... Three rather interesting games! Welcome to Bowl Season sports fans! I will be your guide as we navigate our way though the over flow of games until we make it to the 2012 BCS National Championship game in New Orleans. Though this first batch of pre-Christmas games may not be the best of the season, they still mean something. You will get the chance to see six good football programs fight to cap off their seasons with a "W".
The first game on the slate today happens to be Temple (8-4) vs. Wyoming (8-4) in the New Mexico Bowl. Wyoming has waded it's way through the tough Mountain West Conference with key wins over San Diego State and Air Force. The Cowboys boast a very efficient run game that is spear headed by Alvester Alexander. Wyoming will need to give him the ball if they want to stay competitive. The key player for the Wyoming team is their quarterback, Brett Smith. Brett is a dual threat QB who has been know to rack up some great yardage with his arm and his feet. I expect him to give the Temple defense some fits especially on third down. On the flip side, Temple also relies very heavily on the ground game. The Owls 7th ranked rushing attack averages over 250 yards a game with Bernard Pierce taking the bulk of the hand offs. Piece has accumulated over 1000 rushing yards this season and will be very hard to shut down. The Owls also have one of the top defenses in the nation. Though they play in the MAC, this Owls defense has been tested by some of the best offenses around. I see this game coming down to the defensive power and there is no doubt in my mind that Temple has the best defense. Look for the ground game to be a big part of this one as Temple wins handily, 31- 17.
The next game today is the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl which features Ohio (9-4) and Utah State (7-5). I had the joy of personally witnessing the Ohio Bobcats this season. Let's just say they have great potential in the offensive department. Tyler Tettleton is one of the best hidden gems at quarterback and can throw the pigskin like the best of them. He also provides a bit of a threat as a runner. The Bobcat's success usually rests on how good of a game he is having. I expect him to have a good amount of support from one of the best defenses and running backs in the MAC. Utah State, on the other hand, is a pure running team. The Aggies were able to average over 270 yards a game this season and have a great pair of runners to boot. Robert Turbin is the speed guy. Watch for him to break long runs in the middle of the field and add to his impressive 1400 yard season. Utah State also has Micheal Smith, another speedster who was able to amount over 700 yards at the back up position. After much thought, I expect Ohio to win this game. The Bobcats were able to take care of business against Temple who have a game plan that is comparable to Utah State. I expect the defense to slow down the Utah State running game just enough to bag the 25-21 victory.
The final game on the board today is San Diego State (8-4) vs. LA Lafayette (8-4) in the New Orleans Bowl. The Ragin Cajuns will have the home crowd, but I don't know if they will play too great. The Cajun have a great score offense that primarily finds it's way through the air. The defense is what really kills them though. La Lafayette has given nearly as many points as they score. They also have a very hard time running the ball and getting first downs. Stan Diego State has a decent run game and can get what they need through the air. The Aztecs were able to navigate their way through the improved Mountain West Conference and that ill play to their advantage. With a little better offense, I see San Diego Sate edging the Ragin Cajun 35-31.
Thanks for reading and Merry Bowl-mas!
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