The Military Bowl, formerly known as the EagleBank Bowl until 2010, was first played in 2008, and although it is a fairly new addition to the college football bowl season, its conception was rooted in the history of the United States and its armed forces. The game is sponsored by Northrop Grumman, one of the world’s leading defense contractors, and is now played in Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, after being played in Washington D.C.’s RFK Stadium from 2008 through 2012.
It is one of only two bowl games played in the Northeast (the other being the Pinstripe Bowl played in Yankee Stadium), and its current conference affiliations are with the AAC and ACC (through 2019), but the bowl has previously featured tie-ins from the military academies and C-USA.
The 2014 edition of the Military Bowl features a match-up that gives any writer a litany of puns to choose from, as the Cincinnati Bearcats (9-3, 7-1 AAC) will march onto the field with an explosive offensive attack led by a quarterback named Gunner (it’s just too easy, right?) to battle the Virginia Tech Hokies (6-6, 3-5 ACC) and their formidable defense.
Coming into the 2014 season, the Bearcats were overwhelmingly favored to claim the AAC championship, a title they ended up sharing with last year’s champ, UCF, and a revitalized Memphis program by beating Houston 38-31 in the last week of the season. After losing three in a row to Ohio State, Memphis and Miami (Fl.), Cincinnati went on a tear, winning seven straight to end the season.
As I wrote in my reaction piece to this bowl bid for the ‘Cats, the Hokies’ 6-6 record couldn’t be any more apropos for a season in which they both handed Ohio State its only loss and lost 6-3 in double overtime to a horrible Wake Forest team in a game that ended regulation tied at zero. Virginia Tech’s 24-20 victory in the Commonwealth Cup over in-state ACC rival Virginia earned the Hokies bowl eligibility in their game of the regular season.
Surprisingly, these two teams are tied in their series history at five wins apiece. Cincinnati won the last meeting, a 2012 regular season match-up at a neutral site, by a score of 27-24. The teams also recently met in the 2006 regular season, a 29-13 road loss for Cincinnati, and in the Orange Bowl in 2008, a 20-7 loss for the Bearcats in a BCS game they were the favorite to win. This is the first appearance for both schools in the Military Bowl.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmcmZu95HI8?list=UU0y5liiwMlVZRPpHANy5ROA]Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Kickoff: Saturday, Dec. 27 at 1 p.m. ET
TV Channel: ESPN
Spread: Cincinnati -3 (opened at -3.5)
Three Things to Watch
Cincinnati’s Offense vs. Virginia Tech’s Defense
Outside of their two 14-point outputs against Memphis and Temple, the Bearcats scored 28 or more in their other 10 games, leading to an average of 35.4 per game which ranks 26th in the nation. Cincinnati also ranks 27th best in college football in total offense, as the ‘Cats average 457.8 yards per game. Those numbers will certainly be put to the test against Virginia Tech’s defense, as the Hokies rank 17th in both total and scoring defense, allowing 331.7 yards and 20.4 points per game.
The Turnover Battle
When I saw the turnover statistics for both of these teams, I was shocked, especially given how awful Cincinnati’s defense has looked at time this year and the reputation Virginia Tech’s carries under one of the nation’s best defensive coordinators, Bud Foster. The Bearcats have forced 23 turnovers (16 fumbles and seven interceptions) for a +4 turnover margin, which ties them for 38th in the FBS. Conversely, the Hokies have forced 19 turnovers (nine fumbles and 10 interceptions) for a -6 margin, tying them for the 104th spot in the country. Obviously, turnover margin can reflect a lack of forcing them by the defense or a mistake-prone offense, but it looks like a combination of both for the Hokies as they are tied for 67th in turnovers gained and tied for 101st in turnovers lost, neither of which is a great number. Cincinnati’s defense may struggle giving up a ton of yards and points at times, but it has been opportunistic and timely in creating turnovers.
The “Riverboat Gambler” vs. “Beamer Ball”
Cincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville has garnered a reputation as the “Riverboat Gambler” for his propensity to take risks in his play-calling and in situational football, such as going for it on fourth down. As the nature of gambling dictates, Tuberville’s decisions often have a boom or bust result and have been the story in both wins and losses. This season many of Tuberville’s gambles have paid off, as, for example, the Bearcats rank sixth in the nation in fourth down conversion percentage at 73.3%.
On the flip-side, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer has long employed a brand of football now known as “Beamer Ball,” in which defense and special teams are viewed as units that can create big plays and score as much as an offense can. A more conservative offense, blocked kick/punt touchdowns and pick-sixes have defined “Beamer Ball” in its 27 years of existence, and it will be interesting to see if one of Tuberville’s gambles meets head-on with a “Beamer Ball” moment to change the outlook of the Military Bowl.
Key Player: Gunner Kiel, QB, Cincinnati
The Bearcats’ redshirt sophomore quarterback, Gunner Kiel, has lived up to the hype that followed him from high school as 2011’s top quarterback recruit to his transfer from Notre Dame to Cincinnati. Kiel has been prolific this season, averaging 250.8 passing yards per game, finishing third in the AAC with 3,010 passing yards and first in the conference with 30 passing touchdowns. His 150.8 passer efficiency rating is good for 18th in the country and he only threw 11 interceptions, both statistics that are impressive for a first year quarterback.
Kiel was only sacked 10 times this season, which speaks to both the quality of his offensive line and his decisiveness in the pocket as he gets the ball out quickly to his bevy of talented receiving options while averaging 8.3 yards per attempt (20th best in the country). Big plays are the forte of Kiel and this offense.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nwVEIyOmfI]Final Analysis
I wrote last week that this is another opportunity for Cincinnati to prove its worth as a candidate to join a “Power Five” conference, especially in the wake of the Big 12 being left out of the inaugural College Football Playoff in part because they do not have a conference championship game. The Bearcats need to start winning games like this against marginal power conference opponents, especially those with big names and brands, like Miami (Fl.) and Virginia Tech.
Many bowl games are often decided by circumstances outside of the field of play like coaching changes or a team being snubbed from a “sexier” bowl, but this game doesn’t have that feel to it. Because Virginia Tech is playing for a winning season and Cincinnati is playing for double digit wins and perhaps showcasing itself for a spot in a Power Five conference, I think this game will be highly competitive and come down to the wire.
As I have often said throughout this season, any time I have to pick a game featuring a good offense vs. a good defense I will always go with the offense in this era of football. I expect the Bearcats to score on this Hokies defense, and for their own defense to make a few big plays to keep Virginia Tech’s offense at bay.
Prediction: Cincinnati 31, Virginia Tech 27
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
