Central Florida (10-3) vs. Mississippi State (7-5)
December 29, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
The Bulldogs are bowl eligible for the first time since 2000.
And their task isn't an easy one, as they'll get a healthy dose of Kevin Smith, the nation's leading rusher.
Smith has been a stud, attempting 20 carries in all but one game (the only time he he was held under 100 yards). Remember when everyone made a big stink about Penn State's Larry Johnson notching 2,000 yards? Well Smith has 2,448 this season. You read that right.
Mississippi State has a decent defense to counter its unbelievably bad offense, but the Bulldogs are great against the pass. And if you read the paragraph right above this one, you'll remember that the Knights run the ball until their opponent can't take it anymore.
The line: Central Florida -3
The pick: Central Florida
Comments (1)
If Smith breaks Barry Sanders' single-season record, will we see a similar uproar to when Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's HR record (not to the magnitude, obviously)? Smith has had 3 games more than Sanders had to accomplish the feat.
Amazing record, if he gets it. I'm not sure where I stand on it.