Cat Fight in Music City

NCAA Football Betting Lines

12/27/2006 - Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Clemson Tigers of the ACC and Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC will meet in Nashville on December 29th in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. Clemson is 8-4 entering this bowl season, and Tommy Bowden is the first coach in school history to lead the program to seven consecutive winning seasons. The Tigers are the only ACC team to record two wins over national top-15 teams this season, and they have posted eight wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1990-91. On a down note, Clemson was 7-1 at one point and considered a legitimate contender for a BCS Bowl bid, so the fact that three of the last four games have resulted in defeat is undoubtedly disappointing. The Tigers are 15-13 all-time in bowl games, and eight of the 15 victories have come against teams with coaches who are currently in the College Football Hall of Fame. The program has never competed in the Music City Bowl. As for Kentucky, it has been the surprise team of the SEC this season and enter this bowl clash with a 7-5 record. Rich Brooks had very little success during his tenure heading into this season, but the head coach of the Wildcats was recently given a contract extension on the strength of his team's success this year. Kentucky is set to make its first bowl appearance since 1999 when it lost to Syracuse, 20-13, in the Music City Bowl. The Wildcats, who won four of their last five games of this regular season, own a 5-5 all-time record in bowl games. Kentucky holds a 7-4 advantage in the all-time series with Clemson, but the Tigers have won two of the last three matchups. They haven't met since the 1993 Peach Bowl, a thrilling game that resulted in a one-point win by Clemson.

Clemson leads the ACC in total offense with 414 yards per game, the first time since 1991 that the club has led the conference in that category. The Tigers are also tops in the league in scoring offense with 33.8 ppg, the first time they have accomplished that feat since 1988. They are posting 6.5 yards per play, the best average in school history. Clemson is 6-0 this season and 28-1 under coach Tommy Bowden when it rushes for at least 200 yards, and the duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller in the backfield is the major reason for the success on the ground. Davis combines speed and power, and he tied the Clemson singe-season record for rushing touchdowns with 17 to date. The sophomore earned a spot on the All-ACC First Team for his strong efforts. Spiller, a freshman, scored six touchdowns on plays covering 50 or more yards, and he figures to get plenty of touches in this contest. The same goes for wideout Chansi Stuckey, who was named to the All-ACC First Team for the second straight season. Stuckey caught 45 passes for 607 yards and three touchdowns despite missing three games and being limited in some others. Will Proctor is the team's signal caller, and he is much more steady than spectacular.

The Clemson defensive unit will be without the services of senior defensive back Duane Coleman, as he has been suspended by head coach Bowden after a recent arrest for simple possession of marijuana. Coleman has started all 12 games so far this season and is an Honorable Mention All-ACC selection. Fortunately, the club's First Team All-ACC defensive end Gaines Adams will be in the lineup, and he carries 10.5 sacks into this contest. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year may be a top-five pick in the next NFL Draft, but for now his attention is focused on getting to the Kentucky quarterback. The Tigers rank among the top 20 teams nationally in total defense (12), rushing defense (20), pass efficiency defense (4) and scoring defense (15), so while the offense has received many of the headlines, the defensive unit has clearly held up its end of the bargain this season. Clemson has held eight opponents to fewer than 300 total yards and is undefeated in such games.

Heading into this season, many fans and analysts wondered if junior Andre' Woodson was good enough to play quarterback for Kentucky. Now, those same people are asking if there is a better signal-caller in the SEC. Woodson leads the conference with 28 touchdowns passes and 268.0 passing yards per game. He threw for 200 yards 10 times this season, proof of his consistency, and he has completed more than 66.7 percent of his passes in five straight outings. The fact that Woodson has only thrown seven interceptions speaks to his poise and sound decision-making ability. There are a pair of top pass-catches in the lineup, and Keenan Burton leads the way with 72 grabs for 1,006 yards and 12 touchdowns. As for Dicky Lyons, he has 48 catches for 772 yards and eight scores to his credit. The team's starting tailback, Rafael Little, has played in only eight games, but he has 996 combined rushing and receiving yards as well as five touchdowns. One of the top backs in the SEC, Little's versatility make him an attractive commodity to pro scouts, especially considering the fact that he is a top-notch punt returner.

Clearly, Kentucky possesses one of the better offensive units in the nation, and the team would have achieved an even better record this season if not for the shortcomings of a lackluster defensive unit. Sure, the Wildcats are surrendering five points per game fewer than they did last season, but the fact that they are still yielding 29.1 ppg is disappointing. There are 119 Division I-A football teams nationally, and Kentucky ranked 118th in pass defense and 111th in run defense. Youth can be blamed to an extent for the poor play of the defense, as 16 of the 22 players on the defensive two-deep depth chart are freshmen and sophomores. If there is a positive worth mentioning, it is the fact that the Wildcats has posted 28 takeaways. Wesley Woodyard has a team-high 110 tackles to his credit, and Marcus McClinton has four interceptions. Keep an eye on Trevard Lindley, a First-Team Freshman All- American, as he is tremendous in coverage with 12 pass breakups.

Expect plenty of offense in this game, as Clemson and Kentucky can light up a scoreboard. Give a narrow edge to the Tigers because they have the better defensive unit in this matchup.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Clemson 34, Kentucky 28