California vs. Air Force 

If you would have told me after Cal’s week one blowout of Tennessee that the Golden Bears would be finish the year in the Armed Forces Bowl, I would have suggested a trip to the Betty Ford clinic should be somewhere in your future. Injuries paired with inconsistent efforts in Pac-10 conference play (not to mention a pair of three-game losing streaks) earned Cal a trip to Fort Worth to play Air Force on New Year’s Eve. On name recognition alone, but you overlook the 9-3 Falcons of the Air Force Academy at your own peril. For Cal, the key to winning this game could be whether or not sensational junior wide receiver DeSean Jackson plays (Jackson missed time this year with a thigh contusion, including Cal’s inexplicable loss to a three-win Stanford team in The Big Game). When healthy, Jackson is the most electrifying player in college football by far but the receiver has struggled to get open this season, pulling in just 60 receptions for less than 700 yards and 5 touchdowns on the year. Cal quarterback Nate Longshore and his ability to be accurate in the passing game could be the key for the Golden Bears. Longshore and a trio of talented receivers that include Jackson, seniors Lavell Hawkins and Robert Jordan might have a big day against this Air Force pass defense, which ranked dead last in the Mountain West. On defense, Cal will have to figure out a way to stop the run. Air Force’s offense, led by senior tailback Chad Hall, is averaging a jaw-dropping 293 yards a game on the ground, which doesn’t bode well for a Cal defense giving up 152 yards a game against the run. With Jackson in the lineup, I like Cal by air in this one.

Monday, Dec. 31 - Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl 

Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State

In this one, the Yellow Jackets, far and away, have more talent on both sides of the ball than Pat Hill’s Fresno Bulldogs but the coaching situation at Georgia Tech is anything but settled. Chan Gailey got shown the door after a seven-win season, Tech hired a great coach in Navy’s Paul Johnson but Johnson won’t coach the team in their bowl game and the team’s interim coach, Jon Tenuta, the team’s defensive coordinator, has been named in connection with both the Michigan head coaching job and the recently vacated LSU defensive coordinator position. Still, you gotta like Georgia Tech in this game. Senior tailback Tashard Choice has been consistently great all year, finishing the season with 1,400 yards on the ground and Tenuta’s defense features an explosive pass rush, which lead the ACC with 47 sacks. Fresno State must protect quarterback Tom Brandstater and give him time to find open receivers, which they have done thus far, allowing fewer than 20 sacks on the year. Still, with a rushing defense that was second to last in the WAC against the run matching up against such a prolific runner in Choice, the Bulldogs can’t be feeling good about their odds. Look for Tashard Choice to have a big day and the Ramblin’ Wreck to take it on the blue turf up in Boise.

Monday, Dec. 31 - Brut Sun Bowl 

South Florida vs. Oregon

Two teams that, at various points in the year, had their sights set on a trip to the national championship land west of New Orleans in El Paso, Texas. For Oregon, the key will be scoring points.. any points on offense. After the Ducks lost senior quarterback Dennis Dixon, they struggled mightily to generate any type of offense.  To win, Oregon must predict whichever freshmen (the battle between Cody Kempt and Justin Roper is being decided in practice) starts at quarterback from George Selvie, one of the nation’s elite pass rushers. For USF, the key will be letting quarterback Matt Grothe do what he does best — improvise and make plays with his feet. Grothe finished the season averaging 275 yards per game in total offense and actually finished sixth in the Big East in rushing. If Oregon can keep Grothe in the pocket and force turnovers, they have a very good chance of winning this one. With a freshman quarterback lining up under center and one of the nation’s best pass rushers coming off the edge, I just don’t like Oregon’s chances in this one. I’ll take USF in a close one.

Monday, Dec. 31 - Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl 

Kentucky vs. Florida State 

Rich Brooks returns to the scene of last year’s bowl win against Clemson that helped the Wildcats get to 8-4 and will look to do the same thing against Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles in Nashville this year. Let’s face it, for the most part Florida State has been a hideously bad football team all year wrong and somehow lucked into their win against Boston College, nine times out of 10 BC wins that game. Kentucky senior quarterback Andre Woodson may very well be playing for his NFL draft stock against the Seminole on New Year’s Eve. I fully believe Woodson will slice and dice the Florida State defense with the help of tailback Rafael Little, receiver Keenan Burton and tight end Jacob Tamme and exploit mismatches in the Florida State secondary. Though Kentucky is giving up an average of 390 yards a game in total offense, Florida State’s offense has been anemic at best, managing just 350 yards a game in total offense. I’ll take Woodson’s senior leadership and the ‘Cats in a big win.

If you really think that the football teams from South Florida and the Ohio State University are the best two teams in all of college football, you need to get your head checked for bumps. After tonight, one of those teams will drop to the latter half of the top 10 where they belong.

South Florida will lose at Rutgers tonight. Mark it down.

I like this story as much as the next guy. I thought it was cute when the Bulls went to Auburn and beat the tragically offensively challenged Tigers. I was relieved when Jim Leavitt and Co. rocked the vastly overrated Mountaineers of West Virginia. But enough is enough. I, in no way, shape, or form, want to be watching USF play for the National Championship (ditto for Ohio State).

This game will come down to defense. If USF is able to shut down Ray Rice like they shut down UCF’s Kevin Smith, then it’s up to Rutgers’ much-improved quarterback Mike Teel  and underrated receiver tandem of Tiquan Underwood and Kenny Britt to win the game for the Knights.

The real question of the game is will Greg Schiano’s defense be able to slow down Matt  Grothe, who has two consecutive 100-yard games to his credit. Pass rushing has been Rutgers forté in recent years but taking advantage of over-aggressive defensive ends and blitzing outside linebackers is what Grothe does best. Rutgers will need to play a near-perfect game defensively to win this one.

Make no mistake, USF hasn’t played in an environment this hostile all year. Yes, they went to Auburn and won but that stadium was asleep. They weren’t jacked up for that game the way those fans in Piscataway are already jacked up for tonight’s game.

It’ll be close but I’m taking Greg Schiano and Rutgers, he has a way of getting his team and his campus pumped for the big ones.