Daily Blog • Friday, December 18th

Each day during bowl season in my daily blog, I will give you my forecasts on the bowls taking place the next day. My forecasts will include a detailed write-up with my computer’s projected box score including rushing and passing yards, points and turnovers along with a detailed write-up on each game,

The Bowl Confidence Contest has generated great response so far with more than 500 entries from all across the country already! It is absolutely FREE to join and have some great cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Make sure you get your picks in before 4:30 PM EST tomorrow when the New Mexico Bowl kicks off. Each day in the daily blog the bowl confidence contest leaderboard will be updated daily in the blog. Make sure to check the daily blog every day at PhilSteele.com!

I’m also pleased to announce that four different radio stations are involved as well. WKNR Cleveland, OH with Michael Reghi, ESPN Radio 94.1 Virginia Beach, VA with Tony Mercurio, The Sports Animal 790 AM Houston, TX with Charlie Pallilo “All Bets Are Off” Sports Time Ohio Cleveland, OH with Bruce Drennan are all having separate pools in the Confidence Contest. If you want to join these separate pools just mention the name of the show in your email when you are submitting your picks.

Also make sure to check PhilSteele.com everyday for complete information and coverage on all the bowl matchups. On the homepage click on the Bowl matchups link, where you will find all 34 bowl games. Click on the bowl logo for each game to get all the information you need to become an expert! Start doing your homework now and get your 34 bowl predictions done and email them in

Here are the forecasts for Tomorrow's Bowl Games!

NEW MEXICO BOWL
WYOMING VS FRESNO ST
Rushing
Passing
Points
TO’s
ST
WYOMING 182
155
19
1.8
FRESNO ST
248
190
32
2.3
 

Fresno St is the big favorite here in the first bowl game of the season as my computer calls for them to win by 13. However, Wyoming is excited to be making only their 2nd bowl appearance in 16 years, while Fresno is disappointed. In Pat Hill’s 9 bowl games as head coach the underdog has won outright seven times! On paper if this game were played in the regular season, Fresno would win by 14, however since the intangibles favor Wyoming, I will call for the Bulldogs to escape by a field goal.

 

 

 

ST PETERSBURG BOWL
RUTGERS VS UCF
Rushing
Passing
Points
TO’s
ST
RUTGERS 69
195
19
2.1
UCF
106
195
20
2.6

Rutgers leading wide receiver Tim Brown (1,051 yards, 20.6 ypc, 8 TD’s) is questionable and that could prove huge as Mohammed Sanu would then have to be the feature wide receiver. Sanu also serves as the “WildCat” QB and rushed for 148 yards (8.2 ypc) with 2 TD’s against Louisville. Rutgers is disappointed in getting overlooked for a better bowl again but remember just two years ago, they fell down to the Texas Bowl and destroyed Kansas St 37-10. The situation does favor UCF as they are excited to be playing close to home and want to join the Big East. However, Rutgers does have the talent edge and I will call the Knights to win by 3.