2006/2007 College Bowl Preview

Dec. 18, 2006

By Carlisle Richards
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

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Poinsettia Bowl

With 119 schools playing Division 1 NCAA football, it’s easy to fly under the radar when you’re 5-7, weigh about a buck-seventy-five soaking wet, and play for the Northern Illinois Huskies in the Mid-American Conference.

But if you run the rock like senior back Garrett Wolfe, eventually people take notice.

"Great running backs have outstanding patience and vision, and he has both of them,” coach Gary Patterson of No. 25 TCU said last week in a news conference. “He waits on his blocking schemes, has great feet and cutting ability. You have to be very accountable defensively."

With 1,900 yards rushing and a yards-per-game average of 158.3, Wolfe’s stats have been too good for anyone to ignore. He was recently selected third-team All-America by the Associated Press, and he was named MAC conference offensive player of the year. He even garnered early Heisman consideration when he became the eighth player in NCAA history to reach 1,000 yards rushing in his first five games.

“All the awards are nice, and the records are cool, but it’s this last win that I really want right now,” Wolfe told the Rockford Register Star.

Wolfe has an opportunity to showcase his amazing skills to a national audience when his Huskies travel to San Diego Tuesday to face Patterson's Horned Frogs in the Poinsettia Bowl, the first game of bowl season.

Wolfe garnered early attention in a 35-12 loss to No. 1 Ohio State in Week 1, as he racked up a buzz-worthy 171 yards rushing and 114 receiving versus the second-ranked defense in the country. However, after Week 6, he all but disappeared.

He ran for a season-low 25 yards against Western Michigan in Week 7, only 45 yards against Temple in Week 8, 60 yards against Iowa in Week 9 and, a week later against Toledo, he gained 54 yards on 16 carries. During that stretch the Huskies went 1-3 straight up.

"It's hard to run into nine guys," Wolfe said. "Against Temple, we came out with four wide receivers, and they still played a 4-3 defense. People just don't do those types of things."

Despite putting up a combined 367 yards rushing in his last two games, many publications - including College Football News - started uttering the words “overrated” when talking about the senior back. It leaves the Poinsettia Bowl as his chance - his last chance - to prove his critics wrong.

"If I'm overrated, does that mean Ohio State's defense is overrated?" Wolfe said to Northernstar.com. “What I've done in my three-year career, there's probably only 10 other guys that have done it. If that means I'm overrated, then they should erase me from the records."

Running lanes could be hard to come by as the bowl gods have given Wolfe and the Huskies a good defensive opponent in TCU. The Frogs have quietly posted the fourth-best run D in the league, allowing only 811 yards at an average of 2.4 yards per carry. But up to this point, they’ve never faced a back like Wolfe.

“Offensively, we haven't played anyone who has a tailback like they do,” Patterson said. “The closest team would probably be BYU, which keeps running the ball even when they don't have success early.”

Bowl Betting Trend: Northern Illinois is 7-2 when Wolfe rushes for more than 100 yards.

QUICK HITS

Las Vegas Bowl

Oregon has proven during the regular season that it's capable of keeping up with a high-powered offense, topping 30 points in wins over Oklahoma and UCLA.

If the Ducks are able to produce points on Thursday, the Las Vegas Bowl should make for an exciting, high-scoring matchup. No. 19 Brigham Young is a team that brings nothing but offense to the table, dicing up opponents at an average of 36.7 points per game.

Bowl Betting Trend: With two offenses topping 30 points per game this one should be a popular over play. The teams combined for a 15-7-1 record against the total. The total opened at 58 and is as high as 62 in some books.

Hawaii Bowl

The Hawaii Bowl brings another matchup that has the potential to be a holiday highlight reel as both squads are known to light up the scoreboard.

Hawaii’s offense is the most impressive of the two, averaging 47.3 points for tops in the nation. Warriors QB Colt Brennan is chasing the NCAA single-season record for touchdown passes. The record is 54 (David Klingler, Houston). Brennan has 53.

Although Arizona State doesn’t put up nearly as many points, there's reason to believe it should be competitive. In September, the Sun Devils blew out Nevada by 31, a team that Hawaii edged by only a touchdown.

Bowl Betting Trend: Bettors who plan on taking the over in this contest should consider handcuffing Hawaii on the spread. The Warriors are 6-2-1 against the spread when they go over the total.

Emerald Bowl

Being able to witness the resurgence of one program while simultaneously witnessing the fall of another turns this collision of regular-season underachievers into a solid contest.

How bad has it been for Florida State? The 'Noles have gone 6-6 this year, their worst performance in 30 years. They also ranked second-to-last in the terrycloth ACC Atlantic. It could be more struggles in the Emerald Bowl for an offense that ranks 73rd in the nation. On Dec. 2, the Bruins were able to hold USC to nine points, the Trojans' lowest output in five years.

Bowl Betting Trend: One of the main issues with Florida State has been its failure to rise to the occasion in big games. It went 0-4 against ranked opponents and 3-5 in conference matchups.

Music City Bowl

Don’t hit the snooze button on Kentucky’s chances just because it opened as double-digit underdogs. The team led the SEC in passing and is 6-2 against the spread in the conference. These Wildcats have the firepower to contend with Clemson, making for an entertaining Music City Bowl. Bowl Betting Trend: Clemson is 1-3 straight up and 0-4 against the number in its last four games.

Alamo Bowl

If red-shirt freshman Colt McCoy returns from a neck injury suffered against Texas A&M on Nov. 24, the Longhorns could put on an offensive showcase to springboard them back into national title talk in 2007. Texas averaged 36.8 points with the freshman at quarterback, and if he plays, expect nothing but highlights with a leaky Iowa pass defense that ranks 63rd in the nation.

Bowl Betting Trend: The Hawkeyes have been brutal for bettors this year. They’re 1-10 against the spread and have yet to cover as an underdog.

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Virginia Tech’s top-ranked defense takes on Georgia’s ninth-ranked D. While Georgia has been impressive of late (posting consecutive wins over Auburn and Georgia Tech), it can’t hold a candle to Virginia Tech's play. The Hokies won six in a row and have held opponents to 10 points or less in five straight games.

The Hokies may also get an offensive boost if sophomore running back Brandon Ore - with his 1,000-plus yards and 15 touchdowns - can return from an injury that has sidelined him for a month.

However, with Georgia's offense ranking 77th and Virginia Tech's 95th, this looks to be another game destined to end up below the total.

Bowl Betting Trend: Virginia Tech is 6-2 against the spread when it keeps opponents under the total.

MPC Computers Bowl

It’d be much better (and less nerdy) to dub this game the Drama Bowl, because with Miami's coach Larry Coker on the way out and its current defensive coordinator Randy Shannon on the way in after the contest, it could get awkward on the Hurricanes’ sidelines if they’re down early.

With the talent in the Hurricanes’ stable, this game should be a blowout. But since oddmakers opened the 'Canes as only 3.5-point favorites, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of respect going around for the once-proud franchise.

Bowl Betting Trend: The Hurricanes have gone over the total only once all season.

Gator Bowl

The Gator Bowl is about who can stop the future NFL superstar, as Georgia Tech will highlight 2006 ACC player of the year Calvin Johnson, and West Virginia will have running back Steve Slaton, who has 1,733 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.

Georgia Tech's run defense has been strong all season, finishing 11th in the nation. However, it may have more trouble with Slaton and the Mountaineers' run game than vice versa. West Virginia’s rushing offense ranks second in the country.

Bowl Betting Trend: Coach Rich Rodriguez and the Mountaineers will be looking for their first win in the Gator Bowl. They’re 0-5 since making their first appearance in 1982.

Capitol One Bowl

Surprising Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden gets a shot to show the nation the skills it's ignored, what with all the focus on Troy Smith and the No. 1 Buckeyes. McFadden has been a beast on the ground, putting up 1,562 yards rushing and 5.9 yards per carry.

With their passing attack averaging a paltry 150.5 yards, the Razorbacks will be relying on McFadden to dig holes in a Badgers frontline that has allowed only seven rushing touchdowns.

Bowl Betting Trend: Arkansas is 6-2 against the spread in its last eight games.

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Note: All Bowl Game lines subject to change.

Click here for this years NCAA football full bowl game schedule

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