Well-Deserved Recognition

Another BCS-busting first for the Horned Frogs of TCU–Gary Patterson has been named the first non-BCS conference Coach of the Year by the Associated Press.

The irony of that being the case is that any extremely successful non-BCS conference coach has to workfar harder than his BCS counterparts. Regardless of their coaches’ recruiting skills, the big name schools will always draw in higher-ranked classes by virtue of the name of the university itself.

The coach of a less famous school needs to be twice as inspiring to potential recruits and do far more with less in the way of talent. Sure, the intra-conference competition may not measure up to that of the BCS leagues, but to receive national recognition, those coaches must schedule as many BCS schools for inter-conference play as possible, so it’s not as if they play nobody. And in the case of the Mountain West Conference, the powerful triumvirate of Utah, BYU and TCU negates even that argument.

Here are some of Patterson’s accomplishments this year:

• TCU’s first Mountain West Conference title.
• TCU’s first BCS bowl.
• Highest ranking ever for a non-BCS conference school.
• TCU is the only team ranked in the Top 6 for both total offense and total defense.

And since he took the helm of the Horned Frogs nine years ago, Patterson has led TCU to five 11+ wins seasons in the last seven years amidst an 85-27 overall record.

A well-deserved award? Absolutely.

Without a doubt, there is a lot to applaud in regards to what Patterson has done with the TCU program. But you know what I like most? He didn’t pull a Brian Kelly and immediately jump ship to a larger program. It seems that every time a non-major program has a great season, that team’s coach is poached by a bigger school, lured by more money and more prestige. But when Patterson’s name was reportedly in the running for the Notre Dame job, he quickly squelched any rumors of defection by signing an extension with Texas Christian through 2016. Loyalty is vastly underrated these days.

Gary Patterson = class act.

• December 18, 2009 -- 2009 NCAA College Football Bowl Picks (0)
• December 8, 2009 -- Bowl Challenges Set (0)
• November 17, 2009 -- As The Season Dwindles Down… (0)
• November 3, 2009 -- Iowa’s Pass (0)
• October 26, 2009 -- Statement Game (0)

That being the case, here are my picks for this year’s match-ups–take them with a grain of salt, or perhaps a couple margaritas.

NON-BCS BOWL GAMES

NEW MEXICO BOWL

Fresno State vs. Wyoming – Dec. 19
Pick: Fresno State

ST. PETERSBURG BOWL

Rutgers vs. UCF – Dec. 19
Pick: Rutgers

NEW ORLEANS BOWL

Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee – Dec. 20
Pick: Southern Miss

MAACO BOWL

BYU vs. Oregon State – Dec. 22
Pick: BYU

POINSETTIA BOWL

Utah vs. California – Dec. 23
Pick: Utah

HAWAII BOWL

SMU vs. Nevada – Dec 24
Pick: Nevada

LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA BOWL

Marshall vs. Ohio University – Dec. 26
Pick: Ohio

MEINEKE CAR CARE

North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh – Dec. 26
Pick: Pittsburgh

EMERALD BOWL

Boston College vs. USC – Dec. 26
Pick: USC

MUSIC CITY BOWL

Clemson vs. Kentucky – Dec. 27
Pick: Clemson

INDEPENDENCE BOWL

Texas A&M vs. Georgia – Dec. 28
Pick: Georgia

EAGLEBANK BOWL

Temple vs. UCLA – Dec. 29
Pick: Temple

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL

Miami vs. Wisconsin – Dec. 29
Pick: Miami

HUMANITARIAN BOWL

Idaho vs. Bowling Green – Dec. 30
Pick: Bowling Green

HOLIDAY BOWL

Nebraska vs. Arizona – Dec. 30
Pick: Nebraska

ARMED FORCES BOWL

Houston vs. Air Force – Dec. 31
Pick: Houston

SUN BOWL

Oklahoma vs. Stanford – Dec. 31
Pick: Stanford

TEXAS BOWL

Navy vs. Missouri – Dec. 31
Pick: Navy

INSIGHT BOWL

Minnesota vs. Iowa State – Dec. 31
Pick: Minnesota

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL

Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee – Dec. 31
Pick: Virginia Tech

OUTBACK BOWL

Northwestern vs. Auburn – Jan. 1
Pick: Northwestern

CAPITAL ONE BOWL

Penn State vs. LSU – Jan. 1
Pick: LSU

GATOR BOWL

Florida State vs. West Virginia – Jan. 1
Pick: West Virginia

INTERNATIONAL BOWL

South Florida vs. Northern Illinois – Jan. 2
Pick: South Florida

PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL

Connecticut vs. South Carolina – Jan. 2
Pick: Connecticut

COTTON BOWL

Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss – Jan. 2
Pick: Oklahoma State

LIBERTY BOWL

East Carolina vs. Arkansas – Jan. 2
Pick: Arkansas

ALAMO BOWL

Michigan State vs. Texas Tech – Jan. 2
Pick: Texas Tech

GMAC BOWL

Troy vs. Central Michigan – Jan. 6
Pick: Central Michigan

BCS BOWL GAMES

ROSE BOWL

Ohio State vs. Oregon – Jan. 1
Pick: Oregon

SUGAR BOWL

Florida vs. Cincinnati – Jan. 1
Pick: Florida

FIESTA BOWL

Boise State vs. TCU – Jan. 4
Pick: TCU

ORANGE BOWL

Iowa vs. Georgia Tech – Jan. 5
Pick: Georgia Tech

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Alabama vs. Texas – Jan. 7
Pick: Alabama

• December 23, 2009 -- TCU’s Gary Patterson AP Coach of the Year – NCAA College Football (0)
• October 10, 2009 -- Boise Championship State (BCS) (3)
• November 22, 2008 -- Bowl Picture Becoming Clearer (0)
• November 5, 2008 -- College Football Scheduling (0)
• December 8, 2009 -- Bowl Challenges Set (0)

In other words, the BCS could actually fall victim of its own design.

Boise State is currently ranked #6 in both the Harris Interactive and the coach’s poll, two-thirds of the corrupt and convoluted BCS equation. If enough of the teams in front of the Broncos lose, Boise could easily move up into one of the top two spots, since, despite its lack of strength of schedule, teams are rarely leapfrogged that high up in the rankings (incidentally, at the time Wetzel’s article was published, the Broncos were #5 in the coach’s poll and were jumped by Virginia Tech, so you never know).

Since at most one of the three SEC teams in front of Boise State (Florida, LSU and Alabama) can finish undefeated, that leaves only Texas and Virginia Tech. Not impossible by any means. Wetzel argues that Boise is in this unique position because they are ranked higher earlier in the season than any of the previous BCS busters.

So far I haven’t said anything new that wasn’t discussed in the Yahoo! Sports article. What intrigued me was how the Broncos attained such a high ranking in the first place, the historical underpinnings. Wetzel’s articles doesn’t explore those.

It all, of course, goes back to Boise State’s incredible victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. At the time, many people considered it the greatest game ever played (I sure did). But years down the road, could we be looking back at it as one of the most important for the history of the game?

Think about it… playing and winning that game garnered the Broncos plenty of attention, but the way they won made all the difference. For potential recruits, Boise State wasn’t just a small program getting its big chance, the Broncos were suddenly became exciting, risk-taking. For the voters… well, considering how many of the pollsters admitted that they never watched Utah last year, any game that garners a non-BCS conference school their eyes is a big deal, and no game in recent history has been more difficult to miss. Even if you didn’t see it live, you saw the highlights, over and over.

The increased talent and increased publicity stemming from that game undoubtedly play a large part in Boise State’s current ranking, both in the Bronco’s ability to continue playing at a high level and remain on the voter’s radar. If fate somehow allows the Broncos to make it to the title game–although I wouldn’t put it pats the lords of the BCS to doctor the final rankings so that wouldn’t happen–one could make the argument that the 2007 Fiesta Bowl influenced that result. And if that does happen, you can be sure that those evil BCS bosses will tinker with the system to make sure it never happens again.

And that could be a good thing.

What, you say? How could making a corrupt system even worse be good? It’s a terrible thing.

That it is, that it is. However, the more the BCS tightens its grip, the more the public backlash, the sooner the outside influences (e.g. the government) might finally be able to stuff a playoff down their raspy little throats. And that’s the only way those bastards will ever let a playoff into college football.

Extrapolating, that would make the 2007 Fiesta Bowl a game of extreme historical significance, wouldn’t it?

Of course, Boise State receiving a BCS Bowl or the title game could come at the expense of a perhaps more deserving non-BCS school. TCU is currently 10th in the Harris and AP, 9th in the coaches. The Horned Frogs play in the Mountain West Conference, perhaps the best of the non-BCS leagues, and definitely face stiffer competition (BYU, Utah) than do the Broncos in the Western Athletic Conference. Last year TCU had the top defense in the nation, so the Frogs’ ranking is no fluke. You can bet your last dollar, however, that the BCS commissioner would rather be damned than see two non Big 6 conference schools play in the marquee games–let alone the championshionp–even if they were the only two undefeateds in the nation.

But wouldn’t it be grand if they did?

Alas, We BCS haters have to take what we can get.

At least it would be another black mark (added to the scores already existing) on the BCS’s credibility.

We can only dream.

• December 23, 2009 -- TCU’s Gary Patterson AP Coach of the Year – NCAA College Football (0)
• December 18, 2009 -- 2009 NCAA College Football Bowl Picks (0)
• December 8, 2009 -- Bowl Challenges Set (0)
• November 17, 2009 -- As The Season Dwindles Down… (0)
• October 26, 2009 -- Statement Game (0)

Who would not like to see Utah square off against Florida? What a great game that would be! Ah, but for a playoff! Allow me to be wistful…

With the season over, I thought I’d revisit some of my college football predictions and analysis and see just how accurate I happened to be.

Looking back at the bowl games, I went 18-16 in picking the winners. Not great by any means, but since a .500 record was good enough to win one of the NFL divisional races this year (and a mere two games over .500 good enough for yet another division crown), I’ll take it. I’m much happier about my record in the games I highlighted in Nate’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups: a healthy 3-1 (the one loss came in the BCS Championship game). I picked TCU over Boise State, Oregon State over Pittsburgh, and Utah over Alabama–yes, I called Utah!

Picking the biggest upset of the bowl season isn’t nearly as surprising as it might seem to be when you consider the fact that I’ve been touting the merits of the Mountain West Conference all season. In my very first Deep Into Sports article about college football back (posted November 2), I remarked how the Mountain West may very well be the third best conference overall this year, trailing only the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12. Take a look at both the final AP and Coaches’ Polls: the Mountain West has two teams (Utah and TCU) in the Top 7 of each poll. The only other conferences so represented are the SEC (Florida and Alabama) and the Big 12 (Texas and Oklahoma). The seventh team rounding out that top tier–and the only one not from those three conferences–is USC.

(For those naysayers who want to point out that November 2nd is past mid-season, I fully acknowledge that fact. But Deep Into Sports didn’t even come into existence until October 29th, so I didn’t have a forum to spread the Mountain West gospel until that time.)

This was the first season of a four-year cycle in which the BCS will be re-evaluating which conferences should receive automatic bids. Considering who actually runs the BCS, it’s hard to believe that any of the current six so-called power conferences would relinquish their ability to score the big bowl bucks. Such a recommendation is a distinct possibility if any said re-evaluation were actually to be legit. After all, looking at this season, the Mountain West should be upped to elite status and either the ACC or Big East downgraded. But does anyone really believe that might actually happen? I seriously doubt it, though if we college football fans are to be perpetually saddled with this terrible system, we can only hope this is an honest effort.

• December 19, 2008 -- Nate’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups (2)
• December 9, 2008 -- Football Coaches Have A Sense of Humor (0)
• January 6, 2009 -- Running Up the Score (6)
• January 8, 2009 -- Fierce And Nerdy: The BCS Championship Game – Oklahoma Sooners vs. Florida Gators (0)
• December 18, 2008 -- P.K.’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups (1)

The first pseudo major sports championship of the year takes place Thursday night in Miami as the 12-1 and top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners face off against the 12-1 and second-ranked Florida Gators in the BCS National Championship game. I say pseudo because college football will never have a true national champion until a playoff system is put into place. The money-grubbing and gross inequities inherent to the Bowl Championship Series system will always result in college football’s champion being largely determined by polls, not on the field.

But, like the BCS or not (if you couldn’t already tell, I don’t)‚ it did result in a legitimate matchup for the so-called title game this season. Sure, other teams (Texas, USC and especially undefeated Utah) had strong arguments why they should be in the BCS Championship game, but those same discussions would exist regardless of which teams were playing–that’s the problem. From an outside observers standpoint, Oklahoma vs. Florida is a completely legitimate matchup, though I personally maintain Utah’s undefeated season warranted them the nod.

The game does have it all: the champion teams from the top two conferences, two high-powered offenses, and the last two Heisman Trophy Winners in quarterbacks Tim Tebow (2007) and Sam Bradford (2008). This game will undoubtedly be a shoot-out; if you like offensive explosions, this one is for you! Unfortunately for the Sooners, Oklahoma star running back DeMarco Murray will miss the game with a hamstring injury. Fortunately for coach Bob Stoops, that injury shouldn’t slow down his team too much; Murray is actually one of two backs for Oklahoma with over 1,000 yards (the other, Chris Brown, leads the Sooners with 1,010 yards). Even with such a running threat, the Sooners’ success will ride on Bradford’s arm. And with perhaps the best offensive line in the country, the Oklahoma quarterback should have all day to throw.

Florida must find a way to slow down Oklahoma’s offense to wrap up their second title in three years. Unfortunately for the Gators, their defense is not quite the dominant force as that of the 2006 squad, although it has improved over the course of the season. On the other hand, the Gators offense is pretty potent in its own right, with the nation’s 11th-ranked running game and Tebow’s big play ability. Considering the injuries suffered by the Sooners’ defense, the Gators’s O should have ample opportunity to score and keep pace with Oklahoma.

In the end, I think this game will probably come down to just one or two plays, with the team making the least mistakes taking the crown. After two straight bowl disappointments, it’s time for the Sooners to achieve some redemption.

That having been said, I hope the AP throws egg on the face of the BCS once again and votes the Utah Utes a split of the national title in their poll. Unlikely, but not inconceivable.

• December 19, 2008 -- Nate’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups (2)
• December 18, 2008 -- P.K.’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups (1)
• January 9, 2009 -- 2008-2009 College Football Wrap-Up (0)
• December 9, 2008 -- Football Coaches Have A Sense of Humor (0)
• January 6, 2009 -- Running Up the Score (6)

I like running up the score. I believe in running up the score, in demoralizing your opponent so viciously that they trble in fear the next time they face you.

Why am I bringing this up?

Because in college football, running up the score can be a necessity.

If Texas had any chance of making a claim at the AP portion of the national title, they needed to absolutely demolish Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl Monday night. They didn’t. We did get a thrilling game which Texas won on a briliant final drive, but in seizing victory from the jaws of defeat, the Longhorns already very slim championship hopes were dashed.

USC did what they had to against Penn State, but even their effort will not be enough since Utah dominated Alabama more than the 31-17 final score shows. Coupled with their undefeated season, the Utes performance might actually be enough to sway some AP voters. But in generating excitement Texas failed. They needed to run up the score.

And as long as the BCS is in place teams will need to do so to help their rankings throughout the season.

To be fair, college football isn’t the only sport where running up the score is a wise proposition. Baseball’s perpetual possibility of coming from behind means no score is ever safe.

• January 9, 2009 -- 2008-2009 College Football Wrap-Up (0)
• December 9, 2008 -- Football Coaches Have A Sense of Humor (0)
• December 19, 2008 -- Nate’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups (2)
• November 22, 2008 -- Bowl Picture Becoming Clearer (0)
• November 2, 2008 -- Bowl Championship Series Big Craziness Shake-up (0)

• December 19, 2008 -- Nate’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups (2)
• January 9, 2009 -- 2008-2009 College Football Wrap-Up (0)
• January 6, 2009 -- Running Up the Score (6)
• December 9, 2008 -- Football Coaches Have A Sense of Humor (0)
• November 2, 2008 -- Bowl Championship Series Big Craziness Shake-up (0)

In my mind, this is easily the most intriguing matchup of the bowl season outside the national championship game itself. Don’t let those two losses for a non-BCS school fool you; TCU has a phenomenal team, sporting, among other things, the second-ranked defense in all the nation. The first of those losses came to Oklahoma, 35-10. The only other time this year the Sooners were held to 35 points was in their solitary loss to Texas. As for the second loss, the Horned Frogs were a couple of short missed field goals away from beating Utah, taking the Mountain West title and perhaps making the BCS as a one-loss non-BCS team.

As for Boise State, the Broncos are one of two undefeateds remaining and would be in a BCS bowl if it weren’t for the aforementioned–and also undefeated–Utah Utes. Boise State once again rolled through the WAC, but only played one significant non-conference opponent, Oregon. However, at #3, the Broncos are only one spot below TCU in scoring defense, and there are still a lot of players remaining from that magical Fiesta Bowl victory two years ago, so they know how to win big games.

I love this game! Anything could happen in this one, but I’m picking the Horned Frogs with their rock-solid defense and strength of schedule.

Brut Sun Bowl (El Paso, TX – December 31)
#24 Oregon State Beavers (8-4) vs. #18 Pittsburgh Panthers (9-3)

The Pitt Panthers finished second in an up-and-down but largely lackluster Big East, while Oregon State was on the cusp of winning the Pac-10 and a Rose Bowl berth before ending up on the negative side of a lopsided contest with instate arch-rival Oregon. Each team needs to make a statement. The Beavers want to prove that the fluke in their season was the Oregon game and not the season itself, particularly their shocking upset of USC. The Panthers, on the other hand, started off with an embarrassing loss to Bowling Green and narrowly missed a second one to Buffalo. Pitt started playing better, but high hopes went by the wayside.

Considering that both the Pac-10 and Big East had down years, whoever wins this game not only redeems themselves but partially redeems their conference. But I just don’t trust Big East teams this year, and Oregon State’s victory over the Trojans was very impressive. I’m taking the Beavers.

Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA – January 2)
#7 Utah Utes (12-0) vs. #4 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1)

Utah survived an incredibly tough Mountain West Conference schedule unscathed, and the Utes now carry that perfect record into their second BCS bid in five seasons. Key victories include Oregon State and fellow Top 25 conference rivals TCU and BYU. Beyond their own pride, a lot is riding on the Utes in this game in terms of proving the legitimacy of non-BCS teams and the Mountain West Conference in particular.

Alabama has had an incredible year; no one expected Nick Saban to turn around the Crimson Tide’s fortunes quite so quickly. That fact that became painfully apparent in the Tide’s defeat at the hands of Florida in the SEC Championship game, costing ‘Bama a shot at the national title. The sting of that loss should make Alabama a team on a mission. The Tide’s bread-and-butter is a great ball-control run-first offense, but be on the lookout for their stellar true freshman wideout Julio Jones.

Both teams have something to prove in this game, which will be won by the offensive and defensive lines and whichever side dominates the line of scrimage. On paper, Alabama appears stronger, but Utah quarterback Brian Johnson has exhibited Tom Brady-like intangibles to lead his team to victory whenever needed. Alabama may have a stronger team, but Utah has something special going on, so I’m going out on a limb and picking the Utes.

BCS National Championship (Miami, FL – January 8)
#1 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) vs. #2 Florida Gators (12-1)

Like the Bowl Championship Series or not (I don’t)‚ but it did result in a legitimate matchup for the national title this season. Sure, other teams (Texas, USC, even Texas Tech) have strong arguments why they should be in the BCS Championship game, but those same discussions would exist regardless of which teams were playing; that’s the problem. From an outside observers standpoint, Oklahoma vs. Florida is as legitimate a matchup as there could be.

This game has it all: champions of the top two conferences, two high-powered offenses, and the last two Heisman Trophy Winners (quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford). Both teams will score a lot of points; it should be very exciting. Unfortunately for Oklahoma, Sooners running back DeMarco Murray will miss the game with a hamstring injury. That shouldn’t slow down Bob Stoops’ team too much; Murray is one of two backs for Oklahoma with over 1,000 yards (the other, Chris Brown, leads the team with 1,010 yards).

This game will probably come down to one or two plays, whoever makes the least mistakes taking the crown. After two straight bowl disappointments, it’s time for the Sooners to achieve some redemption.

• January 9, 2009 -- 2008-2009 College Football Wrap-Up (0)
• December 9, 2008 -- Football Coaches Have A Sense of Humor (0)
• November 2, 2008 -- Bowl Championship Series Big Craziness Shake-up (0)
• December 18, 2008 -- P.K.’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups (1)
• January 8, 2009 -- Fierce And Nerdy: The BCS Championship Game – Oklahoma Sooners vs. Florida Gators (0)

Like their Big 12 brethren Oklahoma and Texas, Mike Leach and his Texas Tech squad ended the season with only a single loss. Unfortunately for the Red Raiders, that loss came at the hands of Oklahoma and it was not a close game. That loss gave Oklahoma control over the tie-breakers in the Big 12 standings. Despite a huge win against Texas, the Red Raiders were left as the odd-man out in the Big 12. Look for the Red Raiders to light it up against Ole Miss in what could be Mike Leach’s last game with the program.

One doesn’t need to subpoena any phone records to get the message about the job Houston Nutt’s done at Ole Miss this season. Their 8-4 record is a significant improvement from the last two seasons and the Rebels can count themselves among the few teams to have stifled Urban Meyer’s high-powered Gator offense this season.

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte, NC – December 27)
West Virginia Mountaineers (8-4) vs. UNC Tarheels (8-4)

The 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl will be a bittersweet event for fans of the WVU Mounaineers . Most notably, the Car Care Bowl will serve as the swan song for the Pat White era. In what was supposed to be a triumphant final season for the signal-caller, the team struggled with the loss of Steve Slaton to the NFL and growing pains from the installation of first-year Coach Bill Stewart’s new systems. Early season losses and the emergence of Cincinnati and Pittsburgh as dominant programs in the Big East sealed the Mountaineers’ fate. For a player that has become the face of the program and a source of tremendous pride, going out in a mid-tier bowl has to be a bit of a disappointment.

UNC also has to be looking at the Car Care Bowl as a let-down. Following a strong start, Butch Davis’ Tarheels suffered late-season losses to Maryland and rival NC State that dropped them from contention for the ACC Championship. UNC’s defense is a bit of a question mark. They’re giving up over 350 yards per game. On the offensive side of the ball, the team is paced by All-ACC WR Hakeem Nicks who is the first UNC receiver to top 1000 yards in a season and who is already the school’s career-yardage leader as a junior.

If the teams may be looking upon the bowl games as consolation prizes, it shouldn’t affect ticket sales. UNC fans will surely turn up in droves given the close proximity of Charlotte to Chapel Hill. However, you can expect that the WVU faithful will continue to reinforce their reputation as a good road draw. Despite the fact that the Car Care Bowl takes place in UNC’s back yard, fans wishing to pay Pat White his due will turn the stands blue and gold. The atmosphere should be rollicking.

FedEx Orange Bowl (Miami, FL – January 1)
#21 Virginia Tech Hokies (9-4) vs. #12 Cincinnati Bearcats (11-2)

The 2008 installment of the Orange Bowl should serve as the coming out party for a Cincinnati Bearcats program poised to make the move from conference also-ran to BCS mainstay. Two-time Big East Coach of the Year Brian Kelly has put together a squad with enough talent to rival even the big-time BCS juggernauts. Draft experts are predicting that the Bearcats could send as many as five players into the NFL draft from the current squad. Clearly, finding skilled players to man Cincinnati’s explosive spread offense hasn’t been a problem. The team’s biggest problem has been keeping the players they have healthy. Injuries plagued the Bearcats’ signal callers all season long. QB Tony Pike has shown great mobility when healthy and should be a major factor in the game.

When the Virginia Tech Hokies left the Big East for the greener pastures of the ACC, no one could have predicted how beneficial that decision was going to turn out to be for the boys from Blacksburg. Virginia Tech quickly emerged as the dominant program in the conference and revenues for the football program have skyrocketed. Coach Frank Beamer has again assembled a Hokie squad that is stalwart on defense and dominant on special teams. The biggest question marks for Virginia Tech have been on the offensive side of the ball. Beamer was eventually forced to remove the red-shirt tag from QB Tyrod Taylor in order to bring him in to replace Sean Glennon who was the QB of note when the Hokies were upset by East Carolina to start the year.

The most intriguing matchups should occur between Cincinnati’s offense and Virginia Tech’s smothering defense. But keep your eye on the field during punts and kicks. Special teams are a strength for the Bearcats, and it should be fun to see how Cincinnati’s superb pair of kickers, Groza award nominee K Jake Rogers, and Ray Guy finalist P Kevin Huber deal with the most talented special teams unit they have yet seen. Look for the game to turn on a big special teams play.

BCS National Championship (Miami, FL – January 8)
#1 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) vs. #2 Florida Gators (12-1)


With apologies to Texas fans, it looks as though the two best teams in the nation will face off in the BCS Championship Game. When the dust settled, it was the Sooners and the Gators who separated themselves from the pack by virtue of their explosive offenses.

There is the off-chance that Oklahoma will once-again forget that the bowl games do count. Hopefully, the Sooners learned their lesson last season when they were upset by an inspired WVU team in the Fiesta Bowl. If Bob Stoops doesn’t have his boys ready to play from the first whistle, you can bet Urban Meyer and the Gators will roll early.

While both teams suffered mid-season losses, the Sooners and the Gators both seem to be clicking right now. Each team will be coming into this game carrying a great deal of momentum in their favor. Florida’s tough win over Alabama in the SEC title game proved that they can take anyone’s best punch and stay on their feet. Despite a loss to fierce-rival Texas, the Sooners have bounced back to win the Big 12 on the back of Heisman-Trophy-winning-QB, Sam Bradford.

I think this game will be a shoot-out with the win going to the last team to have the ball.

• December 19, 2008 -- Nate’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups (2)
• January 8, 2009 -- Fierce And Nerdy: The BCS Championship Game – Oklahoma Sooners vs. Florida Gators (0)
• January 9, 2009 -- 2008-2009 College Football Wrap-Up (0)
• December 9, 2008 -- Football Coaches Have A Sense of Humor (0)
• December 17, 2008 -- College Bowl Picks (0)

Later this week we will continue our lead-up to the bowls with our choices for the most interesting and exciting can’t-miss games of the season!

Eagle Bank Bowl – Wake Forest vs. Navy
Nate Barlow: Navy
P.K. Brooks: Wake Forest

New Mexico Bowl – Colorado State vs. Fresno State
Nate Barlow: Fresno State
P.K. Brooks: Fresno State

St. Petersburg Bowl – South Florida vs. Memphis
Nate Barlow: South Florida
P.K. Brooks: South Florida

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl – BYU vs. Arizona
Nate Barlow: BYU
P.K. Brooks: BYU

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl – Troy State vs. Southern Miss
Nate Barlow: Southern Miss
P.K. Brooks: Southern Miss

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl - TCU vs. Boise State
Nate Barlow: TCU
P.K. Brooks: Boise State

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl - Hawaii vs. Notre Dame
Nate Barlow: Hawaii
P.K. Brooks: Hawaii

Motor City Bowl - Central Michigan vs. Florida Atlantic
Nate Barlow: Central Michigan
P.K. Brooks: Central Michigan

Meineke Car Care Bowl - UNC vs. West Virginia
Nate Barlow: West Virginia
P.K. Brooks: West Virginia

Champs Sports Bowl – Florida State vs. Wisconsin
Nate Barlow: Wisconsin
P.K. Brooks: Wisconsin

Emerald Bowl - Cal vs. Miami (FL)
Nate Barlow: Cal
P.K. Brooks: Cal

Independence Bowl – Louisiana Tech vs. Northern Illinois
Nate Barlow: Louisiana Tech
P.K. Brooks: Northern Illinois

Papajohns.com Bowl – Rutgers vs. N.C. State
Nate Barlow: Rutgers
P.K. Brooks: Rutgers

Valero Alamo Bowl – Northwestern vs. Missouri
Nate Barlow: Missouri
P.K. Brooks: Missouri

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl – Maryland vs. Nevada
Nate Barlow: Nevada
P.K. Brooks: Maryland

Texas Bowl - Rice vs. Western Michigan
Nate Barlow: Rice
P.K. Brooks: Western Michigan

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl - Oregon vs. Oklahoma State
Nate Barlow: Oklahoma State
P.K. Brooks: Oregon

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl - Air Force vs. Houston
Nate Barlow: Air Force
P.K. Brooks: Air Force

Brut Sun Bowl - Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh
Nate Barlow: Oregon State
P.K. Brooks: Pittsburgh

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl – Vanderbilt vs. Boston College
Nate Barlow: Boston College
P.K. Brooks: Boston College

Insight.com Bowl – Kansas vs. Minnesota
Nate Barlow: Kansas
P.K. Brooks: Minnesota

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl - LSU vs. Georgia Tech
Nate Barlow: LSU
P.K. Brooks: LSU

Outback Bowl – Iowa vs. South Carolina
Nate Barlow: South Carolina
P.K. Brooks: South Carolina

Capital One Bowl – Georgia vs. Michigan State
Nate Barlow: Georgia
P.K. Brooks: Georgia

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl – Nebraska vs. Clemson
Nate Barlow: Nebraska
P.K. Brooks: Nebraska

Rose Bowl (presented by Citi) – Penn State vs. USC
Nate Barlow: USC
P.K. Brooks: USC

FedEx Orange Bowl - Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Nate Barlow: Cincinnati
P.K. Brooks: Cincinnati

AT&T Cotton Bowl – Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss
Nate Barlow: Texas Tech
P.K. Brooks: Texas Tech

Autozone Liberty Bowl – East Carolina vs. Kentucky
Nate Barlow: East Carolina
P.K. Brooks: East Carolina

Allstate Sugar Bowl – Utah vs. Alabama
Nate Barlow: Utah
P.K. Brooks: Alabama

International Bowl - Connecticut vs. Buffalo
Nate Barlow: Connecticut
P.K. Brooks: Connecticut

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl – Texas vs. Ohio State
Nate Barlow: Texas
P.K. Brooks: Texas

GMAC Bowl – Tulsa vs. Ball State
Nate Barlow: Ball State
P.K. Brooks: Ball State

FedEx BCS National Championship - Oklahoma vs. Florida
Nate Barlow: Oklahoma
P.K. Brooks: Florida

• December 19, 2008 -- Nate’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups (2)
• December 18, 2008 -- P.K.’s Most Intriguing Bowl Matchups (1)
• January 9, 2009 -- 2008-2009 College Football Wrap-Up (0)
• January 8, 2009 -- Fierce And Nerdy: The BCS Championship Game – Oklahoma Sooners vs. Florida Gators (0)
• January 6, 2009 -- Running Up the Score (6)