Write On Sports LLC - "Final 3 Bowl Games" by Tom Zuck

Final 3 Bowl Games

2007-01-06 17:13:42 | By: Tom Zuck

Bowl season is close to complete and there have been some great finishes. It's kind of odd that there are two games left to play before we get to the title game Monday. Even though they are not "monster" games with national significance they should be fun. That leads us to Monday and the final college game of the season. Anyway, here are the final three games of the season!

International Bowl
Western Michigan (8-4) vs. Cincinnati (7-5)
12 p.m. ESPN2

So the Big East Conference has a chance to go 5-0 in bowl games this year. It is a good sign that the conference is not as bad as everyone thinks/thought. Cincinnati has its work cut out for them though because the coaching situation was thrown into a spin when Mark Dantonio took the Michigan State job. Then new Cincy coach Brian Kelly had to wait until his Central Michigan team finished the Motor City Bowl; the Bearcats are a bit behind. Cincy is a much better team than the one that lost three of four to start the year. The top game of the year was the win over Rutgers followed by a victory over UConn to end the season. Cincy QB Dustin Grutza is extremely frustrating; he completed 61% of his passes but he also threw more interceptions, 13, than touchdowns, nine. That means the two-headed rushing attack of Greg Moore and Butler Benton must produce. Western Michigan almost beat a then average Florida State team in the penultimate game of the season. WMU's Ryan Cubit is steady at quarterback with 15 TD passes and an over 60% completion rate. Mark Bonds is the top rusher with just over 1,000 yards. WMU has better numbers on defense and the game will hinge on whether or not the Broncos can duplicate the season numbers. They won't, Cincy overcomes the coaching change and keeps the Big East perfect..Long Live the Big East.

GMAC Bowl
Ohio (9-4) vs. Southern Mississippi (8-5)
8 p.m. Sunday, ESPN

Ohio coach Frank Solich is being mentioned for some high-profile jobs which is a testament to how good of a job he has done since the unsightly dismissal from Nebraska. This bowl game will be the first for Ohio since the 1968 Tangarine Bowl, a loss to Richmond. The only other one was in 1962 against West Texas A&M in the Sun Bowl. Ohio QB Austen Everson did not set the world on fire this season but they won games. This will be a serious test because this will be close to a home game (Mobile, Ala.) for Southern Mississippi. In fact, Kalvin McRae rushed for more yards, 1,215, than Everson threw for, 1,181. USM runs the ball extremely well led by Damion Fletcher's 1,330 yards. The Golden Eagles average over 170 ypg rushing and Ohio gives up over 130 ypg on the ground. That's where this game will be won. USM wins.

National Championship
#2 Florida (12-1) vs. #1 Ohio State (12-0)
8 p.m. Monday

Now this is the game we have been waiting for. It's just too bad we had to wait a week past Jan. 1. Is Ohio State the irresistible force? Is Florida's defensive front the immovable object? Can the Florida speed match the speed of Ohio State? Who would have ever thought that question would be asked of an SEC team compared to a team from the Big 10? All season I have chosen the Buckeyes because of Troy Smith, Michael Pittman and Ted Ginn. But this game is different especially after watching LSU blow out Notre Dame and Wisconsin beat Arkansas; so this one has turned into a regional battle, which I like. Of Florida's 13 games the Gators played 10 were against bowl teams with the lone loss coming at Auburn. Seven of the Buckeye's opponents are bowl teams. To me this game comes down to the Florida defensive line and linebackers which lead a defense that has allowed just 74 yards rushing a game. Can they neutralize the large and physical OSU offensive line? Troy Smith must be harassed when he drops back to pass and contained when he tries to run; that is the job of the front group. On the perimeter Florida has speed to match OSU. Ohio State tore through a Michigan defense that was supposed to be the next coming of the 1985 Chicago Bears; USC reiterated what Ohio State accomplished. Ohio State's defense has been killer all season. Can Urban Meyer find the right time to use each of his two quarterbacks? That is a huge question. Freshman Timmy Tebow comes in and runs; he has thrown just 32 passes in 13 games. Chris Leak has completed 63% of his passes but he is also prone to bad mistakes as witnessed by 13 interceptions. He has also been sacked 22 times and that is too many. If the Buckeyes get to him it could lead to a route. Tebow is the second leading rusher on the team, DeShawn Wynn is first and he needs a BIG game. Freshman Percy Harvin is a wildcard for the Gators and he is capable of taking any run or pass to the end zone. I am not going to make any friends with this pick but I am going with the upset; Gators win.

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