HERE COME THE GOOD BOWLS: Part II

Alright this is another great day of games. The New Year's Eve slate of college football games is on point. We have 4 really good looking match ups on the board. Now mind you, these are not all traditional match ups, but pretty good looking match ups none the less.

Friday December 31st:

#1 South Florida vs Clemson in the Car Care Bowl
(12/31) Noon ESPN
Clemson has had a tough year. Seems like ever since Kyle Parker took a shot in the back against Auburn earlier in the year, that something has not been right. Clemson is sitting on 6-6 and Dabo does not want to finish with a loosing record. Both teams roll into Charlotte having lost their last game. South Florida had a big time win over Miami in the Overtime thriller back on Thanksgiving weekend. Look for some turnovers and some otherwise sloppy play, but a thrilling game as there on athletes for both teams on both sides of the ball. Look for Clemson's Defensive front to be the difference.


#2 Notre Dame vs Miami in the Sun Bowl
(12/31) 2:00 PM CBS
Catholics vs Convicts renewed. The 2010 edition of this rivalry will propel Notre Dame into the national spotlight and keep them there for the next decade. Look for Brian Kelly to seize this golden opportunity. With Miami burning in the background the Golden Domers will step back up on stage. Since she took office, I've been very critical of the University President, Donna Shalala, and exactly who was behind the "Let's resign, then fire Coach Randy Shannon" decision is beyond me. Talk about a costly decision. But from the looks of the U from the outside, things to do not look they are being handled properly. Harris throws too many picks. Irish win.


#3 Georgia vs Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl
(12/31) 3:30 PM ESPN
What a difference selling a bowl jersey makes. Georgia really has to look in the mirror after this year and dig deep. The recruiting needs to step up. The defense needs to step up. The offense needs to learn to not fumble in the red zone. And the toughness (strength and conditioning) needs to return and reach new heights. Just a few things and this team is playing their bowl game on New Year's Day again. Mark Richt has "The Year" coming up next year with a kick off classic looming against Boise State, and Florida game with a new coach. Yeah Coach Richt is going to really want to go into the off season on a high note. A resounding win over Central Florida accomplishes that. There are still some really good recruits out there for the Dawgs to land, and this game is a big component of decisions to come. Plain and simple this is a trap game. Georgia has a ton to loose, and very little on the National Stage to gain outside of rebuilding respect. But Richt will have things in order. Look for Liberty Bowl records to be broken by Murray and Green. Dawgs win this one. Because Lord knows if they lose it, The Guns of Navarone will be pointing towards Athens.


#4 South Carolina vs Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl
(12/31) 7:30 PM ESPN
This is the main event of the day. What a great match up. Which Garcia will show up? Will Spurrier find ways to get the ball to Lattimore throughout the game? Remember last year's bowl game where UCONN blew the doors of USC? Ouch! Yeah I love this match up. Jimbo Fisher has some really good mojo going on in Tallahassee, and Spurrier has the Gamecocks believing. Hope is something that has not been in Columbia's football discussion for an entire football season in some time. But its back now and the the SEC Championship game aside, these Gamecocks are really good. I know they wish they could have that 2nd Quarter back in Atlanta. They finally got Auburn to punt, and they did nothing with it. They finally got Cam to fumble and did nothing with it. If they convert those in 14, then maybe that game rolled out differently. Nah probably not, but it needs to be said. Look for the Gamecocks in this win. Spurrier loves beating the Seminoles and this year's no different.

Come back tomorrow, where we will have Part III in HERE COME THE GOOD BOWLS.

Please be safe out there and Happy New Years!!!!!

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GAME PREVIEW: MIAMI AT PITT

The Hurricanes travel to Pittsburgh tonight. It has the makings for a good one, but Pitt is a bit banged up. Let's take a look at some of the finer points.

Miami @ Pitt
7:30 PM - ESPN
Both teams come in 1-1. Pitt lost a nail biter out in Salt Lake City to a really good Utah team, and Miami lost on the road to the Buckeyes. Both losses are understandable especially when you consider both were on the road. Pitt is pretty banged up. Key personnel losses for Pitt include: Knox (S), Wright (CB) Romeus (DE), Murphy (DE), and Peeler (RB). Yet the Hurricanes have some people out too: Lewis (DT), Nelson (LB), and Cooper (RB). I think Pitt at home should be stout as the home crowd will be jacked up. I think this one really comes down to the play of Jacory Harris. Will he throw a couple picks. If the pressure is not there - I doubt it.

I think the last time they matched up was back in 2003 when Miami travelled to Pitt and won 28-14. With that being said it is a different time and these are different teams.

Here are some of the Key Overall Stats worth noting so far in 2010: (Overall Div1/FBS Ranking Stats)

Rushing Yards:
Miami - 77th
Pitt - 89th

Passing Yards:
Miami - 38th
Pitt - 50th

Points Scored:
Miami - 30th
Pitt - 49th

Points Allowed:
Miami - 34th
Pitt -  61st

The numbers don't lie here, and Miami is a favorite across the board. I do think Pitt gets better at rushing. Graham & Lewis are going to get more yards. It's just a matter of what night they decides to flip the switch.

I see Jacory Harris putting on a show tonight. He'll be running for first downs and moving the sticks through the air via Hankerson and Benjamin.

(Photo courtesy of Doug Benc)

Pitt's D could step up and stop them, but I just don't sense it tonight especially considering Romeus is out. Look for Miami getting the W on the road tonight and winning by 7.

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