The five BCS bowl games are more important than the other 30 bowl games that will be played this winter. They’re not easy to predict, but you need to know if there are intangible factors that will enter into the outcome of each game. What follows is a primer on the non-football elements of college football’s final showdowns. NCAA football betting experts know that motivation and attitude have a lot to do with the outcomes of bowl games. One team is fat and happy after making the rounds of the season-ending college football awards circuit, while another team shrugs off the awards shows and focuses on beating its opponent. One team rides high and enjoys reading its own glowing press clippings, while another team feels disrespected and digs in its heels. One team feels that its bowl game is not a reward for its season, and it accordingly sulks when kickoff time arrives. Another team is beyond thrilled to play in a high-status BCS bowl game and has the ability to rise to the occasion. Another team gets a rare chance to make a statement in a BCS bowl. These are the scenarios (among others; it’s not a full list) that often, but not always, determine winners of early-January confrontations in front of massive throngs and huge television audiences. Let’s take a brief look at what online betting students will be dissecting in the coming days: A betting perspective on the Fiesta Bowl’s intangibles should be a wash. Connecticut naturally wants to prove the rest of America wrong and justify its place in a BCS game, but Oklahoma lost two straight Fiesta Bowls in 2007 and 2008. This means the Sooners have a lot to play for in Arizona as well. Don’t expect Oklahoma to struggle for more than the first quarter against Connecticut, regardless of what you think will happen in a football-only sense. The motivation levels for each team are roughly even. In the Rose Bowl, both Wisconsin and TCU will be extremely motivated, but in the realm of mental toughness, Wisconsin certainly has more of an edge than TCU does. The Badgers are used to the spotlight of the Big Ten, while TCU often sweats and stumbles on the prime-time stage. The intangibles rest with Wisconsin, even if you think the football-only merits should favor the Horned Frogs from Fort Worth, Texas. In the Orange Bowl, Stanford – representing the Pac-10 and traveling across the country – has a lot to prove to itself and to the nation at large. Virginia Tech, after losing to Boise State and winning a weak Atlantic Coast Conference, has also been doubted by much of the country. The intangibles are even in Miami for the clash between the Cardinal and the Hokies. The Sugar Bowl has just been thrown into question by the possible (not confirmed) scandal relating to Ohio State’s procurement of tattoos. If a number of Ohio State players are suspended, the Buckeyes could actually derive an emotional boost from the whole episode. The only problem, of course, is that if the OSU players involved are extremely important, the non-football intangibles suddenly cease to matter. One thing’s for sure: The Sugar Bowl demands a lot more study and analysis. Finally, the BCS National Championship Game: Auburn should be favored because of what it can do on the field (especially quarterback Cam Newton), but in terms of motivation, Oregon will have a slight edge. The No. 2 team in a BCS title game usually plays with more of a chip on its shoulder than the No. 1 team. The No. 2 team has won a majority of the last five BCS championship games. Just keep that in mind, even though Auburn has generally better players. Upsets do happen in college football.
