The Capital One Bowl matches up the days second encounter between the SEC and BIG 10 when the No. 12 Florida Gators (9-3) play the Michigan Wolverines (8-4) in Orlando, Florida. Online sportsbook Bodog (bodog.com) has the Gators favored by an 11-point chalk with a 61 total. Kickoff time is set for 1 p.m. ET.
Today’s game will also be a send off for retiring Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr. His legacy is secure with a national championship but he’ll be remembered even more fondly by Michigan faithful if he can come up with a final triumph against Heisman winner Tim Tebow. Carr is in his 13th season at Michigan and overall with a record of 121-40 (.756).
Urban Meyer is in his third season at Florida with a record of 31-7 (.816) and in his seventh season overall with a record of 69-15 (.821).
Both of these teams came up short in their most recent trips to the Capital One Bowl. The Gators lost 37-34 to Michigan State on New Years Day, 2000 and Michigan was drubbed 45-17 by Tennessee to open 2002.
This season, Florida sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow became the first player in NCAA Division I-A history to run and pass for 20-or-more touchdowns in the same season (22 rush, 29 pass). Tebow also became the first sophomore in history to win the coveted Heisman Trophy. Andre Caldwell added four catches for 56 yards against Florida State to increase his school-record for career receptions to 181. This season, Percy Harvin has seen the ball 120 times (50 receptions and 70 carries) and is averaging 11.5 yards per touch. Cornelius Ingram had 33 receptions and 491 yards and averaged 14.9 yards per catch.
Brandon Spikes has amassed 118 total tackles (74 solo), 14.0 tackles for loss, a sack and half and seven passes defended on the season. He ranks second in the conference in total tackles. Spikes had 10 or more tackles in half of the Gators' games in 2007. Derrick Harvey, Florida's sacks leader in 2007, has 34 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and five pass deflections this season. He recorded eight sacks in his last 11 games.
Michigan running back Mike Hart, the nation's sixth-leading rusher, carried the ball 233 times for 1,232 yards and 12 touchdowns this year, cracking the 100-yard barrier in eight of his nine games played. Jake Long has started all 12 games at left tackle and has allowed just one sack this season. He earned All-Big Ten first team honors and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year accolades for the second straight year. Mario Manningham led the team with career highs in receptions (67), receiving yards (1,096) and receiving touchdowns (11).
Shawn Crable leads the Wolverines with a career-best 84 tackles and a U-M season record 26.5 tackles for loss, the second-best TFL mark in the country this season. He also registered 7.5 sacks and forced four fumbles. Crable earned All-Big Ten second team honors this season and was a Butkus Award semifinalist.
Online college football handicapper Reno Gold has had years of success with his College Football Picks and offers a high value pick on every post season bowl game. Reno Gold has a 73-60-3 record in 2007 with his College Football Picks for a 55% winning average.
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