Bronco Chase's Bowl Picks, 6th Edition

Now that's more like it! I have been suffering some tough bowl pick losses lately and I really needed a good day to make me feel better. I sure got it. I started off the new year at 4-0 before settling down to watch the two BCS Bowls that we were graciously offered by ESPN. TCU won the Rose Bowl. It was a great game and a few mistakes by Wisconsin (missed field goal, bad clock management at the end of the first half) cost them the game. Congratulations to the Horned Frogs. They won it for the non-AQ schools. Next came the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma found themselves in another lose/lose situation. If they win the game, then everybody says "Well they were supposed to. No biggee." But if the Sooners lose, the consensus is "They suck." But they took care of business and finally won a BCS game for Bob Stoops after 5 failed attempts. It was one of those games where Oklahoma dominated, but UConn hung around enough to not allow me to turn off the TV. Frustrating. I would venture to say this the Huskies are one of the worst teams to ever play in a BCS Bowl (2006 Pitt, 2008 Hawai'i). Another observation; did you notice that the vaunted SEC was 0-3 in bowl games before January 1st? Well things changed when Alabama blew out Michigan State, Mississippi State owned Michigan, and Florida hung tough against Penn State to send Urban Meyer off on a good note. Good for them. The conference really needed that boost. Anyway, let's recap the action and go from there.

TicketCity Bowl
My prediction was Texas Tech wins 35 to 28
Final score: Red Raiders 45, Wildcats 38






Outback Bowl
My prediction was Florida wins 24 to 21
Final score: Gators 37, Nittany Lions 24






Capital One Bowl
My prediction was Alabama wins 31 to 21
Final score: Crimson Tide 49, Spartans 7







Gator Bowl
My prediction was Mississippi State wins 35 to 34
Final score: Bulldogs 52, Wolverines 14






Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
My prediction was TCU wins 21 to 18
Final score: Horned Frogs 21, Badgers 19






Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
My prediction was Oklahoma wins 38 to 21
Final score: Sooners 48, Huskies 20






Batch total: 6-0
Bowl totals: 17-11
Season total: 82-28

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As a reminder: if the word "prediction" has stars, then it is an upset. It will look like this:

*Prediction*:

Also, I have analyzed some of the games with a write up, but not all of them. I wrote on all the bowls were WAC teams are involved and the BCS Bowls. The others just have when, where, the bowl name, who's playing, and a score prediction. Finally, I am including these bowls in my season long record.

January 3rd at 6:30 PM
Discover Orange Bowl
Miami, Florida

(11-1, 8-1 Pac 10)
vs.

(11-2, 8-0 ACC)




Line: Stanford favored by 3
I am really looking forward to this game. The Hokies have won 11 straight games after starting the season 0-2. The Cardinal’s only loss came at Autzen Stadium against Oregon. Both squads are playing extremely well and the Orange Bowl should be an epic clash. Virginia Tech is famous for their great defenses, but this year has been a down one for many people. I think Stanford actually has the better defense in this game. In college football, I would take Tyrod Taylor over Andrew Luck as far as play-making goes. Plus, the Hokies have three very talented and explosive running backs. The game will be close. The Cardinal will make enough stops throughout and possess the ball to keep Taylor off the field.
Prediction: Cardinal 24, Hokies 21

January 4th at 6:30 PM
AllState Sugar Bowl
New Orleans, Louisiana

(11-1, 7-1 Big 10)
vs.

(10-2, 6-2 SEC)




Line: Ohio State favored by 4
Arkansas earned their BCS Bowl the hard way this year. They faced a tough schedule and came out on top, losing only to Auburn and Alabama along the way. Ryan Mallett at quarterback is tough for anyone to stop, as well as the Hogs great receiving core. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have had a significantly week schedule and lost to the toughest team they played, which was Wisconsin. Still, Ohio States plays very well on defense and has the offense to compliment it well. Terrelle Pryor is developing into a very good pocket passer that uses his legs only when necessary. The Buckeyes are too talented and deep to lose this game. 2 BCS Bowl wins in a row for Jim Tressel. But more importantly, the Buckeyes finally beat an SEC team in a BCS Bowl game.
Prediction: Buckeyes 31, Razorbacks 24

January 6th at 6 PM
GoDaddy.com Bowl
Mobile, Alabama

6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt)
vs.

(9-4, 7-1 MAC)




Line: Miami (OH) favored by 2
Prediction: Redhawks 28, Blue Raiders 24

January 7th at 6 PM
AT&T Cotton Bowl
Arlington, Texas

(10-2, 6-2 SEC)
vs.

(9-3, 6-2 Big 12)




Line: LSU favored by 1
*Prediction*: Aggies 24, Tigers 21

January 8th at 10 AM
BBVA Compass Bowl
Birmingham, Alabama

(7-5, 5-2 Big East)
vs.

(6-6, 2-6 SEC)




Line: Pittsburgh favored by 3
Prediction: Panthers 31, Wildcats 21

January 9th at 7 PM
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
San Francisco, California

(12-1, 7-1 WAC)
vs.

(7-5, 4-4 ACC)




Line: Nevada favored by 10
The Eagles started off the season poorly. They were at 2-5 before rattling off 5 wins in a row to finish the season and secure a spot in a bowl game. It was their rugged defense against the run (top ranked in the nation) that has allowed them to get to this point. What is their reward? The top ranked rushing offense and one of the most prolific in the history of college football. It is strength against strength in San Francisco and it should be a lower scoring affair than one would think with the Nevada Wolfpack in the game. Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua will do enough to put their squad on top, even with a great Boston College defense trying to stop him. Colin Kaepernick is 0-3 as a starter in bowl games. He has already gotten the Boise State monkey off of his back, can he do the same thing in San Francisco? This will be his year. (On a side note, I hate Boston College. This one is personal.)
Prediction: Wolfpack 28, Eagles 21


Bowl totals: 17-11
Season total: 82-28

If you are paying attention, you know that I have only 1 bowl game left to pick, and it is the National Championship between Oregon and Auburn. I will be posting that as well as a detailed preview and analysis of the match up and what it means for college football. Until then, enjoy the end of a fantastic season and stay tuned to Bronco Chase for some stories, analysis, ideas, and whatever else I come up with.