College Football 2015: Ranking the 2015-16 Bowls (Part 4)

Not sure which games are worth watching this college football Bowl season? I’ve run the rule over all forty-one Bowls, and ranked them in order of interest to me. Hopefully it’ll help you plan your football viewing over the holiday period.

(All dates adjusted to Australian time)

13. Russell Athletic Bowl

December 30, 2015; Orlando, Florida
Baylor (Big 12) vs. North Carolina (Atlantic Coast)

If Baylor can find themselves a decent quarterback – which they weren’t able to do in a surprising last-start loss to Texas – this could be an epic shootout, with big plays galore. The Bears offense, when on song, is capable of putting up as many or more points than any team in the nation. Their defense may struggle against an impressive Tar Heel offense led by QB Marquise Williams, who has twenty-eight total touchdowns on the season. He’s a dynamic player, who will take some stopping. This could be a very entertaining shootout.

12. Poinsettia Bowl
December 24, 2015; San Diego, California
Boise State (Mountain West) vs. Northern Illinois (Mid-American)

A match-up of two former BCS ‘busters’ in Southern California. The Broncos are one of my favourite teams to watch, and despite a fade-out towards the end of the season – including a very rare home loss on the blue turf – they enjoyed an eighteenth straight winning season in 2015, whilst unearthing a potential new quarterback star in freshman Brett Rypien, a favourite of mine who’s tossed seventeen touchdowns in just nine games. 

Boise’s offense is going to ask many questions of the Huskies defense, which wasn't great in their 34-14 MAC Championship Game loss to Bowling Green.  They’ll need to show a marked improvement if they’re to hang with the Broncos, who will look to end an uneven year on a high after missing out on a chance to play for a Mountain West championship.

11. Citrus Bowl
January 2, 2016; Orlando, Florida
Michigan (Big Ten) vs. Florida (Southeastern)

Another interesting Big Ten/SEC contest. The Wolverines have rebounded nicely under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, but got an indication of how much further they have to travel to be Big Ten contenders after a last-start belting from Ohio State.  The Gators struggled offensively in a big way against Alabama in the SEC title game. The suspension of QB Will Grier completely transformed Florida’s offense, and not for the better. I’m not sure they can make enough plays against a pretty good Michigan defense, which means Florida relies on it’s offense to shut down a markedly-improved Wolverine attack. This should be an interesting defensive struggle.

10. Alamo Bowl
January 3, 2016; San Antonio, Texas
Oregon (Pac-12) vs. Texas Christian (Big 12)

Assuming here that both offensive groups are healthy – QB Trevone Boykin and WR Josh Doctson for the Horned Frogs, and QB Vernon Adams for the Ducks – this is a mouth-watering class of two finely-tuned offenses who’ve had somewhat disappointing seasons. I’d even go so far as to say that this game has the possibility to match the 2011 edition of this game, in which Baylor beat Washington 67-56. We’re going to see fireworks in this one, and, ironically, it might be a defensive stop, probably a rare one in this game, that decides who triumphs. That, or whoever has the ball last. Whatever happens, it’ll be entertaining! Don’t miss it!

9. Texas Bowl

December 30, 2015; Houston, Texas
Louisiana State (Southeastern) vs. Texas Tech (Big 12)

Trouble for the Red Raiders here. Their run defense is shocking (which, really, is putting it mildly), and LSU boasts one of the most devastating backs in football in Leonard Fournette. The big man has shredded better defenses than this one. He could go absolutely wild in this one, and provide one of the big highlights of the 2015-16 Bowl season. Tech’s offense will try to keep up, but will likely struggle against the Tigers SEC-tested defense. Tune in if only to watch Fournette do his thing – you won’t be disappointed.

8. Holiday Bowl

December 31, 2015; San Diego, California
Southern California (Pac-12) vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten)

USC’s cabal of offensive weapons is impressive and despite a 5-loss season, the Trojans shouldn’t be taken likely. I can’t wait to see JuJu Smith-Schuster locked in a duel with a stout Badger secondary. Throw in the occasional offensive appearance from star two-way player Adoree’ Jackson, and the increasingly relied-upon ground game anchored by Ronald Jones III, and Clay Helton’s men are going to be a handful for anyone. Wisconsin’s defense has kept them in games this year despite generally-patchy offense, and that Badger ground game hasn’t been as potent in 2015 as in past years. This should be an interesting game, in front of a large crowd made up of two parochial fan-bases.

7. Sugar Bowl

January 2, 2016; New Orleans, Louisiana
Ole Miss (Southeastern) vs. Oklahoma State (Big 12)

Arguably the second-best team in their respective conferences, there’s likely to be offense galore here. Watching Chad Kelly run the Rebels attack this year has been scoring like it’s going out of fashion, piling up at least 38 points per game. The Cowboys from Stillwater can keep up with the best of them as far as ticking the scoreboard goes. Their dual quarterback scheme featuring J.W. Walsh and Mason Rudolph has brought OSU great success. The question for me is can they get the better of a tough-nosed SEC defense? This shapes as being a good one!

6. Peach Bowl

January 1, 2016; Atlanta, Georgia
Florida State (Atlantic Coast) vs. Houston (American Athletic)

Can the Cougars, who’ve had a great season under first-year head coach Tom Herman match it with one of the best teams in the nation, in Jimbo Fisher’s Seminoles? Houston will first need to stop the ultra-impressive FSU running back Dalvin Cook, and hope that it’s own offense, led by the do-everything quarterback Greg Ward Jr. – one of my favourite players to watch this year – will be able to make enough inroads offensively. Defensively, Houston have been good against the run, so it might come down to FSU quarterback Sean Maguire to play the role of hero. Seminoles probably win, narrowly, but I’d love to see the Coogs spring an upset.

College Football 2015: Ranking the 2015-16 Bowls (Part 3)

It’s college football overload in December and January, with so many games in so many different timeslots, so I’m going through all forty-one post-season contests and putting them in order of interest to me. Hopefully it’ll help you plan your football viewing over the holiday period:

All games adjusted to Australian time.

22. Independence Bowl
December 27, 2015; Shreveport, Louisiana
Tulsa (American Athletic) vs. Virginia Tech (Atlantic Coast)

If for no other reason than to see if veteran and iconic Tech coach Frank Beamer can go out a winner – he’s retiring, effective the end of this game – watch this, and celebrate one of the great characters in college football. The Hokies should go in as favourites against a Golden Hurricane team plying their trade in the post-season for the first time since 2012. Keep an eye out for receiver Keyarris Garrett, who leads all comers in America with 1451 receiving yards.

21. Pinstripe Bowl
December 27, 2015; New York City, New York
Indiana (Big Ten) vs. Duke (Atlantic Coast)

Indiana’s offense, led by gun-slinging quarterback Nate Sudfeld has been great, but defense has been a major issue for the Hoosiers. Regardless, they’re a fun team to watch, and the program is playing in it’s first Bowl game since 2007, and just it’s second since 1993. They play a Duke team most remembered this year for being ripped off in the Miami game that ended with a million laterals, most of which should never have been allowed. The Blue Devils are seeking their first Bowl victory since 1961. Both teams are going to be dialled into this one at Yankee Stadium.

20. Armed Forces Bowl
December 30, 2015; Fort Worth, Texas
California (Pac-12) vs. Air Force (Mountain West)

Cal favours their high-powered Bear Raid passing offense whilst the Falcons rely mostly on their intricate ground game. The military between these two is that they score a lot of points, so this could be one of those epic Bowl shoot-outs. This will likely be Jared Goff’s last outing for Cal, and the Falcons, who fell only just shy of an inaugural Mountain West crown, had a great year, and deserve plenty of eyeballs.

19. Birmingham Bowl
December 31, 2015; Birmingham, Alabama
Auburn (Southeastern) vs. Memphis (American Athletic)

Tiger versus Tiger here. At the beginning of the year, Auburn were considered a dark horse playoff contender and Memphis weren’t talked about much at all. Fast forward three months, and it’s the Memphis Tigers who made all the headlines, thanks largely to superstar QB Paxton Lynch, whilst Auburn struggled. Auburn will need to contain Lynch if they’re to have any hope of winning. It’s been proven all year that such a task isn’t exactly easy. This promises to be a very entertaining game. Lynch is well worth checking out if you haven’t already.

18. Heart of Dallas Bowl
December 27, 2015; Dallas, Texas
Washington (Pac-12) vs. Southern Miss (C-USA)

Always fun to see the venerable Cotton Bowl in use. The rising Huskies under Chris Petersen come into the postseason after a belting of in-state rivals Washington State to claim the Apple Cup, and are riding high as a result. It’ll be tough sledding against a Southern Miss squad who lost just once in conference play all year, and their quarterback, Nick Mullens, is statistically one of the best in all of football. There should be plenty of offense in this one.

17. Foster Farms Bowl
December 27, 2015; Santa Clara, California
UCLA (Pac-12) vs. Nebraska (Big Ten)

UCLA had a pretty good season with freshman phenom Josh Rosen at the controls of Jim Mora’s office, falling one loss – to crosstown rivals, USC – short of being crowned Pac-12 South champions. On the other hand, Nebraska takes advantage of there not being enough teams with winning records to sneak into a Bowl. Whilst UCLA will probably win, don’t count out the Huskers, whose record isn’t as bad as it seems, after a string of narrow, last-minute losses. If they can harass Rosen and force turnovers, a win to cap Mike Reilly’s first year in Lincoln.

16. Music City Bowl
December 31, 2015; Nashville, Tennessee
Texas A&M (Southeastern) vs. Louisville (Atlantic Coast)

It’s been a season of mild discontent in College Station, and certainly not what the Aggie faithful expected. The same could be said for Louisville, who have been there or thereabouts, but not quite in the upper echelon of the ACC. Both teams have pretty good offenses that will likely get better with every snap, so this game could be fairly entertaining if you like shoot-outs.

15. Outback Bowl
January 2, 2016; Tampa, Florida
Northwestern (Big Ten) vs. Tennessee (Southeastern)

We all love a Big Ten/SEC match-up, and it may just be a turn-up for the books given that Northwestern are likely to go in as favourites. A win for Northwestern – a no-nonsense football team in the mould of their coach, Pat Fitzgerald – means this current crop of players would deliver the program it’s first eleven-win season. Tennessee isn’t to be discounted, and if QB Joshua Dodds can put on a show, both throwing and running, this will be a great game. The Vols are known for letting teams win games after being down double digits, so you’ll want to keep tuned in all the way to the end, just in case.

14. TaxSlayer Bowl
January 3, 2016; Jacksonville, Florida
Georgia (Southeastern) vs. Penn State (Big Ten)

Another Big Ten/SEC meeting that shapes up as being a pretty good one. There are contrasts here: Georgia is in transition after long-time head coach Mark Richt was let go, whilst Penn State are finally enjoying some coaching stability under James Franklin. Both squads feature impressive ground-based offenses and strong defenses, particularly in the front seven, so the chance for a good, old-fashioned defensive struggle is high.

College Football 2015: Ranking the 2015-16 Bowls (Part 2)

Continuing my ranking of all forty-two postseason college football Bowl games so you can plan your smorgasbord of football over the Christmas/New Year period. Part One is here.

All dates adjusted to Australian.

32. Arizona Bowl
December 30, 2015; Tucson, Arizona
Nevada (Mountain West) vs. Colorado State (Mountain West)

This all-MWC clash will take place in Tucson, is a new addition to the schedule for 2015-16, and has the dubious honour of being on the All Sports Network rather than a regular carrier. Mike Bobo has Colorado State on the rise after a poor start, losing five of it’s first eight, and will likely find it tough going against a Wolfpack ground game that features two 1000-yard backs this year. CSU are one of the more penalised teams in the nation, which they’ll need to reign in if they’re to have any chance of winning. This could be a good one – pity no one will get to see it!

31. Hawai’i Bowl
December 25, 2015; Honolulu, Hawaii
San Diego State (Mountain West) vs. Cincinnati (American Athletic)

The usual Australian Christmas Day match-up features the Mountain West champions, who are riding a 9-game winning streak, against a 7-5 Cincinnati squad who, win or lose, will finish with their lowest total of wins since 2010. Check this one out only if you need to escape the family or let the stomach settle after a eating too much!

30. Quick Lane Bowl
December 29, 2015; Detroit, Michigan
Central Michigan (Mid-American) vs. Minnesota (Big Ten)

A home game for the Chippewas from Mount Pleasant, Michigan, against a Big Ten school who won’t have to travel too far, either. Minnesota make the postseason with just five wins, and will need to control CMU’s quarterback Cooper Rush if they’re to have any hope of scoring their first victory since the untimely retirement of inspirational head coach Jerry Kill.

29. Belk Bowl
December 31, 2015; Charlotte, North Carolina
North Carolina State (Atlantic Coast) vs. Mississippi State (Southeastern) 

Any chance to watch Dak Prescott run that Bulldog offense is a good thing, and the talented senior should find some room to operate against an NC State squad who came close to defeating Clemson on Halloween, leading on a few occasions in the first half. The Bulldogs will be looking to send Prescott out on a high note, and to wipe away the stain of a 38-27 loss to in-state rivals, Ole Miss. The Wolfpack will do well to keep up with Prescott and co.

28. Boca Raton Bowl
December 23, 2015; Boca Raton, Florida
Toledo (Mid-American) vs. Temple (American Athletic)

Though beaten in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game by Houston, the Owls had a great season (including a solid win over Penn State) and are well-coached by Matt Ruhle. I love watching linebacker Tyler Matakevich disrupting things in opponent’s backfields. Toledo have had their moments, too, including a road win over Arkansas in September. This should be a fun game to watch!

27. Military Bowl
December 29, 2015; Annapolis, Maryland
Pittsburgh (American Athletic) vs. Navy (American Athletic)

An all-AAC match-up between the Midshipmen, who some figured were headed to a New Year’s Six Bowl before a few late losses, and a Pitt squad who had to survive without star running back James Conner. The Panthers are going to have their work cut out stopping Navy’s do-everything quarterback Keenan Reynolds. If Pitt can do that, they’ve got a good chance of winning. If they can’t, it might get ugly.

26. Liberty Bowl
January 3, 2016; Memphis, Tennessee
Kansas State (Big 12) vs. Arkansas (Southeastern)

The early stages of 2015 were shocking for both teams, but the back end proved to be more successful. K-State needed a dramatic 38-35 win over Iowa State to become Bowl eligible, and the Razorbacks survived a crazy game against Ole Miss for one of it’s most memorable victories. Arkansas can claim an eight-win season with a victory over a Kansas State squad who are rebuilding this year, but shouldn’t be counted out.

25. Cactus Bowl
January 3, 2016; Phoenix, Arizona
West Virginia (Big 12) vs. Arizona State (Pac-12)

Everyone assumed West Virginia would be a pass-first offense under Dana Holgorsen, but the running game was what won the Mountaineers most of their games. Wendell Smallwood and Rushel Shell are a potent one-two combination who’ll take some slowing down. Arizona State didn’t have the season they were expecting, and a win here would bring plenty of momentum for Todd Graham’s squad going into 2016, who won just two of six to finish the season. We’ll see which version of the Sun Devils squad turns up in this one.

24. Las Vegas Bowl
December 20, 2015; Las Vegas, Nevada
Brigham Young (Independent) vs. Utah (Pac-12)
The Holy War is back! Bronco Mendenhall’s final game as coach of Brigham Young, and he draws an opponent the Cougars know well, their rivals, Utah. The Utes, of course, were flying high before visiting USC, where they were belted, and have since slid backwards. BYU started the season with high hopes but an injury to star quarterback Taysom Hill derailed things. Tanner Mangum has picked up some of the slack for the Cougars, who can certainly score points, but it’s their defense who’ll need to come up big in Vegas, because Utah’s Devontae Booker has a habit of running around and over defenses. Lots of points probable here, and a glimpse of Aussie punter Tom Hackett!

23. Sun Bowl
December 27, 2015; El Paso, Texas
Miami-FL (Atlantic Coast) vs. Washington State (Pac-12).

Whilst the Hurricanes struggled early and were blown out by Clemson, which saw head coach Al Golden fired, the Cougars had an impressive season that, for the most part, was well above expectations, after a first-up loss to FCS squad Portland State. Their last-start loss to Washington in the Apple Cup will sting, but the Cougs were without star quarterback Luke Falk for that one. If he returns, there’ll be plenty of offense for Mike Leach’s team, and Miami, who’ll have Mark Richt at the helm starting next year, may struggle to slow them down. Watch Hurricane quarterback Brad Kaaya, too. He’s quietly having a very good season for The U.

College Football 2015: Ranking the 2015-16 Bowls (Part 1)

It’s the best time of the year for college football fans: Bowl season. In the second year of the four-team College Football playoff bracket, there are more than forty Bowl games that will be contested between December 20 and the CFP Championship Game on January 12.

Obviously, that’s a lot of football to jam in around all the usual Christmas and New Year celebrations, so read on as I rank every single Bowl game of the season in terms of my interest and potential for an instant classic:

(All dates are adjusted to Australian)

42. Celebration Bowl
December 20, 2015; Atlanta, Georgia
Alcorn State (Southwestern Athletic) vs. North Carolina A&T (Mid-Eastern Athletic)

The Celebration Bowl is in it’s first year, featuring teams from historically black Division I programs. The Celebration Bowl sits last on this list simply because I haven’t seen either of these two schools play, so it’s hard to get too excited.

41. Camellia Bowl
December 20, 2015; Montgomery, Alabama
Ohio (Mid-American) vs. Appalachian State (Sun Belt)

Another early Bowl game featuring two teams who aren’t exactly national powers. It’s probably fair to say that Appalachian State is still best known for that massive upset of Michigan in the Big House a few years back, and the Bobcats are a high-scoring team out of the always-exciting MAC. As with all MAC teams, it’s never boring watching Ohio on offense, and Appalachian State, appearing in their first Bowl game since graduating to FCS-level football, will be keen for a debut post-season victory.

40. Bahamas Bowl
December 25, 2015; Nassau, Bahamas
Middle Tennessee (C-USA) vs. Western Michigan (Mid-American)

The only Bowl game played outside of the United States is a Christmas Day event here in Australia, and only diehards are likely going to be tuned into the game. Middle Tennessee are looking for a win to cement a 5-game winning streak after a disastrous 2-4 start, whilst Western Michigan will be seeking to pick up where the left off in the regular season: an impressive 35-30 win over No. 30 Toledo, their first win against a ranked program in thirty-three attempts.

39. Cure Bowl
December 20, 2015; Orlando, Florida
San Jose State (Mountain West) vs. Georgia State (Sun Belt)

The first Saturday of games isn’t great. The Cure Bowl is one of two new Bowl match-ups for the 2015 season and the first of three games played at the Citrus Bowl. San Jose come in at 5-7 without many really had any good wins against FBS opponents this year. Georgia State have qualified for their first Bowl game since being elevated to FBS ranks. They come off a big rivalry win against Georgia Southern and will be looking to go 1-0 in Bowl games.

38. St Petersburg Bowl
December 27, 2015; St Petersburg, Florida
Connecticut (American Athletic) vs. Marshall (C-USA)

Another game I’ll record just in case something crazy happens. UConn had a big win (and an unlikely one) against then-undefeated Houston to clinch Bowl eligibility. The Huskies’ defense has been brilliant all season, stifling opponents all over the place, and they’re probably warm favourites against a Marshall squad who, if they win, will claim a third straight ten-win season.

37. Potato Bowl
December 23, 2015; Boise, Idaho
Akron (Mid-American) vs. Utah State (Mountain West)

A rare cold-weather game played on the blue turf in Boise, Idaho, and one more chance to see the exciting do-everything quarterback for Utah State, Chuckie Keeton. He can really make things happen, and is the beating heart of the Aggie offense. Akron come in with their first winning season in a decade, but may struggle to contain Keeton.

36. GoDaddy Bowl
December 24, 2015; Mobile, Alabama
Georgia Southern (Sun Belt) vs. Bowling Green (Mid-American)

BGSU come in as MAC champions after a definitive win over Northern Illinois in the conference championship game, and Georgia Southern are in the postseason for the first time in program history.  Watch the Georgia Southern run game, led by Matt Breida, who will need to pound the rock often if the Eagles are to keep the high-powered BGSU offense, led by QB Matt Johnson, off the field. Johnson has passed for more than 4400 yards this year, and forty-one touchdowns.

35. New Orleans Bowl
December 20, 2015; New Orleans, Louisiana
Arkansas State (Sun Belt) vs. Louisiana Tech (C-USA)
Two fairly decent teams who saw some success in their respective conferences, playing in a cavernous NFL venue on the first weekend of the Bowl season. This game could go either way. La Tech come off a regular-season finale loss to Southern Miss and will need to be good to limit the effectiveness of Arkansas State quarterback Fredi Knighten, who has won every one of his 2015 starts, throwing for twenty touchdowns in the process.

34. New Mexico Bowl
December 20, 2015; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Arizona (Pac-12) vs. New Mexico (Mountain West)

Head coach Rich Rodriguez announced he’ll be staying in Tuscon, and star linebacker Scooby Wright is perhaps playing his last game for the Wildcats. There’s plenty of motivation there, but Arizona will need to take care against a resurgent Lobos squad who took on something of a giant-killing role late in the season, beating Boise State at home, a rarity. They have basically a home game here, and I expect them to be pretty competitive.

33. Miami Beach Bowl
December 22, 2015; Miami, Florida
Western Kentucky (C-USA) vs. South Florida (American Athletic)

The Hilltoppers come in as C-USA champions and will face a pretty good South Florida team, who have been one of the AAC surprise packets of the year, and are playing their first Bowl game since 2010. This should be a pretty good game – and a lot of what happens depends on whether USF can stop Hilltoppers quarterback Brandon Doughty, who was excellent in the C-USA Championship Game, and has been excellent all season.

College Football Bowl Season 2014-15: Day Twelve Review

As the college football world regains its breath a day after the drama of the national semi-final games, we saw four Bowl games, including one more between ranked opponents. Here’s what you need to know:

Armed Forces Bowl

Houston capped a 35-34 win with a stunning comeback that included three touchdowns in the final 3:41 of the game, and two onside kick recoveries in a row and a successful two-point conversion – because they had momentum, said interim head coach David Gibbs – to win in regulation.

All of that came after Pittsburgh stormed to a 34-14 lead when kicker Chris Blewitt connected for three points from 29 yards away. That was 6:26 to go in the game, and it looked salted away from the Panthers, whose running back workhorse James Conner had run for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

Houston’s quarterback Greg Ward found receiver Deontay Greenberry for two of those final three scores, and the sure-handed wide-out also hauled in the successful two-point conversion to finish the comeback – the largest comeback in FBS football this year, and the largest ever in a non-overtime Bowl game.

Taxslayer Bowl

After the Big Ten had gained so much momentum and traction with brilliant Bowl game performances – Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State all scored huge style points for the beleaguered conference on New Year’s Day – Iowa had a chance to further their league’s cause with a strong showing against SEC opponents, Tennessee.

Instead, the Hawkeyes let the Volunteers jump all over them. They were singing Rocky Top early and often in Jacksonville, as Tennessee raced out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, and a 35-7 lead by half time. The game was as good as over then, though Iowa made the final score line – 45-28 – a little more respectable by scoring the game’s final two touchdowns. Don’t let that fool you, though: the Hawkeyes were bad. Worse, they were sloppy.

It was a big day for Tennessee. The victory gives the program it’s first winning season since 2009, and the school was playing in it’s first Bowl game since they faced Wisconsin in the 2009 Outback Bowl, and the future is bright in Knoxville.

Taxslayer Bowl MVP Joshua Dobbs threw for one touchdown and ran for two more, in and around running back Jalen Hurd’s 122-yard day. Everything that Tennessee tried, worked, including a trick play in the first quarter that saw Dobbs lateral to Marlin Lane, a departing senior, who tossed a touchdown pass to receiver Vic Wharton.

Alamo Bowl

In what will likely be UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley’s final college start, the Bruins jumped out to a big lead – they were 31-6 up at the half – then withstood a furious comeback by Kansas State and ended the evening with a 40-35 win.
Hundley was nothing short of spectacular: 12-24 for 136 yards and a touchdown through the air, plus 11 rushes for 96 yards and two touchdowns.

Hundley has been the centrepiece of a UCLA resurgence of late, though the Bruins will now have to find another special quarterback as they face the prospect of a USC team free of the scholarship restriction shackles, and there are persistent rumours that their coach, Jim Mora, will be heavily targeted by NFL teams.

The game looked over at the half, but Kansas State scored the first 25 points in the second half, and suddenly UCLA’s lead was just 34-28 when QB Jake Waters ran in a touchdown from a yard out. The Bruins came right back with Paul Perkins ripping off a 67-yard run, and K-State had one more touchdown – a 29-yarder to receiver Tyler Lockett – before a failed onside kick by the Wildcats iced the game for UCLA.

A little controversy brewed on the field post-game, with Mora and his K-State counterpart, Bill Snyder, greeting each other frostily at first, before engaging in an animated conversation, apparently regarding contact with Hundley when he took the game’s final kneel-down. Mora later tweeted that he would “defend the safety of my players ... forever.”

Cactus Bowl

Without a doubt, the highlight of the late-starting game in Tempe, Arizona, was the game by Oklahoma State defensive tackle James Castleman. The big guy scored the opening touchdown of the game, and bettered that one late by embarking on a 48-yard catch and run. Oh, and he managed four tackles on defense, too. Not a bad night out, and easily one of the best performances of Bowl season.

Oklahoma State’s worst season in recent memory – they lost five straight, and only just snuck their way into the postseason after beating in-state rival Oklahoma in overtime in their final regular season game – will at least end on a good note, with the Cowboys triumphing over Washington 30-22. OSU were up 24-0 at half time, but, as has been the case seemingly every game this Bowl season, the comeback was on. The Huskies had a chance late to tie the game, but a pass from QB Cyler Miles was picked off, thus ending proceedings.

The upside for the Cowboys seems bright, with freshman quarterback Mason Rudolph playing a solid game (299 passing yards and two touchdowns) for Mike Gundy’s squad, and next year will be an interesting one for Washington, whose coach Chris Petersen arrived from Boise State this year, and would surely have watched his old team charge to Fiesta Bowl glory on New Year’s Eve. The Huskies finished Petersen’s first season 8-6.

College Football Bowl Season 2014-15: National Semi Finals Review

The day finally came – the first ever national semi-finals for college football, and after weeks of hype, the two games left us with plenty to talk about and dissect. Here’s the lowdown:

Rose Bowl Game

The Florida State win streak is over, and it was ended by Oregon in the most emphatic manner imaginable. I had a feeling the Ducks would win in the end, but to see them absolutely trounce the defending National Champion Seminoles 59-20 in Pasadena was nothing short of spectacular – unless you’re a Florida State fan. And if you’re a Buckeye fan, the Ducks effort was an ominous one.

Whilst the red-hot Oregon offense, led by Heisman Trophy winning QB Marcus Mariota, will get plenty of press in the coming days, the Ducks defense played to as high a standard as the offense, forcing five turnovers in perhaps the best performance we’ve ever seen from an Oregon defense.

It was the Oregon D that blew the game right open. A narrow 18-13 Oregon lead at the half turned into a complete avalanche in the second half, and it was largely thanks to the Ducks on the other side of the football. Man, did they pick the right day and the right stage to turn it on, turning Oregon into a team with a great offense and a potentially great defense into a team whose offensive and defense are both humming along. Yes, they gave up a lot of yards, but they stiffened when it was necessary, and Florida State had few answers.

Mariota finished 26-36 for 338 yards and two touchdowns passing, and added 70 yards and a score on the ground. It was the powerful performance we expected.

Conversely, Florida State’s Jameis Winston wasn’t nearly good enough what he needed to be, and he clashed verbally with coaches on the FSU sideline. Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner threw only one touchdown amongst his 348 yards passing, and committed a shocking fumble that the Ducks defense, sniffing blood in the water by then, gleefully returned to the house for a defensive score. 

That was about the end of the game. Oregon scored 41 second-half points. They scored the most points in Rose Bowl history. They trampled their opponents.

At least Winston managed to stay on the field to shake the hands of the Oregon players after the game. Too many of his spoilt teammates didn’t. Scenes of Seminoles players streaming up the tunnel as the clock ticked down to zero will cast something of a shadow over the game, in a shocking display of sportsmanship.

Oregon deserve every plaudit they’ll receive in the next few days, for their Rose Bowl effort was about as complete a game of football as we’ve seen all season.

Sugar Bowl

Did anyone see this coming? I defy you to admit that you had Ohio State, controversial fourth-ranked inclusion in the playoff, beating Alabama, the most dominant team in college football the past half-decade! Outside of Ohio – or maybe just outside the city of Columbus, Ohio – there weren’t many people who believed in the Buckeyes. I was amongst them.

Yet the Buckeyes are the victors, beating a ten-point favourite Crimson Tide 42-35 in shocking circumstances, on big plays – a 13-yard touchdown pass from receiver Evan Spencer, a 41-yard interception return by lumbering defensive lineman Steve Miller, a 47-yard touchdown pass from QB Cardale Jones to Devin Smith and an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run of 85 yards amongst a Sugar Bowl record of 230 yards on just 20 carries, and the Buckeyes executed a successful two-point conversion, as well – against a team that just doesn’t give up big plays.

The incredible thing is that the Buckeyes are doing this with their third string quarterback, and Jones seemed to get better as the game went on, running and throwing with supremacy, despite many – myself included – thinking that he wouldn’t be able to stand up against a Saban defense with the best part of a month to prepare, a Saban defense ready to throw everything including the kitchen sink at him. In that context, it was an even more improbable and impressive effort.

Jones was 18-35 for 243 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and absolutely excelled on third down, passing and running against a Crimson Tide defense that didn’t seem to be able to stop him. Ohio State were an impressive 10-18 on third down. How about Alabama? 2-13, which is just about a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

Third down was the major difference in the game, and why so many Crimson Tide fans are currently besieging Alabama sports-talk radio demanding that offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin be fired. It’s interesting that the Tide went away from the run game for almost all of the second half, despite the obvious influence Derrick Henry was having on the contest. Kiffin has always been a controversial figure, and the loss to Ohio State won’t help him on that front! It was a strange game from the Tide. Some things were just…off. And it cost them.

Tremendous performance by the Buckeyes. Of course, they’ll go into the National Championship Game underdogs against Oregon, but they were underdogs against the Crimson Tide and look what happened! You’d be brave to bet against a team that obviously has an incredible amount of faith and belief.

College Football Bowl Season 2014-15: Day Ten Review

The day we’ve been waiting for – New Year’s Day in America, and what drama we saw! Here’s a quick recap of what you need to know from the day’s early games:

Citrus Bowl

Minnesota were one of the more surprising teams in 2015, improving markedly in every area, and despite a strong start against the SEC East champion Missouri, the Tigers ground game pounded their defense again and again, and then the Gophers offense found out they couldn’t run the football against the stout Mizzou front.

Indeed, one of the best ground games in the country was limited to just 106 yards and, on top of that, the Missouri defense, who forced three turnovers against a team who rarely turns the football over, and whose defensive line spent a lot of time harassing Minnesota QB Mitch Leidner.

Then, the Tiger offense ran the Gophers into the ground. Marcus Murphy had 159 yards and Russell Hansborough 114 and a touchdown. Though it was close entering the fourth quarter, 19-17 to the Tigers, Mizzou QB Maty Mauk threw a 7-yard touchdown to Bud Sasser and Hansborough ripped off a 78-yard touchdown run to ice the game, and give Missouri it’s twenty-third win in the last two seasons, an all-time mark for the school.

Outback Bowl

It was the Melvin Gordon Show for Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl, just as it’s been the Melvin Gordon Show just about everywhere the Badgers have played this season. In his final college game, the back who held, for seven days, at least, the single-game NCAA record for most rushing yards, was his usual rampaging self, ripping through the Auburn defense for 251 yards (at 7.4 a carry, if you don’t mind) and three scores.

A missed Auburn field goal in overtime ensured Wisconsin farewelled it’s most prolific running back with a narrow 34-31 win. Backup Corey Clement also had a big day, notching 105 yards on 15 carries. So the ground game at Wisconsin looks in good hands.

The Badger victory was yet another for legendary head coach Barry Alvarez, who walked the sidelines today after the departure of head coach Gary Andersen last month. The game-plan under Alvarez was just as it had been under Andersen and Brett Bielema before him: hand it to Gordon, and Gordon can do the rest.

Running backs were the flavour of the day, with Auburn’s Cameron Artis-Payne running for 126 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers offense couldn’t take advantage of three Wisconsin turnovers, and seventy-five yards of penalties didn’t help the Tigers cause.

Cotton Bowl Classic

Down 20 points to Baylor beginning the fourth quarter, things looked over and done with for Michigan State. Then, the extraordinary happened. A furious comeback by the Spartans, whose offense isn’t exactly built for these sorts of events, saw them take the lead on a ten-yard pass from QB Connor Cook to Keith Mumphrey with 0:27 to play in the game. It was Cook’s second touchdown pass of the final frame, and part of a run of twenty-one unanswered in the final quarter. The end result was an unlikely 42-41 win for the Spartans.

Baylor’s high-octane offense ripped into the vaunted Michigan State defense for 584 yards (most of which came through the air, thanks to standout QB Bryce Petty, who threw for 550 yards, with three touchdowns) and, similarly, in a wide-open game, Baylor couldn’t stop the Spartans offense, which was led by R Jeremy Langford, who ran for 162 yards and three scores on 27 carries.

Even with a handful of seconds left, Baylor had a chance to pull out a win but Petty was sacked twice in succession and tossed an interception on the last play of the game to hand Michigan State a pretty good victory, in what's been a stellar Bowl season for the Big Ten.

College Football Bowl Season 2014-15: Day Nine Review

Half of the New Year’s Six Bowls are in the books, and what drama we saw! Here’s a quick recap of what you need to know the day’s action:

Peach Bowl

Some people – yours truly included – believe Texas Christian were unfairly left out of a spot in the top four, and a semi-final appearance, and anyone who doubted that the Horned Frogs were good enough to be in that final four were silenced by their 42-3 belting of Ole Miss in Atlanta.

Make no mistake, this was a statement win, and should Ohio State, the team who took the fourth and final spot after their commanding Big Ten Championship performance, that TCU had occupied until a week before, fail badly tomorrow against Alabama, let the debate begin about whether TCU deserved a shot at a National Championship berth.

There’s no debate that TCU were white hot. They dismantled the Rebels like they were a lowly team, not ranked ninth in the nation. SEC records tumbled, the 39-point loss tying the most lopsided Bowl loss in the conference’s history. The Horned Frog defense was as good as advertised, forcing four turnovers, all by Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace – yes, “Bad Bo” was on full display in this one. He was sacked five times, and one of his turnovers was an interception picked off in the end zone.

Despite three interceptions thrown by TCU’s own signal-caller, Trevone Boykin (who also completed touchdown passes of 12, 35 and 27 yards), the Ole Miss offense could only manage one field goal, their only points of the game. Even receiver Kolby Listenbee got in on the action, throwing his own touchdown pass of 31 yards to Aaron Green (who had a team-high 67 yards rushing) to open the scoring.

Imagine if Boykin hadn’t thrown those picks? Such was TCU’s domination, the score could’ve been up towards 70. 42-3 was bad enough for Ole Miss. They only punted four times all day, whilst it seemed that the Ole Miss punter was his team’s most-used player. That’s never a good sign for a team, and the Rebels will want to forget this one ever happened.

Fiesta Bowl

Boise State have been underdogs in the Fiesta Bowl before. It didn’t worry them back in 2007 against Oklahoma, it didn’t worry them in 2010 against Texas Christian and it certainly didn’t worry them in 2014 against the Arizona Wildcats.
Once more, the Broncos, the darlings of college football out of the Mountain West Conference, played the role of spoiler, the outsider invited in to play in a New Year’s Six Bowl as the highest-ranked team from outside a Power 5 conference.

It’s happened before, and it happened again. The Broncos punched above their weight, outlasting a plucky Arizona team 38-30 to capture their third Fiesta Bowl title in eight very successful years for a program that is now firmly entrenched in the upper echelons of college football.

There was no overtime heroics like against Oklahoma, and it wasn’t – for the most part, anyway – a defensive struggle like the victory over Texas Christian, but Boise State won just the same, lighting up an Arizona defense early and often, racing to a 21-7 lead at quarter time, helped along by a perfectly-executed Statue of Liberty play, just like what won them the game against Oklahoma. Boise had a 31-7 half time advantage, before letting their defense do their thing in the second half.

Offensively, the Broncos didn’t reach the end zone after half time. Their lone second-half touchdown was a pick-6 of Arizona QB Anu Solomon in the fourth quarter, but it hardly mattered, not after Boise State had torched the Wildcats in the first.

Star running back Jay Ajayi ran in a 56-yard touchdown on his first touch as part of 134 total rushing yards and emerging receiver Thomas Sperbeck caught twelve balls for 199 yards, and was virtually unstoppable and indefensible all night. Quarterback Grant Hedrick was almost perfect in the first half, missing on only one pass – an interception – en route to 309 passing yards and three touchdown passes.

As good teams do, Arizona clawed their way back, and had their chances to make the game closer, but Solomon and his receivers continued to have communication issues. Yes, Solomon made some big plays, but he also left so many on the field. Bad throws leading to interceptions – two of them – bad routes and bad drops by receivers, and a curious lack of urgency late in the fourth, with the clock winding and no time-outs left…Arizona experienced them all, again and again.

Against a team as good as the Broncos, that sort of lack of execution is going to kill you, and it did. Arizona will rue their own mistakes throughout, and wonder what might’ve been had they been able to show up and stop those big Boise State plays in the first quarter, which, in many ways, was where the game was won and lost.

Orange Bowl

Wow, did the SEC take a hit today or what? Granted, the state of Mississippi took as big a hit, but the focus will be more on the vaunted conference having both teams blown out in big games today – first Ole Miss by a Big XII team in TCU and then Mississippi State by Georgia Tech of the ACC.

Like the Peach Bowl, the 49-34 Georgia Tech victory in the Orange Bowl – their first in 63 long years – wasn’t even close. Well, it was for the first half, with Georgia Tech taking a narrow 21-20 lead after Mississippi State somehow connected on a Hail Mary touchdown pass on the last play of the first thirty minutes. But it was a 21-point onslaught from Georgia Tech in the third period that really blew the game wide open. The Yellow Jackets had a 42-20 lead at the end of three quarters, and that was just about that.

Two Mississippi State touchdowns in the final quarter made the score a little more flattering for the Bulldogs, but the damage had been done. After Ole Miss earlier, another vaunted SEC defense, lauded throughout the nation, had been gashed.

Whereas the Rebels were belted through the air, the Bulldogs gave up 452 rushing yards to Georgia Tech – an Orange Bowl record, if you were wondering – including 171 yards and two scores to the electrifying Synjyn Days, whose 69-yard touchdown run to really ice the game in the third came with a barrelling run through and over State defenders.

Mississippi State outgained Georgia Tech in total yardage 605-577, and had an Orange Bowl-record 453 yards from quarterback Dak Prescott, but it wasn’t enough for the Bulldogs, whose defense was victimised again and again. A huge fall from grace for State, who sat atop the national rankings for 5 weeks midseason, then lost three of it’s final four games.

College Football Bowl Season 2014-15: Day Eight Review

Three more games today and, for the time being, the last of the prelim Bowl match-ups, because tomorrow is the beginning of the much-hyped New Year’s Six. Before we get into the Peach, Fiesta and Orange Bowls, here’s a quick recap of what you need to know the day’s action:

Music City Bowl

Louisiana State and Notre Dame, two famous college football brands, and a big crowd inside LP Field in downtown Nashville – the Music City Bowl had all the makings of a classic, and we were treated to one of the better games of the season, won, as are all good football games, late and on the boot of a kicker.

Notre Dame’s Kyle Brindza was the hero of the 31-28 victory, booting the winning field goal from 32 yards out, after a powerful final drive from the Irish, who played with far more heart and spirit than in their last regular season game, a 49-14 thumping at the hands of the USC Trojans. It might as well have been a different team.

Led by redshirt freshman QB Malik Zaire, making his first career start, the Irish went to-to-toe offensively with a good LSU team, and it was the new man under centre, getting the start ahead of the erratic Everett Golson, who also saw some time in the game. Zaire was pretty good, given his situation, throwing for 96 yards and a touchdown and also rushing for 96 yards and a score.

Then, Zaire would go out of the game, and in would come Golson. It worked well for Notre Dame, who rolled up 449 total yards of offense, and easily won the battle for time of possession, 37:00 to 23:00. The key for the Irish was that neither quarterback threw an interception, which had been a real problem late in the regular season.

Yet, the Tigers didn’t roll over and let the Irish have this one. Particularly not another true freshman, RB Leonard Fournette, who seemed to enjoy a big play every time he touched the football. And touch it, he did: often. The 230-pound back, who has incredible speed for a guy his size, ran back a kick-off 100 yards to tie the game at 14-14, and had an 89-yard touchdown run. Fournette ran for 142 yards, two scores and added 121 yards on 5 kick-off returns for a personal total haul of 253.

It wasn’t enough for the Tigers, who couldn’t combat the duel-quarterbacked final drive to set Brindza up for the game-winner, capping a great game. As much as I don’t like them, this was a good win for the Irish. One that Brian Kelly and his team really needed after really falling in a heap halfway through the season.

Belk Bowl

The first game between two ranked teams turned out to be a mismatch. Georgia were simply too good for Louisville, winning 37-14 in chilly Charlotte, North Carolina, and it was all thanks to their freshman running back Nick Chubb. Whilst Georgia fans will bemoan the loss of Todd Gurley for most of the season, the efforts of Chubb will at least make them feel good about the future, and with Sony Michel in the Bulldog backfield as the second half of a double-punch for the ground game, SEC defenses should be worried.

Chubb was the top dog in this game, running for 266 yards and two scores. Most of the night, he couldn’t be touched. It was just as well that Chubb, who ran for 1,550 total yards this year, the second-best season total in Georgia history behind Herschel Walker (who owns the top three in that category), was on point, because the Dawgs lost their quarterback, Huston Mason, to injury late in the first half – after a strong first half, including a 44-yard touchdown strike to Chris Conley – and were also without leading receiver Michael Bennett as well.

None of that mattered. Despite Louisville having a fair idea of Georgia’s game-plan, Chubb ran over, around and through Cardinals defenders, notching touchdown runs of 31 and 8, the last capping a 45-yard drive at the death, in which Chubb ran the football on all four plays, the finale being his touchdown, and a little icing on the Bulldog cake.

It didn’t help Louisville that they couldn’t get anything going on offense. Running with two quarterbacks, Kyle Bolin to start and Reggie Bonnafon at times, didn’t help Bobby Petrino’s team. Bolin threw two interceptions in the first half and was yanked for Bonnafon, who had a chance to complete only three passes – one an interception – before he was yanked, and Bolin finished out the game. The Cardinals have some quarterback questions to be answered during spring ball and into summer. Suffice to say, the Belk Bowl wasn’t their greatest offensive night.

Foster Farms Bowl

The mismatch of the day took place inside the new Levis Stadium in Santa Clarita, California, home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. A middling Big Ten team, Maryland, against a Pac-12 team in Stanford who came off a big win in the last game of the regular season against a good UCLA team, and it wasn’t hard to know how this would go.

Playing less than twenty miles from their campus, the Cardinal were kings in this one. They led the Terps 28-7 at half time and 35-7 at three-quarter time, eventually pulling away for a win that most of America had probably turned off by the time the final quarter began. Stanford ran out winners, 45-21, and nearly doubled Maryland’s total yardage (415 to 221).

It’s worth noting that the Terrapins second touchdown was a special teams effort – a 100-yard kick-off return by William Likely – and that, for the majority of the evening, one of the nation’s stingiest defenses kept Maryland at bay, limiting them (with sack yardage lost included) to just 7 rushing yards. That’s insane! If Stanford can get their offense clicking like their defense is, they’ll be a dangerous team in the Pac-12 next year.

Stanford QB Kevin Hogan basically throws to set up the ground game for the Cardinal, and where he’s been erratic at times this season, he was superb tonight, completing 14-20 for 189 yards and two touchdowns. He also scrambled 7 times for 50 yards, part of a Stanford backfield that helped itself to 207 rushing yards. There’s a lot of bruising downhill runners on the Cardinal roster, and they blunted that Terrapin defense tonight.

At least Maryland can lay claim to more offense – and points – than the vaunted University of Texas managed yesterday.

2015 College Football National Championship Game - Australian Foxtel / ESPN TV Guide

Hot off the press, here are all the details of ESPN's programming for the 2015 College Football National Championship Game that takes place Tuesday afternoon, January 13, 2015.

Something interesting to note: guides currently suggest the game will be broadcast on both ESPN and ESPN2 concurrently, so there's a good chance that Australians will get to see at least a small slice of the MegaCast that's being planned in America, where fans at home can access a number of different feeds of the game, some with radio calls, others with coaches breaking down X's and O's, and more. It was premiered to rave reviews during last year's BCS National Championship Game, and ESPN have recently announced they're bringing it back again. More details as they come to hand...

All times AEDT

Tuesday 13 January 2015

College Football Live (7.00am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
College GameDay - Arlington, Texas (8.00am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
Championship Drive (10.00am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
National Championship Game (12.30pm; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
National Championship Game [Alternate Feed TBC] (12.30pm; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
SportsCenter (4.00pm; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
National Championship Game [Replay] (5.00pm; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
National Championship Game [Replay] (9.00pm; ESPN/ESPN-HD)