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Archive for December 22nd, 2010

December 22nd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Carolina Panthers are just going to be thrilled to be playing on national television in what really should be the second to last game in the marriage between them and Head Coach John Fox. However, if they can play the spoiler role against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on Thursday Night Football, they could throw a tremendous monkey wrench into the works for the race for the postseason in the AFC.

Matchup: Carolina Panthers @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Date: Thursday, December 23rd, 8:20 ET
Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Game Line: Pittsburgh -15
Over/Under 37

Panthers Notes: There's no secret about the fact that the Panthers are going to struggle offensively in this game just as they have for the majority of the season. This is a team that ranks dead last in the NFL in total offense at 266.1 yards per game, and there really isn't a team that is anywhere near a number like that. Carolina also ranks dead last in passing yards at 149.3 yards per game and scoring at 13.1 points per game. This is a team that has only scored more than 19 points twice all season long, which is really bad news for a club that has also given up at least 20 in all but two games. Without a doubt, this is the worst team in the NFL and is a squad that has the worst game plan possible for trying to beat the Steelers. Don't blame Fox, though. He really just doesn't have a quarterback to work with, and it's virtually impossible to try to win games in this league against anyone, let alone a team that has one of the most ferocious 'D's in the game when you don't have a signal caller. QB Jimmy Clausen doubled his touchdown output for the season last week by throwing a TD pass in the 19-12 win over the Arizona Cardinals. He has thrown for just 1,304 yards and two scores against seven picks on the season. Carolina only has 15 offensive touchdowns to show for 14 games worth of work, and obviously, just one TD per game isn't going to get the job done in this one. If there is a bright spot, it is that the ground game really does a nice job on a regular basis, but of course, this unit isn't likely to really get anything going against a team that averages allowing less than 70 yards per game on the ground. RB Jonathan Stewart has rushed for 668 yards and a pair of scores this year, while his new backup, RB Mike Goodson has 435 yards and three trips to the end zone. RB DeAngelo William has been placed on IR, but it is still hard to think that he and Stewart combined won't even rush for what each of them did last year when they were both 1,100+ yard backs.

Steelers Notes: Whereas Carolina knows a loss will lock up the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft this coming year, the Steelers know that they are two wins away from punching their ticket to the postseason with a bye in the first round of the playoffs. A spot in the tournament for the Lombardi Trophy was ensured last week in a loss to the New York Jets, but Head Coach Mike Tomlin knows that the task to win in the playoffs on the road isn't going to be easy even though the team has won a Super Bowl in recent years from the No. 6 seed. Winning the AFC North is of paramount importance, so this game cannot be overlooked. The big question is going to be whether S Troy Polamalu suits up or not. The 'D' really didn't play that poorly in the loss to the Jets, but memories of last season's loss in games just like this one without Polamalu in the lineup have to be dancing in the heads of all of the fans in the Steel City. With the former USC Trojan in the lineup for most of the season, this defense has been absolutely frightening, allowing 291.8 yards per game, just 63.4 of which come on the ground. The offense is finally starting to get in some sort of rhythm now that QB Ben Roethlisberger has been in the lineup for over half of a year after sitting on the sidelines suspended for the first four games of the year. RB Rashard Mendenhall became the first man to rush for at least 100 yards against the New York Jets in 26 tries last week, and as a result, he moved up the ladder in the chase for the rushing title in the NFL. Roethlisberger has thrown for 2,600 yards this year, and WR Mike Wallace is glad to see him back in the fold. Wallace has one of the highest yards per catch averages in the NFL at 19.8, and he became a 1,000 yard receiver last week and now has 1,048 yards and eight TDs on the campaign.

The Final Word: If Polamalu isn't in the lineup, there really is a chance for Carolina to make this game competitive. This is a bit of a sandwich game for the Steelers off of the loss to the Jets with the Cleveland Browns and the playoffs on deck. Getting over two TDs in the NFL is a joke most of the time, and though Pittsburgh is clearly going to win this game, we're not so sure that it is going to come by more than those two scores. Carolina will get its ten points, and that should be enough in what could be a very ugly duel.

Free Pro Football Picks: Carolina +15
Prediction: Pittsburgh 20 – Carolina 10

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December 22nd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The city of San Diego welcomes the host San Diego State Aztecs and the Navy Midshipmen to Qualcomm Stadium for the Poinsettia Bowl on December 23rd. These two teams have distinctly different styles, but both teams find ways to score points in bunches. Who will prevail on Thursday night? Check out our Poinsettia Bowl free picks for the big duel!

Poinsettia Bowl Matchup: Navy Midshipmen vs. San Diego State Aztecs
Date: Thursday, December 23rd, 8:00 ET
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
Poinsettia Bowl Line: San Diego State -3
Over/Under 60.5

Midshipmen Notes: Navy scored at least 31 points in each of its last six games and averaged 41.0 points per game in that stretch, but its offense is going to be up against in versus a San Diego State team that plays significantly better defense than one would expect. QB Ricky Dobbs is closing out his career with the Middies and is clearly one of the best signal callers to run the triple option in Annapolis. Dobbs didn't quite have the year that he did last season when he rushed for 27 TDs, as he only totaled 25 scores between his rushes and passes this year. The ball stayed in his hands 369 times this year, more than half of the touches for the offense, but that is to be expected out of a triple option attack. RB Alexander Teich had a fantastic year as well, rumbling for 825 yards and five scores. As always in the triple option, a ton of different players are expected to touch the rock. Nine different players had at least 100 yards on the ground for a team that averaged over 280 yards per game on the turf. Don't discount the passing game either for the Midshipmen, as they really do resemble the Georgia Tech offense from a year ago with WR Demaryius Thomas catching all those passes. WR Greg Jones does the damage for the Naval Academy, and though he doesn't have numbers like Thomas, he does have fantastic figures for a Navy wide out, catching 30 passes for 577 yards and four scores on the year. Defensively, this team was the definition of mediocre, ranking No. 63 and No. 65 respectively against the rush and the pass.

Aztecs Notes: When you talk about an offense that is as well rounded as could be, you have to talk about the San Diego State 'O'. This team is only getting better, as the majority of the key cogs are still underclassmen and are growing under second year Head Coach Brady Hoke. Hoke has done a tremendous job with this team, as the Aztecs average 450.3 yards per game, No. 22 in the land. They put up 35.0 points per game and were really the only team this year that hung around with the TCU Horned Frogs. The losses this year all came by four points or fewer, and it is clear that SDSU really could have been a BCS team with just a few bounces in the right direction this year. QB Ryan Lindley, a third year starter, clearly had the best year in his career, throwing for 3,554 yards and 26 TDs against 14 picks on the year. He was helped out by a pair of seniors, WR DeMarco Sampson and WR Vincent Brown a ton. Both men are amongst the best receivers in the land statistically, as Sampson had 65 grabs for 1,175 yards and eight scores, while Brown had 58 grabs for 1,127 yards and nine TDs. Both are incredible deep threats and are fantastic in the open field, creating a ton of yards after the catch. On the ground though, this is going to be a chance for RB Ronnie Hillman to be on showcase. The freshman might have been the best first year man on the ground in the nation, and that's saying something considering the fact that South Carolina Gamecocks RB Marcus Lattimore was a freshman as well. The numbers between the two are basically indiscernible. Hillman ran for 1,304 yards and 14 TDs this year and had five games on the campaign with at least 150 yards on the ground. Defensively, Hoke has made some great strides with this team. The Aztecs ranked in the Top 50 in every single major defensive category on the year, and though there were some lapses, only three teams scored more than 27 points against this unit all season long.

The Final Word: If this game were later in the bowl season, we'd be more confidence in San Diego State's ability to win. Though it's not really a home game, there is a sense of familiarity for the Aztecs, knowing that this is their home field. The Middies always seem to be able to draw a great crowd, especially for bowl games. However, the problem that they have is that they have given the Aztecs basically a month to be able to prepare for the triple option attack. Hoke is a fantastic coach and has done one of the best transformation jobs in the country this year. The Aztecs won't lose this game.

Poinsettia Bowl Free Pick: San Diego State -3
Poinsettia Bowl Prediction: San Diego State 37 – Navy 28

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December 22nd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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For the college football betting fans of the mid major programs, this is the big time bowl bash for you! The Las Vegas Bowl features two of the best teams from across the country, both of which happen to play in smaller conferences. Though both will be upgrading in recent years into better leagues, they're both still crying for more respect. However, both the Boise State Broncos and Utah Utes can't be winners on Wednesday night in Sin City. This is a hefty set of bowl odds facing the men from the Smurf Turf in this one, and we have all of the Las Vegas bowl news and notes that you need to know before making your Las Vegas Bowl picks on the game for Wednesday night!

Las Vegas Bowl Matchup: Utah Utes vs. Boise State Broncos
Date: Wednesday, December 22nd, 8:00 ET
Location: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas Bowl Line: Boise State -17
Over/Under 58

Utes Notes: Utah was having a fantastic season and was ranked in the Top 10 in the country this year before falling victim to the TCU Horned Frogs at home in a loss that really seemed to take all of the wind out of their sails. They lost the very next game to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and were removed from having any chance of going to the BCS. This is perhaps the luckiest draw for any of the 70 bowl teams this year, as Utah still gets a chance to play a premier team in a big time, standalone bowl spot. The problem that the Utes have on Wednesday is that QB Jordan Wynn is going to be sitting out with a should injury that he suffered in the Holy War against the BYU Cougars in the regular season finale. Backup QB Terrance Cain, who was a starting quarterback for this team as a youngster, came in and went just 2-for-7 for eight yards with two picks, but he was responsible for claiming the 'W' in the game. Cain knows what he is doing both as a starter and a backup though, and he played well when Wynn was injured earlier in the season, throwing for six scores and no INTs in big time wins against lesser opponents from the Mountain West. The running game is going to be key to keep the Boise State offense off of the field. RBs Matt Asiata and Eddie Wide both put up subpar numbers this year, but when combined, they did roll for over 1,300 yards. This defense is also going to have to force some stops against one of the most feared offenses in the country. The Utes ranked No. 22 in the land in total 'D' at 319.7 yards per game and averaged 19.8 points per game allowed to boot. However, these numbers are down tremendously in the second half of the season. From October 30th through the end of the year, Utah allowed a stunning 29.6 points per game, something that Head Coach Kyle Whittingham really needs to make sure improves for the Las Vegas Bowl.

Broncos Notes: It was supposed to be a banner season for Boise State this year, but after losing ground for most of the regular season thanks to a lousy schedule and a devastating overtime loss to the Nevada Wolf Pack, its BCS dreams were shattered to bits and pieces. The argument absolutely could be made that the Broncos were hosed by the BCS, as their one loss came against a one loss Top 20 team on the road, as opposed to the Arkansas Razorbacks, who lost twice, including once at home to a three loss team. There is a big question whether Head Coach Chris Petersen really has his boys ready to go in this one, though there were clearly no ill effects the week after the Nevada loss. The Broncos came back and rolled over the Utah State Aggies in the home finale 50-14 the very next week. Though these numbers are really courtesy of this weak schedule, the Broncos ranked No. 4 in the land both in total offense (521.4 yards per game) and total defense (264.1 yards per game). Outscoring any combination of 12 foes by 33.1 points per game is impressive as well. QB Kellen Moore is going to fall short of 4,000 yards this year, as he has 3,506 yards and 33 TDs against five picks this year, but this is going to be a crucial game in his Heisman Trophy campaign for next season. Moore is going to be one of the big time favorites to capture the Heisman in 2011, and he can make a big time statement in this game, his last with a number of the heroes for the Broncos over the years. RB Doug Martin, RB Jeremy Avery, WR Titus Young, and WR Austin Pettis all had at least nine trips to the end zone this year, and these four men combined for 240 points between them, more than a ton of teams in the country scored over the course of the year.

The Final Word: Don't be all that surprised if the Utes hang in this game for a long, long time. There is no doubt in our minds that the Broncos are the superior team in this game. If they want to, they can win this one by 30. However, we really aren't so sure that they have any care to be here in Sin City. The Utes are going to embrace this underdog roll, and the longer they can stick around in this one, the more the crowd is going to get on their side as well. Boise State will probably pull out the win, but Utah is doing to beat the Las Vegas Bowl spread in this one.

Las Vegas Bowl Free Pick: Utah +17
Las Vegas Bowl Prediction: Boise State 34 – Utah 28

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