i just hope all the football fans in alabama will be able to put this game behind them after the clock hits 00:00, and focus on tomorrow's game.
the battle between the two best teams from the two worst conferences.
arkansas st (-1) 2 units. the biggest difference i see between these two teams is that arkansas st actually plays some defense. now some people may say that, sure, but northern ill's numbers are skewed by playing in the mac, home of some serious high octane offenses. much like the big 12, but way better. my response? "poppycock!" yup, "poppycock." northern illinois lost to kansas, for cyring out loud. KANSAS. i'm sorry, but you don't go from losing to kansas to winning the godaddy.com bowl. just not gonna happen. both qbs are very solid, with the biggest difference being aplin throws a lot more picks. but northern ill only picked off 10 passes all year. northern ill gets a lot of yards from the ground game, but arkansas state only allowed 3.1 yards/carry this season, 12th in the country.
i've seen very little of either team this year, but my general impression is that arkansas state is a better overall team.
no play on the total at this point, but i'm leaning under.
side note from the sunbelt for the 3 guys still reading - i feel bad for the guys from western kentucky. they've only been D1 for a few years now, and they have been horrendously terrible. but after starting the season 0-4 this year, they beat every team they played not named LSU. they also covered their last 9 games of the year (thank you!!), but that's beside the point. anyway, they were bowl eligible, their only conference loss was by 4 at arkansas st, who won the conference, and they finished the season as strongly as anyone in the country. again, 7-1, with the only loss at LSU. i gotta believe a bowl game would have meant a LOT to those kids. but somehow, UL lafayette and FIU went to bowl games, while wku got the shaft. and yes, wku beat both of those teams.
it's amazing in this day and age when about 25 thoroghly mediocre teams go to bowl games, WKU got screwed.
the battle between the two best teams from the two worst conferences.
arkansas st (-1) 2 units. the biggest difference i see between these two teams is that arkansas st actually plays some defense. now some people may say that, sure, but northern ill's numbers are skewed by playing in the mac, home of some serious high octane offenses. much like the big 12, but way better. my response? "poppycock!" yup, "poppycock." northern illinois lost to kansas, for cyring out loud. KANSAS. i'm sorry, but you don't go from losing to kansas to winning the godaddy.com bowl. just not gonna happen. both qbs are very solid, with the biggest difference being aplin throws a lot more picks. but northern ill only picked off 10 passes all year. northern ill gets a lot of yards from the ground game, but arkansas state only allowed 3.1 yards/carry this season, 12th in the country.
i've seen very little of either team this year, but my general impression is that arkansas state is a better overall team.
no play on the total at this point, but i'm leaning under.
side note from the sunbelt for the 3 guys still reading - i feel bad for the guys from western kentucky. they've only been D1 for a few years now, and they have been horrendously terrible. but after starting the season 0-4 this year, they beat every team they played not named LSU. they also covered their last 9 games of the year (thank you!!), but that's beside the point. anyway, they were bowl eligible, their only conference loss was by 4 at arkansas st, who won the conference, and they finished the season as strongly as anyone in the country. again, 7-1, with the only loss at LSU. i gotta believe a bowl game would have meant a LOT to those kids. but somehow, UL lafayette and FIU went to bowl games, while wku got the shaft. and yes, wku beat both of those teams.
it's amazing in this day and age when about 25 thoroghly mediocre teams go to bowl games, WKU got screwed.
