Wed Jan 2 16:33:31 2008

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On the road to New Orleans

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The bulk of the bowl games are over, but the most important ones remain, beginning with the Fiesta Bowl and ending with the BCS Championship Game in New Orleans on Monday night.

New Year's Eve provided the most excitement of the bowl season, especially in Fort Worth, Texas, where Air Force and California engaged in a wild shootout. The Falcons jumped out to a quick 21-0 lead before the Golden Bears knew what hit them. It was at that point when Cal coach Jeff Tedford inserted Kevin Riley at quarterback, replacing the ineffective Nate Longshore. The redshirt freshman responded, cutting the Air Force lead to seven at halftime. But the most important juncture of the game came when Falcons quarterback Shaun Carney had to leave the contest late in the third quarter with an injured right knee. Air Force was leading when Carney left, and most likely would have won if he were able to finish the game.

Troy Calhoun's squad still had a chance to cover despite trailing 42-30 with just over six minutes left. California running back Justin Forsett fumbled and Air Force recovered the ball inside the Golden Bears' 40-yard line. Reserve quarterback Shea Smith drove the Falcons near the goal line and Chad Hall rambled home to bring them to within six points. To the surprise of many, Calhoun decided to go for two. If successful, Air Force would have covered. Unfortunately for the first year head coach, Cal was up to the challenge and stopped Chad Hall to clinch the ATS victory.

Another game that went down to the wire came by way of Tempe, Arizona, where Oklahoma State and Indiana tangled in the Insight Bowl. For those who wagered on the OVER, this one became a nerve-wracking experience. The total had jumped from 69 to 71 an hour before kickoff and 59 points were scored after three quarters of action. However, the Hoosiers were the only team to hit paydirt in the first 11 minutes of the fourth, and the OVER, which looked like an easy victory all game long, seemed out of reach.

An Indiana field goal with 3:12 left brought the number up to 69, but more points still needed to be scored. The Cowboys recovered the onside kickoff and reached the Hoosiers' three-yard line with 2:10 left. There was still some hope, but the optimism almost faded as quickly as it came when Oklahoma State fumbled the ball on the very next play. Running back Julius Crosslin recovered and eventually scored from the one-yard line on a fourth-and-one play. The OVER was finally a reality.

THE FINAL WEEK

Time now to take a closer look at some of the remaining games, beginning with the Fiesta Bowl.

West Virginia and Oklahoma hook up in an intriguing matchup, somewhat softened by the departure of Rich Rodriguez. The former Mountaineers head man is on his way to Michigan, leaving associate head coach Bill Stewart to guide the team against the Sooners.

The line, which opened at 4.5 in favor of Oklahoma, has moved all the way up to eight points in some outlets, most likely due to the change on the sidelines. And with good reason, as the other six bowl teams with new head coaches have all lost. Five of those clubs used interim coaches and their overall ATS record is 1-4.

The one difference between those teams and West Virginia is the Mountaineers were the only team to record 10 victories this season. Not a single one of the other six clubs finished the regular season with even nine wins.

One aspect of this matchup that hasn't gotten the publicity it deserves is how Oklahoma tried to remove itself from this game in order to play in the Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech. Oklahoma athletic director Joseph Castiglione wanted his school to play the highest-ranked team, but his plea was denied and the Sooners will play in Arizona for a second straight year. One wonders how the players and the coaching staff feel about returning to the scene of Boise State's miraculous triumph last year.

As for the game itself, Oklahoma will be without three defensive starters, including two members of its secondary. Reggie Smith has a broken toe and Lendy Holmes failed to qualify academically. Defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger is also out after getting arrested last week.

West Virginia will certainly stick to its spread offense, but don't be surprised to see Pat White throw the ball more than usual. The Mountaineers, not known for their passing game, finished just a shade behind Oklahoma (67.7 to 67.5) in completion percentage and a few downfield passes early on will certainly open up more holes for White and Steve Slaton.

Take West Virginia plus the points.

The Orange Bowl pits Kansas against Virginia Tech, and if one looks at this game with an objective eye, he'll see a mismatch of the highest proportions.

Kansas comes into this game with just one impressive victory on its schedule, a 43-28 win over Oklahoma State down in Stillwater. The Jayhawks failed to defeat a Big 12 team that finished over .500 in conference play, and the only top 20 team they faced blitzed them in a game that was far worse than the final score suggests. Missouri came away with the 36-28 win, but the Tigers led 28-7 heading into the fourth quarter.

Virginia Tech, on the other hand, defeated Clemson and Boston College, as well as Virginia and Florida State. The Hokies ended up second in the nation in scoring defense, and that figure is justified when one looks at their competition.

Offensively, Virginia Tech averaged 32 points per game in ACC play, nine points higher than last season, showing how much of an improved quarterback Sean Glennon has become. The junior completed 63% of his tosses as opposed to 56% in '06. He also threw only three interceptions this year and his confidence is at an all-time high. The Hokies have scored 30 points or more in their last four games, the first time they've reached that mark in four straight ACC games since joining the conference.

Take Tech minus the points.

As for the big one, Ohio State failed as the favorite in last year's BCS Championship, and will try to reverse its fortunes as the underdog against LSU. However, the Buckeyes did not look like a number one team their last two games, losing to Illinois at home and then defeating an injury-plagued Michigan club by just 11 points. If they continue to put forth efforts such as those, this one won't even be close.

LSU, besides having an immediate advantage playing so close to home in New Orleans, has a healthy defense for the first time in weeks. The month of inactivity since the SEC championship victory is almost as important as the home-state advantage, and the Tigers are ready to show the nation how good that "D" really is.

LSU will show no mercy and walk off the field with the trophy and the number one ranking in the land.

Take the Tigers minus the points.

Finally, even though the International Bowl is not of major significance to most people, Ball State plus the points is this columnist's best bet of the entire bowl season, so roll with the Cardinals and the 10 points.