NCAA Football Bowl Previews: Gator, Capital One and Rose

It’s New Year’s Eve, which can only mean one thing: A College Football Bowl extravaganza! All NCAA college football betting lines are courtesy Sports Interaction’s online sportsbook.

Rose Bowl: Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2) vs. Oregon Ducks (10-2)
Oregon -4.5, Over/Under 43.5

Although there’s lots of key matchups in this one (including Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor, pictured right, against the Ducks’ secondary), the big one has to be Oregon’s ground game against the Buckeyes’ rush defense. Ducks QB Jeremiah Masoli and RB LaMichael James are dynamic, explosive runners — the stereotypical “home-run hitters” out of the backfield.  Throw in bruising (no pun intended) back LeGarrette Blount, and the Ducks are an absolute nightmare to contain.

That being said, Ohio State is no slouch when it comes to shutting down the run. The Buckeyes have allowed just four teams to rush for over 100 yards this season, thanks in large part to the solid play of LBs Ross Homan and Brian Rolle. One of Homan and Rolle will probably be the designated “spy” on Masoli, so that could occupy most of their attention during the game, and that could be a problem when it comes to containing James and Blount. There’s a reason why Oregona averaged 236.1 rush yards a game this season, and on Friday, we’ll probably see it.

Capital One Bowl: LSU Tigers (9-3) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2)
Penn State -2.5, Over/Under 43.5

Another game where things will likely be decided on the ground. Two very different rush offenses go head-to-head here; LSU has struggled to run the ball all season long and now look to former fourth-string RB Stevan Ridley for a change of pace. The Tigers do have a dynamic weapon in the ultra-athletic Russell Shepard, but he only has 45 carries this season and isn’t accustomed to a heavy workload.

For Penn State though, no such problems on the ground. RB Evan Royster rumbled for 1,104 yards this season, but only found the end zone six times. Of course, that lack of production was offset by the fleet feet of QB Daryll Clark, who led the Nittany Lions with seven rushing TDs this season. But Penn State really seems to go as Royster goes; when he doesn’t produce, Penn State struggles (he only had 105 yards combined in their two losses this year) but when he’s on, the Nittany Lions are really tough to slow down.

All that being said, don’t forget that LSU head coach Les Miles is 4-0 in Bowl Games.

Gator Bowl: Florida State Seminoles (6-6) at West Virginia Mountaineers (9-3)
West Virginia -2.5, Over/Under 60.0

Yeah, you read that Over/Under number right. Sixty points.  A lot of that has to do with WVU running back Noel Devine, who has been lights-out this season. Devine ran for 1,297 yards and 12 TDs this season, including an unreal day against Auburn back in October (207 yards, 12.3 yards-per-carry average).  He should be licking his chops at the prospect of facing Florida State’s woeful rush defense — the ‘Noles rank just 108th in the nation and will have to keep a close eye on Mountaineers QB Jarrett Brown, who is an effective runner himself.

But before you go throwing down the house on WVU, consider this: The Gator Bowl will be the final game of Bobby Bowden’s legendary career. The ‘Noles will probably want to send him out in style.