Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi State are all poised to take care of business in their battles with Big Ten opponents on New Year’s Day. Before that potential SEC sweep, there’s some business to attend to in El Paso when Notre Dame meet Miami.
Old rivals square off Don’t expect a classic like the Catholics vs Convicts when the Fighting Irish square off with the Hurricanes in the Hyundai Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Miami now have one of the cleanest programs in all of College Football while neither team possesses the kind of talent that took part in those classics from the 1980s and 1990s.
That won’t stop this from being an entertaining match-up as Brian Kelly’s ever-improving Notre Dame look to finish with their best record since 2006. College Football betting fans will be wary of the kind of performance Miami, who recently hired Al Golden to replace Randy Shannon, will deliver in this period of transition. Teams undergoing a coaching change during bowl season often play with a lot of heart but little direction. That is where a thinker like Kelly can undo the U. For all the injuries and bad luck his team suffered in 2010, he still found a way to pull out big wins over Utah and USC. Kelly was desperate for the extra practices the Irish get as a result of going bowling and I expect Notre Dame to deliver an organized and clinical performance in El Paso. Bet on Notre Dame to win as +3.0 underdogs with Sports Interaction.
Tide to lead SEC sweep The Big Ten conference has a legitimate shot of winning two BCS bowls but its pairings for the lower-tier games don’t inspire confidence. The Capital One Bowl pits a seething Alabama team against Michigan State. The Spartans won a share of the Big Ten title but were dismantled by Iowa, the only team on their schedule with a defense comparable to the Tide. Mark Ingram might well see this game as a chance too make a final statement before jumping to the NFL, or maybe even the PGA Tour if he keeps this up. Bet on Alabama to win as -10.0 favorites with Sports Interaction.
Had Michigan been sent to the Outback Bowl, to face a Florida program in poor health, the Wolverines may have been well placed to strike back for the Big Ten. Instead Michigan must travel to Jacksonville to take on Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have taken huge strides under Dan Mullen, the kind the Wolverines hoped to take under Rich Rodriguez. Only a win will do for RichRod if he wants to keep his job. I don’t like his chances, bet on Mississippi State to win as -5.0 favorites with Sports Interaction.
The Outback Bowl should see the SEC complete its pre-BCS sweep of Big Ten teams. Florida may be ailing on offense but they are still in far better health than the Nittany Lions of Penn State. Don’t expect a classic in Tampa but bet on Florida to win as -7.0 favorites with Sports Interaction.