BY A.J. KURZMAN
As the end of this epic college football regular season gives way for the highly criticized BCS bowl system, all a fan can do is wait for his favorite team to play in their big game. It’s every college athlete’s dream to play for the national championship but unfortunately only two teams get to play for the crystal ball every year. This year features two of the most storied college football teams ever in Notre Dame and Alabama. Let’s not forget, however, that there are 35 bowl games to be played in total. Many bowls are just the appetizers to the main courses that are the 5 BCS bowl games. Here is a breakdown of those 5 games:
January 1- Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio
#6 STANFORD CARDINAL (11-2, 8-1 Pac-12) vs. WISCONSON BADGERS (8-5, 4-4 Big Ten)
Stanford opens this game as a 6.5 point favorite over the Badgers. Stanford, coming off a nail-bitting victory in the Pac-12 championship, is led by running back Stefan Taylor. The Badgers are led by Doak Walker (best running back), award winning senior running back Montee Ball and are coming off a 70-31 thumping of #12 Nebraska. Both teams sport elite running games and have little weapons on the aerial side of the ball. Defensively, Stanford has a big advantage. The Cardinals are allowing only 17.5 points per game, and that is against elite Pac-12 competition. When it comes down to it, I think the winner will be solely determined by the team that runs the ball better, and I believe that will be Stanford. The Cardinals will physically wear down the Badgers and take home the roses in a very close game.
Prediction: STANFORD WINS 27-24
January 2- Allstate Sugar Bowl
#21 LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (10-2, 5-2 Big East) vs. #3 FLORIDA GATORS (11-1, 7-1 SEC)
Louisville opens this game as a 14.5 point underdog. Louisville finished their season in a four way tie for first in the Big East, and lucky for them, they had the highest BCS ranking and therefore secured a spot in the Sugar Bowl. They’re led by quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and have a high flying, pass first offense. Florida on the other hand is the exact opposite. They’re a tough, physical team that will wear you down by running it down your throat with running back Mike Gillislee. Gillislee has been the workhorse for Florida, having 45 more carries than the next leading SEC rusher. The offensive gameplay of the Cardinals plays very nicely in Florida’s advantage. Florida has arguably the best defense in the country, and the best pass defense, sporting the number one pass efficiency defense. On offense, Florida has the edge once again as Louisville has the 53rd ranked rushing defense, and that goes right with Florida’s strengths. This one will be a blowout from the start unless Louisville comes out playing out of their minds.
Prediction: FLORIDA WINS 37-13
January 1- Discover Orange Bowl
#15 NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES (12-1, 8-0 MAC) vs. #12 FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES (11-2, 7-1 ACC)
Florida State opens as a 14 point favorite over Northern Illinois. What an interesting matchup we have here. Northern Illinois is led by versatile QB Jordan Lynch, who leads the team in passing and rushing. The Huskies have the nation’s #9 scoring offense (40.77) and are going against the Seminoles #7 scoring defense (15.08). The Seminoles are led by Senior QB E.J. Manual and boast one of the deepest defenses in the country. Many people believe that the Huskies have no chance against the big bad Seminoles, but I am not one of those people. After being manhandled by in-state rival Florida, the Seminoles were put against 6-6 Georgia Tech in the ACC championship game. What ensued was an ugly 21-15 win. I believe that the deflated and overrated Seminole squad will come into this game way too cocky. They will be in for a rude awakening as the Huskies believe they can win and FSU may find themselves down early. However, their depth at defense will prove to be too much in the end for Jordan Lynch and this Cinderella story.
Prediction: FSU Wins 30-24
January 3- Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
#5 KANSAS STATE WILDCATS (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) vs. #4 OREGON DUCKS (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12)
Oregon opens this game as an 8 point favorite. This is easily the best game that is not the national championship. The Ducks boast a fast pace, high octane offense that fires on all cylinders. They rank 2nd in scoring offense (50.8) and have two of the best cover corners in the country. Kenjon Barner is their leading running back and is very slippery in the open field. I expect Oregon to come out very strong and in brand new uniforms like always. Kansas State is lead by QB Collin Klein who finished 3rd in Heisman voting. The Wildcat are a very physical team that loves to run the ball. However, what really worries me about Kansas State, was that their one loss was a blowout to Baylor, who has a very similar fast paced, high scoring offense to Oregon. The same could be said for Oregon though, whose one loss was to a Stanford team that plays very physical and loves to run just like Kansas State does. Despite that though, I believe that Oregon’s offense will prove to be too much for the Kansas State D to handle.
Prediction: OREGON WINS: 38-35
January 7- Discover BCS National Championship Game
#1 NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (12-0) vs. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (12-1, 7-1 SEC)
Alabama opens this game as a 9.5 point favorite. What a game this is. Two of the greatest college football programs ever square off against each other. These two teams combine for 25 national championships. Notre Dame is led by senior linebacker and Heisman runner up Manti Te’o, whose missed only 3 tackles all season. The Notre Dame front seven is as stingy as they come, but their secondary is subject to some criticism. Notre Dame, however, does boast the nation’s #1 scoring defense at 10.3 points per game. They have to go against Alabama, who has the nation’s #2 scoring defense at 10.7 points per game. This should be a defensive slug fest. Should is the key word. Alabama is led by QB AJ McCarron who is very efficient in this Nick Saban offense. The Crimson Tide have the best offensive line in college football, so I’m very interested to see how they handle Notre Dame’s elite front 7. Alabama can beat you throwing the ball or running it, and that is where I see a problem for the Irish. The Notre Dame offense is decent at best and should be able to be handled by an overrated Alabama defense, but still an elite defense none the less. I believe Alabama will prove to be too well rounded and too well coached for the Irish to handle.
Prediction: ALABAMA WINS 35-24
