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Bowl Breakdown: Sun
No. 19 Stanford (8-4) vs. Oklahoma (7-5)Dec. 31, 2 p.m. ET, CBS
Reason to watch: Stanford's Heisman runner-up, Toby Gerhart (1,736 yards, 26 TDs), plays his last collegiate game, and he'll be going up against a star-studded Oklahoma defense (led by All-America defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and All-Big 12 linebacker Travis Lewis) that ranks seventh nationally in both rushing defense (88.6 yards per game) and total defense (273.5). Gerhart comes in having averaged 188.5 yards in his last four games.
Keep an eye on: Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones and Stanford counterpart Tavita Pritchard. Jones, a redshirt freshman who replaced 2008 Heisman winner Sam Bradford, has struggled mightily away from home (five touchdowns against nine interceptions, compared to an 18-to-4 ratio at home). He needs a big game to garner confidence heading into next season. Pritchard, a senior who started 19 career games before giving way to freshman Andrew Luck this season, will get one last shot at redemption with Luck recovering from a broken finger. He'll need to show marked improvement from his junior season, in which he ranked 89th nationally in pass efficiency.
Did you know: The Sooners are expected to start their fourth different center this season. Opening-day starter Brody Eldridge moved to tight end before eventually injuring his neck; Ben Habern started 10 games at center before breaking his leg Nov. 21; his replacement from the season finale against Oklahoma State, Brian Lepak, sprained his knee during bowl practices. At least the latest center will be a familiar face: All-America left tackle Trent Williams.
Final analysis: There's no question Gerhart is an exceptional player, but at least part of his increased production this season was due to the emergence of Luck, a gifted downfield passer. Unless Luck returns early in the game (he's back at practice), the Sooners' defense will feast on a one-dimensional attack. And Stanford's 85th-ranked defense shouldn't rattle Jones too badly.
The pick: Oklahoma 27, Stanford 14.
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Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated Stewart Mandel first caught the college football bug as a sophomore at Northwestern University in 1995. "The thrill of that '95 Rose Bowl season energized the entire campus, and I quickly became aware of how the national media covered that story," he says. "I knew right then that I wanted to be one of those people, covering those types of stories." Mandel joined SI.com (formerly CNNSI.com) in 1999. A senior writer for the website, his coverage areas include the national college football beat and college basketball. He also contributes features to Sports Illustrated. "College football is my favorite sport to cover," says Mandel. "The stakes are so high week in and week out, and the level of emotion it elicits from both the fans and the participants is unrivaled." Mandel's most popular features on SI.com include his College Football Mailbag and College Football Overtime. He has covered 14 BCS national championship games and eight Final Fours. Mandel's first book, Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls: Tackling the Chaos and Controversy That Reign Over College Football, was published in 2007. In 2008 he took first place (enterprise category) and second place (game story) in the Football Writers Association of America's annual writing contest. He also placed first in the 2005 contest (columns). Mandel says covering George Mason's run to the Final Four was the most enjoyable story of his SI tenure. "It was thrilling to be courtside for the historic Elite Eight upset of UConn," Mandel says. "Being inside the locker room and around the team during that time allowed me to get to know the coaches and players behind that captivating story." Before SI.com Mandel worked at ESPN the Magazine, ABC Sports Online and The Cincinnati Enquirer. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1998 with a B.S. in journalism. A Cincinnati native, Mandel and his wife, Emily, live in Santa Clara, Calif.