RANT SPORTS – FIESTA BOWL COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINAL
PENN STATE VS. BOISE STATE
Tempe, Arizona, is the site of a quarterfinal College Football Playoff matchup between Penn State and Boise State. The Group of Five champion from the Mountain West Conference (MWC) gets its opportunity to face the Big Ten runner-up. Boise State boasts the nation’s best running back, Ashton Jeanty, who finished as the runner-up in Heisman voting. The Nittany Lions counter with a run defense that allows just 3.1 yards per carry.
Who will prevail in this clash between the Big Ten and the MWC? Let’s break it down and see which team will punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Boise State Overview
The Boise State offense revolves around Ashton Jeanty, who rushed for 2,497 yards with a 7.3-yard-per-carry average. He was undoubtedly a workhorse, tallying 344 carries over the season. The gap between Jeanty and the second-best running back in the country is a staggering 803 yards. No matter how you slice it, that’s a dominating performance, regardless of the competition.
Oddly enough, at 12-1, many regard the Broncos’ best performance as their 37-34 loss to undefeated Oregon. Boise outgained the Ducks in that game, 369-352, with two Oregon kick-return touchdowns proving to be the difference. Jeanty tallied 192 yards on 25 carries with three touchdowns in the contest. This result is why Boise State is a particularly intriguing double-digit underdog (11-point dog).
Can Boise replicate this performance and knock off Penn State?
Let’s examine the highs and lows of their season:
At 6-0, they earned a solid road win at UNLV, 29-24, in a first-place showdown, though Jeanty was bottled up for much of the game.
Sitting at 7-0, three puzzling performances followed, raising red flags:
First, Boise struggled against Nevada, a team that would go 0-7 in conference play. After jumping out to a 14-0 lead, Nevada battled back to tie the game 14-14 at halftime. Boise led 21-14 entering the fourth quarter and extended it to 28-14 before Nevada scored late. The Broncos held on for a 28-21 win.
At San Jose State, the Broncos fell behind 14-0. The Spartans opted to go for it on 4th-and-1 instead of extending their lead, and Boise took advantage, tying the game 14-14 by halftime. Although Boise pulled away for a 42-21 win, San Jose outgained them 483-456, including 446 through the air.
Against Wyoming, a three-win team, Boise struggled again. Tied 10-10 at halftime and trailing 13-10 in the fourth quarter, they needed a late touchdown to secure a 17-13 win.
The Broncos somewhat redeemed themselves with a dominant 21-7 defensive performance over UNLV in the MWC Championship Game. However, their inconsistent performances leave questions about how Boise will handle Penn State on New Year’s Eve.
Penn State Overview
At 12-2, Penn State has proven it can compete with elite teams. Their two losses came against formidable opponents:
Against Ohio State in Happy Valley, Penn State fell 20-13 in a closely contested game.
In the Big Ten Championship, they matched up against Oregon. Despite falling behind 28-10, the Nittany Lions battled back to within seven points by halftime. However, a questionable deep shot by Coach Franklin late in the game ended their chances in a 35-27 loss. Coming out of the 2 minute timeout Franklin called a deep shot. If it hits Oregon still has 1:50 left. Penn State struggled all night with Oregons offense.
Outside of these losses, Penn State had an impressive 21-7 win over Illinois and a commanding 38-10 victory over SMU in the first round of the playoffs.
QB Drew Allar has elevated his game, posting a solid 21-7 TD-INT ratio and over 3,000 passing yards. Penn State is part of the elite 200/200 club, averaging 238 passing yards and 201 rushing yards per game. This balance will test a Boise State defense that has struggled against less potent offenses.
Penn State’s defense is physical and stout, allowing just 3.1 yards per carry. They’ll aim to force Boise QB Maddux Madsen into uncomfortable situations. While Madsen has respectable stats (2,714 yards, 62% completion, 22 TDs, 3 INTs), he struggled against Oregon, completing just 17 of 40 passes for 148 yards.
Coaching Struggles
If this game is tied or within three points in the last five minutes, head coach James Franklin will find a way to lose it for Penn state. However, Boise State’s reliance on Ashton Jeanty may not be enough against Penn State’s elite run defense. Without a long breakaway run early, Boise’s offense could stall, forcing Madsen to carry more of the load—a scenario that favors Penn State.
Ultimately, Penn State’s depth and balance on both sides of the ball should wear down the Broncos, leading to a nice victory for Penn State.
FILE – Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) waves after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. Kelce will bring his highly successful music festival called Kelce Jam back to Kansas City. The second annual one-day event held on May 18 will be hosted by the superstar tight end of the Chiefs and headlined by Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Diplo and local legend Tech N9ne. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
RANT SPORTS – As Super Bowl LIX Beckons, Football Fans Gravitate to Key Stats and Storylines
On February 9, 2025, the NFC and AFC Conference Champions will meet at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Super Bowl LIX. Football fans have been piling into the action all season to make their picks and predictions for the winner.
As Super Bowl Sunday beckons, there will be a tsunami of interest in the many different forms of football betting. Last year, the Super Bowl set records for American wagering, with some $23 billion bet. This year, seeing the popularity of the big game, platforms are going all out to appeal to this mass of betting interest.
So, there are plenty of offers bouncing around and unique ways to bet on the outcomes of Super Bowl LIX. Keep reading to explore these novel options and discover some stats to keep in mind for the potential Super Bowl contenders this year.
A Diverse Landscape for Super Bowl Fans
Every year, betting lines light up with a whole range of quirky selections. For the Super Bowl, prop markets are always a point of interest – and not just for the player lines. The length of the national anthem, style of the halftime performer’s attire, and the color of the winning team’s Gatorade douse are all in the odds.
In daily fantasy sports betting, the lines can also see a bit more variation. With some platforms, you’ll be able to bundle in these once-a-year kind of props. Many will also offer boosts on certain players hitting or missing their under-over lines. Others are adapting the formula entirely for the big game.
At Sleeper, the emphasis is on collaborating with your squad to make top fantasy picks. You’ll all get to select the DFS player lines that you think will happen, bundle them into a picks list, and watch the stats move in real time. With the Super Bowl fast approaching, savvy DFS teams will be claiming a Sleeper promo for NFL betting like this.
With the offer, each player will get a $55 bonus cash offer after playing $5. So, naturally, many teams will open an account, make the $10 deposit, play $5 on an upcoming game of the NFL, NBA, or anything else, and then get their 11 $5 bonus wagers to use on the big game.
What to Keep in Mind for the Super Bowl
On the NFC side, coming into the Conference Championships, Jayden Daniels absolutely had the upper hand on the Eagles’ QB, who’d suffered a concussion and then a leg injury. However, the Philadelphia defense ranked as the best in the NFL by quite some margin, only allowing 278.4 yards on average. It was Philadelphia that romped to an easy 55-23 victory.
Over in AFC territory, the Super Bowl machine that are the Kansas City Chiefs might have a shot at history with the unheard-of three-peat, after their 32-29 win over the Bills. There’s also Travis Kelce’s shot at unseating one of Jerry Rice’s long-standing records. With just three receptions in the big game, Kelce would overtake Rice’s haul of 33 takes at the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LIX promises to be a fascinating game, with a second matchup of these two teams in three years. That contest came down to the final seconds, but who will win this one?
The bigger question here is, where will fans be placing their bets for the colossal event?
William Byron (24) and Kyle Busch (18) race into turn one during the NASCAR Cup series auto race in Richmond, Va., Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
RANT SPORTS – NASCAR likes to open with a short track exhibition
A week before heading to Daytona for the 2025 NASCAR season, they will kick off the year with an exhibition race on Saturday night under the lights. The event, known as The Cookout will take place at Bowman Gray Stadium, a NASCAR-sanctioned quarter-mile asphalt flat oval short track and a historic football stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The race, also known as The Clash, will mark the debut for several new drivers. Two of the top young talents making their NASCAR Cup Series debuts are Tim Brown for Rick Racing and Burt Myers for Team Amerivet.
This race also features the Front Row Motorsports debut for Noah Gragson and the return of Zane Smith that team. Additionally, Todd Gilliland will be driving the flagship No. 38 after three seasons in the No. 34. Furthermore, Josh Berry iin the iconic Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford.
Some familiar names with new and full season rides
AJ Allmendinger has returned to Kaulig Racing full-time, while Riley Herbst has joined 23XI Racing. Cole Custer is back now full time at the Haas Factory Team. Cody Ware is also time in the family-owned No. 51.
Ryan Preece is debuting for RFK Racing and Michael McDowell has moved to Spire Motorsports. Shane Van Gisbergen is racing full-time in Cup for Trackhouse Racing
Here is the full list of cars the teams
1 | Ross Chastain | Phil Surgen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet
2 | Austin Cindric | Brian Wilson | Team Penske | Ford
3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Boswell | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet
4 | Noah Gragson | Drew Blickensderfer | Front Row Motorsports | Ford
24 | William Byron | Rudy Fugle | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet
34 | Todd Gilliland | Chris Lawson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford
35 | Riley Herbst | Davin Restivo | 23XI Racing | Toyota
38 | Zane Smith | Ryan Bergentry | Front Row Motorsports | Ford
41 | Cole Custer | Aaron Kramer | Haas Factory Team | Ford
42| John Hunter Nemechek | Travis Mack | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota
43| Erik Jones | Ben Beshore | Legacy Motor Club | Toyot
45 | Tyler Reddick | Billy Scott | 23XI Racing | Toyota
47| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Mike Kelley | HYAK Racing | Ford
48| Alex Bowman | Blake Harris | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet
50 | Burt Myers | Tony Eury Jr. | Team Amerivet | Chevrolet
51 | Justin Haley | Billy Plourde |Rick Ware Racing | Ford
54 | Ty Gibbs | Tyler Allen | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota
60 | Ryan Preece | Derrick Finley | RFK Racing | Ford
66 | Garrett Smithley | Carl Long | Garage 66 | Ford
71 | Michael McDowell | Travis Peterson | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet
77 | Carson Hocevar | Luke Lambert | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet
88 | Shane Van Gisbergen | Stephen Doran | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet
99 | Daniel Suarez | Matt Swiderski | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet
Where to watch and listen to the race
Practice and qualifying is set for 6:10 on FS1 and heat races are set for 8:30 on FS1. The last chance race is set for 6 p.m. on Sunday on FOX and the main event is scheduled for 8 on FOX.
