Boca Raton Bowl
Ok, first it was Macys, now it's... ETSY???!!! I mean, the algorithm knows how to get my attention. But this is getting ridiculous.
And that's the highlight of my Boca Raton write-up. This game is a complete clusterfuck. There are just too many question marks to recommend a wager.
Let's start with Toledo. The HC is gone, along with the DC, the co-DC, and the special teams coordinator. QB Gleason is either Doubtful or Questionable. He was knocked out of the season finale. Kalieb Osborne (seen above, in case you missed it) played well in very limited action. He averaged 10.8 yards/attempt (in just 24 attempts). As you might expect from a freshman though, he did take 3 sacks in only 27 drop-backs. That could be compounded by the LT (Gales) sitting this one out. I assume Cole Rhett (frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn) will get the start. He's actually rated as a much better run blocker than Gales, but a worse pass blocker. Osborne is also a good runner, and had more carries than pass attempts this year, averaging 7.5 yards/carry.
Ok, I'm going to save myself a lot of typing and just copy and paste the following from actionnetwork.com. The guys I highlighted are the top 5 guys in the Toledo defensive backfield.
Yeah, see why I don't want to bet money on this game? Those guys represent 11 of Toledo's 13 INTs and 31 of their 44 PDs. And it's possible all 5 are gonna sit out! Or maybe all 5 will play! Or something in between. Who the fuck knows?
The other sideline isn't all that clear either. Louisville may be missing all their Browns. RBs Isaac and Keyjuan (both are outstanding) and DL Selah. Ok, Selah Brown isn't much of a factor, and he's the only one who is definitely out. The Cardinals appear to only have one healthy RB, in fact. True freshman Braxton Jennings is the only RB who has touched the ball this year (37 carries) who isn't listed on the injury report. He was solid in the season finale against UK, picking up 113 yards on 20 carries. QB Moss is playing, but he'll be without his top WR. Chris Bell had 72 catches for 917 yards. The next guy (Lacy) had 54 catches for 547 yards. Nobody else had more than 20 catches.
FWIW, there may be some rain and wind (mid-teens, gusts in the upper 20s), with both expected to gradually subside through the game. And there's this...
So if you're down there, maybe stay out of the water. This concludes Smitty's PSA.
Gun to my head, maybe the best play is the under. But without knowing the status of Toledo's secondary... that feels like a foolish bet. I hate sitting out a bowl game, but I gotta do it.
Ok, first it was Macys, now it's... ETSY???!!! I mean, the algorithm knows how to get my attention. But this is getting ridiculous.
And that's the highlight of my Boca Raton write-up. This game is a complete clusterfuck. There are just too many question marks to recommend a wager.
Let's start with Toledo. The HC is gone, along with the DC, the co-DC, and the special teams coordinator. QB Gleason is either Doubtful or Questionable. He was knocked out of the season finale. Kalieb Osborne (seen above, in case you missed it) played well in very limited action. He averaged 10.8 yards/attempt (in just 24 attempts). As you might expect from a freshman though, he did take 3 sacks in only 27 drop-backs. That could be compounded by the LT (Gales) sitting this one out. I assume Cole Rhett (frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn) will get the start. He's actually rated as a much better run blocker than Gales, but a worse pass blocker. Osborne is also a good runner, and had more carries than pass attempts this year, averaging 7.5 yards/carry.
Ok, I'm going to save myself a lot of typing and just copy and paste the following from actionnetwork.com. The guys I highlighted are the top 5 guys in the Toledo defensive backfield.
Yeah, see why I don't want to bet money on this game? Those guys represent 11 of Toledo's 13 INTs and 31 of their 44 PDs. And it's possible all 5 are gonna sit out! Or maybe all 5 will play! Or something in between. Who the fuck knows?
The other sideline isn't all that clear either. Louisville may be missing all their Browns. RBs Isaac and Keyjuan (both are outstanding) and DL Selah. Ok, Selah Brown isn't much of a factor, and he's the only one who is definitely out. The Cardinals appear to only have one healthy RB, in fact. True freshman Braxton Jennings is the only RB who has touched the ball this year (37 carries) who isn't listed on the injury report. He was solid in the season finale against UK, picking up 113 yards on 20 carries. QB Moss is playing, but he'll be without his top WR. Chris Bell had 72 catches for 917 yards. The next guy (Lacy) had 54 catches for 547 yards. Nobody else had more than 20 catches.
FWIW, there may be some rain and wind (mid-teens, gusts in the upper 20s), with both expected to gradually subside through the game. And there's this...
So if you're down there, maybe stay out of the water. This concludes Smitty's PSA.
Gun to my head, maybe the best play is the under. But without knowing the status of Toledo's secondary... that feels like a foolish bet. I hate sitting out a bowl game, but I gotta do it.
