Mike

Bowl Picks: Jan 1

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Outback Bowl: South Carolina vs Iowa, Thursday (Jan 1) 11am
Ahad: Could this be Ferentz’s last game at Iowa? He is rumored to a candidate for a few NFL openings. Clearly if Iowa can beat PSU, they should be able to beat any team in the nation. Pick: Iowa
Matt: Ahad, I like the way you stated your last sentence. Iowa comes in the hotter and better team in my estimation. South Carolina played some of the better teams in the SEC pretty tough for the most part. However, Shonn Greene and Iowa should handle the Gamecocks fairly easily. Pick: Iowa
Evan: I’ve got to be an SEC homer and go with South Carolina, even though Iowa always plays well in the outback bowl.
Mike: Iowa has gotten so little respect this year, thanks to the Big Ten being not so good. Pick: Iowa

Capital One Bowl: Georgia vs Michigan State, Thursday (Jan 1) 1pm
Ahad: I need to stick with my Big 10 allegiances. Pick: MSU
Matt: Michigan State didn’t look very good against Penn State in the finale. Georgia comes off a tough loss to Ga. Tech where they had a rough time defensing the run. Look for Javon Ringer to get lots of touches early and often to test Georgia’s run defense. This one really could go either way, but I feel like Georgia was more consistent throughout the season. Pick: Georgia
Evan: Georgia in a laugher.
Mike: I’m with Matt. I would have picked MSU but they didn’t seem to care in the PSU game. They had just lost their shot to play for a Rose Bowl berth before the game started, but no excuse. Georgia’s 3 losses came to Top 15 teams. Pick: Georgia

Gator Bowl: Nebraska vs Clemson, Thursday (Jan 1) 1pm
Ahad: Clemson has been a huge disappointment this season. This game can go one of two ways. It will either be a terrible end to a terrible season, or it will be the spring-board to a strong campaign for next season. I am going to go optimistic on this one. Pick: Clemson
Matt: I feel like Nebraska had a better than expected season while, as Ahad mentioned, Clemson disappointed. They also lost their head coach midway through the season. They have rebounded of late to win 3 straight. However, I am liking Nebraska in this game, and I’m not sure why. Pick: Nebraska
Evan: Clemson is looking to erase this season and look forward to next year. I hate Nebraska. Pick: Clemson
Mike: Nebraska, in a New Years bowl? I’m a little surprised. They quietly had an alright year. They only lost to Top 25 teams. They didn’t beat any Top 25 teams though. But Clemson was just a disappointment this year. Pick: Nebraska

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi: Penn State vs USC, Thursday (Jan 1) 4:30pm
Ahad: For obvious reasons, this is the bowl game I am most looking forward to. This match-up features two of the nation’s best defenses. A lot of people will be surprised by the team speed that PSU has. Clark will have a target on his back because the Trojans know that PSU doesn’t have an accomplished backup. If he gets knocked out, the game is over. USC doesn’t seem very interested in this game as they are “tired of beating up on the Big 10”. Look for PSU to put them in their place. Pick: PSU in a close game.
Matt: This is one of the better games of the bowl season, if not the best. Both team’s defenses should control the game. I think whoever makes the least mistakes and turnovers should come out on top. Most people aren’t really giving PSU a shot. Maybe it is because of the Big Ten image, or maybe it is because everyone is in love with USC. But I will tell you this much…I don’t ever remember Penn State not being ready for a bowl game. They generally perform better than their other Big Ten counterparts. Balance on offense will be the key to beating the USC defense and getting pressure on Sanchez will be the key to slowing the offense. It’s time to show the nation what Penn State is all about and reverse the image of the Big Ten. Pick: Penn State
Evan: I hope everything you guys said will come true, but I don’t think it will. Pick: USC
Mike: At first thought this has all the makings of the defensive battles PSU has played against Ohio State in PSU’s BCS seasons. Lots of punts but with so much talent on the teams, you are just waiting for the big play to blow the game open. Only the time just eventually melts away. The USC offense has too many weapons. I think a few of those big plays happen. Right when PSU looks out of hit one of our WRs will make a huge play. Clark needs to air it out. Who do you think I’m picking? Pick: Penn State

FedEx Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech, Thursday (Jan 1) 8:30pm
Ahad: It can be argued that neither team deserves to be in this game, but conference ties made it happen. Cincy has been under the radar all season, as I have yet to watch any of their games this season. V-Tech always comes through with defense and special teams. Pick: V-Tech
Matt: It is tough to gauge this Cincinnati team coming out of the Big East. The only teams they really beat were West Virginia and Pitt, and they lost against Oklahoma. Va. Tech has more experience in bowl games and bigger games in general. That should give them the edge here. I will be rooting for Cincinnati, but … Pick: Va. Tech
Evan: I just became friends with a former Virginia Tech cheerleader. She says they are ready to go. Pick: Hokies
Mike: Have you ever been to a concert where everybody leaves before the headliner? This could be a decent matchup, but how many people are going to care? How do you pick one of these teams? Who ever knows with the Big East and Virginia Tech just managed to be the last team standing in the ACC. You just have to go with what you know better. Pick: Virginia Tech

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