Sportandfashion-news's Championship Week Guide

In beautiful Sportandfashion-news fashion, I get my predictions, player to watch, team to watch for the conference tournaments a little late, but let's be honest, most of the games today do not matter. Thursday and Friday are so sneaky great. 

Big East
TV: FOX Sports 1  

Player to watch: Doug McDermott - This is sort of a mailed in answer here, but I am curious how Dougie McBuckets handles New York City and the bright lights of the Big East Tournament even if it is not what it was in years past. McDermott also made the cover of Sports Illustrated emulating Larry Bird's SI cover and McDermott getting compared to Larry Bird is perfect. FOX would love for McDermott to go off until Saturday night.    

Team to watch: Winner of Providence and St. John's - This is probably the best game of the tournament in the early goings. Both teams are squarely on the bubble, and it is a 'Loser Go Home' matchup for these teams. Whomever will win this game gets Villanova meaning they get a legitimate shot at fully sealing their chances for the tournament.  

Winner: Villanova - I think I have taken Nova lightly for the entire year. This team has three losses, and for some reason, I do not think they will run into their kryptonite in Creighton whose beat them twice this season meaning they will probably get a walk into the conference championship which includes a one seed in the NCAA Tournament.*

*** Yes I would love to wax poetically about Marquette finding some mojo in New York City, but I really do not see much from the squad right now. They lost two straight, play an Xavier team they have beat, but then take on Creighton if Golden Eagles were to win. It would be classic Marquette if they got to the final only to lose then just to tease me.

B1G 
TV: CBS, ESPN Networks, Big Ten Network

Player to watch: Keith Appling - We have seen glimmers of Appling returning to form in the last couple games, but since his injury, he really has not been the same player. Michigan State is under a great deal of criticism, and if this team wants to make a March run like everyone expected in November, Appling needs to be a factor on both ends of the court.  

Team to watch: Indiana Hoosiers - This might be a ridiculous prediction, but here me out for Indiana. They play Illinois whose playing better of late but can easily beat them in the first round. Then Hoosiers get a 1-8 matchup with Michigan, a team they beat and only lost to four last Saturday plus they could get Nebraska in the semifinal.  With Michigan State and Wisconsin in the lower bracket, I think it is easier to make a run in the top half.

Winner: Wisconsin Badgers - They always seem to play well in Indianapolis for the tournament. I do not think they will see both Michigan and Michigan State plus their first game against Minnesota or Penn State will be less taxing than Sparty facing probably Iowa. Badgers seem like the most logical answer.

Big 12 
TV: ESPN Networks

Player to watch: Andrew Wiggins - I am curious to see whether Wiggins' 41 performance on Saturday will carry over to the Big 12 Tournament especially with Joel Embiid being out with a back injury. Wiggins could be blasting Aloe Blacc through his headphones and become the man of this team.      

Team to watch: Baylor Bears - Something I think people have not been paying attention to is Baylor found a way to rite the ship in the past month. The lower half of the bracket is far less daunting than the top with Baylor getting Oklahoma in the second round, a team that swept them yet it is still winnable. If Baylor gets past them, it is either Texas or West Virginia in the semifinals which once again the Bears could win.

Winner: Iowa State Cyclones - I like the makeup of this team probably more than I should. We are heading for a NCAA Tournament where I take Iowa State until the Elite Eight and get burned. Kansas State is a tough draw to start, but getting Kansas after Oklahoma State or if the Cowboys knock them off could definitely help the Cyclones. It should be a fun as hell tournament here.

ACC 
TV: ESPN Networks

Player to watch: T.J. Warren - If there is one player that could single-handily carry his team through the ACC Tournament, it is Warren. He won ACC Player of the Year and has been on a complete tear in the last month. Warren is lethal enough to beat a team like Syracuse in the quarterfinals, but climbing from the five and under will be difficult in this conference tournament.

Team to watch: Virginia Cavaliers - Unlike a lot of these paragraphs, I am interested to see how the Cavaliers handle themselves against the top ACC teams. Out of the top seven ACC teams, Virginia played all of them only once this season meaning there is a lot of uncertainty that this team could run the table against their ACC opponents.

Winner: North Carolina Tar Heels - I love how they played in the last month. Despite a loss to Duke, North Carolina should be able to make some noise here with getting either Pittsburgh or Florida State then move on to a revenge game against Virginia possibly.  I cannot see Duke and Syracuse winning as both teams will beat each other up in the semifinals.

American  
TV: ESPN Networks

Player to watch: Russ Smith - There are so many great individual players in this tournament especially with the likes of Smith, Shabazz Napier, Shaq Goodwin, Nic Moore and others. Smith though, is the type of player that could absolutely electrify this conference tournament.  He might be one of the more underrated players in college basketball which is unbelievable to think about truthfully.  

Team to watch: Memphis Tigers - They get a homecourt advantage. While that has not played to Memphis' strengths throughout the season, it has helped in the past during the Conference USA days. They have a tough road seeing UConn, Cincinnati and SMU/Louisville yet having a rabid fan base plus sleeping in your own bed only helps things.

Winner: SMU Mustangs - This is like everyone's sleeper that is going to become too popular, but they have a solid team that plays both strong offense and defense. SMU filled with scorers like Moore, and they have beaten all the top teams this season. Like the Ponies to make a run.    

Pac-12
TV: ESPN Networks, Pac-12 Network

Player to watch: Aaron Gordon - For most of the year, Gordon really never reached Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins level. We have seen players take their games to something we have not seen when mid-March rolls on. Derrick Williams was a nobody before he took the Cats on a run to the Elite Eight. Gordon could make his presence known which means we all in big trouble.    

Team to watch: UCLA Bruins - Yes they are the two seed, but did anyone notice Washington State beat the doors off them last Saturday night?  Maybe it is just a blip on the radar, but I do not know how good this UCLA team is meaning the seed could be a little high for them.

Winner: Oregon Ducks - QUACK IS BACK JACK.  They are red-hot right now and somehow the seventh seed in this tournament. Oregon beat Arizona, UCLA sans their two best players and Arizona State in the last month, they are the top three seeds of this tournament. I do not want to see Oregon right now, and I think the Ducks find a way to do it to Arizona again.  

A-10   
TV: CBS, NBC Sports Network

Player to watch: Jordair Jett - While this might be an obvious answer, I am a little concerned about the health of Jett moving forward this week. Saint Louis could play up to three games in three days wearing out the knee of Jett's so do I think we should keep an eye on him.

Team to watch: St. Joesph's or Dayton - Both of these teams are squarely on the bubble. Let's say Dayton runs through whomever wins the 12/13 matchup meaning these two teams play each other in a 'Loser Goes Home' in the quarterfinals then getting Saint Louis in the semifinals. Don't be surprised if one of these teams end up in the final.

Winner: VCU Rams - Here's the thing about the Havoc defense, it could be completely exhausting when you have already played a couple games versus seeing it after a week off.   While they have struggled with Saint Louis in the past outside of Richmond, I think they could have a good tournament.

Mountain West  
TV: CBS Networks

Player to watch:  Deonte Burton - Not the one from Marquette, but the big dunker from Nevada whom can put anyone on a poster. Wolfpack lurk in the third position, and Burton's high energy could make some noise for this tournament.

Team to watch: UNLV Runnin' Rebels - If there was one team besides San Diego State or New Mexico to do damage, it could be UNLV.  While they are coming in losing the last two of the season, they have the talent to beat anyone in the Mountain West.

Winner: San Diego State Aztecs - At the end of the day, let's not kid ourselves with a pretender making waves here. San Diego State or New Mexico is likely winning this thing. I will take the Aztecs only because Xavier Thames' ability to take over basketball games could be major in the third game of this rivalry.    

 

SEC 
TV: ABC, ESPN Networks

Player to watch: Pick a Kentucky freshman - Wildcats are one of the most interesting teams to watch, and this might be a cop out with my answer yet all of the players fascinate me. They could probably see LSU in the quarterfinal, a team that gives them all sorts of trouble.  

Team to watch: Arkansas or Tennessee winner - Let's say Arkansas wins its first game meaning they take on Tennessee in a 'Loser Go Home' matchup with both teams lying on the bubble. They could then get Florida in the semifinals in a desperation game. To be honest, I am more interested in Arkansas than Tennessee but that's just me.

Winner: Florida Gators - They are the best team in basketball, and while they might not care about this tournament, they are head and shoulders above everyone else in the SEC.

Charlie.

CBB Picks: The Final Countdown

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
14. North Carolina at 4. Duke 8:00 pm ESPN - Who would have thought a month ago, this would be a top 15 matchup again, and everything is right with the world. Marcus Paige developed into one of the best point guards in the nation, and I do not think Duke has an answer for him.  They will win this game by outscoring North Carolina yet that's hard to come by right now for Duke which is weird given all the talent they have especially on the offensive side. I do not trust Duke right now. Coach K is having health issues, team cannot play defense and cannot score, horrible recipe against a hot team. UNC 77-72

19. Connecticut at 11. Louisville 1:00 pm CBS - If Cardinals win, they get at least a split of the conference title in the first year of the American.  Russ Smith might be the least talked about senior in a long time. Smith been so damn good in the past couple weeks including a big 24 point second half against SMU. Smith had a nice game the first time around against the Huskies and there is no reason to think otherwise on Saturday. We need a Russ versus Shabazz five minute interlude and just watch in awe. I will take Louisville. Montrezl Harrell and Russ Smith will be too much for the Huskies. UL 69-62

21. New Mexico at 10. San Diego State 9:00 pm CBS Sports Network - Second meeting between these two squads and the first time, New Mexico delivered a beat down. Dirty little secret about the Aztecs is they have not really beat anyone worth nothing since early January. Last game, San Diego State received 27 points from their bench which is not the norm for them, they will need it again this time around. They also need to put a body on Cameron Bairstow. He went off the first time around for 26 points and eight rebounds. Aztecs cannot have that happen again if they want the rematch. I think they do. Xavier Thames last game with The Show behind him will yield a good result. SDSU 65-58

3. Arizona at Oregon 3:00 pm CBS - Tricky, tricky game for Arizona. They survived Oregon State on Wednesday night and now face an Oregon team that needs a win. They are flirting with the bubble, and if they win, the Ducks are probably in unless something crazy happens. Ducks are hot winning the last six games, and getting Johnathan Lloyd healthy again is big for this team. Mike Moser needs to be a factor too. He disappeared against Arizona earlier this year. It is hard to bet against Nick Johnson whom had 20 or more points three of the last four games, but that's what I am doing. Betting against a team with their backs against the wall at home is usually foolish. Quack quack. OREG 78-75

SECOND TIER
25. Kentucky at 1. Florida 11:00 am CBS - Woof. Kentucky is heading into a buzzsaw with this game. There might be slight hope that the Wildcats could catch them with an 11 am start, but I highly doubt that. Michael Frazier II proved on Tuesday, Florida has so many different options that can beat them.  Casey Prather and Scottie Wilbekin combined for 47 points in the first meeting, and it is hard to imagine things will be different on Saturday. Gators are playing really strong basketball right now, and Kentucky is not whatsoever. I would be stunned if the Cats found a way to win this one. Go Gata. UF 70-59

18. SMU at 20. Memphis 11:00 am ESPN - Even though my team resides in the Big East, the American has been the best new conference from a talent standpoint. All around, I would probably take the Big East, but I move on. Memphis needs to find some defense quick. They gave up over 80-plus points to a Cincinnati team that is known for their defense. They gave up 87 points to SMU in January, what makes me think anything will be different with this team?  Memphis is a good team that cannot play defense. That's a problem. SMU runs them over again with a strong Nic Moore game. SMU 81-72

Oklahoma State at 16. Iowa State 1:00 pm ESPN - Cowboys decided not to be on the bubble once Marcus Smart came back. Unless Oklahoma State loses their last two games of the year, this one and their first Big 12 conference game, I think they are safely in. If they do finish out with two straight losses, they might be sweating a bit. These two played a triple overtime classic at Stillwater and I would expect nothing different at Hilton. I am not worried about Iowa State. I think DeAndre Kane and George Niang will figure it out powering Cyclones over the Cowboys. ISU 74-72

Missouri Valley Conference Championship (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm CBS - Odds are Wichita State could be playing to go wire-to-wire with the undefeated season. That's worth the price of admission. Cannot really make a pick rather just inform you it is there.

THIRD TIER
22. Michigan State at Ohio State (Played on Sunday) 3:30 pm CBS - Can anyone trust Ohio State right now? They are not doing anything on offense and while this will be senior day for Aaron Craft as well as others emotions will run high for the Bucks. Michigan State seemed back against Iowa. Four of their five starters were in double figures plus a nice effort from Travis Trice off the bench. Even though senior day will inspire Craft, Michigan State might be gearing towards to make their run. MSU 66-62

7. Syracuse at Florida State (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm ESPN3 - No one likes to play in Tallahassee and this will be the Cuse's first conference visit. In the last month, the highest point total for Syracuse was 62 points in a loss to Georgia Tech. Noles are hot of late winning four of their last five games playing good defense and actually scoring, a problem for them in the past. Okaro White has been white hot averaging 21.5 points in the last three games. Everything tells me to go with Florida State, but I cannot picture Syracuse dropping another game. They put it together and win a closely contested game. CUSE 64-63

Georgetown at 6. Villanova 1:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Am I discrediting Villanova? They only have three losses total this season, two against Creighton and one against Syracuse. They beat Kansas albeit early in the season. Nova is being talked about as a one seed and deservingly so. The big three of Bell, Pinkston and Hillard are all averaging around 14 to 15 points a game. Markel Starks gave one of his best performances of his career on Tuesday, but it's not happening here. Nova is not losing at home with the big three taking control late. NOVA 69-61

FOURTH TIER
9. Wisconsin at Nebraska (Played on Sunday) 6:30 pm Big Ten Network - Oh baby. This is the biggest game in Nebraska's college basketball history. It will be a sold out crowd. March atmosphere will be in the air for sure. Wisconsin is red hot and hard to pick against, but the question is 'Who needs this more?' Cornhuskers without question. NEB 63-61

Providence at 13. Creighton 7:00 pm CBS Sports Network - An easy one here. Dougie McBuckets final game in Omaha seems like an easy win even though Providence needs a win desparately here. McDermott goes for 36 tonight in a win. CREIGH 85-72

5. Virginia at Maryland 11:00 am (Played on Sunday) CBS - This has all the remnants of an upset. Virginia already won the ACC. Terrapins are not going to be in the tournament, and this will be their Super Bowl being on national TV and save their coach's job. Easy money here. MARY 68-65

17. Saint Louis at Massachusetts (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm CBS Sports Network - All of the sudden, Billikens have careened off the side of the road. Minuteman are probably in and could help their resume with a win here. Jordair Jett is bothering a knee injury and that worries me. Give me The Zoo. UMASS 65-60

Charlie.

Closing Time: Nike's CBB Throwbacks are Awesome

God bless ya Nike. They are not buying into the sleeved jerseys as that is Adidas' baby and that's perfectly okay with me. They decide to go old school with some of their biggest teams on the roster as Michigan State, Kentucky, Duke, Ohio State, Oregon, Syracuse, and North Carolina all get new jerseys. Spartans are the only ones where the jersey is actually new as Nike is still trying to make bronze happen with Sparty. I do not know if I like Syracuse's or Ohio State's the best. Both are very slick, and I do not mind the shorts being a different color. I also love North Carolina going back to the heel on the short plus the Carolina blue triangle running up the short. All of theses are great. Good night Tappers. (H/T @nikebasketball) 

Charlie.

CBB Stock Market: January 11th-12th

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading. 

BUY BUY BUY 

Wichita State Shockers - They might play in a weaker than usual Missouri Valley Conference, but they were trailing by 18 points at halftime on the road to Missouri State, and came back to beat them in overtime. That takes a great deal of mental fortitude. Wichita State is the real deal no matter what conference they are playing in this season. I am no Jerry Palm or Joe Lunardi, but I would think if Wichita State lost one or two games like St. Joesph did with that Jameer Nelson, Delonte West team did, I think this could be a two seed, borderline one seed. Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker is a great one-two punch for this team.

Iowa Hawkeyes - We criticize their coach last weekend, but Iowa got their first signature win in a long while by winning on the road against Ohio State. Hawkeyes show they are indeed legit, and deserve to be in the discussion when it comes to the top four in the Big Ten. Roy Deyvn Marble continued to get better and averaging over 16 points a game plus Aaron White is a beast inside. If they can beat Ohio State on the road, they can win anywhere in the Big Ten.  Even when their coach Fran McCaffery got ejected last Sunday, this team still hung tough with Wisconsin on the road.

Pittsburgh Panthers - I could not be happier Syracuse and Pittsburgh are now in the ACC this season. Both are head and shoulders better this season.  Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna are two guys whom have been there forever yet they are finally coming together like coach Jamie Dixon had wanted when he recruited them. Patterson was an underachieving recruit until this season where he is averaging nearly 18 points a game.  They have not had a true test yet this season, but it comes this Saturday heading to Syracuse, a place they know well then they welcome Duke to the Oakland Zoo in late January.

Arizona Wildcats - This team just keeps winning basketball games. They notched a Los Angeles sweep over the weekend by beating UCLA and USC. Arizona now heads home for three straight games over basically two weeks. There is a good chance this team might be undefeated heading into February which I feel like no one saw coming. I thought this team looked good on paper, but the question was would they come together? The latter had been a problem for former Cats team. The development of Nick Johnson is the most impressive thing about this team. Johnson's scoring is up five points and one thing forgotten this year is his free-throw percentage is up 10 percent from last season which is a huge deal with the way Johnson plays basketball. 

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Ohio State Buckeyes - I hyped up Ohio State last week only to have them lose to Michigan State and Iowa this week. For most of the game against the Spartans, they were getting their ass kicked yet they found a way to battle back to victory. You wonder if that had something to do with their poor play against Iowa. Further, I think the Iowa game is more of a reminder that no team is really safe playing at home in the Big Ten. That has not been in the case in years past. It does not get easier as they head to Minnesota this Thursday.

SELL SELL SELL 

Illinois Fightin' Illini - Sometimes when teams get ranked, they do not take it well. Illinois is one of those teams. They were absolutely boat raced by Wisconsin and then only scored 43 points in a loss to Northwestern, arguably the worst B1G team. Not ready for primetime or just an average team?  I would probably say the latter in this case. Being average in this B1G might be above average in other conferences, but they do not seem to be a team that can knock off the elite ones on the road.  

Oregon Ducks - What the hell is going on in Eugene? The Ducks have lost three straight games including two at home in the last eight days. They are not losing to the powers of the Pac-12. Now it could mean this conference is a dogfight every game out, but at the same time, Oregon should beat California and Stanford at home. They are better than that. The worrisome thing is this squad giving up 100, 96 and 82 in their last three losses. That needs to be turned around for them to start winning games again.

Duke Blue Devils - Really the same question for Duke. This team started off in the top five, and now they have hit rock bottom by losing to Clemson on Saturday. Duke really cannot play defense this season, and people are starting to figure that out. How does Coach K change things? He might be stuck in a bad spot with a bad defensive team where they can only outscore teams to win games. They play the next three of four at Cameron Indoor which could be the perfect recipe for this team to get right again.

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 
Monday: 15. Kansas at 8. Iowa State 8:00 pm ESPN

Tuesday: 3. Wisconsin at Indiana 6:00 pm ESPN, Butler at 20. Creighton 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1,
               25. Oklahoma at Kansas State 6:00 pm ESPN2

Thursday: UConn at 17. Memphis 6:00 pm ESPN, 25. UCLA at 21. Colorado 7:00 pm Pac-12 Network,
                Arizona State at 1. Arizona 8:00 pm FOX Sports 1
                11. Ohio State at Minnesota 8:00 pm ESPN2

CBB Weekend Picks: New Marquette Expectations

If you notice I have been quiet about Marquette basketball, probably too quiet. Honestly, New Mexico game fell on a bad weekend as I headed back from Green Bay meaning my blogs were not as solid as they probably should have been that day. Obviously playing on New Year's Eve night did me no favors either. Also it does not help this is one of the worst starts for Marquette in the last decade. But as we did with other struggling teams in Wisconsin, they still need to be written about even if it pains me.

I cannot believe this is the group of guys Big East writers picked to win the conference. I just cannot believe that actually happened, and I am wondering if a banner can be hung just for that, maybe. I also amazed at how much I looked forward to this season all to get disappointed. It really comes down to readjusting expectations for the season. At this point, I really do not expect to be in the NCAA Tournament. If Marquette finds their way there, great maybe they are on a roll and can upset somebody in the first round (It is not the second round, THIS IS MY LAST TRADITIONALIST THING, LEAVE ME ALONE SHUT UP).  If not, well everyone has an off year and hopefully the team can respond in the following year when there is not as much pressure on them.

Further, I go from last year and the year prior to thinking 90 to 95 percent of the games Marquette plays they will win or certainly have a chance. This year, we are probably looking around 60-80 percent for some games as well as under 20 percent with others.  There are some they should definitely win like this Saturday against DePaul which is at home, but I am not going to feel as comfortable going to Xavier on Thursday as I did a couple years ago. Hopefully, we can laugh at this blog post in March, but I doubt much will change because there are some significant issues with this team although DePaul is DePaul.  MU 61-47

Other college basketball games to watch.
22.) Iowa at 4.) Wisconsin 7:00 pm Big Ten Network (Played Sunday) - Could be a real depressing Sunday for Packers/Badgers fans if both teams lose their game. Iowa has won the last five of six games with Wisconsin's only win coming in double overtime at home. This is the game of the weekend, but Iowa needs to make some stops and get out on shooters if they want to win this one. Badgers squeak this one out in a high-scoring affair. UW 82-79

5.) Michigan State at Indiana 1:00 pm CBS - Big game for Hoosiers this season as they had no marquee non-conference wins and they already have one loss in Big Ten play to Illinois. Yogi Ferrell versus Keith Appling will be a delight, and I think this game will be different in February. Michigan State is rolling of late, I think they handle Indiana on the road. MSU 75-66

6.) Oklahoma State at Kansas State 3:00 pm ESPNU - Here is my upset pick of the weekend. Kansas State has not lost since late November in a horrendous holiday tournament so do not let their record fool you. They beat Gonzaga in late December, and they will score another big win on Saturday with a big Marcus Foster performance. KSU 72-70

7.) Duke at Notre Dame 3:00 pm CBS - First trip for Duke to South Bend, and let me tell you, it is a tough place to play. Yet I have no idea who will guard Jabari Parker and the rest of his Duke friends in this one plus I have no idea who is scoring for Notre Dame.  Duke big.  DUKE 85-68

10.) Oregon at 20. Colorado 4:00 pm FOX Sports 1 (Played Sunday) - Too bad this one is being played during Green Bay's game because I want another look at both of these teams. At some point, I feel like teams are just due for a loss, and despite the Buffs' offensive struggle on Thursday, I think they can get it done at home. COLO 68-64

21. San Diego State at 16. Kansas 3:30 pm CBS (Played Sunday) - I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Aztecs record is a bit inflated. They head to Phog, and I have to think it will not work out well for them. Might have to DVR so I can watch Joel Embiid later. He will have a massive game. KU 80-61

Cincinnati at 18. Memphis 11:00 am ESPN - This is one where I am just happy to see this rivalry back full-time. They played now and again since the C-USA split, but glad to see it back twice a year. Memphis is better than their ranking. They make a statement. MEMP 79-64

I will be doing a regular post on Friday like this, not always about Marquette. I will also have a wrap-up post on Monday with a Marquette recap as well.  

Charlie.

Sportandfashion-news Bowl Predictions: Bowl Day Monday

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl 

Middle Tennessee State vs. Navy 10:45 am ESPN - When it comes to a mid-major team playing a bowl game. It is not really a good barometer to chrTennessee can run the football though. They are a top 25 rushing team in the country led by a balanced attack with multiple rushers. Navy knows a thing or two about running the football as they are second overall. Navy will wear you down. Midshipmen are hot heading into the bowl game as they have won five of their last six games. Blue Raiders are not great against the rush and that could spell big time trouble. If you are into betting on a Monday morning, I would say take Navy and never look back. NAVY 45-20  

Franklin Mortgage Music City Bowl

Ole Miss vs. Georgia Tech 2:15 pm ESPN - Honestly, this is the best game of the day. I realize there are a lot of big name teams on this day, but they both have chances to be blowouts. This one I think you can get a close game out of them. We know Georgia Tech's story. They are going to try and run the ball working down a team. Yellow Jackets also have a pretty stout defense meaning even if the offense stalls a bit, the d can keep them in the game. Ole Miss' offense has been a problem as of late. Against Mississippi State and Missouri, they have a combined 20 points. Bo Wallace needs to be better if this team expects to win today. In the last two games, Wallace does not have a touchdown and four interceptions with under 230 yards of passing. I am better on Bo and the SEC here with Ole Miss taking advantage of a late turnover and winning this football game. OLE MISS 21-17 

Valero Alamo Bowl 

Texas vs. 10.) Oregon 5:45 pm ESPN - This is Mack Brown's swan song. People think maybe Longhorns will be inspired and they will fight for Mack leading to a stunning Texas victory. That's not happening. Oregon might not be the most focused team in all of the land, but I doubt they will come out sluggish especially on the defense end. Mack is not the only one coaching his last name as Nick Ailoto, Oregon's defensive coordinator, is coaching his last game as well. Further, I do not think a fresh Marcus Mariota will be a pleasant experience for the Longhorns. It will be close for three quarters, but Ducks wear them down in the fourth leading to a blowout on paper. OREG 42-27

National University Holiday Bowl 
14.) Arizona State vs. Texas Tech 9:15 pm ESPN - I really want this game to be a high-scoring shootout where we have a ton of fun, and it will be great for those who are going out the night before New Years Eve (Amateur hour if you do not). But sadly, it will not be given Arizona State is one of the better teams in football right now. No one really talks about the Sun Devils and their success this year which is a shame. Arizona State has won seven of their last eight and even without star running back Marion Grice, I think this team will be dominant in their performance against Texas Tech. Nothing against the Red Raiders but they have fallen off a cliff lately. They look in worst shape than Justin Bieber right now. They have not won a game since October 19th. I cannot ride with my main man Kliff Kingsbury in this one. Texas Tech heading to San Diego for only the nice weather unfortunately. ASU 52-14

Bowl Record: 10-5

Charlie.