Insight Bowl, 2200 Friday December 30 2011 , Sun Devil Stadium

Iowa may not have Mr America QB Ricky Stanzi anymore, but do have the nation’s first presidential caucuses in a few weeks and they were the subject of some pretty awesome “Rick PArry” ads run by the Colbert Super-PAC. They also have a legitimately impressive RB (Marcus Coker, 115 ypg) and receiver (Marvin McNutt, 106 ypg) so there is some balanced firepower on this squad. Sure, they may have gotten slightly out-gained in the season aggregates, and sure, they
finished in the bottom half of the Big 10′s Where’s Wisconsin division. But, other than Minnesota and Iowa State, this team didn’t have any bad
losses, and they made up for those with some impressive wins like, umm…

On to Oklahoma!

It’s weird for a Texas fan to say this, but OU caught some really bad breaks this season and if life was fair they’d be in a better bowl. Not based on their 9-3 record, but I mean if they hadn’t lost one of the best two WR in the country (Ryan Broyles) and their starting HB Dominique Whaley, they might have finished with another win or two and a top 10 ranking. Nevertheless, this is a very good team. Landry Jones throws for 358 ypg, even with Broyles out for 3 games, and Kenny Stills and Jaz Reynolds have both been very effective receivers. In three losses, the defense has given up 40+ points, but that’s only indicative of a really
poor effort against Texas Tech. Against Baylor and Oklahoma State, you kinda expect that unless the defense is really elite.

The bottom line is that Iowa is too outmatched at QB, WR depth, and probably on the lines to make this a competitive game.

Prediction: Oklahoma 41, Iowa 17

Hyundai Sun Bowl – 2pm 12/31 El Paso, TX

Predicted Finish:  Georgia Tech 42 vs. Utah 24

The Yellow jackets led all of the NCAA in points scored through the first half of the season, which is a huge deal considering some of the extremely potent offenses out there in the college landscape. The thing that is even more impressive about that feat is the fact that they were getting it done through the air as often as they were on the ground. The Utes on the other hand were the complete opposite of that. They struggled to score earlier in the season, but found their stride by mid-season and averaged just over 30 points per game during the second half of the year.

Tech still runs the triple option, which means that we will see somewhere around 50 – 55 run plays divided pretty evenly between RB Orwin Smith, RB Roddy Jones, and field General, QB Tevin Washington. The aerial assault will most likely focus around WR Stephen Hill who started the year with back-to-back breakout performances. Utah runs a much more balanced attack on offense led by juniors QB Jon Hayes and RB John White IV.

Georgia Tech’s defense has been hit or miss this season under Al Groh, but when they have been on, they have played lights out. Utah’s defense is average at best and will have a hard time stopping the run.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl – 6:40pm 12/30 Nashville, TN

Predicted finish:  Mississippi State 30 vs. Wake Forest 28

This is a matchup that could provide some excitement. With both teams having a 6-6 record, they barely met their bowl eligibility, but both teams have a unique offense that could be fun to watch. Both teams are better than their records show, which is why I think this could be the best bowl game that no one watches.

Wake’s QB Tanner Price made tremendous strides in just his sophomore year, keeping his team in all but two games. The defense is what really let this team down. The running game, lead by Brandon Pendergrass, should find some decent running lanes in this one, and watch for stud WR Chris Givens to give the Bulldogs fits all day long.

Mississippi State’s QB Chris Relf is a dual-threat QB that is better at running than he is throwing, so we will most certainly see some heavy doses of QB Tyler Russell on obvious passing downs. Mississippi State’s biggest threat on offense is senior running back Vick Ballard, who ran for 1,009 yards this season and has scored 29 total touchdowns over the past two years.

I see this one coming down to a last minute drive ending in a long field goal attempt for the win. Whether that is Miss. St making it for the win or Wake Forest missing it for the loss is what we all will have to watch and see.

Twenty-one years ago, a boy was born in the Okinawa Prefecture in the distant land of Japan. His parents, both sergeants in the United States Army, raised him to be strong, tough, wily — a survivor. At age 7, he killed his first bear, the skin of which he would use to stay warm during the coldest of winter nights. By the time he was 12, he had taught himself to break the code used by the Japanese military and used it to launch guerrilla raids on their supply lines, stealing vital medical supplies that he would use to treat his family as they waited for the 61st division to return to find them. Help never came.

In 2008, on the 4th of July, that boy began his pilgrimage to his homeland. The Pacific Ocean was a long swim, but he had been preparing for this for his whole life. Two months later, he arrived in Waco, Texas.

Robert Griffin III is the perfect hipster. When he listens to a band, everyone else forgets they ever existed. He has the ability to turn water into wine, but he prefers to drink PBR. His favorite number is the number J. Superman wears an entire outfit modeled after the socks RG3 wore to receive his Heisman Trophy. Read the rest of this entry →