Bahamas Bowl: Ohio (8-4) vs Alabama-Birmingham (8-4); 12:30 PM ET; ESPN
Getting to travel to the Bahamas is a nice reward for a couple of decent 8-4 mid-major programs. It is especially nice for UAB which made a successful return to the college football wars this fall after the program was shut down for a couple of years. And UAB has a couple of quality late round prospects in veteran LB Tevin Crews (#23, 6-2, 230) and ball-hawking CB Darious Williams (#1, 5-210, 180). Crews, for example, had 95 tackles this fall including three sacks and 6 other tackles for loss, while Williams was among the country’s leaders with 5 picks and 10 other pass breakups. For its part, Ohio also features a tackling machine at LB in Quentin Polling (#32, 6-0, 235) who had 102 stops of his own this season including 5.5 sacks, although he is still more a late-round candidate, while fellow LB Chad Moore (#38, 6-0, 225), C Jake Pruehs (#52, 6-1, 315) and CB Bradd Ellis (#3, 5-10, 175) are free-agent types.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Central Michigan (8-4) vs Wyoming (7-5); 4 PM ET; ESPN
Needless to say, the player pro teams will be focused on in today’s bowl doubleheader is Wyoming junior QB Josh Allen (#17, 6-5, 240) when the Cowboys play Central Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on the blue turf at Boise State. Allen, who entered the season considered to be a legit #1 prospect overall candidate this year, but struggled through an up and down season, hurt his throwing shoulder late in the campaign, but has been cleared to play. One of the issues that Allen had to deal with this fall was that he didn’t have much talent around him; indeed, Wyoming only starts a couple of seniors in CBs Rico Gafford (#5, 5-10, 185), who had 4 picks this year and could get some late-round interest, and Robert Priester (#2, 5-9, 180). Indeed, along with Allen, Wyoming’s best prospects are underclassmen such as junior FS Andrew Wingard (#28, 6-0, 210), junior DL Carl Granderson (#91, 6-4, 255) and soph MLB Logan Wilson (#30, 6-1, 240). Wingard, in particular, is one of the most productive safeties in the country posting 111 tackles and 4 picks this year, while Granderson had 8.5 sacks, 6-5, other tackles for loss and a couple of picks of his own.
Allen will be tested by a good Central Michigan defense led by emerging DE Joe Ostman (#45, 6-3, 260), one of the more underrated edge rushers in the country who was third in the country with 12 sacks this season, and ball-hawking FS Josh Cox (#14, 5-11, 200) who had 82 tackles and 6 picks. Meanwhile, the CMU offense is led by QB Shane Morris (#11, 6-2, 210), a Michigan transfer, along with veteran WRs Corey Willis (#8, 5-10, 175) and Mark Chapman (#3, 5-11, 185), TE Tyler Conklin *#83, 6-5, 255), OT Derek Edwards (#74, 6-5, 305) and C J.P. Quinn (#67, 6-3, 295), although none is more than a fringe prospect for the upcoming draft.
