TicketCity Bowl 2012: 5 Key Matchups for Houston vs. Penn State

The 2012 TicketCity Bowl is a tough nut to crack.

Houston was this year's hope for breaking down the segregated walls of the BCS as one of the last two undefeated teams in the country.  It stood on the brink of rocking the BCS and earning an at-large bid...until Southern Miss came along. 

Unfortunately, Southern Miss was the only ranked team Houston played all year.

This has to feel somewhat like a letdown.

Penn State's own debacle came earlier on in the season.  The Nittany Lions have been through arguably the most shocking news story in college sports in, well...forever.  Scandal dented an otherwise stellar reputation as a stand-up program, forcing the ostracism of a living legend. 

In spite of this, Penn State finished the regular season winning nine games, indicating that they are still a talented team with a lot to play for.

In light of these issues, this may be the most intriguing matchup of the non-BCS bowls.

Houston and Penn State are absolute antitheses on the field, and the converse matchups should provide analysts plenty of fodder for prediction and scrutiny.

Let's analyze a few of these matchups ourselves, shall we?

Houston's Offense vs. Penn State's Defense

If Case Keenum played in a BCS conference, his name would top the Heisman ballots.

Keenum has broken not only Houston records, but also national FBS records in total offense, yards passing and touchdown passes.

He has had some help in the form of two stellar wide receivers, Patrick Edwards and Justin Johnson, both of whom have surpassed 1,000 receiving yards this year.

A quick glance down the list of final scores of Houston's games looks like a joke.  It has only scored under 35 points once (the loss to Southern Miss), and it has posted 73 points...twice!

Houston has not, however, played a defense like Penn State.

The Nittany Lions boast the 10th ranked defense in the nation with the fifth fewest points allowed.  It has allowed over 20 points only three times this year, two of which were losses.

Defensive tackle Devon Still was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and anchors this solid defense. If he can get to Keenum, the Nittany Lions might be able to slow down Houston's explosive offense. 

This matchup will be incredibly fun to watch.

Focus vs. Focus

Houston's momentum was stopped cold last week against Southern Miss. Penn State is trying to prove that its program is bigger than a coach.

Houston might never get another quarterback like Case Keenum. Penn State doesn't know who its coach will be next year.

Houston has lost to every ranked team it's played. So has Penn State.

We've seen this over and over. 

A team, poised to crack the unholy practice that is the BCS, drops a big game and is relegated to a second-tier bowl that only the most faithful fans will care about.

The opposing team digs deep into its dented pride and uses it as a catalyst for passion and power.

If Houston can win, it can still put a chink in the BCS armor.  If Penn State wins, the BCS brass will waggle their heads and say, "I told you so."

Which reason for playing will carry its team to victory?

Kevin Sumlin vs. Tom Bradley

Tom Bradley took over in the wake of Joe Paterno's exit from the Penn State sideline.  He has done an admirable job of rallying the troops, even though it would have been understandable for Penn State to fall to pieces. 

He has stated that he would like the job permanently and all indications are that he will be the man on the sideline at least for the TicketCity Bowl.  Past that, its anyone's guess.

Teams that don't know who their coach is going to be are very unstable.

Just look at Cincinnati when Brian Kelly abruptly left for Notre Dame.  It was subsequently trounced by Florida in the Sugar Bowl in 2010.

Or look at North Carolina under Everett Withers.  North Carolina didn't stand a chance this year without a stable coach.

As the annual coaching carousel makes its rounds, coaches like Kevin Sumlin of Houston are given a long, hard look.  The rumors exploded after positions became available at UCLA, Texas A&M and Arizona State, and Sumlin's name was thrown into the hat.

Players are surprisingly cognizant of their coaches and accompanying issues.

How will the coaching upheaval affect these two coaches and their players?

Neighbors vs. Fans

Bowl game attendance is mostly about proximity.  The TicketCity Bowl will be held in Dallas, Texas in the old Cotton Bowl Stadium.

Quick, which is farther away, Houston or Pennsylvania?

If it was El Paso to Dallas, the distance disparity would become surprisingly narrow.

However, Houston is approximately four hours south of Dallas, a great deal closer than University Park, Pennsylvania.

Point for Houston.

If the Cougars can get a majority turnout, they might be able to overcome the inevitable lag they will be feeling from being BCSed.

Matthew McGloin vs. Houston's Secondary

Five interceptions is a respectable number for any quarterback for a year.  I am fully aware that he has only started the last seven games for the Nittany Lions, but in those games, Matthew McGloin is 6-1 with eight TDs and five interceptions.

He seems to be gaining confidence but could play with a little more reckless abandon.

Heck, for the vaunted Andrew Luck's nine interceptions, he also has 3,500 passing yards and 35 TDs.

Matthew McGloin is going to have the opportunity to throw with confidence against a Houston secondary that was torched for four touchdown passes by Southern Miss.

As a matter of fact, Houston's defense has been streaky all year, allowing over 30 points five times.  If McGloin can get into a rhythm, he will have a breakout game against the Cougar secondary.