2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Preview

Date: December 15, 2012 4:30 PM ET
Stadium: Bronco Stadium, Boise, Idaho
Payout: $325,000 per team
Played: 1997-present
Former Names: Humanitarian Bowl (1997-2003, 2007-2010), MPC Computers Bowl (2004-2006)
Broadcasters: Tom Hart, Mike Bellotti
Sideline Reporter: Quint Kessenich

Toledo: For the third consecutive season, Toledo is going bowling. The Rockets began the season with an overtime loss at Arizona before stringing together eight consecutive victories, including a win over No. 21 Cincinnati, the school's first win over a Top 25 team since 2004. Toledo seeks its first 10-win season in over a decade.   

Utah State: Utah State won the WAC title and its only two losses this season, Wisconsin and Brigham Young, were by a combined five points. The Aggies' defense allowed the eighth-fewest points in the nation and sacked opposing signal callers 39 times. Utah State lost the Famous Potato Bowl last year to Ohio by 1 point. The Aggies look to finish this time around.    

	Toledo			Utah State
Overall Record	9-3		Overall Record	10-2
Conference Record	6-2		Conference Record	6-0
Bowl Record	8-4		Bowl Record	1-5
Last Bowl Win	2011 Military		Last Bowl Win	1993 Las Vegas

All Time Series: 0-0
Line: Utah State by 10.5

2011 Military Bowl Preview

Date: December 28, 2011 4:30 PM ET

Stadium: RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

Payout: $862,500

Played: 2008-present

Former Names: EagleBank Bowl (2008-2009)

Broadcasters: Pam Ward, Dan Hawkins

Sideline Reporter: Jeannine Edwards

All Time Series: 0-0

Line: Toledo by 3

	Toledo			Air Force
Overall Record	8-4		Overall Record	7-5
Conference Record	7-1		Conference Record	3-4
Bowl Record	7-4		Bowl Record	10-10-1
Last Bowl Win	2005 GMAC		Last Bowl Win	2010 Independence

Toledo Got Screwed

Referees blow calls quite frequently, but usually they officiate well enough to not make bad calls that influence the outcome of a game. Well, last Saturday the refs screwed up BIG TIME and screwed Toledo out of a win that it should have had over Syracuse. The bad call was on an extra point attempt. PAT's are black and white compared to the gray areas on some pass interference and celebration penalties. There is no excuse for blowing this call. The Big East officials from this game should be fired.

See the video below. The extra point attempt by the Orange at 2:07 in the fourth quarter clearly never goes through the uprights. If the refs would have made the correct call, Syracuse would have led 29-27. Toledo would have then won the game 30-29 with the field goal the Rockets kicked on the last play of regulation. Instead, that field goal only tied the game at 30 apiece. The game went to overtime and Toledo lost.

After the game, the Big East admitted it had made the wrong call, but refused to reverse Syracuse's win. Apparently, once a game has been called, its decision cannot be overturned. Hopefully Toledo will not end up in a situation at the end of the season where it is one win short of going to a bowl game or where one nonconference loss affects the program in a conference standing tiebreaker. There needs to be accountability in the Big East's officiating. The blown call was unacceptable. Toledo got screwed.

Most Returning Starters

Teams with the most returning starters for the 2011 season.

Vanderbilt 18
The Commodores will have all but one offensive starter returning and eight starters coming back on defense. Things are looking good for James Franklin's first year as head coach.

Texas A&M 18
With key players back like Ryan Tannehill and Cyrus Gray on offense and the entire seconday coming back, will this be the Aggies year to win the Big 12 title for the first time since 1998?

Southern Methodist 18
The Mustangs have won the C-USA West the last two seasons, but with almost the entire offense coming back, 2011 could be the year SMU wins its first league championship since the Death Penalty.

Florida State 17
Combine the fact that Florida State is returning 17 starters and has recruited Top Ten classes in 2011 (#2) and 2010 (#9), and it is apparent the Seminoles are going to be good, real good. The Noles are the clear frontrunner in the ACC.

Toledo 17
With 50 lettermen and 17 starters back, the Rockets are poised to win the MAC title. Preseason rags state Toledo will have the best receiving corp and secondary in the league.

MAC Home Attendance Figures

	Akron			Ball State
InfoCision Stadium			Scheumann Stadium
S4 Syracuse	15,969		S2 SE Missouri State	10,753
S11 Gardner-Webb	10,046		S11 Liberty	9,110
O2 Northern Illinois	12,133		O9 Western Michigan	11,963
O23 Western Michigan	10,073		O16 Eastern Michigan	10,956
N17 Miami (OH)	7,671		N6 Akron	5,377
N26 Buffalo	5,216		N20 Northern Illinois	5,524
AVERAGE	10,185		AVERAGE	8,947
	Bowling Green			Buffalo
Perry Stadium			UB Stadium
S18 Marshall	20,515		S2 Rhode Island	16,273
O2 Buffalo	14,544		S18 UCF	14,312
O23 Kent State	14,279		O23 Temple	13,371
N10 Miami (OH)	12,073		O30 Miami (OH)	12,786
N26 Western Michigan	5,121		N12 Ball State	11,355
			N20 Eastern Michigan	9,786
AVERAGE	13,306		AVERAGE	12,981
	Central Michigan			Eastern Michigan
Kelly/Shorts Stadium			Rynearson Stadium
S2 Hampton	17,311		S4 Army	11,318
O2 Ball State	20,152		S18 Central Michigan	20,348
O16 Miami (OH)	24,761		O2 Ohio	16,753
O30 Bowling Green	17,659		O30 Toledo	25,860
N5 Western Michigan	22,355		N26 Northern Illinois	5,147
AVERAGE	20,448		AVERAGE	15,885
	Kent State			Miami (OH)
Dix Stadium			Yager Stadium
S2 Murray State	16,535		S11 Eastern Michigan	12,857
O9 Akron	24,221		S18 Colorado State	16,691
O30 Ball State	15,468		O2 Kent State	17,666
N6 Temple	15,125		O23 Ohio	17,144
N13 Army	17,222		N23 Temple	13,235
N26 Ohio	8,340
AVERAGE	16,152		AVERAGE	15,519
	Northern Illinois			Ohio
Huskie Stadium			Peden Stadium
S11 North Dakota	18,046		S4 Wofford	22,955
O9 Temple	14,011		S11 Toledo	19,455
O16 Buffalo	21,230		O9 Bowling Green	19,855
O23 Central Michigan	17,042		O16 Akron	21,645
N9 Toledo	18,472		O30 UL-Lafayette	15,255
			N4 Buffalo	15,112
AVERAGE	17,760		AVERAGE	19,046
	Temple			Toledo
Lincoln Financial Field			Glass Bowl
S3 Villanova	32,193		S3 Arizona	25,907
S9 Central Mcihigan	15,152		O2 Wyoming	20,843
S18 Connecticut	18,702		O16 Kent State	20,048
O16 Bowling Green	23,045		O23 Ball State	15,010
O30 Akron	17,563		N17 Bowling Green	22,071
N16 Ohio	16,433		N26 Central Michigan	12,121
AVERAGE	20,515		AVERAGE	19,333
	Western Michigan
Waldo Stadium
S11 Nicholls State	19,327
S18 Toledo	14,216
O2 Idaho	18,508
O30 Northern Illinois	12,578
N13 Eastern Michigan	12,136
N20 Kent State	8,763
AVERAGE	14,255

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE BY SCHOOL

Temple	20,515
Central Michigan	20,448
Toledo	19,333
Ohio	19,046
Northern Illinois	17,760
Kent State	16,152
Eastern Michigan	15,885
Miami (OH)	15,519
Western Michigan	14,255
Bowling Green	13,306
Buffalo	12,981
Akron	10,185
Ball State	8,947