Big Ten looks to break .500 in the Quick Lane Bowl, as Minnesota faces Central Michigan

The Big Ten Conference opened the 2015-16 bowl season with an OT loss in the Pinstripe Bowl (Duke over Indiana) and a eight point win (Nebraska over UCLA) in the Foster Farms Bowl over the Christmas weekend. Next up: MAC vs. Big Ten, as the Big Ten faces its lone non-Power 5 match up of the bowl season.

The Huskers have appeared in a bowl game in 45 of the last 47 seasons

FOSTER FARMS BOWL: Nebraska 37, UCLA 29 - The Cornhuskers rushed for 326 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 37-29 victory over UCLA Saturday night in the Foster Farms Bowl. Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw for 174 yards and a touchdown and carried the ball 10 times for 76 yards and another score on the ground in the contest. Recap

Indiana came up short against Duke at Yankee Stadium. IU was playing in only
second bowl, since 1994, with game in Pinstripe Bowl.

NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL: Duke 44, Indiana 41 (OT) - Duke earned a 44-41 overtime victory in the 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, as Indiana closed out its first bowl game since 2007 and 10th in program history. The back-and-forth game featured nine lead changes and three ties. It also saw numerous offensive records set and six turnovers combined in a game where momentum seemed to be hanging in the balance throughout. Recap

Minnesota looks to get to 6-7, as Nebraska did as one of two Big Ten teams,
with losing records playing in 2015-16 bowls.

• QUICK LANE BOWL: Central Michigan (7-5) vs. Minnesota (5-7) - kickoff at 4:00 pm on ESPN2 * Big Ten preview

Five things the Golden Gophers would like you to know about the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl from Detroit ...

1. Minnesota will play Central Michigan in the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit. Minnesota is 1-0 all-time against Central Michigan, as the Gophers won 30-10 at the Metrodome on Sept. 16, 1987. In that game, Rickie Foggie, Darrell Thompson and Gary Couch rushed for touchdowns and Chip Lohmiller kicked three field goals in the win. The Quick Lane Bowl marks Minnesota's first bowl game appearance in Michigan and is the Gophers first trip to the Great Lake State since it won 30-14 at Michigan on Sept. 27, 2014. 

The Golden Gophers are under first-year coach Tracy Claeys, who replaced Jerry
Kill mid-season, after Kill retired, due to ongoing health concerns.

2. Minnesota, which owns a 5-7 record, earned a bid into the Quick Lane Bowl this year based on the team's high APR mark of 975. The Quick Lane Bowl is the 18th bowl game that Minnesota will play in and is the fourth-straight bowl game for the Gophers. The four straight bowl games is the second longest stretch in team history, as Minnesota played in five straight bowl games spanning the 2002-06 seasons. Minnesota is 6-11 all-time in bowl games but has lost its last seven bowl games (five by four points or less). Minnesota's last win in a bowl game was a 20-16 victory against Alabama in the 2004 Music City Bowl where both Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney rushed for more than 100 yards.

3. Minnesota has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation this year. The Gophers have faced (AP rankings at time of the game) No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 TCU, No. 8 Iowa, No. 15 Michigan and No. 16 Northwestern. Minnesota also played Wisconsin, who ended the season ranked No. 23. The Gophers faced three top-15 teams in Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa in three straight weeks. The last time Minnesota played three straight games against top 15 teams was 2002 when it played No. 6 Ohio State, No. 13 Michigan and No. 6 Iowa. Baylor was the only other team in the regular season to play three straight top-15 opponents, as it played No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 15 TCU.

4. Minnesota was the only Big Ten team to play (rankings at time of game) No. 1 Ohio State, No. 8 Iowa, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Northwestern and Wisconsin this year. Those teams have a combined 51-10 record and Minnesota's seven defeats have come to teams (Iowa, Ohio State, Northwestern, TCU, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska) with a combined 66-19 record (Nebraska has 7 of 19 losses). If Michigan and Wisconsin win their bowl games then the Gophers would have faced six teams (in addition to Iowa, Ohio State, Northwestern and TCU) who won at least 10 games this season.

5. Nine of Minnesota's 12 regular season opponents will play in a bowl game this year. Those nine opponents have a combined record of 81-28 and all won at least seven games. Minnesota posted a home win against Ohio (Bobcats ended season at 8-4) and ended Colorado State's school record nine-game home winning streak (Rams finished the season at 7-5). Minnesota's regular season opponents will play in the Rose Bowl (Iowa), Fiesta Bowl (Ohio State), Outback Bowl (Northwestern), Citrus Bowl (Michigan), Alamo Bowl (TCU), Holiday Bowl (Wisconsin), Foster Farms Bowl (Nebraska), Camellia Bowl (Ohio) and Arizona Bowl (Colorado State).

Indiana and Nebraska kickoff B1G 2015-16 bowl lineup in Pinstripe & Foster Farms bowls on Saturday

The Iowa Hawkeyes will face the Stanford Cardinal on New Year's Day in the
2016 Rose Bowl Game. The Hawkeyes arrived in California on Christmas Eve.
Kirk Ferentz is the Dean of Big Ten coaches, in his 17th season in Iowa City
as head coach and 26th overall. He has coached in two Rose Bowls, as an assistant.

Cedar Rapids, IA -- The Iowa Hawkeyes have landed in California on Christmas Eve, in preparation for the 2016 Rose Bowl Game with Stanford on Friday. In New York City and San Francisco, respectively, the Big Ten kicks off the 2015-16 bowl season, as the Indiana Hoosiers hit Yankee Stadium to square off with Duke Blue Devils in the Pinstripe Bowl, while the Nebraska Cornhuskers face the UCLA Bruins in the Foster Farms Bowl.

The 2015-16 B1G bowl slate kicks off today, with games played by Indiana
and Nebraska, respectively.

Indiana faces Duke in the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium

Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson and Duke head coach David Cutcliffe, though not usual opponents, revealed that they've long admired one another from afar. Indiana finished 6-6 (2-6 B1G East) on the regular season, while Duke finished 7-5 (4-4 ACC Coastal), as the two programs will square off in the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl from Yankee Stadium.

The Indiana Hoosiers (6-6) playing in first bowl game, since the 2007 season.

Their coaching trajectory at their current schools are actually quite similar.

Pinstripe Bowl trophy
on the line in Yankee
Stadium today.

After being hired in 2008, Cutcliffe won 15 games over his four seasons in Durham. By comparison, Wilson won 14 in his first four years in Bloomington.

But in their fifth seasons, each broke through.

Duke won six games in Cutcliffe's fifth year in 2012, sparking a streak of four consecutive bowl appearances. Indiana won six games this season, Wilson's fifth, and is looking to follow Duke's path.

"Coach Cutcliffe doesn't know this, but we've looked at Duke for a long time," Wilson said. "We actually appreciated his spring game being on ESPN3 because we watched it with our team, and watched the practice organization and the way the managers are working—the whole organization."

But while Wilson's program was studying Duke's trajectory, the Blue Devils were keeping an eye on Indiana themselves. Wilson's offenses have long been regarded as some of the best in the nation, and Cutcliffe has taken notice.

Duke coach David Cutcliff and IU coach Kevin Wilson ahead of 2015 Pinstripe
Bowl in Yankee Stadium. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. CST on ABC.

Cutcliffe called Wilson an example for offensive-minded coaches around the nation to study. Under Wilson's guidance, the Hoosiers have seen steady growth and set nearly 50 school records along the way.

"I have watched Kevin coach for a long time. Offensively, I don't know anybody better," Cutcliffe said, turning to Wilson. "I have tried to steal a lot of what you do."

Cutcliffe will likely have a hard time pulling any of Wilson's own tricks against him when they meet on the field at Yankee Stadium. The two have become very familiar with one another over the years.

Today's Pinstripe Bowl will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CST on ABC.

"We've got one of the outstanding leaders in college athletics and one of the tremendous coaches in Kevin Wilson here," Duke Athletic Director Kevin White said. "The job he's done at
Indiana is being widely talked about in college athletics. It's just amazing what he's accomplished."

The respect goes both ways. 

By the way, White was Maine's AD, when he hired then Iowa offensive line coach Kirk Ferentz to his first head coaching position, back after the 1989 season. White began his career in coaching administration at Loras College in Dubuque, IA.

Indiana senior QB #7 Nate Sudfeld was named a third team all-Big Ten QB,
behind MSU senior Connor Cook and Iowa junior C.J. Beathard.

"In previous years, Coach Wilson would show us a lot of articles or write-ups about the Duke program," Indiana senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld said. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for them and how Coach Cutcliffe has really stuck with his process…We've drawn a lot from that program."

Duke (7-5) vs. Indiana (6-6) in the Pinstripe Bowl on ABC.

Both teams played one common opponent in 2015. Indiana beat Wake Forest 31-24 on the road ahead of the Big Ten season, while Duke closed out ACC play with a 27-21 win @ Wake. Duke was 0-1 vs. Big Ten opponents, after losing 19-10 against Northwestern at home in Week 3.

Indiana is playing in its tenth bowl game and brings in a 3-6 record. The Hoosiers are 0-2 against current ACC programs in bowl games. Duke is 3-8 in bowl games. The Blue Devils lost in 1995 to Wisconsin 34-20 in the Hall of Fame Bowl. The Blue Devils beat Nebraska 34-7 during the 1954 season, when the Cornhuskers were in the Big 8.

OUR PICK: Duke over IU in the Pinstripe Bowl ...

Nebraska faces UCLA for third game in four seasons in Foster Farms Bowl

The Nebraska football team held its first of four bowl practices in the Bay Area on Tuesday morning, working out for nearly two hours in half pads at Laney College in Oakland.

Big Ten vs. Pac 12: Nebraska vs. UCLA in Fosters Farm Bowl from Stanford Stadium/

The Huskers arrived in San Francisco on Monday evening and were eager to begin game-week preparations for Saturday’s Foster Farms Bowl matchup with UCLA. Nebraska defensive Coordinator Mark Banker met with the media following practice and said the Bruins’ ability to survey the field pre-snap and identify match-ups will pose the biggest challenge for his defense.

“That’s the offense,” Banker said regarding UCLA’s penchant for finding favorable matchups. “The quarterback has that responsibility from a run or a pass standpoint at the line of scrimmage. As the game progresses, what they’ll do is you’ll see them stop the cadence and look to the sideline so that somebody up above that’s seeing the configuration can then get them in the right call.”

Banker was asked if the Huskers have seen a similar offense to UCLA this season, and said the Bruins’ offensive attack is similar to that of Northwestern, with one big difference.

“In our conference, Northwestern,” Banker said, referring to the Wildcats’ strategy of calling plays at the line based on the defensive alignment. “The difference between Northwestern and UCLA, UCLA’s speed is by far much, much better.”

Nebraska true freshman DB #24 Aaron Williams ahead of the 2015 season.

To stop the Bruins’ high-powered offensive attack, Banker said his defense will need to make the right calls at all times and will need to make plays. One Husker defender that could play a key role on Saturday is freshman Aaron Williams, who the coaches have chosen to be Nebraska’s nickel back against the Bruins.

When asked how Williams was adjusting to his new role, Banker said “I hope it’s real well. He’s a football player. He’s done well for us this year as a true freshman.”

Following the Huskers’ practice on Monday morning, Nebraska head coach Mike Riley, UCLA head coach Jim Mora Jr. and selected players from both teams took part in a Foster Farms Bowl press conference. The Huskers practiced again on Wednesday morning before practicing for a third time on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, Nebraska did a walk-through practice at Stanford.

Mora is in his fourth season at the helm for UCLA, as the seniors seek to go out with a bowl win. Mora lost to Riley's Oregon State team, during his debut Pac 12 game in 2012.

The 2015 Foster Farms Bowl is set for an 8:15 p.m. CST kickoff on Saturday on ESPN. The Huskers are 5-7 in Riley's debut season, while the Bruins head into the match-up with an 8-4 record on the regular season.

Nebraska is 0-2 against UCLA, during a head to head meetings
during the regular season in 2012 and 2013.

OUR PICK: UCLA over UNL ... in the Foster Farms Bowl ...

Happy New Year's Eve - College Football & Basketball

Independence Bowl :
Arizona vs. Boston College at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN (HD)
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez appears on track at Arizona, unlike his former team, Michigan, and their recent bowl trip to AZ (K-State beat Michigan 31-14 in BWW Bowl)

Sun Bowl:
UCLA vs. Virginia Tech 1:00 p.m. on CBS (HD)
Battle of young and old coach lead programs in El Paso!

Liberty Bowl :
Mississippi State vs. Rice at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN (HD)
SEC vs. C-USA bowl match up on New Year's Eve!

Peach Bowl:
Duke vs. Texas A&M at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN (HD)
Close out 2013 with the final game of 2013!

Of course plenty of Big East and Big Ten conference games in College Basketball to enjoy elsewhere on the dial to celebrate the close out of 2013.

Nebraska at Iowa at 6 p.m. to open Big Ten play ...
Marquette at Creighton at 9 p.m. to open Big East play ...

Bring on the New Year 2014 ...
                                                        including the New Year's Games and final days of BCS!

Oregon 60, UCLA 13 in Thursday night College Football in the Pac 10

#2 Oregon certainly has an offense today, in contrast to the performance in Boise in the 2009 season opener. After Thursday night's performance in Eugene, it may be getting harder and harder to not vote Oregon #1 right now in College Football.

Why Oregon will beat UCLA on Thursday - ‎ESPN (blog)
This week the Oregon Ducks will play their first-ever game as AP No. 1, but don't expect the Ducks' stay at No. 1 to be short-lived. Since No. ...
No. 1 Ducks romp over UCLA 60-13 ‎ - The Associated Press

Interesting to see that Colorado and Utah will be joining both Arizona and Arizona State in the same division of the Pac 10, soon to be Pac 12. The Pac 8 has come a long way and it is a little interesting that the four newest members are all in the same division ...

Conference reveals two-division setup for football as Pac-12 - The Statesman Journal
It's a whole new world in the Pac-10, er, Pac-12 Conference ...

peace

Two big games heading into Saturday in College Football

Week 8 of the College Football season

Times are Central Times

Thursday, October 21st

• UCLA at # 2 Oregon, 8:00 p.m. on ESPN (HD) / ESPN 3D

Friday, October 22Nd

• South Florida at Cincinnati, 7:00 p.m. on ESPN2 (HD)

There will be some outstanding Top 25 and other match ups on Saturday, but two games will wet the appetite as we head into Week 8 of the 2010 College Football season.

peace

Red River Rivarly Game: #7 Oklahoma vs. #18 Texas in Week 5

This should be an interesting game on Saturday in Dallas, as another Red River Rivalry game is on tap. Oklahoma (4-0) hasn't beat Texas, since '07. Texas (3-1) enters the game like '07, coming off a big home loss, after UCLA beat the Longhorns 34-12 in Austin. In '07, the Longhorns, were -14 favorites in Austin, but lost by 20 points to Kansas State. The next game was the RRR game and the Sooners prevailed by eight. Is coach Mack Brown headed to another defeat vs. coach Bob Stoops in Dallas on Saturday?

peace

It's certainly been an odd week so far in College Football with the news at Florida and now Texas Tech

What's going on around College Football, since Christmas? Urban Meyer is going and now on leave of absence. Now, Texas Tech is suspending coach Mike Leach, due to treatment of one of his players.

Who makes the hires while Meyer is away? - ESPN (blog)‎
Assuming Urban Meyer is indeed coming back after his leave, you know it's going to be his call at the end of the day. Most signs point to Chuck Heater ...
Ex-Gators cast doubt on Urban Meyer's sub - USA Today (blog)
To understand Meyer's flip-flop, one must first understand his past - SI.com
Florida's Interim Coach Is Like Meyer, but With a Passion All His Own - New York Times

What impact will Urban Meyer's leave of absence have on the Gators recruiting for 2010 and beyond?

Meyer's leave will have impact on Florida recruiting - USA Today
With signing day a little more than five weeks away, Urban Meyer's decision to take a leave of absence as Florida coach has created uncertainty with some of ...
Urban Meyer's gridiron guessing game - Palm Beach Post (blog)

The news out of the Texas Tech pre-bowl camp is even more odd ...

Leach's attorney says coach did no wrong‎ - AP
The lawyer for Mike Leach says the suspended Texas Tech coach did nothing wrong in how he treated a player with a "mild" concussion. ...

Texas Tech suspends Mike Leach after player complains about treatment‎ - USA Today
Texas Tech has suspended coach Mike Leach from all duties following a complaint from a player and his parents regarding Leach's treatment of the athlete ...

At least college football fans can enjoy some more bowl action today, with two more bowl games on ESPN ...

The Prime Time Game on ESPN tonight:

Champs Sports

Miami-FL vs. Wisconsin
Orlando, Fla. at the Florida Citrus Bowl
Kickoff is Dec. 29Th at 7 p.m. Central Time

The Wisconsin Badgers didn't fare well last year in Orlando vs. Florida State, so will the trip to face the Hurricanes be better in 2009? Maybe a prime time game for the Badgers will allow them to play better, than last year's day game in the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl?

Both teams finished 5-3 in their respective conferences, the ACC and the Big Ten; and 9-3 overall for the season.

Our Pick: Miami-FL 34, Wisconsin 32

The Tune up Game before tonight's Prime Time game on ESPN:

EagleBank

UCLA vs. Temple
Washington, D.C. at RFK Stadium
Kickoff is Dec. 29 at 3:30 p.m. Central Time

A Pac 10 vs. MAC showdown in Washington D.C. When is the last time a MAC team won a bowl game? Heck, the same can be said for UCLA, who have not been stellar in bowl games either. UCLA was only 3-6 in the Pac 10 in '09, 6-6 overall. Temple finished 7-1 in the MAC East, tied with Ohio U for first place. The Owls were 9-3 overall.

Our Pick: Temple 27, UCLA 24

peace

Happy Labor Day Everyone!

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Birthday Day for all those celebrating on September 1 or those celebrating birthdays in the month of September. You know who you are!

The 2008 college football season has kicked off.

Tonight, we will have the final day of the first weekend, with Top 25 Tennessee traveling to UCLA. A great SEC-Pac 10 match up in prime time. The afternoon game is Top 25 Fresno State at Rutgers.

Look for another great week of football later this week with the kickoff of the NFL later this week and week 2 of the college football season.

Game on!

peace

What's with this week's Rivals Football Roundtable Question?

The College Football Roundtable headline:

Roundtable: Which fallen power on the rise?

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: With the season fast approaching, which program will start to again make annual visits to the top 10 first: Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame or UCLA?

I am sorry, but what does a basketball power, UCLA, have to do with a commentary about fallen football powers? How is UCLA labeled a football power?

I'll take Iowa's college football resume over UCLA's for practical purposes. Since 1981, coaches Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz have elevated Iowa's football resume ahead of UCLA. Why don't you throw in the University of Minnesota, while you are at it, especially, if you are tossing UCLA into the category?

While we are at it, what has Alabama or Notre Dame really ever done in the BCS? Notre Dame does get a huge break, due to no conference affiliation. The modern BCS really began, when both the Big Ten and Pac Ten conferences joined the system ten years ago. The new BCS Title Game format, since 2006, has elevated the format, while preserving the bowl traditions a little better.

Jumping off topic for a moment: I would make one change: make the BCS Title Game a +1 system, after all the bowls are played. This would allow the bowls to maintain to preserve their historical bowl tie-ins. It would also use the BCS scoring system for what it was intended to do... match #1 vs. #2, nothing more.

Clearly, the list of football powers this decade doesn't include Alabama or Notre Dame. Today's Top Football powers of the decade and since the BCS began it's format in 1998 are:

1. LSU (2 BCS titles, 4-0 in BCS)
2. USC (1 BCS title, 5-1 in BCS)
3. Oklahoma (1 BCS title, three title game appearances)
4. Ohio State (1 BCS title, three title game appearances)
5. Georgia (could this be the year for coach Mark Richt?)
6. Florida (1 BCS title)
7. Texas (1 BCS title)
8. Michigan (new coach Rich Rodriguez hopes to keep them on the list)
9. Miami-FL (1 BCS title)
10. tied Florida State (3 title game appearances) and Tennessee (each, with 1 BCS title)

Notre Dame has three appearances and is 0-3 in BCS bowls. Alabama hasn't been seen, since it's lone appearance in 1999, a loss to #8 Michigan in the Orange Bowl. UCLA's lone appearance was in 1998, a loss to Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

Clearly, Miami-FL and Florida State need to improve or they will see themselves slide off this list, but each having a BCS Title is certainly a plus over the three other teams mentioned by Rivals.com.

peace