This has been a season to remember for Air Force fans and bettors: 9-3 SU and 9-2 ATS, including seven straight paydays heading into this New Year’s Eve matchup. The Falcons are more than happy to be in Fort Worth; the California Golden Bears, on the other hand, are going to find it hard to be motivated after falling from the No. 2 rank in the polls with just one win and zero dollars in their last seven games.

Morale aside, the Falcons (+3.5) also have a devastating ground attack, as first-year coach Troy Calhoun has embraced the Falcons’ triple option on a team full of senior players. California has a strong enough front seven to deal with Air Force, and the Bears are the No. 24 team in the efficiency rankings coming out of the much tougher Pac-10 – the Mountain West’s Falcons are No. 51. But is this the day the Golden Bears have their picnic?

If it seems fishy to you that the Cavaliers are No. 20 in the polls but getting six points against the unranked Red Raiders, you’re not alone. As good as the Texas Tech spread offense is, Virginia has an excellent pass rush and matches up very well in nearly every other facet of this contest.

The lesser Cavs offense lost a key player when RB Cedric Peerman was injured, but Mikell Simpson has stepped in and provided 4.3 yards per carry and 9.6 yards per catch. Texas Tech is not very good at stopping the run, losing four games that way. Between Simpson and QB Jameel Sewell, Virginia should be able to run the Red Raiders defense ragged.

At the other end, it’s up to Cavs DE Chris Long to get in Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell’s grill. The spread will make it difficult, but Long is a game-changer, just like his old man. He’ll find a way.

These are two of the most recognizable programs in the country. The Wolverines have had a forgettable season in the national spotlight, losing to Appalachian State, watching Heisman candidates QB Chad Henne and RB Mike Hart get injured, and finally ushering in the end of the Lloyd Carr regime.

Time heals all wounds. Henne and Hart should be healthy for this game, and Rich Rodriguez is already waiting in the wings to replace Carr. This gives Michigan an opportunity to play at the level many expected from the No. 5-ranked club in the preseason.

That might not be enough to beat Florida. Led by Heisman winner Tim Tebow at quarterback, the Gators are 5-1 SU and ATS in their last six and are laying 11 points to Michigan. They finished the year No. 5 in efficiency and should beat the No. 22 Wolverines; the spread is another issue. Michigan’s seniors should come up with something for Carr’s finale.

Arkansas is one of several teams undergoing a head coaching upheaval. But the Razorbacks have hit the jackpot, replacing Houston Nutt with Bobby Petrino. He won’t be coaching at the Cotton Bowl (Reggie Herring will); however, Petrino’s arrival has brightened the mood in Fayetteville.

The Tigers are not quite as enthusiastic after watching a berth in the national championship dissolve with a 38-17 loss to Oklahoma. The Cotton Bowl, though, remains important to a Missouri team trying to establish itself. The Tigers played well enough this year to go 9-3 ATS and finish No. 15 in efficiency; Arkansas is 7-4 ATS and No. 18, closing out the regular season with an overtime win at LSU.

Missouri will win or lose this game in the first quarter. If the Tigers come out flat, Arkansas RB Darren McFadden will take control of the game. Missouri QB Chase Daniel can’t throw TD passes if he’s not on the field.

The running theme of this bowl season: ineligibility. Three starting members of the Clemson Tigers will miss the former Peach Bowl: LBs Nick Watkins and Tramaine Billie, and OT Christian Capote. They may yet be joined by LB Cortney Vincent after his arrest on drunken driving charges.

Those absences make this matchup a lot more intriguing. Otherwise, Clemson should win in a walk after going 9-3 (6-5 ATS) on the season, beating Florida State in the season opener and watching QB Cullen Harper bloom in his first full year under center. Both teams have outstanding defenses, but Auburn’s offense is shaky and might not be able to capitalize on Clemson’s sudden weakness at linebacker.

Watch for the Clemson tailback duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller to find enough holes in Auburn’s excellent defense to control the clock, while Auburn QB Brandon Cox makes one mistake too many in a tight contest.

The Insight Bowl is more about the person who isn’t there: Terry Hoeppner, the late coach of the Hoosiers who succumbed to brain cancer this past June. Indiana rallied around his cause and made its first bowl game since 1993. Now the Hoosiers are getting four points against a Cowboys team that faltered down the stretch at 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS.

This is not a good situation for the ‘Pokes. They’re No. 55 in efficiency, one notch below the Hoosiers. They are very poor defending both the run and the pass, and Indiana’s running game should feature prominently given the size mismatch on the line of scrimmage. Indiana’s defense is no great shakes either, and many casual observes expect the sexy Cowboys offense led by QB Zac Robinson to have a field day. At least we can expect a ton of scoring from both clubs in what should be one of the better New Year’s Eve games.

The long road down from No. 2 in the polls has been rough on both these clubs. But it’s been much worse for the Ducks. They’ve lost No. 1 QB Dennis Dixon, arguably the leading Heisman candidate before his knee injury, and No. 2 QB Brady Leaf. Taking the snaps at the Sun Bowl will be Justin Roper, the man at the helm for Oregon’s 38-31 overtime loss to the hated Beavers.

Without Dixon, all the great work the Ducks did in the regular season goes out the window. USF, meanwhile, is on a three-game win streak SU and ATS to climb back to No. 25 in the polls and No. 7 in efficiency. The Bulls beat Auburn and West Virginia earlier this year, both times as 7-point underdogs. They appear to be undervalued yet again as 6-point faves (off the board at press time) against the wounded and dispirited Ducks.

Alabama has been a thorn in the side of handicappers this year at 2-9 ATS. The Crimson Tide lost four games in a row to finish up the regular season at 6-6 SU. But don’t overlook this team as it prepares for a bowl appearance in Shreveport against the rebuilding Colorado Buffaloes.

The Tide navigated a perilous journey through the SEC this season, and that Week 12 loss to UL-Monroe (+24) really took the wind out of their sails. But Alabama has had plenty of time to regroup. This is a club that finished No. 30 in the nation in efficiency and played tough against LSU. The Buffs upset Oklahoma and Texas Tech, but are No. 53 in efficiency and just 2-4 SU and ATS in their last six.

Colorado doesn’t have a particularly good defense, so Alabama is in a strong position to protect QB John Parker Wilson and get some big points on the board.

Who needs the BCS title when you’ve already got a Wii?! (The Buckeyes Have Game!)

Seems everyone’s a winner with Wii this year. The marketing gurus over at Nintendo have scored big with the NCAA, giving all of the players on both (Buckeyes and Tigers) teams going to the BCS Championship game free Nintendo Wii systems. (Each player is also getting four Wii games, a baseball cap, a watch and a fleece pullover.) Okay so it’s not exactly the trophy, but it’s something.

On January 7, 2008 the LSU Tigers and the Ohio State Buckeyes will meet for the national title at the Louisiana Superdome and while many are predicting the Tigers will win the title, I’m predicting a huge upset/win for the Buckeyes, who are +5 point underdogs in most sportsbooks…and here’s why:

- They have spent more time than any other team atop the BCS standings;
- They’re still considered the underdogs and it’s a role they relish; nobody is expecting them to win;
- Even though the Big Ten Conference has had a down year, the Buckeyes have always been “up” for their game.

“I think it drives you a little more hearing all the negative things about you,” junior defensive back Malcolm Jenkins said. “It’s either going to make you believe it or get a little fire under you so you can play a little harder. I think we feel comfortable with the role we are in.”

Teams like Georgia may disagree, but this is a proper national title game. Too bad the Buckeyes couldn’t bring their whole team to the Superdome. Cornerback Eugene Clifford has been suspended for this game for violating team rules. But he was a backup to Malcolm Jenkins and won’t be missed much on this first-rate OSU defense.

Not that Ohio State doesn’t need all its weapons against the Tigers. Even with those two overtime losses, LSU was the top-ranked team in the nation in efficiency; OSU was third. More importantly, the Tigers finally have both their quarterbacks in game shape. Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux are capable of chewing up yardage through the air and with their scrambling.

LSU lays four points and the total is just 49.5, but this game doesn’t figure to be as close as it looks. The difference should be the underappreciated (!) Tigers defense, led by Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner Glenn Dorsey at tackle.