PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* Friday Afternoon ANNIHILATION >> SIZZLING 9-2 Bowl Run!
(NCAAF) Georgia vs. TCU,
Point Spread: 0.00 | -106.00 TCU (Home)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 0.00 | -106.00 TCU (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The first of Friday's five bowl game is the Liberty Bowl, played in Memphis, Tennessee. The 6-6 TCU Horned Frogs will face the 7-5 Georgia Bulldogs. TCU's Gary Patterson is taking TCU to a bowl game for the 14th time in 16 seasons while Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, a longtime coordinator and disciple of Alabama coach Nick Saban, is in his first season at the Bulldogs' helm. However, this will be Georgia's 52nd bowl-game appearance, fourth most of any team in the country. The schools will be meeting for just the fourth time in their history and first time since 1988.
TCU: "Our standards have been very high at TCU, and being 6-6 is not something that we're that happy about," Patterson said. "But we're glad that we got back to a bowl game. I think that helps us, especially playing against a great opponent." TCU has only 13 seniors on this year's roster, one of the reasons they've fallen off dramatically from going 12-1 and 11-2 the [previous two years (note: TCU was 47-5 from 2008-11). The offense is well balanced, passing for 278.3 YPG and rushing for 196.7 YPG while averaging 31.7 PPG. QB Hill has thrown for 3,062 yards but with a modest 15 TDs and 13 INTs. He left the Horned Frogs' regular-season finale with Kansas State with a foot injury but returned to practice and is "running around," Patterson said. He's expected to play. TCU does not have a standout RB with Hicks the best of the group, running for 954 yards on 5.1 YPC with 12 TDs. The defense is no better than average, allowing 27.8 PPG (61st).
Georgia: Smart's first season at Georgia was marked by a 1-4 stretch in the middle of the season, a stirring upset victory over Auburn and then a bitter home loss to in-state rival Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs have clearly fallen short of expectations, after finishing 10-3 in both 2014 and 2015. However, the Bulldogs received good news Dec. 15 when RBs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, who combined to rush for 1,741 yards and 10 TDs, announced they would return for their senior seasons. The running game averages 186.5 YPG (52nd) but QB Eason has completed just 55 percent of his passes and threw just 14 TDs. He did not top 200 yards passing six times in 12 games (11 starts), as the offense ranked 106th in scoring 24.0 PPG (11th of 14 schools in the SEC). Smart is a "defensive guy" and Georgia's defense forced 25 turnovers (tops in the SEC) and allowed 24.1 PPG (40th) on 328.0 YPG (17th).
The pick: The transition season from the Mark Richt era to Kirby Smart did not go as planned. The offense simply never came together, with a deep and talented RB corps underachieving. QB Jacob Eason showed promise for the future but he's still a work in progress. TCU's 6-6 record speaks for itself but the Horned Frogs lost three games by six points or less, including two in overtime. They closed the regular season with losses in four of their final six contests. However, Patterson's teams have won eight of their last 10 bowl games and in this about pick'em game, I want the much more experienced head coach. TCU is a 10* play.
TCU: "Our standards have been very high at TCU, and being 6-6 is not something that we're that happy about," Patterson said. "But we're glad that we got back to a bowl game. I think that helps us, especially playing against a great opponent." TCU has only 13 seniors on this year's roster, one of the reasons they've fallen off dramatically from going 12-1 and 11-2 the [previous two years (note: TCU was 47-5 from 2008-11). The offense is well balanced, passing for 278.3 YPG and rushing for 196.7 YPG while averaging 31.7 PPG. QB Hill has thrown for 3,062 yards but with a modest 15 TDs and 13 INTs. He left the Horned Frogs' regular-season finale with Kansas State with a foot injury but returned to practice and is "running around," Patterson said. He's expected to play. TCU does not have a standout RB with Hicks the best of the group, running for 954 yards on 5.1 YPC with 12 TDs. The defense is no better than average, allowing 27.8 PPG (61st).
Georgia: Smart's first season at Georgia was marked by a 1-4 stretch in the middle of the season, a stirring upset victory over Auburn and then a bitter home loss to in-state rival Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs have clearly fallen short of expectations, after finishing 10-3 in both 2014 and 2015. However, the Bulldogs received good news Dec. 15 when RBs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, who combined to rush for 1,741 yards and 10 TDs, announced they would return for their senior seasons. The running game averages 186.5 YPG (52nd) but QB Eason has completed just 55 percent of his passes and threw just 14 TDs. He did not top 200 yards passing six times in 12 games (11 starts), as the offense ranked 106th in scoring 24.0 PPG (11th of 14 schools in the SEC). Smart is a "defensive guy" and Georgia's defense forced 25 turnovers (tops in the SEC) and allowed 24.1 PPG (40th) on 328.0 YPG (17th).
The pick: The transition season from the Mark Richt era to Kirby Smart did not go as planned. The offense simply never came together, with a deep and talented RB corps underachieving. QB Jacob Eason showed promise for the future but he's still a work in progress. TCU's 6-6 record speaks for itself but the Horned Frogs lost three games by six points or less, including two in overtime. They closed the regular season with losses in four of their final six contests. However, Patterson's teams have won eight of their last 10 bowl games and in this about pick'em game, I want the much more experienced head coach. TCU is a 10* play.
