Over The Pylon

If you’re like me, today and tomorrow are all about family, fellowship, and celebrating with the people you love. That’s all well and good, and while I will love the joy the next 36 hours or so bring, my mind is clearly elsewhere. Specifically, I’m trying to find a method to speed up time to make January 5th arrive just a little bit sooner than it will. Not to get one day closer to the final BCS Championship Game. Oh no, friends, January 5th is when the Ball State Fightin’ Football Cardinals will perhaps win their first bowl game in program history against the Sun Belt’s Arkansas State Red Wolves in Mobile, Alabama.

For those wondering what to expect from this Ball State team, and if they’re the favorite to win? They are. Vegas has been on the Cardinals heavy since the game was announced. An opening line that saw the Cards as eight point favorites has stayed predominantly the same in the last few weeks, though a couple of books have bumped it to 8.5 or 9. As the game draws closer, and the number of remaining football games continue to dwindle, that line will most likely shift. With a limited number of options, gamblers have to put their money somewhere, and the GoDaddy Bowl seems like as good a place as any. You can keep up to date on that game and the others and see more college football bowl game odds here.

BSU fans wanted Detroit, were worried about Boise, and landed with Mobile. All told, it’s a good locale, make-able for the Cards fans and program supporters inclined to go, and the opponent is one that is beatable. As we mentioned on last week’s podcast, A State isn’t like the Tulsa or UCF teams of the past two bowl trips that flew under the radar and were exceptionally undervalued. This is an A State team that is in a bit of turmoil as new coach Blake Anderson, former offensive coordinator at UNC, takes the reigns after the departure of former coach Bryan Harsin back to Boise State. His buyout is astronomical, as should be the case for a program that’s on its fifth head coach in five years. That’s what we call the definition of turnover.

As for what to expect from A State, I’m not sure anyone really knows. I would imagine it won’t be a carbon copy of what they’ve done in-game to this point and I can’t imagine a completely new offensive system has been installed in just a week. Whether the players are motivated or despondent is anyone’s guess as well, as I’ve seen both scenarios play themselves out when a coach leaves. For our sake, let’s hope everyone on A State’s squad is depressed, forlorn, and listening to weepy Brian McKnight songs on replay.

Some other assorted GoDaddy Bowl minutiae:

• CBS Sports has a preview and some info quick hits up about the GDB here
• As I’ve said before, your one stop shop for CFB info should be Phil Steele. He breaks down the GDB here. It’s a football nerd’s dream, but if you are said football nerd you already know all about Phil Steele.
• SBNation is calling the GDB the “final match on the undercard” and you can see their HOT SPORTS TAKE on the game here.

So go easy on the eggnog and make sure you make it to January 5 in one piece. It should be something you don’t want to miss, especially considering how long we have to wait.

Filed under: BallStateFootball, BowlWeek |