In the 1980′s and 1990′s, these 2 teams would’ve been a lock for a Fiesta Bowl or another BCS-type game however the BCS program was not in place in those days. Players and systems could adjust through the years, but these 2 teams can still put on one heck of a show. The Florida State Seminoles face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando on December 29th. As opposed to Bobby Bowden versus Lou Holtz, we have Jimbo Fisher versus Brian Kelly in what is sure to be an awesome game. The sports book appears to agree with Florida State at -3 and the over/under at 47.

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The Seminoles come into the Citrus Bowl with an 8-4 overall record and a 5-3 record in the ACC Atlantic Division. As discussed, Jimbo Fisher’s record now sits at a respectable 18-8 following 2 full seasons as Fisher is the heir apparent of Bobby Bowden. Merely giving up 15.2 ppg which ranks fourth in the nation, FSU’s offense averages 31.7 ppg and the defense locked down enemy teams. FSU’s passing game is dealt with by junior Quarterback E.J. Manuel.

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Averaging 30.5 ppg on offense and 20.9 ppg on defense, Notre Dame come into play with an 8-4 record as an independent. Brian Kelly is attempting to strengthen on his legacy and the key successes than he’s undergone in Cincinnati and Grand Valley State.

Sophomore Quarterback Tommy Rees is at the lead of the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame presents a bruising running game with the team of junior RB Cierre Wood and senior RB Jonas Gray. Junior WR Michael Floyd ranks 8th in the nation with 95 receptions, with shades of Irish legend Raghib Ismail. Junior TE Tyler Eifert is a effective and reliable second option for Rees.

San Diego, California sets the stage when the California Golden Bears face the #24 rated Texas Longhorns on December 28th at the Holiday Bowl. Qualcomm Stadium will be jumping, as these two teams who are evenly matched will slug it out. The Holiday Bowl has been a San Diego custom since 1978 and this year’s game looks to be a classic. The sportsbook has the line at Texas -3, with the over/under at 47 ½.

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California is headed by junior Quarterback Zach Maynard and led in the backfield by junior RB Isi Sofele. The Golden Bear receiving corps is in great hands with sophomore WR Keenan Allen who rates 11th in the country with 89 receptions. A viable alternative to double teams on Allen is Senior WR Marvin Jones.

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The Texas Longhorns come into San Diego with the exact same 7-5 total record and a frustrating 4-5 record in the Big 12. For a coach of Mack Brown’s stature, these are pretty poor numbers indeed. Obtaining an illustrious record of 140-36, Brown is in his 14th year in Austin. Texas also has identical numbers in the points category, averaging 28.7 on offense and 23.3 on defense. The fact that the Horns come into play still rated 24th on the polls whereas losing all four of their competitions vs rated opponents speaks volumes about the value of the Longhorns and the strength of the Big 12.

A young team still coming to grips with the Brown technique could explain the down year that the Longhorns have seasoned this year. Sophomore Quarterback Case McCoy and freshman Quarterback David Ash have both taken snaps this year at the helm. Freshman RB Malcolm Brown has been the workhorse in the backfield whereas sophomore WR Mike Davis and freshman WR Jason Shipley have turned in amazing performances over the year.

The match of the week in football is the Monday night occasion where the Falcons travel to play the Saints in an legendary match up of division rivals. Even though the Atlanta Falcons have little potential for catching the Saints for the division crown, both squads have a lot to play for in this one as well as their basic hatred for one another.

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Motivation
At 11-3, the Saints have outpaced the 9-5 Atlanta Falcons to the point where the Saints just about have things finished up. But it would still be a great game even if the squads were losing. Thankfully, both squads are winning a great deal and are actually highly determined for this one because of the playoff implications. The Atlanta Falcons have to wrap it up now that they are in fantastic position in the wild card race. A victory just about does that. The Saints, in turn, are attempting to overtake the San Francisco 49ers for the 2nd seed in the NFC, a seed that would give them a home game against every squad in the playoffs except the Packers.

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Streaking
Both squads come into the game streaking. The Atlanta Falcons have won 4 of 5 and the Saints have taken 6 straight. The offenses of both squads are clicking and the defenses have shown vast growth. The question is, how do you figure out who will win this game? The answer is simple. The Nfl is set up as a quarterback league which will decide this game.

The Saints have the god-like Drew Brees though the Atlanta Falcons have a very great quarterback in Matt Ryan. Brees ought to break Dan Marino’s record for yards in a year in this game, a record handful of thought could be broken. Ryan will give the Saints all they’re able to handle, but Brees and the Saints are not going to be defeated in New Orleans on a nationally telecasted Monday Night game. Odds makers have made the Saints a 6.5 point favorite. That looks just about appropriate.

This should be a quality competition to watch if you are an Nfl lover. In week 15 the St Louis Rams tumbled to the Bengals 20-13. On Monday the Steelers played like they were in the dark at Candlestick Park. They tumbled to San Francisco 20-3 merely managing a field goal in the 3rd quarter.

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Week 16 is not going to be critical to the St Louis Rams year. It will be a different story for the Steelers. They’ve clinched the playoffs, however they will be struggling to attain a greater seeding in the playoffs. Because the St Louis Rams will have nothing to lose arriving into this game, in no way can they let up. Squads that have nothing to lose often play loose and come up with a huge game.

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Injuries
could also play a part in this game. The Steelers qb Ben Roethlisberger is playing on an injured ankle. This may unquestionably affect his mobility. As of December 17, 2011, seven participants were considered out or sketchy. Roethlisberger played Monday evening. It may have been a huge danger for the Steelers. If he re-injures the ankle he might not make the playoffs. One of their best defensive participants Troy Polamalu is getting by on a hamstring muscle injury. If the hamstring is re-injured and he has to sit out, there will be a huge hole in the defense. Therefore, if the Steelers build a big lead against the St Louis Rams, there are many participants they should sit out for rest.

The sports books in this game just can not keep the number still. They’ve ranged from St. Louis +7, Pittsburgh -7 up to St. Louis +16, Pittsburgh -16. So wait a bit while longer and then find some great probabilities if you want to get some action on this particular game. It should be an exceptional game.

Week 15 was the week of the monumental upsets in the nfl and that means Week 16 is all about payback. This is unlucky for the Bears who travel to Green Bay to play an embarrassed Packers.

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Packers Determined
In one of the biggest upsets of the last ten years, the Packers saw their run to a perfect year concluded when they lost in Kansas City to a Chiefs team that was so poor it had already let go of its head coach. Now folks are saying the Chiefs put up a blueprint of how to beat them as the Packers played badly on offense.

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Bears Declawed
Then we have the Bears. Once headed for the playoffs, the loss of qb Jay Cutler and the stud running back Matt Forte has rendered this team impotent on offense. The Bears, unfortunately, have nobody to replace backup qb Calib Hanie with. Additionally, wide receiver Johnny Knox is now out also after suffering a back injury.

Rivalry
Is there any hope for the Bears in this match? Well, they have a very solid defense. Their defensive line can get after the qb and the Packers are having offensive line issues. The Chiefs took advantage of this, but one has to believe the Packers will create a game plan that keeps in tight ends and running backs to help block.

The probabilities makers have posted Green Bay as a 12 point fave and I believe that is being kind. The Bears are on a four game losing streak and their playoff hopes are long gone. While they are going to play for pride, you just know the Packers are going to turn out trying to make a statement that their loss in Kansas City was an aberration and not a sign they can be beaten. Watch for this one to get ugly early.

Week 16 of the nfl season sees the Dolphins travel to New England to play the

New England Patriots. A handful of weeks ago, this would have looked

like a snoozer of a match, but a resurgent Dolphins team will grant the New England Patriots all they want and more in

this game.

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Confident Squads
The Dolphins and New England Patriots come into this game with plenty of

confidence. The New England Patriots are on the yearly playoff run and are seeking to secure the number 1 seed in the AFC, which will grant them home turf

edge throughout the playoffs. The Dolphins have turned things around

with a 5-2 run after they started the season with seven consecutive losses.

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Match
The New England Patriots and Dolphins in fact met in Miami in the 1st game of the 2011

season. New England won 38-24 in a match that was not that close and Tom Brady threw for

over 500 yards. Don’t anticipate a duplicate of that game. The squads come into this game having developed substantially over the prior sixteen weeks. The Dolphins defense has become one of the best in the league, even though few realize it due to the fact of their

record. In turn, the

New England Patriots defense has become among the worst even though it has

better somewhat in the last handful of contests.

On offense, the New England Patriots are still dangerous. Tom Brady is competing like, well, Tom Brady. Nobody will shut down the New England Patriots, but the Miami

Dolphins defense is good enough to slow them down. This could possibly be just

enough for the Dolphins offense, which has been showing significant

life in the last half of the season having obtained more than 30 points in 4 of their last

six matches.

Will it be sufficient for the Dolphins to pull the upset? Having posted New England as a 9.5 point fave,

the odds makers don’t manage to think so. Personally, I favor the Dolphins in this one and surely to cover the spread.

Week 15 Monday Night Football is an excellent game that will finish off a solid week of football. This game is between two playoff-bound squads that appear to be equally matched.

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After going 9-1 in their first ten games this season, the san francisco 49ers have gone 1-2 in their last three games. A week ago they lost a near game to a substandard Cardinal squad and need to develop some traction in the last three games of the season to set up themselves as among the squads to defeat. Their last two games will be against squads with poor records, so a victory on Monday night will help them get a bye in the first round of the playoffs. They’ve already secured their division and are contending with the Saints for the 2nd top record in the NFC. The home crowd in San Fran will be in full support for their squad in this nationwide aired game.

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The Pittsburgh steelers are 10-3 and have won their last four games. They are in a tie for first place in the North division with the Ravens. They are in a four way tie for the top record in the AFC along with the Texans and Patriots. There is a great deal riding on this game for the Pittsburgh steelers. A possible bye in the first round as well as home turf edge in the playoffs. The Pittsburgh steelers will be trying to finish the season strong as they have a lot of playoff knowledge and know the value of traction.

This is a difficult game to analyze as both squads are evenly matched in many categories. Nonetheless the current performances of the Pittsburgh steelers have been a lot better than the san francisco 49ers and this writer would offer Pittsburgh the advantage. The opening line at the Internet sports book is -1. This is close to being a coin flip, but the Pittsburgh steelers could offer more benefit.

Unless you’re a Titans fan, this is probably not the most intriguing match up of week 15. The Titans are 7-6 and still in the playoff hunt. In the AFC they are evened up with the Oakland raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals. All three squads are a match behind the New York Jets for the 2nd wild card spot. The Titans have to trust the Bengals, Raiders, and Jets fall short and that they win their last three competitions of the year. As the Colts have yet to win a match this year, Sunday’s game vs the Colts appears to be an simple one. Add to this the reality that the Titans beat the Colts handily last October and Titan devotees can feel self-assured that their squad’s playoff desires will be alive this time around next week.


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The Indianapolis colts have been past unsatisfactory this year. Most football devotees anticipated more from the squad, even with Peyton Manning gone for the year. They are currently rated last in defense vs scoring and their offense is rated close to the bottom. Their young quarterback, Curtis Painter, has shown some ability, but following thirteen competitions, it has become evident that the indianapolis colts have more issues than lacking their starting quarterback.

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The question regarding who will win this match has an clear answer; the Colts are most likely to be 0-14 on Monday morning. However the better question concerns the spread and whether it’s a solid wager. The horrible Colts vs the above average Titans. The beginning line was Titans -6.5. This number is still holding at -6.5 at the online sports books at the time of this article. Even though the Titans are on the road, the Colts have no home turf edge having lost 13 competitions straight this year. The Titans will probably cover the spread, however the bet is purely for the Titan devotees.

Moving into week 15 of football year the Chicago Bears are 7-6 and in writing, have a possibility to make the playoffs. The Falcons at 9-5 and the Lions at 8-5 are the two teams that are now the wild-card options for the playoffs. They are just one game away from a wild-card. Yet they must win their last 3 games of the year and pray the Falcons or the Lions lose. The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are other teams that are 7-6. Yet they play each other in the last game of the year and the loser is going to have at least 7 losses.

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However the bad news for Bear fans is that they have lost both their starting quarterback and their top running back. Caleb Hanie has started for Jay Cutler at the quarterback position in the last 3 games and the squad has lost all 3 games. Forte has been injured since the 1st week of December and the newest news is that the Bears wide receiver, Sam Hurd, is currently in jail on drug charges. In the last 3 weeks this squad has been gutted, and what’s remaining is the equivalent of a squad that can not win just one game.

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Seattle, to their credit, has played great recent football. In total they’re 6-7, but they have won their last four out of five games. Vs a well Bear squad, the Seahawks would be competitive, but with the Bears in the shape they’re in, Seattle should be the fave.

The beginning line was Bears -4.5. It has since relocated to -3.5 at the internet sports book. A wager on the long shot may be in order if the spread holds. Bears fans will be longing for a victory, but the Seahawks are great enough to effortlessly eliminate a wounded Bear squad.

Week 15 of the nfl year sees the 10-3 New orleans saints go to the 2-11 Minnesota Vikings in an NFC game between a Super Bowl contender and a team playing out the string. The match ought to be one with a solid dose of scoring.

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With a five game winning streak, the Saints are in nice form. The offense is humming with Brees looking set to break Dan Marino’s all time passing yardage record for one year. It is not even funny how a lot of skilled participants the offense has. If the Saints have one deficiency, it’s their defense. The weak link of the team is the defense. Sadly for Minnesota, they do not have the means to make use of it.

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It’s not going well for the Minnesota Vikings, who are in a transition year. On offense, the Vikings are trying to break in rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. As with all rookie qbs, Ponder has demonstrated times of brilliance and times of shear incompetence. Don’t expect any major highlights from the Vikings passing game, as he’s on a rough run at the moment and was sidelined for a bit last week.

If there’s any good news for the Vikings, it’s the truth they’ll have the top running back in the league back in the lineup. Adrian Peterson returns from an ankle sprain, yet one has to wonder why the Vikings are putting him back in the lineup with the year lost and reports indicating he is only 85 percent well. One can imagine Christian Ponder is mighty happy to see him back though!

The Saints are preferred by 7 points in this game. This is more a statement of the condition of the Saints defense than anything. Still, it’s tough to see a limited Adrian Peterson and rookie quarterback being able to maintain on the scoreboard with the Saints offense. The relatively modest 7 point spread is rather astonishing as the Saints appear primed to win this game huge.