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Posts Tagged ‘Free college football picks’

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January 9th, 2012 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Thirty four bowl games will already be in the books, and there are only going to be two teams that are left to play for all of the marbles and the BCS National Championship. We make our last college football picks of the season when the LSU Tigers take on the Alabama Crimson Tide, complete with all of our BCS National Championship Game analysis, odds, and predictions for the biggest game of the year.

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BCS National Championship Game Matchup: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. LSU Tigers
BCS National Championship Game Date/Time: Monday, January 9th, 8:30 ET
BCS National Championship Game Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
BCS National Championship Game Odds: Alabama -1
BCS National Championship Game Total: 40
BCS National Championship Game TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

The first time that these two teams met this year, it was called the “Game of the Century.” We all knew that the possibility would be there for a rematch, and hindsight 20/20, it really didn’t matter which team were to win this game, as in all likelihood, they both would have been standing in this spot and on this stage on January 9th. Save for potentially an argument from the Oklahoma State Cowboys, there was no doubt that these were the best two teams in the country this year, and though we aren’t truly a fan of the rematch (since the original game really turned out to mean nothing), we know that the BCS has accomplished its goal of putting the two best teams in the land on the field together for one comprehensive showdown for the title.

Then again, the argument could be made that the Bayou Bengals should be National Champions regardless of how this game turns out. They have already beaten this Alabama team once this year, at Bryant Denny Stadium no less, and they have wins as well against the Oregon Ducks (neutral site) and West Virginia Mountaineers (road) out of conference. The Crimson Tide only played one non-conference game of note, a road game at the Penn State Nittany Lions that is relatively comparable to the WVU game for the Tigers. Alabama didn’t have to play against the Georgia Bulldogs like LSU did in the SEC Championship Game either. Unless this one is a total runaway in fact, we would be surprised if the Tigers didn’t claim half of the National Championship.

Many are asking the question as to whether Alabama has a chance in this game. Instead, we are posing the question as to whether LSU really has a chance or not. Remember, the first time around, the Bayou Bengals were probably not the better team. They only managed 239 yards of total offense, and they punted the ball twice as many times as they had scoring drives. They committed more penalties and had fewer big offensive players. The best player on the field was RB Trent Richardson, who had 80 yards as a receiver and 89 more as a rusher, accounting for 169 of the 295 yards that the Tide had for the day. Remember that Alabama, in spite of having the exact same two turnovers that the Tigers had, only punted the ball twice. There were three missed field goals, including some makeable ones that could have, lest probably should have made the difference in the game.

The argument could be made for the fans of the Bayou Bengals that the man that committed both of the turnovers that day, QB Jarrett Lee almost certainly won’t end up being involved in this one, as the offense is basically exclusively running under QB Jordan Jefferson’s direction now. Jefferson has improved as the year has gone on, and he did look okay, accounting for 110 yards on 21 touches between the air and the ground in the first game against Alabama.

Defensively, it goes without saying that these two teams are as good as it gets in the country. There is a reason that there were only 12 points in regulation, all on field goals in the first clash. The Tigers rank No. 2 in the land, allowing 252.2 yards per game and No. 2 in scoring at 10.5 points per game, while the Crimson Tide rank No. 1 in total defense (191.2 YPG), rush defense (74.9 YPG), pass defense (116.3 YPG), and scoring (8.8 PPG). We do give LSU a bit of a break here, knowing that it played the tougher schedule offensively and did play two big time high flying teams (WVU and Oregon) that Alabama didn’t. If the schedules were reversed, the stats probably would be reversed as well. It is clear that these two units are both remarkable.

In the end, the difference maker is Richardson. The offenses look the same. The defenses look the same. But whereas LSU uses a plethora of backs to run the ball, we just love what Richardson brings to the table. He had the same type of stats that RB Mark Ingram did when he won the Heisman Trophy, and Richardson did it without playing in the SEC title game. This time around, the hoss for the Tide will find the end zone on a magnificent play, and that one play is going to prove to be the difference that gives Alabama at least a share of, if not the entire National Championship.

Free BCS National Championship Game Pick: Alabama -1

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January 7th, 2012 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The duel between the Pitt Panthers and the SMU Mustangs is a great game to make BBVA Compass Bowl picks on, but we are wondering if the Arizona State Sun Devils shouldn’t sponsor this game. SMU’s Head Coach June Jones was once reported to have the job, and Pitt’s former coach Todd Graham is the man that ended up with it just 11 months after taking the job in the Steel City. Needless to say, it should make for a great game in Sweet Home Alabama.

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BBVA Compass Bowl Matchup: SMU Mustangs vs. Pittsburgh Panthers
BBVA Compass Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, January 7th, 1:00 ET
BBVA Compass Bowl Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
BBVA Compass Bowl Odds: Pittsburgh -3
BBVA Compass Bowl Total: 48
BBVA Compass Bowl TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

The big question in this game is how these teams are going to react to their coaching situations. Generally, we would like to think that the Panthers would find some way to rally around without their head coach, while we think that SMU may still have some questions for Jones about his loyalty, especially since he skipped out on his previous employers, the Hawaii Warriors rather quickly and with a huge element of surprise when he came here to Dallas for the Mustangs. There’s no doubt that the better schemer in this game is going to be Jones, as he has won some big time bowl games at pretty much all of his stops along the way, and he has had some extra time to prepare for this one on January 7th.

Remember that these Mustangs are the team that kept the TCU Horned Frogs from being in the BCS this year. On the road, the team was able to pull off an OT victory against what turned out to be a darn stout TCU team. However, two weeks later, the Mustangs were crippled by the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, who went on to win Conference USA, and they haven’t covered a spread since that points and were lucky to escape with a win over the Rice Owls in the regular season finale as 13 point favorites. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh had to beat the Syracuse Orange in its final regular season game just to make a bowl, but in the end, this was a team that really played better ball down the stretch, covering five in a row in conference and coming up with three wins and two just crushing late defeats in games against the Big East co-champs, Cincinnati and West Virginia that could have been won.

There are definitely some injury concerns on both sides. SMU’s best season in quite some time was last year, and QB Kyle Padron and RB Zach Line were leading the way. Padron was benched right at the start of the year and was miserable when he was in there, but missing Line really hurts. Beyond him, RBs Rishad Wimbley and Jared Williams only combined for 65 carries and 303 yards on the campaign, a far cry from the 1,224 yards and 17 TDs that Line had on the ground by himself. Predominantly a running team, the Panthers have been in trouble trying to find healthy running backs of late. RB Ray Graham, who was arguably the best back in the Big East this year, has been sidelined for the last month and won’t be available for this one either, and his backup, RB Zach Brown has missed a few games with a sternum injury as well. He at least has a shot of playing in the BBVA Compass Bowl, but hopes aren’t high that he can give it a go for the full game.

We just don’t see the Mustangs being able to pull this one out. We’ve doubted Jones and have been wrong before, but this isn’t nearly as good of an SMU team as he normally has to work with. One other note to remember about Pitt… This is a team that has now had four different head coaches in the last 13 months. Dave Wannstedt was fired, Mike Haywood was dismissed before ever really settling down with the job after some off the field legal issues, and Graham has now hopped out of town. If the team can survive that and still live to tell about a bowl game, there is no way that we can doubt that it will win it as well.

Free BBVA Compass Bowl Pick: Pittsburgh -3

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January 4th, 2012 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The winners of the Big East and the ACC lock horns in a battle of two of the least appreciated teams in the BCS, and we are ready to make our free Orange Bowl picks between the Clemson Tigers and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

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Orange Bowl Matchup: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Clemson Tigers
Orange Bowl Date/Time: Wednesday, January 4th, 8:30 ET
Orange Bowl Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL
Orange Bowl Odds: Clemson -3
Orange Bowl Total: 61.5
Orange Bowl TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

This is going to be the very last football game ever played here at Sun Life Stadium before the Dolphins, Marlins, and all other Miami based events head to the new stadium next year. Neither one of these teams have been particularly great in bowl games in recent seasons. The Tigers have only won one game since the 2005 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, while the Mountaineers have now lost back to back bowl games, part of the reason that Head Coach Bill Stewart was thrown out the door at the outset of the season. That doesn’t mean that neither one of these teams are capable of playing well in bowls, as many of the games have been close, and this should be a great test for two teams that seem relatively evenly matched.

Both of these squads definitely had their flaws this year and lost some games that they had no business losing. West Virginia’s two conference losses came against the Louisville Cardinals at home and the Syracuse Orange on the road, and neither game should have been even remotely close. Clemson dropped three of its four games before the ACC Championship Game, and the truth of the matter is that the only reason that it is here is because it just had the number of the Virginia Tech Hokies all season long, trumping them twice, including for all of the marbles when it counted to reach this game. Looking back at both schedules, neither team really had those truly signature wins. West Virginia’s best victory came against a Cincinnati Bearcats team that had lost its starting quarterback in the game, and aside from there, that was only one win on the slate (@ Rutgers) against a team that finished the regular season with a winning record. Clemson at least had some meat on the slate, knocking off the Florida State Seminoles (albeit without QB EJ Manuel) and the Auburn Tigers, it didn’t win a game on the road in its last three tries, and it was blown away by at least two full touchdowns in both efforts.

Clemson knows that it is going to need to generate offense from the arm of QB Tajh Boyd and the hands of WR Sammy Watkins. Boyd threw for 3,578 yards and 31 TDs this year, while Watkins was clearly one of the most explosive freshmen in the country. He had 229 rushing yards, 695 return yards, and team highs in receptions (79), receiving yards (1,159), yards per catch (14.7), and TDs (11). With WR DeAndre Hopkins, the second leading receiver, battling a concussion still, Watkins is going to have to be the big man in this game.

What we are afraid of though, is just how good the WVU passing attack can be. This unit averaged 341.8 yards per game this year through the air, and now it draws a Clemson defense which ranks well, but was never really tested all that much against elite passing games like this one. QB Geno Smith was a Heisman candidate for awhile this year for a reason, as he threw for 3,978 yards and 25 TDs against seven picks. Both WRs Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin had over 1,000 receiving yards this year, and both are going to be tremendous threats in this game. In the end, we just don’t think that Clemson is going to be doing enough damage with its corners to be able to stop this high octane trio. Head Coach Dana Holgorsen is running a tight ship with his boys from Morgantown right now, and that should make all of the difference for his team in what should be a great game in South Beach.

Free Orange Bowl Pick: West Virginia +3

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January 2nd, 2012 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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It’s going to be odd to see the Houston Cougars and Penn State Nittany Lions share the same field, but that’s what they will do on January 2nd in the first college football game of 2012 when the two try to beat the Ticket City Bowl odds in Dallas.

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Ticket City Bowl Matchup: Houston Cougars vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Ticket City Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 12:00 ET
Ticket City Bowl Location: Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX
Ticket City Bowl Odds: Houston -7
Ticket City Bowl Total: 56.5
Ticket City Bowl TV Coverage: ESPNU

There is only one bowl game this year that isn’t on national television of some sort, and it seems like it is a shame that that game is the one that is the final in the career of QB Case Keenum. Keenum already has three seasons of at least 5,000 passing yards and has over 18,000 yards in his career, and he is going to hope to go out with a 13th win in his senior season. Keenum’s offense is out of this world, ranking No. 1 in the nation at a shade under 600 yards per game, and he is leading the only offense in America that is scoring over 50 points per game. Both WR Patrick Edwards and WR Justin Johnson are already over 1,000 receiving yards on the season, and WR Tyron Carrier could get there as well if he has 86 receiving yards in this game.

Of course the big question is how the Nittany Lions are going to fare in this one. The team is surely going to be conflicted in this one with all of the ridiculous off the field issues that are going on. The normal team wouldn’t be able to overcome losing a head coach during the season, especially when that head coach is the legendary Joe Paterno. The Jerry Sandusky scandal would rock any university to the core. However, To make matters worse, the team’s starting quarterback, QB Matt McGloin was involved in a locker room fight with one of his wide receivers and ended up in the hospital because of it with a concussion. He is going to be up in the air for this game until game time.

The real question in this one is going to be whether the Penn State defense, which was one of the best units in the Big Ten this year, is really capable of slowing down this pass happy offense. Historically, we haven’t really seen the Cougars or offenses that are similar in nature really be able to move the ball up and down the field against these BCS teams, and the fact that the Southern Miss Golden Eagles were able to really keep this unit down at MM Roberts Stadium in the Conference USA Championship Game worries us.

What we have seen a lot over the course of the last few weeks is that the Nittany Lions have played with a ton of heart. They haven’t given up even though their season could have been a certified train wreck, and we tend to think, even if McGloin doesn’t end up playing, that they have the ability to beat this Houston club even though the game is basically a home game. The offense for Penn State will have had over a month to try to move the ball on the Houston defense, and if UCLA could score 34 against this team at the outset of the season and both Louisiana Tech and Rice were able to duplicate the task (and UTEP score 42), there is no doubt that the Nittany Lions will find their way on the scoreboard. If the defense holds up, we tend to think that PSU can walk away with a victory in the Ticket City Bowl.

Free Ticket City Bowl Pick: Penn State +7

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January 2nd, 2012 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Our 2012 Outback Bowl picks feature a tremendous matchup of two teams that were beaten in their respective conference title games, as the Michigan State Spartans take on the Georgia Bulldogs in Tampa Bay.

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Outback Bowl Matchup: Michigan State Spartans vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Outback Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 1:00 ET
Outback Bowl Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL
Outback Bowl Odds: Georgia -3.5
Outback Bowl Total: 50
Outback Bowl TV Coverage: ABC

Last year at this time, Head Coach Mark Richt was answering a lot of questions as to why his team finished up the season at 6-7 and with the distinction of being the first SEC team to lose to a Conference USA team in the Liberty Bowl. Things only got worse when UGA lost its first two games of the season. Richt probably essentially had one foot in his Athens grave and the other on a banana peel at that point, but the Bulldogs came together and amassed one of their best seasons in team history. Sure, they came up short in the SEC Championship Game against the LSU Tigers, but there was nothing to be ashamed of in that one considering the fact that the Bayou Bengals are arguably the best team in the country. Besides, nothing takes away from those 10 straight wins that the Dawgs rolled off in the interim.

Michigan State had another touched season, as it won its share of games at the death, just like it did a season ago. This year, it was a Hail Mary pass against the Wisconsin Badgers with no time left on the clock that proved to be the magical moment of the year. Of course, Wisconsin got the last laugh by beating the Spartans in the second go around in the first ever Big Ten Championship Game, but this is a nice consolation prize. You don’t think of MSU as a team that has posted 10+ wins in back to back seasons, but instead, all you probably remember is that this is the same squad that was absolutely taken behind the shed in the Capital One Bowl a season ago.

The Spartans had some trouble against passing teams this year, and though Georgia is a relatively balanced bunch, it is also a team that got a team record 33 TDs from sophomore QB Aaron Murray. That being said, this is definitely not a slouching offense either. RBs Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell are both power backs that can tear through even the best of defenses. Remember that once the Tigers got going in the SEC Championship Game, virtually all of their backs had the ability to take down the Dawgs as well.

We’re a bit puzzled as to why the ‘total’ in this game is so low. We saw that the Michigan State defense wasn’t able to hold up to the powerful Alabama offense last year in the Capital One Bowl, and we have no reason to believe that it is going to be able to stop the Bulldogs either. Georgia’s defense has had some suspect games this year as well, notably allowing 42 to LSU, 28 to Vanderbilt, 45 to South Carolina, and 35 to Boise State. Unless all of a sudden, Richt’s defense figures out how to take down the Spartans, this one could end up featuring a slew of points when the Outback Bowl is said and done.

Free Outback Bowl Pick: Michigan State/Georgia Over 50

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January 2nd, 2012 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The second BCS bowl game of the year might be the highest scoring of the bunch. The potential is certainly there for the Fiesta Bowl odds to get out of hand on January 2nd, as the Oklahoma State Cowboys take on the Stanford Cardinal in a battle of two of the highest flying offenses in the country.

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Fiesta Bowl Matchup: Stanford Cardinal vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Fiesta Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 8:30 ET
Fiesta Bowl Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Fiesta Bowl Odds: Oklahoma State -3.5
Fiesta Bowl Total: 73.5
Fiesta Bowl TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

The argument could have been made that both QB Brandon Weeden and QB Andrew Luck were shafted out of the Heisman Trophy this year. They were both fantastic in their own way this season, while both had their share of adversity and tough games to play on the schedule, but in the end, both proved to collapse at the wrong time with the eyes of the nation watching them, and the Heisman Trophy voters took it out on them that they weren’t able to finish off undefeated seasons.

Weeden at least won the Big XII and ended up here in the Fiesta Bowl for that reason. The last memory that we have of the Pokes this year was when they absolutely obliterated the Oklahoma Sooners in Bedlam, proving that they are a lot more than just a team that can run up and down the field and put a hell of a lot of points on the board. That defense just stymied one of the better offenses in the country of Oklahoma, and if that ‘D’ turns up in the Fiesta Bowl as well, this could become an ugly, ugly game. Weeden threw for 4,328 yards and 34 TDs this year, and when he and WR Justin Blackmon are on the same page, they are impossible to stop. Remember on the ground, that RB Joseph Randle can fly as well, and he didn’t score 25 total TDs this season on accident either. This is a complete OSU team that we would have loved see go up against that vaunted LSU Tigers team in the BCS National Championship Game.

When you really look back at the season that Luck had, you probably won’t be all that impressed. He was picked off three times against the Oregon Ducks in Stanford’s game of the year, and since that point, the team only put 31 on the Cal Golden Bears and 28 on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to end the regular season. All three games were home games. Luck also only finished with 3,185 yards and 35 TDs on the season. They’re good numbers, but they aren’t the numbers that we were really expecting to see at the outset of the campaign when he was the runaway favorite for the Heisman. What we have to remember about Luck though, is that he really has been void of big time wide receivers this year, with WR Chris Owusu battling concussion symptoms, and he has also called all of the shots as well at the line of scrimmage, a la the man that he may be getting ready to replace, QB Peyton Manning in Indianapolis.

In the end, we just don’t know if Stanford has it in it. We found out a few weeks ago that Oklahoma State wasn’t giving up on the season even though it had lost its chances to win the BCS National Championship, and we think that it is in a lot better form and health than the Cardinal are. Take the Cowboys and expect to see them drop at least 40 on a Stanford defense that just couldn’t stop the only two offenses that it saw this year that looked anything like this one.

Free Fiesta Bowl Pick: Oklahoma State -3.5

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January 2nd, 2012 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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It’s the Granddaddy of them All in Pasadena, and here at Cappers Info, we are trying to beat the Rose Bowl betting lines when we make our Rose Bowl picks for the clash between the Oregon Ducks and the Wisconsin Badgers.

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Rose Bowl Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Oregon Ducks
Rose Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 5:00 ET
Rose Bowl Location: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
Rose Bowl Odds: Oregon -6
Rose Bowl Total: 72
Rose Bowl TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

The theme of the Rose Bowl is unfinished business. Last year, the Badgers were beaten in this very game by the TCU Horned Frogs in a game that they probably feel as though they should have won. Meanwhile just a week later, the Ducks were knocked off by an Auburn Tigers team that really was just a one man wrecking crew with QB Cam Newton calling the shots. Newton was relatively neutralized, but it was the offense that surprisingly failed in the National Championship Game. One of these teams is going to feel revitalized, while the other is going to be left with yet another offseason of the dismay of having lost a bowl game.

The possibility is there to have a ton of offense in this game. Both of these teams averaged well over 40 points per game this season, and both were able to drop at least 60 on opponents this year as well. Both teams love to get the ball going on the ground, and that includes with their quarterbacks. We know that both QB Darron Thomas and QB Russell Wilson can throw the pigskin, but it is what both can do when they get outside of the pocket that is truly dangerous. Wilson had the best year that a Wisconsin quarterback has ever had when he threw for 31 TDs against just three picks, while Thomas accounted for 2,493 yards and 30 passing scores.

The real battle though, is going to be the combination of RBs Montee Ball and James White against RBs LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner. White was a deserving Heisman Trophy finalist in our eyes, as he led the nations in touchdowns by a country mile with 38 scores. He had 1,759 yards on the ground, the most in the nation, and he added 255 more as a receiver. White, who had a second straight tremendous year while splitting the backfield with Ball, had 683 yards on the ground and 150 through the air, totaling six TDs. James probably would have been a Heisman Trophy candidate had he not gotten hurt and missed two games this year. Still, there is no shame in his 1,646 yards on the ground and 210 as a receiver. He also is a kick returner and punt returner at times and tallied 18 scores on the campaign. Barner is a beast as well, and he had 145 carries on the season for 909 yards and 11 trips to the end zone.

In the end, both of these offenses are out of this world, but we don’t think that there is that much of a difference that is going to make these teams separated by this many points. The Badgers are really the first team that has come out of the Big Ten in a long time that can play offense with some of the big boys in the other conferences, and that being said, it is really the exception to the rule that the Big Ten struggles in bowl games. We aren’t so sure that the Badgers are going to be able to claim the upset to give the Big Ten just its second win in this series since 2000, but we do think that they are going to keep this one within the number.

Free Rose Bowl Pick: Wisconsin +6

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January 2nd, 2012 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The South Carolina Gamecocks will go in search of their 11th win for the first time in team history, while the Nebraska Cornhuskers are representing the Big Ten in a bowl game for the first time. These two will be tough to unscramble when they meet up in the clash on the 2012 Capital One Bowl odds.

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Capital One Bowl Matchup: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
Capital One Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 1:00 ET
Capital One Bowl Location: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Capital One Bowl Odds: South Carolina -2.5
Capital One Bowl Total: 46
Capital One Bowl TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

When you think of the defense that both the Gamecocks and the Cornhuskers are capable of playing, you have to think that the two squads are going to be playing a tough, hardnosed defensive battle. That being said, we just don’t think that that is going to be the case this time around in Orlando.

Last year was a terrible one for QB Taylor Martinez down the stretch, and it is starting to look like it is going to be that way again this year. This was a freshman that lit the world on fire and was able to make himself a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate for the majority of the first half of the season. Things got tougher for the dual threat QB, and it was wrapped up by a terrible showing in the team’s last game in the Big XII in the Holiday Bowl against a Washington Huskies team that he and the Huskers had crushed earlier in the season in Seattle. Still, there is no doubt that Martinez is a tremendous talent, and he has the ability to put up points in bunches when he and RB Rex Burkhead get moving on the ground.

You would think that South Carolina would struggle in this game with RB Marcus Lattimore still nursing his torn ACL and this being the very first bowl game for QB Connor Shaw. However, RB Brandon Wilds has proven that he can be an explosive back, and though neither had a tremendous statistical season, both WR Ace Sanders and WR Alshon Jeffrey can stretch the field and make an aggressive defense like that of Nebraska pay and pay dearly. Shaw is a very mobile quarterback that can get things done with his arm and his legs. Even though he only played a bit over half of the season, he still mustered 1,218 passing yards and 483 rushing yards. His seven rushing touchdowns really made a big time difference, as QB Stephen Garcia, who was dismissed from the team, was never really able to showcase skills like that.

Down the stretch, South Carolina was really able to put some points on the board, putting 34 on the Clemson Tigers and 41 on the Citadel Bulldogs. We know that Nebraska played in some brutal games this year, but against teams that really had some potential to score on a regular basis, there were some games that had some pretty high score lines… Just check the 89 against Washington, 52 against Wyoming, 53 against Northwestern, and 62 against Michigan for proof. The bowl season is one that usually produces high scoring outcomes, and we think that this isn’t going to be all that much of an exception. Martinez will get the job done and get some points on the board, and Shaw will make sure that this one gets past the ‘total’ as well.

Free Capital One Bowl Pick: Nebraska/South Carolina Over 46

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December 30th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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It might not be the prettiest bowl game in the world, but the Kraft Fight Hunger bowl definitely doesn’t lack its intrigue. We are set to make our NCAA football bowl picks in the clash between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the UCLA Bruins out in San Francisco.

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Fight Hunger Bowl Matchup: UCLA Bruins vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
Fight Hunger Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 31st, 3:30 ET
Fight Hunger Bowl Location: AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA
Fight Hunger Bowl Odds: Illinois -2.5
Fight Hunger Bowl Total: 47
Fight Hunger Bowl TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

When you look at the Illini and the Bruins, you have to wonder what either team is really doing in a bowl game this year. Illinois lost its final six games of the season and really never had anything going in that stretch, while UCLA finished out the year with a 50-0 loss to the USC Trojans and a 49-31 loss to the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship Game in a duel that was never really all that close. Both teams have already fired their coaches, which sets this one up to be a bit of a dog. If there is a game that we would so much rather see the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Ball State Falcons, this could be the game.

Suspensions are going to be playing a key role in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Four have already been suspended for this game by the Bruins, including one of the two quarterbacks on this roster, QB Richard Brehaut, while two, including leading rusher RB Jason Ford are going to be kept on the sidelines for Illinois.

It’s not often that we think that there is a real problem that is going to arise offensively in a bowl game, but just looking at the most recent games that the Illini have played should prove why this one might not be the prettiest bowl game of the bunch. They haven’t scored more than 17 points in a game since November 8th (which also happens to be the last time that they won a game…), and they haven’t had a game reach more than 45 points in that stretch either. UCLA did score 31 against Oregon in the Pac-12 title game, but it never had a shot against USC and only scored six and 12 in its two other previous road games at the Utah Utes and Arizona Wildcats. With Brehaut not making the trip to San Fran, the Bruins know that they are going to have to do a good job protecting QB Kevin Prince, as he is the only healthy signal callers on the roster. That’ll be a tough task against an Illini defense that was sneakily good this season.

Even though this is as close to a home game as the Bruins were going to get this year, they just aren’t worthy to be in a bowl game. They may have a shot at scoring some point at least, but we just don’t that that is going to happen when push comes to shove. Illinois won’t get it going either in this long, long trip out to California, and unless all of a sudden, someone figures out how to move the football on this squad without Ford carrying the load, we just don’t see the points hitting the board. We wouldn’t be all that shocked to see this game end in the 20s, not in the 40s or the 50s which would be required to push this one past the number.

Free Fight Hunger Bowl Pick: UCLA/Illinois Under 47

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December 30th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Cincinnati Bearcats were the co-Big East champs this year, but they could be up against it when they have to play a de facto road game at the Liberty Bowl against the Vanderbilt Commodores. Check out our 2011 Liberty Bowl free picks for the game on December 31st!

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Liberty Bowl Matchup: Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Vanderbilt Commodores
Liberty Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 31st, 3:30 ET
Liberty Bowl Location: Liberty Bowl Stadium, Memphis, TN
Liberty Bowl Odds: Vanderbilt -1.5
Liberty Bowl Total: 48.5
Liberty Bowl TV Coverage: ABC

The Bearcats and the Commodores both overachieved this season, though both teams took significantly different paths to reach this point in the campaign. UC took advantage of a very weak schedule and an incredibly weak conference to finish up the year at 9-3, but it was passed over for one of the elite bowl games due to that scheduling. Vandy is never really seen as a team that is a threat in the SEC, and it only has one bowl win coming into this year. The Commodores took their lumps against the best teams in the conference, but when push came to shove, they weren’t nearly a pushover this season, especially when they played at home, and that’s why they could be a nuisance in this game for the Bearcats.

The news for Cincinnati QB Zach Collaros is getting better and better as the days are progressing. It is starting to look as though he will be ready to go after suffering an ankle injury against the West Virginia Mountaineers over a month ago, and that will be a huge boost for an offense that was suspect at times all season long. Collaros has seemingly digressed over the years, but he is still a viable quarterback and could do some real damage. However, the real key to this team is going to be the success of RB Isaiah Pead. Pead rumbled for 1,110 yards and had 14 total trips to the end zone this year, though he is going to have his work cut out for him against a Vandy defense that was one of the more unheralded units in the SEC this season.

Of course, the Bearcats have a great defense as well, ranking No. 6 in the country against the rush. That would seemingly bode poorly for the Commodores, who really only throw the ball when they are behind in down and distance. However, we have to remember that the teams that do run the ball quite a bit in the Big East, such as the Pitt Panthers, South Florida Bulls, and Connecticut Huskies, all had more success against this defense than a lot of the pure passing teams did. Vandy can push the ball up the field when it has to, but RB Zac Stacy is the man that really has to make the big time difference for it to keep moving the pigskin.

We just look at this Cincinnati team and we see its one game this year against a Big East team… The Tennessee Volunteers absolutely took the Bearcats behind the shed in Week 2 with a 45-23 defeat. Add that to the fact that the Dores scored a huge 41-7 victory over a relatively comparable Wake Forest Demon Deacons team in a road game at the end of the year. The makings are really set for the de facto hosts in this one to come out strong and to steal their second bowl victory in team history. The Bearcats are just up against it too hard to be able to deal with a sneaky Vanderbilt team that earned its way to a bowl game in spite of its 6-6 record.

Free Liberty Bowl Pick: Vanderbilt -1.5

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