New Year's Day Bowl Game Previews
New Year's Day has lost a bit of its luster as far as bowl games are concerned, as there are now seven games played at a later date. Still, there are several good match-ups in what can be a 12-plus hour day of watching games.
Outback Bowl
The day gets started with the Outback Bowl between Iowa and South Carolina. Iowa is a 4-point favorite and the total is 43.
The public is leaning to South Carolina, as 55-percent of the wagers have come in on the Gamecocks.
Iowa finished the season on a positive note, winning its final three games, which included a victory over Penn State. Still, the Big 10 hasn't fared too well in bowls so far this year, going 0-3 straight up and 1-2 against the spread.
South Carolina's Stephen Garcia is expected to get the start, but it's likely both quarterbacks will get into the game at some point, as Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier has been less than impressed with both his signal callers this season.
Both teams play solid defense, allowing fewer than 290 yards per game, but think with the extra time, both coaches can put in a few wrinkles to see more points than you'd normally expect.
2* Over 43
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl between Clemson and Nebraska is a bit of an interesting match-up. The Tigers are favored by two and the total is 56.5. Nebraska is receiving most of the betting action.
It's been an up-and-down season for Clemson, which saw its head coach resign in the middle of the year, but the Tigers finished the year with three straight wins to get here with a 7-5 record.
The Tigers have solid against the pass all season, but the Nebraska passing game is a bit better than they are used to seeing, especially from a team that isn't one-dimensional.
The Huskers are on their way back after a few dismal seasons and Nebraska fans have to be pleased with the direction the team is heading.
Joe Ganz is a solid two-way threat at quarterback and the Huskers have several solid running backs. Still, the nature of the Big 12 always make for a little difficulty in guessing the true strength of a team, but believe the Huskers will score plenty of points, but also give up a fair amount.
3* Over 56
Capital One Bowl
The most lopsided bowl game in terms of betting today is the Capital One Bowl, as 78-percent of the bets have come in on Georgia. As a result, the Bulldogs are now favored by 8.5 points and the total is 56.
The Georgia defense faltered mightily down the stretch, allowing 38 or more points to four of their last five opponents, the lone exception being offensively challenged Auburn.
Both teams have big-time running backs, but Georgia's Matthew Stafford is a much better quarterback than MSU's Hoyer.
Michigan State's success will rest on the strength of their rushing attack, but the Bulldogs have been better on both sides of the ball, averaging more yards per carry and surrendering fewer yards per rush attempt.
I hate to be on the same side as the public and the sports services, but don't see any way to take the other side.
4* Georgia -8.5
Rose Bowl
The biggest game of the day is the Rose Bowl between Penn State and USC. The public is on the Trojans by a margin of over 60-percent, but the line has come down from USC -10 to USC -9. The total is 45.
If not for an early season loss to Oregon State, USC would be playing for the national title, but a home game against a storied team like Penn State is a pretty good consolation prize.
Two of the better defenses in the country meet here, as the teams allow just 20.2 points a game combined, while scoring 77.7. It seems as though the oddsmakers simply set the total in the middle and are letting bettors decide if the offenses of the defenses will step up.
Always hard to go against a Paterno team as an underdog, although the difference between the Pac-10 and the Big 10 has been evident so far in bowl games. The Pac-10 is 3-1 against the spread so far and 4-0 straight up, while Big 10 teams are 0-3 straight up and 1-2 against the number.
Believe Penn State is a cut above the typical Big 10 team and will come to play.
2.5* Penn State +9
Orange Bowl
It's a little hard to get excited about the Orange Bowl this year, as Virginia Tech and Cincinnati do battle. While the game isn't a bad match-up, we've come to expect bigger-name teams in the final game of the day.
Cincinnati's Tony Pike is a decent quarterback, but a step below several of the Bearcats' recent QBs. He threw for 18 touchdowns after stepping in for the injured Dustin Garza.
The Hokies will look to running back Darren Evans, who rushed for 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns, while quarterback Tyrod Taylor is a much better runner than thrower and added nearly 700 rushing yards and six scores.
Ultimately, this game will come down to Cincinnati's ability to stop the VT rushing attack and believe the Bearcats will be able to do some success.
2* Under 42
