Saturday, December 2, 2006
Joe Duffy is CEO of OffshoreInsiders.com, which is offering a premium version of the advanced news and notes, computer trends, weather information and more for the entire bowl season. Much of the information is compiled from hometown newspapers and the team’s own press releases. The entire bowl season version of the OffshoreInsiders.com clipboard is $69
CFB
USC-UCLA
LA Times
After hinting for more than a week that sophomore Ben Olson may return as the starter at quarterback against No. 2 USC on Saturday at the Rose Bowl, UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell said Wednesday that he was sticking with Patrick Cowan. Cowan will be making his seventh consecutive start since Olson sustained a torn knee ligament against Arizona on Oct. 7. He helped the Bruins defeat Arizona and has played well in late-season wins over Oregon State and Washington State. “Pat has improved the last six games,” Dorrell said. “He has a good feel of what we’re doing. He understands the speed of the game a little bit better at this point in time given that one has had a long time off and he’s been playing. They are all strong factors.” Cowan has passed for more touchdowns and yards this season, but Olson has completed a higher percentage of his passes. In the end, the determining factor is that the coach wants to make sure that Olson, who has not played in a game since returning to practice in late October, is at full speed. Olson started the first five games of the season and was 3-1 in games he finished. Dorrell said the decision does not mean Cowan will start against Florida State in the Emerald Bowl on Dec. 27. Joe Duffy’s sports betting selections are at www.GodsTips.com
Florida-Arkansas
WholeHogsSports
Arkansas coach Houston d the Razorbacks, their 10-game winning streak broken by LSU, are hungry to erase the taste of defeat and have practiced like it. “ When you win for 10 straight weeks, ” Nutt said, “ you’re not used to that feeling that we’ve had. You don’t want to get used to losing ever. So we were a little bit more hungry when we came to practice this week. ” Stevie Vincent’s BetOnSports360.com is pioneer in forensic handicapping and part of OffshoreInsiders.com
Rutgers-West Virginia
NY Post
It’s hard to believe, but it’s nearly December and the biggest game in Rutgers’ modern football history is just two nights away. The 13th-ranked Scarlet Knights (10-1) will play 15th-ranked West Virginia (9-2) Saturday in a 7:45 p.m. ESPN game in Morgantown for a chance to clinch at least a share of the Big East championship and the league’s BCS bid.
If Rutgers wins, the Knights most likely will wind up playing the ACC champion, either Georgia Tech or Wake Forest, in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 2. Lose, and they will play a Big 12 entry - either Texas Tech or Oklahoma State - in the Dec. 28 Texas Bowl in Houston.
Associated Press
The Scarlet Knights, who have not defeated the Mountaineers since 1994, have lost in each of their 14 trips to Morgantown. West Virginia is the only Big East team that Schiano has not defeated as coach of the Scarlet Knights. His team is 4-27-2 all-time against the Mountaineers, including an 80-7 rout in 2001.West Virginia is the only Big East team that Schiano has not defeated as coach of the Scarlet Knights. His team is 4-27-2 all-time against the Mountaineers, including an 80-7 rout in 2001. The Mountaineers are second in the nation with 312.1 rushing yards per game, and third with 38.7 points per contest. MasterLockLine.com has the top plays from the top sports service in their highest ranked sports. The Scarlet Knights, however, are holding opponents to 243.5 total yards, good for third in the nation, and 98.8 yards on the ground. Rutgers is also allowing just 12.3 points per game, ranking it fifth in the country.
Army-Navy
Belvoir Eagle
The Army-Navy Classic returns to the city of Philadelphia for the 80th time, pitting the 3-8 Black Knights opposite the 8-3 Midshipmen. Meineke Car Care Bowl-bound Navy can clinch its fourth straight Commander in Chief’s Trophy title with a victory over Army. The Black Knights will be looking to earn their first CIC title since 1996 with a win. Army will also be out to avenge four consecutive losses to its arch rival, with Navy outscoring the Black Knights by a combined 176-54 margin the last four years. The Midshipmen can equal their longest winning streak in the series with a defeat of Army on Saturday. Joe Duffy’s sports betting selections are at www.GodsTips.com Army must find a way to control’s Navy’s top-rated rushing attack, which averages 333.2 yards per game. Saturday’s match up will feature two of the nation’s least-penalized clubs. While Navy ranks fifth nationally, averaging just 4.09 penalties per game, Army stands sixth at 4.18. Navy (35.27) and Army (37.09) list eighth and 12th, respectively, in penalty yards per contest.
Connecticut-Louisville
Herald Tribune
Brohm threw four touchdown passes last Saturday against Pittsburgh in a 48-24 victory, Louisville’s second straight since the upset loss to Rutgers tightened the Big East race. The Huskies, coming off a 26-23 loss to Cincinnati last Saturday, have dropped two straight and four of five.
Stanford-California
Sarasota Herald Tribune
No. 21 Cal (8-3, 6-2 Pac-10) will be looking for their fifth straight victory over Stanford (1-10, 1-7). The Bears haven’t done that in their four straight wins over the Cardinal, outscoring them 126-32. While the Bears appear to be focused on knocking off their rival, they will also be trying to end a two-game losing streak that cost them a chance at their first Rose Bowl appearance in 48 years. Cal fell 23-9 to then-No. 3 USC on Nov. 18, one week after losing 24-20 to Arizona.
GA Tech-Wake Forest
Savannah Now
Wake averages 158 yards rushing a game, third best in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Georgia Tech’s defense will counter in Saturday’s ACC title game with the most basic of principle of defending the option: assignment football. Linebacker Philip Wheeler said that shouldn’t be too difficult for the Jackets. Georgia Tech’s plays an assignment scheme anyway, although the Yellow Jackets defender are also reputed for their ability to flow to the football. That can take them out of position on misdirection plays and will be a focus Saturday, defensive tackle Joe Anoai said. Wake Forest’s coaching staff put then freshman cornerback Alphonso Smith through what seemed a cruel initiation a year ago in a game against Georgia Tech - they put Smith in single coverage on Calvin Johnson. Georgia Tech’s star wide receiver caught two long passes and piled up 98 yards, but he finished with only four catches overall. MasterLockLine.com has the top plays from the top sports service in their highest ranked sports.
Nebraska-Oklahoma
Husker Extra
Maybe if Oklahoma was less embarrassed about the play of its defense, the Sooners would have barked more about game officials costing them a victory at Oregon in their third game of the season. While officiating errors were later acknowledged, the officials weren’t the only guilty party. After that 34-33 setback, OU’s defense, expected to be the team’s strength, ranked 97th nationally, allowing an average of 396.3 yards. It was 94th in run defense (165.7 yards), 82nd in passing efficiency and 75th in points allowed (23.7). But it was enough for head coach Bob Stoops, who coordinated stellar defenses at Florida and Kansas State, to call for change. And so the next game, starting cornerback Reggie Smith went back to strong safety (a spot he started 10 games at in 2005), replacing Keenan Clayton, and Marcus Walker moved up to Smith’s corner position. OU’s other starting corner, Lendy Holmes, had just replaced D.J. Wolfe in the lineup against Oregon. Indeed, Oklahoma’s last nine opponents faced rougher sledding trying to go downhill on the Sooners, who enter Saturday’s Big 12 Championship Game against Nebraska in Kansas City, Mo., with a seven-game winning streak that’s been fueled by outstanding defense. Remember where the OU defense stood after the Oregon game? Now, it’s 14th in total defense (273.1 yards per game), 25th in passing efficiency defense, 19th against the run (99.0 yards) and 18th in points allowed (16.0). In its only other loss, Oklahoma allowed Texas just 232 yards. Five turnovers proved to be the Sooners’ undoing in that 28-10 loss, but Stoops came away from the experience feeling like the defense would give his club a chance to stabilize. Joe Duffy’s sports betting selections are at www.GodsTips.com
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