Tom Brady has watched his Patriots fight their way to a 5-3 record through the first half of the season, and in actuality, he's pretty darn happy with where he currently stands.
While everyone focuses on the marquee players that will be drafted on day one this Saturday, the key to building a winning team is by acquiring 5-7 impact makers. It was Marques Colston last year, who will it be this year?
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By William Pilat
The College Football Bowl Season is underway, but the 10 most intriguing bowls have yet to be played. Using our Trench Counter Formula and each team's 2011 ratings, the following comparison of matchups will provide an objective analysis of the teams that best control the line of scrimmage and trenches.
Note: Each team's 2011 TC Rating is listed after the school name.
Non-BCS Bowls
Champs Sports Bowl (Dec. 29) – Florida State (8.4) vs. Notre Dame (3.0) Both teams have played well recently, sporting 4-1 records in their last five games. The biggest matchup to watch is Florida State's rushing defense, allowing an FBS-best 2.3 yard per carry versus Notre Dame's 1,000 yard rusher Cierre Woods. Florida State makes Notre Dame one-dimensional en route to a victory.
Ticket City Bowl (Jan. 2) – Houston (15.4) vs. Penn State (3.9) The Cougars, led by Case Keenum, enter this matchup as the 4th best team in the Trench Counter Rankings. While Penn State's defense has kept them in games versus lesser competition, their recent blowout loss at the hands of Wisconsin stands out as what could happen against a powerful offense. Houston, with the land's best passing attack, is too much for the Nittany Lions to keep up.
Capital One Bowl (Jan. 2) – Nebraska (3.5) vs. South Carolina (8.5) Despite losing their most electric offensive player in Marcus Lattimore, the Gamecocks have since fought for victories led by the 4th best defense in the country. While Nebraska has one of the nations best rushing offenses, South Carolina should be able to neutralize that attack and force the ball in the hands of inconsistent Cornhusker quarterback Taylor Martinez, leading them to an easy victory.
Outback Bowl (Jan. 2) – Michigan State (9.3) vs. Georgia (13.6) Demoralized after their last game in the Big Ten Championship, the Spartans look to bounce back versus one of the hottest teams in the nation since the first two weeks of the year. However, Georgia brings in the nation's 3rd stingiest defense and that will be too much for the average Michigan State offense to overcome.
Cotton Bowl (Jan. 6) – Kansas State (5.0) vs. Arkansas (6.4) In arguably the best matchup in a non-BCS game, Arkansas comes in only losing twice, once to each team playing on January 9th. Kansas State has struggled against all ranked teams, especially those with a strong passing offense. The Razorbacks will take advantage of the Wildcats' weakness en route to a victory.
BCS Bowls Rose Bowl (Jan. 2) – Wisconsin (19.9) vs. Oregon (12.3) Wisconsin, the 2nd best team in Trench Counter Rankings, faces Oregon and the 5th most potent offense in the nation. While both teams have shown they can put up points with the best of them, the story in this one will be defense. The Badgers have the 8th best defense in the nation, while the Ducks are an average unit at best. Each offensive unit is too good for this not to be a shootout, but the Wisconsin defense will make a big stop when one is needed to hold on for the win.
Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 2) – Stanford (11.5) vs. Oklahoma State (9.4) Ranked 10th and 12th respectively in the Trench Counter Rankings, Stanford and Oklahoma State clash in one of the most intriguing matchups of all Bowl Games. After being shut out in the Heisman Race, Andrew Luck faces another disappointment to end his college career. The biggest reason – over the past 5 games, the Cowboys have a TC Ranking of 11.5 while the Cardinal sport a surprisingly low 2.4; Oklahoma State with a larger than expected victory.
Sugar Bowl (Jan. 3) – Michigan (13.3) vs. Virginia Tech (9.1) In the only BCS game between two at-large teams, the Wolverines and Hokies match up surprisingly well. Both schools have top 18 defenses and similar offensive numbers, but one statistic stands out. Led by two 1000 yard rushers in Denard Robinson and Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michigan was 11th in the nation in yards per rush, the catalyst behind their 6th highest Trench Counter Rating. The Wolverines rushing offense will carry them to a Sugar Bowl win.
Orange Bowl (Jan. 4) – West Virginia (6.1) vs. Clemson (0.7) Prior to winning the ACC Championship against Virginia Tech, Clemson was struggling to score for a month, a complete 180 from the first 8 weeks. The inconsistencies don't stop there with West Virginia barely coming out of the Big East, needing a 3 game winning streak to sneak into the Orange Bowl. Playing well this time of year matters and combined with the higher Trench Counter ranking throughout the entire year, the Mountaineers win this one.
BCS National Championship (Jan. 9) – Alabama (20.4) vs. LSU (17.4) We all are hoping this one isn't the yawner the first time these two teams squared off. Alabama and LSU defenses are driving their Trench Counter Rankings (1st and 3rd respectively), and a change from that may be doubtful. However, one surprising note since that matchup has been LSU's scoring. Their offense, defense and special teams have all contributed to put up 44 points per game and an average TC rating 3 points higher than Alabama, all while playing a particularly difficult schedule. The Tigers have played better since November 5th and that will be enough to cap an undefeated season with a BCS National Championship.
