Well, here we are. It's the start of the 2011 bowl season! Award winners have been announced, coaching changes are still happening, conferences are petitioning for BCS automatic qualifier status…but we don't even remotely have time for all of that. We have 10 bowl games to preview this week, prior to the Christmas holiday. The next episode will be available on 12/27, but for now, we will be offering our insight and analysis on the following games:

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Rams Football

Week 8 (YTD 22-21-0)

All stats ATS unless denoted w/ “s-u”

Houston (-23’) v. Marshall.  Houston #1 pass O will decimate Thundering Herd’s #80 pass eff D.  Cougars 9-4 L13 hm fave.  MARSH drubbed at WV and OH by 20+ so has shown no proclivity to hang around on rd.

Wake Forest (-3’) @ Duke.  No idea why this isn’t higher.  WF markedly better TY v. two common foes and has won 11-straight s-u in series.  WF has significant ttl ypg edge.  Devils are 8-21 L29 as hm dog.

Ohio (-14) @ Akron.  Bobcats have 200 ypg edge over Zips.  Bobcats on an 0-4 slide that is bound to end here v. a woeful squad that ia -.67 in TO and ranks #88 or worse in every meaningful O and D stat.  OH 4-1 L5 mtgs.

Wisconsin @ Michigan State (under 49’).  Not sure why the large number when we get two of top-4 score D and two of top-7 ttl D facing each other.   WI sure to get sterner test v. Sparty than it has v. four score D rated #95 or worse and DI-AA So. Dak.  NEB “best” D yet faced and ranks #67 ttl D and #58 score D.  MSU solid on D but has struggled to score v. OSU, ND and MI so should find tough sledding v. WI.  5 of 6 MSU ttls TY un45 w/ high of just 52.  Series high-scoring, but stats tell me it’ll stay well below the line.

Temple @ Bowling Green (over 48’).  BGSU has no ttl TY < 45 and has three conf ttl of 49, 65 and 60.  LY mtg ttl 55.  TEMP has scored 34+ v. all but PSU and TOL and should find plenty with its vaunted rush O (#8) v. BGSU #97 rush D, #85 score D and #83 ttl D.

Colorado State (+10) @ UTEP/Memphis (+12’) @ Tulane/Army (+11) @ Vanderbilt.  I am taking all three based on the same premise:  tms that are neg ttl ypg (TUL -22, VAN -68, UTEP -71) should not lay DD to any tm anywhere – even tms as admittedly weak as CSU, TUL and ARM.  Add that UTEP is -1 TO/gm, Vandy is dead last converting only 20% on 3^rd D, and TUL coach quit TW, and I don’t see dominant performances in the offing.  ARM #1 rush O will absolutely melt the clock and keep that gm close.  MEM 11-3 s-u L14 mtgs, and TUL 2-9 L11 hm fave.  TUL has yielded 30+ in 6 of 7gms TY.  Vandy 2-4 as DD fave L5Y (both Ws v. pathetic rd dog EMU) & ARM 3-1 s-u L4 mtgs.  CSU has been w/in 7 pts of all but Boise and CO TY, while UTEP had to go OT to beat Stony Brook & beat NM St by just 6.  UTEP 5-12 L17 as hm fave and just 5-5 L5Y as DD fave.