Gator Bowl: No. 21 Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4) vs. Michigan Wolverines (7-5)
Date: Saturday, January 1st, 2011
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Time: 1:30 p.m. EST
Just after the Capital One Bowl kicks off, the Gator Bowl begins with Mississippi State and Michigan. It’s another Southeastern Conference vs. Big Ten matchup and will take place on New Year’s Day. Mississippi State is coming off a big win over rival Mississippi to end the season but the Bulldogs suffered losses to ranked opponents Auburn, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas. They have the third-best run defense in the SEC and have a run-first offense. They rushed for 215.8 yards per game, led by junior running back Vick Ballard’s 862 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Michigan also has a run-first approach with sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson. He was in the early running for the Heisman trophy but the Wolverines struggled late. Their run defense is second to last in the Big Ten, allowing almost 190 yards per game. Rich Rodriguez finally has a winning season after three years at Michigan. The Wolverines finished with losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State, so Rodriguez’s job may not be so secure if they lose the Gator Bowl.
My Pick: This should be a close one, but Michigan was outscored 85-35 in the last two games to end the season. My college football bet for the Gator Bowl is Mississippi State to win 33-24.
Money Line (odds provided by Titan Bet)
Mississippi State: 1/2
Michigan: 31/20
Point Spread: Mississippi State -3.5
Over/Under: 59.5