Although it may not share the same marquee-value as the BCS National Championship Game that will be played in the same Dolphins Stadium one week later, the 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl (January 1st, 8:30 PM, Fox) will feature two conference champions who want to represent themselves, and their sometimes-maligned conferences, in a grand fashion before a national television audience.
The Virginia Tech Hokies and the Cincinnati Bearcats, both the somewhat-surprising champions of their conferences (ACC, Big East, respectively), meet in suburban Miami in what could be a close, low-scoring matchup.
The Orange Bowl could be the national-breakout game for some talented athletes from both teams, including Cincinnati WR Mardy Gilyard (photo, thanks IconSMI), who faces one of the best pass defenses in the land in Virginia Tech. Read the rest of this entry →
An evenly-matched duel-in-the-desert is on tap in El Paso, TX, for the Brut Sun Bowl (December 31st, 2 PM, CBS) featuring the Oregon State Beavers of the Pac-10 Conference, against the Pittsburgh Panthers from the Big East Conference.
Each school boasts one of the top RBs in the nation: Pittsburgh with super-sophomore LeSean McCoy, and, Oregon State with freshman-phenom Jacquizz Rodgers (photo, thanks IconSMI)…and expect to hear their names called quite a bit during the game.
However, these programs are more than just one-trick ponies. Both possess other skill-position talent comparable to any elite program…and the supporting cast could be the key to winning this edition of the Sun Bowl. Read the rest of this entry →
The Holiday Bowl was my #1 selection on the “Fantasy Bowl Draft” for three reasons – One, my objective intellect saw this as one of three bowls not in the BCS that put two ranked teams in opposition in what looks to be an offensive orgy. Two, I have been adopted into the Oklahoma State family since marrying the Outstanding Senior of 1995. Three, as a uniform junkie you have to appreciate two teams that aren’t afraid of a little color…
(Word is that OSU will be in all-white, Oregon in the model that #10 Dennis Dixon is sporting)
Please do not think for a moment that I am disrespecting Oregon in the least. Ducks are on a roll – only Cal kept them under 35 points since Halloween and Oregon put up 50+ in three of their last five. Also you have to appreciate a coach like Mike Belotti (and coach in waiting Chip Kelly) who can get a team pointed in the right direction after playing four quarterbacks in a season.
This is truly a matchup of amazing offensive firepower (both squads in top ten in rushing) facing average defensive corps, likely leading to enough scoring for the whole family to enjoy. You just can’t get enough O tonight.
SPECIAL: TeamRankings.com has the Holiday Bowl as one of its teaser giveaway games – witness the awesome power of their statistical services. Check it out here.
Stats, trends and cool conversation starters for the girls at the party/bar after the jump… Read the rest of this entry →
This Monday’s matchup between the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at the Papajohns.com Bowl features two teams that halfway through the 2008 season looked to have absolutely no shot at making a post-season appearance. With the Wolfpack standing 2-6 and Rutgers 1-5 heading into the month of November, grit, tenacity, and determination combined themselves into a four- and six-game winning streak for each team, respectively, and final records of 6-6 for N.C. State and 7-5 for the Scarlet Knights by the end of the regular season. For the Wolfpack, there team is a mix of youthful athleticism and veteran experience; truly a team on the rise on the ACC, the potential for this squad is exemplified by the outstanding play of freshman quarterback Russell Wilson (1769 yards passing, 16 touchdowns, one interception; 342 yards rushing and four additional scores) and a handful of raw talent in sophomores Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams.On the opposite side of the ball, Rutgers hosts a number of seasoned playmakers, and is particularaly strong on offense where it is headed up by senior quarterback Mike Teel (3099 yards passing, 23 touchdowns, 12 interceptions) and junior wide receiver Kenny Britt (1252 yards and six touchdowns). Both teams at points this year surprised in their ability to move the ball (N.C. State’s Wilson was solid through the air and on the ground against Miami, while Rutgers’ Teel put up a record 447 yards and seven touchdowns versus Louisville) and take down quality opponents (the Wolfpack beat in-state rival North Carolina and the aforementioned Hurricanes, while Rutgers soundly beat Pittsburgh and USF), so though this game is being played early Monday afternoon, it should be an exciting showdown between two programs looking to put an exclamation point on an impressive concluding run to the 2008 season.
Seeking to identify potential difference makers in this game, NFTM scours the Birmingham area in order to bring you answers to the following questions: Does freshman quarterback for the North Carolina State Wolfpack, Russell Wilson, really provide head coach Tom O’Brien with good dreams at night? Which Wolfpack tight end could go big time against the Scarlet Knights defensive secondary? Who will be back in Raleigh next year to make a probable run at the ACC crown? Why is Birmingham so attractive to Rutgers’ Mike Teel? What did Tiquan Underwood do to get over an early-season case of the “dropsies”? And what role will hang time have in the Rutgers’ special team game Monday?
You want offense…you got offense in the Texas Bowl (December 30th, 8 PM, NFL Network) as the RiceOwls face the Western Michigan Broncos at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
This will be a pseudo-home game for Rice, whose campus (and its home-field Rice Stadium) is just a few miles northeast of Reliant Stadium…and the Owls have played a number of games on the home field of the NFL’s Houston Texans since the stadium opened earlier this decade.
And, possibly the best QB in the city of Houston…regardless of level, just may be Chase Clement (photo, thanks IconSMI)…the Owls gunslinger who will finish his collegiate career with a number of school, conference, and NCAA records.
However, do not shed a tear for Western Michigan, as their wide-open offense has the ability to match the Owls score for score Read the rest of this entry →
Although it may not share the same marquee-value as the BCS National Championship Game that will be played in the same Dolphins Stadium one week later, the 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl (January 1st, 8:30 PM, Fox) will feature two conference champions who want to represent themselves, and their sometimes-maligned conferences, in a grand fashion before a national television audience.
