Orange Crush

     Once again, I find myself looking at a BCS game that I'm not sure if I will enjoy. Last night only proved my theory that two teams can be so bad that they make the game look good. I don't know what to think of tonight's show down for the Orange Bowl between the Clemson Tigers (10-3) and the West Virginia Mountaineers (9-3). I want to believe that the ACC and the Big East are two very competitive conferences and that the meeting between their two champions will bring us one heck of a game, but I could easily see it being more of a flop than another Spy Kids movie. Once again I got to block all of this out of my head and just get on with it. I present to you, my Orange Bowl guide.
    For the defending ACC Champion Clemson Tigers, this is more than a bowl game. The ACC has failed in the sport light that is the BCS almost every time they have been given a chance. The Tigers Key player is their QB Tajh Boyd. Boyd has racked up over 3,500 passing yards and 31 TDs this season. He has limited the turnovers with only 10 interceptions this season and has the ability to pick up a few yards if he decides to tuck it and run. He will have a lot of help from the rest of his offense tonight as well. Running back Andre Ellington and Wide receiver Sammy Wakins have both had 1,000 yard seasons at their respective positions. The X factor tonight for the Tigers has to be their offensive line. They have allowed 9 sacks when the Tigers have played against top 25 teams. If they want to have a shot in this one, they will need to keep Boyd upright and pressure free.
     The West Virginia Mountaineers battled their way through the competitive Big East to claim a part of the Conference title and a berth in the BCS. They really earned my respect when the decided to play LSU in Morgantown this year. Though they got blown out, they stepped up for the Big East and played a meaningful non-conference game. The story for West Virginia this year has to be their prolific passing attack. Ranked 7th in the nation, the passing game averages over 340 yards a game and is lead by the junior QB Geno Smith. Geno has over 3,900 yards through the air with 25 TDs and 7 interceptions this season. His coolness in the pocket allows for him to find his pair of 1,000 yard wide receivers plenty of times throughout the game. Speaking of those receivers, Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin have recorded half of the Mountaineer's receiving yards. The Mountaineer X factor has to be Dustin Garrison and the rest of the rushing attack. He hasn't been able to put up a lot of impressive stats, but the freshman running back will need to try to pound away at the tough Tiger defense to open up chances for the play action pass game.
     The keys to the game for both teams are very simple. Clemson needs to get the ball in the hands of their tight end Dwayne Allen. At 6'4" and 255 pounds, he is a match up nightmare for the West Virginia defense. Clemson also needs a huge game from their defensive line to disrupt Geno Smith. West Virginia also needs to attack the opposing QB and establish a running game if they want to win tonight.
     Who wins? I think Clemson has the better defense and gets one or two stops tonight and wins 31-24.

Other Picks:
 With the BSC National Championship Game and NFL playoffs bearing down on us, I have some early and brief picks of the later bowl games this season.

Jan. 6th Cotton Bowl: Kansas State v. Arkansas.  Outcome: Arkansas 41-31

Jan. 7th BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh v. SMU. Outcome: SMU 25-19

Jan. 8th GoDaddy.com Bowl: Northern Illinois v. Arkansas State. Outcome: NIU 42-30

Thanks for reading!