BCS 2013 - Preview and Predictions

It's time! The BCS Bowl season has arrived, and with it arrives the predictions for all five BCS games. Whether it's the granddaddy of them all, the BCS-Buster game, or the classic defensive juggernauts, we give you the preview for everything...and even a sixth "bowl" game! Disagree with us? Let your voice be heard! We're far from perfect and we want to hear your opinion!

Bowl Dot Greg Dellav  (20-13)   (17-16)  (20-13) Gildan New Mexico Bowl Nevada Arizona Arizona Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Utah State Utah State Utah State SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl BYU SD State SD State Beef 'o' Brady's Bowl Ball State Ball State Ball State R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl LA-Lafayette LA-Lafayette East Carolina MAACO Bowl Boise State Boise State Boise State Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Fresno State S. Methodist Fresno State Little Caesars Bowl C. Michigan W. Kentucky W. Kentucky Military Bowl Bowling Green San Jose State San Jose State Belk Bowl Cincinnati Cincinnati Cincinnati Bridgepoint Educ. Holiday Bowl Baylor UCLA UCLA AdvoCare V100 Indepence Bowl Ohio LA-Monroe Ohio Russell Athletic Bowl Rutgers Rutgers Virginia Tech Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas Texas Tech Minnesota Texas Tech Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Air Force Air Force Rice New Era Pinstripe Bowl Syracuse West Virginia West Virginia Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Navy Navy Arizona State Valero Alamo Bowl Texas Oregon State Texas Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Michigan State Michigan State Michigan State Frank. Am. Mort. Music City Bowl Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Hyundai Sun Bowl USC USC USC AutoZone Liberty Bowl Tulsa Tulsa Iowa State Chick-fil-A Bowl LSU Clemson LSU Taxslayer.com Bowl Northwestern Northwestern Northwestern Heart of Dallas Bowl Oklahoma St. Oklahoma St. Oklahoma St. Outback Bowl Michigan South Carolina South Carolina Capital One Bowl Georgia Georgia Georgia Rose Bowl Game pres. by Vizio Stanford Stanford Stanford Discover Orange Bowl N. Illinois N. Illinois Florida State Allstate Sugar Bowl Florida Florida Florida Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Oregon Oregon Kansas State AT&T Cotton Bowl Texas A&M Oklahoma Texas A&M BBVA Compass Bowl Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pittsburgh GoDaddy.com Bowl Kent State Kent State Kent State BCS National Championship Notre Dame Alabama Alabama

New Years Bowls - Predictions

3SN previews the bowl games after New Years Day that don't have the letters "BCS" attached to them. We also provide our predictions for the games as we prepare for the greatest time in college sports: bowl season! How right or wrong are we? Let us know!!

Bowl	Dot	Greg	Dellav
	(20-13)	(17-16)	(20-13)
Gildan New Mexico Bowl	Nevada	Arizona	Arizona
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	Utah State	Utah State	Utah State
SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl	BYU	SD State	SD State
Beef 'o' Brady's Bowl	Ball State	Ball State	Ball State
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl	LA-Lafayette	LA-Lafayette	East Carolina
MAACO Bowl	Boise State	Boise State	Boise State
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl	Fresno State	S. Methodist	Fresno State
Little Caesars Bowl	C. Michigan	W. Kentucky	W. Kentucky
Military Bowl	Bowling Green	San Jose State	San Jose State
Belk Bowl	Cincinnati	Cincinnati	Cincinnati
Bridgepoint Educ. Holiday Bowl	Baylor	UCLA	UCLA
AdvoCare V100 Indepence Bowl	Ohio	LA-Monroe	Ohio
Russell Athletic Bowl	Rutgers	Rutgers	Virginia Tech
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas	Texas Tech	Minnesota	Texas Tech
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl	Air Force	Air Force	Rice
New Era Pinstripe Bowl	Syracuse	West Virginia	West Virginia
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl	Navy	Navy	Arizona State
Valero Alamo Bowl	Texas	Oregon State	Texas
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl	Michigan State	Michigan State	Michigan State
Frank. Am. Mort. Music City Bowl	Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt
Hyundai Sun Bowl	USC	USC	USC
AutoZone Liberty Bowl	Tulsa	Tulsa	Iowa State
Chick-fil-A Bowl	LSU	Clemson	LSU
Taxslayer.com Bowl	Northwestern	Northwestern	Northwestern
Heart of Dallas Bowl	Oklahoma St.	Oklahoma St.	Oklahoma St.
Outback Bowl	Michigan	South Carolina	South Carolina
Capital One Bowl	Georgia	Georgia	Georgia
Rose Bowl Game pres. by Vizio	Stanford	Stanford	Stanford
Discover Orange Bowl	N. Illinois	N. Illinois	Florida State
Allstate Sugar Bowl	Florida	Florida	Florida
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl	Oregon	Oregon	Kansas State
AT&T Cotton Bowl	Texas A&M	Oklahoma	Texas A&M
BBVA Compass Bowl	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
GoDaddy.com Bowl	Kent State	Kent State	Kent State
BCS National Championship	Notre Dame	Alabama	Alabama

Pre-New Years Bowl Games - Preview

College bowl season has begun! We'll preview each and every bowl game in the 2012-2013 season and give predictions for all 35 matchups! Agree or disagree with our picks? LET US KNOW!






To see our full list of bowl picks, click "Read More" Below:

What's Wrong with the Bowl Games?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the college football bowl season! Over the next three-and-a-half weeks, 70 teams will partake in 35 bowl games across the country. It is one of the biggest and best traditions in American sports.

It also might be too much.

There are many things that are wrong with the bowl season in my mind, not even mentioning the word “playoffs” or “BCS.” Trust me, I absolutely LOVE seeing teams play in bowl games every year, but there are some flaws to the system. Maybe you agree, maybe you do not. But one thing is clear to me: some things need to change in the college football postseason BEYOND going to a four- or eight-team playoff format.

The Start of the Bowl Season

The 2012-2013 Bowl Season gets underway this weekend with the Gilden New Mexico Bowl and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Saturday.

We will break down each and every bowl game this season and provide predictions for the games. Which of the 3SN experts will predict the games the best? We'll find out!

Think our predictions are just plain wrong? Let us know why! Let your voice be heard!

Fantasy Advice - Week 15 - Playoffs!

Answering your start/sit questions and giving advice for the big playoff week in fantasy football on ESPN Radio 1240 WBBW! Have a question? Send us a message, comment below, or send us a tweet @3SNetwork! Let us get help you that big fantasy football playoff victory!

Tony Romo vs. Eli Manning

Well, they're at it again!

It all began when Eli Manning threw a terrible interception early in the game against the Saints. Dotson went off on Twitter about how Eli Manning is so great and "elite." Well, Dellaverson decided to fire back at Dotson's love for Tony Romo. The next couple of hours were very entertaining as they battled back and forth about being elite and about Super Bowl experiences.

Enjoy! And join the debate! Is either one elite? Why or why not?

2012 Heisman Trophy Preview

Tonight, history will be made when the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner is announced.

Will Collin Klein be the first Kansas State player to win the Heisman?

Will Johnny Manziel become the first freshman to win the Heisman?

Will Manti Te’o be the first solely defensive player to win the Heisman?

These are the questions that will be left unanswered until Saturday night. But that’s no fun. So, we’ll break down each of the Heisman candidates and their accolades. Then each of us will make our Heisman vote.

The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. All three have shown excellence, but which has been the most outstanding player (not the best player) during the 2012 season? Who do you think deserves to win?

3SN Live - "Silly Season"

Dotson and Dellav are LIVE at the Crane Room in New Castle at 7:00 EST tonight! Lots to discuss tonight, especially in the "Silly Season" of college football with the coaching carousel. Who is the next to leave their team to pursue other options? We'll debate! Tweet in to the show @3SNetwork to have your comments heard and your questions answered!

Enough is Enough

We've about had enough with happenings in the NFL. From Ndamukong Suh kicking a player in the groin to players asking from each other for autographs, from the definition of an elite QB to fans thinking they can control their teams by petitioning the President...it just needs to stop. Enough is enough.

BCS - What to Watch for?

It’s Championship Weekend in college football! That means only one thing: Let the Bowl Controversy Starters (BCS) begin! In our latest version of “Rules of the Game” we break down the Bowl Championship Series, including how the teams are ranked and how the ten teams are chosen for the BCS bowl games. Then, we’ll look at the teams still in contention for a BCS bowl and make sure you know what to look for this weekend!

Fantasy Football - Week 13 Start/Sit/Sleeper

Time for your fantasy football start/sit/sleeper picks for week 13! This is likely your last week before the fantasy football playoffs, or maybe the first week of your playoffs! So let's get you that all important W! Be sure to send us your individual start/sit questions by commenting on this post, by emailing us, or by tweeting us @3SNetwork.

3SN Live - Changes

Dotson and Dellav are LIVE at the Crane Room in New Castle at 6:00 EST tonight! The theme of tonight's show: Changes. Changes at QB, changes in conferences, changes in the BCS teams, and changes to your fantasy team as the playoffs approach! Tweet in to the show @3SNetwork to have your comments heard and your questions answered!

Onward to Victory!

Unbelievable! Something I never thought I would see.

I was three years old the last time Notre Dame was ranked #1 in the AP poll (back in 1993). I wasn’t even born the last time the Rally Sons won a National Championship. Yet all I have heard about my entire life is the glory of Notre Dame and how great they used to be.  

Yet for my entire life, when Notre Dame fans would sing of her, it would be of the glory days and certainly not in the 21st century.  Yet everybody would get to see the Irish week in and week out due to their contract with NBC, and of course everybody would sound off about how much of a joke they are or how they don’t deserve to make a BCS bowl. Like in any sport, unless you were a part of the group (in this case, a son of Notre Dame our Mother), then you forget about “her fame” of the past and see only the “now” in front of you.

Pitt Script - New Uniform Design

360 Sports Network's Panther Chronicler Alex Dellaverson had the pleasure of speaking with Bryan Brunsell, an avid supporter of University of Pittsburgh athletics and one of the major influence in the "Bring Back the Script" campaign with Pitt athletics. Check out his Facebook and Twitter pages for more information about the Script Pitt campaign. In a Q&A from Panther to Panther, Bryan explains his campaign and why Pitt should return to their former colors. Bryan is a true image of the 360 concept - a passionate and dedicated sports fan who has something important to say - and we are proud to let his voice be heard!  

What is the Point of Instant Replay?

The Lions had many chances to win today. They missed an OT field goal, fumbled in OT in field goal range, and got sacked in the 4th quarter twice knocking them out of field goal range.

But they shouldn't have even needed it to begin with in their 34-31 OT loss today to the Texans. The loss knocks the Lions out of playoff contention, and it was largely impacted by a new rule that doesn't make sense.

When instant replay was first instituted into the NFL in 1999, everybody was excited. Calls that were missed on the field were finally able to be looked at a second time and be corrected.

However, it's becoming way too frequent where the instant replay system DOES NOT WORK!

For the NFL, the worst of these occurrences came on arguably the most-watched non-playoff game of the year: Detroit Lions Thanksgiving.

Houston running back Justin Forsett runs for about a six yard gain, gets tackled, but pops back up and runs 75 more yards for a touchdown. The refs did the right thing in not blowing the whistle. All scoring plays are automatically reviewed, meaning they would go to the monitor and see that his elbow and knee had hit the ground, so they would correct the call on the field. However, Lions coach Jim Schwartz threw the challenge flag, which is an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the team. Further, because of the inappropriate flag throwing, the Lions cannot be the beneficiaries of any subsequent review. The result: an 81-yard touchdown run (Texans franchise record) that is a fraud.

So let's further break down not only this rule regarding the challenge flag on a non-reviewable play, but also the NFL instant replay system in general.

Week 12 Fantasy Football - Start/Sit/Sleeper

Don't forget to send us your individual start/sit questions! We'll answer them all!

Quarterback:

	Start ‘em	Sit ‘em	Sleeper Pick
Value Man:	Tony Romo (vs. WAS) – He needs to show America that he can be called an “elite” quarterback. Facing the Redskins porous pass defense on Turkey Day sounds like just the way to make that happen!	Philip Rivers (vs. BAL) – The Ravens have such deceptive numbers. They give up the 8th most passing yards per game, but nobody has given up fewer TDs through the air. That, and I never trust Rivers.	Colin Kaepernick (at NO) – He played extraordinarily well against the league’s best defense. Not only that, he did not turn the ball over against the team averaging 3 takeaways per game. Now he goes to NO and is to start. If he is starting, he’s well worth a look!
The Saint:	Robert Griffin III (at DAL) – He’s coming off of a big week, and though the Dallas pass defense is at the top of the NFL, their LBs can’t keep up with the scrambling RGIII.	Philip Rivers (vs. BAL) – So unimpressive. It never seems to stop does it. And facing the Ravens…	Andrew Luck (vs. BUF) – We keep forgetting about Andrew Luck and I don’t know why. Facing a Buffalo defense allowing 2 TDs per game, tied for 7th most in the league.
Mad Scientist:	Andy Dalton (vs. OAK) – Dalton is getting the TDs week in and week out against all quality of defenses.	Matt Schaub (at DET) – Playing at Detroit on Thanksgiving is never easy, especially when the Lions have a top 10 pass defense!	Chad Henne (vs. TEN) – 30 points as a backup against a VERY GOOD Texans defense last week, and now he plays one of the league’s worst pass defenses.

Running Back:

	Start ‘em	Sit ‘em	Sleeper Pick
Value Man:	Ronnie Hillman (at KC) – Other than Willis McGahee, Hillman is the only Bronco to have double-digit carries in a week. He’ll get the start against the KC defense allowing the 6th most points to opposing RBs.	Michael Turner (at TB) – He’s done. He had a 1.1 yards/carry average against the lowly Saints. His only value comes in goal line carries, where he got a score last week luckily for owners. There are many better, more consistent options out there. Unless your league is TD heavy, it’s safer to keep him on your bench.	Jacquizz Rodgers (at TB) – PPR monster, he’s going to continue to get increased touches. Especially facing the league’s worst pass defense, he could get 6 to 8 receptions this week. He won’t get goal line carries, though, and that’s a shame.
The Saint:	Marshawn Lynch (at MIA) – He’s much worse on the road, but I see him having a standard day for him. He’s a must-start.	Adrian Peterson (at CHI) – Chicago needs to have a HUGE bounce-back game after getting embarrassed by the 49ers last week. That doesn’t bode well for A.P.	Stevan Ridley (at NYJ) – Tough to call him a sleeper but think about it, he has such up-and-down performances that he’s usually a flex play at best and we forget about him. They’ll need to establish the run early against the Jets.
Mad Scientist:	Doug Martin (vs. ATL) – Atlanta gives up over 130 rushing yards per game, and the Bucs sure are making it a point to pound Martin the ball.	Mikel Leshoure (vs. HOU) – Jacksonville did well against Houston last week, but it was in the passing game, not the rush. Jalen Parmele had 24 carries for 80 yards, Chad Henne had 500 yards passing. If you’re playing Lions on Turkey Day, do it with the passing game.	Marcel Reece (at CIN) – The Bengals give up the 22nd most points to opposing RBs. Reece had 103 yards rushing and another 90 receiving last week as the starter. Those numbers will continue.

Wide Receiver:

	Start ‘em	Sit ‘em	Sleeper Pick
Value Man:	Dez Bryant (vs. WAS) – He’s back. He’s coming off of a 120 yard performance with a TD, and now faces some of the league’s most underperforming corners.	Mike Wallace (at CLE)– I don’t trust the backup QB to get Wallace the ball enough, especially in a run-first, low-scoring game.	Denario Alexander (vs.  BAL) – He has averaged 6 catches for 115 yards and 1.5 TDs over the past two weeks. He might not get the TD against the Ravens, but the yards will certainly be available. Julian Edelman (at NYJ) – Especially if you get special teams points, you MUST play him. He ran for 47 yards, caught 6 passes for 58 yards, returned a 64 yard punt for a TD, and had nearly 100 yards in kick return yards. Of all of those stats, though, the best one of all: he was on the field for 52 of New England’s 61 snaps last week. Wow.
The Saint:	Stevie Johnson (at IND) – He’s consistent, but consistently slacking. He’s getting 6-8 catches each week, though, and is a TD away from having a great game each week.	Wes Welker (at NYJ) – The Jets will take Welker out of the game, especially with Hernandez banged up and Gronkowski out. He’s losing time on the field, too, to a better athlete: Julian Edelman.	Vincent Jackson (vs.  ATL) – The Bucs are looking good right now and will need to throw early and often to stay ahead of the Falcons. Atlanta’s pass defense is decent, but Jackson is a flex play for sure with the way Freeman is throwing the ball.
Mad Scientist:	Michael Crabtree (at NO) – Colin Kaepernick threw it all around, including to Crabtree. Now facing the Saints poor secondary, Crabtree is a good WR2 pick this week.	DeSean Jackson (vs. CAR) – No Philly WR is worth playing at this stage.	Cecil Shorts, Justin Blackmon (vs. TEN) – Tennessee is a bottom five passing defense, and both Shorts and Blackmon had huge days with Henne throwing the ball last week.

Tight End:

	Start ‘em	Sit ‘em	Sleeper Pick
Value Man:	Vernon Davis (at NO) – He nearly single-handedly caused me a loss last year against the league’s best defense. Now he’s facing the Saints terrible defense…do you remember what he did against NO in the playoffs last year?	Kyle Rudolph (vs. CHI) – You could think about Rudolph after what Vernon Davis did to CHI last week. However, remember that Rudolph is NOT Davis. Don’t fall into this trap.	Jermaine Gresham (vs. OAK) – Oakland is ranked 25th against opposing TEs and Gresham is becoming a favorite red zone target of the Red Rifle.
The Saint:	Jermaine Gresham (vs. OAK) – Oakland can’t stop the TE and Dalton is heating up.	Aaron Hernandez (at NYJ) – Banged up with no Gronkowski means the Jets can focus on him and shut him down quite easily.	Brandon Pettigrew (vs. HOU) – Consistent targets, needs to make the catches. At least four passes last week to Pettigrew were thrown behind him. Those completions and he’d have 100 yards.
Mad Scientist:	Brandon Myers (at CIN) – Regular starter now without any question. He’s getting the targets, more than any other TE in the NFL.	Heath Miller (at CLE) – Not a good matchup against Cleveland, and there’s a terrible QB situation right now.	Garrett Graham (at DET) – Second TE on Houston, he had 8 receptions for 88 yards and 2 TDs last week. They’re liking the two-TE set in Houston, so keep an eye on Graham and consider starting him if your TE position has had trouble lately.