Bowl-O-Rama: The Holiday Bowl

Welcome back to "A Whale's Vagina".

Teams: Arizona State & Texas
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
Miles Traveled By Each Team: Arizona State(356), Texas(1,301)
Related Cereal: Cocoa Crispies(Only because I can see ASU coach Dennis Erickson eating them with some Kahlua instead of milk.).

Breakdown: Arizona State heads into this game with the #67 ranked rushing offense(146yds/gm, 17TD's), and the #38 ranked passing offense(259yds/gm, 24TD's). Overall, their offense is ranked #52 in the nation. On defense, the Sun Devils’ defense is ranked #13 against the run(100yds/gm, 7TD's), and #69 against the pass(233yds/gm, 17TD's). Their total defense is ranked #27, and surrenders an average of 334yds/gm and has allowed 27 total touchdowns.

Their opponent, Texas, comes into the game with the #25 ranked rush attack(199yds/gm, 29TD's), and the #36 ranked passing offense(262yds/gm, 21TD's). Their total offense is ranked #13. The Longhorns’ defense is ranked #10 against the rush(95yds/gm, 11TD's), and #109 against the pass(275yds/gm, 20TD's). Their total defense is ranked #54, and allows an average of 374yds/gm and has given up 36 total touchdowns.

Signature Wins: Arizona St.-Cal? Texas-UCF(Pulled out a tough road win against the eventual C-USA champs).

Common Opponents: None.

Prediction: Both of these teams feature strong rushing defenses. However, Texas is a bit more vulnerable against the pass. Texas does field a stronger run game, but with the defenses that are going to be there I think this one comes down to the passing game. In that case, I believe that Rudy Carpenter will be able to have a bit more success than Colt McCoy, and he will guide Arizona State to a victory, 31-27.