2011 Bowl Predictions: Father vs. Son Picks ATS for Big Ten Bowl Week

The holiday season is a time for many things: togetherness, stuffing your face with desserts and huge meals, awkward meetings with extended family and stress-inducing trips to the store for last-minute gifts.

It is also, however, a time for sports.  There are bowl games on and crucial NFL games with playoff implications.  This year the NBA is back at last and the college basketball season is about to turn toward conference play.  It is a regular cornucopia of athletic contests.

Being back home with my parents for the week has been full of all the normal holiday cheer and partying, but it has also given me a great deal of time to sit down and talk sports with my father.

In that vein, I decided that there was nothing better to do for my bowl-week picks than get my father's input as well.

So come have a seat on the couch and listen to my dad—the man responsible for my crippling addiction to sports—talk college football.

Hot chocolate and pie sold separately.

(This column will run after the Purdue vs. WMU game, so it is not included.)

Insight Bowl

Iowa (+15.5) vs. Oklahoma

Dad Says

Iowa will cover because the team consistently plays well in bowl games while Oklahoma has a tendency to play poorly.

Dad Picks: Iowa

Zach Says

I too recognize how well Iowa usually plays in bowl games and how poor a track record Oklahoma has, but I just don't think Iowa will have enough offense to keep up in the long run now that Marcus Coker is suspended.  Fifteen-and-a-half is a lot of points and while I think Oklahoma gets bored late in this one, it should be far from close at that time

Zach Picks: Oklahoma

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

Northwestern (+9.5) vs. Texas A&M

Dad Says

I just don't think Northwestern has enough to keep up with Texas A&M.  The Wildcats played well at times, but didn't stop anyone for the most part.

Dad Picks: Texas A&M

Zach Says

This has the makings of another blowout, but I think Dan Persa is too good throwing the ball to let Northwestern fall behind too far.  The Aggies are bad against the pass and have suffered big losses because of it.  A&M still gets the win, but Northwestern gives the Aggies a run for their money.

Zach Picks: Northwestern

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Illinois (-3) vs. UCLA

Dad Says

Illinois' free fall is too much to overcome and I just don't see it pulling out of this tailspin with the coaching change.

Dad Picks: UCLA

Zach Says

This has been the season from hell for Illinois, but I don't think all hope is lost just yet.  The team is in a state of turmoil, but the Illinois defense has been very good all season long, and a month off to tweak things on the offensive side should be enough to get the Illini scoring attack back on some sort of level ground.  I think Mercilus and the defense put together a shutdown effort and Illinois wins by a touchdown in honor of Ron Zook.

Zach Picks: Illinois

Ticketcity Bowl

Penn State (+6) vs. Houston

Dad Says

I don't think Houston is nearly as good as their record might indicate and Penn State matches up well with a very good pass defense and solid run game.

Dad Picks: Penn State

Zach Says

I too don't trust Houston in light of a horrendously weak schedule, but things are just too screwed up in Happy Valley to put any confidence in Penn State's ability to keep the game close.  I think the defense is good enough to hold Houston under 30 points, but where is the offense coming from?  If McGloin is hurt (or even if he just missed a week or so of bowl practice) it will have a tangible effect on how well the Nittany Lions play.  

Silas Redd is a helluva running back, but if Penn State can't pass it is going to be tough sledding against a stacked box all day long.

Zach Picks: Houston

Outback Bowl

Michigan State (+3) vs. Georgia

Dad Says

The Spartans have played a tougher schedule and I have seen them take care of business against better teams.  Dantonio's 0-4 record in bowl games and tendency to do stupid stuff aren't enough to sway my opinion.  Michigan State wins a defensive battle in spite of him.

Dad Picks: Michigan State

Zach Says

Georgia just hasn't done enough to fill me with confidence.  The team is 0-3 against the three best teams it has played and you can make an argument that Michigan State is better than two of those teams.  Kirk Cousins and the offense seemed to hit a stride late in the season after a disappointing October that relied very heavily on the defense.  The Spartans won't even need the three points; they will win outright by at least that many.

Zach Picks: Michigan State

Capital One Bowl

Nebraska (+1) vs. South Carolina

Dad Says

I can't see Nebraska coming up with enough offense.  Burkhead is a good back, but South Carolina's defense is too tough.

Dad Picks: South Carolina

Zach Says

While I think the South Carolina defense is very good, I don't think Nebraska will be as affected by it due to the fact that South Carolina wreaks the most havoc in the pass game and Nebraska is more than happy to line up and run Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead 55 to 60 times a game.  I don't think South Carolina's offense is good enough to run away with this one and the close game favors a Nebraska team that has the horses to hold the ball late and move the chains on the ground.

Zach Picks: Nebraska

Gator Bowl

Ohio State (+1.5) vs. Florida

Dad Says

They had success running the ball all season, and against Michigan, Braxton Miller looked like he was starting to click in the offense.

Dad Picks: Ohio State

Zach Says

Ohio State had a disappointing season but at least Ohio State stayed close in games against good opponents.  The Buckeyes lost by a combined 22 points to the four nine-plus-win teams on the schedule (MSU, PSU, Nebraska, UM), while also beating Wisconsin in the Big Ten upset of the year.  Florida was outclassed by every school with a pulse and its best win is against Vanderbilt.

Zach Picks: Ohio State

Rose Bowl

Wisconsin (+5.5) vs. Oregon

Dad Says

I just don't see Oregon being able to shut Wisconsin down, but I don't see Wisconsin being able to keep up with Oregon in the long run.  Oregon wins a close one and Wisconsin gets enough points to cover.

Dad Picks: Wisconsin

Zach Says

This one has the makings of a straight-up race to 50 points.  Oregon's offense is the kind that slowly wears opposing defenses down with speed while Wisconsin's is the kind of offense that simply wants to run over you nine or 10 times on its way to the end zone.  Both teams are loaded with playmakers on offense and have questions on defense.  

This one goes long into the fourth quarter and defense is just a formality.  Wisconsin hangs close but covering the spread is the only win on the day.

Zach Picks: Wisconsin

Sugar Bowl

Michigan (-1.5) vs. Virginia Tech

Dad Says

The Virginia Tech defense looks good on paper, but its inability to stop Clemson tells me it can't stop Michigan either.  On top of that, they have the sixth-leading rusher in the nation and are still 30th in rush offense, which tells me that you only really need to stop one guy in the run game.

Dad Picks: Michigan

Zach Says

It is hard to bet against a team like Virginia Tech.  This is a program that has been remarkably steady under Frank Beamer and consistently plays very strong defense while developing solid running backs and quarterbacks.  However, the luster seems to be gone this year.  The defense has been good but not great against a schedule of also-rans, and the offense is too susceptible to pressure on the inside.  

Michigan, on the other hand, is more battle-tested (games against ND, MSU, Nebraska) and has a two-headed rushing attack that will be a handful for Tech's defense.

Zach Picks: Michigan

Breakdown

Dad Picks

Big Ten: Six to cover, three not to cover.

Underdogs: Six to cover, three not to cover.

Zach Picks

Big Ten: Seven to cover, two not to cover.

Underdogs: Five to cover, four not to cover.

Results to be posted after January 3rd.