College Bowl Schedule, Predictions 2010-2011: From Albuquerque to Glendale
The 2010-2011 bowl season features loads of intriguing match-ups from top to bottom. Take a peek inside to see if this year’s bowl special is more successful than the last. Happy Holidays…and so long college football, until next September.
Note: “Tucker’s Pick ‘Em” on Facebook has scored a record of 158-47 this season, including conference championship weekend on December 4th.
**For other analysis and more articles, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Bowl picks:
(All times central):
New Mexico Bowl
1 of 35
BYU vs. UTEP | Albuquerque, N.M. | University Stadium
December 18, 2010, 1 p.m. ESPN
The fifth annual New Mexico Bowl will be a unique, new place for BYU to grab a bowl win after playing in the Las Vegas Bowl for the last five seasons. But surely the Cougars weren’t too awfully excited about not getting the chance to play in “Sin City” again. …
BYU 28 UTEP 20
ACTUAL SCORE: BYU 52 UTEP 24
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
UDrove Humanitarian Bowl
2 of 35
Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State | Boise, Idaho | Bronco Stadium
December 18, 2010, 4:30 p.m. ESPN
Fresno State makes its third appearance in the Boise bowl game as the Western Athletic Conference representative, as it tries to keep its undefeated record in this bowl game alive. It’ll be tough to stop NIU tailback Chad Spann, who is tied for second in the FBS with 20 rushing touchdowns, a single-season school record. …
Northern Illinois 32 Fresno State 28
ACTUAL SCORE: NORTHERN ILLINOIS 40 FRESNO STATE 17
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R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
3 of 35
Ohio vs. Troy | New Orleans | Louisiana Superdome
December 18, 2010, 8 p.m. ESPN
Troy makes its third appearance in the New Orleans Bowl, where the Trojans boast a 1-1 record all-time against Conference USA opponents. Ohio, who has won two of its last four conference division championships, will be the first team from the Mid American Conference to ever play in the Bayou bowl game …
Troy 31 Ohio 28
ACTUAL SCORE: TROY 48 OHIO 21
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
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Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl
4 of 35
Southern Mississippi vs. Louisville | St. Petersburg, Fla. | Tropicana Field
December 21, 2010, 7 p.m. ESPN
Louisville looks to keep the Big East’s all-time record in this Floridian bowl game perfect, as Charlie Strong’s much-improved Cardinals make their first bowl appearance since their Orange Bowl berth in 2006. …
Louisville 31 Southern Mississippi 28
ACTUAL SCORE: LOUISVILLE 31 SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 28
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
5 of 35
Utah vs. Boise State | Las Vegas | Sam Boyd Stadium
December 22, 2010, 7 p.m. ESPN
Boise State will play in a bowl game in Vegas for the first time since 1976 as they take on the high-powered offense of Utah. Boise holds the all-time advantage over Utah 4-2, but this Las Vegas Bowl, which features two ranked teams for the second consecutive year, will be one of the best match-ups this bowl season. …
Boise State 36 Utah 27
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San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
6 of 35
Navy vs. San Diego State | San Diego | Qualcomm Stadium
December 23, 2010, 7 p.m. ESPN
Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs has recorded 48-career rushing touchdowns, the fifth-most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NCAA history. He needs just two rushing TDs to pass Kareem Wilson of Ohio University for fourth. Surely he’ll succeed in doing that, but it won’t be enough to beat the Aztecs. …
San Diego State 33 Navy 26
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Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
7 of 35
Hawaii vs. Tulsa | Honolulu | Aloha Stadium
December 24, 2010, 7 p.m. ESPN
Hawaii makes its sixth appearance in the nine year history of its home-state bowl game as the Warriors welcome the potent offense of Tulsa to the Aloha State for the first time. The Golden Hurricane has won its last six, including a victory at Notre Dame. But the tropical distractions, along with a really good Hawaiian offense, doom the Hurricane in Honolulu. …
Hawaii 41 Tulsa 32
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Little Caesars Bowl
8 of 35
Florida International vs. Toledo | Detroit | Ford Field
December 26, 2010, 7:30 p.m. ESPN
The only major college football bowl game in the Midwest pits the Toledo Rockets of the MAC against the FIU Golden Panthers of the Sun Belt Conference. Toledo has plenty of bowl experience, making its sixth appearance all-time in this particular bowl. Meanwhile, FIU is bowl-bound for the first time in program history. …
Toledo 31 Florida International 28
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AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
9 of 35
Air Force vs. Georgia Tech | Shreveport, La. | Independence Stadium
December 27, 2010, 4 p.m. ESPN2
Georgia Tech has never lost to Air Force in three meetings, but the two teams haven’t met since 1979. Tech leads the nation in rushing, but its defense has proved to be a bit vulnerable this season. Plus, it seems to be the Force’s year. They lost three of their four games by just ten points, and they’ll prove their worth with a win over the ACC’s Yellow Jackets in Louisiana. …
Air Force 30 Georgia Tech 27
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Champs Sports Bowl
10 of 35
West Virginia vs. NC State | Orlando, Fla. | Florida Citrus Bowl
December 28, 2010, 5:30 p.m. ESPN
NC State makes its first appearance in Orlando since current-San Diego Charger quarterback Philip Rivers led it to a Tangerine Bowl win over Kansas in 2003. The Wolfpack’s fans will be sure to fill up their half of the stadium—they set a school record for attendance this season—but it won’t be enough to knock off West Virginia. The Mountaineers clinched a share of the Big East Title this season for the fifth time since 2003, barely losing out on a BCS bid to Connecticut, who will face Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale. …
West Virginia 26 NC State 21
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Insight Bowl
11 of 35
Missouri vs. Iowa | Tempe, Ariz. | Sun Devil Stadium
December 28, 2010, 9 p.m. ESPN
Iowa’s “Drug Test Cheating Scandal” has seen it lose two if its best players: wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and running back Adam Robinson. Sophomore running back Jewel Hampton also left the team this week, citing a wish to transfer elsewhere. It’s just not looking good for the 7-5 Hawkeyes in this match-up with 12th-ranked Missouri. Give the edge to the Tigers. …
Missouri 23 Iowa 20
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Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman Bowl
12 of 35
East Carolina vs. Maryland | Washington, D.C. | RFK Stadium
December 29, 2010, 1:30 p.m. ESPN
East Carolina’s awful defense alone will be enough to give the Pirates a loss against the ACC’s coach of the year, Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen. But the ECU offense is better than Maryland’s—104 yards a game better—so expect a shootout in the nation’s capital city. …
Maryland 38 East Carolina 31
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Texas Bowl
13 of 35
Illinois vs. Baylor | Houston | Reliant Stadium
December 29, 2010, 5 p.m. ESPN
Baylor makes its first appearance in a bowl game since 1995, and what better place to go bowling again than in its home state? But the Bears welcome a fierce Illini rushing attack, led by tailbacks Mikel Leshoure and Jason Ford, into Houston for this one. The men in green will have to rely on their tough defense to score a win in Reliant Stadium. …
Baylor 34 Illinois 31
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Valero Alamo Bowl
14 of 35
Oklahoma State vs. Arizona | San Antonio| Alamodome
December 29, 2010, 8:15 p.m. ESPN
The now-43-year-old Mike Gundy has come a long way since his infamous “I’m a man. I’m 40!” speech a couple years back, and so has his football team. The Cowboys won ten games this season for the first time ever, and their offense looks like something out of a horror film to all opposing defenses. Yes, that means they’re good—really good. Arizona has struggled as of late, but this is a bowl game, so expect the Wildcats to bring their “A” game. …
Oklahoma State 34 Arizona 30
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Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
15 of 35
Army vs. SMU | Dallas | Gerald J. Ford Stadium
December 30, 2010, 11 a.m. ESPN
SMU will host Army in its home stadium for a bowl game, but it’s kind of Army’s bowl game isn’t it? Anyway, SMU makes its second straight appearance in a bowl game after walloping Nevada last year in the Hawaii Bowl 45-10. The Mustang offense is just too good for Army to beat in this one, although the academy’s triple option offense could be tough for SMU to defend. …
SMU 30 Army 21
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
16 of 35
Kansas State vs. Syracuse | Bronx, N.Y. | Yankee Stadium
December 30, 2010, 2:20 p.m. ESPN
Syracuse should have the home-field advantage for its tilt with the Big 12 Conference’s Kansas State, but all three of its conference losses this year came at home. Maybe the orange isn’t so intimidating after all, but the Orangemen are a better football team than the purple-clad Wildcats this season. …
Syracuse 26 Kansas State 21
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
17 of 35
North Carolina vs. Tennessee | Nashville, Tenn. | LP Field
December 30, 2010, 5:40 p.m. ESPN
First-year Tennessee coach Derek Dooley inherited a program that was down and out, and they played that way this season until midway through, barely claiming bowl eligibility. North Carolina, despite several on and off the field issues this season, has fought through adversity and knows how to win these big games. Wait a second, isn’t this a basketball match-up, anyway? …
North Carolina 27 Tennessee 20
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl
18 of 35
Nebraska vs. Washington | San Diego | Qualcomm Stadium
December 30, 2010, 9 p.m. ESPN
Stellar Washington quarterback Jake Locker makes his last start in purple and gold as he heads on to a likely impressive NFL career next season. Too bad he’s leading his troops to battle against Nebraska, historically one of the toughest defenses in the country. The Husker rushing offense, led by freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez, isn’t too shabby, either. …
Nebraska 31 Washington 17
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Meineke Car Care Bowl
19 of 35
South Florida vs. Clemson | Charlotte, N.C. | Bank of America Stadium
December 31, 2010, 11 a.m. ESPN
Three of the USF Bulls four conference losses in 2010 were by less than a touchdown, including a three-point loss to BCS-bound Connecticut. Just like USF, three of Clemson’s four conference losses were by less than a touchdown, with another loss coming at Auburn by just three points in overtime. The Tigers take care of the Bulls in a close one. …
Clemson 21 South Florida 17
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Hyundai Sun Bowl
20 of 35
Notre Dame vs. Miami | El Paso, Texas | Sun Bowl
December 31, 2010, 1 p.m. CBS
Two old rivals collide in what will be a thriller for all to see. Those going to the game thought so, anyway, as this one sold out in just 21 hours. A bowl win for first year Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly will be a huge accomplishment for him and the Fighting Irish after tons of issues both on and off the field have hampered them this season. Plus, former Temple coach Al Golden hasn’t taken over at the Miami helm just yet. …
Notre Dame 24 Miami 23
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
21 of 35
Georgia vs. UCF | Memphis, Tenn. | Liberty Bowl
December 31, 2010, 2:30 p.m. ESPN
UCF has never won a bowl game before, but one more win would give the school a record for wins in a season. Expect the 25th ranked Knights to give the SEC’s Bulldogs their best shot, but Georgia’s A.J. Green and young Aaron Murray will be prove to be too much to handle when the clock strikes zero. …
Georgia 31 UCF 24
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Chick-Fil-A Bowl
22 of 35
South Carolina vs. Florida State | Atlanta | Georgia Dome
December 31, 2010, 6:30 p.m. ESPN
This prime-time New Year’s Eve game will be a good one to watch from wherever you choose to celebrate 2010’s ending and 2011’s beginning. Florida State holds a 15-3 all-time edge over the Gamecocks of South Carolina, but this year is a bit different. Auburn may have shellacked the ‘Cocks in the SEC Championship Game, but remember Carolina is a good football team and will be hard to beat in this game. However, make no mistake: The Seminole Wind will surely be with the FSU football team until late. …
South Carolina 31 Florida State 28
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
TicketCity Bowl
23 of 35
Northwestern vs. Texas Tech | Dallas | Cotton Bowl
January 1, 2010, 11 a.m. ESPNU
Tommy Tuberville has his Red Raiders in a bowl game in his first season as coach at the Lubbock school, and they’ll have home-state advantage against Northwestern. The Wildcats haven’t won a bowl game since 1949, even though they almost scored one in a thriller last year against Auburn in Orlando. They’ll have to try again with freshman quarterback Evan Watkins stepping in to replace quarterback sensation Dan Persa, who went down with just two games left in the season with a knee injury. …
Texas Tech 35 Northwestern 24
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Outback Bowl
24 of 35
Florida vs. Penn State | Tampa, Fla. | Raymond James Stadium
January 1, 2010, 12 p.m. ABC
Urban Meyer will coach the Gators through this game against Penn State and Joe Paterno, and one of the two is retiring afterwards. No, it’s not 84-year-old Paterno, but Meyer instead. The Gators will play their hearts out for their beloved coach in their home state as they try to contain Nittany Lion quarterback Matt McGloin, who’s played well since replacing freshman Robert Bolden midway through the season. …
Florida 24 Penn State 21
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Capital One Bowl
25 of 35
Alabama vs. Michigan State | Orlando, Fla. | Florida Citrus Bowl
January 1, 2010 12 p.m. ESPN
Alabama tailback Mark Ingram faces his home-state Michigan State Spartans in sunny Orlando in the Capital One Bowl, which will be an ironic game for the Flint, Michigan native. The Alabama Heisman winner chose the Tide over Michigan State coming out of high school, and he’ll be on the winning sideline on New Year’s Day. Keep in mind, though, that Sparty has just one loss this season, and they beat the Big Ten’s Rose Bowl representative, Wisconsin, earlier this season. …
Alabama 28 Michigan State 20
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Gator Bowl
26 of 35
Mississippi State vs. Michigan | Jacksonville, Fla. | EverBank Field
January 1, 2010, 12:30 p.m. ESPN2
The SEC better recognize: Dan Mullen’s for real. With his name popping up all over America in head coaching searches, Mullen has stayed true to the maroon and will lead his much-improved Bulldogs to victory over Denard Robinson and the Michigan Wolverines in Jacksonville. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez looked to have saved his job at the beginning of the season, but once Big Ten defenses figured out how to contain the speedy Robinson, and he suffered a few injuries, the situation began looking bleak for the former West Virginia coach yet again. …
Mississippi State 35 Michigan 28
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Rose Bowl Game Presented By VIZIO
27 of 35
Wisconsin vs. TCU | Pasadena, Calif. | Rose Bowl
January 1, 2010, 4 p.m. ESPN
Wisconsin put up over 70 points in three of its wins this season. Two of those wins came against the Big Ten’s Indiana (83 points scored) and Northwestern (70). These Badgers also knocked off then-No. 1 Ohio State on the road. Since TCU doesn’t play anyone else, they’ll be ready for this one, but the three-headed monster at running back for the Badgers will surely prove to be too much for the out-sized Horned Frogs in their first ever Rose Bowl Game. …
Wisconsin 34 TCU 31
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
28 of 35
Connecticut vs. Oklahoma | Glendale, Ariz. | U. of Phoenix Stadium
January 1, 2010, 7:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3D
These two teams took very different routes through history to get to the desert for the Fiesta Bowl, as UConn earned its first BCS bowl bid by winning the Big East Conference, while Oklahoma won its fourth Big 12 Conference title in the last five seasons. Most are writing off the Huskies against a much better Oklahoma team, but remember Husky tailback Jordan Todman is second in the nation in rushing with 1,481 yards. …
Oklahoma 34 Connecticut 20
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Discover Orange Bowl
29 of 35
Stanford vs. Virginia Tech | Miami | Sun Life Stadium
January 3, 2010, 7:30 p.m. ESPN
The projected No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL draft, Andrew Luck, leads his Cardinal into Miami to face the ACC champion Virginia Tech Hokies. Tech reeled off 11 straight wins after dropping its first two games to Boise State and, err, James Madison. But Stanford is just really, really good, and their only loss this season was to BCS Championship-bound Oregon. Another win for the Cardinal will extend the already-school record 11 wins mark to 12. …
Stanford 31 Virginia Tech 27
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Allstate Sugar Bowl
30 of 35
Ohio State vs. Arkansas | New Orleans | Louisiana Superdome
January 4, 2010, 7:30 p.m. ESPN
If any game on the bowl slate this season is a toss-up, it’s this one. Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor, the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy next season, faces off against Arkansas’s Ryan Mallett, a top NFL prospect in April’s draft. Arkansas makes its first appearance in the Sugar Bowl since 1980, with a record of just 1-4 in its previous five appearances. Add a “5” to that record after this one. …
Ohio State 31 Arkansas 28
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
GoDaddy.com Bowl
31 of 35
Middle Tennessee vs. Miami (Ohio) | Mobile, Ala. | Ladd-Peebles Stadium
January 6, 2010, 7 p.m. ESPN
MTSU will appear in a bowl game for the third time in five seasons under coach Rick Stockstill, and their second in a row. The Blue Raiders feature all-star quarterback Dwight Dasher, just the 15th player in NCAA history to pass for over 5,000 yards and rush for more than 2,000 yards in his career. But if the Miami (OH) Redhawks, led by MAC coach of the year Michael Haywood (the coach who turned the program from 1-11 last year into 9-4 this year) can figure out how to stop Dasher with his Redhawk defense, they’ll be okay. …
Miami (Ohio) 24 MTSU 21
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
AT&T Cotton Bowl
32 of 35
LSU vs. Texas A&M | Arlington, Texas | Cowboys Stadium
January 7, 2010, 7 p.m. FOX
A sellout crowd in monstrous Cowboys Stadium will watch two old rivals meet in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. LSU owns the series lead, 26-20-3, but the two haven’t met since 1995. The Aggies have won the last five games in the series, and since quarterback Ryan Tannehill took over for struggling Jerrod Johnson earlier this season, they haven’t lost once. …
Texas A&M 24 LSU 21
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
BBVA Compass Bowl
33 of 35
Pittsburgh vs. Kentucky | Birmingham, Ala. | Legion Field
January 8, 2010, 11 a.m. ESPN
Kentucky has played in Birmingham-based bowls twice in the program’s history. Both contests were in the now defunct Hall of Fame Bowl. The games happened in 1983 and 1984 against West Virginia and Wisconsin, respectively. Ironically, ‘Cat coach Joker Phillips played on both of those teams and leads his Wildcats into the Birmingham bowl again on January 8th. Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt has just resigned, so it will be interesting to see how the Panthers play against Kentucky, who will be led by Morgan Newton at quarterback after starting quarterback Mike Hartline was suspended by Phillips for a recent arrest. It’s hard to win a big game without your starting quarterback. …
Pittsburgh 30 Kentucky 24
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
34 of 35
Nevada vs. Boston College | San Francisco | AT&T Park
January 9, 2010, 8 p.m. ESPN
Boston College made it to its 12th straight bowl game by way of a backup contract the bowl had with the ACC, as not enough Pac-10 teams were eligible for bowl games this season. But they’ll be facing high-powered, one-loss Nevada, the team that upset Boise State just a few weeks ago. The Wolfpack is led by Colin Kaepernick, the only player in college football history to ever pass for over 9,000 yards and rush for over 4,000 yards in his career. That alone is enough to tell me the ‘Pack should beat the Eagles, setting up the national championship game the following day. …
Nevada 33 Boston College 23
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
35 of 35
Oregon vs. Auburn | Glendale, Ariz. | U. of Phoenix Stadium
January 10, 2010, 7:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3D
In the game the nation has been waiting for, two offensive powerhouses square off in the desert for all the marbles. Vegas-favored Auburn, led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cam Newton, should win this game if they score early and often. However, if the Tigers get down early, the quick speed attack of Oregon could be too much to overcome for the SEC’s Tigers. Oregon plays for the school’s first national championship, while one-time champion Auburn shoots for its first since 1957. …
Auburn 38 Oregon 35
For other analysis and more articles by Tucker Sargent, visit Tucker Sargent's Sports Blog today.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
