BCS Bowl Schedule 2010: Predicting the Highest-Scoring Bowl Games
The college football bowl games have now been set up, and to wrap up the season there will be 35 bowl games played. The games feature various teams from all conferences, some of whom have never met each other before.
One note about this year had been the dominance of offenses, sometimes at the expense of defenses. TCU and Ohio State's top-ranked defenses play other opponents while the offenses of Oregon and Auburn meet in the national title game. Many football teams are all about scoring and bringing in the touchdowns, and as a fan those games end up being very enjoyable.
Which games will be the ones that primarily feature the offense, and as a result are the highest-scoring?
15. Nevada vs. Boston College
1 of 15
If it was against any other team, Nevada would be near the top of this list. They focus on offense and have one of the top attacks in the league. However, they're going against Boston College, which is a defense-focused team. They did allow 44 to NC State though, so Nevada could absolutely erupt.
14. Nebraska vs. Washington
2 of 15
When the two met earlier this season, Nebraska won the game, 56-21. I could easily see that many points being scored, especially since it's not at Washington this time.
13. Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State
3 of 15
When a MAC team gets an opportunity to face a different conference, they'll come out and light up the scoreboard. Northern Illinois can score 60 if the opposing defense struggles, and Fresno State does sometimes falter. This matchup will be the debut of the many shootouts, as it's one of the three games opening up on the 18th.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
12. Baylor vs. Illinois
4 of 15
This contest between the Big 12 and Big Ten is largely dependent on Illinois. Baylor has a powerful offense and a mediocre defense, so they will focus on scoring. Should Illinois do the same, which they did against Michigan earlier this year, this will be a major shootout.
11. Arkansas vs. Ohio State
5 of 15
I don't think that this game will be as high-scoring as others may think. Ohio State has the third best defense in the nation, and Arkansas has a solid one as well. That being said, Arkansas has a top ten offense and Ohio State's is not too bad either. One of the two sides has to give, and given the weapons involved, the defense is the piece more likely to go by the wayside.
10. San Diego State vs. Navy
6 of 15
The bowl taking place in San Diego and featuring San Diego State has the potential to be a big shootout. San Diego State has a passing offense that can really air it out and score points. Navy's offense is power, but focused mainly on rushing. Nonetheless, two offense-focused teams will naturally put up points.
9. Oklahoma vs. Connecticut
7 of 15
Oklahoma's offense simply cannot be counted out, as they will put up big numbers in big games. Even if Connecticut's offenses struggles to get off the ground, Oklahoma could put up at least 40 without any problems to get the momentum going. Their defense is average enough that UConn can make plays if they try.
8. Boise State vs. Utah
8 of 15
Both of these teams are going to come out with both guns blazing, there's no question about that. Both have fairly good defenses, but they will likely end up putting those aside and concentrate on putting points up on the board.
Both teams have proven they can do that.
7. Stanford vs. Virginia Tech
9 of 15
Yet another one of the big five BCS bowl games, this one looks like it could open up at any time. Stanford can rack up the points when it needs to under Andrew Luck, and Virginia Tech has not scored fewer than 30 points against ranked teams. Both their offenses are highly ranked as well.
6. Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
10 of 15
This game will surprise us with its offense. Texas Tech loves to use their air-it-out offense, and while it hasn't created as dynamic an offense as the days of Graham Harrell, it's still effective. Northwestern can put up points when it wants to. The main reason it's this high though, is that both teams' defenses give up a lot of yards, paving the way for a shootout here.
5. Maryland vs. East Carolina
11 of 15
Maryland's offense or defense isn't particularly special this year. However, East Carolina's defense is ranked dead last, and they are 118th in points allowed. That's a recipe for a field day no matter what kind of offense you have.
4. Michigan vs. Mississippi St.
12 of 15
This game will be a lot more high scoring than people realize. Michigan's offense is one of the best in the country, though they struggled this year due to their defense. Mississippi State's offense has been solid as well. Rich Rodriguez knows this is a must win for him, meaning his offense will try t light it up early and often.
3. Oklahoma State vs. Arizona
13 of 15
Oklahoma State has done as well as it has thanks to their high-powered offense. They have the top offense in the league, and their defense hasn't been all that good. That being said, Arizona has put together a very good offense as well, and they won't just let Oklahoma State's offense walk right in; they'll put up a fight.
2. Oregon vs. Auburn
14 of 15
Yes, the National Championship Game will be one of the major shootouts in the bowl games. Oregon leads the league in points scored and is second in offense while Auburn ranks just ahead of Hawaii in offense. They're not first simply because on this stage, it's possible that the defenses will step up at times.
1. Hawaii vs. Tulsa
15 of 15
The Hawaii Bowl is easily going to be the one that lights up the scoreboard again and again. Hawaii has always been the major pass-happy school. They threw for over 5000 yards this year, the only school to do so. Tulsa, meanwhile, had the fifth-ranked offense, and both are in the top ten in points scored per game.
Expect at least 100 points scored between the two, likely more.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
