The Bowl Season continues tonight with Stanford and Virginia Tech in the Discover Orange Bowl. Below is a quick preview of the game with my pick at the end. Along with my pick, I will post the favorite and flip a coin for the game. Whichever method has the most points at the end of Bowl Season, I will use for next year's games.
Orange Bowl, #4 Stanford (11-1, 8-1 in the Pac-10) vs #13 Virginia Tech (11-2, 8-0 in the ACC), 5:30 PM on ESPN
Why You Should Watch: Tons of intrigue in this one. First, to see the Cardinal represent the Pac-10 on a huge national stage. Stanford destroyed Oregon State 38-0 back on November 27th to clinch a BCS birth. Second, to see Heisman finalist Andrew Luck. who may be playing his final game with Stanford.
It could well also be coach Jim Harbaugh's last game with the Cardinal. Will the prospect of the end of an era affect Stanford? Or inspire them?
And finally, to see a great game. Stanford finished the season 11-1, while Virginia Tech won their final 11 games after losing their first two. Besides for the BCS National Championship a week from today, this could be the best game of the Bowl Season.
Breakdown: Virginia Tech won out 2-1 in my formula, but I'm going away from it again to root on my conference. It will definitely be a close one, but if the result is up for grabs towards the end, I like Andrew Luck to find a way to win it. It's also worth noting that while the Hokies are a consistent winner, they struggle against the highest level of competition, and have never beaten a top 5 team outside of Blacksburg.
Orange Current Total to Date
Odds Stanford 16
Coin Stanford 17
Connor Stanford (13) 15 (320)