Regul8er's 2014-15 Bowl Thread

[Regul8er]

HOLIDAY BOWL - NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (9-3) vs USC TROJANS (8-4)
Game Played in San Diego, California
Saturday, December 27th (8:00pm EST)

MY PICK : USC -7, -105 (Risk $262 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

Bowl Record to Date: 10-8 (55.6%) +$314.........+1.15 units

LIBERTY BOWL - WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS (7-5) vs TEXAS A&M AGGIES (7-5)
Game Played in Nashville, Tennessee
Monday, December 29th (2:00pm EST)

Looking to recover after a shaky 2-3 Saturday.....a couple disappointing losses, but I've shook them off, and coming in with a good attitude today.

Really surprised to only see West Virginia go from -3 to -2 with the loss of QB Trickett due to concussions. Now they are forced to turn to Skyler Howard, who is more of a rushing threat, then passing threat. WVU got off to a fantastic start, but dropped 3 of their 4. Texas A&M has also had a tough go lately, dropping 5 of their last 7......but in those losses include games against Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi St.....so I'm not going to let this deter me too much. Regardless, the Aggies still boast a top 20 offense, and have had good success both in the air with Sophomore Kenny Hill, and on the ground with a three headed monster, with each runner getting 70+ touches this year and running for 370+ yards each.

Defensively, WVU has been much better this season. The Aggies have been crushed on the ground this season, but this hasn't been a strength of the Mountaineers this season.

Where I will hang my hat in this game is Special Teams! Accordingy to ESPN Special Team Efficiencies, Texas A&M is 3rd in the country, while WVU is 111....big time discrepency. They have a steady kicking game as Lambo was 12-14 this season (53-53 on extra points), while WVU missed 9 FG's this season. Texas A&M is also top 25 in both Punt and Kickoff Returns.....while WVU is way down the list.

Special Teams.....coupled with Texas A&M being SEC tested, and WVU having to play without their starting QB, spells an A&M win to me.

MY PICK : TEXAS A&M +2.5, -105 (Risk $262 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL - CLEMSON TIGERS (9-3) vs OKLAHOMA SOONERS (8-4)
Game Played in Orlando, Florida
Monday, December 29th (5:30pm EST)

I'll be perfectly honest, I'm a little bit ashamed of the number I'm playing here.

Classic matchup of a top ranked offense against a top ranked defense. Normally, I'm all about siding with the defense in these situations, but not today.

Oklahoma had a difficult time beating the top tier Big 12 teams this season, losing to Baylor, TCU and K-State. Outside of Oklahoma St, they handled the middle and bottom half of the Big 12 in fairly convincing fashion. The Sooners have a potent air attack and ground attack, with Trevor Knight behind center, and freshman phenom, Samaje Perine in the backfield. Perine rushed for nearly 1,600 yards, with 21 TD's and 6.6 yards per carry. Knight does an excellent job managing a game, doesn't make many mistakes, and can take off and run it when need be. As explosive as Oklahoma is on the offensive side of the ball, according to my rankings, they also sport a top 20 defense, and are equally solid against the run and pass.

Clemson on the other hand has the 2nd rated defense in college football according to my numbers, shutting down both the passing and running games. Where Clemson struggled, especially against the upper echelon was with their ground game, ranking very close to the bottom in Division I. To compound the issue, Cole Stoudt has struggled mightly during stretches of the season, throwing for 10 TD's against 13 Picks. He also isn't a threat with his legs. I watched the Georgia Tech game, and he looked lost in the water against a pretty mediocre G-Tech defense. If Clemson decides to go with Deshaun Watson behind center, then they are turning to a freshman who has only attempted 137 passes all season. Then you have a pressure hungry Oklahoma defense, coming after a freshman, without signs of a running game.

To make matters worse for Clemson, ESPN's Special Teams effeiciency rankings have them at a measely 117. Their kicker knocked through 76% of his attempts, so they must be horrendous in the punting game, and return game.....which could prove costly against Oklahoma, who averages about 24 yards per return, which is top 20.

Clemson's defense can make some red zones stops, and force some quick possessions, but if they can't manage anything offensively, Oklahoma could find themselves looking at short fields, especially if Clemson can't tackle on special teams plays.

MY PICK : OKALHOMA -6.5, -110 (Risk $275 to Win $250)

[Fat_Stax]

Clemson's Watson is recovering from knee surgery. Don't think he'll be a threat.. Not to mention their offensive coordinator left to be the head coach at SMU. Ohklahoma is definitely the smart play in my opinion.. The under seems to make sense too.. Clemson will struggle to score with Stoudt and Clemson with a top defense to slow Oklahoma down.

[Regul8er]

TEXAS BOWL - TEXAS LONGHORNS (6-6) vs ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS (6-6)
Game Played in Houston, Texas
Monday, December 29th (9:00pm EST)

A battle of two teams who would love to finish the season above .500......it would be pretty disappointing for the loser of these big programs to finish up at 6-7. Both squads have gradually started to play significantly better from the mid way point, up until prior to their last game. Arkansas dropped a game at Missouri, struggling to move the ball, and Texas got blown away by TCU.

This is a matchup that boasts two top 20 defenses.....so the points might be hard to come by. In fact, Arkansas pitched goose eggs in two of its last three games. To go along with a top 20 defense, Arkansas also has a top 20 offenses (according to my rankings).......so its a question why they only finished .500. Sure playing in the SEC doesn't help matters.....but this tells me they have a tough time closing out the close games. Texas has a pretty nice run offense, but they struggled early at QB with Sophomore Tyrone Swoopes, but he has come on strong as of late, minus the TCU game. He gives you the dual threat, which is always nice to have in the back pocket.

I like Charlie Strong, and feel like he did a good job at preparing Louisville for Bowl games in the past. I can almost guarantee he has a number of trick plays up his sleeve to try and take advantage of the smash mouth Arkansas defense. Also, advantage Texas playing this game in Houston, only about 150 miles from campus......while Fayetteville is about 600 miles away. After a missing a Bowl game last year, I think the faithful come out in waves. Maybe this is more of a hunch, but I really feel like Texas can hang with Arkansas, and this game will go deep into the 4th.

MY PICK : Texas +7, +100 (Risk $250 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

Bowl Record to Date: 11-10 (52.4%) +$39.........+0.05 units

MUSIC CITY BOWL - NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (7-5) vs LSU TIGERS (8-4)
Game Played in Nashville, Tennessee
Tuesday, December 30th (3:00pm EST)

I'm not going to lie....I'm embarassed after what happened after yesterday......got absolutely dummied with Oklahoma and Texas. Sorry, no time for writeups today, so just the picks! Need to turn the tide.

MY PICK : NOTRE DAME +9 (Risk $287 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

BELK BOWL - LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (9-3) vs GEORGIA BULLDOGS (9-3)
Game Played in Charlotte, North Carolina
Tuesday, December 30th (6:45pm EST)


MY PICK : GEORGIA -7 (Risk $287 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

FOSTER FARMS BOWL - MARYLAND TERRAPINS (7-5) vs STANFORD CARDINAL (7-5)
Game Played in Santa Clara, California
Tuesday, December 30th (10:00pm EST)


MY PICK : MARYLAND +14 (Risk $275 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

Bowl Record to Date: 13-11 (80.0%) +$264.........+0.95 units

PEACH BOWL - TCU HORNED FROGS (11-1) vs OLE MISS REBELS (9-3)
Game Played in Atlanta, Georgia
Wednesday, December 31st (12:30pm EST)

OK, got back on track yesterday with a nice 2-1 record. Let's shoot for another winning game today!

MY PICK : TCU -3, -110 (Risk $275 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

FIESTA BOWL - ARIZONA WILDCATS (10-3) vs BOISE ST BRONCOS (11-2)
Game Played in Glendale, Arizona
Wednesday, December 31st (4:00pm EST)


MY PICK : Boise St +3, -105 (Risk $262 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

ORANGE BOWL - GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS (10-3) vs MISSISSIPPI ST BULLDOGS (10-2)
Game Played in Miami, Florida
Wednesday, December 31st (8:00pm EST)


MY PICK : Georgia Tech +6, -110 (Risk $275 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

I hope everyone enjoys their New Year! Go Get em today!

[Rick22]

Good Luck Regul8er and Happy New Year to you! Go TCU.

[Regul8er]

Bowl Record to Date: 16-11 (59.3%) +$1,014.........+3.95 units

OUTBACK BOWL - WISCONSIN BADGERS (10-3) vs AUBURN TIGERS (8-4)
Game Played in Tampa, Florida
Thursday, January 1st (12:00pm EST)

Happy New Years everybody! I hope everyone enjoyed New Years Eve as much as I did.......spent the day/night with wonderful friends and family and my beautiful wife. And to top it off, I swept the card yesterday, and didn't have to come close to sweating any of the 3 games.....just a perfect day. Let's try and keep things rolling today!

The long break should benefit the Badgers more then any other team in the nation. Here's to hoping Melvin Gordon can finish things off with a bang.

MY PICK : Wisconsin +6, -110 (Risk $275 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

COTTON BOWL - MICHIGAN ST SPARTANS (10-2) vs BAYLOR BEARS (11-1)
Game Played in Arlington, Texas
Thursday, January 1st (12:30pm EST)

Bryce Petty continues the momentum that TCU started yesterday for the Big 12! The Spartans defense was superb this season, but when they played two up-and-down teams in Oregon and Ohio St......they gave up 46 and 49 points respectively. If Baylor can put up points somewhere even close to this range, can the Spartans score enough to hang? I doubt it.

MY PICK : Baylor -2.5, -115 (Risk $287 to Win $250)

[Rick22]

Good luck again. With you on these also. Homer for UW and I just don't see how MSU stays with Baylor.

[Regul8er]

CITRUS BOWL - MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (8-4) vs MISSOURI TIGERS (10-3)
Game Played in Orlando, Florida
Thursday, January 1st (1:00pm EST)

Really like what Jerry Kill has done with the Gophers. I've watched them a few times, and I've really liked what I've seen. I don't think Missouri is as good as we think.....and I could see Minnesota taking this one straight up.

MY PICK : Minnesota +4.5, -115 (Risk $287 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

Thanks Rick!! Goodluck to you also.

I'll be back a little later with the Rose and Sugar Bowl.......I want to watch the lines a bit longer!

WOW.....I locked in my lines literally a minute or two before each of the 3 games above moved. Yeah Baby!

[hester45]

Good stuff

[Regul8er]

ROSE BOWL - OREGON DUCKS (12-1) vs FLORIDA ST SEMINOLES (13-0)
Game Played in Pasadena, California
Thursday, January 1st (5:00pm EST)

MY PICK : Oregon -7.5, -105 (Risk $262 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

SUGAR BOWL - ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (11-1) vs OHIO ST BUCKEYES (11-1)
Game Played in New Orleans, Louisiana
Thursday, January 1st (8:30pm EST)

MY PICK : Alabama -8, -110 (Risk $275 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

Bowl Record to Date: 18-14 (56.3%) +$665.........+2.55 units

ARMED FORCES BOWL - HOUSTON COUGARS (7-5) vs PITTSBURGH PANTHERS (6-6)
Game Played in Fort Worth, Texas
Friday, January 2nd (12:00pm EST)

Slipped to a 2-3 record yesterday on New Years, thanks to Baylor's 4th Quarter debacle. Oh well, gotta put it behind, and push forward.

MY PICK : Pittsburgh -3.5, -115 (Risk $287 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

TAX SLAYER BOWL - IOWA HAWKEYES (7-5) vs TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (6-6)
Game Played in Jacksonville, Florida
Friday, January 2nd (3:15pm EST)

Both teams did exactly what they needed to do to get into a Bowl game.....which is beat the bottom teams in their respective conferences. My line actually comes out as Iowa by 1 point favorite, so I'll take a few points all day long here. The Big 10 as a conference is riding high after yesterday, and the SEC is trying to hide under the carpet right now. Senior Qb Jake Rudock had a big season and Senior RB Mark Weisman is a grinder, and solid as they come. Plus, Iowa is always known for stopping the run, and they get a good matchup against an average run attack. Kirk Ferentz always puts together a nice game plan for Bowl games, as they are 3-2 in their last 5, with matchups against South Carolina, G-Tech, Missouri, Oklahoma and LSU.

MY PICK : Iowa +3, -105 (Risk $262 to Win $250)

[Regul8er]

If Pittsburgh doesn't cover this, I will have 3 of the most disturbing losses you could possibly have in a Bowl Season.

1) WKU -3.5 Up 35 points with about 9 mins left....loss.
2) Baylor -2.5 Up 21 points with about 9 mins left....loss.
3) Pittsburgh -3.5 Up 21 points with about 6 mins left....possible loss.

YIKES

[Regul8er]

I really don't know how I will recover from this loss....I counted it as a win 20 mins ago...and to be quite honest, why wouldn't I??

The good thing that is happening is that this is the tail end of the Bowl Season....I have money in my account, and I'm starting to get mentally drained, and am ready to take my money out and call it a day.....and to top it off, made a couple bucks along the way.

Gotta like it, right?

[Regul8er]

And another funny note.....I would say onside kicks have gone against me 80% of the time in my life, LOL.

When I need the kicking team to recover, I would say I'm maybe 2-40.....something like that.
When I need the receiving team to recover, I would say I'm maybe 20-40....something like that.

Grrrrrrr....cmon Iowa, get this disgusting taste out of my mouth please.

[Regul8er]

FINAL Bowl Record: 18-15 (54.5%) +$378.........+1.40 units

The fun is over boys. I placed my Iowa bet as a win-if bet when Pittsburgh was up 7 points, right after Houston scored......telling myself that if they don't cover, then it's over for me.....and they didn't.

Iowa down 21 early, so I'm perfectly ok with it.

Just requested a payout for all funds that were in my account, leaving me with $0.

Look for me around March for Conference Tournaments and March Madness.

Goodluck Yall

[Regul8er]

Glad I stopped when I did......I was penciled to take Iowa, K-State, Oklahoma St and East Carolina......would have been 1-3, and down around another $550 or so.

[Rick22]

Always nice to cash! See ya in March.

[Eddy Munny]

Fade

[Regul8er]

Haters gonna hate! Unfortunately, fading me this Bowl Season would have landed you in the red.

Goodluck to you Eddy Munster!