2005 Bowl Preview Series Part 5

MUSIC CITY BOWL
Minnesota vs Virginia

This could be another high-scoring contest brought to you by a Big Ten team, where the defenses took a big hit this season but still came out on top. Virginia held their own in a tough ACC this season, so both teams are battle tested going into this game. Minnesota has been in Nashville two of the past three seasons, so Glen Mason will have to do some serious work to get Golden Gopher fans to the game and to get the team fired up to play. Another interesting development is how Virginia has lost two coordinators and will be short on coaches for this game, so the players will have to rally around the temporary coordinators.

Minnesota is a much better team when they have the ball, and the powerful running game should make all the difference. RBs Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell bring a lot of heat behind All-American center Greg Eslinger, and neither back seems to tire through a long game due to the split workload. QB Bryan Cupito has quite a passing game as well to complement the second best rushing attack in the nation. Virginia is mediocre at best against the run, and their heralded linebackers will add to their high tackle total for the season when Maroney and Russell break through the D-Line. Look for Minnesota to score a lot of points and control the tempo with their run game.

Virginia has quite a task to keep up with Minnesota, but they can take heart in the fact that the Gophers give up a lot of points too. QB Marcus Hagans had a good season this year, but he also had 11 interceptions to go with a dozen touchdowns. Junior wideout Deyon Williams is his favorite target, and he should find openings all day against Minnesota. The key to this game will be establishing their own running game, which the Cavaliers have not done well at all so far. If the Cavs get behind and have to rely on the passing game only, Minnesota might win in a blowout.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
Minnesota	Minnesota	Minnesota	Minnesota	Minnesota

SUN BOWL
Northwestern vs UCLA

These teams took very different paths to get here, but both bring huge offenses in what is hailed as the high-scoring thriller of the bowl season. This game is what all college football fans love to watch: two teams with no defense rocking each other and making the scoreboard change every minute. Northwestern went 5-3 in a tough Big Ten this year, while UCLA dropped here after losing only to USC and Arizona in the Pac-10 (they missed out on league #2 Oregon). Both teams are motivated to be in this game, and both have something to prove. Let the fireworks begin!

When Northwestern has the ball, they will score at will. The Wildcats eighth ranked offense goes against UCLA's 108th ranked defense, and Brett Basanez, who leads the unit, is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Tyrone Sutton leads the strong rushing attack for the Wildcats, and Basanez has many good receivers to throw to. UCLA will have to bring pressure from the linebackers, just as Ohio State used that type of defensive attack to hold the Wildcats to one touchdown in November. If UCLA stops Northwestern twice in this game, they have a good chance to win.

When UCLA has the ball, they will also score at will. The battle in this case is the nation's worst defense against a solid Pac-10 offense. Drew Olson was even better than Basanez this season, and he will continue his successful season in this game. Maurice Drew should have a field day running, but Northwestern has been battle tested against very good Big Ten rushing attacks all year. Just like UCLA's defense, if Northwestern gets two or more stops in this game, they have a great chance to win.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
Northwestern	Northwestern	Northwestern	UCLA	UCLA

INDEPENDENCE BOWL
South Carolina vs Missouri

Anybody in the SEC who missed Steve Spurrier, please speak up. The return of the ol' ball coach was very publicized, and Spurrier did not disappoint with a great season, and nearly a division title. Missouri played poorly against weak Big XII North competition, and they really do not look like a bowl eligible team. This could be motivation though, as USC gives Missouri a chance to win a little respect.

South Carolina did not put up many points this season, and part of the problem was the lack of a running game. QB Blake Mitchell has a great talent to throw to in freshman WR Sidney Rice, and they hooked up for 12 touchdowns this season. Spurrier may be better at drawing up plays to make quarterbacks famous, but he says he is committed to the run at USC. If running backs Mike Davis and Daccus Turman have any kind of good day rushing, it will take pressure off the passing game and the defense. The Gamecocks will not have to score a lot, but they will need to put up a few points and have long, effective possesions to help the defense in this one.

Missouri is led by QB Brad Smith again this season, and he was mentioned on the outside of many early season Heisman ballots. Unlike USC, Missouri has been very good running the ball, mostly with Smith. The Gamecocks have not seen any quarterback dual threats like this in the SEC, so their defense will have to stay as good as they were towards the end of the season. If Smith can get into open rushing lanes whenever the Gamecocks bring any kind of pressure, Missouri will have a great day offensively. We shall see if Smith has one more great game left in him in this one, and USC better not be caught lacking in preparation.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
South Carolina	South Carolina	South Carolina	South Carolina	South Carolina

PEACH BOWL
(#7) Miami vs (#12) LSU

The only matchup of two top ten nationally ranked teams outside of the BCS this year is in the Peach Bowl, and both of these squads are the cream of the crop. Miami looked great in every game except a costly loss to Georgia Tech at the end of the season, and they should probably be representing the ACC in the BCS. LSU recovered from Hurricane Katrina and an early season choke to Tennessee to become a national title contender before a disappointing shellacking at the hands of Georgia in the SEC title game. A battle of defenses, this one will be good to watch.

When Miami has the ball, LSU's defense, the fifth best in the country, will try to put pressure up front on Kyle Wright and his passing game. Wright has been erratic this season, so the key to Miami's game plan will be establishing the running game behind RB Charlie Jones. LSU has a great front seven, so UM might be able to pass over the defense in the middle of the field all day. Special teams returner Devin Hester will have to give the Hurricanes good field position if Miami hopes to be effective on offense.

LSU has a similar daunting task in facing the third best defense in the country. JaMarcus Russell is a talented quarterback, but he can be rattled just like Wright on the other side of the ball. The speedy secondary of Miami will challenge Russell to try and throw all game, and so I expect LSU to try and run the ball with Joseph Addai and Justin Vincent more than usual. LSU also has a quality kick and punt returner in Skyler Green, so this game could be a battle of special teams and defense. Though it isn't the BCS, the winner of this game cannot be too disappointed, as winning the Peach Bowl this year is quite an accomplishment considering the championship-caliber teams participating.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
Miami	Miami	Miami	LSU	Miami

2005 Bowl Preview Series Part 3

MOTOR CITY BOWL
Memphis vs Akron

The battle of Detroit brings us an interesting bowl matchup this season. Akron won the MAC title game in the dome a couple weeks ago, while Memphis struggled to get bowl eligible and give their NFL caliber running back a bowl send-off. Akron is in their first-ever bowl game, which should make up for them being the only bowl-eligible team to not go to make a postsesaon appearance last season. It should be very loud in Detroit, and I suspect the football will be a lot of better football than that of the pro team that calls Ford Field home.

When Memphis has the ball, there is no question what the game plan is: handoff to DeAngelo Williams bunches of times. Memphis ranks 115th in the nation in passing and 6th in rushing, and the vast majority of their offense runs through Williams, who has 1750 yards and 15 TD this season. The Memphis quarterbacks are not highly efficient, which has spelled trouble against teams who can stack eight guys in the defensive front and hold their own in the backfield. Akron is not great against the run, but their defense may have a shot considering how one-dimensional Memphis is. If Memphis gets out to a lead, then Akron is in trouble, with the defense getting more and more tired with every Williams carry.

Akron is the flip side of Memphis, as their mediocre offense is driven by their passing game instead of the running game. Luke Getsy has shined this season, throwing for exactly 3000 yards. WR Domenik Hixon makes most of the big yardage plays, but Jason Montgomery has just as many touchdowns this year and cannot be ignored. Their running game is not terrible, but the offensive line will have trouble opening holes as they have all year. Memphis has a good defensive backfield, but they will be tested by the high-powered passing offense. This could come down to whoever has the ball last because it will probably be a high scoring game.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
Memphis	Memphis	Memphis	Akron	Memphis

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL
Clemson vs Colorado

And now we give you the Buffaloes! These amazing boys from Boulder tried in every way to give Iowa State the Big XII North Title, but they backed in with a 30-3 loss to Nebraska and then were rewarded with a second pounding from the Longhorns 70-3. All jokes aside, Colorado has some serious issues despite winning the weak Big XII North four of the last five seasons, and Gary Barnett has been axed already. Is there any way Colorado can bounce back from the end of the season, or will the no-show Buffaloes strike again? Before they are forgotten, there is that other team in the bowl, and Clemson was a couple overtimes and close games from 10-1 or 11-0. Even if Colorado shows up to play, this will be a tough test.

Charlie Whitehurst leads a good Clemson passing attack into this game, assuming he can get over his injury. The backup QB Will Proctor is competent, and Clemson will still be fine with him running the offense. The Tigers are a show of balance between run and pass, and their rushing attack is a close split between fantastic freshman James Davis and his co-rusher Reggie Merriweather. These guys bring a nice one-two punch to the Clemson offense, and Colorado will have to be ready for different running styles depending on who is in the game. Clemson might not put up huge numbers, but Colorado will have trouble stopping their balanced attack.

For Colorado, the balanced attack is led by QB Joel Klatt and RB Hugh Charles. These guys put up some good numbers early in the season, but as mentioned previously, the offense has not seen a touchdown in a month and a half. Clemson has a strong defense which has not been picked apart by any of the great ACC teams this season, and Colorado should not be much of a challenge. Sometimes a cornered team or offensive unit puts up a huge surprise when everything is falling apart around them, so you cannot count out Colorado until they lose on the field. One thing Colorado has going for them is Mason Crosby, arguably the best kicker in the country, and in a close game, the special teams advantage will help the Buffaloes.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
Clemson	Clemson	Clemson	Clemson	Clemson

INSIGHT BOWL
Arizona State vs Rutgers

Rutgers gets their first bowl bid in 30 years, and they are rewarded with a road game essentially. Arizona State may not have huge motivation considering they do not leave home for the bowl game, but the familiarity with the home field does have its advantages. This game has some of the best freshmen performers in the country all on one field. The question will be who will step up and lead their team to victory in what appears to be a game too close to call.

Arizona State lost a good starter in QB Sam Keller at midseason, but they found a future crown jewel in freshman Rudy Carpenter. Keegan Herring, another freshman, leads the Sun Devil rushing attack. These guys will keep Arizona State in Pac-10 contention for years to come, and their experienced offensive linemen help lead the unit. We also cannot forget about Derek Hagan, the great ASU receiver ending his career at home in this bowl game. The Sun Devils have the third best offense in the country, and Rutgers will be on their heels all day trying to stop this attack.

What Rutgers gives up on defense, they more than make up for on offense. Rutgers freshman RB Ray Rice will carry most of the weight in this game, but he has a capable backup in Brian Leonard and a decent passing attack to complement his game. The Arizona State defense has given up tons of points in the Pac-10 this year, so Rutgers may surprise with a lot of offense in this game. If the Scarlet Knights can dominate the time of possession and keep ASU's offense off the field, they have a good chance to bring back the victory to chilly New Jersey.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
Arizona State	Arizona State	Arizona State	Arizona State	Arizona State

MPC COMPUTERS BOWL
Boise State vs Boston College

From one home game to another, Boise State will defend the blue turf for another season in this bowl game. The Broncos had some rough spots this year, but Boston College gives them an opportunity to knock off a team at home who really wishes they were bowling somewhere else. BC was a couple mistakes away from winning the ACC's Atlantic division, and it has to hurt watching Florida State go to a BCS bowl game when they are arguably better. Boise State has won 31 straight at home, and BC has quite a challenge on their hands despite being the best team in this bowl in a few seasons.

Boise State scores a lot of points, and it all starts with their strong rushing attack of Lee Marks and Ian Johnson. Despite throwing a lot of interceptions in big games, QB Jared Zabransky is a solid starter who leads the high powered Bronco offense. Zabransky has some tall receivers to throw to, and Boston College will have trouble covering them. I expect Boston College to bring a lot of pressure to try and disrupt the passing game, so this is another game where the quick passes will be important to success.

Boston College is led by two signal-callers who split time, senior Quinton Porter and sophomore Matt Ryan. Both have been about as effective as the other, but Ryan led BC to a couple of late-season wins when they desperately needed them. L.V. Whitworth and Andre Callender split time rushing the ball, so Boise State has a few weapons to prepare for. The key to this game will be the battle in the trenches. Boise State has only lost games when they were knocked around by more athletic and bigger offensive and defensive lines (see Georgia game, for example), and BC has the right personnel to win that battle and perhaps the game.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
Boston College	Boise State	Boise State	Boston College	Boston College

2005 Bowl Previews Part 1

NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Southern Miss vs Arkansas State

The bowl has been moved to Lafayette, but that should not bother either of these teams since both were also affected by Hurricane Katrina this season. Arkansas State is the Sun Belt champion, finally knocking North Texas off the throne they held for four years. Southern Miss lost to five quality teams playing in bowl games this season, so they are perhaps a little underrated. Southern Miss also won this game last season by three touchdowns over North Texas, and they are pretty happy to be back in this bowl game.

Arkansas State likes to run the ball, and they have a great running back in Antonio Warren who leads the team with over 1000 yards this season. Southern Miss is quite the opposite, struggling to run the ball while passing fairly well. Arkansas State has been blown out by bad teams like Army, but they can hang with good teams as well if they can control the pace and gain a big time of possession advantage. Southern Mississippi is not bad against the run and has a strong linebacker corps which will have to step up to stop Warren. If USM can keep Arkansas State off the field, this game could turn into a blowout.

Unfortunately for Arkansas State, stopping Southern Mississippi will be a tough task. The defensive backfield has been suspect against good passing attacks this season, and that will not be acceptable in this game. The key will be getting pressure with blitzes at key times against the Golden Eagles to disrupt the passing game. I expect Southern Miss to break out a lot of screen passes and draws to keep Arkansas State guessing. Arkansas State can win this battle, but they need to step up in the backfield and call a great game defensively to keep their offense in the game.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
Southern Miss	Southern Miss	Southern Miss	Southern Miss	Southern Miss

GMAC BOWL
UTEP vs Toledo

Both of these teams had promising starts, but both lost opportunities at conference championships with late-season losses. This game might be as explosive offensively as the Sun Bowl which is getting all the attention, as both teams feature great quarterbacks and top-20 offenses. Mike Price returns to Alabama with a UTEP team he has absolutely rejuvenated in the past two seasons. These teams are good enough to be conference champions, and this game carries a lot of pride for the MAC, which has won this bowl game every year it has been played.

When Toledo has the ball, their attack is very balanced between rush and pass. Bruce Gradkowski can light up defenses with his sharp passing, and Toledo also will force the run to open up the passing game. UTEP looked bad against the mediocre offenses of SMU and UAB at the end of the season, but the defense was not helped by the turnovers the offense committed. Toledo has a lot of playmakers and good offensive schemes, and I expect UTEP will have trouble stopping the Rocket offensive attack.

UTEP has also had a prolific offense this season, but they are much more pass oriented behind their leader Jordan Palmer (Carson's younger brother). Toledo will be bringing pressure as they did in the MAC all season, so UTEP must be careful with the ball or else they will lose their third in a row, mostly due to turnovers. If UTEP holds onto the ball and establishes a little bit of a running threat, then the passing game will put up huge numbers against the Toledo secondary. As in many of the Miners' games this season, the race to 40 points will probably determine this game.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
Toledo	Toledo	UTEP	Toledo	Toledo

LAS VEGAS BOWL
BYU vs California

This bowl game features teams going in different directions. California struggled against every team except Stanford in the last half of their season, while BYU is riding a good finish after a 1-3 start. Both teams were on the verge of some big victories this season, and a win in this bowl game could make a good season for either squad.

BYU is one of the best ten passing teams in America this season, pushing their overall offense up to 13th nationally. John Beck threw for over 3000 yards this season, but the Cougars are far from one-dimensional. Curtis Brown rushed for almost 1100 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2005. California had some serious trouble stopping good offensive attacks in the Pac-10 this season, and they will have their hands full keeping BYU off the ball.

Cal's best defense might be their offense in this game. While BYU put up amazing numbers this season, the Bears have been no slouches with two rushers around 1000 yards and a decent passing attack. One concern is losing starting QB Ayoob before the Stanford game, but their backup Steve Levy ran a competent game against Stanford. BYU will have to make Levy uncomfortable, but that will be hard to do as they must stack their front 7 or 8 against the good Cal running attack. Expect California to play it conservative and try to grind out a victory against the Cougars with minimal opportunities to make mistakes. The more rest they give the Golden Bear defense, the more likely California will be celebrating a bowl victory.

Staff Predictions:
Jonathan	David	Reed	Cortney	Jeff
California	California	California	California	California

Season in Review

Now that the bowl season is set, we prepare for all the showdowns with a quick look back at the regular season. It was a great year, especially watching Texas and USC beat all comers, all year on their road to the Roses. The BCS got it mostly right this year, but the inclusion of Florida State makes me hate those conference title games. Still, all four games have intrigue, and the ratings will soar in the Fiesta and Rose Bowls.

ACC

Marcus Vick was the player of the year, leading Virginia Tech all the way to the ACC title game and the best conference record before getting knocked off by FSU. Hard to believe he had not started a college game before this season, at least after watching the Hokies dismantle many good defenses. Coach of the year honors go to Frank Beamer, for many of the same reasons as Marcus above. Beamer has proven everybody wrong who thought VT wouldn't be able to compete in the new superpower by bringing home the best conference record two years in a row. Expect Beamer to see more success in years to come, but Miami will not lie low for long.

Surprise of the year has to be Florida State knocking off Virginia Tech to go to the BCS. Disappointment of the year was FSU, but given their Orange Bowl appearance, I'll give this honor to Miami. Out of the big three, Miami was the only one to not make the ACC title game, and it happened because of bad losses to Georgia Tech and FSU. Had Miami taken care of business anything like they did in Blacksburg, they would be in the Orange Bowl playing Penn State.

Big XII

Vince Young has been a Heisman candidate all season, and if not for Reggie Bush, he might have locked it up with that drive at the Horseshoe in September. He will get his chance for revenge (assuming Bush takes home the hardware) against the last two Heisman Trophy winners in the Rose Bowl, as the Horns try to end USC's bid for a three-peat. Mack Brown gets coach of the year for finally bringing home his first conference title in 22 years and a second straight Rose Bowl appearance for a non-Rose Bowl affiliated school. He finally won the big ones, knocking off Oklahoma and Ohio State, and now he has one more huge hurdle.

Surprise of the year is the revival of Adrian Peterson after Oklahoma was off to a dismal 2-3 start. If not for some bad review against Texas Tech, OU would be the second best Big XII team with a six-game winning streak. The Sooners showed more heart of a champion this year with a 7-4 record than they did in last year's 12-0 season leading up to the slamming by USC. Disappointment of the year is Iowa State. For the second straight year, the Cyclones let the division title slip away in the last game. This year is especially painful, as ISU lost three of four conference games in overtime. They have to win the close ones against weak North teams to get a chance at the conference title, and they better hurry before the North finds a good team again.

Big East

Player of the year is Steve Slaton, and coach of the year is Rich Rodriguez. WVU did tie for the conference crown the past two years, but this year everybody said Pittsburgh and Louisville would smash the young Mountaineers. All WVU did was go 7-0 in conference and make the BCS with only one loss, that to a good Virginia Tech team on the road. Certainly this Sugar Bowl will be a tough challenge, but don't count out these young kids who may have a few more BCS berths in their future with play like this season.

Surprise of the year was Louisville squandering a 24-7 lead to WVU in the fourth quarter to lose in overtime 46-44. This was also the game of the year, as it would have given Louisville a BCS berth had they won. Disappointment of the year is a split between Louisville (with their high expectations) and Pittsburgh, but I give the nod to the bowl-ineligible Panthers. Guess those losses to Nebraska and Ohio University (the 4-7 Bobcats, not the BCS Buckeyes) hurt a little more now don't they?

Big Ten

Player of the year is A.J. Hawk of the co-champion Buckeyes. Sometimes high expectations are too hard to meet (see Ted Ginn Jr. for a Buckeye example from this year) in Columbus, but A.J. Hawk was the best defensive player in the country this season. The statistics are amazing, and Hawk is all over the field, either chasing down quarterbacks or running down receivers and running backs. Coach of the year is easily Joe Paterno. Only a year or two years removed from people saying he is too old for the college game, Paterno lead the Nittany Lions to their first conference title since 1994 and their first ever BCS appearance. One second in Michigan Stadium saved the BCS from the certain controversy three undefeated teams would have brought this season.

Surprise of the year was Purdue starting 0-5 in conference play, despite many people picking them to win the conference. Disappointment of the year could be Purdue, but I'll take the meltdown of Michigan State to miss bowl eligibility. They had Ohio State down 17-7 and the field goal unit on the field with a chance to really put a dagger in the Buckeyes going into halftime when they rushed the kick and only had ten men on the field. The ensuing block was a big part of the Buckeye's eventual 35-24 victory, and OSU did not lose another game while MSU won only one game, against lowly Illinois, the rest of the season.

SEC

Player of the year is D.J. Shockley from Georgia. If not for an injury and missing the Florida game, Georgia might be in the top five this season. With a big victory over LSU in the SEC title game, Shockley gets to end this season with two big games in Atlanta, the second the Sugar Bowl there in January. Coach of the year could go to Les Miles for sure, but Steve Spurrier gets the nod for making South Carolina a contender in his first year back at college. The Ol' Ball Coach has a lot of work to do, but Georgia and Florida have a lot of work to do if they hope to keep up in the future SEC East.

Surprise of the year was just how good LSU, Auburn, and Alabama were this season. Auburn is the best non-BCS team this season (sorry Oregon), and Alabama rode their defense to their best season in a decade. LSU overcame Hurricane Katrina and all the distractions to win the West and put the pride back in Louisiana. Disappointment of the year was Tennessee. Steve Spurrier's return always heralds bad news for Philip Fulmer, but usually not this bad. Tennessee lost bowl eligibility at the hands of their rival Vanderbilt; how the mighty preseason top five Volunteers fell from grace!

This season had a lot of great games. USC-Notre Dame, Ohio State-Texas, Ohio State-Michigan, Penn State-Michigan, Penn State-Ohio State, USC-Fresno State, Georgia-Auburn, and many others will fill our memories through the bowl season and off-season. I'm looking forward to a great bowl season!

Fitzy's Top 10 - Pre-Bowl Edition

1. Texas
2. USC
3. Penn State
4. Ohio State
5. Notre Dame
6. Auburn
7. Georgia
8. Oregon
9. West Virginia
10. Miami