Daily Blog • Saturday, December 26th

Each day during bowl season in my daily blog, I will give you my forecasts on the bowl games taking place that 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.

Also check out the Bowl Matchup Section to get the latest and greatest information on all the upcoming bowl games including, game by game stats, 2009 recaps, and checklists for every position and intangible.

LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA BOWL
MARSHALL VS OHIO
Rushing
Passing
Points
TO’s
ST
MARSHALL 136
188
17
2.6
–
OHIO
100
233
21
1.8
••••
 

These two were former MAC foes and the series dates back to 1905. Marshall will be coached by Defensive Coordinator Rick Minter here after Snyder resigned (under pressure). The Bobcats are trying for their first ten win season since 1968. Marshall enters off their worst performance of the year as they were mauled at UTEP allowing 52 pts. While this matchup pits two outstanding defenses, Ohio has a large special teams edge and I'll call for the Bobcats to win by 3.
PHIL’S FORECAST: OHIO 24 MARSHALL21

 

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL
PITTSBURGH VS NORTH CAROLINA
Rushing
Passing
Points
TO’s
ST
PITTSBURGH 129
160
23
2.3
–
NORTH CAROLINA
96
170
20
2.8
•
 

Head Coach Wannstedt needs to motivate the Panthers who let a 21 point lead dissipate in a BCS clincher. While UNC has a slight defensive edge, Pitt has a large eage on offense led by Stull who has a 21-8 ratio (UNC's Yates 12-14 ratio). Pitt's outstanding RB Lewis is almost a 1st Tm All-American with 1,640 yards (5.5) and 16 TD's while UNC is led by Houston who averages just 3.8 yards per carry. The Panthers also have two All-American caliber wideouts. The Tar Heels have the fan edge (only about 65 miles from Chapel Hill) as Pitt fans usually do not travel well to bowls but Pitt has the talent edge and will be able to slow a UNC offense which has topped 21 pts just 5 times vs FCS foes.
PHIL’S FORECAST: PITTSBURGH 27 NORTH CAROLINA 17

 

EMERALD BOWL
BOSTON COLLEGE VS USC
Rushing
Passing
Points
TO’s
ST
BOSTON COLLEGE 106
163
19
2.9
•
USC
160
223
23
2.2
–
 

If this game was played on paper, USC should win by 17-21 points but bowl games are played on emotion. Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose, Orange, Rose, Orange - those are the last 7 bowls that the Trojans have played in and making this trip to San Fran for a bowl the day after Christmas will test Carroll’s motivational skills. USC is clearly the superior team, but the continued loss of coordinators throughout the past several years has made them beatable. BC, meanwhile, is thrilled to be playing a national opponent of this caliber and USC is fortunate to escape with a 3 point win.
PHIL’S FORECAST: USC 20 BOSTON COLLEGE 17


Conference Bowl Standings

Bowl Conference VS Conference Records
OVERALL
vs BCS CONF
W
L
%
W
L
%
MWC
3
0
100%
2
0
100%
BIG EAST
1
0
100%
0
0
0
SUN BELT
1
0
100%
0
0
0
CUSA
1
2
33%
0
1
0%
SEC
0
0
0
0
0
0
BIG 12
0
0
0
0
0
0
BIG 10
0
0
0
0
0
0
ACC
0
0
0
0
0
0
INDEP
0
0
0
0
0
0
MAC
0
0
0
0
0
0
WAC
0
2
0%
0
0
0
PAC-10
0
2
0%
0
0
0

The MWC is off to a great start with a 3-0 record already thanks to Wyoming's upset over Fresno St in the New Mexico Bowl and two wins over the Pac-10 with BYU destroying Oregon St and Utah upsetting Cal. The Cougars and Utes victories also make the MWC the only conference with a win over a team from a BCS conference. The Big East and Sun Belt have picked up early wins while the Pac-10 and WAC have suffered some disappointing losses. CUSA got their first win of the season with SMU's upset of Nevada.

The Bowl Confidence Contest

Make sure to check the daily blog every day as we will be posting the standings here after every bowl game is played.

There will be two Top 50 leaderboards. The first one will be points won. Sometimes the early leaders are the ones that risked the most on the early bowls and they fall by the wayside as the contest goes on so that is why I will also keep track of those that have the best win percentage of their points.

Out of more than 1200 entries Bob Knight currently leads in the Points Won category but William J. Meleski and Joel Blank are right behind him. Although tied with 110 points each, William J. Meleski has a significant edge in win % coming in at 67% while Joel Blank comes in at 30%.

Thanks again to all that have entered. If you have any problems with your points or do not see your name please email brandon@philsteele.com. Here are the current leaderboards.

top 50 in points won

Rk
 Name
Pts Won
Pts Lost
Win %
% Rank
1
 Bob Knight
111
39
74%
8
2
 William J Meleski
110
55
67%
19
2
 Joel Blank
110
252
30%
315
4
 Josh Farnsworth
108
28
79%
5
5
 Gene Winters
105
57
65%
22
6
 John Roberts
97
5
95%
1
7
 Bill Morehead
95
94
50%
71
8
 James Bigley
92
71
56%
43
9
 Don Seebold
91
11
89%
2
10
 Jeff Hamilton
88
33
73%
11
11
 Gary Candon
84
55
60%
30
12
 Craig Domingues
82
55
60%
31
13
 Marc Ostrom
81
34
70%
14
13
 Matt Thompson
81
51
61%
29
13
 Don Deavers
81
58
58%
38
16
 Timothy Divis
79
48
62%
26
17
 Richie Thomas
76
47
62%
28
17
 Jack Hawn
76
53
59%
35
19
 Anthony Chapman
73
65
53%
55
19
 Butch Domann
73
71
51%
64
21
 Matthew Edmundson
72
66
52%
60
22
 Walter Janz
71
34
68%
17
22
 Dan Gill
71
48
60%
32
24
 Aaron Trauger
70
50
58%
37
24
 Jon Sweden
70
69
50%
70
24
 Pete Mackin
70
86
45%
110
27
 Doug Nelms
69
76
48%
92
28
 Phillip Mason
68
37
65%
23
28
 Michael Simmons
68
68
50%
72
28
 Ryan Faulkner
68
79
46%
103
31
 Michael Mancini
67
74
48%
93
31
 Nick Schwemberger
67
81
45%
107
33
 Brent Burleson
66
72
48%
91
33
 Dave Klaehn
66
75
47%
100
35
 K. McAbier
65
36
64%
25
35
 Eric Sabo
65
50
57%
42
35
 Ben Brin
65
57
53%
53
38
 Steve MacDonald
63
12
84%
4
38
 Frank Elia
63
25
72%
13
38
 Lyell Marks
63
126
33%
254
38
 Sherry Shoup
63
126
33%
254
38
 Duston Turner
63
126
33%
254
43
 Luke Savage
62
58
52%
61
43
 Earl Heiden
62
67
48%
90
45
 John Homoki
61
54
53%
54
45
 Matthew Goodman
61
71
46%
104
47
 Marc Caruso
59
21
74%
10
47
 Buddy Davis
59
60
50%
74
47
 Jeremy Ackerman
59
62
49%
81
47
 Carl Ciaramitaro
59
79
43%
129
47
 Mark Walsh
59
101
37%
195

The top 50 in Win %

Name
Pts Won
Pts Lost
Win %
% Rank
John Roberts
97
5
95%
1
Don Seebold
91
11
89%
2
Frank Scott
49
9
84%
3
Steve MacDonald
63
12
84%
4
Josh Farnsworth
108
28
79%
5
Frank Hillman
48
13
79%
6
ray59
23
8
74%
7
Bob Knight
111
39
74%
8
plhokie
51
18
74%
9
Marc Caruso
59
21
74%
10
Jeff Hamilton
88
33
73%
11
Gary Magnus
34
13
72%
12
Frank Elia
63
25
72%
13
Marc Ostrom
81
34
70%
14
Anisha Bowling
41
18
69%
15
Erik Sweress
38
18
68%
16
Walter Janz
71
34
68%
17
Jerry Bankhead
37
18
67%
18
William J Meleski
110
55
67%
19
Scott Walsky
31
16
66%
20
Danny Prevatt
36
19
65%
21
Gene Winters
105
57
65%
22
Phillip Mason
68
37
65%
23
Jim Martindale
47
26
64%
24
K. McAbier
65
36
64%
25
Timothy Divis
79
48
62%
26
James Marzano
13
8
62%
27
Richie Thomas
76
47
62%
28
Matt Thompson
81
51
61%
29
Gary Candon
84
55
60%
30
Craig Domingues
82
55
60%
31
Dan Gill
71
48
60%
32
pegsmon
57
39
59%
33
Geoff Boyle
26
18
59%
34
Jack Hawn
76
53
59%
35
Mike Coon
38
27
58%
36
Aaron Trauger
70
50
58%
37
Don Deavers
81
58
58%
38
Scott Jasinkowski
25
18
58%
39
Doug Mayfields
53
39
58%
40
Michael Prychodczenko
12
9
57%
41
eric sabo
65
50
57%
42
James Bigley
92
71
56%
43
Chad Robertus
46
37
55%
44
Anthony Marcello
41
33
55%
45
Mike Quinn
41
34
55%
46
Stephen Pisklak
46
39
54%
47
Dan Maurer
21
18
54%
48
Bobby Welles
43
37
54%
49
Jason Harris
43
37
54%
49