The biggest game on the national menu will take place in the Georgia Dome this evening as Florida State locks up with South Carolina for the rights to a 10-win season—the first either team will have seen in quite some time.South Carolina has fresh memories of their last trip to the Dome—a 56-17 beat down at the hands of Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers—however this game won't bear any resemblance to that one.
Florida State quarterback, Christian Ponder, is expected to make his triumphant return, but he's no Cam Newton and the Seminoles won't have a Nick Fairley to terrorize quarterback Stephen Garcia.
South Carolina has plenty of weapons at its disposal—from freshman running sensation Marcus Lattimore to future NFL draft pick, Alshon Jeffery—not to mention a defense that is tough against the run and well-rested coming into the contest.
Florida State has shown brilliance on both offense and defense this season, but there are questions about the consistency of both units. Can the Seminoles contain the Gamecock's rushing attack for a full 60 minutes?
Will Christian Ponder be ready to come back at full-strength and infuse the Seminoles' offense with the leadership it needs to win the game?
Both teams have plenty to play for so the only question truly is 'who wants it more'?
ATS picks follow. All lines are courtesy of VegasInsider.com. The 'Lady' is 8-9 in ATS bowl picks thus far.
South Florida at Clemson, Meineke Car Care Bowl: Clemson (-5.5)
Clemson isn't a world-beater, but they field a very tough defense and it's tough to imagine that the Bulls will have an answer for anything the Tigers throw at them today—Da'Quan Bowers should be in for another big game.
The Lady's Pick: Clemson to cover
Notre Dame at Miami Hurricanes, Sun Bowl: Miami (-2.5)
Flip a coin in this game as neither side is in the best shape coming into the contest.
The Irish lost many of their games this season due to inconsistent play and key injury. However, they want to finish the year strong and reset for 2011.
As for Miami, coach Shannon is gone, and it is unclear how many players will be motivated to play their best brand of football without their guy on the sideline.
It's a tough one to call, but the return of Jacory Harris might be the difference in this one.
The Lady's Pick: Miami to cover
Central Florida at Georgia, Liberty Bowl: Georgia (-6.5)
Pay attention to the way Georgia plays the run in this one. The Knights are a strong rushing team behind the trio of Ronnie Weaver, Jeff Godfrey, and Latavius Murray and five of Georgia's six losses this season came as a result of poor run defense biting them in the backside.
As for the Knights, they will have the tough task of defending a Georgia passing game that features, arguably, the best wide receiver in the country in A.J. Green. Look for Aaron Murray to take to the air early in this one—hopefully opening up some room for Washaun Ealey and Carlton Thomas to make a play or two against a tough Knights run defense.
The Lady's Pick: UCF to cover
Florida State at South Carolina, Chick-Fil-A Bowl: South Carolina (-3)
Florida State will see the return of Christian Ponder, but unless the Seminole defense can find an answer for a healthy Marcus Lattimore and a determined Alshon Jeffery, that won't matter much.
While both teams sport good run defenses, the edge has to go to the Gamecocks here as they will likely be the most motivated to play well today—erasing the debacle of the SEC Championship from their memory.
The Lady's Pick: South Carolina to cover
