New Years Day was unkind to the Big Ten, but not to the Courtesy Wave! While the Big Ten went 0-5, my picks churned out a 5-1 record on the 1st day of the year. That brings my current Bowl Picks to 15-13, respectable compared to many experts at SI and ESPN. After 6 bowls on New Years Day, the next 6 bowls will be spread out over 6 days, starting tonight with another BCS Bowl. We'll slow things down too and pick apart the next 2 games here.
Monday, January 3rd
ORANGE BOWL - #4 Stanford (11-1) vs #13 Virginia Tech (11-2) 7:30p in Miami
Tune in for: An outgoing coach, Stanford's Jim Harbaugh and a lot of Luck, Andrew Luck, Stanford's QB that is. Two of the hottest names in football, Harbaugh and Luck are both likely to take their talents to the NFL, as several teams including the 49ers, Browns, and Broncos would love to have Harbaugh coach them. But so would his alma mater, Michigan. Either way, he's done at Stanford for the sole reason that he's going to earn a ton of Benjamins somewhere else next season. Andrew Luck was the runner up in the Heisman this year and is considered to be one of the 1st Quarterbacks taken in this years NFL draft. Luck has been considering staying though, and this game could have big implications on what Luck ultimately decides to do.
Shortest Drive: Virginia Tech. But the Hokies fans still have a 15 hour drive. However, with no major airports nearby, its a likely trek for many.
Local Connections: Virginia Tech - Collin Carroll LS, Jr. Hopkins. Stanford - AJ Tarpley LB, Fr. Plymouth; Conor McFadden OL, Fr. West St. Paul.
Courtesy Pick: Virginia Tech has 2 losses on the season, one to Boise State to start the year. Boise State went on to finish 12-1 and finish in the top 10. The other loss is the sour note for the Hokies, since it wasn't even to an FBS team. James Madison came into Blacksburg and shocked the world by winning. The Dukes went on to finish a measley 6-5, only making matters worse for Virginia Tech. However, the Hokies have rebounded from their opening losses, winning their remaining games and returning to a BCS bowl after nearly all hope was lost 2 weeks in. Stanford's lone loss came on the road against Oregon, who is undefeated and in the Championship game, so the Cardinal faithful can't be ashamed of really anything yet this year. With over 3,000 yards and a 70% completion percentage, Luck is as solid as they come and it'll take a solid effort to beat the resurgent Hokies.
STANFORD 30-26
Tuesday, January 4th
SUGAR BOWL - #6 Ohio State (11-1) vs. #8 Arkansas (11-2) 7:30p in New Orleans
Tune in for: Terrell Pryor (OSU) versus Ryan Mallet (ARK). These 2 gunslingers should provide enough entertainment, let alone the game itself and the fact that besides the Rose Bowl and Championship game, the Sugar Bowl is the only other bowl featuring two top 10 teams. Pryor isn't even in the top 50 in passing yards in the country, but he has 25 passing TD's (20th) and 636 yards rushing (12th among QB's). Mallett, however, has the stats to back up his prowess. His 3,592 yards are good for 11th and his 30 TD's are 7th in the country.
Shortest Drive: Arkansas. Hold on Hogs fans, just because their a border state, Arkansas' drive from Fayetteville is still 11 hours. Just 4 hours shorter than Ohio State. Not as close as one might think.
Local Connections: None
Courtesy Pick: Ohio State has to be feeling the pressure after the Big Ten collapse on New Years Day. The entire conference will be pulling for the Buckeyes to represent them with a win to save face, although the embarrassment is too large that a win won't do a whole lot. On the field, their lone loss came on the road against Rose Bowl loser Wisconsin. The Buckeyes don't have a big signature win though, holding their wins against Miami (7-6) and Iowa (8-5) as the biggest on the year. Arkansas, on the other hand, faced stiff competition all year with 8 games coming against eventual bowl teams. The Razorbacks two losses came against then #1 Alabama and Championship Game and undefeated Auburn. Gutty wins the last 2 games against ranked teams Mississippi State and LSU showed everyone that Arkansas can play with anyone. They have a tough task, going against a defense allowing the 3rd least points in the country at 13.3/game.
ARKANSAS 37-31
That's it for now. Good luck & happy viewing!
bsv
the courtesy wave
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