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.

6 Men, Tebow, and an Undefeated Season

The sports world is a jungle of insanity, but I'm here to lead you through it.

On January 5th, chaos erupted in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  In a game with Louisiana-Lafayette, Western Kentucky was down 3 with under a minute to play.  Western Kentucky's Derrick Gordon made a three to tie the game at 70 with 25 seconds to go in overtime.  Louisiana-Lafayette called a timeout to draw up a play, and both teams broke the huddle to resume play. There was just one small problem: Western Kentucky had 5 players on the court, and Louisiana-Lafayette had 6. With the aid of an extra player, ULL was able to score a layup that would eventually win the game.  Both teams, the officials, and an arena full of fans were unable to notice the extra player until after the game was over.  The game stood, however, and Louisiana-Lafayette got credit for the win.  Interestingly enough, Western Kentucky fired their head coach, Ken McDonald, the day after that chaotic ending.  WKU claims that it has nothing to do with the specific loss, but with the horrid 5-11 start. Assistant Ray Harper was appointed coach, and since then, the Hilltoppers have gone 0-3.

Denver Broncos head hancho John Elway has named Tim Tebow the starting quarterback in next season's training camp. Though heavily criticized for literally everything a quarterback could be criticized for, Tim Tebow has shown that he has the passion to win games, and lead his team.  Elway said that Tebow has "Earned the right" to be the starting quarterback in camp. Tebow went 8-5 this year as a starter, leading a Broncos team that started the season 1-4 into the second round of the playoffs.  Tebow earned the right to start, but that doesn't mean he won't be in competition next season for the starting job.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a slow start to the 2011-12 NBA season, but one bright spot has been power forward Kevin Love. His stats are incredible to start the year, but what amazes me has been his consistency.  He has recorded a double-double in every single game so far this season.  He is 12 for 12 in double doubles (double digit stats in two categories, for Love, it's been rebounds and points).  I'm not saying he will go the whole season like this, but it's something to watch for.

March Madness is so close I can almost smell it. Okay, maybe not, but college basketball is heating up, and tournament hopes are already on the lines for some teams. One team to watch for is Murray State, out of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They are one of just 3 undefeated teams left in the country (Baylor and Syracuse), and they hold an impressive #10 ranking.  One interesting thing about Murray State, is that they have a chance to pull off an undefeated regular season.  They have already played the tough games in their schedule, and are heavy favorites in the rest of their games. They have crushed every OVC team they have played.  The OVC is especially weak this year, other than Murray State, and that makes the odds of an undefeated season even greater. Even if they pull it off, they would still have to win the NCAA tournament.  That's a tall order for any team, but Murray State has the talent to do so, and land themselves in the record books, and basketball lore forever.

The NFL is down to 4 teams, basketball is heating up, and college lacrosse is right around the corner. Life is looking good. 'Til next time.