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2012 Fiesta Bowl Preview

Jack Jones — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:38:38 +0000

The 2012 version of the Fiesta Bowl pits the Stanford Cardinal against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. With two of the most prolific offenses in the country on the field, this is expected to be one of the top games outside of the National Championship.

These two teams have never met on the football field.

A look at the most recent Fiesta Bowl odds shows Oklahoma State -3.5, while the total has been set for 74 points.

Stanford

The Cardinal missed out on a chance to play in the Pac-12′s inaugural title game, finishing 8-1 in conference play (tied for best in the league), but losing the tie-breaker to Oregon, who beat them earlier this year. Stanford did manage to win their last two games, however, the most recent a 28-14 victory over Notre Dame. The Cardinal finished the regular season a perfect 5-0 on the road.

The Cardinal are the 5th-best scoring offense in the country (44 ppg) while recording 481 yards per game (273 passing, 208 rushing). Andrew Luck completes 70 percent of his passes for 3,170 yards and 35 touchdowns with nine interceptions.

Griff Whalen leads the receiving corps with 49 catches (14 more than anyone else) for 664 yards and four TDs, while Stepfan Taylor anchors the running game with 1,153 yards and eight TDs on 5.6 yards per carry.

On defense, the Cardinal rank a respectable 23rd in the nation in points allowed (20 ppg), giving up 331 yards per game (241 passing, 90 rushing) while compiling 38 sacks and forced 21 turnovers two of which were returned for TDs (Michael Thomas, interception; Max Bergen, fumble).

Jarek Lancaster leads the unit with 63 tackles, while Michael Thomas has 61 tackles and a team-best three interceptions. Chase Thomas pitches in with 8.5 sacks and five forced fumbles.

Oklahoma State

The Cowboys got to 10-0 before stumbling in double-overtime at Iowa State (37-31), but rebounded with a 44-10 win over Oklahoma in the Bedlam game. Overall, Oklahoma State is 5-1 away from home, including wins at Texas A&M and Texas.

OSU ranks second in the country in points scored (49 ppg) and recording 557 yards per game (386 passing, 171 rushing). Brandon Weeden completes 73 percent of his passes for 4,328 yards and 34 TDs with 12 interceptions. The offensive line has allowed 11 sacks.

All-American Justin Blackmon leads the receiving corps with 113 receptions for 1,336 yards and five TDs, while Joseph Randle anchors the running game with 1,123 yards and 23 scores on 6.0 yards per carry.

Defensively, the Cowboys rank 61st nationally in points allowed (26 ppg) and give up 446 yards per game (266 passing, 180 rushing) while recording 28 sacks and forcing 42 turnovers three of which were returned for TDs (Richetti Jones and Josh Stewart, fumbles; Shaun Lewis, interception).

Daytawion Lowe leads the team wit 88 tackles and three forced fumbles while Jamie Blatnick has seven sacks and two fumble recoveries. Brodrick Brown has five picks to go with two fumble recoveries and Jones has three forced fumbles and three recoveries.

Be sure to swing by Betfirms for all of your bowl predictions this season. There’s no better place on the planet to get expert college football bowl picks!

2006 Fiesta Bowl Odds

Jack Jones — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:13:10 +0000

You can bet on the 2006 Fiesta Bowl odds now in the matchup between Boise State and Oklahoma. The Broncos are going to try to earn some respect for their program when they take on the Sooners. Boise is only the second non-BCS conference team to make one of the lucrative bowls, guaranteeing their way in by finishing 8th in the standings. Do they belong with the big boys? Their overall track record seems to indicate they do, they have the best record of all schools since 1999, going 85-16 during that time, but have struggled against bigger opponents. The Broncos played Oregon State this year though and put a beat down on them 42-14.

What makes Boise so tough is their offense, which has put up 30 or more points in 10 of their 12 games and over 40 in 8 of those contests. They have averaged 39.4 ppg and 424 ypg this season. Jared Zabransky has been immersed for a long time in the Bronco scheme and knows how to play football. They should be tough to handle on offense.

Oklahoma knows how to win though, and Bob Stoops is making his eighth straight bowl appearance with the Sooners, with 5 of the last 7 being BCS-caliber. You have to think they are a tad bit disappointed here though since they entered the season with title hopes, only to get screwed at Oregon. The good news is that Adrian Peterson is back, he’s rested, and he’s healthy. For Oklahoma though it’s all about defense, and if they can keep up their average of holding opponents to just 15.3 ppg. They have held every team since Oregon to low yardage, and you might say the likes of Texas, Nebraska, and Texas Tech may have more talent than Boise State.

Boise State is a mid-major type school while Oklahoma is a perennial powerhouse. Which team is going to hold up in the Fiesta? Check out our college football bowl picks and have our experts help you cash.

2006 Fiesta Bowl Odds:

Boise State +7.5 at VIP
Oklahoma -7 -107 at Pinnacle

UNDER 50.5 -105 at Pinnacle
OVER 50.5 -105 at Pinnacle

Info Plays 2009 Fiesta Bowl Picks

Jack Jones — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:48:13 +0000

Take a look at the reasons why Ohio State covers the spread Monday with the analysis offered along with the bowl picks that InfoPlays puts out:

10* Ohio State/Texas Fiesta Bowl GOLD MINE on Ohio State +9

1.) Ohio State has been getting pounded in the media about their recent BCS struggles, giving them all the more motivation to come out and prove that the can win the big game. This motivation goes along way in these BCS games, and the motivational factor is clearly on the Buckeyes. Texas is a bit frustrated even being in this game as they feel they should be in the National Championship.

2.) Ohio State has a bunch of tricks up their sleeves. The Buckeyes are expected to have both QB’s in at the same time in this contest, which is something the Longhorns won’t be prepared for. This will create big plays for the Buckeyes to counter Texas’ speed. The Buckeyes will be able to ware down this Texas defensive line with their power running game behind Beanie Wells as well. Texas has struggled against speed QB’s like Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor. They allowed 201 rushing yards to Baylor just 3 games back, who have a speedy QB that burnt the Longhorns all game long.

3.) System Play. We’ll Play On – Underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (OHIO ST) – in non-conference games, with 17 or more total starters returning. This is a 71-34 ATS System hitting 67.6% since 1992. This team is loaded with seniors that are determined to prove their naysayer’s wrong and show that they can win the big game. The Buckeyes will be the more motivated team, and with expectations much lower than they have been in year’s past, this team will have a great shot to win outright tonight. Bet Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Martin’s 2009 Fiesta Bowl Picks

Jack Jones — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:46:14 +0000

John Martin is ready to help you cash in on your bet for the 2009 Fiesta Bowl with his college football bowl picks offered below. This is just another one of the bowl game odds that Martin is confident he can beat.

5 Unit Buckeyes/Longhorns Fiesta Bowl BEST BET on Ohio State +9

The Scarlet and Gray need this win more to restore pride back into their football program. Ohio State has been kicked around in the media about their recent failures in National Championship Games, and big games in general. I see the Buckeyes playing inspired football in this game to restore that pride, and with so many senior on this team, Ohio State won’t fold like they have in year’s past. These players have been here before, while Texas players have not played in a big game like this since the days of Vince Young. Ohio State is expected to add a dimension to this game that the Longhorns will not be ready for. Both QB Terrelle Pryor and QB Todd Boeckman are going to be on the field at the same time. Ohio State has been working on this in practice for over a month, and they’ve had plenty of time to perfect it. Pryor is an all-around athlete that can throw, run and catch the football and he’ll give this Longhorns’ defense fits all game. Beanie Wells and this huge offensive line for Ohio State will be able to move the Longhorns’ defensive line and create running lanes. Texas does have a speedy D-Line, but Ohio State’s ability to run the football in this contest will force the Longhorns to be on their heels instead of being in attack mode all game like they were most of the season against the pass-happy Big 12 teams. Coach Tressel is 18-9 ATS vs. good offensive teams scoring 31 points/game or more. Texas does have a good offense, but this Buckeye defense is the best they have seen all season and that will also play a big factor. Ohio State allows just 13.1 points/game this season. The last time these teams met in 2006, Ohio State came out on top 24-7 down in Austin. Texas will struggle to score points against this dominant Buckeyes’ defense again in the Fiesta Bowl. Cash in with Ohio State as the underdog.

Boyd’s 2009 Fiesta Bowl Picks

Jack Jones — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:43:25 +0000

5* Fiesta Bowl BOMB on Ohio State +9
All the Buckeyes have heard is how the Big Ten is weak and how they have gotten smoked in the BCS Title game the past two seasons. This team has a lot of seniors, especially on its vaunted defense, and I expect them to put all that talk to rest by giving the Horns all they want and more. The Longhorns are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 bowl games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0 and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Big Ten while the Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Big 12. Take the points.

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Jack’s 2009 Fiesta Bowl Picks

Jack Jones — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:35:59 +0000

Jack Jones knew that the 2009 Fiesta Bowl was going to be closer than the bowl game odds indicated and that’s why he took Ohio State with his bowl picks. Let’s take a look at all of the reasons that Jack thought the Buckeyes would cover over the Longhorns in this one:

20* CFB Steam Roller on Ohio State +9

I don’t think the Texas Longhorns have faced a defense as talented as they will see tonight all year long. The thing about the Longhorns offense is that they are fairly one dimensional with McCoy throwing for over 3,400 yards and also leading the team with 576 rushing yards. Give this talented a defense just one player to key in on like that and they should do a pretty good job of shutting him down. I know that Terrelle Pryor has been pretty inconsistent this year, but given the fact that he has had over a month to prepare for the bowls should help him. Plus, he has a balanced offense to work with as Beanie Wells is going to pound away at this Longhorns defense. This should be a close, high scoring game so we will take the generous amount of points the books are offering.