Monday, March 10, 2014

Spring Break Pumps Up Fans for March Madness



Spring Break.

Two words that every child dreams about during the treacherous school year.  It's the longest break until summer and the weather is starting to warm up for their favorite summer activities.

The two words also correlate with delusional fans losing their minds and skipping work for March Madness.  They're dreaming about the Cinderella teams and shocking upsets of years past and are excited for an event that comes only once a year.

Spring Break is perfect for sports fans.  Whether Spring Break falls alongside Championship Week or the start of the NCAA Tournament, you get multiple opportunities to watch all the college basketball you want.

Championship Week is fun because automatic bids for the "Big Dance" are rewarded to the 32 conference champions.  36 additional at-large bids are available, so every team has something to play for when the conference tournament begins.

When the tournament begins the following Tuesday, win-or-go home is the mindset for every team and fans should expect nonstop balls-to-the-wall finishes.

Whether your team is undefeated like this year's Wichita State or a Cinderella story like last year's Florida Gulf Coast, there is too much to miss to make other plans over the next four weeks.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

2014 Vizio BCS National Championship Game Preview

2014 BCS Championship logo.jpgMatch-Up: #1 Florida State vs. #2 Auburn
Date/Time: January 6, 2014/7:30pm CT
Location: Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl)
Bowl Life: 8 years (2006)
Line: Florida State by 8 1/2
National TV: ESPN (HD)
2013 BCS National Championship Game: Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14


Breaking Down the Teams:
Florida State Seminoles-
2013 Record: 13-0 (8-0 ACC)
School Bowl Record: 25-14-2
Last Bowl Game: 2013 Orange Bowl (Florida State 31, Northern Illinois 10)
BCS National Championship Game Appearances: 1-2*

Auburn Tigers-
2013 Record: 12-1 (7-1 SEC)
School Bowl Record: 22-13-2
Last Bowl Game: 2011 Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Auburn 43, Virginia 24)
BCS National Championship Game Appearances: 1-0 (Last: 2011)

Game Notes: The final BCS National Championship Game features Florida State, who appeared in the first three, and Auburn, who is making its second appearance in the past four years.  The State of Alabama has won the past four BCS National Championships and the SEC has won the past seven...Heisman trophy winners are 2-8 in the year's BCS National Championship, but have won the past two.

Prediction: Auburn

*Prior to the 2007 Bowl Season, the BCS National Championship Game was not an independent entity, so teams played for a dual bowl championship and national championship at the four rotating BCS bowls.

2014 GoDaddy Bowl Preview

2014 GoDaddy Bowl.pngMatch-Up: Arkansas State vs. Ball State
Date/Time: January 5, 2014/8pm CT
Location: Mobile, AL (Ladd Peebles Stadium)
Bowl Life: 15 years (1999)
Line: Ball State by 7 1/2
National TV: ESPN (HD)
2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl: Arkansas State 17, Kent State 13

Breaking Down the Teams:
Arkansas State Red Wolves-
2013 Record: 7-5 (5-2 Sun Belt)
School Bowl Record: 5-5
Last Bowl Game: 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl (Arkansas State 17, Kent State 13)
GoDaddy.com Bowl Appearances: 1-1 (Last: 2013)

Ball State Cardinals-
2013 Record: 10-2 (7-1 MAC)
School Bowl Record: 0-6
Last Bowl Game: 2012 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl (Central Florida 38, Ball State 17)
GoDaddy.com Bowl Appearances: 0-1 (Last: 2009)

Game Notes: The Red Wolves are making their third consecutive appearance at the GoDaddy Bowl. The Cardinals are looking for their first bowl win after improving in the win column for the fifth consecutive season.

Prediction: Ball State

2014 BBVA Compass Bowl Preview

Match-Up: Vanderbilt vs. Houston
Date/Time: January 4, 2014/Noon CT
Location: Birmingham, AL (Legion Field)
Bowl Life: 8 years (2006)
Line: Vanderbilt by 2 1/2
National TV: ESPN (HD)
2013 BBVA Compass Bowl: Ole Miss 38, Pittsburgh 17



Breaking Down the Teams:
Vanderbilt Commodores-
2013 Record: 8-4 (4-4 SEC)
School Bowl Record: 3-2-1
Last Bowl Game: 2012 Music City Bowl (Vanderbilt 38, North Carolina State 24)
BBVA Compass Bowl Appearances: None

Houston Cougars-
2013 Record: 8-4 (5-3 American)
School Bowl Record: 9-11-1
Last Bowl Game: 2012 TicketCity Bowl (Houston 30, Penn State 14)
BBVA Compass Bowl Appearances: None

Game Notes: The first appearance in the BBVA Compass Bowl for both teams.  The Commodores are making their third consecutive bowl appearance, the longest streak in program history.  The Cougars, on the other hand, were bowl eligible in their inaugural season in the American Athletic Conference after missing two of the past three postseasons.

Prediction: Vanderbilt

Friday, January 3, 2014

2014 Discover Orange Bowl Preview

2011 Orange Bowl.svg
Match-Up: #12 Clemson vs. #7 Ohio State
Date/Time: January 3, 2014/7:30pm CT
Location: Miami Gardens, FL (Sun Life Stadium)
Bowl Life: 80 years (1935)
Line: Ohio State by 2 1/2
National TV: ESPN (HD)
2013 Orange Bowl: Florida State 31, Northern Illinois 10



Breaking Down the Teams:
Clemson Tigers-
2013 Record: 10-2 (7-1 ACC)
School Bowl Record: 17-18
Last Bowl Game: 2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Clemson 25, LSU 24)
Orange Bowl Appearances: 2-2 (Last: 2012)

Ohio State Buckeyes-
2013 Record: 12-1 (8-0 Big Ten)
School Bowl Record: 19-23
Last Bowl Game: 2012 Gator Bowl (Florida 24, Ohio State 17)
Orange Bowl Appearances: 1-0 (Last: 1977)

Game Notes: The Buckeyes were 24-1 the past two seasons, but are finally bowl eligible after a two-year postseason ban due to NCAA sanctions.  The Tigers experienced a third consecutive 10 win season under coach Dabo Swinney, but lost to West Virginia 70-33 in their most recent trip to the Orange Bowl in 2012.

Prediction: Ohio State

2014 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Preview

AT&T Cotton Bowl.pngMatch-Up: #13 Oklahoma State vs. #8 Missouri
Date/Time: January 3, 2013/6:30pm CT
Location: Arlington, TX (Cowboys Stadium)
Bowl Life: 78 years (1937)
Line: Missouri by 1
National TV: Fox (HD)
2013 Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M 41, Oklahoma 13


Breaking Down the Teams:
Oklahoma State Cowboys-
2013 Record: 10-2 (7-2 Big 12)
School Bowl Record: 15-8
Last Bowl Game: 2013 Heart of Dallas Bowl (Oklahoma State 58, Purdue 14)
Cotton Bowl Appearances: 1-2 (Last: 2010)

Missouri Tigers-
2013 Record: 11-2 (7-1 SEC)
School Bowl Record: 13-16
Last Bowl Game: 2011 Independence Bowl (Missouri 41, North Carolina 24)
Cotton Bowl Appearances: 1-1 (Last: 2008)

Game Notes: The Cotton Bowl reunites two programs who shared a conference for decades.  Both the Cowboys and Tigers fell short of conference championships during Championship Saturday, but were impressive throughout the season. The Tigers made an unexpected trip to the SEC Championship Game after a dismal inaugural season in 2012, while the Cowboys beat three ranked teams in November (Baylor, Texas and Texas Tech).

Prediction: Missouri

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

2014 Allstate Sugar Bowl Preview

Sugar Bowl logo.svgMatch-Up: #11 Oklahoma vs. #3 Alabama
Date/Time: January 2, 2014/7:30pm CT
Location: New Orleans, LA (Mercedes-Benz Superdome)
Bowl Life: 80 years (1935)
Line: Alabama by 15
National TV: ESPN (HD)
2013 Sugar Bowl: Louisville 33, Florida 23

Breaking Down the Teams:
Oklahoma Sooners-
2013 Record: 10-2 (7-2 Big 12)
School Bowl Record: 27-18-1
Last Bowl Game: 2013 Sugar Bowl (Texas A&M 41, Oklahoma 13)
Sugar Bowl Appearances: 4-2 (Last: 2004)

Alabama Crimson Tide-
2013 Record: 11-1 (7-1 SEC)
School Bowl Record: 35-22-3
Last Bowl Game: 2013 BCS National Championship Game (Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14)
Sugar Bowl Appearances: 8-5 (Last: 2009)

Game Notes: Alabama came oh-so-close to a fourth trip to the BCS National Championship Game in the past five years, but their perfect season was ended on a miraculous, last second play by Auburn in the season finale.  Oklahoma received a surprise at-large selection over #10 Oregon and has nothing to lose.

Prediction: Alabama