach Matt Wells said the play calling was bad at halftime to the ESPN reporter, but Huepel didn’t make any adjustments. But Akron deserves credit; they played a very good game. And Toledo dominated Temple impressively, 32-17. Ohio lost in the last seconds to App State on a late field goal, 31-29.

So this will be a highly competitive game. Boise State survives a great effort from the Huskies.

Boise State 35, Northern Illinois 31

GoDaddy Bowl

Georgia Southern (8-4, 6-2 Sun Belt) vs.

Bowling Green (10-3, 7-1 MAC champions)

Ladd Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Al. (40,000)

7 PM CT/8 PM ET

ESPN

Tom Hart, Andre, Laura Rutledge

Laundry: Mountain West, Scott Campbell

Weather: Scattered strong storms, 60%, 71, Wind SSW 18 MPH, could be a problem for this game

Line: Bowling Green by 7

Both head coaches have left their teams to take other jobs: Dino Babers of Bowling Green went to Syracuse, and Willie Fritz of Ga. Southern took the Tulane job. Bowling Green defensive coordinator Brian Ward will run the team tonight, and running backs coach Dell McGee will call the shots for Georgia Southern. Mike Jinks, who came over to Bowling Green from Texas Tech, where he was running backs coach, will be the new Bowling Green head coach in 2016. Tyson Summers, who was defensive coordinator at Colorado State this season, is the new coach for Georgia Southern in 2016.

This game could be sloppy. Hopefully there won’t be lightning delays. Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson threw for 4,700 yards and 43 TDs this season against only eight ints. Roger Lewis led the team in receptions with 82. Running back Travis Greene run for 1,220 yards and 14 sevens this season.

Georgia State is all about the running game. The Eagles averaged 355.6 yards on the ground this season. Running back Matt Breida is the team’s leading rusher with 1,540 yards and 16 TDs. L.A.Ramsby ran for 772 yards and Wesley Fields added 607. Quarterback Kevin Ellison rushed for 642 yards.

Should be a competitive game, with Bowling Green maybe limited in their passing game due to the weather. Like the Falcons to get by in a lower scoring game than anticipated due to the weather.

Bowling Green 21, Georgia Southern 17

Tomorrow

Bahamas Bowl

Middle Tennessee (7-5, 6-2 Sun Belt) vs.

Western Michigan (7-5, 6-2 MAC)

Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau (15,023)

11 AM CT/Noon ET

ESPN

Steve Levy, Mack, May Day, Kaylee

Aladdin Cleaners crew: Mountain West, Brandon Cruse

Weather: 82, partly sunny, wind ESE 11 MPH

Line: Western Michigan by 4 1/2

Like the Broncos of Western Michigan to be a little better in what should be an offensive shootout in Nassau. Quarterback play will be excellent with Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell, who threw for 3,225 yards, squaring off with Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill. Stockstill threw for 3,678 yards and 27 TDs against only 8 ints this season. Both guys will be throwing it all over the yard. Western Michigan beat Toledo, 35-30, the final game of the regular season, so that’s why I like them.

Western Michigan 42, Middle Tennessee 37

Hawai’i Bowl (that’s how it’s spelled by the bowl people)

San Diego State (10-3, 8-0 Mountain West) vs.

Cincinnati (7-5, 4-4 in American Athletic)

Aloha Stadium, Honolulu (50,000)

7 PM CT/8PM ET

ESPN

Adam Amin, Gregory McElroy, Holly Rowe

Yella Laundry: C-USA, Rodney Burnette

Weather: Sunny, 79, perfect, wind ENE 13 MPH

Line: San Diego State by 1 1/2

San Diego State started the season 1-3, but won their last nine games to win the Mountain West Conference Championship as they defeated Air Force in the championship game, 27-24, in Qualcomm Stadium. Running back Donnel Pumphrey is the go-to guy for the Aztecs. He ran for 1,554 yards and 16 TDs this season. Chase Price ran for 940 yards this season as Pumphrey’s backup. The Bearacats’ defense has given up 190.8 rushing yards per game this season so that could be a factor. Freshman Christian Chapman, who took the place of starter and Kentucky transfer Maxwell Smith, will most likely get his second start of the season as Smith is injured with an ACL tear. Smith wants to start, but he’s questionable to doubtful for the game. Chapman started the Air Force game and finished 9 of 14 for 203 yards, pretty good. But they’ll rely heavily on the ground game. Cincy will start Hayden Moore at quarterback. Starter Gunner Kiel is not going to the bowl for personal reasons, so the redshirt freshman from Clay Chalkville High School in Birmigham will get the start. Moore did throw four touchdowns at Memphis in a game Cincy should have won if it were not for some bad refereeing, and he’s talented.

The San Diego State defense is pretty stout. They only gave up 17.2 points per game, generated 33 sacks, and led the country in turnover margin with plus 19 on 31 turnovers gained, including 20 interceptions and 11 forced and recovered fumbles. Cincy ranked 124th out of 128 teams in turnover margin with -16.

But I’m going for the upset in this one. Tommy Tuberville, Hayden Moore and the Bearcats’ offense get it done over the Aztecs.

Cincinnati 31, San Diego State 28

Saturday: Six Bowl games

1. St. Petersburg Bowl: Connecticut vs. Marshall

2.The Sun Bowl: Miami (Fl) vs. Washington State

3. Heart of Dallas Bowl: Washington vs. SMU

4. Pinstripe Bowl: Indiana vs. Duke

5. Independence Bowl: Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech

6. Foster Farms Bowl: UCLA vs. Nebraska

Will hit back on Saturday.

Yesterday: Western Kentucky 45, South Florida 35, W

Overall in Bowls: 5-1

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Akron (6-6, 5-3 in the MAC) vs. Utah State (6-6, 5-3 Mountain West)

Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho (37,000)

2:30 PM CT/ 3:30 PM ET

ESPN

Talent: Mark Neely, Mike Bellotti, Kevin Weidl

Whistles: Sun Belt Conference, Charles Lewis

Weather: Cloudy, 37 high, 15% chance of rain or snow, Wind, WSW 7 MPH

Line: Utah State by 7

Breakdown:

Quarterback Kent Myers of Utah State is a little banged up, but he’s probable to play. He completed 60% of his passes, 107-of-179, for 1,470 yards, 14 TDs against just 3 ints. Chuckie Keaton has been at Utah State for a while now and has been a decent quarterback, but he’s been injured a lot. He comes in having played six games this season completing 90-0f-174 with 3 TDs and six ints. Myers is the better option, but Coach Matt Wells could use both. Davante Mays leads the team in rushing with 842 yards and 9 TDs, and Hunter Sharp is the top receiver with 60 receptions for 746 yards and eight 7’s. Linebacker Nick Vigil leads the team in tackles and is tied for fifth in the country with 140. He also has 12.5 tackles for loss of -46 yards. Linebacker Kyler Fackrell leads the team in tackles for loss with 13.5 for -35 yards. Free safety Devin Centers leads the team in interceptions with three. Utah State holds opponents to 27 points per game.

Akron, under Terry Bowden, is in only their second bowl in their history since joining the FBS in 1987. Quarterback Thomas Woodson completed 53% of his passes, 148-of-278, for 2,034 yards, 16 TDs against 10 ints. Running back Conor Hundley ran for 883 yards and 10 TDs. Wide receiver Imani Davis finished the season with 46 receptions for 593 yards and three TDs, and wide out Jerome Lane added 35 receptions for 750 and eight 7’s. Linebacker Jatavis Brown led the Zips in tackles with 108, added 17.5 tackles for loss of -98 yards and 10.5 sacks. Linebacker Dylan Evans posted 98 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. Cornerback DeAndre Scott was the team leader in interceptions with 6. The Zips defense only allowed 21.5 points per game but only 24 points per game in 12 games.

Verdict

Could be somewhat of a defensive battle here as both teams seem to play pretty good defense and the offenses aren’t too prolific. I like the Aggies of Utah State to take care of business on the blue field in Boise today.

Utah State 24, Akron 14

Boca Raton Bowl

Temple (10-3, 7-1 American Athletic Conference)

vs. Toledo (9-2, 6-2 MAC)

FAU Football Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida (30,000)

6 PM CT/ 7 PM ET

ESPN

Allen Bestick, Dan Hawkins, Tiffany Greene

Stripes: Sun Belt, Kevin Stine

Weather: 77, Cloudy, 25% rain chance, wind SE 10 MPH

Line: Temple by 2 1/2

Temple knocked off Penn State, 27-10, barely lost to Notre Dame, 24-20, and crushed Memphis, 31-12. The Owls lost to Houston, 24-13, in the American Athletic Conference Championship game at Houston.

Toledo upset Arkansas the second game of the season, 16-12, and crushed Bowling Green, the MAC champions, 44-28, but lost to Western Michigan the last game of the season, 35-30, which kept them from reaching the MAC Championship game.

Temple running back Jahad Thomas rushed for 1,257 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. Quarterback P.J. Walker completed 223-of-391 passes, 57%, with 19 touchdowns against seven ints. He also has some pretty good wheels, too. Wide receiver Robby Anderson is a super player. He caught 64 passes for 873 yards and 7 TDs. Wide out Ventell Bryant added 37 receptions for 521 yards and 3 TDs. The Temple defense only gave up 19 points per game this season and were led by senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who posted 126 tackles, including 15 for a loss of -62 yards, which also led the team. Matakevich was also the team leader in interceptions with five. Defensive end Nate D. Smith (there’s also a Nate L. Smith who plays cornerback) posted 9.5 tackles for loss of -53 yards and led the team in sacks with seven for -47 yards. The team had 101 tackles for loss, good for fifth in the country. The other book end, defensive end Haason Reddick, posted 12.5 tackles for loss of -56 yards and 5 sacks for -29 yards.

For Toledo, running back Kareem Hunt led the team in rushing with 894 yards and reached the end zone 10 times. Running back Terry Swanson ran for 87o yards and 7 TDs. Quarterback Phillip Ely, an Alabama transfer, completed 206-of-375 passes, 55%, for 2,680 yards, 21 TDs and 10 ints. Wide receiver Corey Jones led the team in receptions with 52 for 535 yards and four TDs. Wide out Cody Thompson added 33 receptions for 706 yards and four TDs. The other key wide out, Alonzo Russell, caught 33 passes for 586 yards and five TDs. Tight end Michael Roberts caught 18 passes for 188 yards and four TDs.

On defense, middle linebacker Chase Murdock led the defense in tackles with 78 and had 7.5 tackles for loss of -16 yards. Nose tackle Orion Jones is a disrupter. He led the team in tackles for loss with 11.5 for -49 yards and sacks with six for -39 yards. Cornerback Cheatham Norrils led the team in interceptions with three.

Verdict

Toledo Coach Matt Campbell left the team after the regular season to take the job at Iowa State. That will have a factor on this game with instability in the coaching staff. Plus, Temple is a very fine team with a good young coach in Matt Rhule. Toledo is a good team, too, but the upheaval of losing their coach, and the slight talent advantage at Temple will be the difference. Should be a good football game though.

Temple 27, Toledo 21

Should be an offensive juggernaut of a game today in Miami. Here’s a look at the matchup.

Bowl record

Saturday: 4-1

Overall: 213-64 (77%)

Miami Beach Bowl

Western Kentucky (11-2, 8-0 C-USA) vs. South Florida (8-4, 6-2 American Athletic)

Marlins Park, Miami (37,442)

1:30 PM CT/2:30 PM ET

ESPN

Talent: Dave LaMont, Desmond Howard, Quint Kessenich

Whistles: Mid American Conference, Greg Blum lead stripe

Weather: 81 @kickoff, 15% rain chance, Wind E 16 MPH

Line: Western Kentucky by 2 1/2

About the teams:

Western Kentucky

It all starts with quarterback Brandon Doughty, the 6’3″, 220 pound fifth year senior for the Hilltoppers. Doughty led the country in completion percentage this year and was second in the country in passing efficiency and second in passing yards. Doughty, in 13 games for the C-USA champs, completed 356-of-496 passes for 4,594 yards, 45 touchdowns and seven ints. His completion percentage was 72%. His 45 TD passes also led the country. He has an excellent arsenal to throw to in wide receiver Taywan Taylor, who caught 79 passes for 1,363 yards and 17 TDs. Jared “I just don’t get no respect” Dangerfield caught 76 passes for 752 yards and seven TDs. Wide receiver Nicholas Norris caught 58 passes for 851 yards and four 7’s, wide out Antwane Grant caught 48 passes for 620 yards and 7 TDs, and tight end Tyler Higbee caught 38 passes for 563 yards and eight scores. Running back is solid position as well. Tailback Anthony Wales ran for 986 yards on 141 carries (7.0 average) and seven TDs. D’Andre Ferby ran for 604 yards on 151 carries (4.0) and 11 TDs. They have 300 pounders on the offensive line led by redshirt junior Max Halpin (6’3″, 295). All five starters are juniors are younger.

****Injury update: Higbee, the tight end, is out this game with a knee injury****

And while the Hilltoppers give up 391 yards per game on defense, they are tied for third in the country in turnovers gained with 31. Utah and Arkansas State led that category this season. The Hilltoppers are tied with San Diego State and West Virginia for third. They’re also fourth in the country in turnover margin with a +16 advantage. San Diego State is first, Navy is second and Houston is third.

So this defense is opportunistic. They were down 21-7 to Southern Miss in the C-USA championship game, but with three interceptions and great offense, came back and won 45-28. Their defense is led in tackles by 6’3″, 220 pound outside linebacker and UAB transfer T.J. McCollum. McCollum has 100 tackles on the season and leads the team with 11.5 tackles for loss of -30 yards. He also has three sacks. Middle linebacker Nick Holt has posted 84 tackles, 7.5 for loss of -35 yards and leads the team with four sacks. He also has three interceptions, which is second most on the defense. Free safety Branden Leston is second on the defense with 91 tackles. Cornerback Prince Charles (royalty?) Iworah leads the team in interceptions with four.

South Florida

South Florida averaged 33.5 points per game this season, and only gave up 21.1 points per game, good for 23rd in the country out of 128 teams in FBS. They gained 23 turnovers and were 18th in the country in turnover margin at +8. Their defense had 15 interceptions this season, tied for 21st nationally.

Quarterback Quinton Flowers had a solid season completing 149-of-244 passes (61%) for 2,023 yards, 21 TDs against eight ints. He also ran for 883 yards and 10 TDs. Marlon Mack was the workhorse in the backfield carrying it 193 times for 1,273 yards (6.6) and eight TDs. Darius Tice is a solid backup. He ran for 448 yards and four TDs. Rodney Adams led the wide receiving corps with 39 receptions for 692 yards (17.7 average per catch) and eight TDs. D’Ernest Johnson, another tailback, was effective catching passes out of the backfield with 26 for 356 yards (13.7) and four TDs. Tight end Sean Price was a weapon as he caught 19 passes for 296 yards (15.6) and five TDs. The o line is averages around 300-305 with fifth year senior center Brynjar Gudmundsson (6’4″,300) anchoring it. This is a very good offense as well.

On defense, sophomore middle linebacker Auggie Sanchez (6’2″, 244) led the team in tackles with 106 and added 8.5 tackles for loss of -25 yards. Safety Jamie Byrd added 80 tackles with 1o for loss of -48 yards, and led the team, along with defensive tackle Bruce Hector, (6’2″, 295) with five sacks. Cornerback Deatrick Nichols led the team team with four interceptions. He made a house call with one of those ints. Strong safety Devin Abraham added three ints.

USF Coach Willie Taggert played quarterback at Western Kentucky from 1994-98 and was the head coach  there from 2010-12. He was 16-20 in three years, but went 7-5 his last two years and led them to the 2012 Little Caesar’s Bowl.

Final Analysis:

This game could very well come down to who has the ball last. This should be an explosive game offensively with the team winning the turnover battle having a very good shot at victory as both these defenses are good at generating turnovers. This is a tough one, but Western Kentucky senior kicker Garrett Schwettman is 93% on kicks, 14-of-15, which leads the country. He’s 2-for-2 from 40-49 yards with his long conversion of 46 yards. He hasn’t tried one from over 50. I like Schwettman (Deutschland native possibly) to knock one through for the victory.

Western Kentucky 38, South Florida 35

Tomorrow (Tuesday)

2 Bowls:

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Akron vs. Utah State (2:30 PM CT/3:30 PM ET, ESPN)

The Boca Raton Bowl: Temple vs. Toledo (6 PM CT/7 PM ET, ESPN)

Five bowls on the docket today in what promises to be an epic postseason capped off by the New Year’s Six Bowls and, especially, the College Football Playoff games pitting the No.2 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) and Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry squaring off against the No.3 Michigan State Spartans (12-1) in the Cotton Bowl (7 PM CT/8PM ET, ESPN), and No.1 Clemson (13-0) versus No.4 Oklahoma (12-1) in the Orange Bowl (3 PM CT/4 PM ET, ESPN) on New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31st.

Record

Championship Saturday, two weeks ago: 8-0

Overall: 209-63 (77%)

Bowls last year: 21-15 (58%)

Here’s a look at today’s action. Will be exciting.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

New Mexico (7-5 overall, 5-3 Mountain West) vs.Arizona (6-6 overall, 3-6 Pac-12)

University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico (39,370)

1 PM CT/2 PM ET

ESPN

Talent: Eamon McAnaney, Rocky Boiman, Laura Rutledge

Stripes: Mid American Conference, Larry Smith head ref

Weather: Kickoff, 47 degrees, partly cloudy, wind S 4 MPH, 0% rain throughout game

Line: ‘Zona by 8

Breakdown:

A good matchup in the Southwest. Kind of a Border War game between these two teams. New Mexico does have the home field advantage and an outstanding running game as they average 246 yards on the ground this season. The running game is led by super fast running back Jhurrel Pressley, who has rushed for 846 yards on 135 carries (6.3 ypc), with 11 TDs. Tenyon Gibson is also lightning fast at running back. He’s another take it to the house guy for the Lobos. He has rushed for 766 yards on 132 carries (5.8) for 6 TDs. Quarterback Lamar Jordan has rushed for 672 yards and six scores and completes 53.2% of his passes going 58-of-109 for 935 yards, 4 TDs and six ints. The Lobos really rely heavily on the running game to move the sticks and generate sevens. The Lobos defense is led by middle linebacker Dakota Cox who has posted 89 tackles on the season, with 11 for loss of -29 yards and 5 sacks for -17. Cornerback Cranston Jones and free safety Markel Byrd lead the defense in interceptions with three apiece.

The Wildcats are coming off a disappointing season for them that was crippled by some key injuries that included all-star linebacker Scooby Wright, quarterback Anu Solomon and running back Nick Wilson. Wright and Solomon are back for the bowl game, and Wilson is most likely playing, too. Wright only played in two games this season, so his presence on the defense will be felt even if he’s a little rusty. The ‘Zona defense is led in tackles by combo linebacker/safety Will Parks, who’s registered 72 tackles on the season, and 6.5 for loss of -17 yards. In 10 games this season, Solomon has completed 192-of-306 passes for 2,338 yards, 18 TDs and four ints. Pretty outstanding numbers. Wilson has rushed for 725 yards and eight TDs in nine games, and the backup quarterback Jerrard Randall has rushed for 702 yards and five TDs. Backup running back Jared Baker has rushed for 691 yards and 6 TDs. Wide out Cayleb Jones leads the Wildcats in receptions with 51 for 722 yards and four TDs. Johnny Jackson has added 50 receptions for 612 yards and five TDs, and Nate Phillips has caught 41 passes for 546 yards and four TDs. David Richards also has 41 receptions for 514 yards and five TDs.

Final Analysis

This should be an exciting offensive shootout with both teams having explosive running games and game changers on offense. New Mexico will give ‘Zona everything they want, but Solomon and company will squeak it out.

Arizona 35, New Mexico 31

Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl

BYU (9-3, Independent) vs. Utah (9-3, 6-3, Pac-12)

Sam Boyd Stadium, Vegas (40,000)

2:30 PM CT/3:30 PM ET

ABC

Brent, Jess, Maria

Whistles: Mid-American Conference, Mark Kluzynski, head guy

Weather: 54 sunny @ kickoff, 0% rain for game, wind ESE 8 MPH

Line: Utah by 2 1/2

Breakdown

BYU Coach Bronco Mendenhall is leaving the program after 11 years to take the job at Virginia. That’s a good hire for UVA; Mendanhall is a solid coach. It’ll be interesting to see how the Cougars handle Mendenhall’s last game at the helm. Freshman quarterback Tanner Mangum had an excellent year completing 242-of-390 passes (62%) for 3,062 yards, 21 TDs, and seven ints. Tailback Algernon Brown rushed for 697 yards and 11 TDs. Mitch Matthews is a tall, rangy receiver at 6’6″, and the key target for Mangum, as he caught 52 passes for 729 yards and 11 TDs. Michael Wadsworth is the Cougars leading tackler with 79 on the season. Defensive end Bronson Kaufusi had a huge year recording 17 tackles for loss of -82 yards and 11 sacks for -71 yards. Safety Kai Nacua intercepted six passes on the season, two for house calls. BYU started off the season knocking off Nebraska, 33-28, on a Hail Mary on the last play of the game at Nebraska and then beat Boise State, 35-24, with some late game heroics as well. They lost to UCLA, 24-23, the third game of the season at UCLA, then got rocked by Michigan at the Big House, 31-0, but came back and won seven of their last eight. They should be pumped up to play their in-state rival.

Utah looked like one of the best teams in the country halfway through the season. The Utes beat Michigan to open up the season, 24-17, and crushed Oregon at Eugene, 62-20, the fourth game of the season that put them firmly in the discussion for the playoff. After beating Arizona State at home, 34-18, in game six to move to 6-0, they lost at USC, 42-24, and lost to Arizona at ‘Zona, 37-30, in two overtimes, and UCLA, 17-9, at home. They finished off the year beating Colorado, 20-14, to cap off another solid season under Coach Kyle Whittingham. The tough news for Utah is they lost their top player, running back Devontae Booker, to a knee injury after the 10th game of the season. Booker had rushed for 1,261 yards and 11 TDs and looked like one of the best backs in the country with a bright future on the next level. That could still very well happen, but for now, he’s on the shelf in this game. Joe Williams will take over duties at RB. In nine games, Williams rushed for 386 yards and 1 score. Quarterback Travis Wilson may have to carry a lot of the load in this game and he’s highly capable. Wilson rushed for 467 yards and six TDs, and completed 186-of-298 passes (62%) for 2,024 yards, 13 TDs against 10 ints. He can struggle with accuracy at times, so the Utes O line will have to protect him against a fierce pass rushing team so he isn’t forced to make a bad decision and throw an int to the opportunistic BYU secondary. Wide receiver Britain Covey has caught 41 passes for 518 yards and four TDs, and wide out Kenneth Scott has caught 38 passes for 448 and four TDs.

The Utes have a pretty tough defense as well led by linebacker Paul Gionni who finished the season posting 109 tackles, 12.5 for loss of -42 yards, three sacks, and four ints. Utah had 86 tackles for loss of -343 yards. Defensive end Jason Fanaika led the way with 9.5 for -38. On the other side, defensive end Kylie Fitts led the defense with six sacks for-43 yards. Free safety Marcus Williams led the team with five interceptions for 88 yards.

 Final Analysis

This should be a stellar game. BYU could be playing with a lot of passion for their coach who will be leaving them after the game. Or they could be disappointed in him and not play with as much passion. Knowing BYU, it’ll most likely be the former. But Whittingham has established a tough, hard-nosed, sold football program in Salt Lake City. Like the Utes to get the job done here, but not by much, and in a classic.

Utah 31, BYU 30

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl

Appalachian State (10-2, 7-1 Sun Belt Conference) vs. Ohio (8-4, 5-3 Mid American Conference)

Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Al. (25,000)

4:30 PM CT/5:30 PM ET

ESPN

Dave Neal, Anthony Becht, Paul Carcaterra

Whistles: American Athletic Conference, Todd LaPenta

Weather: 53, Sunny, 0% rain throughout game, wind WNW 3 MPH

Line: App State by 7 1/2

Breakdown

App State had a tremendous year in their first year to qualify for a bowl game in FBS play. They are unquestionably led by running back Marcus Cox, who rushed for 1,261 yards and eight TDs, although he was hurt late in the season. But he’ll be ready to go late this afternoon in Montgomery. Jalin Moore is a good backup RB who rushed for 635 yards on 86 carries, 7.4 yards a pop, and five TDs. Quarterback Taylor Lamb had a big season for the Mountaineers, completing 157-of-257 passes, 61%, for 2,263 yards, 29 TDs against 8 ints. Wide receiver Simms McElfresh hauled in 33 passes for 424 yards and six TDs. Tight end Barrett Burns caught 12 passes for 131 yards, but six of them were for TDs. On defense, App State ranked 12th nationally in yards allowed per game, and registered four defensive touchdowns, good for seventh in the country. Defensive end Ronald Blair is the Bell Cow of the defense as he posted 18 tackles for loss of 87 yards and 7.5 sacks for -63 yards. Cornerback Latrell Gibbs was a ballhawk with six interceptions for 138 yards including two for TDs. This is a very solid, aggressive unit that can be game changing.

Ohio was solid in the MAC and overall, but they are 2-6 in their last eight bowl appearances missing out last year despite a 7-5 record. They’ll have a two quarterback platoon system with Derrius Vick, who completed 158-of-248 passes (64%) for 1,807 yards, 10 TDs and six ints, and J.D. Sprague, who completed 50-of-88 passes (57%) for 789 yards, seven TDs and only one int splitting time under center. A.J. Ouelettte leads the team in rushing. The RB has 642 yards on the season with five TDs. Daz’mond Patterson has rushed for 497 yards and 9 TDs. Wide out Sebastian Smith has 62 receptions for 754 yards and seven TDs. Wide out Jordan Reid registered 45 receptions for 616 yards and five TDs. On defense, middle linebacker Quentin Poling leads the unit with 8.5 tackles for loss of 39 yards, four sacks for -30 yards and three interceptions.

Final Analysis

Ohio is a solid team, but App State with the running game led by Marcus Cox and the quarterback play of Taylor Lamb and a stout defense will be too much for the Bobcats to overcome.

Appalachian State 42, Ohio 28

AutoNation Cure Bowl

Georgia State (6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) vs. San Jose State (5-7, 4-4 Mountain West)

Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando (70,000)

6 PM CT/7 PM ET

CBS Sports Network

Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Jenny Dell

Stripes: C-USA, Steve Lamantia

Weather: 58 degrees, 0% rain, wind NNE 11 MPH

Line: San Jose State by 1

Breakdown

For San Jose State it’s about their running back, Tyler Ervin. Ervin ran for 1,469 yards this season and 13 touchdowns averaging 5.6 yards per carry and 122 yards per game. He’s their workhorse and he has great speed, so a house call or two from distance wouldn’t be a surprise with Ervin. Quarterback Kenny Potter is pretty adept, too, as he completed 172-of-251 passes, 69%, for 1,895 yards and 14 touchdowns against six ints. His favorite target is tight end Billy Freeman who pulled in 47 passes for 581 yards and six TDs. Wide receiver Tim Crawley caught 39 passes for 424 yards and five TDs. The defense is led by outside linebacker Christian Tago, who posted 117 tackles on the season with nine tackled for a loss of 34 yards. Free safety Maurice McKnight added 95 tackles and an interception. Cornerbacks Jimmy Pruitt and Cleveland Wallace each had three interceptions, with each one taking one back for a house call.

Georgia State is led by their quarterback Nick Arbuckle who completed 293-of-457 passes (64%) for 4,160 yards, 26 TDs against 11 ints. Wide receiver Penny Hart led the receiving corps with 70 catches for 1,085 yards (15.5 average) and eight TDs. Wide out Robert Davis added 60 receptions for 979 yards (16.3) and six TDs. And tight end Keith Rucker had 39 receptions for 522 yards and six TDs. The running game isn’t that prolific as tailback Glenn Smith led the team in rushing with only 353 yards and one TD. Backup running back Kyler Neal ran for 330 yards and five TDs. Inside linebacker Joseph Peterson leads the defense in tackles with 106, and has 7.5 for loss and two sacks. Strong safety Tarris Batiste added 95 tackles, 6.5 for loss and four interceptions for 56 yards. Linebacker Alonzo McGee led the team in tackles for loss with 12 for -38 yards.

Final Analysis

When it comes down to it, Georgia State relies heavily on the passing game while San Jose State is more balanced and has an outstanding running back in Ervin and a good quarterback in Potter. They also are pretty good at interceptions. So I like Ervin and San Jose State to get the job done in ana explosive offensive game.

San Jose State 38, Georgia State 31

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Arkansas State (9-3, 8-0 Sun Belt) vs. Louisiana Tech (8-4, 6-2 C-USA)

Mercedes-Benz Superdome, N’Awlins (76,468)

8 PM CT/9 PM ET

ESPN

Talent: Adam Amin, Kelly Stouffer, Dr. Jerry Punch

Whistles: American Athletic, Adam Savoie

Line: La Tech by 1

La Tech will be led at quarterback by Florida transfer Jeff Driskel, who’s flourished under Coach Skip Holtz completing 255-of-412 passes (62%) for 3,575 yards, and 24 TDs against eight ints. Running back Kenneth Dixon has rushed for  968 yards and 17 TDs. Driskel has added 307 yards on the ground and five TDs. Driskel’s top target is wide receiver Trent Taylor, who has pulled in 89 passes for 1,133 yards and eight TDs. Wide out Curtis Henderson has added 35 receptions for 721 yards and five TDs, and wide out Paul Turner has 40 catches for 560 yards and three TDs. Dixon also has five TD catches. On defense, SAM linebacker Beau Fitte leads the defense with 97 tackles with six for loss. He also has two interceptions. Middle linebacker Nick Thomason has posted 76 tackles and leads the defense in tackles for loss with 12.5 for -35 yards. Defensive end Jaylon Ferguson leads the team in sacks with six. Cornerback Bryson Abraham is the defense’s leader in interceptions with 3 for 109 yards.

Arkansas State has a workhorse at running back and a stellar signal caller. Tailback Michael Gordon rushed for 1,070 yards this season and nine TDs. Backup Johnston White added 573 yards and 14 sevens. Quarterback Fredi Knighton completed 122-of-223 passes (55%), for 1,698 yards and 19 TDs against 7 ints. His leading receivers are slot back J. D. McKissic, who caught 49 passes for 499 yards and two TDs, and wide receiver Tres Houston, who caught 33 passes for 568 yards and 10 TDs.

On defense, the Red Wolves led the country in forced turnovers with 34, with 26 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries. Strong safety Hunter Money WAS money with three interceptions for 128 yards. Two of those ints Money took back to the house. Middle linebacker Quanterio Heath also had an interception for a score. Defensive end Ja’Von Rolland-Jones has led the team with 12 tackles for loss of -69 yards and posted a team leading 9 sacks for -61 yards.

Final Analysis

This is the 38th meeting between the two teams. La Tech holds a 25-12 advantage with their last encounter in 1998 when La Tech steamrolled the Red Wolves, 69-21. But this is a different Arkansas State team. With a solid running game led by Gordon and a dual threat QB in Knighton, and a super opportunistic defense, I like Arkansas State to finish off the season winning nine games in a row in what should be a fast paced, electric game offensively.

Arkansas State 38, La Tech 35 

Coming up Monday

Miami Beach Bowl

Western Kentucky vs. South Florida

Preview and Prediction