5* BOWL GAME OF THE WEEK (Poinsettia Bowl)

Louisiana Tech vs. TCU, 12/21/2011 20:00 EDT, Score: 24 - 31

Point Spread: -9½/-105 TCU

Sportsbook: 5Dimes

Result: Loss

I am extremely confident TCU will cover the 9.5-point spread against Louisiana Tech. The Horned Frogs finished the season 10-2. They loss the season opener against Baylor by 2-points and lost in overtime to SMU. Both those losses came in their first five games. Since that point they have won seven straight, soon to be eight. What really stands out to me is the Horned Frogs three straight wins over BYU, @Wyoming, and @Boise State.

Louisiana Tech has put together a pretty solid season, and seemed to really turn it on after Colby Cameron took over at quarterback. However, the Bulldogs will be without star running back Lennon Creer, who had 838 yards and nine touchdowns in basically 9 games (injured early against Ole Miss).

There is a lot of people who will look back and see that LA Tech played two extremely close games against Houston and Mississippi State. Any good team would play Houston close, there defense is awful! Mississippi State had just lost a heartbreaker to LSU at home the game before, so not all that surprising they didn't show up against a team out of WAC.

Creer was a huge part in the Bulldogs keeping both of those games close. He rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown against Houston and 82 yards and a score against Mississippi State.

While LA Tech won the WAC conference, I don't think they have a chance against TCU. The WAC is one of, if not, the worst conference in college football. So much is being made of LA Tech winning their final seven games, but all seven of those games came against mediocre opponents at best. TCU is no mediocre opponent. They were a missed field goal and overtime loss from possibly playing in the National Championship (BCS Bowl at worst). BET THE HORNED FROGS -9.5!