Fantasy CPR » College Bowl Mania

Little Caesar’s Bowl-Pick, Preview, and Analysis-2012 College Football

Zachary Thompson — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 23:10:08 +0000

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers running back Antonio Andrews (5) and his pursuit of Barry Sanders is a main reason to watch this years Little Caesar’s Bowl. Find out if I think think the Hilltoppers can get the win over the Chippewas in this post. Photo by Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

The Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky complete an incredible climb to an FBS bowl, but they’ll be without the man most responsible for getting them there. Coach and Alum Willie Taggart led the Hilltoppers to their second consecutive 7-5 season and their first bowl but has since moved on to take the head coaching job at South Florida. He’ll be replaced by Bobby Petrino as head coach, but for this game it’ll be defensive coordinator Lance Guidry that calls the shots. He’s won a bowl game as an interim coach before, but can he get WKU a win as they take on Central Michigan? Here’s how I see this one going down:

When to Watch: December 26, 7:30 PM

Where to Watch: Live on ESPN from Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

What to Watch for…

When Central Michigan has the ball: Chippewas quarterback Ryan Radcliff is just 95 yards short of his third 3,000 yard season in a row leading Central Michigan to over 29 points per game. He has plenty of playmakers to work with led by running back Zurlon Tipton who had 1,391 yards on the ground with 19 touchdowns and wide-out Titus Davis who led the team with 860 yards and eight touchdowns. Overall, the Chippewas offense is solid across the board, but not spectacular in any one area. They rank in the middle of the pack nationally in most of the major categories.

The Hilltoppers defense will be hurt by the loss of star DE Quanterus Smith who led the FBS in sacks per game finishing the year with 12.5. Smith hurt his knee against Louisiana-Lafayette back on November 17. The rest of the defensive unit will have to step up, but they aren’t without playmakers eve in Smith’s absence. Linebacker Andrew Jackson and defensive back Jonathan Dowling were also Sun Belt all-conference selections on defense and will face the task of shutting down the Chippewas.

When Western Kentucky has the ball: The offense is centered on Junior running back Antonio Andrews who is chasing the single-season NCAA record for all-purpose yards. Andrews had 1,609 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground adding 957 return yards with a total of 2,977 yards overall. He’s going to need a big performance since he trails Barry Sanders’ record of 3,250 by 274 yards. If the Central Michigan D loads up against Andrews though, quarterback Kawaun Jakes has shown he can make plays too throwing for 21 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards in his fourth year as starting QB. The leading receiver for the Hilltoppers is Senior tight end Jack Doyle.

Central Michigan’s defense has struggled this season ranking 98th in scoring defense, 97th in rushing defense, and 93rd in total defense. Those rankings would seemingly point to a big day for Edwards and a real shot at history as he chases this major NCAA record. Central Michigan has held their opponent under 20 points just twice this year while allowing 40 of more five times. Expect the Hilltoppers to be in the endzone early and often in this one.

Who to Watch for (NFL Prospects)

The top prospect in this game isn’t a skill position player, but does have the skill set to go in the first round and contribute immediately in the NFL next season. Eric Fisher-Central Michigan-OT currently projects in the late first or early second round and is considered the best Senior Left Tackle available in the draft.At 6’7″ he’s taller than many OT’s but has the motor and drive to be a starter in the league for years to come. Other CMU draft possibilities include Jahleel Addae-Central Michigan-SS who will likely be drafted in mid-rounds in a relatively deep safety class this season.

The only Hilltopper who looks likely to be drafted is Quanterus Smith but it’s tricky to project where and when he’ll go after his knee injury. It will also be interesting to see if Antonio Edwards comes out early if he can get the record. Edwards has only started for this year and would benefit from another year in college if he can have another successful year like this one.

Final Verdict

The Chippewas are used to playing in this bowl but at 6-6 they’re not that inspiring of an option. They had to win their last three games to be bowl eligible but they played UMass, Eastern Michigan, and Miami (OH) who had a total of seven wins on the season among the three of them. They’ve been in this bowl game four times with only one win, so even in the middle of a coaching change I’ll take the Hilltoppers.

Western Kentucky has dropped three of four so they don’t inspire a ton of confidence either, but I do think they’ll get the win here. The spread right now has the Chippewas getting five points and in a matchup this even I’d take the points. Straight-up go WKU; against the spread Central Michigan’s the pick.

Poinsettia Bowl-Pick, Preview, and Analysis-2012 College Football

Zachary Thompson — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 20:33:11 +0000

San Diego State Aztecs running back Adam Muema (4) faces a tough matchup against a BYU defense that has stopped the run all year. The Cougars and Aztecs meet in this year’s Poinsettia Bowl the Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego State Aztecs get what basically amounts to a home game against their former conference foes BYU in the Poinsettia Bowl. It’s the second Poinsettia bowl appearance for SD State in three years after getting a win over Navy two years ago. BYU will be a tough opponent though dominating the series between the two teams 27-7-1. It should be a fascinating matchup in the early bowl season.

When to Watch: Thursday, December 20, 8:00 PM ET

Where to Watch: Live on ESPN from Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

What to Watch for…

Oct. 13, 2012; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars running back Jamaal Williams (21) carries the ball against the Oregon State Beavers during the first quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas C. Pizac-USA TODAY Sports

When BYU has the ball: Brigham Young’s offense hasn’t been awesome, but they’ve had their good days to be sure. Those good days have resulted in five games where they’ve reached 40 points or more including three of their last four. However, in three of their five losses, they’ve scored 14 points or less and even won a game against Utah State in which they scored just six. Probably the biggest question facing Coach Bronco Mendehall is who to start at quarterback. Riley Nelson has been the starter all season but missed the regular season finale with a rib injury. Senior James Lark stepped in and only threw 384 yards and six touchdowns with no turnovers albeit against the less-than-stellar defense of the 1-11 New Mexico State Lobos. Freshman Jamaal Williams leads the Cougars rushing attack with over 1,000 all-purpose yards and 12 total touchdowns. BYU also has a 1,000-yard receiver in Junior Cody Hoffman.

The inconsistent Cougars offense will deal with an improving Aztec defense. Before their last game where they allowed 28 points to Wyoming, San Diego State had held five out of their previous six opponents under 20. In their last four games they’ve allowed just 164.0 passing yards per game. San Diego State uses the 3-3-5 defense with five defensive backs which could allow Williams to have a nice game but should keep the Cougar passing attack under wraps.

When San Diego State has the ball: There’s no doubt what the Aztecs want to do on offense. They rank 16th in the nation in rushing yards per game behind Adam Muema (1,355 yards, 16 touchdowns) and Walter Kazee (822 yards, 8 touchdowns). Muema finished the season on a high note rushing for 255 yards and four scores against Wyoming in the regular season finale. At quarterback, SD State will look for Adam Dingwell to continue his efficient success since taking over mid-season. Dingwell is undefeated as starter leading the Aztecs to five straight wins including nice wins over Nevada and then-#19 Boise State.

The BYU defense won’t be surprised by the Aztecs as Coach Mendenhall was an assistant under SDSU Coach Rocky Long. Mendenhall’s defense would seem to be well-suited to stop the Aztecs. BYU ranks second only to Alabama in rushing yards allowed per game and is fifth in scoring defense and third in total defense. They have some playmakers on the defensive side of things that will be playing on Sundays next year.

Who to Watch For-NFL Prospects

Oct. 5, 2012; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars linebacker Ezekiel Ansah (47) grabs hold of Utah State Aggies running back Kerwynn Williams (25) during the first quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas C. Pizac-USA TODAY Sports

The big one (literally and figuratively) is Ezekiel Ansah-BYU-DE. Ansah projects to be a mid-to-late first round pick. His high-ceiling could land him closer to the top if he grades and measures well in the pre-draft process. He’s an elite-level pass rusher but may need to either bulk up or slim down going forward depending on the position and situation he finds himself in at the next level. Ansah is definitely a player to watch in this one especially if your NFL team may be looking for help on the defensive side of things in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

The other prospects you can catch in this one are Kyle Van Noy-BYU-OLB, Leon McFadden-SDSU-CB, and Brandon Hansen-BYU-OG. Noy could go in the second or early third, McFadden could be a third or fourth round pick, and Hansen most likely will be a sixth or seventh round pick. Cody Hoffman-BYU-WR could also be a late-round pick if he decides to declare early which according to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune he is 50-50 on (click here for article).

Final Verdict

Nov 3, 2012; Boise, ID, USA; San Diego State Aztecs quarterback Adam Dingwell (6) during the first half of their game against the Boise State Broncos at Bronco Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

BYU is the slight favorite in this one, but I think San Diego State has what it takes to pull the mild upset. The Aztecs have won seven in a row including some nice wins, and will have the homefield advantage provided by playing in their own city. This game reminds me a lot of the BYU game on November 17 when the Cougars went West and lost to the San Jose State Spartans. Look for San Diego State to use that as a template and gameplan their way past a tough Cougar defense.

I wouldn’t put too much confidence on this game though in Bowl Mania because it should a hard-fought, physical game that comes down to fourth-quarter execution by whichever team comes out on top.