Meticoulous Miles Shuts Down Opposition

By Bradley Smart

Miles while pitching at the University of Missouri

The Vermont Mountaineers are 15-7 and are sitting 2.5 games up of the closest team and holding the best record in the NECBL.

And making a huge contribution is the 6’0 John Miles, a pitcher who’s given up just one earned run over 24 innings. This ridiculous 0.38 ERA is nothing new for Miles, as the sophomore out of the University of Missouri lead the team this past spring with a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings of work.

He was a key member of the Tigers pitching staff, as he continually pitched out of trouble while striking out 23 against 11 walks. He also tied for the team lead in saves with two, as he got out of a jam against Missouri State as well as a gem against Florida, ranked 36th in the nation.

Miles shut down Florida and threw 2.1 innings, allowing just one run while striking out two.

When he arrived at the Recreation Field in Montpelier, Miles picked up where he left off- blowing by hitters and keeping the damage to a bare minimum.

He recently took time to speak with NECBL.com.

NECBL.com: You’ve pitched 24 innings, starting three games and have given up just one earned run. What’s clicking for you this summer?

I'm pitching good baseball, just getting on the mound and enjoying myself- I'm playing baseball for the sake of baseball, just enjoying myself. I feel like I'm a little league right now- I'm in the sandbox and I'm just having a good time. The biggest thing is you're so high strung out of college and you come here and you’re a little relaxed, you're able to calm down. You're able to play like you're 13 years old and it feels great, playing like a little kid. There's nothing better than that feeling that you're out here, just playing with your teammates and enjoying yourself, enjoying the summer. It's just a great feeling and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

NECBL.com: You didn’t start any games during the Missouri season, which was a lot different from both your freshman year (where you started four) and as a senior in high school where you posted a 6-0 record. Are you more of a reliever now or is it temporary?

I'm a pitcher. I'm a pitcher and I will pitch where ever I get my innings. If my team needs me out of the pen, I'll throw out of the pen, if they need me to start I'll start. It's just one of those things that sometimes, this past year, my sophomore year, had a rough start from the get go and didn't work out great but I battled through it, got more innings in the second half of the year and threw better. I just want to help my team win. And I want to win. Bottom line. And I want to put up the best numbers I can in order for my team to win. And if its out of the pen relieving, closing or starting it's what's going to happen. It doesn't matter, just trying to have fun and pitch.

NECBL.com: You’ve started games for the Mountaineers, and come out of the bullpen for them- which position do you prefer?

They're different. Some days I'm sitting in the bullpen when a teammate starts and I say, jeez, I'd really like to close today, I'm feeling good but then there's days where theres a team you're playing and you want to get out there and prove something, and throw seven shutout innings and have ten k's- you want to prove something.For me, preference is day to day. It really is.

NECBL.com: Last summer, you played for the Sedalia Bombers in the MINK league, which is in the midwest- how does the NECBL compare to that league?

It's a much  better league. The MINK league is a decent league but this is a top tier league, more guys drafted out of this league last year then the Cape, which speaks volumes for this league. I threw a lot of innings my freshman year so I only had a few starts over in the MINK league. It was a fun league, great guys but you know this is a whole new experience. You have towns coming out and supporting the team. It's a lot different how much this town is behind us and how much all the town are behind their teams. It's really cool to see towns backing teams like that.

NECBL.com: How did you land on your major, Business?

I like money and it was one of those things where going in to school it attracted me and I thought it would be a good suit for me and I would be able to enjoy all the courses I was going to take and that they would be beneficial to me later in life and it's very applicable to the real world. It's a good major and it's very very useful in society and our world.

NECBL.com: You play Newport twice on the 23rd, and Brett Graves, a fellow Missouri Tiger is on that team. He’s posted a 3-0 record with a 0.77 era- what’s it going to be like facing off against him?

He's one of my best friends, so I guess I'll go ahead and say no comment, other than the fact that he's a great kid, he's a great teammate, he's a great pitcher and I wish the best for him, no matter what, I wish the best for him.

John Miles Personal File

Favorite Food: “I got a sweet tooth. Oh my god, I love sweets. Cookies, cakes, pies. It is my favorite food, bar down.”

Favorite Movie: “The Prestige. It's a magic movie, a thriller- it's a very good film.”

Favorite Music: “Rock. Big fan of 80's rock.”

Toughest Class at the University of Missouri: “Econ. An Econ course is no fun.”

Favorite MLB player: “Chris Carpenter, hands down. He's the man.”

Players stay sharp with Babe Ruth baseball

This article originally appeared in the Times Argus on July 2nd, 2013.
By Bradley Smart

CORRESPONDENT

The Mountaineers are hitting their stride and Little League All-Star tournaments kick off this week, but not to be lost in the shuffle is Babe Ruth baseball.

This year marks the first time in more than a decade that the U-32 district will field two full teams for Babe Ruth, which is open to players in the 13-15 age range. Babe Ruth baseball was founded in 1951 and consists of four divisions: 13-year-old Prep, 13-15 years old, 16-18yearsold and 16-year-old Prep. Each of these divisions feature multiple districts, with teams entering tourneys after the regular season in an effort to advance to the Babe Ruth World Series.

Last year championships were crowned to division-winning teams from New York, Arkansas, New Jersey and Kentucky. A Vermont squad has never made it past the New England Regional. 

Since the New England Regionals’ inception in 2001, the winners have gone a combined 16-24 during the Little League World Series.The New England champs have gone down in the group stage seven times, and the farthest they’ve made it is fourth place. That happened during back-to-back years, with both teams from Massachusetts.

Newport Gulls Continue to be Ideal Franchise

This piece originally appeared on NECBL.com on June 28th, 2013

By Bradley Smart

Last season, the Newport Gulls went 31-10, owned the best record in the NECBL, and swept the Danbury Westerners in the finals to win their record fifth championship.  It marked their eighth appearance in the finals in their 12-year history. Since their inception in 2001, the Gulls have led the league in attendance six years and have never fallen outside the top five in the league, an impressive feat.

Perfect Game USA, a organization centering around amateur baseball players (high school and college) ranked them as the best summer collegiate team last season, ahead of the likes of Cape Cod’s best. 

And how do they do it? 

Year in and year out, the Gulls have placed themselves in the NECBL elite.  The reason for that originates at how the Gulls ownership have created an atmosphere at Cardines Field rivaled by none other, and an anchor in fiery manager Mike Coombs.

When the Rhode Island Gulls moved to Newport and Cardines Field, a completely new team was born. 

Under the management of Chuck Pavia, the Gulls have developed a reputation as a class-act ball club, attracting, on average, two thousand fans a game to see some of the best players in collegiate baseball.

The active crowds, the historical ballpark and great management have led the Gulls to have the ability to recruit talented players.

Management is key, and nobody does it better in the NECBL than the team with the Gulls. Since Mike Coombs has come in, the Gulls have gone 226-107 under him and the team has the most wins in NECBL history.

Coombs has led the Gulls to three NECBL championships, as well as having a 31-10 postseason record. He played two seasons in the minors, between the Rookie and A league, hitting .279 with a .377 OBP and 13 RBI over 45 games.

All in all, the Newport Gulls are exactly what future summer collegiate teams should model
themselves off of.

This year has been no exception, as Newport have gone 9-1 over their last ten games, and currently have a three game winning streak. 

This year, it is evident Newport can get some of the best players, as 13 of the 29 man roster the Gulls have were all drafted at some point, between 2010 and 2012. 

As with Gull’s teams of the past, superb pitching and offensive firepower have helped. 

Newport’s pitching has been unbelievable, with four players posting ridiculous numbers so far this year. The staff, headlined by the likes of James Mulry and Sean Hartnett have a team ERA of 1.36, and a WHIP of 1.05 and have given up just one home run over 132 innings pitched, as well as striking out 139.

Newport is one of the best pitching teams in the NECBL, ranking first in ERA, Opponent AVG, HR, WHIP, Opponent SLG and shutouts. 

The Gulls aren’t one-dimensional though, as they are also consistently one of the top hitting teams in the league. Led by Cody Jones this year, Newport is near the top of the league in most hitting categories, with a team .272 average and 88 runs over just 14 games.

The reason for this? 

Newport has slowly built a name for themselves, allowing them to recruit some of the best players in the nation, and have talent equivalent to some of the best leagues in the nation- leagues like the Cape Cod league.

The Cape Cod-esque talent on the Gulls was on display when they took on the Wareham Gateman from Cape Cod in an annual exhibition. The Gulls won 7-3. 

NECBL Realignment

This article originally appeared in the Times Argus on June 4th, 2013.

By Bradley Smart

CORRESPONDENT

In ten days time, the Recreation Field in Montpelier will come alive with the Mountaineers and their opponents, in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. The NECBL has been around since 1994, growing year by year, and this years adds more excitement to the league.

The NECBL is adding three new franchises this year - South Kingstown, RI; Plymouth, RI; and Saratoga Springs, NY. The Saratoga Brigade, scheduled to open up their season in less than ten days, marks the first team located outside of New England.

“I think its really good because it does give us a foothold in a new state, a new area, and that could possibly be an area to grow our name,” said Don Leypoldt, Media Relations Director at NECBL, on the introduction of a non-New England team, “and maybe even grow more teams if strong roots form.”

This expansion also marks realignment, the first since 2003, which will find the local Vermont Mountaineers facing a new rival in the Western division, as the Saratoga Brigade, located just three hours away, makes for a natural rivalry.

“Montpelier and Saratoga aren’t that far, so that’s kind of a natural rivalry,” Leypoldt said. ”It kind of worked out that way, by adding the teams, it kind of made us rethink how to align them, and there were some natural and geographic breaks that made up our divisions.”

Other key changes were adding the Ocean State Waves (South Kingstown, RI) and the Plymouth Pilgrims (Plymouth, RI) to the Eastern division, furthering the stark difference from coastal and mainland teams. The Newport Gulls, defending league champions, face competition from not one, but two new teams in the Eastern Division.

This influx of new teams is nothing new for the NECBL, though.

Since 2008, the North Shore Navigators, Old Orchard Raging TIde, and Bristol Collegiate have come and gone, and over the 20 years the NECBL has existed, there have been 36 teams that have played in the league.

North Shore dates back to 1994, originally the Middletown Giants, then becoming the Holyoke Giants. They won four NECBL titles, but in 2012 left for the Future Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). Joining them in the departure was the Old Orchard Raging Tide, and familiar faces have been there for years.

The league they departed for, the FCBL, has been growing in popularity since it originated three years ago, in 2010. Now with nine teams, located mainly in Massachusetts, but also around New England, the FCBL has been growing not only in attendance but in familiarity. The Nashua Silver Knights, who have won the only two championships in the league’s history, average over 1,200 people in home attendance per game. The FCBL’s total attendance last year (175,943) topped the NECBL’s (173,228).

The Raging Tide and the Navigators join a growing list of defunct NECBL teams, including the Riverpoint Royals, the Central Mass Collegians and the Waterbury Barons. Other teams that don’t stop playing, simply change their name and location, and become a new team.

For example, the Mystic Schooners, one of the NECBL’s charter franchises, started out as the Eastern Tides, then transitioned under the ownership of Dan Duquette through five different team names, finally settling for the past few years on the Schooners.

However, over the past couple of years, with the exception of the Tides and Navigators leaving, and the addition of three new teams, the league has established a number of core teams that are not changing.

“We do think that this is going to be the look of the league for the next few years,” Leypoldt said. “No one likes the moving around. We certainly hope that we’ve got permanent ball clubs.”

Leypoldt continued, “I would say teams like Vermont, Newport are all pretty permanent.”

The Mountaineers, going into their 11th season in the NECBL, are amongst a group of teams in their teens, not going anywhere soon.

Vermont is part of that core group, with the Danbury Westerners (19th year), Keene Swamp Bats (16th year), Sanford Mainers and Newport Gulls (12th) and the North Adams Steeplecats (8th).

Looking forward, it appears that that a majority of the teams are here to stay, while 2013 will be a key year for teams like Plymouth, Ocean State and Saratoga who are just starting up.

Plymouth’s president Dave Dittman said, “Getting a good team is challenging, since there is over 40 leagues throughout the country. Plymouth is fired up, the town really wants this.”

That, according to Leypoldt, is exactly what the NECBL is looking for. “And, we’re never going to turn down a good opportunity,” Leypoldt said.

Futsal on the rise at Civic Center

This article originally appeared in the Times Argus on April 2nd, 2013

By Bradley Smart

CORRESPONDENT

From Friday evening to Tuesday evening, the Central Vermont Civic Center is bustling as teams from all across Central Vermont compete in futsal, in a variety of age groups and skills.

Everybody from 10-year olds to adults play in competitive leagues that span the lull between winter and spring sports.

Headed by the dragon of Capital Soccer, every March means the start of yet another seven-week season, with 10 leagues, all competing to win there league’s Capital Soccer Futsal League Championship.

The leagues are there not only to provide something to keep people occupied, but to help increase skill levels in youth soccer players, as one of futsals main components is footwork.

Soccer greats like Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Brazilian legend Pele both became star soccer players because they worked in futsal leagues to improve and refine their footwork.

The main futsal hub is in Brazil, but the sport has been consistently spreading under FIFA, soccer’s main governing body, and now has leagues all throughout the world.

Brazil is still the top Futsal country, as is evident by their dominance in past Futsal World Cups, but it extends beyond, into their soccer game.

The way Brazil plays their soccer shows that there futsal leaks out onto the field, and the world-famous style that Brazil plays is futsal leaking out on the bigger pitch.

The United States has been behind the trend, but futsal is growing throughout the United States, as leagues like the one at the Civic Center are popping up in towns and cities in America.

The Civic Center awakens on weekends, as from 9:00 to deep in the afternoon, family and players come and go, with games right after eachother. One could sit and enjoy countless hours of quality play, toughness and determination.

This league is filled with many players from various schools across Vermont, and rivals meet, determined to win, and friends clash, the friendship ignored for the time being,  making for intriguing storylines and exciting play.

One of the moments that symbolized just how determined this league is was a player on a team that was down a few goals. He had two bloody knees from scraping his knees on the hard, artificial turf, but he kept going. He toughed up and never once stopped hustling from one end of the pitch to the other.

These leagues, all 10 of them, have turned weekends in Central Vermont into days filled with futsal, a remarkable event, a event that everybody involved in this league should be proud of.

BCS National Championship Preview

The 2012 NCAA football season was as interesting and exciting as any other season in recent memory. You had everything, from upsets to incredible plays. You saw a freshman win the Heisman for the first time in history. You watched as the #1 team in the preseason drop out of the top 50 teams in the nation. You got to see the two teams destined to play for the national championship both lose with two weeks left. You even saw a senior take home six of college footballs prestigious awards.

At the end of this chaotic season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Alabama Crimson Tide emerged as the top two teams that will meet in Sun Life Stadium on January 7 to play for the BCS Championship.

Notre Dame, the nation’s #1 team, has come a long way. Under Coach of the Year Brian Kelly, their top-ranked defense led the way to an undefeated 12-0 record and the #1 ranking. Manti Te’o, their defensive savior, took home six awards, including the Walter Camp and Maxwell Awards, earning him the honor of being college football’s best player. Kelly and the Irish come into this game trying to end a 23-year championship drought.

Alabama, which was in the nation’s top five teams for the entire season, including a eight-week span at #1. The Crimson Tide kept their blueprint from their past two titles, which is to play shutdown defense (ranked second in the nation), combined with a run game that frustrates opponents (averaging 230 yards and nearly three touchdowns per game). This year, Alabama modified their plan by reducing starting quarterback A.J McCarron pass attempts and replacing them with better looks. This change resulted in McCarron averaging over ten yards per pass attempt (tops in the nation) and an incredible 173.1 passer rating, also first in the nation. Saban and the Tide come into this game trying to win the SEC’s seventh straight title and there third in four years.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this game is how alike these two teams are. Both teams have a dynamic defense that shuts down opponents. Both teams are 50-50 between run and pass plays. Both teams average the same number of turnovers, get around the same amount of penalties, and basically play the same game of football.

However, there are some differences between these two teams that will decide this game.

Alabama has shown they can win against top teams. One could argue Notre Dame can as well, and they are undefeated, but Alabama has an edge here. Notre Dame played four ranked teams, and won by 48 points, an average of 12 point wins over teams like Oklahoma and Michigan State. However, if ignore Alabama’s five point loss to Texas A&M, they played four Top 25 teams and beat them by a combined 67 points. Included in that list were then #5 LSU and #8 Michigan. They showed that their defense isn’t the only thing they need to win (the defense allowed 66 points in those games), which was what their seasons were about during their last two championships.

The big talk these past couple of weeks is about Notre Dame’s goal line defense, which has been referred to 

from a brick wall to a force field. The hype about this defense comes from the Stanford game, where in overtime, clinging to a seven point lead, the Irish stuffed top running back Stepfan Taylor four times in a row to preserve their undefeated season. Their D-line, highly touted, gives up touchdowns just 24% of the time opponents are in the red zone. This is a big problem for Alabama, who against winning teams got in 66% of the time, which means they scored touchdowns two out of every three times, and they’re going against a rock-hard defense that gives up a red zone touchdown once every four times.

Facing a top-ranked defense, it may be rare for Alabama to get a bunch of red zone opportunities, which could be a big factor in this game.

However, this red zone advantage doesn’t just belong to Notre Dame. Alabama has the second lowest opponent red zone conversion rate in the country, ahead of the Irish, at 62.96%, one percent better than Notre Dame. This advantage is somewhat offset when you consider that Alabama gives up a touchdown 46% of the times that they don’t stop their opponent.

One big thing that stands out in this game is the quarterbacks. McCarron, a junior, has a lot of experience. A 22-year old, McCarron has played in two BCS Championship games, won both of them and added a title game Offensive MVP award on his resume. He is a talented player capable of pulling through in the clutch, like he did against Georgia in the SEC Championship game, and as he has done all season. His counterpart, sophomore Everett Golson is the opposite of him. The title game will be just his 13^th of his short career, and he doesn’t have the stats or resume backing him up. McCarron threw for over 2,600 yards while adding 26 touchdowns and just three interceptions, while Golson threw for barely 2,100 and 11 touchdowns, while throwing five picks. The inexperience will show in a pressure situation, and McCarron’s maturity will help the Tide.

Finally, the run game. Both teams balance their game plan pretty evenly, as it’s about 50-50 run and pass. And, yet again, Alabama has the upper hand. Led by the dynamic duo of freshman T.J Yeldon and junior Eddie Lacy, these two combined for 2,182 yards, 27 touchdowns and averaged seven yards a carry, leading Alabama to a very efficient rush offense. The Tide ran for the 20^th most yards a game, 5^th in yards per carry and 13^th in rushing touchdowns. Compared to Notre Dame, whose 27^th in yards per game, 28^th in yards per carry and 45^th in rushing touchdowns, which says a lot. Notre Dame can’t keep up. Their go to backs, Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood, mixed in with all-purpose quarterback Everett Golson, combined for 2,430 yards while averaging just barely five yards a carry. All around, in total yards, Alabama has 2,920 to Notre Dame’s 2,430.

What’s interesting is that the run game could be shut down completely. Alabama has the best-run defense in the country, only giving up 80 yards a game, while Notre Dame is not to far behind. The Irish are 4^th in run defense, giving up just 92 yards a game. Alabama gives up just two yards a carry, so expect to see Riddick and Wood consistently getting stuffed and pushed back, forcing Golson to air it out and use the passing game. Notre Dame gives up about three yards a carry, so it will be a grind it out, slow paced game with a lot of punts if these teams revert to their run games.

Finally, there’s the pass defense. Alabama, again, is up there on, at 6^thnationally, only giving up 166 yards a game, with 17 interceptions this season. The Irish pass defense is also strong, at 20^th in the nation, giving up about 200 yards a game. The Irish, also have a ball-hawking defense with 16 interceptions. However, because of the big difference between these two teams’ quarterbacks, there is a clear advantage for the Tide.

All around, the Tide and the Irish have their strengths and flaws, but one team has more strengths then the other. Alabama has more advantages, and if it wasn’t for their nail-biting loss to the Aggies, they would be at the top of the rankings. Taking all of their advantages, they factor into a win for the Crimson Tide, extending the SEC’s six year title game winning streak another year.

Expect the beginning of this game to be defense-controlled, with no points on the board until the second quarter. Notre Dame will pull ahead 7-3 going into half, and there momentum will carry into the third quarter, which is all Notre Dame. The Irish put ten points on the board to go up 17-3. However, in the fourth quarter, McCarron shows his cool by leading Alabama on three drives, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal. Alabama’s defense comes around in the fourth quarter after digging themselves into a 14-point hole, and shuts out the Irish and their hopes at there first title in 23 years.

Alabama 20, Notre Dame 17

BCS Bowl Games Preview

With the Bowl season upon us, the games are way more competitive, as the best teams in college football duke it out with the whole country watching. The Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and others all get played as build up to the BCS Championship. Each bowl game has a rich history of exciting contests, thrilling endings and heartbreaks. This year includes a rich slate, featuring storied franchises such as Stanford, Wisconsin, Michigan and many more.

Here, in order of most interesting, are the games that will be making an appearance on the national stage come January.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oregon Ducks vs. Kansas State Wildcats

Two weeks ago, Oregon and Kansas State found themselves in the driver’s seat, ready for their assumed championship matchup. Then along came loses to Baylor and Stanford, and they dropped to 4th and 5th, respectively, in the rankings, out of title consideration.

Both teams come into the Fiesta Bowl with 11-1 records, talented quarterbacks, and smart coaches. This game is truly one for the ages, and has become known as the “Poor man’s BCS championship.”

Kansas State’s weapon is the 6’5” offensive force they have in Collin Klein. A Heisman Trophy contender, Klein abused defenses week in and week out on his way to over 2,490 yards passing and another 890 on the ground. He’s combined for 27 touchdowns, earning him nominations for the Walter Camp Award, among others.

The Wildcats would not be where they were if it wasn’t for John Hubert. Hubert, a small guy (listed at 5’7”), has a big impact. Without him taking some carries off Klein’s shoulders, Klein would have less of an impact. Hubert is the perfect man for the job, as he consistently finds the small holes to rack up yardage. He also leaves his mark on the screen game. Hubert finished the season with 974 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns, including one where he went for a 95-yard touchdown against Missouri State.

Facing off against the Wildcats is Oregon’s double-headed attack, led by stellar freshman Marcus Mariota, who put up impressive numbers at quarterback. Mariota is joined by senior running back Kenjon Barner, who is just as intimidating.

Mariota, who earned the starting QB position because Darron Thomas’ surprise decision to head to the NFL, proved that he was ready for the task. He’s in the top 5 nationally in completion percentage (69.1%) and quarterback rating (165.4).

Barner, a senior who had a break out year in 2011, continued the trend by leading the third-best rushing team by racking up 1,624 yards on 248 carries with 21 touchdowns, fourth in the nation.

The deciding factor of this game pitting two offensive powerhouses will simply be who scores the most points. What else would one expect from two below-average defenses facing two of the most intimidating offenses in college football?

In the end, Oregon’s slightly better and more talented offense will lead them to a slim, but high-scoring victory. Klein will still show why he’s a Heisman candidate, but it won’t be enough.

Oregon 42, Kansas State 35

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M Aggies vs. Oklahoma Sooners

This game is one of the more interesting bowl games this year, but only if you like watching points pile up like they’re going out of style. That’s what to expect when these two teams clash, as both are averaging over 40 points a game, and have two of the best quarterbacks in the nation: Johnny Manziel and Landry Jones.

Texas A&M brings Manziel, their freshman quarterback and winner of the 2012 Heisman Trophy (the first time ever that a freshman has one the award), to the table with stats that look like they’re from a video game. Manziel has flourished in Texas A&M’s Air Raid offense, and his stats prove it. This year, as a true freshman, he’s thrown for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns, while adding another 1,181 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground.

His counterpart, Landry Jones, has just as impressive stats. Jones, appearing in his final collegiate game, is more of a passer, having completed 332 of 507 passes this season, a 65% completion rate, for 3,989 yards and 29 touchdowns. He’s not the all-purpose athlete that Manziel is, but his throwing skills have led Oklahoma to the nation’s fifth best passing offense.

The thing that will make this game even higher scoring is when you factor in the defenses. Both defenses are in the Division 1 cellar, allowing a combined 50 points a game. Pit that against the Aggies 45 points a game and the Sooners 40 a game, and it will be a pointathon.

Overall, the Aggies and the way their offense suits Manziel will come out on top, making Jones exit to the NFL a disappointment. It won’t be all that sad, though. Lots of points will be scored, and Jones will pad his stats on his way to the NFL.

Texas A&M 38, Oklahoma 30

Chick-Fil-A Bowl:  LSU Tigers vs. Clemson Tigers

Two 10-2 teams face off in this BCS bowl, but the similarities stop there, as both teams followed totally different paths to this final game of the season.

LSU, led by a stifling defense, ranked 11th in the country, were the preseason #3, just behind Alabama and USC. But, like many other teams in the country, they had to face two talented teams (then #10 Florida and #1 Alabama) that they couldn’t sneak by, losing the two games by just 12 points.

Their defense, captained by safety Eric Reid, gives up just 16.9 points a game, including when they limited the nation’s third best offense (Texas A&M) and its Heisman-winning quarterback (Johnny Manziel) to just 19 points, 25 points below their average.

They now face another big test in Clemson.

Clemson got here in the opposite way LSU did, as they relied on their sixth-ranked offense, scoring over 40 points a game. Clemson, like LSU, faced tough teams and couldn’t pull through in the clutch, losing to then #4 Florida State and #12 South Carolina, by a combined 22 points. It sounds like a lot, but when Clemson is beating teams by 30 points consistently, it’s not.

Three players lead Clemson’s high-flying, talented offense. Quarterback Tajh Boyd starts the fire, leading the 13th ranked passing offense with 3,550 yards passing and 34 touchdowns, while adding almost 500 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns. Next, there’s the running game, with Andre Ellington leading the way with 1,031 yards and 8 touchdowns; along with 6’1” DeAndre Hopkins and his 1,214 yards and 16 touchdowns. Given this horsepower, it should be no surprise Clemson is scoring 42.3 points a game.

This game promises to be interesting as both teams have strengths and weaknesses that match up well: Clemson’s talented offense is evenly matched with LSU’s toughness on D, and LSU’s low-scoring offense is matched with Clemson’s below-average defense. The deciding factor of this game will be the team that best leverages its strength. Looking at their respective schedules, its easy to project which team will have the advantage.

Clemson played just two top 25 teams (the perils of being in the ACC), and lost to both of them. All of their other games were against teams like Furman and Ball State, with virtually no hard teams, making it easy for them to have such a high-scoring offense. LSU, on the other side, had a challenge almost every week. They took on five Top 25 teams, and won three of them, including games against South Carolina and Texas A&M.

LSU 28, Clemson 20

Rose Bowl presented by Vizio: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Stanford Cardinals

The big finale before the National Championship game is the Rose Bowl. The most watched bowl game; this year’s match up gives good reason to expect another large audience. Stanford, 11-2, comes into the game after an impressive November, including five straight wins over ranked teams, including their knocking off then #2 Oregon, thus shaking up the BCS landscape. They’ll face Wisconsin, 8-5, which enters its third straight Rose Bowl after a convincing win over Nebraska in the Big 12 Title game. Both of teams have a lot of talent, but only one team really belongs here.

That team is Stanford. Coming off losing an unusually large number of talented players to the NFL (Andrew Luck, David DeCastro and Colby Fleener to name a few), Stanford pushed on and proved why they deserve to be here. Led by Stepfan Taylor, their senior running back who piled up over 1,400 yards, the Cardinal beat talented teams, and their two losses came down to a margin of just seven points. There stifling defense, led by ball-hawking safety Eric Reynolds (six interceptions, ranking him 5th in the nation), gives up just 17 points a game, which ranks 16th overall.

Wisconsin seems to be out of place, as they finished fourth in there conference, only earning a spot in the Big 12 title game because of NCAA penalties. Penn State and Ohio State, both ahead of the Badgers, violated NCAA’s rules and earned postseason suspensions. Wisconsin finished the season going 4-4 in the division and 8-5 overall. Their five losses came to some talented teams, though, as the combined record of there opponents who beat them was 45-16. However, Wisconsin snuck by a lot of teams that they should have soundly beat, and showed that perhaps the only way for them to win games was to run the ball with Montee Ball, the Badger’s All-American running back and 2011 Heisman nominee, who had another great season.

At a glance, this game pits a talented Stanford team against a much weaker Wisconsin, and should be entertaining if you’re a Cardinal fan, as Stanford will hand the Badgers their sixth Rose Bowl loss and third straight.

Stanford 30, Wisconsin 17