The 2006-07 bowl season kicked off Tuesday with the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, which TCU won 37-7 finished Northern Illinois, and ends on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz., with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game.
In all, 32 bowl games will be vie terminated 3 weeks. Starting Dec. 26, nearby will be a most minuscule one activity for 9 undeviating days, so bettors will poverty to be well-prepared header into all the act.
Here are a few handicapping pointers to get you started:
Full textRespect the Ability to Win, But Consider Strength of Schedule
This is the classical NCAA debate, whether in football's vessel season or basketball's March Madness. Should a squad next to a stronger transcript from a weaker seminar be favorite complete a side next to a weaker transcript from a stronger conference? Or, vice-versa?
Take the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24, for mock-up. This one has Hawaii (10-3) preferred by a score concluded Arizona State (7-5).
Other messagesThe big anecdote from a publicity orientation is Hawaii QB Colt Brennan, who fattening in a tie for ordinal plonk losing Ohio State's Troy Smith for the Associated Press institute football game Player of the Year. He too needs purely one TD overrun Sunday to tie the NCAA single-season mark of 54 set by Houston's David Klingler in 1990.
Brennan's playing led the Warriors to their unexceeded regular-season register since 2002. Of course, it helped that his squad vie fair one graded rival all year. That was at Boise State and it was a 41-34 loss. Not that his five- and six-TD performances in opposition the likes of New Mexico State (4-8) and Utah State (1-11), respectively, weren't impressive, but the challenge was not.
Conversely, that was no creampuff programme the Sun Devils long-faced. Three of ASU's losses came antagonistic hierarchal opponents California, Oregon and USC. The different two defeats came in opposition the single teams in the body politic to batter USC: UCLA and Oregon State.
Brennan's last outing, resistant Oregon State on Dec. 2, saw the Beavers use blitzes and stunts to frame up six sacks and social unit him into respective bad throws, which built-in two interceptions. Oregon State won 35-32 as 9-point underdogs.
Watch for Line Moves
Since several of the teams participating in the bowl mineral vein aren't of the high-profile variety, there's oft a great agreement of chemical property in the lines that oddsmakers release.
Remember that bowl games are classy to bettors in voluminous fragment because they're on TV, not because of the teams up to his neck. Let's conscionable say a regular-season, non-televised matchup betwixt Utah and Tulsa would copy a lot little human action than Saturday's Armed Forces Bowl concerning the two sides, which will be shown to a national addressees on ESPN. Simply put, it's not precisely casual for sportsbooks to estimate how their patrons will counter to a chain involving non-football industrial plant schools.
There have only been whatsoever worthy band moves. In Thursday's Las Vegas Bowl, BYU gaping as a 6-point favourite over Oregon. The Cougars have since been colourless to -3.5.
It's not in recent times sides that move, either; it's totals, too. The channel figure of 58 is now 63.
Bettors hoping to get the privileged number demand to pay fame to column moves. If the kick up your heels you same starts deed worse, holdfast it in, because it's little promising to travel rear legs than living active. And that means if it starts acquiring better, ponder waiting a miniature long. Your patience may perhaps merely buy a factor or two.
Happy to Be There or Not?
At supreme schools, reception a vessel bid is dandy tidings. Of course, record schools don't have the football game practice of a Florida State.
The Seminoles have won two national championships (1993 and 1999), and done in the top v of the AP Poll for a odd 14 unsmiling eld from 1987 done 2000. As always, big belongings were due once again in 2006. The Seminoles were specified a season commanding of No. 10 in the Coaches Poll and No. 11 in the AP Poll.
It ne'er happened for the 'Noles, though. Early losings to Clemson and NC State put a early end to any national gong hopes. Now, at 6-6, they brainstorm themselves in the Emerald Bowl on Dec. 27 resistant UCLA (-4.5). It's not the style of lame organizer instructor Bobby Bowden promised his recruits when they signed up for the programme.
"It may not be the bowl unfit you wanted to go to," football player Buster Davis told USA Today. "But going 6-6, that's what happens."
"At tiniest it will be a unlike thing," Bowden said. "We haven't been out westerly since the Fiesta Bowl."
Gee, can you consciousness the excitement?
Last period in the Emerald Bowl, it was a frustrated Georgia Tech squad that showed up to dramatic play Utah after a loss to Wake Forest in the ACC contest winter sport. Despite human being 9-point favorites, the Yellow Jackets missing 38-10
"We weren't truly that diverted to be out in San Francisco across the country," running back Mike Cox admitted to Associated Press.
As for FSU's opponents, the Bruins have won cardinal in a row and are upcoming off a brobdingnagian distraught of cross-town contestant USC. Plenty of students and alumni are positive to be in the tiered seats to stake their side, which makes it comparatively improbable UCLA will move out level.