It is the holiday season, and aside from the presents, Christmas carols and decorations and college football. There are 35 college football bowl games including the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the Pinstripe Bowl and everyone’s favorite BCS bowls. This year, in particular, seems to have more matchups that are hyped up to instant classics.
The Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 29 is between No. 25 Florida State and Notre Dame. This game promises to be highly entertaining. Florida State reached as high as No. 5 overall in the nation this year, but after a few catastrophic losses, it faded to No. 25. On the other side of the ball, Notre Dame’s biggest issue this year has been turnovers, which could prove costly to a defense ranked fourth nationally.
Players to watch are Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel and Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd. Manuel had 2,417 yards passing this season coupled with 16 touch downs and eight interceptions.
My prediction - Notre Dame upsets Florida State 27-24.
Floyd had another fantastic season snagging 95 balls, gaining 1107 yards and scoring eight touchdowns. For those unfamiliar with Floyd, this is the same Floyd who was a standout at the Cretin-Durham Hall graduating in 2008.
As for the BCS bowls, the first to watch for is on Jan. 2, 2012. No. 3, Oklahoma State, plays No. 4, Stanford, in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. These solid offenses square off in what is sure to be a “can’t miss” holiday special. Oklahoma State ranks second in points scored, with 49.3 points per game while Stanford is just three spots behind, ranked fifth with 43.6 points per game. Stanford also has the 23rd ranked defense in the nation. Part of that defense also showcases Minnesota talent in linebacker AJ Tarpley from Wayzata High School, who starts at their inside linebacker position.
Players to watch for are Stanford’s quarterback and Heisman candidate, Andrew Luck. Luck had 3,170 YDS passing yards with 35 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Oklahoma State boasts wide receiver Justin Blackmon who had 113 receptions for 1,336 yards and 15 touchdowns.
My Prediction -Oklahoma State beats Stanford in a high scoring bout, 31-27.
Finally, No. 1 LSU squares off against No. 2 Alabama in the BCS National Championship on Jan. 9. The rematch of last year’s BCS National Championship game is set to be one for the ages. Earlier this year, LSU beat Alabama 9-6 in a defensively dominated game. Alabama looks to exact its revenge by utilizing their 15th ranked rushing attack (219.8 yards-per-game) and their top ranked defense, allowing just 8.8 points per game. LSU counters with nearly identical stats – LSU has the 17th ranked rushing attack (215.2 yards-per-game) and the second ranked defense, allowing just 10.5 points per game. The players to watch will be the LSU cornerbacks and Alabama running back Trent Richardson. LSU’s cornerbacks had 71 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns. Richardson ran for 1,582 yards and had 23 total touchdowns.
My prediction – LSU repeats national championships, they win 17-10.