Hawaii Bowl

Dec. 23, 2007

8 p.m. EST, Honolulu, Hawaii, ESPN

Prediction: Fresno State vs. SMU

WAC vs. Conference USA

Analysis:

Going to back to Hawaii once is nice. Fresno State won't exactly want to travel to the Islands twice in the same season, but they won't have a choice. If the Bulldogs and New Mexico State both end their seasons with winning records, the New Mexico Bowl will tab the Aggies as their team. The Bulldogs are bound for Hawaii.

SMU gets back to their first bowl game since 1984 and will be happy to go to Hawaii, or anywhere for that matter.

Hawaii Bowl

Dec. 23, 2007

Prediction: Fresno State vs. Tulsa

WAC vs. Conference USA

Analysis:

The Hawaii Bowl generally banks on the local team playing in their own bowl. That won't be the case this year as the Warriors head to a BCS game. The bowl committe will have to settle on Fresno State as an alternative. Fresno State will be eager to return to a bowl after missing out in 2006. Head coach Pat Hill's teams are used to knocking off a ranked team or two almost annually and they should return to that form in 2007. Their take-on-all-comers attitude will see them play at Texas A&M, Oregon and Kansas State in non-conference play. More consistent play from quarterback Tom Brandstater will be one of the keys to the season.

Tulsa returns only 10 starters from their Armed Forces Bowl squad of a year ago, which will make things tough on the Golden Hurricane. Luckily they return both their leading rusher and passer from a season ago. Running back Courtney Tennial will have another good season if he can reach 14 rushing touchdowns as he did a season ago. And count on quarterback Paul Smith being elevated from 2nd team All-Conference USA to 1st team this season.