SBNation.com: All Posts by Andy Hutchinshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2016-12-04T17:09:50-05:00https://www.sbnation.com/authors/andy-hutchins/rss2016-12-04T17:09:50-05:002016-12-04T17:09:50-05:00What to know about the Minnesota-Washington State Holiday Bowl
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<img alt="Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl - Baylor v UCLA" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LPpf3-c4MbjGHHt88Ih-kxvMbbQ=/53x0:2947x1929/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52130271/158762832.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Kent C. Horner/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Big Ten and Pac-12 meet in San Diego for the annual bowl game.</p> <p id="6PC1PN"><em>Also, head over here for </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/bowl-games-schedule-2016"><em>the fully updated bowl season calendar</em></a><em> as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.</em></p>
<p id="paragraph3">The Holiday Bowl has a long history of fun games, and hopefully this year will be no different. Now known fully as the National Funding Holiday Bowl, it takes the stage in prime time on Tuesday night. This year, it features Washington State from the Pac-12 and Minnesota from the Big Ten.</p>
<p id="j5g6Lt">The Holiday Bowl has been around since 1978, and has traditionally been a matchup between Pac-12 and Big 12 teams. It’s undergone something of a makeover in recent years, though, and now the Big Ten is tied in with the game along with the Pac-12. Last year’s game featured two tradition-rich programs in Wisconsin and USC, and saw the Badgers cap off their season with their first-ever win over the Trojans.</p>
<p id="T0mMSp">Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s game:</p>
<p id="paragraph4"><strong>Date and time:</strong> Dec. 27, 7 p.m.</p>
<p id="paragraph5"><strong>TV channel: </strong>ESPN</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><strong>Location: </strong>San Diego</p>
<p id="paragraph7"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Qualcomm Stadium</p>
<p id="bPoS4U"><strong>Last year's score:</strong> Wisconsin 23, USC 21</p>
<p id="paragraph9"><strong>Last year's attendance: </strong>48,329</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><strong>Teams with the most all-time appearances:</strong> BYU, 11</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><strong>Teams with the most all-time wins:</strong> BYU, 4</p>
<p id="jvtsE4"><strong>Washington State (8-4, 7-2 in Pac-12)</strong></p>
<p id="MGS1IZ">WSU had a chance to mount a run to the Rose Bowl, but those dreams went up in smoke when Washington destroyed the Cougars in the Apple Cup on Black Friday. That gave UW the Pac-12 North, while what had become an excellent season for the Cougs fell just a bit short. But they’ve still got another game to play, and they’ll be dangerous in it.</p>
<p id="8TqGlb">Washington State’s defense has some talent but has proven its vulnerability. (If it hadn’t before, Washington sure laid it bare.) The big thing to know about this team is its application of Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense. The Cougars throw a ton, and quarterback Luke Falk is one of the most prolific passers in the country. He works brilliantly with receiver Gabe Marks, and they’ve put up some historic numbers over the last few years they’ve spent together. The team also has three running backs -- Jamal Morrow, James Williams, and Gerard Wicks -- who have all done well in shouldering the running load together when WSU doesn’t throw.</p>
<p id="MGgFh4">This is a fun team. It’s a deeply flawed team, especially on defense, but it’s not exactly a team you’ll be stoked about playing against. It’s dangerous.</p>
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<p id="thtgED"><strong>Minnesota (8-4, 5-4 in Big Ten)</strong></p>
<p id="6g1v6E">Tracy Claeys was named the Gophers’ head coach after former head man Jerry Kill resigned from the position due to health reasons. Claey’s first full season as Minnesota’s head coach has been a successful one. After getting off to a 3-0 start, the Gophers suffered back-to-back losses to Penn State and Iowa. However, four straight wins put them back in the Big Ten West title discussion — until a 24-17 loss to Nebraska during Week 11. The Gophers beat Northwestern yet lost to Wisconsin to finish the season 8-4. </p>
<p id="ZmbD1I">Defensively, the Gophers have been solid under Claeys, who served as Kill’s defensive coordinator prior to his resignation. The unit ranks inside the top 30 in the country in both overall defense and points allowed per game. Linebacker Jonathan Celestin leads the unit with more than 70 total tackles, along with seven for loss. On offense, running back Rodney Smith has carried for more than 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. </p>
<p id="YbdBOt">Given that this is Claeys’ first season as Minnesota's head coach, it went as smoothly as you would want — staying competitive inside the division, making strides on defense and making a bowl at the end of the season.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/4/12667924/washington-state-minnesota-holiday-bowl-2016-teams-date-tv-scheduleAndy Hutchins2016-12-04T17:07:52-05:002016-12-04T17:07:52-05:00The Rose Bowl is Penn State-USC
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Rose Bowl-Stanford vs Iowa" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ro5SytDZqCns045wCJYvGcVIzag=/62x0:5368x3537/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52129405/usa_today_9029764.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>USC jumped Pac-12 South champion Colorado and will face Big Ten champ Penn State in Pasadena.</p> <p id="6PC1PN"><em>Also, head over here for </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/bowl-games-schedule-2016"><em>the fully updated bowl season calendar</em></a><em> as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.</em></p>
<p id="GZ1Kts">The 2016-2017 Rose Bowl may be part of the New Year’s Six, but it will not be played on New Year’s Day. Instead, Big Ten champion Penn State and USC, the highest-ranked non-Playoff team from the Pac-12, will meet on Jan. 2, thanks to the bowl’s long-standing tradition of playing on that date when New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday.</p>
<p id="lilNW4">The date may seem unusual for college football’s oldest bowl, which has only been played on a day other than New Year’s Day 15 times in 102 Rose Bowl Games, but the tradition of avoiding Sunday for the Rose Parade <a href="https://www.tournamentofroses.com/faq">dates back to 1893</a>. And the Rose Bowl Game and Rose Parade get what they want.</p>
<p id="b5lITi">Such is the power of The Granddaddy of Them All, which has successfully resisted all attempts by corporate sponsors to stick a brand name in front of Rose Bowl Game — this year’s edition will be the third Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual — and by corporate partners to <a href="http://2016%20Peach%20Bowl:%20Date,%20time,%20location%20and%20everything%20to%20know">budge from its treasured New Year’s Day evening time slot</a>. </p>
<p id="2hSVUG">No single event captures college football in all its glory and peculiarity quite like the Rose Bowl, held in picturesque Pasadena for all but one of those 102 games.</p>
<p id="paragraph3">Here is everything you need to know in preparation for this year's Rose Bowl:</p>
<p id="paragraph4"><strong>Date and time: </strong> Jan. 2, 5 p.m. ET</p>
<p id="paragraph5"><strong>TV channel: </strong>ESPN</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><strong>Location: </strong>Pasadena, California</p>
<p id="paragraph7"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Rose Bowl</p>
<p id="bPoS4U"><strong>Last year's score:</strong> Stanford 45, Iowa 16</p>
<p id="paragraph9"><strong>Last year's attendance: </strong>94,268</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><strong>Teams with the most all-time appearances:</strong> USC, 33</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><strong>Teams with the most all-time wins:</strong> USC, 24</p>
<p id="X9HXoi"><strong>Penn State (11-2, 8-1 in Big Ten)</strong></p>
<p id="y3nnz3">James Franklin can’t win the big one, you say? Well, ask the folks at Ohio State what they think about that, and now <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/3/13830612/wisconsin-psu-big-ten-championship-game-2016-final-score-results">ask Wisconsin, too</a>. Penn State got its white whale win on a Saturday night in October, downing the Buckeyes. Then the Nittany Lions kept going, and they beat the Badgers in the Big Ten Championship Game. </p>
<p id="xC6HIH">The Lions ran roughshod over much of the Big Ten (besides a loss to Michigan) en route to an awesome season coming from essentially out of nowhere.</p>
<p id="zRtO7H">They were going to start an unproven commodity at QB in Trace McSorley. Saquon Barkley was good, but petered out at the end of last season. The defense had to replace its coordinator and there was reasonable doubt that Penn State could be good. </p>
<p id="6AaUsa">But after stumbling out of the gates against Pitt and Michigan and falling to 2-2, all the Lions did was win on their way home. If more hype is coming their way this offseason (and it likely is), one more big moment can’t hurt it.</p>
<p id="7CbeLM"><strong>USC (9-3, 7-2 in Pac-12)</strong></p>
<p id="j1TMbm">When you see “preseason No. 1 USC Trojans” next August, remember this moment as the catalyst for that. It’s time for USC to cap off an impressive end to its 2016 season with the all-important bowl bump in order to gobble up all offseason accolades. The 2017 USC hype train will be out in full force, and this is when it truly leaves the station.</p>
<p id="bKPRsA">It seems that the offense was one missing piece away from reaching its vast potential, and that piece was QB Sam Darnold. When the freshman got inserted into the fold early this season, it seemed like the Trojans could do no wrong. With all the talent returning to USC at all positions, a bowl game for the Trojans will be a showcase to display all the horses that have flown under the radar in Los Angeles.</p>
<p id="TAJc0T">Most wrote the team off after a season-opening evisceration by Alabama, and everyone else stopped paying attention after they lost three of their first four. But USC quietly became one of the nation’s most impressive teams in the season’s second half and now it’s time to start building to a high-stakes 2017 with a big ending to 2016.</p>
<p id="fzYnFv">USC jumped Colorado to take the Pac-12’s bid to this game after the Buffs lost in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Washington.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/4/12666570/penn-state-usc-rose-bowl-2016-teams-date-tv-scheduleAndy HutchinsSB Nation College News2016-12-04T17:04:39-05:002016-12-04T17:04:39-05:00The Oklahoma State-Colorado Alamo Bowl could be great
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Valero Alamo Bowl-Oregon vs Texas Christian" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/h2k9Xjl9_t5b64gvjxytA93OK-c=/133x0:4605x2981/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52129461/usa-today-9033412.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>This year marks the 24th edition of the bowl game.</p> <p id="6PC1PN"><em>Also, head over here for </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/bowl-games-schedule-2016"><em>the fully updated bowl season calendar</em></a><em> as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.</em></p>
<p id="szPqCD">The Valero Alamo Bowl gets going in prime time on Thursday night from San Antonio. This will be the 24th edition of the Alamo Bowl, which features tie-ins with the Big 12 and Pac-12 conferences. This year, the teams fulfilling them are Oklahoma State and Colorado, who both lost conference championship games (officially or not) on Championship Weekend.</p>
<p id="JnKGrT">Whatever happens in this year’s edition of the Alamo Bowl, it will have a difficult time coming close to matching last year’s game. In case you don’t remember, the Alamo Bowl was the game where Oregon blew a 31-0 halftime lead following an injury to Vernon Adams and lost in triple overtime to TCU, 47-41. It was the largest comeback in bowl game history, and we’re probably not due for an encore for quite some time.</p>
<p id="paragraph3">Here is everything you need to know in preparation for this year's Alamo Bowl:</p>
<p id="paragraph4"><strong>Date and time: </strong>Thursday, Dec. 29, 9:00 p.m.</p>
<p id="paragraph5"><strong>TV channel: </strong>ESPN</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><strong>Location: </strong>San Antonio, Texas</p>
<p id="paragraph7"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Alamodome</p>
<p id="bPoS4U"><strong>Last year's score:</strong> TCU 47, Oregon 41 (3OT)</p>
<p id="paragraph9"><strong>Last year's attendance: </strong>71,007</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><strong>Teams with the most all-time appearances:</strong> Iowa, 4</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><strong>Teams with the most all-time wins:</strong> Nebraska, 3</p>
<p id="uRbKXT"><strong>Oklahoma State (9-3, 7-2 in Big 12)</strong></p>
<p id="Z7pWib">Oklahoma State’s season has been an interesting one. In Week 2, the Cowboys lost to Central Michigan on a Hail Mary and lateral final play, one which the officials later admitted should never have counted. OSU still had to take that loss, though, and two weeks later the Cowboys lost to Baylor, 35-24. OSU rebounded nicely, however, winning its next seven games and setting up an important Bedlam game at the end of the season against Oklahoma.</p>
<p id="vmmKX0">OSU offensively is led by quarterback Mason Rudolph, who has thrown for over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. Receiver James Washington has been a good complement for Rudolph, with over 1,000 receiving yards this year. Offensively, the Cowboys rank inside the top 20 according to <a href="http://www.footballstudyhall.com/pages/2016-oklahoma-state-advanced-statistical-profile">S&P+</a>.</p>
<p id="zRIoe3">Oklahoma State got off to a similarly rough start as its rival, Oklahoma, in 2016. The Sooners got the win in Bedlam to end the season, beating OSU 38-10, but the Cowboys still had nine wins on the year with the loss. </p>
<p id="4VfWug"><strong>Colorado (10-3, 8-1 in Pac-12)</strong></p>
<p id="SLtnKk">Colorado surprised just about everyone this year. Before the 2016 season, the Pac-12 media predicted the Buffs to finish last in the Pac-12 South with UCLA winning the division. Fast forward to the end of the regular season and the Buffs have clinched the South division with its best season since 2002. </p>
<p id="ei9KOm">Colorado lost to USC on Oct. 8 then rattled off six straight wins, including the last two over Washington State and Utah, to clinch the division and a shot to win its first Pac-12 title. Colorado lost to Washington in that game, with the Huskies taking the league title.</p>
<p id="mkLnik">Buffs quarterback Sefo Liufau has had a great senior year, and freshman Steven Montez has filled in well when Liufau’s been hurt. Running back Phillip Lindsay is great, too, and Jim Leavitt’s defense has gone from terrible a few years ago to an elite unit now. The Buffs <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/11/29/13767376/colorado-buffaloes-2016-football-season-pac-12">really are having a dream season</a>.</p>
<p id="v1zUFm">There’s no question that Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre will be mentioned in Coach of the Year conversations. He took over a program with losing seasons since 2006, and within four years as the Buffs’ head coach, made it a Pac-12 title contender.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/4/12667876/oklahoma-state-colorado-alamo-bowl-2016-teams-date-tv-scheduleAndy HutchinsSB Nation College News2016-12-04T16:53:47-05:002016-12-04T16:53:47-05:00Tennessee and Nebraska meet up in the Music City Bowl
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Music City Bowl-Texas A&amp;M vs Louisville" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AKfBsc5cICb3U8815zpWzD2MxP4=/0x94:2966x2071/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52130085/usa-today-9026747.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Bowl season is alive and well in Nashville. </p> <p id="6PC1PN"><em>Also, head over here for </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/bowl-games-schedule-2016"><em>the fully updated bowl season calendar</em></a><em> as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.</em></p>
<p id="rZDPlZ">The bowl schedule really begins its ramp up to New Years on Friday, and the Music City Bowl is right in the middle of a crowded schedule heading into the weekend.</p>
<p id="a9M0Zh">The Music City Bowl, whose full name is the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, began in 1998. It features teams from the SEC vs. the ACC or Big Ten, and takes place in Nissan Field, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.</p>
<p id="7RpOsb">Last year’s game, a 27-21 Louisville win over Texas A&M, featured an outstanding performance from Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson, who passed for 227 yards, ran for 226, and scored four total touchdowns to give Louisville the win.</p>
<p id="paragraph3">Here is everything you need to know in preparation for this year's Music City Bowl:</p>
<p id="paragraph4"><strong>Date and time: </strong>Friday, Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m.</p>
<p id="paragraph5"><strong>TV channel: </strong>ESPN</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><strong>Location: </strong>Nashville, Tenn.</p>
<p id="paragraph7"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Nissan Stadium</p>
<p id="bPoS4U"><strong>Last year's score:</strong> Louisville 27, Texas A&M 21</p>
<p id="paragraph9"><strong>Last year's attendance: </strong>50,478</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><strong>Teams with the most all-time appearances:</strong> Kentucky, 4</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><strong>Teams with the most all-time wins:</strong> Kentucky, Minnesota, and Vanderbilt (tie), 2</p>
<p id="DiiAr0"><strong>Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 in SEC)</strong></p>
<p id="rXQrTn">A season that started with such promise went downhill so quickly. This was supposedly Tennessee’s year. The year that Butch Jones had been building to brick by brick. They would take the SEC East and return to glory. Squeaking past Appalachian State was brushed off as opening weekend jitters, and they became a second-half team after coming back against Florida at home. The Hail Mary win over Georgia the next week had many thinking fate was on the side of Big Orange, but an inability to finish the job against Texas A&M was the beginning of the end for the Vols’ lofty goals.</p>
<p id="bQvvxm">They would be taken apart by Alabama at home the next week and suffer humiliation at the hands of Will Muschamp after that. From there, a week of complete turmoil came over Knoxville as RB Jalen Hurd announced he would transfer, and it seemed like a mutiny was in store.</p>
<p id="CebWg5">The indecency of missing out on the SEC East title in a season in which they beat Florida and Georgia was driven home when Jones said that his team had won the “championship of life.” That’s all well and good, but can they rally to win a bowl game with a perceived motivational barrier? The stakes of this game were supposed to be bigger before Tennessee’s season tanked.</p>
<p id="Z5VEBh"><strong>Nebraska (9-3, 6-3 in Big Ten)</strong></p>
<p id="4iNB7A">Nebraska looked like a Big Ten West favorite for a while with the Huskers’ 7-0 start. After a 23-17 loss on the road to Wisconsin, Nebraska was still in good shape, sitting at No. 10 in the nation ahead of a huge game against No. 6 Ohio State.</p>
<p id="uJTJ6k">But the Buckeyes flat out dominated the game, winning by 59 points in a 62-3 rout. Heading into the last week of the regular season, the Huskers were still in the division title hunt, needing a win over Iowa and then a Minnesota loss to Wisconsin to clinch their trip to Indianapolis. They wound up getting neither, and so here they are. Things went downhill.</p>
<p id="1aaCV3">Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. had been impressive all season. He was carted off the game against Ohio State after what looked like a scary injury, but he <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/11/5/13536976/tommy-armstrong-injury-updates-nebraska-ohio-state">did return</a> to the sideline for the remainder of the game after a brief hospital visit. He played during Nebraska’s next game against Minnesota, but didn’t play in the next one against Maryland. He was able to return for the season finale against Iowa, a 40-10 loss.</p>
<p id="xFNsYw">Head coach Mike Riley’s second season in Lincoln showed improvement from the 6-7 campaign in 2015, which any second-year coach can take pride in. If Nebraska can continue to compete inside the Big Ten, Riley will likely stay put for some time.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/4/12667828/tennessee-nebraska-music-city-bowl-2016-teams-date-tv-scheduleAndy HutchinsSB Nation College News2016-12-04T16:48:33-05:002016-12-04T16:48:33-05:00Kentucky and Georgia Tech meet in the TaxSlayer Bowl
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<img alt="TaxSlayer Bowl - Georgia v Penn State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jBQxsrzmU1cDYq95RbVw7HfK1D0=/0x142:3000x2142/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52129845/503183428.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Big-name programs usually highlight the matchup each year. </p> <p id="6PC1PN"><em>Also, head over here for </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/bowl-games-schedule-2016"><em>the fully updated bowl season calendar</em></a><em> as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.</em></p>
<p id="dnhoF9">The bowl lineup on New Years Eve gets started nice and early with the TaxSlayer Bowl kicking off at 11 a.m. ET.</p>
<p id="0tIPqu">The TaxSlayer Bowl, known for most of its history as the Gator Bowl, will feature Kentucky and Georgia Tech. It’s solidly a mid-tier bowl behind the major College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six games, and regularly features matchups between big-name programs from across the Midwest and Southeast.</p>
<p id="3Tj2QD">The plus side of getting a lot of big name teams is you get large fanbases that are willing to travel, and more often than not the stadium is pretty full. The downside, however, with dealing with major programs at a mid-tier bowl game, is you get a lot of teams with higher expectations than the TaxSlayer Bowl, and they come to the game ready to just get it over with rather than excited to play for something. It doesn’t happen every year, but those are the risks you run in this situation.</p>
<p id="paragraph3">Here is everything you need to know in preparation for this year's TaxSlayer Bowl:</p>
<p id="paragraph4"><strong>Date and time: </strong>Saturday, Dec. 31, 11:00 a.m. </p>
<p id="paragraph5"><strong>TV channel: </strong>ESPN</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><strong>Location:</strong><strong> </strong>Jacksonville, Fla.</p>
<p id="paragraph7"><strong>Stadium:</strong> EverBank Field</p>
<p id="bPoS4U"><strong>Last year's score:</strong> Georgia 24, Penn State 17</p>
<p id="paragraph9"><strong>Last year's attendance: </strong>58,212</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><strong>Teams with the most all-time appearances:</strong> Clemson and Florida, 9</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><strong>Teams with the most all-time wins:</strong> Florida, 7</p>
<p id="SKQb5u"><strong>Georgia Tech (8-4, 4-4 in ACC)</strong></p>
<p id="UBT0zN">You slept on Paul Johnson, didn’t you? You thought that wiley son of a gun couldn’t rally his team. You thought he couldn’t get them off the mat after a disappointing 3-9 campaign in 2015, which fell far short of expectations.. Maybe you thought Johnson had lost his touch. </p>
<p id="wdbGWX">You were wrong. </p>
<p id="5pxdPj">When your offense is predicated on the run game, it better be something you can count on. While last season saw the Yellow Jackets slip just a bit, the bread and butter came back this season and finished inside the top 20 of rushing efficiency according to S&P+. That combined with a slight improvement in defensive efficiency and Georgia Tech got back on the right track.</p>
<p id="AkfNAG">As usual, they spread the wealth with three players who have 500 yards on the ground. Dedrick Mills, Marcus Marshall and Justin Thomas all have more than 95 carries as well.</p>
<p id="mGvoRO">But the season wasn’t without peril. After a 3-0 start, Tech dropped three straight to Clemson, Miami and Pitt. The team won four of its next five to secure bowl eligibility. For those ready to fire Johnson after 2015’s letdown, 2016 was just a reminder that he does have it in him to keep Georgia Tech humming along (he’s only won fewer than seven games twice since taking over in 2009). The option attack is back in the postseason. And you bet it travels. </p>
<p id="9L0UFC"><strong>Kentucky (7-5, 4-4 in SEC)</strong></p>
<p id="9iKyvy">In terms of up-and-down seasons, Kentucky is one of the teams in the country that has definitely had one of those. Kentucky opened the season by losing to Southern Miss at home, and they did so by giving up <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/9/3/12789744/kentucky-southern-miss-final-score-shannon-dawson">34 unanswered points</a> to Golden Eagles offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, whom Kentucky fired after last season. </p>
<p id="Wy33tf">That, paired with the 45-7 loss to Florida the following week, made it look like Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops, who managed to get himself a <a href="http://www.aseaofblue.com/2016/9/14/12911562/mark-stoops-buyout-costly-kentucky-wildcats-football">$12 million buyout</a>, was a dead man walking in Lexington. But the WIldcats managed to beat South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Missouri to amazingly keep them very much alive in the SEC East race entering November. </p>
<p id="WdQ6Bi">Losses to Georgia and Tennessee would put the SEC East title out of reach for the Wildcats, though they made it to six wins after beating Austin Peay, making them bowl-eligible, and quieted some of the talks surrounding Stoops’s job security. A regular season-closing upset of rival Louisville — and Heisman Trophy front-runner Lamar Jackson — probably silenced them.</p>
<p id="o5bpAM">Running backs Benny Snell and Boom Williams have been bright spots. Quarterback Stephen Johnson has accounted for over 1,500 yards passing, as well.</p>
<p id="4TAtKf">Had Kentucky not had the turnaround that it did, especially with the way things looked inside the SEC East, Stoops would have likely been fired after this season. But becoming bowl-eligible for the first time since 2010 looks like it’s given Stoops at least another year at the helm.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/4/12667814/kentucky-georgia-tech-taxslayer-bowl-2016-teams-date-tv-scheduleAndy HutchinsSB Nation College News2016-12-04T16:44:49-05:002016-12-04T16:44:49-05:00What to know about the VT-Arkansas Belk Bowl
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<img alt="NCAA Football: ACC Championship-Clemson vs Virginia Tech" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Vci6HxOV_IqPl0imaOK-irqrC6A=/8x0:4528x3013/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52129909/usa_today_9722370.1480882719.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Hokies and Hogs meet in Charlotte.</p> <p id="6PC1PN"><em>Also, head over here for </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/bowl-games-schedule-2016"><em>the fully updated bowl season calendar</em></a><em> as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.</em></p>
<p id="laauHm">The Internet’s favorite bowl game, the Belk Bowl, gets underway Thursday afternoon from Charlotte. The matchup will feature Virginia Tech and Arkansas, <a href="http://www.dailypress.com/sports/virginia-tech/dp-spt-virginia-tech-football-bowl-announcement-1205-20161204-story.html">according to the <em>Virginia Daily Press</em></a>.</p>
<p id="Xq8LdZ">The game began in 2002 as the Continental Tire Bowl, and was the Meineke Car Care Bowl from 2004-2010 before becoming the Belk Bowl that we know it as now. The game features a matchup between the SEC and ACC, which works out well to draw nice crowds to Charlotte, which is a reasonable drive for most schools in both conferences.</p>
<p id="ikjEFs">In last year’s game, Mississippi State used two separate 21-0 runs to easily get past NC State, 51-28. </p>
<p id="paragraph3">Here is everything you need to know in preparation for this year's Belk Bowl:</p>
<p id="paragraph4"><strong>Date and time: </strong>Thursday, Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m.</p>
<p id="paragraph5"><strong>TV channel: </strong>ESPN</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><strong>Location: </strong>Charlotte, N.C.</p>
<p id="paragraph7"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Bank of America Stadium</p>
<p id="bPoS4U"><strong>Last year's score:</strong> Mississippi State 51, NC State 28</p>
<p id="paragraph9"><strong>Last year's attendance: </strong>46,423</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><strong>Teams with the most all-time appearances:</strong> North Carolina, 4</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><strong>Teams with the most all-time wins:</strong> NC State, Virginia, and Boston College (tie), 2</p>
<p id="nBHwQK"><strong>Virginia Tech (9-4, 6-2 in ACC)</strong></p>
<p id="JFDkD5">The Hokies had a really good first year under head coach Justin Fuente, even though they couldn’t upset Clemson in the ACC Championship Game in Orlando.</p>
<p id="zby8au">Virginia Tech didn’t have any especially big wins, but it generally beat the teams it was supposed to, and the Hokies took strides forward from where they were at the end of Frank Beamer’s tenure. The offense overachieved a little bit, but the defense continued to be solid.</p>
<p id="JjbtdT">Transfer quarterback Jerod Evans had a nice year, guiding an efficient passing offense with the help of prolific receivers, Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips. The Hokies don’t have much of a running game, but against the schedule they played, they’ve managed to make it work. The defense benefits from an excellent secondary, with a couple of ballhawks in Terrell Edmunds, Mook Reynolds, and Adonis Alexander. Coordinator Bud Foster stayed in his job after Beamer retired, and he’s helped smooth the Fuente transition considerably.</p>
<p id="vOaUki">There’s nothing overtly exciting about Virginia Tech. But the Hokies have a decent offense and a strong defense, and they figure to be a tough out. </p>
<p id="dkB6cg"><strong>Arkansas (7-5, 3-5 in SEC)</strong></p>
<p id="cJFL3H">Arkansas did a season-long Jekyll-and-Hyde impression that makes it hard to peg down, even still, exactly the caliber of team the Razorbacks are. They whooped SEC East champion Florida at one point, and their offense did better than just about everyone else in a loss to Alabama. Junior quarterback Austin Allen established himself as a building block, as did sophomore running back Rawleigh Williams. There’s a good deal to like here. </p>
<p id="CMwUmY">But the Hogs also took some downright <em>ugly </em>losses, including massive blowouts against Auburn and LSU that saw them allow a combined 1,179 yards of offense, the vast majority on the ground. The run defense is flatly horrific, and maybe the worst in the country. It’s had a few good moments but been on the wrong side of many more, and it never got fixed. </p>
<p id="0gli8C">If nothing else, Arkansas is interesting. The Hogs aren’t amazing on offense, and their defense is flawed at best. But they’ve got a few fun players, and if you watch them play, you’ll have a good chance of wanting to talk about it (either positively or negatively) afterward. You won’t snooze through it; that much is for sure. </p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/4/12667882/virginia-tech-arkansas-belk-bowl-2016-teams-date-tv-scheduleAndy HutchinsSB Nation College News2016-12-04T16:40:35-05:002016-12-04T16:40:35-05:00What to know about the UNC-Stanford Sun Bowl
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Southern Mississippi at Texas El Paso" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uEb8qfL_z_bsZN4eeRLQSn3H4aY=/459x0:3435x1984/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52130265/usa_today_9561707.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The game is actually one that’s been around the longest, as far as bowls go. </p> <p id="6PC1PN"><em>Also, head over here for </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/bowl-games-schedule-2016"><em>the fully updated bowl season calendar</em></a><em> as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.</em></p>
<p id="paragraph0">The Sun Bowl is one of the longest-running bowl games in college football history, dating all the way back to 1935, the same year that the Orange and Sugar Bowl began operation. Those two New Year’s Six bowls, though, have left the Sun Bowl in their wake in terms of prestige and history — but that doesn’t mean the 2016 Sun Bowl won’t be fun.</p>
<p id="GdQcuP">Hyundai is the Sun Bowl’s title sponsor now, a fourth different major sponsor for a game that was variously sponsored by the John Hancock insurance company, the maker of the Brut cologne and Vitalis hair products, and Wells Fargo.</p>
<p id="frpTVk">Pac-12 outfits have won four of the last five Sun Bowls, with Washington State downing Miami in an ironic snowstorm in the 2015 Sun Bowl.</p>
<p id="paragraph3">Here is everything you need to know to get ready for this year's Sun Bowl:</p>
<p id="paragraph4"><strong>Date and time: </strong>Friday, Dec. 30, 2 p.m.</p>
<p id="paragraph5"><strong>TV channel: </strong>CBS</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><strong>Location: </strong>El Paso, Texas</p>
<p id="paragraph7"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Sun Bowl Stadium</p>
<p id="paragraph8"><strong>Last year's score:</strong> Washington State 20, Miami 14</p>
<p id="paragraph9"><strong>Last year's attendance: </strong>41,180</p>
<p id="paragraph11"><strong>Last year's payout for each school:</strong> $2.15 million</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><strong>Teams with the most all-time appearances:</strong> Texas Tech, 9</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><strong>Teams with the most all-time wins:</strong> UTEP, 5</p>
<p id="roOQQL"><strong>North Carolina (8-4, 5-3 in ACC)</strong></p>
<p id="1THgyL">After opening the season with a 33-24 loss to Georgia in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic, the Tar Heels went on to look like favorites to win the ACC Coastal, especially after upsetting No. 12 Florida State at Doak Campbell during Week 5. </p>
<p id="KxRN5x">However, the loss to Virginia Tech the following week put those Coastal hopes in jeopardy, and the game that finally did the Tar Heels in was when Duke upset UNC at home, 28-27, which marked the Blue Devils’ first ACC win of the whole season. UNC finished the year with a loss to NC State, as well.</p>
<p id="sVOGKh">North Carolina’s offense thrived under first-year starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who’s thrown for over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns with just four interceptions. The junior finished the regular season second in the ACC in passing, behind Clemson’s Deshaun Watson.</p>
<p id="Ca6BFM">North Carolina’s inability to clinch a seemingly wide open Coastal division, which the Tar Heels won last year, is unfortunate. But the Heels continue to look like a strong program.</p>
<p id="Z4VjDk"><strong>Stanford (9-3, 6-3 in Pac-12)</strong></p>
<p id="LBKxmU">Perhaps you forgot about Stanford. Our future Fortune 500 CEOs struggled in the beginning of the season, but as any Stanford grad will tell you, the market eventually corrects itself. The team had a down Q2 of the season in which it lost two of three games, including an absolute domination by Washington. </p>
<p id="IliHWr">The one game the Cardinal did win was against a 4-8 Notre Dame team in a game in which the Cardinal scored one offensive touchdown. Q3 didn’t get off to a rosy start, either, after scoring just five points against Colorado.</p>
<p id="zBQmF5">Then RB Christian McCaffrey finally got healthy, and by the end of the season what once looked like a broken and inept Stanford squad bounced back from its recession and finished third in the Pac-12 North.</p>
<p id="VgO2IZ">It was almost immediately apparent to start the season that McCaffrey wasn’t going to be winning the Heisman. Then he was limited by an undisclosed injury that caused him to miss the Notre Dame game. But when he returned, the uptick was noticeable. McCaffrey’s 300 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns against Cal were a pleasant blast from the past for a Stanford team that needed a while to mature, just like any other investment. </p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/4/12665772/unc-stanford-sun-bowl-2016-teams-date-tv-scheduleAndy HutchinsSB Nation College News2016-12-04T16:32:58-05:002016-12-04T16:32:58-05:00What to know about the Florida-Iowa Outback Bowl
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<img alt="Outback Bowl Wisconsin v Auburn" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4MQPUFeVDuf8gOUt1yqglJ67FKo=/0x0:5184x3456/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52129819/461890476.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This game has actually been pretty entertaining in recent years. </p> <p id="6PC1PN"><em>Also, head over here for </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/bowl-games-schedule-2016"><em>the fully updated bowl season calendar</em></a><em> as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.</em></p>
<p id="GZ1Kts">There’s only one non-New Year’s Six bowl happening in the calendar year 2017 this bowl season. It is, of course, the 2017 Outback Bowl, America’s favorite thing named after an Australian-themed steakhouse.</p>
<p id="gF6v2V">That may seem strange, given that the Outback Bowl has decidedly not been among college football’s most prestigious postseason contests in its three decades of existence. But the bowl hasn’t ever been played in December, and has been a New Year’s Day fixture for the better part of the last 30 years, dating back to its origins as the Hall of Fame Bowl in the mid-1980s.</p>
<p id="t1Ttnq">And fans can point to history and expect excitement in Tampa. The 2016 Outback Bowl was a lopsided contest between Tennessee and Northwestern, but three of the six Outback Bowls prior to last year’s went to overtime, with another of them giving us Jadeveon Clowney’s <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2013/1/2/3825448/jadeveon-clowney-hit-outback-bowl-review">legendary hit</a> on Michigan’s Vincent Smith.</p>
<p id="paragraph3">Here is everything you need to know in preparation for this year's Outback Bowl:</p>
<p id="paragraph4"><strong>Date and time: </strong>Monday, Jan. 2, 1 p.m.</p>
<p id="paragraph5"><strong>TV channel: </strong>ABC</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><strong>Location: </strong>Tampa, Fla.</p>
<p id="paragraph7"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Raymond James Stadium</p>
<p id="bPoS4U"><strong>Last year's score:</strong> Tennessee 45, Northwestern 6</p>
<p id="paragraph9"><strong>Last year's attendance: </strong>53,202</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><strong>Teams with the most all-time appearances:</strong> Georgia/Michigan/Wisconsin, 5</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><strong>Teams with the most all-time wins:</strong> Georgia/Michigan/Penn State/South Carolina/Tennessee, 3</p>
<p id="Opyk1d"><strong>Florida (8-4, 6-2 in SEC)</strong></p>
<p id="C0poMr">Florida entered 2016 after claiming its first SEC East title and a 10-win regular season since 2009. The Gators started the year 3-0 and looking to defeat Tennessee for an 11th straight season. The Vols ended up beating the Gators 38-28, but Florida would rally to win its next three games, including a 24-10 win over Georgia. </p>
<p id="Ado67k">Florida followed that up with an upset 31-10 loss on the road to Arkansas before earning back-to-back wins — including upsetting LSU 16-10 on the road — to clinch the SEC East. Yet the Gators went on the road to play Florida State and got dominated, failing to convert on a single third down and losing 31-13. </p>
<p id="5vK7gM">Florida would go on to lose to No. 1 Alabama in the SEC Championship to finish 8-4 on the season. </p>
<p id="MYwwxS">Offensively, Florida looked like it finally found a quarterback in Luke Del Rio, but an injury kept him out of the Tennessee game, forcing Purdue graduate transfer Austin Appleby to start in the loss. Del Rio would return after Florida’s victory over Vanderbilt, but six interceptions in three games gave Appleby the reins for the remainder of the season. Appleby threw for more than 900 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season, but he struggled mightily in the SEC Championship against Alabama, throwing three interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown.</p>
<p id="QJMDAe">Winning back-to-back SEC East titles is obviously a bright spot for McElwain in Year 2 at Florida. But once the Gators start beating Florida State and winning the SEC again, McElwain will get the program back to where he was hired to take them.</p>
<p id="OaAtfL"><strong>Iowa (8-4, 6-3 in Big Ten)</strong></p>
<p id="u5WCJi">Following a Big Ten West title, along with a Rose Bowl bid in 2015, Iowa decided to reward Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz with a shiny new, $4.5 million per year <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/9/13/12900618/kirk-ferentz-coach-contract-iowa-hawkeyes-football">contract</a> that extended through the year 2025. That new contract appeared to be given a little too soon, after the Hawkeyes lost to FCS North Dakota State -- an FCS powerhouse, but an FCS team nonetheless. Losses to Northwestern, Wisconsin and Penn State made that speculation even louder throughout the season. </p>
<p id="ScUKBC">But things changed a bit during Week 11, with unranked Iowa’s 14-13 upset over No. 3 Michigan, which was part of three top-four upsets that weekend, the others being No. 2 Clemson and No. 4 Washington. With the victory, the Hawkeyes made it to six wins, and with the win over Illinois the following week, Iowa was in shape to go to a pretty decent bowl. They closed strong and made it happen.</p>
<p id="muGYSc">Defensively, the Hawkeyes have been very good. The unit is led by middle linebacker Josey Jewell and defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson, who have been been huge tackling presences all season.</p>
<p id="RbQR3K">Bowl games are good, but it’s interesting to consider how far off the wagon, in terms of competing for a Big Ten West title, the Hawkeyes fell in 2016. The division was open, after all. But if Ferentz’s contract means anything, it’s that Iowa has faith in him long term, so he’s not going anywhere any time soon.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/4/12667178/florida-iowa-outback-bowl-2016-teams-date-tv-scheduleAndy HutchinsSB Nation College News2016-12-04T15:44:00-05:002016-12-04T15:44:00-05:00Georgia and TCU to meet in the Liberty Bowl
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Liberty Bowl-Kansas State vs Arkansas" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iLLk8vB3lxs_8PsTCFQ6mg0oUXQ=/0x174:3584x2563/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52130253/usa-today-9032372.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Memphis bowl game leads up to an exciting New Year’s slate of games.</p> <p id="6PC1PN"><em>Also, head over here for </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/bowl-games-schedule-2016"><em>the fully updated bowl season calendar</em></a><em> as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.</em></p>
<p id="fPymGC">Bowl season’s ramp up to New Years continues on Friday with the AutoZone Liberty Bowl kicking off the schedule heading into the weekend.</p>
<p id="7kpXRm">Last year’s game took place on Jan. 2, so technically there will be two 2016 Liberty Bowls with this year’s edition taking place on Dec. 30. This isn’t the first time this has happened either, as there were two Liberty Bowls within the 365 days of 2010.</p>
<p id="ml5NH4">The Liberty Bowl started in 1959 in Philadelphia, but moved to Memphis in 1965 after a one year interlude in Atlantic City. The game was played indoors at the city’s Convention Hall on a grass field laid over burlap, so it’s no surprise there wasn’t an encore.</p>
<p id="l2mgv7">Last year’s game saw Arkansas cruise to a 45-23 win over Kansas State, in which the Razorbacks rushed for five touchdowns in a convincing win.</p>
<p id="paragraph3">Here is everything you need to know in preparation for this year's Liberty Bowl:</p>
<p id="paragraph4"><strong>Date and time:</strong> Friday, Dec. 30, Noon</p>
<p id="paragraph5"><strong>TV channel: </strong>ESPN</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><strong>Location: </strong>Memphis, Tenn.</p>
<p id="paragraph7"><strong>Stadium:</strong><strong> </strong>Liberty Bowl</p>
<p id="bPoS4U"><strong>Last year's score:</strong> Arkansas 45, Kansas State 23</p>
<p id="paragraph9"><strong>Last year's attendance: </strong>61,136</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><strong>Teams with the most all-time appearances:</strong> Arkansas, 5</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><strong>Teams with the most all-time wins:</strong> Ole Miss, 4</p>
<p id="CXAUQ9"><strong>Georgia (7-5, 4-4 in SEC)</strong></p>
<p id="3TZYhi">Georgia began 2016 with a new head coach for the first time in 15 years -- former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart had the tough task of following up Mark Richt in Athens in 2016. Smart’s first season as head coach began pretty well, as the Dawgs got off to a 3-0 start, highlighted by a win over UNC in Week 1 in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff. But following that start, Georgia proceeded to lose the next four out of five games -- the worst coming at home to Vanderbilt, which marked Commodores head coach Derek Mason’s first SEC road win in three seasons. Wins over Kentucky and an upset win over No. 9 Auburn made the Dawgs bowl-eligible, which is a far cry from what Georgia wants but still an important thing.</p>
<p id="jA12E1">The good news offensively for Georgia is that the Dawgs have found a quarterback in true freshman Jacob Eason. The No. 2 overall quarterback prospect in 2016 according to 247Sports has performed solidly during his first collegiate season under center, going over 2,000 yards. Georgia’s rushing offense has been a tad bit more limited than expected this season. Running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel have been good but not world-beaters.</p>
<p id="g7R4F0">Defensively, the Dawgs are relatively young, especially within the linebacking corps. The unit finished 2015 ranked inside the top 30 according to <a href="http://www.footballstudyhall.com/pages/2016-georgia-advanced-statistical-profile">S&P+</a> on the regular season, and that will likely only get better under Smart. Aside from not beating Florida and Tennessee to compete for an SEC East title, there are some positives that Georgia fans can take away from Smart’s first season in Athens. </p>
<p id="tqqSkv"><strong>TCU (6-6, 4-5 in Big 12) </strong></p>
<p id="Pd35W9">TCU didn’t have a particularly good season. The Horned Frogs’ vaunted offense averaged eight points per game worse during the regular season than it was the year before, and the defense stayed just about the same. The result was a sharp fall from 11- and 12-win seasons the last two years, as TCU transitioned from a Playoff contender to a middle-of-the-pack outfit in the Big 12. But Gary Patterson again has the Frogs in a bowl game, just like he did in 13 of the previous 15 years. TCU’s been a model of consistency, even when it hasn’t been elite.</p>
<p id="UnpuTE">Kenny Hill is TCU’s quarterback and key offensive player. The Texas A&M transfer had an interesting but generally disappointing year, throwing more than an interception per game and struggling to succeed as a passer. He was a pretty good runner, though, and he helped TCU when he kept the ball on the ground.</p>
<p id="zDxIOm">TCU’s defense is not great, but the line is pretty solid. Defensive ends Josh Carraway and Matt Boesen get lots of sacks, and the run defense does a decent job.</p>
<p id="7fmhkj">What you get with TCU is a team that isn’t as good as it’s been but could still win any given week against all but a handful of teams. That’s not so terrible for a down year.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/4/12667836/georgia-tcu-liberty-bowl-2016-teams-date-tv-scheduleAndy HutchinsSB Nation College News2016-12-04T15:39:26-05:002016-12-04T15:39:26-05:00Air Force and South Alabama will meet up in the Arizona Bowl
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<img alt="Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl - Colorado State v Nevada" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JSfJERUZ5jEGctbKj-UP-VMsW7s=/0x0:4190x2793/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52130173/502855722.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Falcons and Jaguars square off in the desert.</p> <p id="6PC1PN"><em>Also, head over here for </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/bowl-games-schedule-2016"><em>the fully updated bowl season calendar</em></a><em> as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.</em></p>
<p id="nlvsha">The second-ever Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl will get underway on the Friday before New Year’s from Tucson.</p>
<p id="KSfwVh">The game’s tie-ins are the Mountain West and Conference USA, with the Sun Belt serving as an alternate if one of those two conferences doesn’t have enough bowl eligible teams to fill their slots. However, that already happened in the one year that the bowl has existed, as two Mountain West teams played in the inaugural game in Tucson. The last time this happened in a non-championship game was the 1979 Orange Bowl, so at least the Arizona Bowl is in good company there.</p>
<p id="paragraph3">Here is everything you need to know in preparation for this year's Arizona Bowl:</p>
<p id="paragraph4"><strong>Date and time: </strong>Friday, Dec. 30, 2-4 p.m.</p>
<p id="paragraph5"><strong>TV channel: </strong>TBA</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><strong>Location: </strong>Tucson, Ariz.</p>
<p id="paragraph7"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Arizona Stadium</p>
<p id="bPoS4U"><strong>Last year's score:</strong> Nevada 28, Colorado State 23</p>
<p id="paragraph9"><strong>Last year's attendance: </strong>20,425</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><strong>Teams with the most all-time appearances:</strong> Clemson, 8</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><strong>Teams with the most all-time wins:</strong> LSU, 5</p>
<p id="ZLbJhb"><strong>Air Force (9-3, 5-3 in Mountain West)</strong></p>
<p id="MWR39l">Air Force’s season has been all about streaks. The Falcons started 2016 hot, beating Navy to reach 4-0 on the year, before losing their next three, including close Ls to New Mexico and Hawaii. Then they went on another tear, finishing up with the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy (the three-way, service academy rivalry trophy) for the fourth time in seven years and head coach Troy Calhoun’s seventh season with eight or more wins.</p>
<p id="lBNW9y">The Falcons have one of the country’s best rush defenses, ranking in the top 20 in S&P+ and yards allowed per play on the ground. Their offense remains exactly as you’d expect for an academy (as far as the overall production goes), again ranking in the top five in total rushing attempts and yards per pass. The Falcons are efficient on the ground and, once they get defenses to commit resources to the run, explosive through the air.</p>
<p id="jcBQye">One star player to watch out for is running back Timothy McVey (yeah, that’s his name), who’s among the Mountain West’s leaders in yards per carry and rushing touchdowns and also one of AF’s best pass catchers.</p>
<p id="iebfm5"><strong>South Alabama (6-6, 2-6 in Sun Belt) </strong></p>
<p id="UxuQPV">South Alabama may be 2-6 in conference play, but the Jaguars have successfully earned a bowl bid for the 2016 season. The clincher was a last-game victory against New Mexico State. It probably turned out to help that a cancelled game against LSU <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/10/25/13374506/lsu-florida-game-2016-south-alabama-presbyterian">became one against FCS Presbyterian</a>, which the Jaguars won in November.</p>
<p id="dO1VvY">The Jaguars opened their season with a pretty impressive victory by beating Mississippi State on its home turf, 21-20. The victory marked the first win for South Alabama over an SEC school in program history. After that win, the Jaguars struggled throughout the season. South Alabama went 2-2 in its next four games, including wins over Nicholls State and another upset over No. 19 San Diego State. The Jaguars then lost three out of their next four games, including a loss to Idaho on Nov. 26.</p>
<p id="hBYWwa">South Alabama’s offense is led by quarterback Dallas Davis, who leads the team with over 2,200 yards and nine touchdowns. Davis has struggled with turnovers this season, having thrown nine interceptions on the season.</p>
<p id="3cbqzv">It’s no secret that South Alabama has had its ups and downs in 2016, but the wins over Mississippi State and San Diego State are definitely résumé boosters. South Alabama’s Joey Jones is in his fifth season as head coach.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/4/12667866/air-force-south-alabama-arizona-bowl-2016-teams-date-tv-scheduleAndy Hutchins