MATCHUP: Alabama v Texas Tech
WHAT YOU WILL SEE: One of the nation's best offenses [Tech] take on one of the best defenses [Bama].
NAME YOU SHOULD REMEMBER: You will be amazed at TT QB Cody Hodges.
FACTS: Texas Tech has the #1 rated passing offense in the nation. Two Red Raider receivers have been suspended for this game.
SPORTZ PICK: Texas Tech. Alabama has been struggling to score...and there is no way that Bama can shut down Tech's offense. That, coupled with this game essentially being played in the Red Raiders backyard...and Tech wins.
MATCHUP: Florida v Iowa
WHAT YOU WILL SEE: Two of the top rising senior QBs....Chris Leak [who attended my high school] and Drew Tate.
NAME YOU SHOULD REMEMBER: Chris Leak, cuz I name drop him a lot in my blog.
FACTS: Both teams are coming off blowouts of their rivals. These two teams met two years ago on New Years Day...with Iowa winning by 20. This used to be the Hall Of Fame Bowl.
SPORTZ PICK: Florida. This game comes down to defense. Iowa's is 94th. Florida's is 7th. Thank you.
MATCHUP: Louisville v Virginia Tech
WHAT YOU WILL SEE: The new Big East facing an old Big East team. Oh, and Virginia Tech trying to win a game in Jacksonville...something that if they had done a few weeks ago [in the ACC title game], they'd be in Miami's Orange Bowl instead.
NAME YOU SHOULD REMEMBER: Cards QB Brian Brohm. Why? Well, he won't be playing in this game. The guy replacing him has only thrown 36 passes this year.
FACTS: Both teams figured they'd meet in the Orange Bowl. Louisville was a heavy favorite to win the Big East in their first season. V-Tech was a heavy favorite to beat Florida State in the inagural ACC championship game. Neither happened.
SPORTZ PICK: Virginia Tech. Their defense is too tough, especially when you don't have your QB like Louisville.
MATCHUP: Auburn and Wisconsin.
WHAT YOU WILL SEE: Possibly a lot of commercials with David Spade and those displaced huns trying to find new jobs. Oh...and a lot of rushing.
NAME YOU SHOULD REMEMBER: Brian Calhoun led the nation with 21 rushing TDs for the Badgers.
FACTS: This will be Wisconsin coach Barry Alverez's final game.
SPORTZ PICK: Auburn. They can run the football...and Wisconsin really isn't strong at defending that.
MATCHUP: Notre Dame v Ohio State
WHAT YOU WILL SEE: Two of the biggest programs in college football battling in the desert.
NAME YOU SHOULD REMEMBER: OSU's AJ Hawk's name will get a workout. The linebacker should have his nose in on every defensive play for the Buckeyes.
FACTS: The last time Ohio State played in this bowl....they beat Miami for the National Championship. The last time Charlie Weis coached a game in January...well, it was a blowout of Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship.
SPORTZ PICK: Ohio State. Sure, Notre Dame's offense is awesome...but so is Texas'. And the Buckeyes did a good job at holding them at bay. Oh, but they lost that game.
MATCHUP: Georgia v West Virginia
WHAT YOU WILL SEE: Hopefully a bunch of reminders of the help and support still needed for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. This bowl had to be moved from New Orleans.
NAME YOU SHOULD REMEMBER: The Big East. If West Virginia gets rolled in this game...then the BCS may take away it's membership card. With Miami, BC and V-Tech all gone...the Big East looks more like the Mountain West. Oh, well, the Mountain West team [Utah] blew out the Big East team [Pitt] last year in the BCS.
FACTS: This will be Georgia's THIRD straight game in Atlanta. They played at Georgia Tech [a win], the SEC title game was at the Georgia Dome [a win] and due to Hurricane Katrina, this bowl will be in Atlanta. They haven't left the state to play a game since before Halloween....and that was a neutral site game against Florida in Jacksonville.
SPORTZ PICK: Georgia. The Big East doesn't deserve a team in the BCS, even if the Mountaineers are 10-1.
MATCHUP: Florida State v Penn State
WHAT YOU WILL SEE: A team [FSU] that shocked everyone by being here against a team [Penn State] that shocked everyone by being in a bowl.
NAME YOU SHOULD REMEMBER: Lions QB Michael Robinson. Dude was so maligned before the season...yet he turned in one of the best seasons in school history.
FACTS: This is a matchup featuring the two winningest coaches in college football. It's like Dean Smith v Adolph Rupp.
SPORTZ PICK: Penn State. They were a last second TD pass in Michigan from being a complaining party of the Rose Bowl. Instead, they are here playing a FSU team that was dead a few weeks ago.
MATCHUP: Texas vs USC
WHAT YOU WILL SEE: The two best teams.
NAME YOU SHOULD REMEMBER: Heisman. Two Heisman winners will be in this game. The first time that has happened since....well, I guess since last year when USC's Matt Leinart faced Oklahoma's Jason White in the title game.
FACTS: USC has the top rated overall offense. Texas is 4th. They are #3 [Texas] and #4 in rushing. The are #1 [Texas] and #2 in points scored.
SPORTZ PICK: USC. Why? Well, I've loved Texas all year long. Mack Brown is finally winning games that he used to lose. But USC has been here before. And Pete Carroll has a month to disect that Longhorns team and come up with a gameplan. I mean, he did dismantle Oklahoma last year. The game is in Pasadena on a field USC knows so well [they won the title in 2004 on this field]. USC 31-Texas 23
3 comments:
Sportz, as always I appreciate your fine picks....but I do need to challenge you on just one bowl game, and I don't want this to sound like a homer post, but how in the world did you rank Texas over USC all year...and now switch at the last minute? What I think you may have failed to consider in this game is the DEFENSE of both teams. I know it's easy to think offense with these two fine programs...but I think this will come out to be USC's offense against the #3 defense in Texas.
Just fyi...I agree with all your picks except this one...but hey, this is America..LOL
Thanks for all your work on these picks.
Lew
Just wanted to know how the sportzassassin feels about the WVU Mountaineers now......Remeber you said they....a Big East Team.....do not deserve a BCS bid......well I think those kids on the WVU team strongly disagreed with every nay sayer (including you) who never gave them a fighting chance over a quality Top Ten Opponent.......my hat goes off to each member of the WVU team....and Coach Rod.....Thank you for never stop believing in our kids....And as for you sportzassassin......are you going to give credit due where credit is due.....how about a congrats to the Team and coaches......my prediction is that you and other will hear and see more of the Mountaineers in years to come....NOT BAD FOR A BIG EAST TEAM!!!!!
I honestly give all congrats to WVU and their Sugar Bowl victory. They pounced on Georgia...then held on as the Dawgs made a strong comeback.
But I still believe that the Big East doesn't deserve a mandatory BCS bid. I'd like to see that big be given to the highest BCS ranked team from the Big East, MAC, Mountain West, WAC and Conference USA. That team would've been West Virginia this year anyways....but I don't think the Big East should unilaterally get one.
That Mountaineers bowl victory made the Big East 1-3 in Bowl games. Rutgers lost to a Pac-10 team [great game, by the way], South Florida and Louisville lost to ACC teams. But, I feel Louisville and West Virginia will be battling for years to come to get that BCS spot....and, again, I say congrats to the "Neers on their huge bowl win!
-Sportz
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