Bowl History: The Independence Bowl became one of the First Bowls to recognize the significance of using a sponsor’s name in the official bowl title, to generate more $’s in off-setting the economic costs of running a college football bowl game! Thus born, the Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl in 1990 ( a side effect, however unintended, of using this particular sponsor was that the fans began referring to  second tier bowls as “Weedwhacker Bowls”) There have been a host of sponsors for the Independence Bowl: Weedeater (1990-96), Sanford (1998-2000), MainStay Investments (2001-03), PetroSun (2006-07), AdvoCare Car (2009-2013), Duck Commander Bowl (2014) and now Camping Wordl (2015 to present)! The current official name for the Bowl is Campinmg World Independence Bowl! The first game featured, McNeese, State a member of the Southland Conference and a FCS Affiliate, 20{63 scholarships awarded as opposed to a FBS program that gives 85 Scholarship, this game took place before the current rules/guidelines were in place) Tulsa 17! This game was played on December 13, 1976! The Bowl conference tie-ins are the SEC & ACC. Last year Virginia Tech outlasted Tulsa, 55-52. Bowl Payout: is $1,100,000. 00

Teams: NC State 6-6 (ACC) vs Vanderbilt 6-6 (SEC)

Bowl Location: Independance Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana

Day, Date & Time: Monday, December 26, 2016, 4:00 CST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): NC State beat UNC (8-4), 28-21; Vanderbilt beat Georgia, 17-16 & Tennessee, 45-34

Worst Losses: NC State Louisville 54-13; Vanderbilt Georgia Tech, 38-7

Common Opponents: None

Vegas Hotsheets Favorite: NC State -4

Offensive Team Data: NC State ; Total Yards, 419 YPG; Passing Yards,  262 YPG;  Rushing Yards,  158 YPG; Scoring Average,  26 PPG, Turnovers,  1.58 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 43.5%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 76% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 59%

Offensive Team Data: Vanderbilt ; Total Yards,  359 YPG; Passing Yards, 194 YPG;  Rushing Yards, 165 YPG; Scoring Average  24 PPG, Turnovers,  1 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 35.8%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 95% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 70%

Defensive Team Data: NC State ; Total Yards,  356 YPG; Passing Yards,  251 YPG;  Rushing Yards,  105 YPG; Scoring Average,  23 PPG, Turnovers,  1.5 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 35.3%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 86% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 49%

Defensive Team Data: Vanderbilt ; Total Yards,  411 YPG; Passing Yards,  245 YPG;  Rushing Yards,  165 YPG; Scoring Average,  23 PPG, Turnovers,  1.5 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 39.2%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 66% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 45%

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take Arizona’s total yards on offense, add it to what Nevada gives up on defense, …  get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking Nevada’s total offense, add it to what Arizona gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2  to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed!  That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards Advantage: NC State 415 to 357.5

Passing Yards Advantage: NC State 253.5 to 222.5

Rushing Yard Advantage: NC State 161.5 to 135

Scoring Advantage: NC State 24.5 to 23.5

Turnovers Advantage: Vanderbilt 1.25 to 1.54

3rd Down Conversions Advantage:  NC State 41.35 to 35.55

Red Zone All Scores Advantage: Vanderbilt 90% to 71%

Red Zone TD’s Only Advantage: Vanderbilt 59.5 to 52

The Game Simulator Says: NC State wins 5 to 3 in the statistical battle and wins the game by a score of 25-24, but does not cover the 4 points NC State is giving Vandy! NC State wins but does not cover! 

Individuals to Watch: Vandy’s QB, Kyle Shurmur 9/7 ratio, 2251 passing yards; NC State’s QB, Ryan Finley, 15/8 Ratio and 2820 passing yards!

Sully Says: Vanderbilt will bring the country best Red Zone defense into this game, yet NC State has the better overall defense. The Wolfpack also have the better overall offense. NC State wins and covers the 4 points!

Bowl History: The Quick Lane Bowl is a post-season college football game certified by the NCAA that began play in the 2014 season Backed by the Detroit Lions of the NFL, the game features a bowl-eligible team from the B-10 competing against an opponent from the ACC. The Quick Lane Bowl is played at Ford Field in Detroit as a de facto replacement for the Little Caesar Pizza Bowl, and inherited its traditional December 26 scheduling. Unlike its predecessor, which placed the 8th place team in the Big Ten against the MAC champion, the competing teams are selected by conference representatives and not based on final rankings. The Fiord Motor Company serves as title sponsor of the game through its auto shop brand Quick Lane. The inaugural game between the Rutgers and UNC was played on December 26, 2014, marking the first time the two teams had ever played each other in a bowl game (Rutgers won 40-21).

Teams: BC 6-6 (ACC) & Maryland 6-6 (B-10)

Bowl Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Day, Date & Time: Monday, December 26, 2016, 1:30 p.m. CST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): BC beat NC State (6-6), 21-14, beat Wake Forest, 17-14; Maryland best win beat UCF, 30-24 in OT.

Worst Losses: BC lost to Va Tech 49-0, Louisville 52-7, FSU, 45-7, Maryland lost to OSU, 62-3 & Michigan, 59-3!

Common Opponents: None

Vegas Hotsheets Favorite: BC -1

Offensive Team Data: BC ; Total Yards,  288 YPG; Passing Yards,  141 YPG;  Rushing Yards,  147 YPG; Scoring Average,  19 PPG, Turnovers,  1.33 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 32.5%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 80% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 54%

Offensive Team Data: Maryland ; Total Yards,  379 YPG; Passing Yards, 174 YPG;  Rushing Yards, 205 YPG; Scoring Average  25 PPG, Turnovers,  1.25 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 35.4%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 86% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 64%

Defensive Team Data: BC ; Total Yards,  310 YPG; Passing Yards,  203 YPG;  Rushing Yards,  107 YPG; Scoring Average,  25 PPG, Turnovers, 1.83 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 31.7%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 82% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 70%

Defensive Team Data: Maryland ; Total Yards,  434 YPG; Passing Yards,  216 YPG;  Rushing Yards,  218 YPG; Scoring Average,  29 PPG, Turnovers,  0.83 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 40%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 77% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 65%

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take Arizona’s total yards on offense, add it to what Nevada gives up on defense, …  get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking Nevada’s total offense, add it to what Arizona gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2  to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed!  That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards Advantage: BC 361 to 344.5

Passing Yards Advantage: Maryland 188.5 to 178.5

Rushing Yard Advantage: BC 182.5 to 156

Scoring Advantage: Maryland 25 to 24

Turnovers Advantage: BC 1.08 to 1.54

3rd Down Conversions Advantage:  BC 36.25% to 33.55%

Red Zone All Scores Advantage: Maryland 84% to 78.5%

Red Zone TD’s Only Advantage: Maryland 67% to 59%

The Game Simulator Says: The statistical battle ended in a 4 to 4 tie, The site thinks its Maryland as they win by a statistical point

Individuals to Watch: BC QB Patrick Towles 10/6 Ratio, 1579 passing yards; Maryland QB Perry Hills 10/3 ratio and 1235 passing yards!

Sully Says: Boston College has the 8 best “Total Defense” and the 127 worst offense while Maryland is 82 0n D and 93 on O. Take Maryland and the point!

Bowl History: The St. Petersburg Bowl is the third college bowl game to be played in the Tampa Bay Area; both the long-defunct Cigar Bowl and the ongoing Outback Bowl have been held across the bay in Tamba. On April 30, 2008, the NCAA’s Postseason Football Licensing Subcommittee approved a to-be-named bowl for Tropicana Field to be played after the 2008 college football season.On November 25, 2008, ESPN Regional Television, the game’s owner, announced a one-year title sponsorship agreement with MagicJack The inaugural game was played on Dec 20, 2008, between the USF and Memphis, with the South Florida winning by a score of 41–14. USF QB, Matt Grothe was named Most Outstanding Player, after throwing for 236 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 83 yards on 15 carries. Both the UCF and the Rutgers accepted bids to play in the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl on December 19, 2009. On December 9, 2009, the bowl’s name was changed to the St. Petersburg Bowl Presented by Beef O’Brady’s after the restaurant chain obtained a title sponsorship. In the second St. Petersburg Bowl, Rutgers defeated Central Florida 45–24. The 2010 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s bowl pitted the Southern Miss against the Louisville on December 21, 2010. It was the 29th meeting between former C-USArivals. After falling behind 14–0 and 21–7, Louisville came back to win their sixth contest in a row against Southern Miss, 31–28! The 2011 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl featured the first Sun Belt conference team to play in the game, as Florida International lost 20–10 to Marshall (Conference USA). The restaurant stopped sponsoring the bowl in 2014. On June 18, 2014, it was announced that bitcoin payment services (BitPay) would become the new sponsor of the game under a two-year deal, renamed the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. On April 2, 2015, after one year of sponsorship, BitPay declined to renew sponsorship of the game. The bowl game features teams from the AAC against either the ACC or C-USA, unless one of the conferences does not have enough bowl Eligible teams, in which case the MAC or SBC are eligible to send a team.

Teams: Miami OH 6-6 (MAC) Mississippi State 5-7 (SEC)

Bowl Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida

Day, Date & Time: Monday, December 26, 2016, 10:00 CST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): Miami began the season with 6 straight losses, then won 6 in a row, beating 2 bowl eligible teams, Eastern Michigan (7-5), 28-15 & Central Michigan (6-6), 37-17; Mississippi State Texas A&M (8-4), 35-28 & South Carolina (6-6), 27-14

 Worst Losses: Miami lost to Eastern Illinois, 21-17 (an FCS team from the Ohio Valley Conference), Mississippi State South Alabama (6-6) 21-20

Common Opponents: None

Vegas Hotsheets Favorite: Mississippi State -11

Offensive Team Data: Miami Ohio ;  Total Yards,  362 YPG;  Passing Yards,  228 YPG;  Rushing Yards,  134 YPG;  Scoring Average,  23 PPG, Turnovers,  1.5 TPG;  Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 38.1 %; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 83% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 56%

Offensive Team Data: Mississippi State ; Total Yards,  449 YPG; Passing Yards, 215 YPG;  Rushing Yards, 234 YPG; Scoring Average  32 PPG, Turnovers,  1.33 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 39.9%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 76% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 59%

Defensive Team Data: Miami Ohio ; Total Yards,  355 YPG; Passing Yards,  215 YPG;  Rushing Yards,  140 YPG; Scoring Average,  24 PPG, Turnovers,  1.75 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 39.4%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 80% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 60%

Defensive Team Data:  Mississippi State ; Total Yards,  461 YPG; Passing Yards,  283 YPG;  Rushing Yards,  178 YPG; Scoring Average,  33 PPG, Turnovers,  1.75 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 41.4%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 81% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 60%

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take Arizona’s total yards on offense, add it to what Nevada gives up on defense, …  get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking Nevada’s total offense, add it to what Arizona gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2  to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed!  That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards Advantage: Miami OH 411.5, Mississippi St 402

Passing Yards Advantage: Miami OH 255.5, Mississipp[ St 215

Rushing Yard Advantage: Mississippi St 187, Miami OH 156

Scoring Advantage: Tie Miami OH 28, Mississippi St 28

Turnovers Advantage: Mississippi St 1.54, Miami OH 1.625

3rd Down Conversions Advantage: Miami OH 39.75%, Mississippi St 39.65%

Red Zone All Scores Advantage: Miami OH 82%, Mississippi St. 78%

Red Zone TD’s Only Advantage: Mississippi St.59.5%, Miami Oh 58%

The Game Simulator Says: Statistically Miami wins 5 to 4 and the score is a dead heat at 28 apiece. Site says take Miami and the 11 points!

Individuals to Watch: Miss State QB Nick Fitzgerald 21/10 Ratio, 2287 passing yards; Miami QB, Gus Ragland, 15/0 Ratio, 1274 passing yards

Sully Says: 11 points is a lot of points for a team to be giving who got into the playoff with 5 wins. Miami lost its first 6 games and won its last 6. This game is an athletic mismatch, Mississippi State wins and covers the 11!

Bowl History: The Hawaii Bowl succeeds the Poi Bowl (1936–1939), Pineapple Bowl (1940–1941, 1947–1952), Aloha Bowl (1982–2000), and the O’ahu Bowl (1998–2000) as bowl games played in Hawaiʻi. This bowl is a new event not affiliated with the previous games, while the Aloha Bowl tried to move to San Francisco, California and was decertified by the NCAA, the Oʻahu Bowl was moved to Seattle, Washington and was held for two years as the Seattle Bowl before losing certification in 2002. This current Bowl came into existence in 2002 and has been played every year since its inception @ Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawai’i! The game is played either on Christmas Day or on Christmas Eve Day (one exception in 2007, the game was played on the 23rd of December)! The Bowl’s 1st sponsor was ConAgra Foods, for one year only, 2002, the next year (2003) Sheridan Hotels & Resorts Hawai’i took over and have sponsored the event from 2003 to 2014 when they declined to renew their sponsorship! The first Hawaii Bowl was played on December 25, 2002, the game featured Hawaii and Tulane, the Green Wave beat the Warriors, 36-28 in front of 35,513 fans! The 2011 defending Champ is Southern Miss (Please note, Southern Miss did not a game the next year, 2012), who survived Nevada, 24-17, on Christmas Eve Day! The Bowl Tie-ins were the WAC (2002 through 2011), C-USA (2005, 2007, & 2009 to Present) & in 2006 & 2008 the PAC 12 had the tie-in with the Western Athletic Conference (now defunct)! The Bowl Payout is $750,000.00 Per team!

Teams: Hawaii 6-7 (MWC) vs Middle Tenn 8-4 (C-USA)

Bowl Location: Ahola Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii

Day, Date & Time: Saturday, December 24, 2016, 7:00 p.m. CST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): Hawaii: Beat Air Force (9-3), OT; Middle Tennessee: beat Missouri (4-8 but SEC), 51-45, & Louisiana Tech (8-5), 38-34

Worst Losses: Hawaii: Lost to Michigan, 63-3 & San Diego State, 55-0, & Boise State, 52-16; Middle Tennessee: Vanderbilt (6-6) 47-24 & Marshall (3-9), 42-17

Common Opponents: None

Vegas HotsheetS Favorite: Middle Tennessee -4.5

Offensive Team Data: Hawaii ; Total Yards,  383 YPG; Passing Yards, 222 YPG; Rushing Yards, 161 YPG; Scoring Average, 26 PPG, Turnovers, 2.08 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 33.5%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 90% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 67%

Offensive Team Data: Middle Tenn ; Total Yards, 515 YPG; Passing Yards, 314 YPG; Rushing Yards, 201 YPG; Scoring Average 40 PPG, Turnovers, 1.42 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 45.3%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 94% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 76%

Defensive Team Data: Hawaii ; Total Yards, 455 YPG; Passing Yards, 212 YPG; Rushing Yards, 244 YPG; Scoring Average, 37 PPG, Turnovers, 1.08 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 48.4%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 86% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 60%

Defensive Team Data: Middle Tenn ; Total Yards, 445 YPG; Passing Yards, 247 YPG; Rushing Yards, 198 YPG; Scoring Average, 34 PPG, Turnovers, 1.67 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 37.6%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 79% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 69%

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take Arizona’s total yards on offense, add it to what Nevada gives up on defense, … get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking Nevada’s total offense, add it to what Arizona gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2 to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed! That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards Advantage: Middle Tenn 485 to 414

Passing Yards: Advantage: Middle Tenn 263 to 234.5

Rushing Yards Advantage: Middle Tenn 222.5 to 179.5

Scoring Advantage: Middle Tenn 38.5 to 30

Turnovers Advantage: Middle Tenn 1.25 to 1.875

3rd Down Conversions Advantage: Middle Tenn 46.85% to 35.55%

Red Zone All Scores Advantage: Middle Tenn 92% to 82%

Red Zone TD’s Only Advantage: Tie 68% to 68%

Game Simulator Says: Middle Tenn dominates 8 to 1 statiscally. Take Middle Tennessee and give the Rainbow Warriors the 4.5 as the GS thinks MTSU wins 39-30

Individuals to Watch: MTSU: QB, Brent Stockstill, 27/5 ratio TD to INT, passed for 2801 yards, 311.2 YPG 8th best in the country, WR, Richie James, 1463 Receiving Yards & 11 TD’s, RB, I’Tavius Mathews, 1504 Rushing Yards for 125.3 YPG; Hawaii: QB,Dru Brown 15/7 Ratio TD to INT, 2214 Passing Yards, 184.5 YPG, LB, Jahlani Tavai 6.2 Solo Tackles per Game!

Sully Says: This is a easy one, Game Simulator (GS) is all over this as MT wins and covers the 4.5 and then some!

Bowl History: The Dollar General Bowl is a postseason NCAA-sanctioned Division I FCS college football game that has been played annually at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile Alabama, since 1999. The game currently matches teams from the SBC and the MAC. The game was known as the Mobile Alabama Bowl from 1999 to 2000. It was then known as the GMAC Bowl from 2000 to 2010 when its corporate sponsorship was GMAC Financial Services, then known as first the GoDaddy.com Bowl from 2011 to 2013 when Go Daddytook over sponsorship and then the GoDaddy Bowl from 2014 to 2015. From 1999 to 2009, the bowl pitted a C-USA team against a team from either the MAC or the WAC (Defunct). For the2010 Game the ACC was to participate in the bowl as its ninth bowl tie-in. The ACC failed to have sufficient bowl-eligible teams to fill the slot, and the bowl chose Sun Belt conference champion Troy as a replacement. The Mid-American Conference was the other conference tie-in. The 2001 game between the Marshall and ECU set the record as the highest-scoring bowl game of all time, and Marshall achieved what was then the greatest scoring comeback in bowl history. In this contest, Marshall battled back from a 38–8 deficit to win 64–61 in double overtime. Thundering Herd quarterback Byron Leftwich threw for 576 yards in the game. When the GoDaddy Bowl first began, it was played as one of the first games of the bowl season and occupied a pre-Christmas date. The 2006-07 season saw the game moved to after New Year’s Day, and it served as one of the last bowls played before the national championship game of either the BCS or now the CFP For the 2015-16 season, the GoDaddy Bowl was moved back to its pre-Christmas slot. In the first January playing the Southern Miss knocked off the Ohio, 28–7. The 2008 game became the largest blowout in bowl history, with Tulsa beating Bowling Green, 63–7. On October 18, 2010, it was announced that the GMAC Bowl was renamed the GoDaddy.com Bowl. The 2013 edition of the GoDaddy.com Bowl was played on January 6, 2013, and featured No. 25 Kent state from the MAC and Arkansas State from the SBC. On May 15, 2013, it was announced that GoDaddy, in accordance with new generic top-level domain extensions being rolled out later in the year, had dropped the “.com” from the bowl’s name, rebranding it as the GoDaddy Bowl. Dollar General, a variety store chain, took over sponsorship on August 17, 2016!

Dollar General Teams:  Ohio vs Troy

Bowl Location: Ladd Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama

Day, Date & Time: Friday, December 23, 2016, 7:p.m. CST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): Ohio: Beat Toledo, 31-26; Troy: Beat Southern Miss (7-6), 37-31, Appalachian State (10-3), 28-24

Worst Losses: Ohio: Texas State (2-10), 56-54 OT; Troy: Georgia Southern, (5-7) 28-24

Common Opponents: None

Vegas Hotsheet Favorite: Troy -5

Offensive Team Data: Ohio ; Total Yards,  393 YPG; Passing Yards, 219 YPG; Rushing Yards, 174 YPG; Scoring Average, 27 PPG, Turnovers, 1.54 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 37.5%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 80% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 44%

Offensive Team Data: Troy ; Total Yards, 439 YPG; Passing Yards, 263 YPG; Rushing Yards, 176 YPG; Scoring Average 34 PPG, Turnovers, 1.5 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 36.4%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 91% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 66%

Defensive Team Data: Ohio ; Total Yards, 363 YPG; Passing Yards, 257 YPG; Rushing Yards, 106 YPG; Scoring Average, 22 PPG, Turnovers, 1.85 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 38%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 88% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 55%

Defensive Team Data: Troy ; Total Yards, 364 YPG; Passing Yards, 241 YPG; Rushing Yards, 124 YPG; Scoring Average, 22 PPG, Turnovers, 2.08 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 34.9%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 78% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 59%

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take Arizona’s total yards on offense, add it to what Nevada gives up on defense, … get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking Nevada’s total offense, add it to what Arizona gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2 to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed! That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards Advantage: Troy 401 to 378.5

Passing Yards Advantage: Troy 260 to 230

Rushing Yards Advantage: Ohio 149 to 141

Scoring Advantage: Troy 28 to 24.5

Turnovers Advantage: Troy 1.675 to 1.81

3rd Down Conversions Advantage: Troy 37.2 to 36.2

Red Zone All Scores Advantage: Troy 89.5 to 79

Red Zone TD’s Only Advantage: Troy 60.5 to 51.5

Game Simulator Says:  Troy wins satistically 7 to 1, but does not cover the 5! Game Simulator believes it’s Ohio and the 5 points as Troy wins 28-25

Individuals to Watch: Troy: QB Branden Silvers,22/10 Ratio TD’s to INT”s & passed for 2945 yards, RB Jordan Chunn, 1232 Rushing Yards, 13 TD’s, & 102.7 YPG; Ohio: RB Dorian Brown, 802 Rushing Yards,  4TD’s, & 66.8 YPG, QB Greg Windham, 1580 yards passing & 12/4 Ratio Td’s to INT’s

Sully Says: Game Simulator stayed out to late last night! Troy wins and covers the 5!

Bowl History: This bowl was established in 2003 as the Plains Capital Forth Worth Bowl. The game was played in Fort Worth, Texas from 2003 through 2009, it was then moved to SMU’s Campus (Gerald J. Ford Stadium) for the 2010 & 2011 games and has now moved back to to Fort Worth for the 2012 addition of the bowl. The game was moved from Amon G.  Carter Stadium for those two years because of stadium renovations. The first game in the series was played on December 23, 2003 between Boise State & TCU … Boise won, 34-31. Originally Alltel was to assume the title sponsorship and naming rights to the game beginning in 2014, which would have been titled the Alltel Wireless Bowl to promote its mobile division, but the deal fell through. Instead, Lockheed Martin became the game’s sponsor. The company has a major presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth : the company’s Lockheed Martin Aeronautics division is based in Fort Worth while its Lockheed Martin, Missles and Fire Control division is based in nearby Grand Prairie Texas. Conference tie-ins are Mountain West & Independents Army & Navy (if bowl eligible & available) and the bowl payout is 1.2 million!

Teams: Louisiana Tech 8-5 (C-USA)  vs Navy 9-4 (AAC)

Bowl Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas

Day, Date & Time: Friday, December 23, 2016, 3:30 CST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): Louisiana Tech beat Western Kentucky, 55-52; Navy beat Houston, 46-40, Memphis, 42-28, & ND 28-27

Worst Losses: Louisiana Tech lost to Texas Tech (5-7), 59-45; Navy’s lost to Army, 21-17

Common Opponents: None

Vegas Hotsheets Favorite: Navy -5

Offensive Team Data: Louisiana Tech ; Total Yards, 515 YPG; Passing Yards, 360 YPG; Rushing Yards, 156 YPG; Scoring Average, 44 PPG, Turnovers, 1.23 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 49%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 84% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 65%

Offensive Team Data: Navy ; Total Yards, 437 YPG; Passing Yards, 126 YPG; Rushing Yards, 312 YPG; Scoring Average 37 PPG, Turnovers, 1.08 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 54.5%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 89% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 82%

Defensive Team Data: Louisiana Tech ; Total Yards, 418 YPG; Passing Yards, 284 YPG; Rushing Yards, 134 YPG; Scoring Average, 33 PPG, Turnovers, 1.23 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 44.9%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 90% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 72%

Defensive Team Data: Navy ; Total Yards, 429 YPG; Passing Yards, 242 YPG; Rushing Yards, 187 YPG; Scoring Average, 30 PPG, Turnovers, 1.31 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 52.6%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 92% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 63%

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take Arizona’s total yards on offense, add it to what Nevada gives up on defense, … get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking Nevada’s total offense, add it to what Arizona gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2 to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed! That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards Advantage: Louisiana Tech 472 to 427.5

Passing Yards: Advantage: Louisiana Tech 301 to 205

Rushing Yards Advantage: Navy 223 to 171.5, ….

Scoring: Advantage: Louisiana Tech 37 to 35

Turnovers Advantage: Navy 1.115 to 1.27

3rd Down Conversions Advantage: Louisiana Tech 50.8 to 49.7

Red Zone All Scores Advantage: Navy 89.5 to 88

Red Zone TD’s Only Advantage: Navy 77 to 64

Game Simulator Says: A 4 to 4 Statistical Tie; Navy does not only not cover the 5, it loses the game outright, 37-35

Individuals to Watch: Louisiana Tech: WRs Trent Taylor 10 TD’s, 120.8 YPG & Carlos Henderson 17 TD’s & 117.2 YPG; Navy: QB Will Worth leads the country in TD’s scored 25, but he is out for the bowl game and back up Zach Abey has struggled in both the losses to Temple & Army.

Sully Says: Navy allows 242.5 passing yards a game (80th in the country)  & Louisiana Tech has the 3rd best passing game in the Nation (359.8 YPG)  Navy has the 4th best run game in the land, (310.9 YPG), while La Tech has the 30 best run D in the country (134.4 YPG). Navy, without  its QB, Will Worth, will continue to struggle, take the 5 points and La Tech!

Bowl History: The Bahamas Bowl is a National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA)-sanctioned Division 1 college football game played in Nassau, Bahamas at the 15,000-seat Thomas Robinson Stadium on December 23. The first game was played in 2014. Sponsored by the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant franchise, the game is officially known as the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. The game will feature a team from the Mid-American Conference in 2014 through 2016. In 2014 and 2015, the opponent will be from Conference-USA and in 2016 it will be from the American Athletic Conference. The Bahamas Bowl is the first postseason FBS bowl game outside of the United States or Canada between two U.S. teams since the January 1, 1937 Bacardi, Bowl in Havana, Cuba

Teams: Eastern Michigan 7-5 (MAC) vs Old Dominion 9-3 (C-USA)

Bowl Location: Thomas A. Robinson Stadium Nassau, Bahamas

Day, Date & Time: Friday, December, 23, 2016, 12:00 p.m.

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): Old Dominion beat Southern Miss. 51-35, Eastern Michigan beat Ohio, 27-20, who won the East Division of the MAC & beat Wyoming, 27-24, who won the Mountain Division of the MWC.

Worst Losses: Eastern lost to Missouri, 61-21 while Old Dominion got hammered by Western Kentucky, 59-24.

Common Opponents: UNC Charlotte: Old Dominion won, 52-17 and Eastern Michigan won, 37-19

Vegas Hotsheets Favorite: Old Dominion -4

Offensive Team Data: Eastern Michigan; Total Yards, 453;  Passing Yards, 158 YPG; Rushing Yards, 295 YPG;; Scoring Average, 30 PPG; Turnovers, 1.75 ,TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 44.8%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 90% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 65%

Offensive Team Data: Old Dominion ; Total Yards, 434 YPG; Passing Yards, 238 YPG; Rushing Yards, 196 YPG; Scoring Average 34 PPG, Turnovers, 0.75 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 36.6%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 85% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 63%

Defensive Team Data: Eastern Michigan ; Total Yards, 432 YPG; Passing Yards, 268 YPG; Rushing Yards, 164 YPG; Scoring Average, 30 PPG, Turnovers, 1.92 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 41.7%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 83% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 69%

Defensive Team Data: Old Dominion ; Total Yards, 376 YPG; Passing Yards, 220 YPG; Rushing Yards, 155 YPG; Scoring Average, 27 PPG, Turnovers, 1.75 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 33.9%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 89% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 80%

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take Arizona’s total yards on offense, add it to what Nevada gives up on defense, … get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking Nevada’s total offense, add it to what Arizona gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2 to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed! That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards Advantage: Old Dominion 433 to 414.5, 

Passing Yards Advantage: Eastern Michigan 257.5 to 253,

Rushing Yards Advantage: Old Dominion 180 to 156.5,

Scoring Advantage: Old Dominion 32 to 28.5, 

Turnovers Advantage: Old Dominion 1.335 to 1.75, 

3rd Down Conversion Advantage: Eastern Michigan 39.35 to 39.15,

Red Zone All Scores Advantage: Eastern Michigan 89.5 to 84,

Red Zone TD’s Only Advantage: Eastern Michigan 72.5 to 66.5, 

Game Simulator Says: Pregame analysis says this game will end in a statistical tie with both teams outperforming the other in 4 of the 8 categories assessed. That said, it predicts Old Dominion will win 32-29, but will not cover the 4 points. Take Eastern Michigan and the points is the Simulators call!

Individuals to Watch: Old Dominion QB, David Washington, 28/4 TD INT Ratio, passed for 2648 yards. Eastern Michigan, DL, Pat O’Connor leads the team in Sacks 8.0 for an average of .67 per game.

Sully Says: Not so fast my simulated friend, Old Dominion by a Touchdown or more, Take the Monarchs and give the Eagles the 4 points

Bowl History: This Bowl began in 1997, (formally known as the Humanitarian Bowl) Conference tie-ins, WAC (now defunct) Champ vs a team from the MAC. Cincinnati beat Utah State in the Bowl’s inaugural game, 35-19, while last year (2015), Akron beat Utah State, 23-21! Bowl Payout; $325,000.00 to both teamst

Teams: Idaho vs Colorado State

Bowl Location: The game is played annually in Boise, Idaho @ Albertsons Stadium on the campus of Boise State University! Stadium capacity is 36,387

Day, Date & Time: Thursday, December 22. 2016, 6:00 p.m. CST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): Idaho: beat Louisiana Lafayette, 23-13; Colorado State: Beat San Diego State, 63-31

Worst Losses: Idaho: to the Washington school’s by a total score of 115 to 20!  Colorado State: Air Force, CSU Offense scored 46, the D allowed AFA 49

Common Opponents: Boise State: Idaho lost 45-10; Colorado State: lost 28-23

Vegas Hotsheets Favorite: Colorado State -13.5

Offensive Team Data: Idaho ; Total Yards, 380 YPG; Passing Yards, 238 YPG; Rushing Yards, 142 YPG; Scoring Average, 28 PPG, Turnovers, 1.42 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 39.2%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 95% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 57%

Offensive Team Data: Colorado State ; Total Yards, 467 YPG; Passing Yards, 249 YPG; Rushing Yards, 219 YPG; Scoring Average 34 PPG, Turnovers, 0.83 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 112.7%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 94% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 78%

Defensive Team Data: Idaho ; Total Yards, 413 YPG; Passing Yards, 270 YPG; Rushing Yards, 143 YPG; Scoring Average, 30 PPG, Turnovers, 2.08 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 42.4%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 91% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 59%

Defensive Team Data: Colorado State ; Total Yards, 375 YPG; Passing Yards, 170 YPG; Rushing Yards, 205 YPG; Scoring Average, 28 PPG, Turnovers, 1.33 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 45.7%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 93% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 73%

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take Idaho’s total yards on offense, add it to what CSU gives up on defense, … get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking CSU’s total offense, add it to what Idaho gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2 to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed! That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards Advantage: Colorado State 440 to 377.5, ….

Passing Yards Advantage: Colorado State 259.5 to 204, ….

Rushing Yards Advantage: Colorado State 181 to 173.5, ….

Scoring Advantage: Colorado State 32 to 28, ….

Turnovers Advantage: Idaho 1.375 to 1.455, …

3rd Down Conversions Advantage: Colorado State 77.55 to 42.45, …

Red Zone All Scores Advantage: Colorado State 93 – 91

Red Zone TD’s Only Advantage: Colorado State 74 to 64.5, …

Game Simulator Says: Colorado State wins 7 to 1 in the 8 the categories assessed! The Rams win but do not cover take Idaho and the 13.5 points!

Individuals to Watch: Idaho, QB Matt Lineham 15 TD,s to 10 INT’s (1.5 to 1 is not a good ratio), Turnovers could be a factor. Colorado State, QB, Nick Stevens is 10th in the country in average yards per attempt (Attempt not Completion) @ 9.04 YPA. Impressive!

Sully Says: 13.5 is a ton of points to give a team that has played its way into the 2nd season. That said, CSU has sdcored 112 points in its last two games, while giving up 62 points in those games (New Mexico & San Diego State). Both of these teams are better than Idaho and the Rams won these games by an average point differencial of 25! Take CSU and give the Vandals the 13.5!

Bowl History:  The original Poinsettia Bowl was first played in 1952 and featured the champions of the Eastern and Western Military Bases against one another. Bolling Air Force Base defeated San Diego Naval Training Center, 35-14, on December 20, 1952! This format was followed through 1955, the bowl was cancelled after the 1955 game! The Poinsettia Bowl was resurrected in 2005, with the intent to involve the military academies on an annual basis, when and if Bowl eligible. In the 2005 game, Navy beat Colorado State, 51-30, last year’s game (2015) featured Western Kentucky and South Florida, a game won by WK, 45-35! The 2008 game, between #11 (TCU) and 9th ranked (Boise State) was the highest rated pre-Christmas Bowl game ever on ESPN – TCU 17 Boise State 16! Poinsettia Bowl Pay out, $500,000.00 per team

Teams: BYU vs Wyoming 

Bowl Location: San Diego, California. The San Diego County Credit Union, Poinsettia Bowl is played at Qualcomm Stadium with a capacity of 71,500

Day, Date & Time: Wednesday, December 21, 2016, 8:00 p.m. CST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): BYU went 3-3 vs P5 Opponents, the Cougars beat Arizona, 18-16, Michigan State, 31-14, & Mississippi State, 28-21 in OT. It should be noted none of these teams had a winning record in 2015. Wyoming beat MWC Champion, San Diego State, 34-33!

Worst Losses: Wyoming’s lost to UNLV (4-8) 69-66 in OT; BYU’s lost to UCLA (4-8), 17-14!

Common Opponents: Boise State: Wyoming beat 30-28 & BYU lost to 28-27 & Utah State: Wyoming beat 52-28 & BYU beat the Aggies 28-10

Vegas Hotsheets Favorite: BYU -10

Offensive Team Data: BYU ; Total Yards, 402 YPG; Passing Yards, 212 YPG; Rushing Yards, 190 YPG; Scoring Average, 30 PPG, Turnovers, 1.42 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 45.6%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 94% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 60%

Offensive Team Data: Wyoming ; Total Yards, 439 YPG; Passing Yards, 230 YPG; Rushing Yards, 209 YPG; Scoring Average 37 PPG, Turnovers, 1.69 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 43.5%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 90% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 74%

Defensive Team Data: BYU ; Total Yards, 368 YPG; Passing Yards, 250 YPG; Rushing Yards, 118 YPG; Scoring Average, 19 PPG, Turnovers, 2.42 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 39.5%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 73% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 55%

Defensive Team Data: Wyoming ; Total Yards, 465 YPG; Passing Yards, 261 YPG; Rushing Yards, 204 YPG; Scoring Average, 35 PPG, Turnovers, 1.85 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 42.7%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 77% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 62%

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take Wyoming’s total yards on offense, add it to what BYU gives up on defense, … get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking BYU’s total offense, add it to what Wyoming gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2 to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed! That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards Advantage: BYU 433.5 to 403.5, ….

Passing Yards Advantage: Wyoming 240 to 236.5, ….

Rushing Yards Advantage: BYU 197 to 163.5, ….

Scoring Advantage: BYU 32.5 to 28, ….

Turnovers Advantage: BYU 1.635 to 2.055, …

3rd Down Conversions Advantage: BYU 44.15 to 41.5, …

Red Zone All Scores Advantage: BYU 85.5 to 81.5, …

Red Zone TD’s Only Advantage: Wyoming 64.5 to 61, …

Simulator Says:  BYU 6 to 2 Statistacally, BYU wins 33-28 but does not cover, Wyoming and the 10 points is the call!

Individuals to Watch: Wyoming’s QB Josh Allen, passed for 2.996, 26 TD’s, 13 INT’s, & 15.6 YPC (4th best in the country); BYU’s Jamaal Williams, 1165 Rushing Yards, 129.4 YPG (8th best in the nation), 11 rushing TD’s

Sully Says: BYU will win this game outright, by a FG or less! Giving Wyoming 4 would be too many, 10 is boarding on crazy! Take Wyoming and the 10 to the local bank~

Bowl History: The Boca Raton Bowl is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned Division I football bowl game played in Boca Raton, Florida at FAU Stadium, which is located on the campus of FAU. The bowl was founded on October 10, 2013, and was first played as part of the 2014 schedule of postseason bowl games. The bowl game will be televised by ESPN. The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is scheduled to be the primary conference involved in the Boca Raton Bowl until 2019. The Northern Illinois Huskies were chosen as the conference’s first representative. C-USA was contracted to provide a team for the 2014 playing and the conference sent its champion, the Marshall Thundering Herd. Both the MAC and C-USA did not have automatic bowl bids for their champions entering 2014; C-USA lost its contract with the Liberty Bowl while the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, which usually took the MAC champion, was discontinued after its 2013 playing and the GoDaddy Bowl, which takes a MAC team and has the option to take the conference champion if it desires, elected to take Toledo instead. The AAC is to provide a team to the Boca Raton Bowl in 2015. Other NCAA FBS conferences are expected to send teams to the bowl in alternating years after that, but these have yet to be announced. The bowl game is owned and operated by ESPN Events, and is televised by ESPN as part of its annual “Bowl Week”. On October 6, 2015, Marmot was announced as the title sponsor of the game.

Teams: Memphis 8-4 (AAC) vs Western Kentucky 10-3 (C-USA)

Bowl Location: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida

Day, Date & Time: Tuesday, December 20, 2016, 6:00 p.m. CST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): Memphis beat Houston, 48-44 & AAC Champ, Temple, 34-27, WK beat Louisiana Tech in the C-USA Championship Game, 58-44!

Worst Losses: Memphis only loss to a team that did not have a winning record was to Ole Miss, 48-28; Western Kentucky lost in OT to Vanderbilt, 31-30

Common Opponents: None

Vegas Hotsheets Favorite: Western Kentucky -5

Offensive Team Data: Memphis ; Total Yards, 461 YPG; Passing Yards, 295 YPG; Rushing Yards, 167 YPG; Scoring Average, 40 PPG, Turnovers, 1.17 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 41.2%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 80% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 65%

Offensive Team Data: Western Kentucky ; Total Yards, 517 YPG; Passing Yards, 302 YPG; Rushing Yards, 216 YPG; Scoring Average 45 PPG, Turnovers, 1.62 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 45.9%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 86% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 65%

Defensive Team Data: Memphis; Total Yards, 443 YPG; Passing Yards, 243 YPG; Rushing Yards, 200 YPG; Scoring Average, 27 PPG, Turnovers, 2.58 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 37.9%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 82% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 50%

Defensive Team Data: Western Kentucky ; Total Yards, 368 YPG; Passing Yards, 262 YPG; Rushing Yards, 105 YPG; Scoring Average, 24 PPG, Turnovers, 1.38 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 38.1%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 86% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 58%

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take WK’s total yards on offense, add it to what Memphis gives up on defense, … get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking Memphis’s total offense, add it to what WK gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2 to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed! That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards Advantage: WK 480 to 414.5

Passing Yards Advantage: Memphis 278.5 to 272.5

Rushing Yards Advantage: WK 208 to 136

Scoring Advantage: WK 36-32

Turnovers Advantage: Memphis 1.275 to 2.1

3rd Down Conversions Advantage: WK 41.9% to 39.65%

Red Zone All Scores Advantage: WK 84% to 83%

Red Zone TD’s Only Advantage: Memphis 61.5% to 57.5

Simulator Says: WK will outperform Memphis in 5 of the 8 Categories assessed

Individuals to Watch: WK QB Mike White 34/6 ratio TD’s to INT’s. 4027 Yards Passing; Memphis QB, Riley Ferguson 28/9 Ratio , 3326 Yards Passing

Sully Says: This should be an entertaining game, if I were a betting man, I would stay away from this one. That said, take Memphis and the 5 points