BCS Bowl Preview
Four bowl games start around the lunch hour New Year’s Day. That’s just an appetizer, though. Save some room for the main course, beginning later in the day with the Rose Bowl and then enjoy something sweet for dessert with the Sugar Bowl.
If you’re a bowl enthusiast like me, then those two games can only cure your appetite for so long. Fortunately with the BCS, we’re treated to primetime games for two more nights. With this bowl season already proving to be one of the more exciting in recent memory, certainly the games more highly anticipated than all the others will deliver more memorable performances, right?
Right?
OK, maybe not. Let’s face it. Some of the BCS games are set up to be yawners.
There’s the traditional New Year’s Day game that is probably wound too tight in its traditions and has tainted the BCS bowl lineup.
Another squad goes into their marquee matchup without its head coach because apparently the school wasn’t illustrious enough to keep him away from Michigan.
One of the at-large bids sneaked its way into a BCS game despite playing only one team with a winning record this season. Oh, and by the way, the BCS team lost that game.
The best matchup of the BCS bowls features an undefeated squad that survived a schedule filled with one quality opponent.
So this is the marquee of the bowl season? I had an easier time getting more hyped up about Navy and Utah playing in the Poinsettia Bowl.
I am a proponent of the bowl system. However, I think the selection process is all wrong. The best matchups were not generated by this system and the best teams in the country weren’t neccesarily included.
There will never be a long, drawn out playoff in college football and if this is the system we’re stuck with, then it’s time to tweak it the right way and give better matchups.
Here’s what my BCS lineup would’ve looked like.
• Rose Bowl: USC vs. Ohio State - The Buckeyes don’t belong in the national championship. The Big 10 was weak and Illinois definitely doesn’t deserve to be in a BCS bowl. However, Ohio State against USC in the most historical bowl game would be a great matchup.
• Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. Missouri - Kansas is another unworth team in the BCS. Missouri beat them late in the season and played a tougher schedule. Chase Daniel also has more drawing power than anyone on the Jayhawks’ squad. Georgia’s defense would give Mizzou an incredible challenge and the game might produce one of the favorites for next year’s national title.
• Orange Bowl: Boston College vs. West Virginia - Florida is the most deserving team left, but can’t be in the game because two SEC teams are already in the BCS. So it comes down to Arizona State, Illinois or Boston College. BC has played the tougher schedule and has a better selling point in quarterback Matt Ryan. Two former Big East rivals battle for supremacy in this game.
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Hawaii - Oklahoma has something to prove in this matchup after Boise State beat them last season. The Sooners were torched by Texas Tech's prolific passing attack earlier this season. Hawaii has the ability to hurt them just as much.
• BCS Championship: LSU vs. Virginia Tech - LSU pounded the Hokies earlier in the season, but this is a different Virginia Tech team. The Hokies have found their identity on offense and are playing as good of defense as anyone else in the country. Sure, both teams would have two losses, but in the current system, this is the best possible matchup at this time of year.
Regardless of what I think, the games are already laid out for us. So here’s a look at all the BCS games minus the national championship.
Rose Bowl
Illinois (9-3) vs. USC (10-2)
3:30 p.m. today (ABC)
Last bowl appearances: LSU 47, Illinois 34 (2001 Sugar); USC 32, Michigan 18 (2006 Rose).
Top 2008 draft prospects: Illinois – RB Rashard Mendenhall (Jr.), LB Jeremy Leman, S Justin Harrison, S Kevin Mitchell, OG Martin O’Donnell, OT Akim Millington; USC – LB Keith Rivers, DT Sedrick Ellis, TE Fred Davis, CB Terrell Thomas, OT Sam Baker, RB Chauncey Washington, DE Lawrence Jackson, OG Andrew Radovich, QB John David Booty.
Synopsis: The “Granddaddy of Them All” has delivered the least interesting matchup of the BCS bowls and all because of the Rose Bowl’s commitment to tradition.
Tradition can be great. Its one of the best things about college football, but there comes a time when it’s better to buck them rather than honor them.
The Rose Bowl is always determined to have a Big 10 vs. Pac-10 bowl game and in this case, they brought in a team undeserving of the BCS.
Illinois is a good story. Head Coach Ron Zook has done a great job of turning the program around and there are two athletes on the Illini that will bring excitement to the contest. Running back Rashard Mendenhall and quarterback Isaiah “Juice” Williams are playmakers and the reason Ohio State has a blemish on its record.
Still, you’re going to tell me that honoring tradition and seeing Illinois take on USC instead of Oklahoma or Georgia is better?
USC wasn’t the consistent offensive juggernaut it has been in the past, but it’s understandable. Look at the talent that has left the Trojans in the past three seasons. There have been numerous first-round NFL draft picks and there’s only more to come.
In early projections, there are five Trojans on this season’s team that could be first-round picks. Three of the five are on the defensive side of the ball, though.
Defense isn’t what usually comes to mind when USC football is brought up. The Trojans have always been a dominant offensive team. Thoughts of Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart immediately begin to cloud the mind.
This isn’t a typical USC squad, though. The Trojans have the best trio of linebackers in the country — juniors Brian Cushing and Rey Mauamaluga and senior Keith Rivers. Cushing has been injured most of the season, but he is the most physically gifted of the three athletes. Mauamaluga leads the Trojans with 75 tackles and Rivers is right behind him with 73.
Their presence is a big reason why USC ranks second nationally in total defense.
Prediction: USC 34, Illinois 14 – USC gives up just 15 points a game. Williams and Mendenhall are going to find it challenging to get the ball in the end zone against this elite linebacking corps.
Some argue the Trojans are playing the best football in the country. I don’t feel that way. I like Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and LSU more, but it’s hard to deny what the Trojans have done defensively.
Sugar Bowl
Hawaii (12-0) vs. Georgia (10-2)
7:30 p.m. today (FOX)
Last bowl appearances: Hawaii 41, Arizona State 24 (2006 Hawaii); Georgia 31, Virginia Tech 24 (2006 Chick-fil-a).
Top 2008 draft prospects: Hawaii – QB Colt Brennan, WR Jason Rivers, OG Hercules Satele; Georgia – OC Fernando Velasco, RB Thomas Brown, PK Brandon Coutu, CB Thomas Flowers, WR Sean Bailey, LB Brandon Miller, DE Marcus Howard, OG Chester Adams.
Synopsis: No longer does anyone doubt a mid-major conference champion’s ability to upset an elite team from a major conference. Thanks to Boise State’s unlikely win over Oklahoma last season, teams like Hawaii will get more opportunities to play in the BCS.
For only the second time in school history and the first time since 1992, Hawaii will play a postseason game away from home. In ’92, Hawaii defeated Illinois 27-17 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, meaning the trip to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl is the furthest inland the Warriors have been on the main land for in the postseason.
Hawaii puts a dedicated effort into throwing the football. The Warriors rank second nationally in pass offense and are dependant upon the throwing arm of quarterback Colt Brennan.
Three of Hawaii’s receivers — Davone Bess, Ryan Grice-Mullen and Jason Rivers — rank in the top 10 in receptions per game. Bess is fifth with 8.42, Grice-Mullen sixth with 8.33 and Rivers eighth with 7.45. Grice-Mullen and Bess average more than 100 yards receiving a game.
Georgia’s gameplan is simple. The Bulldogs want to control the clock with their two-headed monster at running back, featuring senior Thomas Brown and freshman Knowshon Moreno.
Moreno is the home run back. He registered five straight 100-yard performances before ending the season with just 45 yards against Georgia Tech in the season finale. However, Brown picked up the slack for him in the final contest, racking up 139 yards.
Prediction: Georgia 40, Hawaii 28 – Brown and Moreno will find plenty of running lanes against Hawaii. The question is how often can the Bulldogs’ defense stop the Warriors.
Hawaii hasn’t been as productive in its past three games, being held to less than 40 points in each contest and less than 30 in one.
Georgia should be able to slow the game down enough to hold Hawaii to around 30 points, especially since the strongest team the Warriors have faced this season is Boise State.
Fiesta Bowl
West Virginia (10-2) vs. Oklahoma (11-2)
7 p.m. Wednesday (FOX)
Last bowl appearances: West Virginia 38, Georgia Tech 35 (2007 Gator); Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 (2007 Fiesta).
Top 2008 draft prospects: West Virginia – DE Johnny Dingle (Jr.), RB Steve Slaton (Jr.), S Eric Wicks, DT Keilen Dykes, FB Owen Schmitt, WR Darius Reynaud; Oklahoma – RB Allen Patrick, OT Phil Loadholt (Jr.), OG Duke Robinson (Jr.), WR Malcolm Kelly (Jr.), CB Reggie Smith (Jr.), S Darien Williams, CB Marcus Walker, TE Joe Jon Finley, PK Garrett Hartley, S D.J. Wolfe.
Synopsis: Other than the BCS Championship game, the Fiesta Bowl touts the best matchup. However, the feeling is West Virginia’s prolific offense won’t be as productive without Rich Rodriguez, who left the Mountaineers to become head coach at Michigan, on the sideline. I disagree.
An offense that racks up 292 yards rushing a game doesn’t just suddenly forget how to execute its offense just because of a coaching change.
Quarterback Pat White is the type of athlete that can dominate a defense. White averages 99 yards rushing and 157 yards passing a game. He’s become a much more efficient passer, routinely getting the ball to playmaking wideout Darius Reynaud.
Joining White in the backfield is tailback Steve Slaton. Slaton has had a disappointing junior campaign, averaging fewer yards a carry and not showing the toughness to run inside. Still, if he can turn the corner on a defense, Slaton has the speed to outrun everyone to paydirt.
Outrunning Oklahoma’s defense won’t be easy, though. Linebacker Curtis Lofton leads a traditional swift group of Sooners’ defenders. Oklahoma has allowed very little production to its opponents’ run games, giving up just 92 yards a game on the ground.
Offensively, the Sooners are led by the most efficient quarterback in the country — freshman Sam Bradford. Bradford is surrounded by playmakers, including receivers Juaquin Iglesias and Malcolm Kelly and running backs Allen Patrick, DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown.
Prediction: Oklahoma 37, West Virginia 28 – If the Mountaineeers want to compete with Oklahoma, they’ll need White to loosen up the Sooners’ run defense with some big plays with the vertical passing game.
Oklahoma is very vulnerable in the secondary as long as West Virginia keeps the ball away from marquee cornerback Reggie Smith.
In the end, the Mountaineers simply aren’t equipped to keep up with a great Oklahoma squad.
Orange Bowl
Kansas (11-1) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2)
7 p.m. Thursday (FOX)
Last bowl appearances: Kansas 42, Houston 13 (2005 Fort Worth); Georgia 31, Virginia Tech 24 (2006 Chick-fil-a)
Top 2008 draft prospects: Kansas – CB Aqib Talib (Jr.), DT James McClinton, WR Marcus Henry; Virginia Tech – CB Brandon Flowers (Jr.), DE Chris Ellis, LB Vince Hall, LB Xavier Adibi, WR Eddie Royal, OT Duane Brown, DT Carlton Powell, WR Josh Morgan, WR Justin Harper.
Synopsis: Illinois is probably the least deserving of all the BCS teams, but Kansas isn’t far behind the Illini.
The Jayhawks played one FCS team with a record above .500 and the Missouri Tigers defeated them by eight points. The next best record of a Kansas opponent is 6-6. The Jayhawks beat three of those .500 teams by less than 10 points. Their resume simply isn’t deserving of a BCS berth.
On the other hand, Virginia Tech has two losses. One is to LSU in the first week of the season and the other is to the then No. 2-ranked Boston College Eagles. The Hokies have since avenged the loss to Boston College, knocking the Eagles off in the ACC Championship.
I believe Virginia Tech and LSU are the best two teams in the country and the Hokies should be re-matching the Tigers for the national title.
Virginia Tech comes into this contest playing as good of defense as anyone in the country. Since giving up 48 points to LSU in the second week of the season, the Hokies have held every opponent to 23 points or less with eight of their last 10 opponents scoring less than 17 points.
Offensively, Virginia Tech has had an explosion in the past month, scoring at least 30 points in its last four games. A two-quarterback system is generally criticized, but the Hokies are finding great success with one. The athletic Tyrod Taylor is using his dual-threat ability to bring defenses up and then the strong-armed Sean Glennon comes in and hits a defense deep.
Kansas is very dependent upon quarterback Todd Reesing. Reesing has had a coming out party this season, racking up more than 288 yards of total offense a game.
It’s hard to gauge how good Kansas truly is because the Jayhawks played one of the weakest schedules in the country. However, the best athlete on the field will be playing cornerback for Kansas. Aqib Talib is the teams biggest playmaker and the Hokies will be well advised to keep the ball away from him.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 35, Kansas 17 – Reesing is yet to see a pass rush as relentless as Virginia Tech’s. The Hokies also have a great secondary, taking advantage of any hurried mistake opposing quarterbacks might make.
Junior cornerback Brandon Flowers is great at making plays on the ball with five interceptions and eight pass deflections. He’s returned one pick for a score.
Kansas’ defense is the most overrated facet of the team. I buy into Reesing’s ability to make plays, but I don’t buy into the Jayhawks’ chances to stop Virginia Tech from creating scoring opportunities.
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Jonathan Hull
Sports Editor
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