Not exactly what you would call a marquee holiday event, as neither of these 2 squads commands much national attention. Oh, there were the glory days of the Thundering Herd of Marshall, during the Bob Pruett years, in which they went bowling 7-of-8 years ('97 thru '04), with the likes of Randy Moss, Chad Pennington, & Byron Leftwich dotting the program. But things turned bleak, upon Pruett's retirement after that '04 season, with 4-7, 5-7, 3-9, & 4-8 records directly following, before this year's 6-6 mark at least attaining a "non-losing' label. However, 5th-year head coach Snyder was forced to resign, following the Herd's regular season finale vs Utep, in which a 28-21 deficit was turned into a 52-21 embarrassment. Thus, an interim coach in Rick Minter. Not the best of setups, to be sure. The Herd is led by RB Marshall, who, altho being hampered by the injury bug for a good part of the season, still motored for 1,054 yds (5.1 ypr) & 11 TDs. QB Anderson threw for 2,561 PYs, but his 15 TD tosses were offset by 13 INTs, thus an 87th ranking among the nation's signalcallers. For the Bobcats of Ohio U, this is only their 4th bowl contest: '62 Sun, '68 Tangerine, '06 GMAC. The above stats are hardly eye-popping, but note that Ohio leads the nation in forced turnovers (36), & ranks 7th in the land in TO margin. And they've averaged 31 ppg in 12 of their last 14 games, with QB Scott a solid 19/10 for the season. And note Brazill's 15.0 yds per punt return, & Garrett's 27.0 yds per KO return, both leading the MAC. The spot on this one has dropped by 21⁄2 pts since it posted the Bobcats as 41⁄2 pt chalks. Tough call, but we'll string along with the opportunistic 'Cats in a true nailbiter. PROPHECY: OHIO U 27 - Marshall 22 RATING: 6
Dave Wannstedt vs Butch Davis. Ring a bell? That's right, both have taken their present head coaching positions with these schools, off similar situations in the NFL. But not just that, as both served together as assistant coaches under Jimmy Johnson, at OklahomaSt, Miami-Florida, & the Dallas Cowboys. A unique bit of history, to be sure. For the Panthers of Pittsburgh, this is just their 2nd bowl appearance in Wannstedt's 5 years at the helm. And that on the heels of 5 consecutive bowl seasons under previous head coach, Walt Harris. Inheriting an 8-4 '04 Fiesta Bowl team, he had posted records of 5-6, 6-6, & 5-7, prior to this year's turnaround, that had the Panthers at 9-1, & rated 8th in the nation. But a pair of late losses to 18th-ranked WestVa (final 0:00), & 4th-ranked Cincinnati (final 0:33) have crushed their BCS bowl hopes. So, 3 losses this year, by a combined 11 pts. They are led by scintillating Lewis, who ranks 3rd in the nation in rushing (1,640 yds, 16 TDs), the leadership of QB Stull (2,470 yds, 65%, 21 TDs, just 8 INTs), & the receiving of Baldwin (20.0 yds per catch, 8 TDs). Spreadwise, note that Pitt was just 12 pts from an 8-0 ATS windup. The 'Heels return to this bowl for the 2nd straight year, with '09's 31-30 loss to WestVa still leaving a bitter taste. That one featured TD passes of 73, 44, 66, 35, 25, & 20 yds, by the way. This Tar edition is surely an enigma, as they've lost to Virginia, FlaSt, & NCSt, while beating the likes of #12 VirginiaTech (in Blacksburg), & #14 Miami. Nothing special about UNC's "O" (Yates: 12/14), but that "D" ranks 6th in the nation, & the 'Heels have won 5 straight games over ranked opponents. We'll take the FG & the home team. PROPHECY: NORTH CAROLINA 24 - Pittsburgh 23 RATING: 5
For the first time since 2001, the Trojans of So California won't be playing in a BCS bowl game. Not exactly the norm, of course, but as they say, "all good things must come to an end". A pre-season ranking of #3, is exactly where Troy stood in the polls, after its narrow escape (in final 1:05) at OhioSt. But a shocking loss to Washington (in final 0:03), as 20-pt chalks, presaged a less than normal campaign. Note that USC was held without a TD over the final 57:28 in that one. And that vs a team which would finish with the nation's 79th rated "D". The Trojans fought back from that loss, however, reaching the 4th spot in the land, before dropping 3 of their final 5 games, including the ultimate embarrassment, in a 55-21 loss to Stanford. The result: dropping out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in eight years. Altho McKnight is a good one (1,014 RYs), he has been hampered for a good part of the season, & that rushing "O" has topped 174 RYs exactly 3 times all year (138 RYpg last 5 gms). And frosh QB Barkley is a far cry from recent string of brilliant Troy leaders (13 TD/ 12 INTs). But this is a bowl, & remember that Carroll's minions have a 6-1 SU & ATS holiday run, while averaging 39.7 ppg. The Eagles of Boston College are also a perennial bowl fixture, with this contest marking their 11th straight such reward, & they are the first team to play in the Emerald Bowl twice. Returning 14 starters, but under new coach Spaziani, they were figured to be near the bottom of the ACC heap. Not so, as they rode a 6-1 home record to this slot. That is the key, as their only road wins came vs 3-9 Virginia, & 2-10 Maryland, by a mere 4 & 2 pts. Down Troy year, but its bowl preparation is unmatched. PROPHECY: SO CALIFORNIA 31 - Boston College 16 RATING: 4
Pointwise Newsletter 12/26
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