Bowl Schedule 2010: 25 Bold Predictions, Shockers and Bonafide Upset Alerts
Just three games into bowl season, there are plenty of shockers and upsets to go, and plenty of bold predictions at that.
You'll see a wide variety of bold predictions here, spanning the full spectrum of the upcoming bowl schedule.
Some will shock you, some will make you ponder, some you may even agree with.
Of course, when the games begin, anything can happen.
For example, TCU could lose, Arkansas could beat Ohio State, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini could explode in quarterback Taylor Martinez' face (again), and the University of Florida could hit an all-time low after Tim Tebow's departure.
Not saying any of these are going to be my bold predictions. Then again, they just might be.
Here are my 25 bold predictions, shockers and bonafide upset alerts for the upcoming bowl games.
25. Arizona Scores Over 30 Against Oklahoma State
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The No. 14 Oklahoma State Cowboys aren't exactly a top defense in college football, giving up 27.8 points per game this season.
They were playing better for a while there, until they met Oklahoma in the season finale, losing 47-41.
The Arizona Wildcats, however, score 29.8 points per game and are coming off consecutive 29-point games against No. 2 Oregon and Arizona State.
I see them eclipsing the 30-point mark here.
24. Army Will Lose to SMU
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If you aren't familiar with Southern Methodist University, there's a reason for that.
They are bad.
At 7-6, the Mustangs are one of the worst winning teams to be playing in a bowl game.
But...
The Mustangs have won two of their last three, and played a close game against 10-3 UCF.
And Army just lost their last two, including 27-3 against Notre Dame and 31-17 against Navy.
UPSET ALERT!
23. Notre Dame Will Beat the Miami Hurricanes
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Both Notre Dame and the Miami Hurricanes are 7-5.
But Notre Dame has won its last three, including against then-No. 14 Utah.
The Hurricanes have surely not had the season they envisioned from the start, and just lost to South Florida in the last game of the regular season.
That, however, won't be their low point.
Losing to Notre Dame will.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Tommy Rees Will Pass For Multiple TDs
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Who's Tommy Rees you ask?
Why, Notre Dame's capable second-string quarterback, of course.
After first-stringer Dayne Crist was injured this season, Rees had to fill Crist's shoes (at least he didn't have to fill Christ's shoes).
In Rees' four starts, he's gone 3-1, and passed for 10 touchdowns. He's also thrown for seven interceptions, but that's beyond the point.
Rees should be able to continue to "get his roll on" against the struggling Hurricanes.
21. SDSU Will Beat Up on Navy
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Sure, Navy is 9-3 and San Diego State is 8-4, but SDSU is a far superior team in my opinion.
The Aztecs' last two losses have been five-point and four-point losses to TCU and Utah respectively.
I mean, they almost beat an undefeated TCU team.
Plus, freshman sensation running back Ronnie Hillman should be a force as always, and the Aztecs don't have a bad QB in Ryan Lindley either.
The Aztecs are 20th in the nation in scoring, at 35 points per game.
Although Navy is 9-3, the Midshipmen haven't beaten anyone all that good, and lost to Maryland, Air Force, and 3-9 Duke.
I think they are in for a rude awakening against the Aztecs.
20. Ronnie Hillman Will Rush for Over 100 Yards and a TD
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San Diego State freshman RB Ronnie Hillman has rushed for 1,304 yards this season on 5.6 yards per carry and 14 touchdowns.
He is the centerpiece of the Aztecs and has exploded onto the scene.
Against UNLV last week, he rushed for 152 yards and a score.
I don't see Navy doing much to stop him.
19. Tennessee Will Beat North Carolina
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Yep, you heard me right.
The 6-6 Tennessee Volunteers haven't exactly lit the world on fire this season.
In fact, they've been pretty bad.
But, call me crazy, I have a feeling they have a chance in this one.
They've won four straight, and North Carolina isn't exactly a powerhouse this season either, sitting at 7-5.
The Tar Heels have lost two of their last three, and they barely beat 3-9 Duke.
UPSET ALERT!
18. UConn Will Be Losing by 14 After the First Quarter
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I don't think poorly of the Connecticut Huskies going into their matchup with Oklahoma, as a lot of people probably do.
But I don't think that highly of them, either.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, I think very highly of, especially after what the No. 7 Sooners did to Oklahoma State and Nebraska to close out the season.
Landry Jones and DeMarco Murray are legitimate stars to blow a team like the Huskies out of the water early.
That's what I see happening.
17. Boise State Will Destroy Utah
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I think most people will agree Boise State should win this one by a handful.
But I see it being more than a handful.
I see the Broncos absolutely trampling Utah.
After their loss to Nevada that ended their two-year winning streak, I see the Broncos still having something to prove.
Utah lost to TCU earlier in the season, 47-7, and then lost to Notre Dame.
They barely rebounded against SDSU and BYU, but I see the score looking similar to that of the TCU game.
16. Kellen Moore Will Throw for Over 300 Yards, Three TDs
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I see Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore exploding in this game, even more so than he regularly has the last two years.
This is his last game before the 2011 NFL Draft, and, somehow, he still has something to prove, noticeably lower in NFL Mock Draft boards than some other top QBs.
An explosion against the Utes could move Moore a few spots higher and give him even more respect than he's already earned.
15. Louisville Will Beat Southern Miss
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Hence the term, BOLD prediction.
There's no question Louisville isn't a top team in college football, with a 6-6 record and losing to the likes of Kentucky, Cincinnati, and South Florida.
But I'm not a big believer in 8-4 Souther Miss, either, losing to East Carolina, UAB, and Tulsa at the end of the season.
Southern Miss can score a lot of points, but they also can give up a lot, as evidenced by their 56 points allowed against Tulsa.
UPSET ALERT!
14. Bilal Powell Will Rush for Over 100 Yards, Two TDs
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Who, you ask?
Why, the Louisville Cardinals top running back, of course.
As disappointing as the Cardinals' season has been, senior running back Bilal Powell has actually had a very solid season, rushing for 1,330 yards on 6.3 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns.
Powell rushed for 123 yards and a score against Rutgers last.
Against a forgivable defense in Southern Miss, I can see Powell doing the same thing, with an added touchdown bonus.
13. Ricky Stanzi Will Throw an INT Against Missouri
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Ricky Stanzi doesn't throw many interceptions.
It's just one of those undeniable facts.
Stanzi has 25 passing touchdowns on the year, to four interceptions.
With running back Adam Robinson suspended and Jewel Hampton transferring, Stanzi is down to just one reliable running back in Marcus Coker.
That is going to hurt the Hawkeyes' running game, and Stanzi in the process.
12. Bo Pelini Will Scream at Taylor Martinez Again
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We all saw Nebraska coach Bo Pelini scream at young quarterback Taylor Martinez against Texas A&M on Nov. 20.
Unfortunately for Taylor Martinez, things haven't gone any smoother for him since the incident.
He went 12-for-24 against Oklahoma in his next game starting and threw an interception.
Pelini is clearly an emotional guy.
It's only a matter of time before he blows his gasket again, and one miscue by Martinez is all it could take.
11. Taylor Martinez Will Scream Back at Bo Pelini
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A young man can only take so much abuse before he too explodes.
That is what will happen against the Washington Huskies.
Last time Bo Pelini got in his face he kept his composure.
This time will be different, as he will finally lose control.
10. Florida Will Lose to Penn State
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Florida has just had a bad season, there's no way around that.
Not only has quarterback John Brantley not played at the level expected, his teammates haven't exactly been helpful, with a guard-turned-center flipping balls up into his eyeballs and receivers running around with apparent precision.
The Gators capped off their season losing to Florida State, 31-7.
The Penn State Nittany Lions, on the other hand, lost by only six points to Michigan State and appear to have gotten stronger as the season has worn on.
UPSET ALERT!
9. John Brantley Will Throw More Picks Than TDs
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I hate to beat up on John Brantley, but he hasn't had the greatest season in place of Tim Tebow, throwing nine interceptions to nine touchdowns in 12 games.
He's thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in five of these games, including against South Carolina and Appalachian State before the season finale at Florida State.
The Nittany Lions defense only has nine interceptions on the year, but the way this Florida offense has been going, I can easily see another dud by Brantley and the Gators.
8. Wisconsin Will Beat TCU
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TCU is a very good team, don't get me wrong.
But, despite going undefeated this season, they haven't beaten any big-time teams, unless you want to call Utah one (which I won't).
Wisconsin, however, has only lost to Michigan State this season, and we all know how the Spartans have played this season.
Despite TCU's No. 1 ranked defense, they haven't really faced any strong offenses (the one decent offense they faced, SDSU, they gave up 35 points to).
I see Wisconsin's No. 4 offense being trouble for this No.1 defense.
7. Wisconsin Will Run Well Against TCU
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In the same breath, I see Wisconsin's rushing offense being a problem for the Horned Frogs. James White and Montee Ball have done a terrific job filling in for the injured John Clay, and the offensive line is a key part of this.
This is the type of rushing offense that can run against anyone, in my opinion. Even TCU's.
6. Arkansas Will Beat Ohio State
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As good as Ohio State has been this season, they have undoubtedly lost a step from where they expected to be at this point in the season.
The Buckeyes rattled off five straight wins to end the season, but they lost to Wisconsin, and I see Arkansas being a similar team to Wisconsin.
Arkansas won six straight to close off the season, including South Carolina, Mississippi State, and LSU, and the offense consistently scores over 30 points per game.
QB Ryan Mallett has placed himself into the elites entering the 2011 NFL Draft.
5. Ryan Mallett Will Touch Up Ohio State's Defense
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As vaunted as Ohio State's defense is (13.3 points per game allowed), I still think Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks can beat their D, and convincingly at that.
Ohio State gave up 31 points to Wisconsin earlier in the season. I see Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks possibly eclipsing this mark.
4. Arkansas, Ohio State Will Score a Combined 60 Points
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We know both these teams can score.
The only difference is, they usually play against lesser offenses, thus leading to lower overall point totals.
But I can legitimately see both the Razorbacks and Buckeyes scoring 30 points or more in this game.
Both of their offenses are electric, and I don't see the defenses giving them as much trouble as you might think.
3. Virginia Tech Will Beat Stanford
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The Virginia Tech Hokies were ranked highly coming into the season.
Then they played their first two games, losing to Boise State and James Madison of all schools.
But it's their last 11 games that have me giving them the upset.
They've won them all, and they've done so in convincing fashion.
They are playing at the level we all expected them to coming into the season, and QB Tyrod Taylor has grown by leaps and bounds.
The Hokies also give up just 19.1 points per game, that helps.
2. Tyrod Taylor Will Outshine Andrew Luck
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As good as Stanford's D has been this season, I can see Tyrod Taylor surprising the Cardinal in this game.
Dual-threat quarterbacks can always cause unforeseen trouble for opposing defenses, and Taylor has been one of the better dual threats this season, running for 637 yards and five TDs on top of his 23 passing TDs and just four interceptions.
Taylor's grown each year, and he has something to prove heading into the NFL Draft.
1. Oregon Will Beat Auburn
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That's right, No. 2 Oregon will beat No. 1 Auburn.
Debatable whether this is a true upset, but it's an upset nonetheless.
Based on Oregon's overall offense and defense, a lot of people like Oregon better than Auburn.
But, of course, Auburn has a guy by the name of Cameron Newton, THE dual-threat QB of dual-threat QBs.
Should be an interesting game, but I see Oregon edging out Auburn in this one, finding a way to simply contain Cam Newton, and scoring just enough to beat him and the Tigers.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
