College Football Extra – Touchdown Tom’s Bowl Game Preview
It’s the most wonderful time of the year;
It’s the hap-happiest season of all

There’ll be parties for hosting
Victories for toasting
And fight songs out in the snow
There’ll be scary Hail Mary’s
And tales of the glories of
Bowl games long, long ago


2013 Bowl Game Preview

Get your favorite snacks, pull up your comfy chair, kick off your shoes and settle in to watch some football.  Thirty-five bowl games will be played over a 17-day stretch from December 21 to January 6.  College football’s season-ending extravaganza begins in the southwest with the New Mexico Bowl and ends in California with the BCS Championship Bowl. 

We have the same 35 bowls as last season, however, two bowls have changed their names and one moved to a new location.  The Meineke Car Care Bowl in Houston is now the Texas Bowl, which is what it was originally called before it was the Meineke Car Care Bowl.  The Independence Bowl in Shreveport is now the AdvoCare Bowl.
And the Military Bowl has moved 32 miles east from RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington, DC, to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

New Year’s Day remains the busiest day.  Six bowl games will be played on January 1.  The busiest period is a five-day stretch from December 28 to January 1 when 18 of the 35 bowls will be played.  That could be intoxicating.

The 2013 bowl season premieres on December 21 with no less than four games.  The first of the four is the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque between Colorado State (7-6) of the MWC and Washington State (6-6) from the Pac-12.  Colorado State got off to a rough start in 2013.  Six games into the season, the Rams were 2-4.  But they finished strong, going 5-2 in their final seven games.  CSU is strong on offense, averaging 35.3 points per game (29th in the country).  The Rams average 202.7 yards rushing and 258.5 yards passing-per-game.  Junior quarterback Garrett Grayson (3,327 yards passing) became an exciting player during the season for CSU.  The Rams are coached by Jim McElwain in his second season with CSU.  Meanwhile, in his second season in Pullman, Mike Leach has Washington State in a bowl game.  The Cougars began the season at 3-1, including a 10-7 win over USC and a close 31-24 loss at Auburn.  Then they lost four of their next five games.  Wazzu finished strong at 2-1, which included at 24-17 win over Arizona in Tucson.  The Cougars were fourth in the country in passing, averaging 364.5 yards per game.  But they were 92nd in points against, giving up 31.3 points a game.  Wazzu is led by junior quarterback Connor Halliday (4,187 yards passing).  If you like games with lots of offense, this one should satisfy.

Next up is the Las Vegas Bowl, pitting Fresno State (11-1) from the MWC against USC (9-4) of the Pac-12.  Under first-year coach Tim DeRuyter, Fresno State was sitting at 10-0 and positioned to play in a BCS bowl.  But in the Bulldogs final game of the season, they lost to San Jose State in a shootout, 62-52.  They went on to win the MWC, beating Utah State in the conference championship game.  The Bulldogs are first in the country in passing, averaging 409.8 yards-per-game.  They are fifth in scoring, averaging 45.3 points a game.  But Fresno State is giving up 29.1 points a game.  The Bulldogs are led by their star quarterback senior Derek Carr (4,866 yards passing).  Carr was considered to be a finalist for the Heisman, until the Bulldogs lost to San Jose State.  Then there is USC who will play the bowl game under its third coach this season.  Lane Kiffin was fired after the fifth game when the Trojans were 3-2.  Ed Orgeron then coached USC under an interim basis to a 6-2 record, including a big win over Stanford, 20-17.  But Orgeron abruptly quit when Washington’s Steve Sarkisian was named the new coach at USC.  Offensive coordinator Clay Helton, who is a strong candidate for the OC job at Florida, will coach the Trojans in the bowl game.  USC has a good defense, holding opponents to 21.3 points a game.  But how will the Trojans play under their third coach this season?

The third game on December 21 is the Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise between Buffalo (8-4) of the MAC and San Diego State (7-5) from the MWC.  After starting the season 0-2, Buffalo finished the season 8-2 – not bad.  This was Jeff Quinn’s fourth year coaching the Bulls and after three rough seasons, his progress and rebuilding paid off this year.  Buffalo has a respectable defense – only giving up 22.3 points per game.  The Bulls have a decent quarterback in sophomore Joe Licata (2,628 yards passing) and a powerful running back in senior Branden Oliver (1,421 yards rushing).  Third-year coach Rocky Long has maintained a stable and solid program at San Diego State that Brady Hoke started before he left for Michigan.  Seven games into the season, the Aztecs were 3-4.  But they finished strong at 4-1, including good wins over San Jose State (34-30) and Boise State (34-31 OT).  On the down side, San Diego State is giving up 32.3 points a game.  The Aztecs offensive threat is junior running back Adam Muema (1015 yards rushing).  The weather in Boise may be more suitable to the players from Buffalo.                   

The final game on the opening day of bowl season is the New Orleans Bowl, matching Tulane (7-5) from C-USA against Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) of the Sun Belt.  Tulane finds itself in a bowl game in Curtis Johnson’s second season coaching the Green Wave.  That’s a lot better than recent Tulane coaches have done.  The Green Wave are quarterbacked by junior Nick Montana, the son of Joe Montana.  Tulane was 6-2 after eight games, but the Green Wave lost three of their last four games.  Their best win was over East Carolina (36-33 OT).  Tulane’s had a weak offense, but its defense held opponents to 21.2 points a game – 19th best in the country.  Louisiana-Lafayette had a rough start and a rough finish to the season.  But in between, ULL was very good.  The Rajin’ Cajuns lost their first two games, won eight-straight games and then lost their last two games.  Under third-year coach Mark Hudspeth, this is ULL’s third-straight appearance in the New Orleans Bowl.  The Cajuns beat San Diego State (2011) and East Carolina (2012).  On offense, ULL is averaging 34.6 points a game.  The Cajuns have an exciting quarterback in junior Terrance Broadway (2,276 yards passing).  With a home-town team and a team from only two hours away, playing in an indoor stadium, the attendance should be excellent at the New Orleans Bowl.               

Two days later – December 23 – is the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg, Florida, between Ohio (7-5) from the MAC and East Carolina (9-3) of C-USA.  In nine seasons coaching Ohio, former Nebraska coach Frank Solich has the Bobcats in their fifth-straight bowl and sixth overall.  Eight games into the season, Ohio was 6-2.  But the Bobcats lost three of their last four games.  Their best win was over Marshall (34-31).  Ohio is led by senior quarterback Tyler Tettleton (2,623 yards passing).  The Bobcats were weak in rushing, averaging only 136.3 yards per game.  Coached by Ruffin McNeill, in his fourth season, East Carolina was 10th in the country in passing (331.5 yards per game) and 11th in the country in scoring (40.4 points a game).  But the Pirates were terrible in rushing – 128.3 yards per game.  The Pirates are led by an outstanding quarterback in junior Shane Carden (3,866 yards passing).  ECU’s best win was over North Carolina (55-31).  Look for a lot of passing and not much rushing in this bowl.         

Christmas Eve, Oregon State (6-6) of the Pac-12 plays Boise State (8-4) from the MWC in the Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu.  After a season-opening loss to Eastern Michigan, the Beavers won six-straight games.  Junior quarterback Sean Mannion (4,403 yards passing) was a Heisman contender.  Then bedlam set in.  Oregon State lost its last five games – the final game a one-point, heartbreaking loss to arch rival Oregon.  For a contrast, the Beavers were third in the country in passing (382.1 yards per game), but 118th in rushing (86.0 yards per game).  Scoring, Oregon State averages 34.5 points a game.  The Beavers are coached by Mike Riley, in his 13th season in Corvallis.  This wasn’t one of Boise State’s better seasons.  And to make matters worse, head coach Chris Petersen left the program after eight seasons to become the coach at Washington.  The Broncos were 17th in the country in scoring – averaging 38.8 points a game.  They are led by sophomore running back Jay Ajayi (1,328 yards rushing).  This game has the makings for a high-scoring, shootout affair.    

Two games are on tap for December 26.  First up is the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit, matching Bowling Green (10-3) from the MAC against Pitt (6-6) of the ACC.  Bowling Green was the champions of the MAC, beating Northern Illinois, 47-27, in the title game.  In addition to NIU, the Falcons’ best wins were over Ohio (49-0) and Buffalo (24-7).  BG comes into the bowl on a five-game winning streak.  The Falcons were fifth in the country in defensive scoring, giving up only 14.8 points a game.  They were 28th in scoring, averaging 35.4 points a game.  BG is well-balanced – passing and rushing.  The Falcons will be playing under an interim coach, as head coach Dave Clawson left to take the job at Wake Forest.  Pitt, under second-year coach Paul Chryst, had an up-and-down season.  The Panthers best wins were over Duke (58-55) and Notre Dame (28-21).  Pitt was one of the worst teams in the country in rushing – 114.9 yards per game.  The Panthers are led by senior quarterback Tom Savage (2,834 yards passing).  Detroit in late December – it’s a good thing the game is played indoors.

The second game on December 26 is the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, pitting Northern Illinois (12-1) of the MAC against Utah State (8-5) from the MWC.  Both teams were runner-ups in their respective conferences.  NIU was headed for its second-straight BCS bowl until the Huskies lost to Bowling Green in the MAC title game.  Under first-year coach Rod Carey, NIU picked up where it left off under Dave Doeren.  The Huskies finished their regular season undefeated, with good wins over Iowa (30-27), Ball State (48-27) and Toledo (35-17).  They are led by senior quarterback and Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch (2,676 yards passing; 1,881 yards rushing).  NIU is fifth in the country in rushing yards (312.5 yards per game), and ninth in scoring (41.6 points per game).  After a shaky 3-4 start, Utah State finished strong, going 5-1 in its final six games.  Under first-year coach Matt Wells, the Aggies best wins were over San Jose State (40-12), UNLV (28-24) and Colorado State (13-0).  Utah State was seventh in the country in points against, holding its opponents to 17.3 points a game.  NIU will be a challenge for Utah State’s defense. 

Three games brighten the day on December 27.  First among the trio is the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, between Marshall (9-4) from C-USA and Maryland (7-5) of the ACC.  Marshall had a so-so start.  The Herd was 2-2 after four games and 4-3 after seven games.  Then they went 5-1 in their final six games.  Marshall’s best wins were over UTSA (34-10), Florida Atlantic (24-23) and East Carolina (59-28).  The Herd is led by an exciting quarterback, junior Rakeem Cato (3,579 passing yards).  Marshall was 21st in the country in passing yards (291.2 yards per game) and 22nd in rushing yards (211.2 per game).  The Herd averaged scoring 43.0 points a game – seventh best on the country.  Marshall is coached by Doc Holliday, in his fourth season.  Maryland began the season hot, winning five of its first six games.  Then the Terps only won two of their final six games.  The Terps best win was over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg (27-24 OT).  Third-year coach Randy Edsall entered the season on the hot seat but apparently has survived.  Marshall should have all the incentive in this game.

Next is the Texas Bowl in Houston, matching Minnesota (8-4) of the Big Ten and Syracuse (6-6) from the ACC.  Minnesota was one of the surprise teams of 2013, finishing better than anyone imagined.  The Gophers were a team of streaks, winning four, losing two, winning four and losing two.  Their best wins were over San Jose State (43-24), Penn State (24-10) and Nebraska (34-23).  Minnesota is coached by third-year coach Jerry Kill, who is an amazing story in his own right.  Like Minnesota, Syracuse was a surprise in 2013 too.  The Orange finished tied for third in the Atlantic Division of the ACC, after being forecast to finish at or near the bottom of the division.  Under first-year coach Scott Shafer, Syracuse’s best wins were over Tulane (52-17), Maryland (20-3) and Boston College (34-31).  Which team will surprise in the Texas Bowl?

The final game on December 27 is the Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco between BYU (8-4) an Independent and Washington (8-4) of the Pac-12.  BYU got out of the blocks, going 6-1 in its first seven games.  Then the Cougars finished at 2-2.  BYU had several impressive wins, including victories over Texas (40-21), Middle Tennessee (37-10), Utah State (31-14), Georgia Tech (38-20), Houston (47-46) and Boise State (37-20).  The Cougars have an exciting sophomore quarterback in Taysom Hill (2,645 yards passing; 1,211 yards rushing).  Under ninth-year coach Bronco Mendenhall, BYU was 10th in the country in rushing – 274.6 yards per game.  The Cougars were 23rd in points against, holding their opponents to 21.3 points a game.  Washington won its first four games of the season, lost the next three and then won four of the final five.  The Huskies best wins were over Boise State (38-6), Arizona (31-13), Oregon State at Corvallis (69-27) and Washington State (27-17).  The Huskies have a good quarterback in senior Keith Price (2,843 yards passing), and an excellent running back in junior Bishop Sankey (1,775yards rushing).  Washington was 14th in the country passing (243.1 yards per game) and 30th in rushing (271.3 yards per game).  Scoring, the Huskies average 38.5 points a game – 19th best in the country.  Washington will be coached by an interim coach in the bowl, as Steve Sarkisian has left to become the new coach at USC.

December 28 begins the busy stretch for bowl games.  The first of four bowls on the 28th is the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City, pitting Notre Dame (8-4) an Independent against Rutgers (6-6) of the AAC.  Notre Dame fell off the pedestal, going from the BCS Championship Bowl last season to the Pinstripe Bowl this season.  The Irish got off to a wobbly start, going 3-2.  Then they won four in a row, before losing two of their last three games.  Along the way, there were some good – some very good – wins over Michigan State (17-13), Arizona State (37-34), USC (14-10), Navy (38-34) and BYU (23-13).  Senior quarterback Tommy Rees passed for 2,938 yards.  But overall, the Irish, under fourth-year coach Brian Kelly, weren’t very impressive offensively.  Rutgers on the other hand was one of the more disappointing teams in the country in 2013.  The Scarlet Knights were supposed to be contenders for the AAC crown.  Instead, they ended up contending for the AAC cellar.  Rutgers got off on the right foot, going 4-1 in their first five games.  But then the Knights went 2-5 in their remaining seven games.  There were no good wins.  In his second year, Rutgers coach Kyle Flood fired several of his assistants after the last game.  The Knights were one of the worst teams in the country in rushing (133.7 yards per game), and one of the worst in points against, giving up 29.8 points a game.  The Irish should have a happy time in New York.

Then there’s the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, matching Cincinnati (9-3) from the AAC against North Carolina (6-6) of the ACC.  As the season played out, Cincinnati was one of the most improved teams in the country.  It was a good year for first-year coach Tommy Tuberville.  The Bearcats had a solid quarterback in senior Brendon Kay (3,121 yards passing).  Cincinnati was 15th in the country in passing yards (313.8 yards per game), and 12th in the nation in defensive scoring, holding its opponents to 19.5 points per game.  The Bearcats had a good win over Houston at Houston (24-17).  They suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss in the final game of the season to Louisville.  It’s Cincinnati’s second-straight Belk Bowl.  Last year, the Bearcats beat Duke.  North Carolina was disappointing in 2013.  The Tar Hills fell short of expectations.  They got off to a dismal start, going 1-5 in their first six games.  But they were strong down the stretch, going 5-1 in their final six games.  Under second-year coach Larry Fedora, North Carolina had good wins over Middle Tennessee, Boston College and Pitt.  The Tar Heels finished 23rd in the country in passing with 286.3 yards per game.  This one should be an excellent matchup.

The action moves to Florida for the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando between Miami (9-3) of the ACC and Louisville (11-1) from the AAC.  Miami got the season off to a great start, going 6-0.  Then the Hurricanes dropped three in a row before winning their final two.  The Canes had good wins over Florida Atlantic, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Pitt.  Senior quarterback Stephen Morris passed for 2,868 yards.  Under third-year coach Al Golden, Miami was 25th in the country in offensive scoring – averaging 35.9 points a game.  Louisville quietly went through an 11-1 season.  Hardly anyone noticed the Cardinals’ accomplishments.  Junior quarterback Terry Bridgewater was a hot item at preseason, but hardly mentioned once the season got going.  Yet Bridgewater passed for 3,523 yards.  The Cardinals were 18th in the country in passing (302.9 yards per game).  Even more impressive, Louisville was third in the country in points allowed, giving up only 12.4 points per game.  Under fourth-year coach Charlie Strong, Louisville had good wins over Ohio (49-7), Rutgers (24-10), Houston (20-13) and Cincinnati (31-24 OT).  This game should be an ideal matchup.

The nightcap on December 28 is the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, pitting Kansas State (7-5) from the Big 12 against Michigan (7-5) of the Big Ten.  This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Kansas State and that’s exactly what it was.  The Wildcats got off to a 2-4 start, but finished strong winning five of their last six games.  Junior quarterback Jake Waters passed for 2,198 yards.  Under 22nd-year coach Bill Snyder, the Wildcats had a good win over Texas Tech (49-26).  Michigan was one of 2013’s most disappointing teams.  The Wolverines were hot at the start, winning their first five games.  Then they went downhill, winning only two of their last seven games.  Under third-year coach Brady Hoke, Michigan was one of the worst rushing teams in the country – 130.8 yards per game.  Junior quarterback Devin Gardner passed for 2,960 yards.  The Wolverines had good wins over Notre Dame (41-30) and Minnesota (42-13) – both early in the season.  I’ve never had a Buffalo Wild Wing.  I’ve never been to a Buffalo Wild Wings.  I’ve never seen a Buffalo Wild Wings.  Do they really exist?      

The first of four games on December 30 is the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, pitting Middle Tennessee (8-4) from C-USA against Navy (7-4) an Independent.  Middle Tennessee began the season on an uneven path, losing four of their first seven games.  But the Blue Raiders finished strong, winning their final five games.  The Raiders had good wins over Florida Atlantic (42-35 OT) and Marshall (51-49).  The Raiders were a good rushing team, averaging 208.3 yards per game.  Senior quarterback Logan Kilgore passed for 2,289 yards.  The Blue Raiders are under eighth-year coach Rick Stockstill.  Navy had another good season and still has a game to play against Army on December 14.  The Middies are currently on a three-game winning streak.  Sophomore quarterback Keenan Reynolds is the leading rusher on the team with 1,124 yards and a game remaining.  Under coach Ken Niumatalolo in his sixth season, Navy had good wins over Pitt (24-21) and San Jose State (58-52 3OT).  The Middies are third in the nation in rushing (320.1 yards per game), and they are averaging 34.4 points a game.  Barring an upset, Navy should be 8-4 going into the bowl.

Next is the Music City Bowl in Nashville between Ole Miss (7-5) of the SEC and Georgia Tech (7-5) from the ACC.  Like Rutgers and North Carolina, Ole Miss was another of those disappointing teams in 2013 that failed to meet expectations.  Still, like Rutgers and North Carolina, the Rebels managed to get into a bowl.  Ten games into the season, the Rebels were 7-3, but they lost their last two games.  Ole Miss is led by junior quarterback Bo Wallace (3,090 yards passing).  The Rebels averaged 285.6 passing yards per game.  Under second-year coach Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss had good wins over Vanderbilt (39-35), Texas (44-23) and LSU (27-24).  Georgia Tech was streaky – win three, lose three, win three, etc. etc.  It was an interesting year for the Yellow Jackets.  Tech is a strong rushing team averaging 311.7 yards per game.  The Jackets also averaged scoring 36.6 points a game.  As expected with Tech’s offense, sophomore quarterback Vad Lee led the team in rushing with 1,414 yards.  Under six-year coach Paul Johnson, Tech had good wins over Duke (38-14), North Carolina (28-20), Syracuse (56-0) and Pitt (21-10).  It’s up to Ole Miss’ defense. 

Third on December 30 is the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, with Oregon (10-2) of the Pac-12 going up against Texas (8-4) from the Big 12.  Through most of the season, Oregon was the hot team in the country and sophomore Marcus Mariota was the hot quarterback.  Mariota was a Heisman contender.  The Ducks began the season 8-0, but then went 2-2 in their final four games.  Mariota passed for 3,412 yards.  Oregon was third in the country in offensive scoring (46.8 points a game), ninth in the country in rushing yards (278.3 yards per game) and 20th in the country in passing yards (294.7 yards per game).  That’s not bad.  The Ducks defense also held opponents to 21.6 points a game.  Oregon had good wins over Washington (45-24), Washington State (62-38), UCLA (42-14) and Oregon State (36-35).  The Ducks were under first-year coach Mark Helfrich.  Texas, who may or may not have a new coach after the bowl game, had a strange season.  After embarrassing losses to BYU and Ole Miss early in the season, coach Mack Brown (in his 16th year) fired his defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.  The Longhorns then won six-straight games and were 7-2.  Then they fell back down, losing two of their final three games.  Texas had good wins over Kansas State (31-21), Oklahoma (36-20) and Texas Tech (41-16).  Will this be Mack Brown’s last game coaching Texas?

The final game on December 30 is the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, pitting Arizona State (10-3) from the Pac-12 against Texas Tech (7-5) of the Big 12.  Arizona State was the runner-up in the Pac-12 Conference, losing to Stanford in the title game.  Led by junior quarterback Taylor Kelly (3,510 yards passing), the Sun Devils had an amazing season.  They had good wins over Wisconsin (32-30), USC (62-41), Washington (53-24), Washington State (55-21) Oregon State (30-17), UCLA (38-33) and Arizona (58-21).  That’s an impressive list.  The Devils, under second-year coach Todd Graham, were 10th in the country in scoring – 41.0 points a game.  Talk about a strange season, Texas Tech proceeded to win its first seven games, then lose its final five games.  But when you go back and look at it.  The Red Raiders really didn’t beat anybody in those first seven games.  The five best teams on their schedule were the last five teams on their schedule.  Tech bounced around between two quarterbacks freshman Davis Webb (2,315 yards passing) and freshman walk-on Baker Mayfield (2,315 yards passing).  Now Mayfield says he is transferring out.  Under first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury, supposedly the hottest looking coach in college football, Tech was second in the country in passing yards (392.0 yards per game).  But the Raiders were one of the worst teams in rushing (121.3 yards a game) and points against (31.2 points a game).  If Texas Tech beats Arizona State, it will be the Red Raiders first good win this season. 

There are four games to close out the year with on New Year’s Eve.  First among the four is the AdvoCare Bowl in Shreveport, matching Arizona (7-5) from the Pac-12 against Boston College (7-5) of the ACC.  Arizona had a streaky season – win three, lose two, win three, lose two, etc.  Under second-year coach Rich Rodriguez, the Wildcats best wins were over UNLV (58-13), Texas-San Antonio (38-13) and Oregon (42-16).  The Oregon win was a biggie.  The Wildcats have one of the best running backs in the country in junior Ka’Deem Carey (1,716 yards rushing).  Arizona was 11th in rushing yardage – 265.8 yards per game.  The Wildcats were one of the worst in the country in passing.  Boston College was another one of those surprise teams in 2013 – exceeding expectations.  A big hand in exceeding those expectations was senior running back Andre Williams (2,102 yards rushing).  Under first-year coach Steve Addazio, BC had good wins over Virginia Tech (34-27) and Maryland (29-26).  The Eagles are similar to Arizona in that they were strong in running – 218.1 yards per game rushing (20th best in the country), but one of the country’s worst passing teams.  If you like ground attacks, this should be a good game.  But don’t expect much passing.

Up next on December 31 is the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, between Virginia Tech (8-4) of the ACC and UCLA (9-3) from the Pac-12.  Seven games into the season, Virginia Tech was 6-1.  In their final five games, the Hokies were only 2-3.  Tech finished the season 110th in the country in rushing (117.8 yards per game).  But the Hokies defense was strong, holding opponents to 17.4 points per game – eighth best in the country.  Tech was led by senior quarterback Logan Thomas (2,861 yards passing).  The Hokies best wins were over East Carolina (15-10), Marshall (29-21 3OT), Georgia Tech (17-10), North Carolina (27-17), Pitt (19-9) and Miami (42-24).  The veteran Frank Beamer is in his 27th year coaching the Hokies.  UCLA began the season 5-0, then settled down, finishing 4-3 in its final seven games.  The Bruins were led by sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley (2,845 yards passing).  UCLA averaged 36.5 points a game on offense.  Under second-year coach Jim Mora, the Bruins best wins were over Nebraska (41-21), Arizona (31-26), Washington (41-31) and USC (35-14).  Both teams play pretty good defense, but the Bruins have a better offense. 

The third game on New Year’s Eve is the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, matching Rice (10-3) from C-USA against Mississippi State (6-6) of the SEC.  Rice was a surprise team in 2013.  The Owls won the Conference USA championship.  Rice was very stable team down the stretch, winning nine of its last 10 games.  The Owls are led by senior quarterback Taylor McHargue (2,261 yards passing).  McHargue can do some running too.  Under seventh-year coach David Bailiff, the Owls had good wins over Florida Atlantic (18-14), Texas-San Antonio (27-21), Tulane (17-13) and Marshall (41-24).  Rice was 16th in the country in rushing – 240.2 yards per game.  Miss State was a young team in 2013.  The Bulldogs should be vastly improved next season.  The experience they got this season should pay off in the bowl game.  Under fifth-year coach Dan Mullen, Miss State had good wins over Troy (62-7), Bowling Green (21-20) and Ole Miss in the finale (17-10 OT).  With good weather, the Liberty Bowl should be well attended. 

The last college football game of 2013 takes place in Atlanta at the Chick-fil-A Bowl, matching Texas A&M (8-4) of the SEC against Duke (10-3) from the ACC.  With Johnny Manziel at control, Texas A&M was supposed to be one of the hottest teams of 2013.  But instead, the Aggies lost every big game they played.  They did have good wins over Rice (52-31), Ole Miss (41-38), Vanderbilt (56-24) and Miss State (51-41).  Under second-year coach Kevin Sumlin, the Aggies were the sixth-best team in the country in scoring (43.6 points a game) and the seventh-best team in the country in passing (350.9 yards per game).  And there’s Duke.  The Dookies were everyone’s favorite surprise team in 2013.  Duke was the runner-up in the ACC, losing the conference title game to Florida State.  The Dookies weren’t particularly good in any statistic, but they weren’t particularly bad in any stat either.  They were generally aggressive and played well as a team.  Under sixth-year coach David Cutcliffe, Duke had solid wins over Troy (38-31), Navy (35-7), Virginia Tech (13-10), Miami 48-30) and North Carolina (27-25).  Texas A&M will be a good challenge for Duke.                                                    

Two games are the first college football games to be played in 2014.  One of the two is the Heart of Dallas Bowl between UNLV (7-5) from the MWC and North Texas (8-4) of C-USA.  UNLV coach Bobby Hauck, in his fourth year, began the season on the hot seat.  At the end of the season, Hauck’s contract was extended and his seat was cool.  Picked to finish last in the West Division of the MWC, the Rebels finished tied for third with a bowl bid.  Senior running back Tim Cornett (1,251 yards rushing) led the Rebels this season.  UNLV had good wins over Central Michigan (31-21) and San Diego State (41-19).  North Texas, also a bit of a surprise in 2013, began the season a little shaky at 2-3.  Then the Mean Green won six of their final seven games.  Under third-year coach Dan McCarney, North Texas was the ninth-best team in the country in defensive scoring, holding its opponents to 18.1 points a game.  The Mean Green has a sharp quarterback in senior Derek Thompson (2,640 yards passing).  North Texas had good wins over Ball State (34-27), Middle Tennessee (34-7) and Rice (28-16).  This game has the potential for a good matchup.

The other first game of 2014 is the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, pitting Nebraska (8-4) of the Big Ten and Georgia (8-4) from the SEC.  This is a rematch of last year’s Capital One Bowl – Georgia beat Nebraska, 45-31.  The Huskers are hoping for revenge.  Nebraska has a strong running game with junior running back Ameer Abdullah (1,568 yards rushing).  The Huskers were 19th in the country in rushing – 221.7 yards per game.  Under sixth-year coach Bo Pelini, who had his moments with Huskers fans this season,  Nebraska had two good wins over Michigan (17-13) and Penn State (23-20 OT).  Georgia had a tough time this year with injuries, including the season-ending injuries to sophomore running back Keith Marshall (early in the season) and to star senior quarterback Aaron Murray (late in the season).  And at times, sophomore running back Todd Gurley was hobbled.  Still the Dawgs managed good wins over South Carolina (41-30), North Texas (45-21), LSU (44-41) and Georgia Tech (41-34 2OT).  Under coach Mark Richt, in his 13th season, Georgia was 16th in the country in passing (313.8 yards per game).  But the Dawgs were one of the worst teams in defense.  Georgia returns to Jacksonville, but not against Florida this time.

An hour later on January 1, two more games start at the same time.  One if the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, matching Wisconsin (9-3) from the Big Ten against South Carolina (10-2) of the SEC.  Wisconsin has a powerful ground game with a slew of good backs, including sophomore Melvin Gordon (1,466 yards rushing) and senior James White (1,377 yards rushing).  The Badgers were eighth in the country in rushing, averaging 283.0 yards per game.  Wisconsin plays good defense too, holding opponents to 14.8 points per game – sixth-best in the country.  Under first-year coach Gary Andersen, the Badgers had good wins over Iowa (28-9), BYU (27-17) and Minnesota (20-7).  Wisconsin finished the season winning six of its final seven games.  South Carolina is a well-balanced running and passing team that plays good defense.  The Gamecocks won nine of their last 10 games.  Under ninth-year coach Steve Spurrier, South Carolina had good wins over North Carolina (27-10), Vanderbilt (35-25), UCF (28-25), Missouri (27-24 2OT), Miss State (34-16) and Clemson (31-17) – the fifth in a row over the Tigers.  The Gamecocks had good production from senior quarterback Connor Shaw (2,135 yards passing) and sophomore running back Mike Davis (1,134 yards rushing).  South Carolina was 14th in the country in defense, holding opponents to 20.0 points a game.  Stop Wisconsin’s running game and you stop the Badgers. 

And the other second game on New Year’s Day is the Outback Bowl in Tampa, pitting Iowa (8-4) from the Big Ten against LSU (9-3) of the SEC.  The last time these two got together was the 2004 season Capital One Bowl when Iowa beat LSU 30-25 on a touchdown pass as time expired.  Iowa was a surprise team this year.  The Hawkeyes finished tied for second in the Legends Division of the Big Ten.  Most had the Hawkeyes picked to finish last.  Iowa was a solid team that played good defense – 11th best in the country, holding opponents to 18.8 points a game.  Under 15th-year coach Kirk Ferentz, the Hawkeyes had good wins over Minnesota (23-7), Michigan (24-21) and Nebraska (38-17).  LSU is one of those teams that’s not particularly great at anything, but the Tigers are good at everything.  They averaged scoring 37.0 points a game on offense – not bad.  Senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger led the Tigers through the season (3,082 yards passing).  But Mettenberger was injured in the last game of the season and won’t play in the bowl game.  Under Les Miles, in his ninth season, LSU had good wins over Auburn (35-21), Miss State (39-26) and Texas A&M (34-10).  What does the Mad Hatter have up his sleeve?      

Next on New Year’s Day, the action moves out West for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena between Stanford (11-2) of the Pac-12 and Michigan State (12-1) from the Big Ten.  They say this game is going to be a slugfest – smash mouth, knock ’em down, drag ’em out football.  I hope there are players still standing on the field when the game is over.  This is Stanford’s fourth-straight BCS bowl.  Under third-year coach David Shaw, the Cardinal had more quality wins than any other team in the country – good wins over San Jose State (34-13), Arizona State (42-28), Washington State (55-17), Washington (31-28), UCLA (24-10), Oregon State (20-12), Oregon (26-20), Notre Dame (27-20) and Arizona State, again (38-14).  Stanford’s strength is the running of senior back Tyler Gaffney (1,618 yards rushing).  The Cardinal is the 10th-best team in defense, holding opponents to 18.6 points a game.  The other smash-mouth team is no slouch either.  Michigan State held its opponents to 12.7 points a game – fourth-best in the country.  And the Spartans have a solid running back in junior Jeremy Langford (1,338 yards rushing).  Under seventh-year coach Mark Dantonio, Michigan State had good wins over Iowa (26-14), Michigan (29-6), Nebraska (41-28), Minnesota (14-3) and Ohio State (34-24).  Expect a bruiser of a game.

The nightcap on New Year’s Day is the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, between Baylor (11-1) of the Big 12 and UCF (11-1) from the AAC.  Baylor was pretty amazing.  The Bears were first in the country in scoring (53.3 points a game), fifth in the country in passing yards (359.3 yards per game), 12th in the country in rushing yards (265.2 yards per game) and 19th in the country in points against (21.2 points a game).  That’s pretty impressive.  Baylor is led by junior quarterback Bryce Petty (3,844 yards passing).  Under sixth-year coach Art Briles, the Bears had good wins over Buffalo (70-13), Kansas State (35-25), Oklahoma (41-12), Texas Tech (63-34) and Texas (30-10).  UCF has the most underrated quarterback in the country – junior Blake Bortles (3,280 yards passing).  You should be seeing Bortles on Sunday’s before long.  UCF was the 19th-best team in defense – holding opponents to 19.6 points a game.  Under 10th-year coach George O’Leary, the Knights had good wins over Penn State (34-31), Louisville (38-35), Houston (19-14) and Rutgers (41-17).  This game has me curious. 

The next day – January 2 – is the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, pitting Alabama (11-1) of the SEC against Oklahoma (10-2) from the Big 12.  These two teams were supposed to win their conferences.  They came close.  Alabama, of course, was the No. 1 team in the country throughout the season – until the Tide was beaten by Auburn in the final game of the season.  The Tide is led by senior quarterback A.J. McCarron (2,676 yards passing) and sophomore running back T.J. Yeldon (1,163 yards rushing).  The Tide’s defense is pretty impressive – second in the country, holding opponents to 11.3 points a game.  On the offense, Alabama is averaging 38.8 points a game.  Under seventh-year coach Nick Saban, Alabama had good wins over Virginia Tech (35-10), Texas A&M (49-42), Colorado State (31-6), Ole Miss (25-0), LSU (38-17) and Miss State (20-7).  Oklahoma is a solid, all-around football team with no single exceptional player.  When the Sooners are clicking, they are good.  The running game is the strongest, averaging 235.8 yards a game – 18th-best in the country.  Under Bob Stoops, in his 15th year, OU had good wins over Notre Dame (35-21), Texas Tech (38-30), Kansas State (41-31) and Oklahoma State (33-24).  The win over Okie State, in Stillwater, kept the Cowboys from winning the Big 12 Conference.  Nick Saban is not going to Texas.

The first of two games on January 3 is the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas between Missouri (11-2) from the SEC and Oklahoma State of the Big 12.  Two old Big 12 rivals getting back together again.  Speaking of surprise teams in 2013, how about Missouri?  The Tigers sure surprised the SEC, winning the East Division.  Missouri averaged 39.0 points a game on offense and rushed for 236.5 yards per games.  That’s not bad.  The Tigers key man is senior quarterback Tony Franklin.  Under 13th-year coach Gary Pinkel, Missouri had good wins over Toledo (38-23), Vanderbilt (51-28), Georgia (41-26), Ole Miss (24-10) and Texas A&M (28-21).  Oklahoma State can play some offense and defense, outscoring opponents on average 39.8 to 20.0.  During the season, Cowboys quarterbacks senior Clint Chelf (1,792 yards passing) and sophomore J.W. Walsh (1,333 yards passing) shared the passing.  Under ninth-year coach Mike Gundy, Okie State had good wins over Miss State (21-3), Texas-San Antonio (56-35), Kansas State (33-29), Texas Tech (52-34), Texas (38-13) and Baylor (49-17).  These two teams matchup well.             

The second game on January 3 is the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, matching Ohio State (12-1) from the Big Ten against Clemson (10-2) of the ACC.  Entering the final weekend of the season, we thought it was going to be Florida State and Ohio State in the BCS Championship Bowl.  But Michigan State changed Ohio State’s plane tickets.  The Buckeyes are an impressive fourth in the country in scoring (46.3 points a game) and fourth in the country in rushing (317.5 yards a game).  The rushing game comes with a double threat from senior running back Carlos Hyde (1,408 yards rushing) and junior quarterback Braxton Miller (1,033 yards rushing).  Miller also can throw the ball – 1,860 yards passing.  Under second-year coach Urban Meyer, Ohio State had good wins over Buffalo (40-20), San Diego State (42-7), Wisconsin (31-24), Iowa (34-24), Penn State (63-14) and Michigan (42-41).  Clemson won six games, then lost to Florida State, won 10 games, then lost to South Carolina.  The Tigers looked good in their 10 wins and bad in their two losses.  The Tigers are 12th in the country in scoring (40.2 points a game) and 12th in the country in passing (329.3 yards per game).  They are also holding their opponents to 21.1 points a game.  Not bad credentials.  Clemson is led by senior quarterback Tajh Boyd (3,473 yards passing).  Under fifth-year coach Dabo Swinney, Clemson had good wins over Georgia (38-35), Syracuse (49-14), Boston College (24-14), Maryland (40-27) and Georgia Tech (55-21).  If the Tigers have a weakness, it’s the running game.  This is Boyd’s last chance to win a “big” game this season.  He failed in the other two.    

January 4 brings us the Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama, pitting Vanderbilt (8-4) from the SEC against Houston (8-4) of the AAC.  Vanderbilt is appearing in its third-straight bowl game and fourth in six years.  Must be global warming.  The Commodores were a strong team coming down the stretch.  They finished on a four-game winning streak.  But the last two games – wins over Tennessee and Wake Forest – came down to the wire.  Vandy survived those games in the final seconds.  In his third-season, Coach James Franklin has turned Vandy into a winner.  The Dores had a good win over Georgia (31-27).  Houston started out like a house on fire.  The Cougars won seven of their first eight games.  Then they went through some tough times, losing three of their last four games.  All four of Houston’s losses were by seven points or less.  The Cougars had a young quarterback in freshman John O’Korn (2,889 yards passing).  They average 33.9 points a game, while holding their opponents to 20.2 points.  Under second-year coach Tony Levine, Houston had good wins over Rice (31-26), Texas-San Antonio (59-28) and Rutgers (49-14).  The Cougars suffered a one-point loss to BYU.  Vanderbilt has won its last three bowl games.              

The next day is the Go Daddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, matching Arkansas State (7-5) of the Sun Belt against Ball State (10-2) from the MAC.  Arkansas State has had three coaches the past three years.  But the Red Wolves are appearing in their third-straight bowl game.  Ark State began the season shaky at 3-4.  Then the Red Wolves got hot and won four of their last five games.  They tied Louisiana-Lafayette for the Sun Belt Conference crown.  Under first-year coach Bryan Harsin, the Red Wolves had good wins over Troy (41-34), South Alabama (17-16), Louisiana-Monroe (42-14) and Texas State (38-21).  Ark State will be coached by an interim coach in the bowl game as Harsin has left to take the head coaching job at Boise State.  Ball State is led by senior quarterback Keith Wenning (3,933 yards passing).  The Cardinals are ninth in the country in passing (333.3 yards per game), and 14th in the country in offensive scoring – averaging 40.1 points a game.  Under third-year coach Pete Lembo, the Cardinals had good wins over Toledo (31-24) and Central Michigan (44-24).  They also beat Virginia (48-27).  So now Arkansas State will have its fourth coach in four years.     

And finally, the bowl-game extravaganza concludes on January 6 with the BCS Championship Bowl in Pasadena between Florida State (13-0) from the ACC and Auburn (12-1) of the SEC.  Florida State is back in the BCS title game for the first time since the 2000 season.  FSU played in the first three BCS Championship Bowls, losing to Tennessee (1998 season), beating Virginia Tech (1999 season) and losing to Oklahoma (2000 season).  The Seminoles have had an amazing season.  They are first in the country in points against, holding their opponents to 10.7 points a game.  And they are second in the country in points for – averaging 53.0 points a game on offense.  In racking up a 13-0 record, no one really came close to the Noles all season.  Their closest victory was by 14 points over Boston College.  Under fourth-year coach Jimbo Fisher, FSU had good wins over Pitt (41-13), Boston College (48-34), Maryland (63-0), Clemson (51-14), Miami (41-14), Syracuse (59-3) and Duke (45-7).  Of course, Florida State is led by its star quarterback redshirt freshman Jameis Winston (3,820 yards passing).  Winston is a Heisman finalist.  The Noles average 322.0 passing yards a game.  From last year to this year, Auburn literally rose from rags to riches.  The Tigers were 3-9 last season – 0-8 in the SEC.  And in Auburn’s last two regular season games, the Tigers literally had some miracle finishes – just unbelievable.  Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it better.  The Tigers are led by a duo in junior quarterback Nick Marshall (1,023 yards rushing) and junior running back Tre Mason (1,621 yards rushing).  Mason is a Heisman finalist.  Under first-year coach Gus Malzahn, Auburn had good wins over Washington State (31-24), Arkansas State (38-9), Miss State (24-20), Ole Miss (30-22), Texas A&M (45-41), Florida Atlantic (45-10), Georgia (43-38), Alabama (34-28) and Missouri (59-42).  The Tigers were first in the country in rushing (335.7 yards per game), and average scoring 40.2 points a game.  Auburn’s weakness is its defense.  Auburn appeared in the 2010 season BCS Championship Bowl, beating Oregon.  With FSU averaging 53 points and Auburn averaging 40 points, this should be one hell of a ball game.  Both defensive coordinators have to be scratching their heads and wondering, “How do I stop them.”  Fasten your seat belts.                                                                                       
                                   
That’s the lineup.  Now you can plan your Holiday schedule.

From a conference perspective, the ACC has the most teams in bowl games with nine.  The ACC is followed by the SEC with 10 teams and the Pac-12 with nine teams playing in bowl games.  The Big Ten is represented with six teams.  Three conferences – the Big 12, C-USA and Mountain West – have six teams each in bowl games.  Then two conferences – the AAC and the Mid-American – are represented with five teams each.  The Sun Belt has two teams playing in bowls.  The Independents are represented by three teams – BYU, Navy and Notre Dame. 

Four conferences had qualifying teams that failed to get bowl bids – C-USA (two teams), the MAC (two teams), the MWC (one team) and the Sun Belt (five teams). 
The C-USA teams were Florida Atlantic (6-6) and Texas-San Antonio (7-5).  The MAC teams were Central Michigan (6-6) and Toledo (7-5).  The MWC team was San Jose State (6-6).  And the Sun Belt teams were Louisiana-Monroe (6-6), South Alabama (6-6), Texas State (6-6), Troy (6-6), and Western Kentucky (8-4).  The athletic directors from those schools must really feel good.

Penn State of the Big Ten finished with a bowl qualifying record at 7-5.  But the Nittany Lions are in the second and last year of their bowl probation.

My predictions for each of the 35 bowl games will be posted Monday, December 16 in College Football Week 17 – CFW Week 17.

Touchdown Tom
December 13, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com