March 30, 2015

Izzo’s impact on campus

By Tiago Zielske

Courtesy: Detroit Free Press

EAST LANSING, MI — “It’s weird because that’s not how my bracket was set up,” said William Bridgforth, a student at Michigan State.

That must be how most people feel about Tom Izzo’s seventh seeded Michigan State Spartans making the Final Four.

The Final Four is composed of all one seeds this year, besides the bracket busting Spartans.

We should have known better than to count out Izzo’s team. After all, his seven Final Four appearances is the most of any coach this century (Mike Krzyewski has four).

“While watching the game, it felt like we were destined to win,” said Bridgforth. “[Izzo] has a compassion for his players and it’s the way he coaches them up.”

Izzo has left an undoubting impression on the East Lansing community after his improbable tournament run.

“[Izzo] is the definition of doing more with less,” said Matthew Klink, a junior at Michigan State.

According to the ESPN’s recruiting services, the Spartans are the only team in the Final Four without a five-star recruit.

Since 1995, Izzo has had 11 McDonald’s All-Americans, compared to Duke’s 42.

The loss of two NBA first-round draft picks, Adreian Payne and Gary Harris, didn’t hold back the Spartans during this tournament run.

In fact, it might have encouraged this team to make it where those two never could. Adreian Payne was the standout in what became the first senior group under Izzo to never reach the Final Four.

It didn’t last long for Izzo’s Spartans to get back on track. A new group of seniors in Travis Trice and Branden Dawson have led the charge in not allowing that to happen again.

“Izzo is really putting State out there on the map as an underdog being the only seven seed in the Final Four,” said Aleah Galbreath, a Michigan State student who admits to not being the biggest basketball fan. “He is a really good coach because we lost Harris and Payne and it is hard to believe that we could make it back.”

For Izzo, it is about becoming personal with his players and having them buy into his system. His team’s aren’t filled with the highly touted recruits and they aren’t the players that will be top five picks in the upcoming draft. He wants players that won’t leave early for the NBA, the ones that will play tough come March, the ones that will finish out their education at Michigan State.

“[Izzo] emphasizes the importance of what a student athlete means. Basketball can only take you so far but an education can last a lifetime,” said Klink.

January 6, 2014

Vizio BCS National Championship Game

(1) Florida State (13-0) vs. (2) Auburn (12-1)

Jan. 6, 8:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN

I’m sure everyone has heard all sorts of information about the national championship game from all sorts of media outlets, so I’m going to get it nice and short for you all. I just want to give you a few quick notes. You should be watching the game anyways, not reading my blog.

In the last 10 seasons, there have been three BCS championship matchups between an undefeated team and a one-loss team. All three times, the one-loss team won the game, each time by at least 20 points.

2013: Alabama 42 Notre Dame 14
2012: Alabama 21 LSU 0
2007: Florida 41 Ohio State 14

According to ESPN Stats & Information’s strength of schedule metric, Florida State’s strength (66) is the worst among any team in the BCS title game in the last ten seasons. The three teams with the next-worst S.O.S. ranks (2006 Ohio State, 2007 Ohio State, and 2009 Texas) all lost to SEC opponents in the title game.

2006 Ohio State (61) lost by 27 to Florida
2007 Ohio State (56) lost by 14 to LSU
2009 Texas (54) lost by 16 to Alabama

Jameis Winston is going to be extra hype today. It so happens that his birthday is January 6th, 1994. Winston will turn 20 on the day of the game he’s been dreaming of since a child.

Out of all the BCS bowls this year, every single was has been an upset according to ESPN’s Stats & Info.

Stanford had an 82.8% probability of winning. Lost 24-20 to Michigan State
Baylor had an 89% probability of winning. Lost 52-42 to UCF.
Ohio State had a 64% probability of winning. Lost 40-35 to Clemson.
Alabama had an 80.3% probability of winning. Lost 45-31 to Oklahoma.

Florida State has beaten conference opponents by an average of 43.9 points and have beaten the four ranked opponents they’ve played by an average of 41.25 points. Auburn on the other hand has beaten ranked opponents by only an average of 13.4 points. Auburn has played six ranked teams and lost to one, the average win margin of those games were only 4.3 points per game.

If Auburn wins head coach Gus Malzahn would become the first head coach to win a national championship in his first year head coaching at the school since Larry Coker won at Miami in 2001.

If Auburn wins it will be the first team in poll era to defeat two AP No.1 teams in the same season.

Florida State is going for its third national championship game, first since 1999. Auburn is also going for its national championship, first since 2010.

Tiago- Auburn

Matt- Florida State

Tom- Auburn

January 5, 2014

GoDaddy.com Bowl

Arkansas State (7-5) vs. Ball State (10-2)

Jan. 5, 9:00 p.m. (ET) on ESPN

One team has been there done that, while the other will be looking for their first bowl win.

Arkansas State will be making its third straight appearance in the GoDaddy Bowl and defensive coordinator John Thompson will be running the team for a second consecutive postseason. Like Hugh Freeze following the 2011 regular season and Gus Malzahn last year, Bryan Harsin left Arkansas State for a more high-profile job after guiding the team to a 7-5 record. The former Boise State quarterback and offensive coordinator accepted the head coaching job at his former school. Though Arkansas State named North Carolina offensive coordinator Blake Anderson their coach, Thompson will try to lead the Red Wolves to a second straight bowl win. Hiring Anderson makes him Arkansas State’s fifth coach in five seasons. Since 2011, the Red Wolves are 27-11. Prior to that, they finished above .500 once since becoming an FBS school in 1992. Arkansas State started 3-4 then won four straight before losing 34-31 on a two-yard touchdown pass with ten seconds left at Western Kentucky to conclude the regular season. They have allowed an average of 26.7 points per game (65th in the country), while they have allowed 67 points combined during their last two games. The Red Wolves are also 71st in passing defense giving up 234.4 passing yards per game. This may not fare well for them since Ball State is not just one of the best passing teams, but also one of the best scoring teams in the nation. What may help Arkansas State, however, is that they have not turned over the ball more than twice in any game this season and its 13 total turnovers are among the fewest in the country. Senior quarterback Adam Kennedy has been efficient this year throwing the ball and is one of the reasons the turnovers are so low. Kennedy, among the FBS leaders with a 69.3 completion percentage, threw for 2,327 yards and 11 TDs. He’s thrown only two of his six interceptions in the last five games. Kennedy has also run the ball well this year running for 514 yards and four touchdowns, making him the second leading rusher on the 24th ranked rushing offense. Sophomore Michael Gordon is the teams real rusher who had 717 rushing yards, 6.8 per carry, and ten touchdowns. Gordon had his two highest rushing totals of the season over the last three games with 184 yards against Texas State and 132 yards versus Western Kentucky. Arkansas State won 17-13 over then-No.25 Kansas State in last year’s GoDaddy Bowl after falling 38-20 to Northern Illinois the year before. Arkansas State has key wins against Troy (6-6) and at UL Monroe (6-6). They have key losses to Western Kentucky (8-4) and LA-Lafayette (8-4).

Ball State won ten games for the third time in school history, but will be looking for its first ever bowl win. They have their sights set on improving on a 0-7-1 bowl record. After a loss to Central Florida in last season’s Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl, Ball State has been outscored 135-60 in its last three bowl games. The Cardinals will look to change their fortunes in bowl games behind its 12th ranked scoring offense (40.1 points per game) and ninth ranked passing offense (333.3 passing yards per game). Senior Keith Wenning is the school’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (91), passing yards (11,187), completions (1,012) and attempts (1,598). He set career highs this season with 3,933 passing yards (9th in the country) and 34 TDs (6th in the country), while only throwing six interceptions. Wenning has two 1,000-yard receivers at his disposal. Junior Willie Snead, who ranks among the FBS leaders with 97 receptions, 1,429 yards receiving and 14 TDs — 10 of which came over the last seven contests. Sophomore Jordan Williams has 68 catches, 1,016 yards and ten touchdowns. Ball State can do more than pass though, they have two 500-yard rushers. Jahwan Edwards has run for 964 yards and 13 TDs, while Horactio Banks has run for 595 yards and seven touchdowns. The Cardinals were on a seven-game winning streak before being exposed in a 48-27 loss to Northern Illinois in Jordan Lynch’s last regular season game. Lynch threw for 345 yards and ran for 123 yards. In a 27-24 win against Kent State, Kent State quarterback Colin Reardon threw for 166 yards and also ran for 71 yards, and in a 34-27 to North Texas they allowed Derek Thompson to throw for 274 yards and 72 yards on the ground on only six carries — both were a season-high in rushing yards for the quarterbacks. This could pose a problem for Ball State’s defense, who will go up against a dual-threat quarterback in Adam Kennedy. Ball State has key wins against Central Michigan (6-6) and Toledo (7-5). Their two losses were to North Texas (8-4) and Northern Illinois (12-1).

Tiago- Arkansas State

Matt- Ball State

Tom- Ball State

January 4, 2014

BBVA Compass Bowl

Vanderbilt (8-4) vs. Houston (8-4)

Jan 4, 1:00 p.m. (ET) on ESPN

A pair of excellent receivers will show each other what they’ve got, in the BBVA Compass bowl.

Vanderbilt has come a long way in a short amount of time. They have beaten Florida, Tennessee and Georgia in the same season for the first time in school history. Prior to last season, the Commodores didn’t have a nine-win season since 1915, and have posted back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time since 1927-28. They are appearing in their third straight bowl game after making only four in the first 120 years of the program. Vanderbilt will be looking to win back-to-back bowl games for the first time in school history, however, this could be difficult without their starting quarterback. Austyn Carta-Samuels underwent knee surgery following the conclusion of the regular season to repair a torn ACL in order to be ready for NFL draft workouts this spring. He finished the season with 2,268 passing yards with 11 TDs and nine interceptions. Patton Robinette is expected to start in Carta-Samuels’ place. He started the two games Carta-Samuels missed, completing 21 for 40 passes for 273 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a loss at then-No.14 Texas A&M and in a win at Florida. Robinette will look to throw to the SEC’s all-time leader in receptions and yards, Jordan Matthews. Matthews finished fourth in receptions with 107 and seventh in yards at 1,334. A native of Alabama who will be playing less than 100 miles from his hometown, the senior is looking to end his college career on a high note. In case Robinette struggles, Vanderbilt has Jerron Seymour at running back who has 627 yards and 13 TDs. On defense the Commodores are 24th in total defense giving up 352.3 yards per game and are 47th in scoring defense allowing 24.7 points per game. Senior cornerback Kenny Ladler is tied for 17th in the country with five interceptions and is the leader of the 21st ranked passing defense that gives up 204.3 through the air. This could bode well for them since they are going up against a great passing attack from Houston. Vanderbilt has a key win against Georgia (8-4) and has key losses to Texas A&M (8-4) and Ole Miss (7-5).

Houston struggled down the stretch losing three consecutive November games before defeating rival SMU 34-0 in the season finale. Those three games, however, were at UCF (11-1), at Louisville (11-1) and against Cincinnati (9-3), while only losing those games by no more than seven. Houston’s offense has averaged 33.9 point per game (34th in the country) and averaged 284.1 passing yards (23rd) this year behind their true freshman quarterback John O’Korn. O’Korn had a strong season, throwing for 26 TDs and just eight interceptions. He also threw for 2,889 yards, which is third in the country among true freshman. Like Vanderbilt, Houston has a strong receiving threat, with Deontay Greenberry, who stunned Notre Dame on signing day in 2012 to sign with the Cougars and has been as good as advertised. He hauled in 76 catches for 1,102 yards and ten touchdowns. He missed the regular-season finale against SMU because of a leg injury, but is expected to play in the bowl game. O’Korn doesn’t just have one threat at wide receiver, Daniel Spencer has 50 catches for 764 yards and six touchdowns. On the ground, Houston will look to run with Ryan Jackson who has run for 655 yards and six touchdowns. The Cougars defense leads the nation in turnover margin (plus-23) and in takeaways (40). They are also 13th in points against (20.2 points per game) and are 37th in rushing defense (143.83). Their real weakness is against the pass where they have given up an average of 276.2 passing yards per game (116th). Houston has a key win against Rutgers (6-6) and their key loss is to Cincinnati (9-3).

Tiago- Vanderbilt

Matt- Houston

Tom- Houston

January 3, 2014

Discover Orange Bowl

(12) Clemson (10-2) vs. (7) Ohio State (12-1)

Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN

The only meeting between these two schools ending in stunning fashion in which Ohio State coach Woody Hayes punched Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman after he intercepted a pass in the Tigers’ 17-15 win in the 1978 Gator Bowl. This years matchup will feature two of the best quarterbacks in the country, where we may not even see an interception.

Clemson had national title aspirations after opening the season with six consecutive wins. The Tigers were ranked No.3 heading into a home matchup with Florida State, but were demolished 51-14 and knocked out of the BCS conversation. While they struggled against the Seminoles and in a 31-17 loss to rival South Carolina in the regular-season finale, its offense has otherwise been sensational. The Tigers average 45.1 points and 534.6 yards in their wins. Their 11th ranked passing offense (329.3 yards per game) and ninth ranked scoring offense (40.2 points per game) is led by senior quarterback Tajh Boyd and junior wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Boyd passed for 3,473 yards and 29 TDs, and is the teams second leading rusher with 273 yards and nine touchdowns with his feet. His 102 career touchdown passes are an ACC record and are tied for 15th most in FBS history. Watkins led the ACC with 1,237 yards on 85 catches for ten touchdowns and was named a second-team All-American. Boyd will have more than just Sammy Watkins, however. Martavis Bryant had 800 yards and five scores on just 39 receptions for an average of 20.5 yards per catch — sixth in the nation. Roderick McDowell is the Tigers leading rusher with 956 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, Clemson has had trouble stopping the run allowing an average of 169.5 yards on the ground in their last four games, but have been solid against the pass, yielding an average of 132.2 yards and two passing touchdowns over that same span. Defensive end Vic Beasley will lead the charge as his 12 sacks were among the nation’s leaders. If Clemson wants to redeem their 70-33 loss to West Virginia in the 2011 Orange Bowl, they will need to be able to stop Ohio State’s third ranked rushing attack. Clemson has key wins against Georgia (8-4) and Georgia Tech (7-5). Their two losses were Florida State (13-0) and to South Carolina (10-2).

Like Clemson, Ohio State had national title aspirations. Ohio State was No.2 in the AP preseason poll after going 12-0 last year — though the team was barred from the postseason due to NCAA infractions. This year, led by dual-threat quarterback Braxton Miller, the Buckeyes went virtually unchallenged throughout the regular season and went 12-0 again after needing a failed two-point conversion to beat Michigan 42-41. Unlike last year, however, the Buckeyes had to play in the Big Ten championship game. They entered this year’s game ranked second in the BCS standings, but they’re title aspirations were dashed after losing 34-24 to Michigan State. The Buckeyes weakness was exposed in their final games; pass defense. Ohio State’s defense allowed their last four opponents to complete 63.7 percent of its passes for an average of 340.8 yards and 11 total touchdowns. The Spartans’ Connor Cook, who came in averaging 176.6 yards, threw for a career-best 304 yards and three touchdowns. On the season as a whole, Ohio State is ranked 105th in pass defense allowing an average of 259.5 yards per game. Head coach Urban Meyer said personnel changes on defense are possible with freshman Tyvis Powell and Vonn Bell seeing more playing time. They will also be without sophomore defensive end Noah Spence, who was suspended for three games for violating an undisclosed Big Ten rule. Spence led the Buckeyes with eight sacks this year and also had 14.5 tackles for a loss (second-most on the team). Ohio State has one of the best offenses, however, ranking fourth in scoring offense with 46.3 points per game and seventh in total offense with 518.5 yards per game. Most of the damage comes from their run game, featuring Carlos Hyde and Braxton Miller. They are ranked third with an average of 317.5 yards per game on the ground. Miller, the Big Ten offensive player of the year, averaged 155.8 rushing yards per game, 9.4 per carry and ran for eight touchdowns over his last four contests. He also led the Big Ten with 22 passing touchdowns while throwing for 1,860 yards, making him a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard passer. Carlos Hyde, a third-team All-American, was second in the Big Ten with 14 TDs despite missing the first three games due to suspension. In the last six games he’s rushed for 965 yards with an average of 8.7 per attempt. Their rushing attack will be key in beating Clemson and their 51st ranked rushing defense. Ohio State has key wins against Wisconsin (9-3) and Iowa (8-4). Their only loss was to Michigan State (12-1).

Tiago- Clemson

Matt- Ohio State

Tom- Clemson

January 3, 2014

AT&T Cotton Bowl

(13) Oklahoma State (10-2) vs. (8) Missouri (11-2)

Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m. (ET) on FOX

This is the 52nd meeting between these two schools that dates back to 1915. The Missouri Tigers lead the series 28-23, but Oklahoma State has won the last three.

It was looking like Oklahoma State was going to win the Big 12 title when they had a 24-20 lead with 1:46 remaining against then-No.18 Oklahoma. However, the Sooners scored with 19 seconds left and added a fumble return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff to come away with a 33-24 win. “It was an upsetting loss but we can’t dwell on it. It’s the past,” said Oklahoma State senior running back Kye Stalley. “We’re very excited to play Missouri, an SEC team, in Dallas. We have a lot of Texas kids that probably dreamed of playing there, so it’s going to be a fun, exciting time.” In fact, the last time the Cowboys played in the Cotton Bowl was in 2009, when it lost 21-7 to Mississippi. This year Oklahoma State has one of the highest scoring offenses in the country, being ranked 13th with 39.8 points per game. They also average 440.5 total yards per game, which is ranked 41st. Their offense is lead by senior Clint Chelf who took over the starting job at quarterback after sophomore J.W. Walsh earned the job early in the season. Chelf appeared in 11 games, passing for 1,792 yards with 15 TDs and six interceptions. He is also third on the team in rushing with 321 yards and six touchdowns. Chelf will have two 600-yard receivers to throw to in Tracy Moore and Josh Stewart. Moore has 44 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns, while Stewart has 52 catches for 623 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the Cowboys have carried the ball over 100 times with two different running backs, Desmond Roland and Jeremy Smith. Desmond Roland has 745 yards and 12 TDs, while Jeremy Smith has 442 yards and nine touchdowns. Oklahoma State has a star defensive player in senior cornerback Justin Gilbert, who was named AP second-team All-America and one of the three finalists for the Jim Thorpe award. He is tied for fourth in the nation with six interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns. Despite Gilbert’s great year, Oklahoma State ranks 86th in passing defense, giving up 245.6 yards through the air per game. Even though they struggle against the pass, they still only allow 20 points per game (12th) and 132.92 rushing yards per game (23rd). If the Cowboys want to get revenge on Missouri for leaving the Big 12, their defense will be key because Missouri also has one the best offenses in the country. Oklahoma State has key wins against Baylor (11-1) and Texas (8-4) and their two losses are to Oklahoma (10-2) and West Virginia (4-8).

Missouri was also looking for a conference title in their season finale when they went to play then-No.3 Auburn in the SEC championship game. The contest turned into a shootout, with Auburn leading 45-42 after three quarters. Missouri, however, failed to score again and lost 59-42, handing Auburn a spot in the BCS championship game against Florida State and landing themselves in the Cotton Bowl. The last time the Tigers were in the Cotton bowl was in 2007 when they beat Arkansas 38-7. Just like Oklahoma State, Missouri has one the top offenses in the country. They are ranked 15th in scoring with 39 points per game and are ranked 16th in total yards with 492.9 yards per game. Junior running back Henry Josey leads the way with 1,074 yards and 13 touchdowns for a Missouri team that is 15th in the country in rushing. Senior quarterback James Franklin is back after missing four games in the middle of the season with a separated shoulder. Franklin has passed for 2,255 yards with 19 TDs and five interceptions while also rushing for 474 yards and four scores. He may have the best receiving duo in the country to throw to. Senior L’Damian Washington and sophomore Dorial Green-Beckham have combined for 1,683 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. The 29th ranked scoring defense (22.5 points per game) is led by senior defensive end Michael Sam, who was named AP first-team All-America and SEC defensive player of the year after ranking among the nation’s leaders with 10.5 sacks and 18 tackles for a loss. This teams real weakness is against the pass, where they rank 102nd in passing defense giving up 256 yards per game. In their loss to South Carolina they gave up a startling 423 passing yards. Recently, however, they have shown they can hold the best of them when they held Johnny Manziel and company to only 195 yards through the air. Missouri will be looking for their second 12-win season in program history in what should be a shootout in Dallas.

Tiago- Missouri

Matt- Missouri

Tom- Oklahoma State

January 2, 2014

Allstate Sugar Bowl

(11) Oklahoma (10-2) vs. (3) Alabama (11-1)

Jan.2, 8:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN

Two of college football’s most historic programs ranking seventh (Oklahoma, 836) and ninth (Alabama, 832) in all-time wins duke it out in the Sugar Bowl.

Months ago, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops called out the SEC for being too top-heavy. Now he gets to see one of the SEC’s top teams front and center. This will be their first trip to the Sugar bowl since 2004, when it lost to Saban’s LSU teams that earned a split of the national title. Oklahoma’s quarterback situation has been a season-long carousel between Trevor Knight, Blake Bell, and Kendal Thompson, and Stoops said his starter for the Sugar Bowl would be a “game-time decision”. Knight started the first game, but got injured in the second game, and Bell stepped in to start the next seven. All three saw time in the 33-24 victory at Oklahoma State that propelled the Sooners to a BCS bowl game, though it was Bell’s touchdown pass to Jalen Saunders with 19 seconds left that proved to be the difference. Blake Bell has led the team in passing with 1,648 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also rushing for 255 yards. Trevor Knight, on the other hand, has thrown for 438 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 438 yards and two scores. Oklahoma will look to run the ball, however, with Brennan Clay and Damien Williams, both of whom have over 100 carries. Clay has run for 913 yards and six touchdowns, while Williams has run for 553 yards and seven touchdowns. With the help of those two, the Sooners are ranked 18th in the country in rushing offense averaging 235.8 yards per game. Oklahoma’s defense finished as the best in the pass-happy Big 12, yielding an average of 336.3 yards of total offense to rank 14th nationally. However, if Oklahoma wants a realistic chance of beating Alabama, it has to concentrate on slowing down Yeldon and the rushing attack. Alabama is 42-1 with McCarron as a starter when they run for at least 125, 4-5 when they don’t. For Oklahoma they’ll hope they hold Alabama below their season average of 138.33 yards allowed on the ground which is ranked 26th in the country against the run. The Sooners have key wins against Oklahoma State (10-2) and Notre Dame (8-4), and their two losses on the year were to Texas (8-4) and to Baylor (11-1).

Alabama still might be the nation’s best team, but it crossed paths with Auburn’s run of destiny. It’s hard to say just how focused Alabama will be after its BCS championship hopes slipped away in agonizing fashion. The Crimson Tide is hoping to avoid a conclusion similar to the end of its 2008 season, when No.2 Florida beat the top-ranked Tide in the SEC title game to keep them out of the BCS championship. Alabama wound up in the Sugar Bowl that season, too, and fell behind Utah 21-0 en route to a 31-17 loss. However, the last time Alabama was at the Sugar Bowl was for the 2012 BCS national championship when they beat LSU and didn’t let the Tigers get past midfield. This will mark the college finale for AJ McCarron, who threw for 20 touchdowns and just two interceptions after September in winning the Maxwell Award and finishing as the Heisman runner-up. Four players caught at least 29 passes from McCarron, led by sophomore standout Amari Cooper. Cooper caught 36 passes and led the team with 615 yards while also catching four touchdown passes. The other three receivers are Kevin Norwood (36 catches, 538 yards, seven touchdowns), DeAndrew White (29 catches, 395 yards, three touchdowns), and Christian Jones (36 catches, 349 yards, and two touchdowns). Running will be the most important aspect of this offense, however, with a trio of running backs. T.J. Yeldon leads the bunch with 1,163 yards and 13 touchdowns, while backups Kenyan Drake (694 yards, 7.5 per carry) and Derrick Henry (282 yards, 10.4 per carry) combined for ten touchdowns. What has gotten Alabama two national championships in four years is their stout defense. This year their are the fifth-ranked defense overall and second in scoring defense only allowing 11.3 points per game. They are also fifth against the pass (166.3 yards per game) and 11th against the run (108.3 yards per game). However, where the Crimson Tide struggled was against a pair of prominent dual-threat quarterbacks this season, giving up 296 rushing yards in a loss to Nick Marshall and Auburn and allowing Johnny Manziel to throw for 464 and run for 96 in a win against Texas A&M. Alabama may need to worry a little bit since Blake Bell and Trevor Knight both pose the threat to run the ball at quarterback. Alabama has key wins against LSU (9-3) and Texas A&M (8-4). While their only loss was on the infamous “kick six” play at Auburn (12-1).

Tiago- Alabama

Matt- Alabama

Tom- Alabama

January 1, 2014

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

(15) UCF (11-1) vs. (6) Baylor (11-1)

Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN

Both teams will be making their first BCS bowl game in their programs’ history, in what could possibly be the best quarterback matchup in all of the bowl games this year.

The Knights wrapped up a BCS bid with Louisville’s win over Cincinnati and added the inaugural American Athletic conference title by holding off SMU 17-13 in an ice storm. UCF also won 11 games in 2010, but that led to the liberty bowl as opposed to a BCS berth. They have won a school-record eight straight, but only two by more than seven points, since a 28-25 loss to then-No.12 South Carolina. Quarterback Blake Bortles has flown under the radar some, but his name has been rocketing up most draft boards lately — with some placing him as a potential top-10 selection. The 6’4″ junior is ninth in passing efficiency (163.3), racking up 3,280 yards and 22 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He was also the AAC’s offensive player of the year. Bortles was sacked seven times in his first seven games, but was taken down 14 times in his final five. Bortles did a good job distributing the ball, he has four receivers totaling at least 36 catches. Rannell Hall has 51 catches for a team-best 773 yards, while J.J. Worton added 42 catches for 665 yards and seven touchdowns. Storm Johnson got a bulk of the carries for UCF, rushing for 1,015 yards, averaging 5.3 per carry, and scored 11 touchdowns. Johnson was also able to get 29 catches for 261 yards, three receiving touchdowns. On defense they are 12th in points against allowing just 19.6 points per game and are also 13th in rush defense allowing 116.5 rushing yards per game. UCF doesn’t fare as well against the pass, however, as they are ranked 63rd against the pass. The Knights have played the 15th and 8th ranked passing teams this year (Louisville and SMU) and won both game by only an average of 3.5 points. They gave up 341 passing yards to Teddy Bridgewater and gave up to 235 to SMU’s backup quarterback. They will need to be up for the challenge of playing one of the best passing teams in the country if they want to win their third straight bowl game. UCF is also 0-5 against current teams in the Big 12. The Knights have key wins against Penn State (7-5) and Louisville (11-1) while their only loss is to South Carolina (10-2).

Baylor’s hopes for a national championship were dashed with a lopsided loss to Oklahoma State but they rebounded to win their next two games and landed in their first BCS bowl. A 30-10 victory over Texas in the regular-season finale gave Baylor 11 wins for the first time and won the schools first outright conference title since winning the SWC in 1980. The Bears boasted one of the best offenses in the country, they scored a season-best 53.3 points per game and averaged 624.4 yards — both just shy of NCAA records for points (56.0) and yards (624.9). The key player for this offense is junior quarterback Bryce Petty who announced that he would return next year. Petty threw for 3,844 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only threw two interceptions all year. He ranks second in passing efficiency (179.19) and first with 17.47 yards per completion. Bryce Petty has thrown one pick with 20 touchdowns in his last 264 attempts. The junior also was named the Big 12 offensive player of the year after leading the conference in passing touchdowns (30) and 300-yard games (9). Petty hasn’t done it alone, he has two outstanding receivers to play pitch and catch with. Antwan Goodley has 67 receptions for 1,319 yards (ninth in the country) and 13 touchdowns (seventh in the country), while also averaging 19.7 yards per catch. The other receiver is Tevin Reese who is expected to play after missing the last four games with a dislocated wrist. Reese caught 33 passes for 824 yards with eight touchdowns and averaged 25 yards per catch, all of which were among the top ranks in receiving at the time. The Bears averaged 686 yards and 61 points in their first eight games with Reese compared to 501.5 yards and 37.8 points in the four he missed. Baylor can do more than pass though. They are ranked 11th in the country with 265.2 rushing yards per game, and Lache Seastruck became the first player in school history with two 1,000-yard seasons. The Oregon transfer totaled 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns despite missing two games due to injury. Baylor can also play defense where they are ranked 17th in total defense (343.7 yards allowed per game), 19th in scoring defense (21.2 points per game), 25th in rushing defense (135.92 yards per game), and are 23rd against the pass (207.8 yards per game). The defense will be lead by senior linebacker Eddie Lackey who has 97 tackles, 13 of them for a loss. Like UCF, Baylor will be looking to win their third straight bowl game for the first time after combining 116 points in wins over Washington and UCLA. Baylor has key wins against Oklahoma (10-2) and Texas (8-4). Their only loss is to Oklahoma State (10-2).

Tiago- Baylor

Matt- Baylor

Tom- Baylor

December 31, 2013

Rose Bowl

(5) Stanford (11-2) vs. (4) Michigan State (12-1)

Jan. 1, 5:00 p.m. (ET) on ESPN

In the 100th Rose Bowl, we will get two teams that personify this historic bowl game. Both teams are defensively minded and will look to run the ball, we’ve got good ol’ fashion smash mouth football in Pasadena.

Stanford won their first Rose Bowl in 40 years when they beat Wisconsin 20-14 last season. The Cardinal earned its trip to Pasadena with a 38-14 win over then-No.11 Arizona State in the PAC-12 title game, though it may have been in Pasadena for the national championship on January 6th if it were not for a few letdowns. They were upset twice by unranked teams: 27-21 at Utah and 20-17 at USC. Stanford seems to stack up well against Michigan State’s stout run defense after averaging 234.2 yards on the ground in its last five games. Senior running back Tyler Gaffney ran for 133 yards and three touchdowns in their conference title game, and he’s averaged 144.5 over his last eight. Gaffney also ranks seventh in the country with 1,626 rushing yards and is tied for fifth with 20 touchdowns. He shined on a Thursday night in Palo Alto for the nation to see against then-No.3 Oregon when he carried the ball a staggering 45 times while running for 157 yards and touchdown. Gaffney didn’t do it alone, however, his offensive line is one of the best in the country. The star of the line is unanimous first-team All-American, David Yankey. He will look to do more than protect Gaffney, he will also look to keep starting quarterback Kevin Hogan from getting grass stains on that Rose Bowl jersey. Hogan will be tasked with helping move the ball on Michigan State’s imposing defense. The junior quarterback threw for 2,487 yards, 20 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He has also found a favorite receiver this year with Ty Montgomery who caught 58 passes for 937 yards and ten touchdowns. However don’t expect Stanford to throw the ball a whole lot, Hogan has attempted 20 or fewer passes in seven contests this season as Stanford relied heavily on the ground game. The Cardinal’s 293 pass attempts are by far the fewest in the PAC-12. Just like Michigan State, defense is what Stanford takes pride in. They are ranked 14th in total defense allowing 339 yards per game and are 10th in scoring defense giving up only 18.6 points per game. First-team All-American Trent Murphy will lead the charge in stopping the Spartan’s attack. Murphy is third in the nation with 21.5 tackles for a loss and leads the nation with 14 sacks. Stanford will be looking for back-to-back Rose Bowl victories for the first time since 1970-71 and win 12 games for the second straight year. The Cardinal have key wins against Oregon (10-2) and Arizona State (10-2) and their two losses are to Utah (5-7) and USC (9-3).

Unlike Stanford, Michigan State hasn’t been to the Rose Bowl in 26 years since beating USC 20-17 in 1988. To make it here they defeated then-No.2 Ohio State 34-24 in the Big Ten championship game to win their first outright conference title since that Rose Bowl year in 1988. As for head coach Mark Dantonio, he hasn’t coached in the Rose Bowl since he was a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 1984. The last time the Spartans were ranked this high in the AP poll was when they were No.3 to begin the 1967 season. Needless to say, this is a big deal for Michigan State. They are coming off nine straight since suffering their loss to Notre Dame, and in each win from then they’ve continued to look better and better. They’ve achieved this goal by playing some of the best defense in the country. They rank first in the nation with 248.2 yards allowed per game, including an FBS-low 808 on the ground. The Spartans did not allow a touchdown in five of its six games prior to facing Ohio State. Senior corner Darqueze Dennard was named first-team All-American and won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back, while sophomore defensive end Shillique Calhoun was honored as the Big Ten’s top defensive lineman as he gathered up 7.5 sacks this year. The Spartans will be without a key member of their defense, however, after senior linebacker Max Bullough was suspended for violating team rules. Dantonio has not said what rules the two-time captain violated to miss the Rose Bowl. Bullough had 76 tackles and 9.5 tackles for a loss this season, earning him third-team All-American honors and first-team All-Big Ten honors. He also has 299 career tackles and has made 40 consecutive starts. Michigan State’s offense tends to get overshadowed by their defense. Sophomore quarterback Connor Cook has really shined this year after winning the starting job. He has 2,423 yards passing to go along with 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He also threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns in the conference championship game to earn MVP honors. Junior running back Jeremy Langford has flown under the radar for most people, but has quietly been one of the most productive backs in the country. Langford has rushed for 1,338 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. He also had a great eight game streak of rushing for over 104 yards while averaging 128.4 rushing yards per game and 13 touchdowns. The Spartans will need Connor Cook and Jeremy Langford to keep up the consistency if they want to win their first Rose Bowl in 26 years. Michigan State has key wins against Ohio State (12-1) and Iowa (8-4). Their only loss came early in the year to Notre Dame (8-4).

Tiago- Stanford

Matt- Michigan State

Tom- Stanford

December 30, 2013

Capital One Bowl

(19) Wisconsin (9-3) vs. (9) South Carolina (10-2)

Jan.1, 1:00 p.m. (ET) on ABC

If you like the running game, this will be the game for you. Wisconsin has two 1,000 yard rushers and South Carolina has one as well.

Wisconsin finally gets a change of scenery in the postseason, even though the Badgers had their eyes set on making it to their fourth straight Rose Bowl. Its probably a good thing that they take some time off from the Rose Bowl because Wisconsin lost all three of those games to TCU, Oregon, and Stanford. The Capital One Bowl isn’t a bad consolation prize, especially since they will be playing a top ten opponent in South Carolina. The Badgers will be looking to prove they can run on anyone in the country. Their hopes of displaying a dominant ground game on a BCS stage came to an end along with a six-game winning streak with a 31-24 home loss to Penn State in the regular-season finale. They boast the nation’s eighth rushing offense who has gained 3,396 yards on the ground and average 283 rushing yards per game, while their 6.6 yards per carry trailed only Ohio State. The running game is led by Melvin Gordon and James White, both 1,000 yard rushers. Melvin Gordon announced he will return for his junior year after leading the Badgers with 1,466 yards on 8.1 yards per carry with 12 rushing touchdowns. As for senior James White, this will be his last game in a Badgers jersey. White racked up 1,337 yards and a team-high 15 total touchdowns this year. As most people only focus on their running game, — and for good reason — their passing game can be crucial to their success. Quarterback Joel Stave will frequently be called to run play-action passes. Stave has thrown for 2,414 yards and 20 TDs, while throwing 12 interceptions. Stave will have one of the best wide receivers in the nation with Jared Abbrederis, who accounted for 73 receptions, 1,051 yards and seven touchdowns. Linebacker Chris Borland will lead the Badger defense after being named the Big Ten defensive player of the year and a first-team All-American. The Badgers rank fifth in the country in scoring defense allowing just 14.8 points per game and sixth in total defense allowing only 294 yards per game. Wisconsin has key wins against BYU (8-4) and Iowa (8-4). They have key losses to Penn State (7-5) and lost over controversial refereeing to Arizona State (10-3).

South Carolina will be going after their third straight bowl victory after beating another Big Ten opponent, Michigan, in the 2012 Outback Bowl. The Gamecocks, unlike Wisconsin, ended their season on a high-note with a 31-17 victory over then-No.6 Clemson for their fifth in a row — a streak that started with a 27-24 victory at then-No.5 Missouri. The Gamecock’s offense will be led by senior quarterback Connor Shaw whose decision making has been sound as he threw 21 TDs and only one interception this year. South Carolina hasn’t turned over the ball in their last four game this season and have a plus-15 turnover margin over the last four weeks after posing a minus-4 turnover margin through their first eight. For Shaw his second-leading wide receiver Damiere Byrd will miss the game. The 5’9″ speedster required arthroscopic knee surgery after suffering an injury in practice earlier this month. Shaw will still have two dependable receivers in Bruce Ellington and Shaq Roland. Ellington has 43 catches for 635 yards and six touchdowns, while Shaq Roland had 19 catches for 345 yards and five touchdowns. Connor Shaw was also the second leading rusher with 511 yards behind Mike Davis’s 1,134 yards on the ground. Davis is the SEC’s fourth leading rusher this year. The sophomore made noise right off the bat after running for 115 yards on only 12 carries — a 9.6 average — in their season-opener against North Carolina. Davis also scored a touchdown in each of his first seven games, including three against Central Florida, and finished the year with 11 total. This defense stars on of the most-hyped players in college football and drew as much attention from opposing offensive lines as anyone. I am talking about Jadeveon Clowney of course, who ended an injury-plagued season with just three sacks. It didn’t stop South Carolina from being the third ranked team in the SEC in total defense by only giving up 345 yards per game and are also ranked second in the SEC in scoring defense only giving up 20 points per game. While Clowney was getting double-teamed on the line, Kelcy Quarles shined with 9.5 sacks this year. South Carolina has key wins against Clemson (10-2) and Missouri (11-2) and their two losses are against Georgia (8-4) and Tennessee (5-7).

Tiago- South Carolina

Matt- Wisconsin

Tom- Wisconsin