12/28/2007
Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
It’s that time of year again – the college bowl season. Actually, it’s that time of year again – the time when most college football fans are clamoring for a playoff system. No matter, we’ve still got game and a couple of real exciting matchups, too. LSU and Ohio State is the marquee showdown and it certainly will be fun to watch Tiger defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey take on the Buckeyes’ offensive line and running back Beanie Wells. However, don’t overlook a potentially fantastic matchup when Kansas’ high-powered offense takes on Virginia Tech’s athletic defense in the Orange Bowl. Also, the most exciting matchup might be Hawaii vs. Georgia in Sugar Bowl, as both teams feel snubbed by the BCS voting process and will no doubt play like they’ve got something to prove. Find previews of all five BCS bowl games below, including a look at potential NFL stars, a breakdown of the X’s and O’s, and our final predictions.
Rose Bowl: Illinois vs. USC
Date: January 1, 2008, 4:30 p.m. ABC
Why tune in: New blood. The Illini haven’t appeared in a bowl game since they beat Virginia 63-21 in 1999’s Micronpc.com Bowl. Illinois also offers some exciting players in quarterback Juice Williams, running back Rashard Mendenhall and linebacker J. Lehman. As usual, USC has some of the best individual talent in college football.
Future first-rounders: Arguably the best prospect this game has to offer is USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who is disruptive and can rush the passer. Even though he’s a bit undersized, linebacker Keith Rivers is also considered a potential first-round prospect as is offensive tackle Sam Baker. As for Illinois, Lehman may get a look in the bottom of the first round due to his tenacity and high-energy, but more likely will be a second- or third-rounder.
X’s and O’s: The Illini are going to have to lean on their offense because they’re probably going to have issues defending all of USC’s weapons. When Oregon beat USC earlier this season, they had success with quarterback Dennis Dixon running the spread option. Illinois should put together a similar game plan, although getting away from running Mendenhall on the edges would be a mistake. Offensively for the Trojans, being aggressive and constantly attacking the Illini defense would be wise. USC’s offensive line is now healthy and should be able to handily control Illinois’ front seven. Quarterback John David Booty should also have opportunities to attack the middle of the field, which would open up running lanes for freshman running back Joe McKnight.
Prediction: The Illini pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the year when they knocked off Ohio State in Columbus. However, beating USC in a bowl game on a national stage is a different animal. As long as they don’t overlook what Illinois brings to the table offensively, USC has too much talent to lose this game. Head coach Pete Carroll will have his team ready to play and as much as I like the Illini feel-good story, the Trojans should roll. USC 44, Illinois 17.
Sugar Bowl: Hawaii vs. Georgia
Date: January 1, 2008, 8:30 p.m. FOX
Why tune in: Outside of the national championship, this game might be the most exciting matchup of all the bowls. Both teams feel that they were overlooked in the national championship picture and both will play with a chip on their shoulder. Motivation won’t be an issue for either team.
Future first-rounders: Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan is the marquee name in this game, but due to the offensive system he plays in, it wouldn’t be a total shock if he slipped past the first round. Outside of Brennan, there aren’t any first-round prospects in this game, but that’s due more to the youth on Georgia than their talent level.
X’s and O’s: Hawaii shouldn’t hide from who they are and what they do best: a team based on throwing the ball. The Bulldogs are susceptible to giving up the big play and can be had through the air. Head coach June Jones should spread the defense out, run deep crossing routes and allow Brennan to attack Georgia’s safeties. It might also be beneficial to not only run deeper routes, but also mix in play action to suck the linebackers up. That might open up the middle of the field, but Brennan needs to get the ball out of his hands quickly or else UGA’s pass rushers will feast. It would be a shame if the Warriors weren’t aggressive through the air and tested the Dawg’s secondary. With that said, Georgia certainly has the offensive weapons to keep up if Hawaii does put points on the board early. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno are excellent playmakers and might give the Warriors’ front seven issues. The Dawgs have a solid running game and if they can control the tempo while keeping Hawaii’s offense off the field, they’re going to win. With exception to maybe Boise State, the Warriors haven’t faced an offense like UGA’s all season. The Dawgs need to pound the ball on the ground, dominate up front and take what Hawaii’s defense gives them in the passing game. Yes, that seems obvious, but Georgia is at its best when they keep things simple.
Prediction: Georgia is hot, confident and arguably the better team. However, if Boise State taught us anything last year, it’s that WAC teams with something to prove aren’t pushovers. Hawaii has a unique offense and an outstanding quarterback to run it. As long as Brennan doesn’t suffer an injury and the Warriors play up to Georgia’s physical style, they certainly have the weapons to pull off a win. My upset special of the bowl season: Hawaii 34, Georgia 33.
Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia vs. Oklahoma
Date: January 2, 2008, 8 p.m. FOX
Why tune in: Nobody wants to say it, but Oklahoma might be the best team in the country. If it weren’t for an early season slip up against Colorado and Sam Bradford being knocked out of a loss to Texas Tech, the Sooners would be playing for a national title. As for West Virginia, they offer two of the more explosive players in the nation in quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton.
Future first-rounders: Assuming he comes out early, OU wide receiver Malcolm Kelly has a shot to be drafted in the 20-top. While he doesn’t have the speed to be a breakaway threat, he certainly has outstanding ball skills and has proven that he can be a playmaker. White could come out early, but he would really benefit from staying another year and not going against more polished quarterbacks like Boston College’s Matt Ryan, Louisville’s Brian Brohm, Kentucky’s Andre Woodson and Hawaii’s Colt Brennan.
X’s and O’s: The best thing WVU can do is give the ball to Slaton and take the pressure off White. If White has to win this game on his own, the Sooners are going to feast because they’ll stuff the box and force the Mountaineers to throw, which isn’t their specialty. White is a fantastic athlete, but running the spread option and QB-draw against Big East opponents is a little different than running them against Big 12 defenses. Obviously, the Mountaineers to completely changing their offensive philosophy at this point (especially after losing their head coach) would be a huge risk. With that said, they’re going to have to try and spread Oklahoma’s defense out as much as possible and let White and Slaton do their thing. Maybe they can bust off a couple of long runs and keep OU’s dynamic offense off the field. While WVU has one of the more underrated defenses in the country, they also haven’t faced a team as balanced and with as many weapons as OU offers. Bradford is an outstanding game-manager and gets a ton of help from running backs Allen Patrick and Chris Brown, as well as receivers Kelly and Juaquin Igesias. The Sooners need to run right behind 6-8, 352-pound man-child Philip Loadholt and make the Mountaineers commit to the run. If they can get WVU to load the box in an effort to stop the run, OU can strike deep using play action. There’s no need to get cute – just hammer the ball on the ground and attack the deep zones that should open up once Patrick and Brown find running room.
Prediction: Let’s see, last time we saw West Virginia, they blew a chance to play for a national championship by losing to unranked Pittsburgh and since then, lost their head coach when Rich Rodriguez jetted to Michigan. Now they get to play Oklahoma? I’m always up for a Cinderella knocking off a powerhouse and watching White and Slaton is exciting, but the Sooners are just too powerful. Can the Mountaineers defense stop Bradford, Kelly, Brown and Patrick? Probably not. Oklahoma 55, West Virginia 10.
Orange Bowl: Kansas vs. Virginia Tech
Date: January 3, 2008, 8 p.m. FOX
Why tune in: Kansas has the second-best scoring offense in the nation while VA Tech has the second-best scoring defense. The Jayhawks can score and the Hokies don’t give up points, so something has to give.
Future first-rounders: For those who have never seen Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib play, you’re in for a treat. Talib is an outstanding playmaker and one of the best ball hawks in college football. Virginia Tech linebacker Vince Hall will get some consideration late in round one, but most likely will slip into the second or third. Victor “Macho” Harris won’t be coming out this year, but he’s a future first-round pick in the making.
X’s and O’s: Virginia Tech’s defense will provide a challenge the likes Kansas has not seen this season. The Hokies are fast and aggressive, and they boast one of the most athletic defensive backfields in the nation. For the Jayhawks to have success offensively, they’re going to have to find favorable matchups, which is easier said than done. Harris and fellow cornerback Brandon Flowers can play receivers Marcus Henry and Dexton Fields in man-to-man coverage. However, if Kansas can get Henry and Fields in motion and get the ball in their hands quickly, they might be able to find a rhythm and get the Hokies on their heels. As for VA Tech, the Jayhawks have an underrated defense, but the Big 12 doesn’t boast many offensive powerhouses so the Hokies should have some success moving the ball. They now seem to be in a comfortable grove by using a two-quarterback system in Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor. However, this team needs to get a better rushing effort from Brandon Ore, who only had one 100-yard rushing game this season. If Ore finds running lanes early in the game, that would take pressure off Glennon and Taylor to make plays, and Tech could place the game solely in the hands of their defense.
Prediction: The reality of this game is that it offers more pizzazz on paper than it probably will on the field. Virginia Tech is clearly the better team and as long as the offense continues to run smoothly under both Glennon and Taylor, they should have no problem disposing of KU. However, the Jayhawks do have a ton of offensive firepower and they may surprise. I’m not feeling an upset, though. Virginia Tech 23, Kansas 17.
BCS Championship Game: LSU vs. Ohio State
Date: January 7, 2008, 8 p.m. FOX
Why tune in: Well, besides the fact that a mythical national champion will be crowned, this is actually a very good matchup. The Buckeyes have the top-ranked defense in the nation while the Tigers rank third overall. Perhaps the best matchup will be OSU’s third-best run defense against LSU’s 14th-ranked rushing attack.
Future first-rounders: LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey is easily a top-five draft pick and might be the best player in all of college football. Dorsey is so good that teams try to double and even triple-team him and he still makes plays. Wide receiver Early Doucet has been nagged by injuries, but he’s got enough talent for a team to take a shot on him late in the first round. For Ohio State, defenders Vernon Gholston, James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins (if he comes out) are all intriguing prospects. Gholston has outstanding physical attributes, while Laurinaitis is a throwback-type linebacker who plays sideline to sideline, and Kelly is solid if not spectacular in coverage.
X’s and O’s: OSU should look to get tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells involved early to try and establish field position. In last year’s championship game, head coach Jim Tressel tried to spread Florida’s defense out and the Gators wound up getting major pressure on quarterback Troy Smith. It probably wouldn’t be wise for Tressel to use the same approach, considering LSU has the third-best pass defense in the country. Run Wells early and often, take your shots downfield off play action, and put the game in the hands of your defense. Offensively for the Tigers, quarterback Matt Flynn, who didn’t start the SEC Championship Game due to injury, should start. However, mixing in backup Ryan Perrilloux might be beneficial since OSU had issues defending scrambling quarterback Juice Williams in their lone loss to Illinois earlier in the season. If head coach Les Miles can come up with a creative game plan, the Tigers might catch the Buckeyes off balance and strike for big plays. However, no matter what LSU’s approach will be on offense, they’ll have to be physical because OSU has one of the toughest front sevens in the nation.
Prediction: Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Last year I thought Tressel’s spread offense and play calling would mean big things for the Buckeyes. However, while OSU is a solid team and deserves to play for another title, LSU’s speed on defense might be too much to overcome. The Buckeyes should put forth a better effort than last year and their defense will keep them in the ball game, but in the end I think Dorsey will give OSU’s offensive line issues and therefore, LSU will control Wells and win the game. LSU 20, Ohio State 13.