Triple Option

By Michael Maynard

Jared Birmingham Bowl (11 AM CT, ESPN, Legion Field, Birmingham, AL): Memphis (-3.5) vs. Wake Forest

Why I Care: The Birmingham Bowl kicks off a quadruple header of games.

Why You Should Care: Darell Henderson, the elite RB for Memphis, is skipping the game, which puts more on QB Brady White to win the game. Should be a shootout nonetheless.

Team Stats:

Memphis: 8-5, 5-3 AAC (3-2 WEST). BER: 1-4. OPPG: 43.7, DPPG: 31.5, Pt. Diff: +157

Wake Forest: 6-6, 3-5

Game Notes:

• Memphis’s previous Birmingham Bowl appearance in 2015 didn’t go so well, losing 10-31 to Auburn.
• The Birmingham is the second of six bowl games between Power-5 and Group of 5 teams: Las Vegas, Birmingham, First Responder, Independence, Military, and Peach. In all those games excluding the Fiesta Bowl, the Group of 5 team is/was favored.
• Like I highlighted yesterday with Toledo, Memphis has scored 50 points 6 times, and only Alabama and Oklahoma have done that more this season.
• Wake Forest makes their third consecutive bowl game under Dave Clawson, and they won their last two.
• Wake Forest beat Duke in the last game of the regular season to reach bowl eligibility, and the ACC has 11/14 teams eligible. However, only Clemson, Miami, and Syracuse are favored. Duke and Virginia Tech are similar to Wake as underdogs vs. AAC opponents.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (2:30 PM CT, ESPN, Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX): Houston vs. Army (-6.5)

Why I Care: Army is the only service academy to reach a bowl game in 2018, as Navy and Air Force both had down years. Like Wake Forest, Army makes its third consecutive bowl appearance, and were winners of their past two.

Why You Should Care: Army has quietly won 8 in a row after starting 2-2. One of those losses was to playoff-bound Oklahoma in overtime. The Black Knights have back-to-back 10 win seasons* for the first time ever. See in the Game Notes how Houston limps into this game, but makes their 6th consecutive bowl game, and with UCF and Memphis has become a premiere program of the AAC.

Team Stats:

Houston: 8-4, 5-3 AAC (3-2 WEST). BER: 2-2. OPPG: 46.4, DPPG: 31.4, Pt. Diff: +180

Army: 10-2 INDEPENDENT. BER: 4-2. OPPG: 29.7, DPPG: 15.4, Pt. Diff: +171

Game Notes:

• As the name would suggest, 9 out of the past 11 Military Bowls have featured a service academy team.

• Army is the only team to repeat an appearance in a bowl game from last year, beating San Diego State 42-35 in Fort Worth a year ago.
• Houston is without its best offensive player QB D’Eriq King, who suffered a season-ending leg injury in the Tulane game. The Cougs also lack their best defensive player DT Ed Oliver, who has declared for the draft.
• After snapping its 14 game losing streak to Navy in 2016, Army has defeated the Midshipmen 3 seasons in a row.

• Main matchup to watch is Houston offense (46.4 PPG) vs Army defense (15.4 PPG). Houston has not scored less than 28, while Army has not allowed more than 34.
• *Army did play 2 FCS schools, and only one really is allowed to go towards their record. Technically they only really have 9 wins, so need to win today to reach 10-wins definitively.

Dollar General Bowl (6:00 PM CT, ESPN, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL): Buffalo (-1) vs. Troy

Why I Care: The elite pass-catch combo of Buffalo. QB Tyree Jackson and WR Anthony Johnson play their final collegiate game as Johnson graduates and has 1st round potential. 11 of Jackson’s 27 TD passes were to Johnson.

Why You Should Care: Buffalo probably should have won the MAC but blew a 19-point lead to NIU in the MAC championship. Troy lost to App State in Rivalry Week for their first conference loss, which propelled the Mountaineers to Sun Belt glory. Both combined to finish 14-2 in conference. So MAC #2 vs SB #2 features a matchup of two teams seeking to avenge late season losses that cost opportunities to win a conference championship.

Team Stats:

Buffalo: 10-3, 7-1 MAC (4-1 EAST). BER: 3-3. OPPG: 34.8, DPPG: 24.7, Pt. Diff: +131

Troy: 9-3, 7-1 SUN BELT (3-1 EAST). BER: 2-2. OPPG: 29.8, DPPG: 21.3, Pt. Diff: +102

Game Notes:

• 2018 is Year 4 of the “Dollar General Bowl,” as the bowl game in Mobile previously had sponsors of GMAC and GoDaddy.com. Troy is 1-1 all time playing bowl games in Mobile, most recently a 28-23 win over Ohio in 2016. Buffalo makes their first Mobile bowl appearance, and only their 3rd ever bowl game, and have yet to win one so far.

• Good time to highlight that all 4 games today are being played at FBS stadiums, respectively UAB, TCU, South Alabama for the Dollar General Bowl, and then Hawaii
• Buffalo HC Lance Leipold spent 8 seasons at D-III UW-Whitewater, where he won 6 D-III championships.
• The Dollar General Bowl is one of three prospective bowl games with a spread of a point or less.

Sofi Hawaii Bowl (9:30 PM CT, ESPN, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI): Hawaii vs. Louisiana Tech (-1.5)

Why I Care: The Hawaii Bowl traditionally is played on Christmas Eve, but the calendar works out where Christmas Eve falls on a Monday, meaning Monday Night Football for the NFL gets the spot. This is actually the first time since 2007 the Hawaii Bowl is not taking place on Christmas Eve, and it even occurred on Christmas Day in its inaugural two seasons in 2002 & 2003. So the Hawaii Bowl got moved up which inconveniences me because I look forward to the Christmas Eve Hawaii Bowl

Why You Should Care: MWC #5 vs. C-USA #6. Doesn’t make for the most anticipated game of the year, especially in the night slot. Hawaii started 6-1 against a softish schedule and finished 2-4 in the tougher part of the schedule, but did secure an overtime victory over San Diego State in Rivalry Week to finish third in the MWC West. LA Tech beat North Texas but lost to UAB, which prevented the Bulldogs from playing for the C-USA title. For what it’s worth, two not-so-exciting teams playing in a bowl game could make for an exciting game.

Team Stats:

Hawaii: 8-5, 5-3 MWC (3-2 WEST). BER: 2-5. OPPG: 32.1, DPPG: 35.4, Pt. Diff: -43

Louisiana Tech: 7-5, 5-3 C-USA (3-2 WEST). BER: 1-4. OPPG: 24.2, DPPG: 23.8, Pt. Diff: +5

Game Notes:

• Local kickoff time is 5:30.
• Hawaii beat Middle Tennessee in the 2016 Hawaii Bowl. After a 2017 recession, the Rainbow Warriors are back in 2018 playing a home game in the coveted bowl location.
• Hawaii automatically gets to stay home for the Hawaii Bowl if bowl eligible, so they are the second of 2 teams to play home bowl games in 2018. USF was the first and lost.
• Louisiana Tech makes its first Hawaii Bowl appearance, while Hawaii makes its 8th.
• Louisiana Tech has made 5 straight bowl games and won their previous 4

Published December 22, 2018 @ 10:34 PM C.T.

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