BCS Predictions: Rose and Orange

There aren't many bowls that are more exciting than the BCS games. One new years day, we get a big helping of blue collar football and an under dog for the ages. 

If you were to ask me who would end up in these bowls at the beginning of of the season Wisconsin and FSU might have been on the list. I did not see Stanford doing this well and of course I didn't see Northern Illinois in a BCS game. That's what makes this exciting; knowing that these are teams no one saw getting here and now they will get to prove themselves. Who will prove themselves? Let's take a look.

The Rose Bowl - Wisconsin VS Stanford 

Without some post season bands, Wisconsin isn't here. Some people blame them for being in this game. I don't. They may have not won the most games, but they did what they needed to to and destroyed Nebraska to get here. Wisconsin comes in with a pounding running game. Montee Ball has arguably been the best running back in all of college football the past few seasons. He has 1,730 yards with 21 touchdowns and has 5,040 in his career with the Badgers. Wisconsin also has James White in the running game. He ran for 802 yards this season and 12 touchdowns. He is a nice change from Ball. White has a little more speed and is a little more illusive than Ball. Wisconsin also have a stout defense, but the passing game is really what hurts them. They have a revolving QB situation which really doesn't help their cause. Stanford comes in with a better defense. The Stanford defense is powerful. They held Oregon, who has one of the best scoring and rushing offenses, to 14 points and only 198 rushing yards. They will be able to limit the effectiveness of Montee Ball. The Cardinal offense is middle of the road.and the ground game is their strength. RB Stephan Taylor leads the Cardinal with 1,442 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. Like Ball, he will be able to pound the middle of the Wisconsin defense. This game will come down to the play of the QBs. I think Stanford has the edge with Kevin Hogan. Though he didn't start the season, the freshman has been able to come up big in huge situations. I think he leads Stanford to the 21-17 win in the Granddaddy of Them All.

The Orange Bowl - Northern Illinois VS Florida State

No one saw Northern Illinois doing this. Some saw them winning the MAC and getting to a pretty good bowl game, but nothing like this. Just like Wisconsin, many blamed them for making this game. I think that is absolutely ridiculous. When a team follows the rules and makes a BCS game because of the rules, they deserve it. I was shocked and appalled to see the continued 'hate' towards NIU on ESPN after it was announced that they were in. Personally, I hope they beat FSU just so Kirk Herbstreit can get off his high horse and realize the MAC has some good teams. It will probably be a different story come game time. Northern Illinois lives and dies by QB Jordan Lynch. he is a dual threat QB who threw for 2,962 yards with 24 touchdowns and ran for 1,771 yards with 19 touchdowns. Besides Lynch, the Huskies have his favorite target, Martel Moore. Moore caught 71 balls for 1,054 yards and 12 touchdowns. If he can get open down field and allow Lynch to pass the ball down field, I think NIU have a chance. Florida State comes in touting one of the best defenses in the nation. They allow an average of 15.1 points per game and great great pressure on opposing QBs. FSU also has a great offense. Led by QB E.J. Manuel, the Seminoles average 39.9 points per game. The guys to watch on offense are the running backs. Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. are both filling in for the injured Chris Thompson. Both have done a great job. Freeman has 630 yards with eight touchdowns in 10 full games. He splits the carries with Wilder who has 583 yards and 11 touchdowns. QB E.J. Manuel will shine in this game. He will run the offense efficiently and will spread the ball out to all the play makers the Seminoles have on offense. 

In the end I think NIU will show what the MAC is all about. They will have some success, but I think this game is too big for them. I got Florida State winning 31-13 with a stout performance from the defense. 

Thanks for reading! 

Max's BCS Picks!

Go to Youtube and watch Max make his picks for the BCS games!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7CiYH-8Ge0

There's the link so go watch and enjoy! 

New Year's Day Bowl Games

They might as well call New Year's Day, Big Ten vs SEC day. Their are a lot of good match ups on the first day of 2013 and there is a good chance the Big 10 could get some quality wins. Will they? I examine all four non-BCS games in this post and give you my picks! 

The Gator Bowl – Mississippi State VS Northwestern

Northwestern was a bit of a surprise to go 9-3 this season. Their lack of a passing game had a lot of people questioning if the Wildcats had what it takes to win. With their Tandum of QB’s, Northwestern shocked the Big Ten. Kain Colter and Trevor Siemian have been splitting the snaps this season and have had some success. The biggest past of the Wildcat offense is their run game. RB Venric Mark has been the main guy on the ground. He has 1,310 yards this year with 11 touchdowns. QB Kain Colter also contributes on the ground with 820 yards and 12 touchdowns. Mississippi State started the year 7-0. The Bulldogs are a bit pass heavy, but still have a solid running game. QB Tyler Russell and WR Chad Bumphis are the guys to watch. They have connected well this season as Bumphis caught 55 balls for 904 yards with 12 touchdowns. I expect him to carve up the Northwestern secondary while the Bulldogs cruise to a 35-10 win.

Heart of Dallas Bowl – Purdue VS Oklahoma State

Purdue carries a three game win streak and a 6-6 into Dallas. The Boilermakers have a middle of the road offense with a defense that isn’t much better. QB Robert Marve started off cold and eventually got hurt. After returning from his injury, his season has a new life. He has 13 touchdowns with only three interceptions this year. The other guy to watch for is RB Akeem Shavers. The senior running back has over 700 yards this season with 6 touchdowns. He is a solid back that can make some people miss and catch out of the backfield. He will be key if this Purdue team wants to get going. Oklahoma State comes in with one of the best offenses in the nation. It looks like back up QB Clint Chelf will be the man under center come game time. The junior had a great season by throwing for 1,391 yards with 12 touchdowns in 5 full games. He will be the key part of this offense if they want to win. RB Joseph Randle will be the star of the offense. His 1,351 yards and 14 touchdowns have been the best part of this Cowboy offense. I think OSU will win this game because of their offense. I think they will be able to tear apart the Boilermakers and will win 40-20.

Capitol One Bowl – Georgia VS Nebraska

Unfortunately for the Big 10, I don’t see this one going so well for the Huskers. Georgia has a very balanced and good offense. Aaron Murray is the obvious star for this game. He has thrown for almost 3,500 yards and has 31 touchdowns. He is also very accurate only throwing 8 interceptions with a 65.4% passing percentage. Murray is almost overshadowed by Georgia’s freshman running back, Todd Gurley. He has 1,260 yards on the ground this season with 16 touchdowns. He is a very explosive back and can really take a hit as well. The Georgia defense was also able to make it through the tough SEC while allowing an average of 18.8 points per game. Nebraska comes into the game with one of the best rushing attacks in the nation. RB Ameer Abdullah spear heads the rushing attack that averages 254.5 points per game. He has rushed for over 1,000 yards and is accompanied by QB Taylor Martinez. Martinez is a good duel threat who has over 3,000 total yards and 31
touchdowns. His arm will be the key part of the Nebraska offense. He’s going to have to make some big passes at some point and if he can’t Nebraska is doomed. I think he won’t be able to do it and that the Nebraska defense will get torn up by the Bulldog offense. I got Georgia winning 42-17.

The Outback Bowl – South Carolina VS Michigan

Unlike last year, Michigan didn’t get lucky with their bowl game, but this doesn’t mean they can’t win it. Michigan has had a lot of time to figure out a tough offense that will undoubtedly feature both Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner in some fashion. They will both make an impact through the air because both have thrown for over 1,000 yards this season. The Wolverines will need to rely on Robinson’s legs for most of their offense comes from him. His 1,166 yards and 7 rushing touchdowns vastly overshadow RB Fitzgerald Toussaint. If Michigan is going to win this game, their defense is going to need to show up. Their defense allowed an average of 18.8 points this season, but was very exposed in many of their losses. South Carolina comes in with a balanced and slightly lethargic offense. RB Marcus Lattimore would have been the star for the Gamecocks. His 662 yards and 11 touchdowns lead the team. Unfortunatly, he broke his leg in October, but the Cocks have other options in the back field. The passing game will also be a huge part of the SC attack. Wide Receivers Bruce Ellington and Ace Sanders are deadly. They have combined for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns. Because of both defenses, this will be a very low scoring game. The team that wins this game will have to grind it out of the offensive side of the ball. I think South Carolina can do this better than Michigan and they will win the game 19-10.  

Thanks for reading!

New Year's Eve Bowls

It’s been a tough Bowl Season. Don’t get me wrong, the football has been wonderful, but I’m not calling it too great. After 19 games I’m 11-8. It’s above .500, but it isn’t good enough. As we inch closer to the smorgasbord of New Year’s games, there’s a full plate of New Year’s Eve games that should serve as a great appetizer. Here are my picks!

The Music City Bowl – NC State VS Vanderbilt

The ACC SEC match up has never been kind to the ACC. In the past 13 years the SEC leads 58-45 in head to head bowl games. Last year, the SEC went 5-2. NC State has a pretty good chance of helping the ACC’s record this year. The Wolfpack has a dominating passing attack. Senior QB Mike Glennon is the man to watch for this team. He has a cannon for an arm and has passed for 3,648 yards and 30 touchdowns this year. They also have a pretty efficient defense. The problem is that they can’t run the ball with any consistency or score touchdowns on the ground. Vandy comes in with a balanced offense. Senior QB Jordan Rodgers has just about 2,500 yards this season and 13 touchdowns. He isn’t the best passer, but he can lead an offense when he needs to. The Commodore running game is pretty average, but their defense is outstanding. I’m picking Vandy in this one for two reasons, one: I don’t think NC State is ready for this defense, two: NC State had a really weak schedule this season. Those two factors have me picking Vanderbilt to win 35-13.

The Sun bowl – USC VS Georgia Tech

Without USC quarterback Matt Barkley, I have little interest in this game. Max Wittek, the USC back up, did a decent job in his only major outing against Notre Dame. The Irish have a very tough defense, so I think Witteck has already gained a lot of experience. He will have an easy time slicing up the GT secondary because of the Trojan wide receiving corps. Marquise Lee, who comes in with 1,680 yards and 14 touchdowns, will give GT headaches along with his partner in crime, Robert Woods. The Trojan defense isn’t great and will be tested by the GT triple option. Speaking of GT, they have a huge running attack. The triple option has allowed them to average 312.5 a game which is 4^th in the nation. QB Trevin Washington has been the main source of touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets. His 26 total touchdowns lead the team. He doesn’t really pass the ball much, but he has 4 interceptions in 128 attempts. I kind of want to lean towards to GT in this one because of how they performed down the stretch, but their defense is not going to be able to handle the air raid USC will throw at them. I see USC winning the game 31-21.

The Liberty Bowl – Iowa State VS Tulsa

This is another bowl that I’m a little disappointed with. It is a rematch of the first game of the season for both teams. Though Iowa State won the game, Tulsa went on to a more successful season. I have to favor Iowa State in this one though. They played a much harder schedule which included four ranked teams and plenty of high powered offenses. They also have a strong defense that allows an average of about 23 points per game. The fact that they could do this in the Big 12 speaks volumes. The only issue for the Cyclones is that they don’t have a guy that can step up and lead the offense. The offense is very balanced with talent spread throughout, but none of them seem to be a leader.  The Golden Hurricanes of Tulsa have a great running game. RBs Trey Watts and Ja’Terian Douglas are both huge weapons that get used a lot. WR Keyarris Garrett is another attacking option Tulsa has. His nine touchdowns lead the Golden Hurricanes. Though Tulsa are the hotter team, I feel like Iowa State have gone through enough this season to prepare them from this game. They figured out how to beat Tulsa once and I think that will allow them to do it again. I see Iowa State winning 29-21.

Chick-fil-A Bowl – LSU VS Clemson

Unfortunately for the ACC, I don’t see this going very well for Clemson. LSU have one of the best defenses in the nation. This is bad news for Clemson who really haven’t faced anything like the Tigers defense. LSU also has a pounding running game. RBs Jeremy Hill and Kenny Hilliard will be the guys to watch. They pound the rock and I think this will wear down the front seven of Clemson. After doing that, I think Zach Mettenberger, who has been decent this year, enough of an opportunity to make some plays down the field. Clemson will have to live and die by Tajh Boyd. With his 43 total touchdowns, he is going to have to make a big impact on the ground and through the air. He will also have to make sure he is taking care of the football better than he has been earlier in the season. When he faced South Carolina, who has a comparable defense to LSU, he threw two interceptions which really cost them the game. I think LSU will have some difficulty with Boyd, but they will ultimately figure him out. Both defenses will hold for a while, but Clemson’s will break first and more often. I see LSU winning them one by a score of 27 to 17.

Thanks for reading! 

Bowls Galore!

I hope you have been able to enjoy the holidays with your friends and family! I also hope you've been able to enjoy the football!

Due to the holidays, traveling to the Little Caesars Bowl, and going to Ohio, I have to make a lot of these picks early. I also have to make them short. Here are a whole bunch of picks for the next few days and I will see you for New Years!

The Military Bowl - San Jose State VS Bowling Green 

For San Jose, watch for QB David Fales to be the biggest threat. He has over 3,500 yards and 31 touchdowns. He will be matching up against one of the best defenses in the MAC. Bowling Green doesn't have much offense, but their defense only allowed an average of 15.8 points per game in the high scoring MAC. I think this will be a close one, but Bowling Green will use there hot defense to snuff out the Spartan's offense and win 24-20.

The Belk Bowl - Cincinnati VS Duke 

Duke is in a bowl game for the first time since 199 and from the looks of it, they are going to have a hard time. The Blue Devils have a terrible running game and defense which is a dreadful combination. Cincinnati has a terrible defense too, but they have a better offense. I see running back George Winn, who has 12 touchdowns, leading the Bearcats to a 31-30 win. 

The Holiday Bowl - Baylor VS UCLA 

This is an interesting match up. It pairs up two great offenses. Baylor has one of the best offenses in the nation. QB Nick Florence, RB Glasco Martin, and WR Terrence Williams have been tearing up the Big 12. The problem is, they haven't faced a good defense and they don't have a defense of their own. UCLA may not have an offense as potent as Baylor, but the Bruins can still put up some points. They also have a better defense and a tougher defense than a lot of teams in the Big 12. I see UCLA scoring their way to a 40-30 win. 

The Independence Bowl - Ohio VS UL-Monroe 

Both of these teams are lower level conference beasts. UL-Monroe beat Arkansas early in the year and almost beat Auburn and Baylor. Ohio was able to beat Penn State this year as well. It will be a close game because both teams are similar. ULM has a dual threat QB with Kolton Browning. He leads Monroe in both rushing and passing yards. Ohio QB Tyler Tettleton is also a dual threat, but he has more play makers around him. I think that's what give Ohio the edge in this one. They will win a close one by a score of 27-23.

Russel Athletic Bowl - Rutgers VS Virginia Tech

Virginia underachieved this year. After leading his team to the Sugar Bowl, QB Logan Thomas had a bad year. He threw 14 interceptions this year with only 17 touchdowns. The offense has been down in general this year. They can't score enough to beat the teams they should and I think this will continue against the stout Scarlet Knight defense. Rutgers have also had offensive troubles, but I think their defense gives them a chance to win this game. The Scarlet Knights will squeak by in this one 13-10. 

Meineke Car Care Bowl Of Texas - Minnesota VS Texas Tech  

Minnesota is in a bowl game again, but the problem is that they are facing Texas Tech. Minnesota has a abysmal offense and an okay defense. The Red Raiders have an incredible passing game and a defense that should be able to stop the Golden Gopher offense. I think that short description should tell the entire story for this game. I got Texas Tech winning 41-20.

The Armed Forces Bowl - Rice VS Air Force 

This game pits two 6-6 teams together. Both teams have a good run game and rely on it heavily. Both teams also have mobile QBs. Rice has Taylor McHargue who has scored 11 TD's through the air and matched that number on the ground. He is a little careless with the football, but he should have a good day against the Air Force defense. Air Force has Connor Dietz. He is a force on the ground, but doesn't throw it much. It will be a good old fashioned football game with a lot of running, but Rice's ability to pass will help them win the game 26-21. 

New Era Pinstripe Bowl - West Virginia VS Syracuse 

This Big East flashback should be a good one. West Virginia comes in with one of the best offenses in the nation. QB Geno Smith has had a heck of a year throwing the ball. He has over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns this year. Syracuse has a pretty good offense as well. QB Ryan Hassib will be able to shine against the Mountaineer's bad defense. The problem is that I don't think he will be able to keep up with West Virginia. The Mountaineers will win this shoot out 45-39.

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl - Navy VS Arizona State

Two great running teams face off in this match up. Navy is historically loyal to the run. Once again, they have one of the top ranked rushing attacks just because of how much they run. They also play good defense. ASU has a great running game with Mashall and Grice, but they also have a passing game with Taylor Kelly. Their defense is just as good as the Navy defense and have proven themselves against better teams.If you look at Navy's schedule, they lost against all the good teams they played. I think their 8-4 record is a bit inflated and that will show when they go up against ASU. I think Arizona State wins this game 34-20.

Alamo Bowl - Texas VS Oregon State

This is one of the better early bowl games. Oregon State came out of nowhere this year and really became a great team. Between QBs Sean Mannion and Cody Vas, the Beaver passing game has risen to great heights. Between the two of them they have 26 TDs. The Beavers also have a great defense. They allowed over 40 points just once and that was to Oregon. Texas has been pretty good throughout the Big-12 season. At times they look like one of the top teams in the nation, but at other times they look like a 6-6 team. They don't have a very good defense, which should allow Oregon State to put up some points. The offense, led by QB David Ash, has shown that they too can put up some points. I think the Longhorn defense will have a lot of difficulties against the Beaver defense which will allow Oregon State to win the game 33-28. 

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl - Michigan State VS TCU

Michigan State has had such an up and down year. Their 6-6 record can mostly be credited to their strong defense. When a team only allows an average of 16.3 points per game, it should be easy to win a lot of games. Gholston has been a beast on the defensive line and he will cause a whole lot of issues for the Horned Frogs. The Spartans problem is that they can only score about 20 points per game. QB Andrew Maxwell has been shaky at best and RB Le'Veon Bell has been a ghost of the player he was last year. TCU has had a rough year as well. They lost a lot of players in the offense and during the season, but have been able to adapt. QB Trevone Boykin hasn't been great, but in the 8 games he played a major part in he has been efficient. He has an interception issue, but he makes up for it with his ability to extend the play. TCU is going to win this game because they have a better offense and a defense that can hang with MSU's. I think TCU wins 23-10 in a hard hitting game. 

Thanks for reading! 

More Bowl Picks

We are now four bowls into the bowl season and I'm a respectable 3-1. So far, we have been treated to a defensive battle, some pretty high scores and some decent games. The best part is that it can only go up from here! The same cannot be said for my bowl record. Let's see if it will go up after my latest picks.

The New Orleans Bowl - East Carolina vs Louisiana Lafayette
This bowl features  two 8-4 teams that are pretty balanced. ECU have an electric QB in Shane Carden. The sophomore has nearly 2,900 passing yards this year with 21 touchdowns. He has the ability to extend plays as well as gain a few yards on the ground. The other man to watch out for on the Pirate offense is Justin Hardy. He is Carden's favorite target hauling in 83 balls for 10 touchdowns. The big issue with ECU is their lack of a rushing attack. They average just under 135 yards a game and can't seem to pound the ball when they need to.
Louisiana-La is the more complete team. They have a balanced attack of both passing and rushing. The Ragin' Cajun offense is ranked inside the top 50 for both categories. The best part about this offense is Terrance Broadway. He is the star QB for the Cajuns and is a dual threat. I would expect him to add to his 24 total touchdowns this weekend through the ground and air.
This game will come down to defense. While neither team has a great defense, Louisiana-La's has looked to be the better of the two. I think the Cajun defense will cause enough issues to disrupt Carden while benefiting from some home cooking. They will win the game by a score of 36-29.

The Las Vegas Bowl- Boise State vs Washington
This should be an interesting game to watch. There is a lot riding on this game for both teams. Washington needs to win this game to carry some momentum into next year if they want to compete in the Pac-12. They also want to try to erase a some of the bad impressions they made last year after a 67-56 shellacking by Baylor. Boise State needs this game to establish that there is a 'new' Boise State. After Kellen Moore left, a lot of people lost interest in this team. Boise will need to show that they are still the giant killers we know them as. It will be a tough task Boise because they will have to defend Husky QB Keith Price. He hasn't been quite as explosive as last year, but the junior did throw for just over 2,400 yards this year with 18 touchdowns. His issues has been giving the ball away. He had 11 interceptions this year and any time he has thrown two in a game, the Huskies have lost. Besides that, the Huskies have a decent running game and a pretty impressive defense.
Many people may say the Boise State is weak, but they were 7 points from going undefeated  They needed 4 in the MSU game and three in the SDSU game for wins. Boise State has moved on from the Kellen Moore era by the means of Joe Southwick. He has thrown for nearly 2,500 with 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. .The running game is where the Broncos win games though. D.J. Harper is the main man on the ground and he had a stellar 1,000 plus yard season with 15 touchdowns. I expect him to get plenty of running lanes against the Huskies and dominate the game. The Bronco defense will take care of the rest of the game. They have allowed and average of 14.9 points per game. They will contain Keith Price and nail down this game for the Broncos. I think Boise State will win this game 21-10.

The Hawaii Bowl - Fresno State vs SMU 
This is another one of those interesting battles between lower conference teams. Fresno State are the favorites in this on, like they should be. Out of the Mountain West, they went 9-3 with loses to Oregon, Boise State and Tulsa. If there are such things as good losses, I would say those all qualify. The passing game is definitely what sets the Bulldogs apart. QB Derek Carr has a pair of sharp eyes and is incredibly good at taking care of the football. His 68.1 % passing percentage comes with 311 completions for 3,742 yards, 36 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions. He will be the main threat for the SMU defense. Carr is assisted by his favorite wide receiver, Davante Adams, and his running back Robbie Rouse. Both have over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in their respective positions. Needless to say, the Bulldogs have options on offense. There's proof of that in their 69-14 beat down of Colorado. The defense is much of the same. They allow an average of 22.8 points per game and allowed a high of 42 points this season, but that was against Oregon.
SMU comes in looking not so fearsome. They have a 6-6 record and a pretty mediocre in every category  They will pose the biggest threat through the air. QB Garrett Gilbert has over 2,700 yards and 14 touchdowns, but he also has 13 interceptions. He is a dual threat QB, so expect him to extend some plays and possibly score some points on the ground. Besides that, the ground game is pretty bad for the Mustangs.  Their defense is good, but is has seldom taken down a big team.
To make a long story short, I'm not going to pick a team that lost to Tulane (2-10). SMU was unlucky when they got in this bowl because Fresno State should be in a higher bowl, but settled with this. I see a blow out here with Fresno winning 47-7.

Little Caesars Bowl - Central Michigan vs Western Kentucky
Here is my pride and joy, the Chippewas. They come in with a 6-6 record and a three game winning streak. They aren't impressive in either the running or passing game, but QB Ryan Radcliff is the man to watch. He has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards this season with 20 touchdowns. He has improved the interception count from previous years (only 9 this year) and that can be accredited to the offensive line who has cut down on the amount of sacks Radcliff has had to suffer. The run game will be spear headed by Zurlon Tipton who had 19 touchdowns this season. The run game won't shock anyone, but it will get the runs it needs late in the game. The Chippewas defense has been torched a few times this season, but it really seemed to settle in during the final weeks of the regular season.
Western Kentucky is in it's first ever bowl game. They joined the Sun Belt in 2009. They are 7-5, but it is a very strong 7-5. The Hilltoppers won at Kentucky and were the only conference loss for Arkansas State, the eventual conference champion. WKU's losses have come from #2 Alabama and four teams with a combined record of 27-21. They have a wonderful running game spearheaded by Antonio Andrews. Andrews has run for over 1,600 yards and 11 touchdowns. He will be a major threat to the Chippewas. WKU's tandem set of wide outs, Willie McNeal and Jack Doyle will also be issues. They aren't the biggest threats, but when the running game gets going, they become dangerous off play action and in the red zone.
As much as I want to pick my Chippewas, I think WKU's running game will be too much for them. Something else that scares me is the Hill Topper defense. It held the mighty Alabama Crimson tide to 35 points. Central couldn't even score on Michigan State (via the offense) and they always seem to have to hope that they out score opponents instead of stopping them defensively. It will be a battle, but WKU will come out on top 35-26.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the games!

UEFA Champions League: Round of 16 draw reaction

 The draw for the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League was held in Nyon, Switzerland and to the joy of many soccer fans; lady luck was in the room. There are plenty of first round matches that pay tribute to old clashes as well as dream match-ups from a neutral stand point. 

Here's how the draw panned out:

** Big games are pointed out like this

Round of 16 draw
Galatasaray AŞ v FC Schalke 04 

Celtic FC  v Juventus 

Arsenal FC  v FC Bayern München 
FC Shakhtar Donetsk  v Borussia Dortmund 

AC Milan v FC Barcelona
Real Madrid CF  v Manchester United FC
Valencia CF v Paris Saint-Germain FC
FC Porto (POR) v Málaga CF (ESP)

During my first look at the draw, one match stood out to me the most: Man U v Real Madrid. What a dream pairing! First of all, these are two of the top clubs in the world. That means there will be a bigger audience because there are people from the United States to India that know of these clubs.  Secondly, there will be so much talent on the pitch. United has Van Persie and Rooney, while Madrid has Ronaldo and Ozil. That is a lot of international talent right there and they are some of the most recognizable names in the game. Third of all, there’s so much back story to this match. Ronaldo’s not so graceful departure from United should really stir up the fans and bulletin board material. Finally, the implications it will have on this tournament will be massive. These are two huge players in the international soccer world. United have three European crowns and always seem to be in the mix. Madrid has a record nine Champions League titles and made it to the semi-finals last year. When one of these teams get knocked out, it will make the playing field just a little bit better for all the other teams.

Looking at the rest of the matches, I am happy with the Barcelona – AC Milan pairing. These two sides have met each other plenty of times in the past 10 years. You could almost call it a rivalry, but Barcelona has had the upper hand. These two met 3 times last year and it was quiet entertaining. Though Milan has lost a lot of players, it should still be a fun one to watch.

Other pairings I really enjoy are Celtic FC – Juventus, Arsenal FC - FC Bayern München, and FC Shakhtar Donetsk - Borussia Dortmund. Scottish side Celtic FC already shocked the world with a 2-1 win over Barcelona in the group stages. I’m wondering what they can do against a down Juventus team. We could see a Scottish team in the quarter finals for the first time in a while, which would be a very odd sight. The Arsenal-Bayern match should be an interesting one. I’m most interested in seeing if Arsenal can right the ship for their season in England by having a great showing in Europe. Plus, I have a soft spot of the German League (the Bundesliga) and I want to see who Bayern will respond after last year’s defeat in the final. The last match up is on my radar as well because of the Bundesliga, but also because Borussia Dortmund has been the team on the rise in Germany. After two league titles and last year’s terrible group stage, I think this young team could cause some problems in the later rounds.

Round of 16 action doesn’t start until February, so no predictions yet, but there will be plenty of league action to take in! I’ll be back in February after plenty of studying with my picks.

Thanks for reading!