College football's bowl season is upon us, and WSN looked at the top matchups, teams and players to watch for.
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BCS National Championship Game — No. 1 Louisiana State University vs. No. 2 University of Alabama
LSU and Alabama — the nation's top two defenses — will line up for a rematch of the "Game of the Century." Earlier this season, the top two nationally ranked teams faced-off at Bryant-Denny Stadium where LSU cemented its position as the best team in the nation with a 9-6 overtime victory.
Fast forward to Jan. 9 at the Superdome in New Orleans. Alabama tailback and Heisman Trophy candidate Trent Richardson (1,583 yards, 20 touchdowns) will look to improve on a dismal performance last time around, as head coach Les Miles and his undefeated Tigers look to win in their home state and complete a perfect season.
BCS Bowls
For fans who will choose to ignore the national championship game in protest of the broken BCS system, check out the Fiesta Bowl featuring Oklahoma State University and Stanford University. They are led by Heisman-caliber quarterbacks Brandon Weeden (4,328 yards, 34 TDs) and Andrew Luck (3,170 yards, 35 TDs), respectively. With equally super-charged offenses and underrated defenses, the Fiesta Bowl could be more exciting than the championship game.
At the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., another offensive showcase is brewing between Pac-12 conference champion University of Oregon and Big-10 champ University of Wisconsin. Racking up 46.2 points per game this season, the Ducks have vastly outscored nearly every opponent. Junior running back LaMichael James is the centerpiece of Oregon's offense, totaling 1,646 yards on 222 carries and 17 TDs. Wisconsin's Montee Ball, however, is better on the ground. With nearly 1,800 yards and an astonishing 32 rushing touchdowns, Ball finished the season only five touchowns shy of tying Barry Sanders' single-season rushing touchdown record.
Potential Upsets
No. 9 South Carolina State is definitely on upset alert versus No. 20 University of Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. Huskers sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez is a dual-threat who alone can take over the game and will his team to victory. With 22 touchdowns passing and rushing, Martinez is the biggest potential threat to South Carolina's bowl hopes. Yet the Gamecocks have won their last three games by a combined score of 92-45, including an impressive win over No. 17 Clemson, 34-13.
There's no definitive star on South Carolina's roster, but the defense has been stellar all season, allowing only 23.1 points per game — 13th in the nation. Their one major slip was versus No. 7 University of Arkansas when they allowed 41 points.
It's been a bumpy season for preseason-favorite Oklahoma, as the Sooners ride into the Insight Bowl versus unranked University of Iowa. Oklahoma was stunned on Saturday by Oklahoma State University, losing 44-10. Quarterback Landry Jones hasn't throw a touchdown in three games and the defense has allowed over 38 points per game during their losing streak. In short, the Sooners do not have any momentum.
For the Hawkeyes, a combination of quarterback James Vandenberg (2,806 yards, 23 TDs) and running back Marcus Coker (1,384 yards, 15 TDs) may prove devastating for Oklahoma's defense. In their second matchup ever, Iowa can capitalize on Oklahoma's ineptitude and pull off a fantastic upset.
Player to Watch
Baylor University's junior quarterback Robert Griffin III is a college football stud and will be playing his final collegiate game versus the University of Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl. RG3 kicked off this season with a bang, racking up stats only found in video games and nearly completing nearly every throw he made. With a few bumps and bruises by Kansas State University, Texas A&M University and Oklahoma State, the legend had slowed down. Nevertheless, Griffin's stat line of 3,998 yards passing, 644 yards rushing and 45 combined touchdowns is definitely worthy of a Heisman. Griffin may break a few records before the final whistle ends the season and his collegiate career.
