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Posted 12/25/2007 at 10:22 AM
Welcome to Christian Alexander's 2007-08 College Football Bowl Blog
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Bowl stat of the day: Interim coaching staffs and head coaches with one foot out the door are 1-7 in bowl games this season. The only winner? Maybe the most unlikely - Michigan’s Lloyd Carr. The losers thus far are: Georgia Tech, Arkansas, UCLA, Navy, Texas A&M, Southern Miss, and Houston
1/7/08 BCS Championship Game
PLAY: Ohio State (+4) vs. LSU
RESULT: LSU 38 - Ohio State 24 (LOSS)
COMMENT: The Buckeyes get smoked again by the SEC...I guess speed does kill.
1/6/08 GMAC Bowl
PLAY: Bowling Green vs. Tulsa (-5)
RESULT: Tulsa 63 - Bowling Green 7 (WIN)
COMMENT:
1/5/08 International Bowl
PLAY: Rutgers vs. Ball State (+10.5)
RESULT: Rutgers 52 - Ball State 30 (LOSS)
COMMENT:
1/3/08 Orange Bowl
PLAY: Kansas vs. Virginia Tech (-3.5)
RESULT: Kansas 24 - Virginia Tech 21 (LOSS)
COMMENT:
1/2/08 Fiesta Bowl
PLAY: Oklahoma (-7.5) vs. West Virginia
RESULT: West Virginia 48 - Oklahoma 28 (LOSS)
COMMENT:
1/1/08 Sugar Bowl
PLAY: Georgia (-7.5) vs. Hawaii
RESULT: Georgia 41 - Hawaii 10 (WON)
COMMENT: This season has proved there is a tremendous amount of parity in college football. That said, the Sugar Bowl proved that the majority of the talent still resides with the big programs from the power conferences. And as Hawaii found out, when you have the full attention of a team like Georgia they are very hard to beat. Hawaii QB Colt Brennan was held to just 169 yards passing while tossing three picks. This quote really sums up the game: "It was the fastest team I've probably ever seen," Brennan said.
1/1/08 Rose Bowl
PLAY: Southern California vs. Illinois (+13.5)
RESULT: Southern California 49 - Illinois 17 (LOSS)
COMMENT: So much for my "hunch" play of the 2007-08 bowl season. Illinois was exposed as being very one-dimensional on offense and their defense couldn't contain a Trojans offense that tied a Rose Bowl record with 49 points and set a record with 633 yards of total offense. The Illini did offer a glimer of hope in the 3rd quarter when they cut the lead to 21-10 and then were driving for more. However, a turnover - one of four on the day - ended that threat and USC quickly pulled away.
1/1/08 Gator Bowl
PLAY: Virginia vs. Texas Tech (-6)
RESULT: Texas Tech 31 - Virginia 28 (LOSS)
COMMENT: Virginia held the vaunted Texas Tech defense in check for most of the game and led 28-14 in the 4th quarter. However, the Cavs were undone by an injury to their starting QB and a turnover inside their own 10 yard line. You simply can't give the Red Raiders that many chances.
1/1/08 Capitol One Bowl
PLAY: Florida (-10.5) vs. Michigan
RESULT: Michigan 41 - Florida 35 (LOSS)
COMMENT: Well, it took the entire season but Michigan finally showed the team that had them ranked in the top 5 before the year started. QB Chad Henne threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns while RB Mike Hart ran for 129 yards and two scores. Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow tried to keep his team in it but the bottom line is the Gators were very weak on defense today.
1/1/08 Cotton Bowl
PLAY: Arkansas vs. Missouri (-3)
RESULT: Missouri 38 - Arkansas 7 (WON)
COMMENT: One of my strongest plays of the bowl season, Missouri made a statement to the BCS that they should have been playing in one of their games. I'm not sure what was more impressive, holding Darren McFadden and the dangerous Arkansas offense to just seven points or the fact that the Tigers used a running game - not passing attack - to down the Razorbacks. Mizzou RB Tony Temple broke all kinds of Cotton Bowl records with 281 yards and four touchdowns.
1/1/08 Outback Bowl
PLAY: Wisconsin vs. Tennessee (-2.5)
RESULT: Tennessee 21 - Wisconsin 17 (WON)
COMMENT: The Vols were held scoreless in the second half but thankfully their 21 points from the first half were enough for the win and the cover. With just under six minutes to go Wisconsin had marched down to the Tennessee 10 but decided to go for it on 4th down instead of kicking a field goal to cut the lead to 21-20. Tyler Donovan passed incomplete and the rest is history. It was a fortunate winner.
12/31/07 Chick-fil-A Bowl
PLAY: Clemson vs. Auburn - UNDER 47
RESULT: Auburn 23 - Clemson 20 (WON)
COMMENT: The was an EASY under all game long...except for one problem. It went to overtime tied at 17. Don't you just hate that? I mean really, it was 7-3 Clemson at the half and here I had to pray for a win because it went to stinking OT. Anyhow, at least this story has a happy ending as the first ever OT in Peach Bowl history - that's right, I'm ignoring the corporate sponsor - ended when Auburn freshman QB Kodi Burns raced into the endzone for the win.
12/31/07 Insight Bowl
PLAY: Oklahoma State (-4) vs. Indiana
RESULT: Oklahoma State 49 - Indiana 33 (WON)
COMMENT: The Cowboys left little doubt as to what was the best unit in this game. The 8th ranked Oklahoma State offense dominated this game, particulary in the first half when they built a 35-10 lead. Zac Robinson threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more and Dantrell Savage ran for 100 yards and a touchdown as the Cowboys matched their season-high point total.
12/31/07 Music City Bowl
PLAY: Florida State vs. Kentucky (-1.5)
RESULT: Kentucky 35 - Florida State 28 (WON)
COMMENT: In the end, the suspensions for Florida State, particulary on the defensive side of the ball, were just too much for the Seminoles to overcome. Of course, you have to give Kentucky QB Andre Woodson credit, he did throw four touchdowns and who knows? He might have won this game with FSU at full strength. Kentucky now has back-to-back seasons with bowl wins for the first time since 1951-52.
12/31/07 Humanitarian Bowl
PLAY: Fresno State vs. Georgia Tech (-6)
RESULT: Fresno State 40 - Georgia Tech 28 (LOSS)
COMMENT: So much for that Georgia Tech defense, which came into this game ranked 11th in the nation in total defense. Fresno State RB Clifton Smith ran for 152 and two touchdowns, making it look easy against the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech will have to hope that new coach Paul Johnson can get this offense back in shape.
12/31/07 Sun Bowl
PLAY: Oregon vs. South Florida (-6.5)
RESULT: Oregon 56 - South Florida 21 (LOSS)
COMMENT: I'll be honest, I absolutely didn't see this coming. With how pitiful Oregon had looked without QB Dennis Dixon, I figured South Florida would be the team running up the score. But give the Ducks credit - more specifically, give Jonathan Stewart and Justin Roper credit. Stewart ran for a career-high 253 yards while Roper, a redshirt freshman QB, threw four touchdown passes in his first start.
12/31/07 Armed Forces Bowl
PLAY: California vs. Air Force (+3.5)
RESULT: California 42 - Air Force 36 (LOSS)
COMMENT: When Air Force raced out to a 21-0 lead I thought this game was going to be an easy winner. However, unfortunately Cal didn't give up and a smart QB change by coach Jeff Tedford definitely sparked the Golden Bears on offense. Certainly didn't help the Falcons in the 2nd half when their senior QB Shaun Carney left the game with a bad knee injury.
12/30/07 Independence Bowl
PLAY: Alabama vs. Colorado - UNDER 51.5
RESULT: Alabama 30 - Colorado 24 (LOSS)
COMMENT: This game was like a mirror image for Alabama's season. The Crimson Tide had averaged 35 points in its first nine games, but only 12 points per game in the last three. As I said in my writeup, a good deal of my UNDER play was based on those last three games for Alabama. Unfortunately, in the first half of this bowl game the Tide played like they had in the first half of the season, posting 27 points. Colorado was getting shut out until two late touchdowns in the first half. With the score 27-14 I figured this play was dead and it was. However, considering both teams combined for just 13 points in the second half, I feel the prediction wasn't too far off.
12/29/07 Alamo Bowl
PLAY: Penn State (-5.5) vs. Texas A&M
RESULT: Penn State 24 - Texas A&M 17 (WON)
COMMENT: After falling behind 14-0 midway through the first quarter, Penn State put the clamps on the Aggies offense and started to put together some drives of their own. My remote was working overtime as I was also trying to follow the Patriots/Giants game. I predicted a final of 24-16 Penn State so I wasn't off by much. A perfect 6-0 over the past two days is some good mojo as we approach New Years.
12/29/07 Liberty Bowl
PLAY: Central Florida vs. Mississippi State (+3)
RESULT: Mississippi State 10 - Central Florida 3 (WON)
COMMENT: I've heard that baseball purists love a 1-0 game. If that's the case then college football purists would have loved the Liberty Bowl. While Mississippi State didn't shut down UCF's all-world RB Kevin Smith, they did hold him under his 188 ypg average. Smith finished with "just" 119 yards. The Golden Knights were done in by turnovers, specifically three interceptions by QB Kyle Israel the last of which set up the winning score late in the 4th quarter. How offensively challenged was this game? Consider that both team's QBs combined for 18 of 42 for 131 yards and four interceptions. If that's not ugly I don't know what is. Still, a win is a win and that makes five in a row.
12/29/07 Meineke Car Care Bowl
PLAY: Wake Forest vs. Connecticut - UNDER 48
RESULT: Wake Forest 24 - Connecticut 10 (WON)
COMMENT: As predicted, this was a defensive slugfest throughout. UConn took a 10-0 lead at the half, thanks largely in part to a punt return for a touchdown. In the second half however, the Demon Deacons woke up on offense and put together some nice drives to seal the win. The under was a solid call all game long. Four in row now...hoping for five with Mississippi State +3 in 30 minutes.
12/28/07 Emerald Bowl
PLAY: Maryland vs. Oregon State - UNDER 48.5
RESULT: Oregon State 21 - Maryland 14 (WON)
COMMENT: When both teams traded touchdowns to start the game, I had a sinking feeling. Didn't feel much better when Oregon State scored with :16 seconds left to tie the game at 14 going into the half. However, the running games took over in the second half which slowed this game down quite a bit while the occassional turnover never hurt.
12/28/07 Texas Bowl
PLAY: Texas Christian (-3.5) vs. Houston
RESULT: Texas Christian 20 - Houston 13 (WON)
COMMENT: The Horned Frogs were down 7-0 early but rallied to tie the game at 10 going into the half. In the second half the TCU defense took over while getting just enough offense for the win...and the cover.
12/28/07 Holiday Bowl
PLAY: Michigan State (+3.5) vs. Boston College
RESULT: Boston College 24 - Michigan State 21 (WON)
COMMENT: Despite five turnovers, the Spartans were able to hang around and get a late backdoor cover against the Eagles. If QB Brian Hoyer hadn't been so generous to BC - he accounted for all five turnovers -- four interceptions and a fumble -- the Spartans very easily could have won this game outright.
12/27/07 Holiday Bowl
PLAY: Arizona State (+2.5) vs. Texas
RESULT: Texas 52 - Arizona State 34 (LOSS)
COMMENT: Despite being down 21-0 at the end of the 1st quarter, Arizona State actually had a number of chances to get back into this game. However, each time the Sun Devils failed to convert. That tells me Texas was the better team no matter what and thus this was a bad call. Speaking of the 1st quarter, we're now through one quarter of the bowl games and after starting strong, my record has now dropped back to 4-4. If I'm going to get to my goal of 20 wins out of 32 games I need to turn it up. Let's hope these next eight games prove to be a launching pad.
12/26/07 Motor City Bowl
PLAY: Central Michigan vs. Purdue (-9)
RESULT: Purdue 51 - Central Michigan 48 (LOSS)
COMMENT: When the Boilermakers went into the half up 21 I thought this game was wrapped up. But Central Michigan outscored Purdue 28-7 in the 3rd quarter to get back in it. In hindsight, the easy call here would have been the over on a total of 71.
12/23/07 Hawaii Bowl
PLAY: East Carolina (10.5) vs. Boise State
RESULT: East Carolina 41 - Boise State 38 (WON)
COMMENT: As I noted in my analysis of this game, the Pirates offense has been clicking in the 2nd half of the season and that caused big problems for Boise State. This game wasn't really as close as the final score and made for an easy winner. Too bad I didn't play this on the money line.
12/22/07 Las Vegas Bowl
PLAY: UCLA vs. BYU (-6.5)
RESULT: BYU 17 - UCLA 16 (LOSS)
COMMENT: Didn't see this result coming. The BYU offense was held largely in check by a very inspired UCLA defense - I wonder where that effort was during the regular season when the Bruins lost to teams like Notre Dame and Washington State? UCLA actually should have won the game but BYU's Eathyn Manumaleuna blocked Kai Forbath's field goal attempt as time expired.
12/22/07 New Mexico Bowl
PLAY: Nevada vs. New Mexico (-3.0)
RESULT: New Mexico 23 - Nevada 0 (WON)
COMMENT: The score really says to all. The Lobos dominated from start to finish in front of the home crowd and the vaunted Wolfpack offense could never get in gear. They don't get much easier than this.
12/22/07 PapaJohns.com Bowl
PLAY: Southern Mississippi vs. Cincinnati (-11.0)
RESULT: Cincinnati 31 - Southern Mississippi 21 (LOSS)
COMMENT: After falling behind 7-0, Cincinnati took control of the game and led 31-14 at the end of the 3rd quarter. Unfortunately, Southern Miss scored a 4th quarter TD and when Bearcats QB Ben Mauk was intercepted in the Golden Eagles endzone with five minutes to go, all chances for Cincy to cover were lost. A tough first loss of the bowl season.
12/21/07 New Orleans Bowl
PLAY: FAU (-2.5) vs. Memphis
RESULT: FAU 44 - Memphis 27 (WON)
COMMENT: FAU sophomore QB Rusty Smith threw for 336 yards and a New Orleans Bowl record five touchdowns to lead the Owls to an easy win and cover over Memphis. Two in a row to start the bowl season is a nice way to begin. This FAU team only has one senior starter and is definitely one to watch for the 2008 season.
12/20/07 Poinsettia Bowl
PLAY: Navy (8.5) vs. Utah
RESULT: Utah 35 - Navy 32 (WON)
COMMENT: Navy led or was close for almost the entire game but when Utah scored with under two minutes left to go up 10, it looked like my first play of the bowl season was sunk. But in a scene you almost never see out of the Navy offense, QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada threw the Middies down the field in just 23 seconds to give me a winner.
FULL STORY
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