2012-13 College Football Bowl Preview (Part I)

The best part of the college football season is, unfortunately, the end.  But that awesome time from December 15th to January 7th is the most fun any fan could expect to have.  Here is Part I of my 2012-13 College Football Bowl Preview (all times Eastern):

The Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Saturday December 15th, 1:00 pm.
Nevada (7-5) vs Arizona (7-5) - Arizona and Nevada don't have to travel very far to kick off the bowl season.  Arizona has had an up and down year, with great wins against Oklahoma State and USC, but letdowns against Oregon and Arizona State.  In Rich Rodriguez's first year, it seems like there are two different Arizona teams that took the field this year.  It will be interesting to see which one shows up against Nevada, who is no slouch, but has lost 4 of its last 5 games this year. Straight Up Pick: Arizona.

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Saturday December 15th, 4:30 pm.

Toledo (9-3) vs #22 Utah State (10-2) - Utah State comes in riding a 6 game winning streak, with a top notch win against Louisiana Tech.  Their two losses on the year came to BYU and Wisconsin by a combined 5 points.  Toledo's balanced attack will be a tough test for the Utah State defense, as Toledo has a point to prove in the MAC, which has become a surprisingly competitive conference over the last couple of seasons. Straight Up Pick: Utah State.

The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Thursday December 20th, 8:00 pm.
Brigham Young (7-5) vs San Diego State (9-3) - Independent BYU has to travel to play what will be practically a home game for San Diego State. Both teams have had quarterback issues, and will rely on powerful running games in this matchup. Straight Up Pick: San Diego State.

The Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl: Friday December 21st, 7:30 pm.
Ball State (9-3) vs UCF (9-4) - After losing the Conference USA title game to Tulsa, UCF has to face a feisty Ball State team who played very well in the MAC this year. Led by junior quarterback Keith Wenning and a great group of receivers, Ball State will try to keep pace with UCF's dynamic offense. Straight Up Pick: UCF

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Saturday December 22nd, 12:00 pm.
East Carolina (8-4) vs Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) - Both teams are riding 3 game winning streaks into this game, with Louisiana-Lafayette led by their conservative short passing and running game, while East Carolina is content to fling it all over the field with great athletes at all the skill positions. Straight Up Pick: Louisiana-Lafayette.

The Macco Las Vegas Bowl: Saturday December 22nd, 3:30 pm.
Washington (7-5) vs #19 Boise State (10-2) - Washington had a nice upset of Oregon State, but has largely disappointed in what was predicted to be a big year for the Huskies.  Meanwhile, Boise State has played a great season, with quarterback Joe Southwick looking better every game. Straight Up Pick: Boise State.

The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Monday December 24th, 8:00 pm.
Fresno State (9-3) vs Southern Methodist (6-6) - SMU has had an inconsistent year, but started to find their stride winning 2 of their last 3 games.  Fresno State however is one of the most underrated teams in the country, with loses against Oregon, Boise State, and Tulsa.  Fresno State touts the number 12 ranked scoring offense this year, so look for them to put up a lot of points in this one. Straight Up Pick: Fresno State.

The Little Caesars Bowl: Wednesday December 26th, 7:30 pm.
Western Kentucky (7-5) vs Central Michigan (6-6) - After a dramatic upset of Iowa early in the season, Central Michigan went in the tank and lost 4 straight games.  They recovered however, and finished the year on a 3 game winning streak. Western Kentucky has had an okay year across the board, and found themselves in a bowl game for the first time in school history since moving to D1. Straight Up Pick: Western Kentucky.


The Military Bowl: Thursday December 27th, 3:00 pm.
#24 San Jose State (10-2) vs Bowling Green (8-4) - San Jose State brings a top 15 passing offense and a whole lot of momentum into this game.  San Jose State is a team that just finds a way to win games.  Bowling Green will try to stop SJSU's passing with their top 10 defense.  Straight Up Pick: San Jose State.

The Belk Bowl: Thursday December 27th, 6:30 pm.
Cincinnati (9-3) vs Duke (6-6) - The good news for Duke: they made a bowl game.  The bad news for Duke: It's against Cincinnati, who's smash-mouth style will be a tough match for the Blue Devils.  Cincinnati is led by one of the best players with the best name: quarterback Munchie Legaux. Straight Up Pick: Cincinnati.

The Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: Thursday December 27th, 9:45 pm.
Baylor (7-5) vs #17 UCLA (9-4) - I will tell you this: lot's of points will be scored.  Both schools boast top ranked offenses, and we are still not sure if Baylor has a defense. UCLA's Brett Hundley will see if he can outgun Baylor's Nick Florence.  Straight Up Pick: UCLA.




More game previews coming in Part II. Enjoy these great games! Til' next time.

College Basketball Roundup

2011-2012 was a great year for the sport of college basketball.  We saw incredible depth throughout the Power Six conferences, great games every week, the excitement of a cinderella in Murray State, and most of all, one of the most riveting tournaments in recent memory.  But this is my favorite part of the season, when you are able to look back and reflect on what made this season so amazing.  Here, I will have the Straight Up Sports Post-Season Awards, given to the players, coaches, students, and yes, even the mascots, that made this season memorable:

"First Team" All Straight Up Sports: These players were, in my opinion, the best at their respective positions:

G- Kendall Marshal, UNC

G- Marcus Denmon, Missouri
G/F- Michael Kidd-Gilchrest, Kentucky

F- Anthony Davis, Kentucky

F- Thomas Robinson, Kansas

The (Very Good) "Second Team" All Straight Up Sports: There were the guys who didn't quite make the cut on the first team, but still had incredible years. 

G- Marcus Teague, Kentucky

G- Pierre Jackson, Baylor

G- Bradley Beal, Florida

F- Jae Crowder, Marquette

F- Draymond Green, Michigan State

Honorable Mentions:
John Henson, Doug McDermott, Mike Scott, Michael Snear, Austin Rivers, Tyler Zeller, Kevin Jones, John Shurna, Darius Johnson-Odom.  

The 6th Man Award: The 6th Man Award goes to the best bench player in the country. It's not easy to come off the bench, and still give your team what it needs every game to win.
G- Dion Waters, Syracuse

The Freshman of the Year Award:
F- Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Guards Trey Burke (Michigan) and Bradley Beal (Florida), and Indiana forward Cody Zeller were right behind Davis, who not only was the best freshman, but the best player in the country.  It was a tough year to be a freshman.

Coach of the Year Award:
This was a very tough one for me, with so many great coaches this year.  You had great coaches like Tom Izzo and Roy Williams have good years like usual, and so many great stories across the country.  I thought of going with John Calipari, who won his first National Championship with the Kentucky Wildcats, or maybe someone like Rick Majerus of Saint Louis University, who brought the Billikens to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years. For me, it came down to Steve Prohm of Murray State, and Frank Haith of Missouri, and I had to go with Haith.  In his first year as a coach in the Big 12, he brought the Missouri Tigers to a Top 10 ranking, and a number 2 seed in the tournament.  He finished 30-5 (14-4 in the Big 12), including winning the Big 12 Tournament at the end of the season. Though Missouri lost a heart-breaker in the first round to 15 seed Norfolk State (who played the perfect game to pull off an upset like that), I believe that Frank Haith wins the Coach of the Year Award.

The Best Atmosphere in College Basketball Award:
One of the things that I love about college hoops is the student sections and gyms across the nation.  The sheer noise of the fans can bring an intimidation factor to your opponent, making it so hard to go and win big games on the road.  Places like Duke's Cameron Indoor, and Michigan State's Breslin Center carry an atmosphere with them that makes opponents nervous just thinking out playing there.  But the school who had the best student section of this past season (and many previous) is San Diego State.  Loud, annoying, obnoxious, and sometimes offensive, their student section makes their area a place to be feared throughout college basketball.  Their student section, called "The Show", was the first one to use the giant cutouts of peoples faces, waving them in the air when someone is shooting.  Playing in this crazy atmosphere not only hinders visiting teams, but helps the Aztecs carry one of the best home records in college basketball over the last few seasons.

The Best Mascot:
A banana slug, a tin keg, and a red blob. Just some of the unique mascots that make their home in college gyms throughout the country.  But nothing matches Syracuse University's Orangeman.  This goofy orange creature has been a part of Syracuse basketball culture for many years, adding just one for facet to their successful and entertaining basketball fans for years to come.

That is it.  The 2011-12 college basketball season is finished, and we look forwards to next year. I know its WAY to early to be thinking about this, but look for Indiana and Michigan to emerge out of the Big Ten, becoming two of the top teams next season.  It saddening for this season to end, and for us to lose great seniors throughout the country.  But that's past us, because it's time for baseball now! 'Til next time.