2012 College Football Bowl Picks: Rutgers vs Virginia Tech Odds and Predictions – Free Russell Athletic Bowl Picks

2012 Russell Athletic Bowl Odds and Picks: Rutgers vs Virginia Tech Predictions – Free College Bowl Picks 12/28/12: It is unlikely that either team participating in Friday’s Russell Athletic Bowl is excited to be a part of the game. For the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-3, 5-2 Big East), back-to-back losses to close the year gave away control of the conference and sent a BCS bowl bid down the drain. Meanwhile, the Virginia Tech Hokies (6-6, 4-4 ACC) suffered through one of their worst years in recent memory, needing win over the two worst teams in the conference to close the year just to become bowl eligible. Needless to say, things didn’t go as planned for either team, but they can erase some of the disappointment with a bowl victory. Virginia Tech is favored in the matchup, but only by two points.

Offense has been a major area of concern for Rutgers all season. The Scarlet Knights ranked outside the top 80 in both passing and rushing yards and outside the top 90 in scoring at just over 22 points per game. Quarterback Gary Nova has thrown 22 touchdowns on the year, but he also has 15 interceptions. Along the same lines, running back Jawan Jamison has topped 1,000 yards, but he is averaging just 4.4 yards per carry and has scored just four times. Fortunately for Rutgers, its defense has been lights out. The Scarlet Knights currently rank fifth in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 14.3 points per game and ranking in the top 20 nationally in interceptions.

For Virginia Tech, a one-dimensional offense and underachieving defense has been the source of the team’s issues. Quarterback Logan Thomas has been the Hokies’ only real offensive weapon, throwing for 17 touchdowns and running for nine more while also leading the team in rushing. Overall, the Virginia Tech offense ranks outside the top 60 in both rushing and passing and just 80th in scoring. Meanwhile, the defense does rank inside the top 40 in points allowed, but for a program that prides itself on defense and has plenty of starters back on that side of the ball, its 23.9 points per game average is disappointing.

The Scarlet Knights Win If:

Rutgers has been winning with defense all year, and in fact, the Scarlet Knights went just 1-3 in games when they allowed more than 15 points. They have to shut down Virginia Tech’s offense in order to give their own struggling offense a chance, and against the Hokies, that means shutting down Thomas. Offensively, Nova and company can’t afford to make any mistakes that give Virginia Tech easy scoring chances. If Rutgers’ controls Thomas and sets up its offense with a couple of decent scoring chances, the Scarlet Knights can grind out another win. Rutgers wants a low-scoring, ugly game.

The Hokies Win If:

For as bad as Virginia Tech has been on offense at times, Thomas is still the best offensive weapon either side has in this matchup. He has the big arm and the big body to make explosive plays on the ground and through the air, and in a battle of struggling offenses, one or two plays is all the Hokies will need to win the game. On the flip side, Thomas and the Virginia Tech offense absolutely cannot turn the ball over and make life easier for the Rutgers offense. If Virginia Tech makes sure this game comes down to which offense can find a way to make the most plays, Thomas’ athleticism alone should deliver the Hokies a victory.

The Bottom Line:

This has all the makings of an ugly game, and ugly favors Rutgers and its stingy defense. Granted, the Scarlet Knights aren’t going to put many points on the board, but they are used to playing close games and winning with their defense. More importantly, Rutgers’ physical front seven and opportunistic secondary is the perfect weapon to contain a QB like Thomas, who had almost as many interceptions and touchdowns this season. Throw in the fact that the Hokies went just 1-5 in road/neutral site games this year with the one win coming in overtime to a 2-10 Boston College team, and this atmosphere doesn’t exactly suit this year’s Virginia Tech squad. Add it all up, and Rutgers should pull out a tight one on the strength of its defense.

Prediction: Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+2) Cover the Spread 

Rutgers vs Virginia Tech Vegas Odds and Total
Date: 12/28/12
Line: Virginia Tech -2
Total: Over/Under 41
Television: 5:30 PM EST on ESPN

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