College Football Bowl Previews for 2007-08
Doc's Sports is your home for the best 2007-08 College Bowl Previews on the Internet. While many Web sites out there will give you a standard Bowl Preview, we will let you know what the odds are and where the smart money should go. Every year we will preview every one of the Bowl Games so be sure to bookmark this page as it will be updated regularly.
2008 BCS Championship Game Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 01/07/2007
All season long I've been dogging the Big Ten. All year I have trashed that conference as being the most overrated league in college football. (I feel the same way about college basketball, but that's a different article). Now, as the BCS national championship game rests just hours away, the Big Ten has a chance to do what no editor, stranger, opponent, fan, friend, client, law enforcement official, or woman has ever been able to do: shut me up.
Read more about BCS Championship Game Preview.
2008 Gator Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/24/2007
This game provides a stark contrast between the teams' strengths and it makes for an interesting style matchup that will go in favor of the team that best gets the game to fit into its preferred tempo. The Texas Tech Red Raiders are led by a quarterback you've probably never heard of before this year, and he is putting up unheard of type numbers in the spread offense with a couple of dynamic receivers including freshman All-American and future Heisman candidate Michael Crabtree. The Red Raiders lead the nation in passing offense with 475 yards per game, and their 42 points per game is second best in the country.
Read more about Gator Bowl Preview.
2007 Sun Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/24/2007
This game features two teams that were BCS national title hopefuls in the early part of the season, each rising to the No. 2 ranking only to see those dreams dashed by disastrous finishes. The origin of Oregon's tumble was easy to pinpoint; losing Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Dennis Dixon for the rest of the season against upset-minded Arizona resulted in the Ducks losing that game, then two more to finish 8-4 as Dixon's backups could not muster any sort of offense in their star's absence. South Florida went from surprise contender to what probably what most considered the Bulls in the pre-season, a middle-of-the-pack Big East team.
Read more about Sun Bowl Preview.
2007 Humanitarian Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/24/2007
This is a matchup of programs with contrasting reputations; Georgia Tech, which seemingly never lives up to its potential, and Fresno State, the once-noted giant killer that consistently performs at a level that is a cut above most mid-major schools. Chan Gailey lost his job because of the Yellow Jackets' perpetual mediocrity; under him, they always seem to field a solid team that was capable of competing with anyone in the ACC. Yet they always seemed to find a way to end up about7-5, headed to a fringe bowl game amid hope that better things were around the corner next year, only to do the same routine over and over again.
Read more about Humanitarian Bowl Preview.
2007 Armed Forces Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/20/2007
If someone had told you before the season that Air Force and California would play each other in a bowl game, it would have to mean one of two things: either a colossal disappointment for Cal, or a monumental season for Air Force that landed it a shot in a BCS game. You might even think the latter was more likely. Unfortunately for the Bears, the former came to fruition. After blistering through the early part of the season and beating a full-strength Oregon team on the road, they rose to No. 2 in the rankings only to fall victim to an upset to Oregon State with quarterback Nate Longshore out because of injury.
Read more about Armed Forces Bowl Preview.
2007 Independence Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/20/2007
Although any matchup between two 6-6 teams might be hard to get excited about, this one provides some intrigue because of the similarities of the programs and the differences in how they play football. Each could use a win in this bowl as a springboard toward next season and as another step toward returning to the success and glory they used to enjoy.
Read more about Independence Bowl Preview.
2008 Orange Bowl Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 12/19/2007
Well, the names may not be sexy but these are two head bangers. And even if Kansas doesn't deserve to be in this game over Missouri - and they don't - the Jayhawks have been a wrecking crew this year. They are No. 2 in the country in scoring offense and No. 5 in scoring defense. The average score of their games this year was 44-16. But Kansas also hasn't beaten a single team in the Top 25 and their only two victories over bowl teams came over second-tier teams, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.
Read more about Orange Bowl Preview.
2008 Sugar Bowl Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 12/19/2007
Much like George Mason forever changed the NCAA Tournament two years ago with their miraculous run to the Final Four, Boise State rocked the BCS foundation in college football with its stunning upset over traditional powerhouse Oklahoma last year in the Fiesta Bowl. Now, fans, bettors, and bowl executives everywhere are constantly scouring and scheming to set up another situation.
Read more about Sugar Bowl Preview.
2008 Fiesta Bowl Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 12/18/2007
Rich Rodriguez is out, an interim coach is in, and basically all hell has broken loose around the West Virginia program. Remember - this is also a team that just needed to throttle Pittsburgh at home, as a four-touchdown favorite, to waltz into the BCS Title Game. But they lost and now, although a BCS bowl game is a decent consolation, may still be feeling the lingering effects. Mix in the coaching shakeup and you really have to wonder where this team's head is.
Read more about Fiesta Bowl Preview.
2008 Outback Bowl Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 12/18/2007
It's almost déjà vu. Last year the Tennessee Volunteers rolled down to Tampa as confident three-point favorites over another plodding Big Ten team, unranked Penn State. They rolled out with their tails between their legs and a disappointing 20-10 loss.
Read more about Outback Bowl Preview.
2007 Champs Sports Bowl Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 12/18/2007
The Champs Sports Bowl pits two teams, Boston College and Michigan State, at the opposite end of the Motivation and Disappointment Spectrum against one another. Basically, one of these teams got a Lexus for Christmas while the other walked in on their wife cheating on them with their best friend, arms bound to the bedpost with dad's holiday necktie.
Read more about Champs Sports Bowl Preview.
2008 GMAC Bowl Preview
by Jordan Adams - 12/18/2007
Another game, another 60+ point outcome from the combined offenses. These two teams come in with a lot of similarities, notably their ability to each spread the field and throw the ball. No one in the country is more effective at racking up yards like the Golden Hurricane. Led by senior arm Paul Smith (4,753 yards, 42 touchdowns), Tulsa is tops in the nation with nearly 560 total yards and 391 of them coming through the air. The Falcons come in ranked 18th in the passing game with 301 yards per game, and the two combined to average over 70 points per game. Can anyone spell D-E-F-E-N-S-E?
Read more about GMAC Bowl Preview.
2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl Preview
by Jordan Adams - 12/18/2007
College football fans might remember this Chick-fil-A Bowl because of the contrast in stability each team brings into the game. The Penn State Nitanny Lions will be playing in their 500th game since Joe Paterno became their coach more than 40 years ago, while the Aggies will be playing their first under appointed interim Gary Darnell after Dennis Franchione resigned the day after Thanksgiving. The difference in loyalty is considerable, too. Paterno has spent the whole season telling anyone who would listen that his quarterback, Anthony Morelli, was never given his just due as a college player and that he deserved more national recognition.
Read more about Chick-fil-A Bowl Preview.
2008 Cotton Bowl Preview
by Jordan Adams - 12/17/2007
Two high-powered offenses will take the field on the first of the year in Big D, and each couldn't be any more different. The Mizzou Tigers feature junior quarterback Chase Daniel and his multi-dimensional spread attack, featuring a quartet of impressive wideouts and a the best duo of tight ends in all the country in Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker. But the biggest threat is merely just a freshman. Jeremy Maclin broken the freshman all-purpose yards record this season and is a threat to bust one every time he touches the ball. For the Hogs, Arkansas holds arguably the best rushing game in the nation with Run DMC Darren McFadden and his explosive partner in crime Felix Jones. Defenses beware.
Read more about Cotton Bowl Preview.
2007 Alamo Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/17/2007
College football fans might remember this Alamo Bowl because of the contrast in stability each team brings into the game. The Penn State Nitanny Lions will be playing in their 500th game since Joe Paterno became their coach more than 40 years ago, while the Aggies will be playing their first under appointed interim Gary Darnell after Dennis Franchione resigned the day after Thanksgiving. The difference in loyalty is considerable, too. Paterno has spent the whole season telling anyone who would listen that his quarterback, Anthony Morelli, was never given his just due as a college player and that he deserved more national recognition.
Read more about Alamo Bowl Preview.
2007 Liberty Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/17/2007
This game provides several interesting angles, of course chief among them being the coming out party for Kevin Smith, Central Florida's running back who led the nation in rushing but failed to receive so much as an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Smith put up eye-popping numbers with 2,448 yards and 29 TDs, yet he went largely ignored for recognition by the national media as players from mid-major schools often do. This will be his stage to prove to the country that his breakout season was no fluke and he is certain to get more national respect if he has monster game against a team from the SEC, which is generally recognized as the nation's toughest conference. If Smith and the Golden Knights are successful, they will spoil the other story in this game, which is the culmination of the rebuilding project at Mississippi State by Sylvester Croom.
Read more about Liberty Bowl Preview.
2007 Emerald Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/17/2007
This game provides some intrigue as it features two teams that each had rough starts to the season before coming on strong. Oregon State lost its first two Pac-10 games against Arizona State and UCLA before reeling off a string of victories that included wins over then-No. 2 California and No. 18 Oregon. In Mike Riley's two-part tenure at the school, the Beavers are 3-0 in bowl games. The Terrapins were one of just four teams to defeat two teams ranked in the top 10 this season, defeating then-No. 10 Rutgers early in the season and defeating No. 8 Boston College later on. However, Maryland struggled in the middle of its season and did not become bowl eligible until its final game, a 37-0 win over N.C. State.
Read more about Emerald Bowl Preview.
2007 International Bowl Preview
by Jordan Adams - 12/17/2007
If you tried to correlate the spread with the records of both teams, you might be confused. Well, that's because Rutgers, who started the season as high as No. 10, plummeted to a very disappointing 7-5 and was relegated north of the border for postseason play. So you might ask why a number so high? Then we start to talk about the Ball State defense. Paper-thin and soft enough to blow your nose through it, now it must deal with the likes of Ray Rice and the Rutgers team speed. The best medical cure for that just might be Nate Davis and the Cardinals offense that can match the Scarlet Knights point for point. Both teams average over 31 per game, and we'll see both put together a high scoring affair. That being said, the million-dollar question coming in will be which Rutgers defense will show up?
Read more about International Bowl Preview.
2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/17/2007
This game might as well be called the Coaching Speculation Bowl, as much of the commentary is sure to focus on where each coach might be - or by kickoff already is - headed. UConn's Randy Edsall and Jim Grobe earned their distinction as "sexy speculative pick for big-time openings" after each coach took another step in rebuilding once-moribund programs with another strong season. After slipping to 4-8 last year, the Huskies bounced back to finish 9-3 and win a share of the Big East title, despite an embarrassing 66-21 loss on national television to West Virginia to end the season.
Read more about Meineke Car Care Bowl Preview.
2007 Insight Bowl Preview
by Jordan Adams - 12/13/2007
One of more interesting things to watch in each bowl matchup is to see how teams come into their games. Will a team riding high off a strong finish continue its momentum? Can a true underachiever just go through the motions because it feels like this game isn't truly a measuring stick for them? For Indiana, the Hoosiers could be the team to watch this bowl season, carrying the legacy of late coach Terry Hoeppner and his dream that football could be successful at Indiana. Bill Lynch led the Hoosiers to seven victories, the most since 1993 and the program is in its first bowl game in 14 seasons. Oklahoma State, certainly a qualifier for underachiever, ended the year at the .500 mark and has been a team that has been hard to figure out. The Cowboys have averaged 39 points in their six victories, but in six losses they have surrendered 35 points in five of those games.
Read more about Insight Bowl Preview.
2007 Holiday Bowl Preview
by Jordan Adams - 12/12/2007
Reserved normally for the less fortunate in each the Pac-10 and Big 12, this year is an exception. Both conferences provided some good depth in 2007 and San Diego is rewarded with an interesting showdown between upstart ASU and a fiery, hopefully consistent Texas squad. Arizona State finished 11th in the final BCS standings and easily could have been an at-large team over Illinois with some optional preference. The 'Horns have been a perennial power, and while again they failed to capture their own league title, a win here could leave Texas feeling good about their chances next year with a lot of returning pieces. The Sun Devils, likewise, are a very young team and getting their 11th win coming from arguably the toughest conference in the nation would certainly build further momentum for another run next fall.
Read more about Holiday Bowl Preview.
2007 Las Vegas Bowl Preview
by Joe Paciella - 12/12/2007
BYU finds their way into the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl by way of a nine-game winning streak, which began after they lost their second and third games of the season. UCLA's path could not be more different. The Bruins have lost four of their last five, with their only win coming at home against a Dennis Dixon-less Oregon team. The Cougars will also meet the Bruins for the second time this season, as they squared off on Sept. 8, with UCLA defending their home turf in a 27-17 victory. At the time, the Bruins were ranked No. 17 in the country, while BYU was unranked. Now, UCLA is the one who is on the outside of the top 25 looking in, as the Cougars sit currently in the No. 17 spot.
Read more about Las Vegas Bowl Preview.
2007 Texas Bowl Preview
by Trevor Whenham - 12/11/2007
The Texas Bowl doesn't exactly have a long history. Rutgers beat Kansas State in the first edition last year. This bowl replaced the Houston Bowl, which ran from 2000 to 2005, though no one really misses that event. The Texas Bowl is now broadcast on the NFL Network after that network bought naming and broadcast rights last year. The bowl was supposed to be a matchup between the Big 12 and Conference USA, but TCU took the place of a Big 12 team after both Kansas and Oklahoma made the BCS, meaning the Big 12 didn't have enough bowl eligible teams. These two Texas rivals last met in 2004, when TCU won by a touchdown and covered the 6.5-point spread. The Horned Frogs have won each of their last seven meetings stretching back to 1993.
Read more about Texas Bowl Preview.
2007 Capital One Bowl Preview
by Trevor Whenham - 12/10/2007
As a Michigan fan this game is pretty much my worst nightmare. The team is coming off a disappointing season with banged up stars and a coaching search which is quickly becoming as much of a mockery as the last year has been. Now they get to play Florida, which has an offense couldn't be a worse matchup for the Wolverines. In other words, it's hard to get excited about watching this game. These two teams met on the same day in 2003. Michigan was favored by 1.5 that day and they won by eight while dominating on the ground. It will be a different game this time around.
Read more about Capital One Bowl Preview.
2007 New Orleans Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/10/2007
On the surface, there doesn't seem to be a lot to get excited about for this game, a matchup of two 7-5 teams that most of the nation hasn't heard or seen much of, and a contest that seems like it exists just because there is some rule that any team with seven wins gets to participate in a bowl game. But try telling that to the Florida Atlantic Owls. Picked by most media outlets to finish sixth in their conference, they went 6-1 in the Sun Belt and wrapped up the school's first-ever bowl bid with a 38-32 win at conference frontrunner Troy in the season finale. So while much of the viewing public might see this game as just a walkthrough on the TV set in preparation for the meaningful bowl games, the Owls have other thoughts.
Read more about New Orleans Bowl Preview.
2007 Poinsettia Bowl Preview
by Josh Nagel - 12/10/2007
The Poinsettia Bowl kicks off the bowl season in San Diego featuring a pair of 8-4 teams. Traditional Mountain West power Utah has won seven of its last eight, while independent Navy has had an up-and-down season in which it lost to Delaware, almost lost to Duke, but ended a decades-long drought against Notre Dame. The Midshipmen also just lost their coach; Paul Johnson selected Georgia Tech over suitors that included Duke and SMU. Johnson, who went 45-29 at Navy in six seasons, will be replaced by assistant Ken Niumatalolo. It will be interesting to see if Johnson's departure will have any effect on the Midshipmen. If the players respect and rally around Niumatalolo, who was athletic director Chet Gladchuk's hand-picked successor to Johnson, then motivation shouldn't be a problem.
Read more about Poinsettia Bowl Preview.
2007 Motor City Bowl Preview
by Trevor Whenham - 12/08/2007
The 2007 Motor City Bowl is one of the rare cases where the game is a rematch of a game played earlier in the season. Unfortunately, it's a rematch of a game that wasn't very interesting the first time around. Purdue won, 45-22, and covered as 21.5-point favorites. It wasn't as one-sided as it seemed, though - after a very rough start, Central Michigan actually outscored Purdue in the second half, and was far more productive offensively as well. Though the line indicates that the game should be closer than before, you have to imagine that bowl organizers would have avoided this matchup if they weren't contractually obligated to it.
Read more about Motor City Bowl Preview.
2007 Hawaii Bowl Preview
by Trevor Whenham - 12/08/2007
The setting will be familiar to Boise State - their last game of the season was also in Aloha Stadium, against Hawaii. They will be hoping for a better result here. The fact that the Broncos are playing in a lower level bowl like this is a bit of an insult since they were just one win away from a return to the BCS. These two programs have never met.
Read more about Hawaii Bowl Preview.
2007 New Mexico Bowl Preview
by Joe Paciella - 12/08/2007
The Nevada football program is on an upswing as of late. They will be playing in their third straight bowl game (1-1 in their last two) when they travel to Albuquerque to take on the University of New Mexico. It is the first time in Wolf Pack school history that a streak like this one has taken place. The Lobos, riding a seven-year bowl appearance streak actually have a home game, as University Stadium will play host to this year's contest.
Read more about New Mexico Bowl Preview.
2007 Papajohns.com Bowl Preview
by Joe Paciella - 12/05/2007
Their last meeting was in November of 2004, where Cincinnati destroyed Southern Miss, 52-24. The Bearcats are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games, as they placed third in the Big East and finished with a 4-3 conference record. Southern Miss finished fourth in Conference USA's East Division, which is a much weaker conference than the Big East. Cincinnati's strength of schedule is 49th in the country while Southern Miss' is 101st.
Read more about PapaJohns.com Bowl Preview.