3 things to know about the Orange Bowl
Need a brief primer before you attempt to watch all 40 bowl games this season? We’ve got you covered. Here are three things you need to know about the Capital One Orange Bowl.
CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL
No. 6 Michigan Wolverines (10-2) vs. No. 11 Florida State Seminoles (9-3)
Dec. 30, 8 p.m. ET
ESPN
– Florida State running back Dalvin Cook could be playing in his final game of the season (he hasn’t yet declared his NFL draft intentions) and will want to make this one count. He has 268 carries for 1,620 yards, 18 touchdowns and is averaging 6.0 yards per carry, but he was especially good at the end of the season with 486 yards and six touchdowns in the last three games. Michigan’s rush defense is one of the best in the country allowing just 116.8 yards per game. Only three teams have rushed for more than 100 yards on the Wolverines and two have rushed for more than 200. A motivated Cook could give the Seminoles a big advantage.
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– Similarly, the Florida State rushing defense has been on a tear lately allowing less than 100 yards in each of its last three games. Overall, the Seminoles are allowing 131.3 rushing yards per game. The running game for Michigan has been inconsistent this season. De’Veon Smith leads the Wolverines with 165 carries for 810 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he has five games this year with 40 or fewer yards. Michigan State will need to get something from its rushing offense if it wants to beat this streaking Florida State defense.
– The matchup between Florida State defensive back Tarvarus McFadden and Michigan receiver Amara Darboh should be a dandy. Darboh is the Wolverines top receiver with 52 catches for 826 yards and seven touchdowns, but he’ll draw the attention of McFadden, who is tied for the national lead with eight interceptions and he has five pass breakups. Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight suffered a shoulder injury in the loss to Iowa, missed the game against Indiana and threw for just 219 yards in the loss to Ohio State. He’s thrown three interceptions to two touchdowns in his last two starts and that won’t fly against an opportune Florida State defense.
[Related: NFL draft prospects to watch in the bowl games]
Mascot fight prediction: In the battle of a Seminole and a wolverine, the advantage would probably go to the Native American warrior, whose adept hunting skills would make trapping and killing the wolverine fairly easy.
Real predictions:
Graham Watson: Michigan 31, Florida State 17
Nick Bromberg: Florida State 23, Michigan 20
Sam Cooper: Michigan 27, Florida State 24
Chris Herbert: Florida State 27, Michigan 23
More college football from Yahoo Sports:
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!
