College Football Bowl Blitz - Week 1

Written by Lucky Lester on December, 20th 2007 | 0 Comments

Top Games of the Week

Poinsettia Bowl

Utah Utes (8-4) @ Navy Midshipmen (8-4)
Line: Utes (-7.5) @ Midshipmen (+7.5) O/U 64.5
Time: 12/20/2007 21:05pm EST on ESPN

Utes: The Utes have the second longest Bowl winning streak in the Nation, winning each of their last 6 games. The Utes’ junior tail back, Darrell Mack, rushed for 1,128 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging just a decimal under 5 yards per rush this season. Mack averaged just under 103 yards per game this year. He will team up with transfer quarterback Brian Johnson in an attempt to outscore the famed Navy rushing attack. Then again, it’s not all about offense for the Utes, in fact, just the opposite. Utah’s defense ranked 3rd in the nation in total defense, and allowed 84 rushing yards per game over their last 7 contests. They have the athletes, bowl experience, and discipline to match up with the Navy’s option offense. The Utes were 8-4 SU, 7-5 ATS, and just 3-3 away from home. They averaged 25.5 points while giving up just 15.6 per game.

Midshipmen: Navy comes in without the head coach that guided them to an 8-4 season, as Paul Johnson took the job at Georgia Tech and will coach for neither team during the Bowl season. Navy will definitely run the ball as they come in winners of 4 straight, and having outrused each opponent in those 4 games. In fact, the Midshipmen have outrushed their last 3 opponents by 800+ yards combined. They easily outrushed each of their last 10 opponents. They had 195+ more rushing yards than their opponents in 5 of their last 10 games. Needless to say, if you want to stop the Navy offense, you’ll have to bring a physical and disciplined front 7 to the game. Navy was 8-4 SU, 4-7 ATS, and 4-1 away from home. They averaged a hair under 40 points per game while giving up 36.5 per contest. They finished 7-4 O/U on the year.

PapaJohns.com Bowl

So. Miss Golden Eagles (7-5) @ Cincinnati Bearcats (9-3)
Line: Eagles (+11) @ Bearcats (-11) O/U 55.5
Time: 12/22/2007 13:05pm EST on ESPN 2

Eagles: Southern Mississippi won 5 of their last 7 games to get bowl eligible and now they get to play one of the most underrated teams in the Nation. But USM might be up for the task, they’ve played tough football all season long, having long and hard battles with the likes of Memphis and Central Florida, plus a good win over East Carolina, but the question is, can they step up and beat a good football team like Cincinnati? The Golden Eagles will have a tough road ahead on the ground, as Cincinnati ranked first in the Big East against the run. USM has a little extra motivation to win this for their long time head coach, Jeff has spent the last 17 years as the head coach of this program, and 29 total years at Southern Mississippi. He “resigned” and will be coaching in his last game with his team. The Eagles were 7-5 SU, 5-6 ATS, and 6-5 O/U on the year. They scored 28.3 points per game while giving up 23.6 per contest.

Bearcats: As I mentioned above, the Bearcats have one of the best defenses in the country. They allowed a stellar 18.5 points per game in the Big East, and were #1 against the run, something the Golden Eagles have to be worried about coming into their match-up with the Bearcats. The Cats’ senior quarterback, Ben Mauk, has had himself one heck of a season in Cincinnati. After transferring to Cinci from Wake Forrest has thrown for more touchdowns and less interceptions than he did in his three year career at Wake. Mauk’s 27 touchdowns have been huge for his team, leading them to their best record since 1953. The Bearcats have a solid group of young players, and they excel in almost every aspect of the game.  The Bearcats were 9-3 SU, 8-2-1 ATS, and 5-1 away from home. They averaged 36.8 points per game while giving up just 18.6 per contest. They were 5-5-1 O/U on the year.

Other Games this week:

New Orleans Bowl
Florida Atlantic (-2.5) vs. Memphis (+2.5)
Friday, December 21, 2007 - 8:00 pm EST

New Mexico Bowl
New Mexico (-3) vs. Nevada (+3)
Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 4:30 pm EST

Las Vegas Bowl
UCLA (+5.5) vs. Brigham Young (-5.5)
Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 8:00 pm EST

Hawaii Bowl
Boise State (-10.5) vs. East Carolina (+10.5)
Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 8:00 pm EST

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