Bowl Schedule 2010: 25 Bold Predictions, Shockers and Surefire Upsets
Nine bowl games are already in the books, but that means we still have 26 games to go.
It's time to get excited, because there promises to be plenty of action in the remaining bowl schedule.
We've got some intriguing under-the-radar matches left as well the BCS games that everyone's waiting to see, including the BCS National Championship Game.
So I'm here to offer my predictions for what's left of the 2010-11 bowl season.
Get yo' popcorn ready.
Honorable Mention: Middle Tennessee Will Destroy Miami (OH)
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The GoDaddy.com Bowl features two teams who allow more points than they score, Middle Tennessee and Miami (OH).
The Blue Raiders may be 6-6, but at least their offense isn't as bad as the Redhawks.
Miami (OH) ranks 114th in rushing yards and and 103rd in points scored.
So even though they're 9-4, they'll get blown out in this one.
25. Pittsburgh Will Score 14 Points Or Fewer Against Kentucky
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Pittsburgh has scored just 82 points in the team's five losses, which averages out to 16.4 points per game.
The Panthers have also scored just 55 points in their last three games, two of them wins.
Even if Pitt does take care of Kentucky in the Compass Bowl, the Panthers aren't going to score a ton of points.
24. Army Will Rush For More Than 300 Yards In The Armed Forces Bowl
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Army has the nation's No. 10 rushing offense at 256 yards per game.
SMU ranks 49th in the nation in rushing yards allowed, which isn't bad but isn't great either.
The Black Knights should have another huge performance on the ground.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
23. Matthew McGloin Will Lead Joe Paterno and Penn State To a Win Over Florida
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Prior to Matthew McGloin taking over as Penn State's quarterback, the Nittany Lions were 3-3.
Since then, Penn State is 4-2 and McGloin has scored 14 total touchdowns.
The Nittany Lions will take on Florida in the Outback Bowl, and the Gators scored just 21 total points against South Carolina and Florida State in their final two SEC games.
The old man, Joe Paterno, will get the best of the Gators, who are transitioning to the Will Muschamp Era.
22. Northwestern Will Give Up at Least 50 Points To Texas Tech
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Texas Tech scored 99 points in the team's final two games.
Northwestern allowed 118 points in their final two games.
Need I say more?
21. Syracuse Will Allow Twice As Many Points As Its Season Average
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Syracuse allows just 18.1 points per game, which ranks 13th in the nation.
But let's be real: the Orange play in the Big East.
When they take on Daniel Thomas and Kansas State's No. 25 scoring offense (33.6 points per game), it'll be a different story.
20. Aaron Murray Will Emerge As a Top Five Quarterback For 2011
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Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray is one of the most overlooked true freshman quarterbacks in recent college football history.
He's thrown for more than 2,800 yards and accounted for 28 total touchdowns to just six interceptions.
Yet. somehow no one's talking about him.
But after the Liberty Bowl against UCF, people will be.
19. Derek Dooley Will Lead Tennessee To Its Fifth Straight Win
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North Carolina is getting most of the love in the Music City Bowl matchup, but Tennessee is the hotter team.
The Volunteers have won four straight games after a 2-6 start, and all those freshmen Derek Dooley stuck with have gained valuable experience throughout the season.
That'll translate to a fifth straight win by Tennessee and a nice start to the Dooley Era in Knoxville.
18. Notre Dame Will Give Brian Kelly His First Bowl Win in a Blowout
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Notre Dame takes on Miami in the Sun Bowl, and the Hurricanes are in the process of transitioning to a new coach.
Miami's also lost two games in a row and three of their last five.
The Fighting Irish, on the other hand, have won three straight games, all against quality opponents (Utah, Army and USC) and have given up just 22 points during that stretch.
They'll roll over the 'Canes in this game.
17. Marcus Lattimore Will Top 200 Rushing Yards Against Florida State
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South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore has racked up 1,198 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns during his freshman season.
Florida State's defense is coming off a performance against Virginia Tech, in which the Seminoles gave up 179 yards on the ground (which isn't terrible).
Who has the edge here?
I'll go with Lattimore, who should be the focal point of South Carolina's offense in this game.
16. No LSU Quarterback Will Throw For More Than 100 Yards Against Texas A&M
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Jordan Jefferson has thrown for less than 100 yards in seven of 12 games this season.
Jarrett Lee has thrown for less than 100 yards in eight games, even though he's missed two games.
It doesn't really matter who LSU is playing, neither of these guys will top 100 yards passing.
15. East Carolina Will Score at Least 40 Points Against Maryland
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East Carolina enters the Military Bowl ranked 12th in the country at 38.2 points per game, and the Pirates have scored at least 35 points in five straight games.
Meanwhile, Maryland has given up at least 30 points in two straight games, and the Terrapins are still distracted by the ongoing Ralph Friedgen saga.
That'll translate to a monstrous offensive performance from ECU in this one.
14. Wisconsin and TCU Will Score Less Than 40 Total Points
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Wisconsin and TCU are tied for fourth in the nation in scoring at 43.3 points per game.
But the Badgers rank 29th in points allowed at 20.5 per game, and the Horned Frogs have the nation's No. 1 scoring defense at 11.4 points per game.
It's long been assumed that this will be a shootout, but I beg to differ.
13. The Texas Bowl Will Be The Highest Scoring Bowl Game
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Baylor and Illinois both average roughly 32 points per game, while the two teams combine to allow about 54 points per game.
The Fighting Illini also boasts the nation's No. 13 rushing attack, and the Bears rank in the top 25 in both rushing and receiving yards.
Needless to say, this game will be full of offensive fireworks.
12. Michigan and Mississippi State Will Top 500 Combined Rushing Yards
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Mississippi State rushes for 215.8 yards per game.
Michigan rushes for 251.1 yards per game.
There ya go.
11. Da'Quan Bowers Will Have at Least Three Sacks Against South Florida
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Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers leads the NCAA in sacks with 16, has registered a sack in all but two games, is coming off a two-sack performance in the regular season finale, and had three sacks in a game against Maryland earlier in the season.
Why should we think anyone will slow this dude down?
10. Tyrod Taylor Will Outplay Andrew Luck
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Stanford's Andrew Luck gets all the publicity, but Virginia Tech's Tyrod Taylor has been stellar all season as well.
Taylor has thrown for more than 2,500 yards, rushed for another 637 yards and accounted for 28 total touchdowns.
Would it really be that big of a shock to see him outplay Luck?
I don't think so.
9. Colin Keapernick Will Amass 450 Total Yards Of Offense Against Boston College
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Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick has thrown for more than 2,800 yards, rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and accounted for 40 total touchdowns (20 rushing, 20 passing) in 2010.
He has four games with at least 148 rushing yards and two games with 300 passing yards.
Kaepernick, one of the most underrated players in recent college football history, will combine those two numbers when he throws for 300 yards, runs for another 150, and tops 450 total yards of offense.
8. NC State Will Score Less Than 10 Points
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NC State scores 32.6 points per game, but their Champs Sports Bowl opponent, West Virginia, ranks second in the nation in points allowed at just 12.8 per game.
Something's gotta give, right?
Well, defense wins championships, so the Mountaineers will hold the Wolfpack to less than 10 points in a game that will be a defensive struggle.
7. Justin Blackmon Will Score at Least Three Touchdowns
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Oklahoma State has the nation's No. 2 passing attack and No. 3 scoring offense, and Justin Blackmon has been the most productive wide receiver in all of college football this year.
The Cowboys will take on Arizona in the Alamo Bowl, and the Wildcats have a four-game losing streak, during which they gave up at least 42 points twice.
Blackmon, the 2010 Biletnikoff Award winner, is already salivating.
6. Terrelle Pryor Will Push Himself Out Of The First Three Rounds Of The Draft
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Even though Terrelle Pryor says he's coming back to Ohio State for his senior year, his five-game suspension leads me to believe the Sugar Bowl will be his last game as a Buckeye.
Scouts aren't really high up on Pryor at the moment, though, and his performance in this game won't help his case at all.
With Ryan Mallett wowing scouts on the other side, Pryor will significantly hurt his draft stock in this one.
5. Auburn and Oregon Will Top 90 Total Points
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Auburn scores 42.7 points per game, and Oregon is tops in the nation at 49.3 points per game.
The Ducks have scored at least 50 points six times...and so have the Tigers.
This one will be a shootout.
4. Michigan State Will Beat Alabama
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How many people have already handed this game to Alabama?
I mean, Michigan State has beaten six teams that are headed to bowl games this season, while the Crimson Tide lost arguably its three toughest games of 2010.
The Spartans also boast the nation's No. 20 rushing defense, which will allow them to limit the effectiveness of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson.
3. Missouri Will Beat Iowa By 25-Plus Points
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Missouri scores 30.3 points per game, and allows just 15.2 points per game (No. 6 in the nation).
Iowa, on the other hand, will be without Derrell Johnson-Koulianos (who was dismissed) and Adam Robinson (who was suspended).
The Hawkeyes also have averaged just 21.5 points per game over the last four games and have lost three straight contests.
See where I'm going here?
2. Oklahoma-Connecticut Will Be The Biggest Blowout in BCS History
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Oklahoma has the nation's No. 4 passing attack, ranks 17th in points scored (36.4 per game), and ranks 13th in sacks (34) and 11th in interceptions (17)...and plays iin the Big 12.
Connecticut ranks 112th in passing yards, 62nd in points scored (26.9 per game) and ranks 96th in total yards...and plays in the Big East.
The current spread in this game is 17, but the Sooners will beat the Huskies in what will turn out to be the biggest blowout in BCS history.
1. Washington Will Beat Nebraska In The Holiday Bowl Rematch
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Back in September, Nebraska beat Washington 56-21.
Those two teams will meet in the Holiday Bowl, with the Huskies lucky to be there and the Cornhuskers wishing they were somewhere else.
I'd be lying if I said I had any statistical evidence to back up this prediction.
In the words of the Black Eyed Peas, I've got a feeling, though.
Jake Locker for the win!
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
