Independence Bowl, Air Force Vs. Georgia Tech: Falcons Win Option Bowl Despite Losing Mascot

The 2010 college football postseason is well underway and it's time to sell all your Christmas gifts and place the money on ridiculous, half-assed bowl games played by largely inept football teams. Degenerate gamblers, start your engines. Now playing: Air Force and Georgia Tech in the Independence Bowl.

The line: The Falcons are slightly favored, giving three points to the Yellow Jackets, but it's essentially a pick 'em.

Notable Air Force units: The Falcons' ground attack, which comes in ranked No. 2 in the country, averaging 318 rushing yards per game. Led by RB Asher Clark (5.8 ypc) and QB Tim Jefferson (5.4 ypc), will run and run often out of their triple-option offense, and will do so to the tune of 5.5 yards per carry as a team. 

Notable Georgia Tech units: Hope you like the triple-option! Yes, Georgia Tech also runs the ball often -- in fact, the only reason Air Force are No. 2 in rushing offense is because the Yellow Jackets are No. 1, averaging 327 yards on the ground each game. The attack is fueled by RB Anthony Allen and until he broke his forearm in November, QB Josh Nesbitt. It's still not certain whether or not Nesbitt will be able to play Monday night, but it's not looking likely. His backup, sophomore Tevin Washington, has started the past three games for Tech, rushing for a pair of TDs and throwing for three more. 

The pick: I like Air Force to win and cover here. Three of their four losses were very close ones -- at No. 7 Oklahoma, at San Diego State and home against No. 8 Utah, with the fourth loss at No. 4 TCU -- and Georgia Tech is entering the bowl having lost four of its last five games and will likely be without Nesbitt, their senior QB. 

The 2010 Independence Bowl kicks off at 5 p.m. EST on ESPN2.

To help prime you for the first of 14 bowl games in the next five days, we've compiled this handy list of fun factoids concerning the 2010 Independence Bowl.

Proper name: 2010 AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl

Setting: Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana (formerly home to the Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League and later Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League in the mid 1990s)

Traditional conference pairing: Mountain West and ACC (with the Sun Belt there as an alternate)

2010 matchup: Air Force Falcons (8-4) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-6)

Announcers: Mark Jones, Bob Davie & Eamon McAnaney

Neatest fact: The Independence Bowl is the 11th oldest bowl game in the country

Closest finish: 2001's game between Alabama and Iowa State, with the Tide prevailing, 14-13. 

Most lopsided finish: In 1993, Virginia Tech rolled over Indiana, 45-20 (Bonus Fun Fact!: this marked Frank Beamer's first bowl win.)

Tidbits of interest: The Independence Bowl is named such because the first edition was played in 1976, the United States' bicentennial year ... Ole Miss holds the record for most appearances, with five ... AdvoCare V100 is a multivitamin of some sort ... Remember, we never mention the Independence Bowl's Players of the Game.

The 2010 Independence Bowl kicks off at 5 p.m. EST, Monday, December 27. The game will be televised on ESPN2. Browse our complete 2010 college football postseason schedule, and connect with Georgia Tech fans at SB Nation's From The Rumble Seat.