Time to close out the 2018 edition of College Football Bowls, which of course, take place in January. My final two, both, happen to feature Big Ten programs.
Tuesday, Jan. 1st, 2019 Outback Bowl, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Noon/ET ESPN2 MISSISSIPPI STATE (8-4) vs. IOWA (8-4)
Miss State had some adjustments to make in 2018 after DAN MULLEN took the Florida job, and Penn State OC JOE MOORHEAD took over the helm. The team was also disrupted, as starting QB NICK FITZGERALD came back from a terrible ankle dislocation in the Egg Bowl. It took a while, but FITZ settled in, and helped the team to win 4 of it’s last 5 SEC games, losing only to Alabama during that stretch. There is plenty of talent overall, with multiple likely NFL Draft Picks on their roster. Their Defense is really stout, and I anticipate that Iowa will have a very tough time finding the end zone much in this one.
Bulldog prospects to watch include:
#7 NICK FITZGERALD QB 6-5/230
#26 AERIS WILLIAMS RB 6-1/215
#1 STEPHEN GUIDRY WR 6-4/190 (JR)
#86 JESSE JACKSON WR 6-2/215
#81 JUSTIN JOHNSON TE 6-3/245
#73 DARRYL WILLIAMS OG 6-2/310 (JR)
#61 DEION CALHOUN OG 6-3/320
#74 ELGTON JENKINS C 6-4/310 SR BOWL
#9 MONTEZ SWEAT DE 6-6/245 SR BOWL
#4 GERRI GREEN DE 6-4/255
#94 JEFFERY SIMMONS DT 6-4/300 (JR-DECLARED)
#95 BRAXTON HOYETT DT 6-3/310
#34 CORY THOMAS DT 6-5/31
#10 LEO LEWIS OLB 6-2/240 (JR)
#3 CAMERON DANTZLER CB 6-2/175 (RSo)
#2 JAMAL PETERS CB 6-2/220 SHRINE GAME
#24 CHRIS RAYFORD CB 6-0/200
#38 JOHNATHAN ABRAM SS 6-0/215 SR BOWL
#41 MARK McLAURIN FS 6-2/215
IOWA had it’s usual solid team, but not quite enough depth to overcome a 3 Loss string late in the season against PENN STATE, PURDUE and NORTHWESTERN. JR QB NATHAN STANLEY, #4, had some outstanding games, but also sputtered in others, like the 10-14 L to Northwestern in Kinnick Stadium. A big missing piece in this Bowl game will be TE NOAH FANT, who has declared for the Draft and has headed off to his Performance Camp, but watch for his TE-mate, RSo T.J. HOCKENSON, to come up big in his absence.
Hawkeyes prospects to watch include:
#4 NATE STANLEY QB 6-4/242 (JR-RETURNING)
#38 T.J. HOCKENSON TE 6-5/250 (RSo)
#59 ROSS REYNOLDS OG 6-4/295
#76 DALTON FERGUSON OG 6-4/308
#69 KEEGAN RENDER C 6-4/307
#98 ANTHONY NELSON DE 6-7/271 (JR)
#40 PARKER HESSE DE 6-3/261
#96 MATT NELSON DT 6-8/295
#27 AMANI HOOKER SS 6-0/210 (JR)
#30 JAKE GERVASE FS 6-1/212
#91 MIGUEL RECINOS K 6-1/193
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Tuesday, January 1st Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CAL
5PM/ET ESPN WASHINGTON (10-3) vs OHIO STATE (12-1)
If you are not full of Bowl action quite yet, I strongly suggest you tune into this game, early Tuesday evening.This is a traditional Rose Bowl matchup, featuring Big 10/PAC 12 action.
This Huskies team got a lot of disrespect when it opened the 2018 season with a loss, in a close game, after traveling to Atlanta to a neutral-site game that Auburn almost could have walked to. However, they play tough Defense against the run and the pass, as well as having a decent Offense under the guidance of seasoned QB JAKE BROWNING, who may not have an NFL arm, but does have a very high FBI. They also have a two-headed, or 4-legged, running attack featuring GASKIN and AHMED. Their secondary is talented, and if they can contain Buckeyes QB HASKINS, then they have a solid chance to win this one.
Husky prospects to watch include:
#3 JAKE BROWNING QB 6-2/210 NFLPA BOWL
#9 MYLES GASKIN RB 5-10/193 SR BOWL
#88 DREW SAMPLE TE 6-5/251 SR BOWL
#58 KALEB McGARY OT 6-8/324 SR BOWL
#71 MATT JAMES OG 6-5/300
#75 JESSE SOSEBEE OG/C 6-5/327
#56 NICK HARRIS C 6-1/300 (JR)
#99 GREG GAINES DT 6-2/316 SR BOWL
#96 SHANE BOWMAN DT 6-4/291 INJ GRIDIRON SHOWCASE
#92 JAYLEN JOHNSON DT 6-3/286
#25 BEN BURR-KIRVEN ILB 6-0/221 SHRINE GAME
#17 TEVIS BARTLETT OLB 6-3/233
#1 BYRON MURPHY CB 5-11/182 (RSo)
#23 JORDAN MILLER CB 6-1/181
#5 MYLES BRYANT CB 5-8/182 (JR)
#14 JOJO McINTOSH SS 6-1/205 SHRINE GAME
#7 TAYLOR RAPP FS 6-0/200 (JR)
On the other sideline, we will be watching the end of an era for URBAN MEYER as the Buckeyes head man, and probably the end of his coaching career, period. And IMO, the entire key for this one is, indeed, his star QB HASKINS, who has all the tools mentally and physically. In fact, with HERBERT/Oregon returning to school for another season, HASKINS is, hands down, the top pro QB prospect, if he declares. He has a half-dozen wideouts to throw to, and a RB tandem. If Washington does not bring its A-game, then the Buckeyes could roll them, like Clemson did to Notre Dame. Look at the motherlode of talent below.
Buckeye prospects to watch:
#7 DWAYNE HASKINS QB 6-3/220 (RSo)
#25 MIKE WEBER RB 5-10/214 (JR-DECLARED)
#21 PARRIS CAMPBELL WR 6-1/208 SR BOWL INVITED
#14 K.J. HILL WR 6-0/198 (JR)
#9 BINJIMEN VICTOR WR 6-4/200 (JR)
#83 TERRY McLAURIN WR 6-1/205
#1 JOHNNIE DIXON WR 5-11/198
#13 RASHOD BERRY TE 6-4/259 (JR)
#59 ISAIAH PRINCE OT 6-7/310
#66 MALCOLM PRIDGEON OG 6-7/310
#78 DEMETRIUS KNOX OG 6-4/312 INJ
#73 MICHAEL JORDAN C/OG 6-7/312 (JR)
#9 JASHON CORNELL DE 6-3/273 (JR)
#86 DRE’MONT JONES DT 6-3/286 (JR-DECLARED)
#53 DAVON HAMILTON DT 6-4/308 (JR)
#47 JUSTIN HILLIARD ILB 6-1/230 (JR)
#39 MALIK HARRISON OLB 6-3/245 (JR)
#16 KEANDRE JONES OLB 6-2/228 (JR)
#52 DANTE BOOKER OLB 6-3/235
#8 KENDALL SHEFFIELD CB 6-0/193 (JR)
#3 DAMON ARNETTE CB 6-0/195 (JR)
#4 JORDAN FULLER FS 6-2/204 (JR)
Pigskin & LP
I would like to thank our partner and editor deluxe LARRY PARKER for all his help in compiling comprehensive prospect lists this month. LP is the King of Detail for the GBN Report, and a proof reader deluxe. Happy New Year everyone!
