Michigan State best remaining live ‘dog of bowl season

If there is a class in dramatic theatre at Michigan State, Kirk Cousins probably could ace it. The senior is an inspirational speaker, and that means something only because he's also a good quarterback.

Cousins' qualities as a motivational leader will be key when he leads the Spartans against Georgia in the Outback Bowl on Monday. His passing ability will be equally important.

Forty percent of the 35 bowl games were in the books after Thursday night, with favorites going 8-6 against the spread. The hunt for a live underdog in the remaining games leads to Michigan State.

Riding with a Big Ten team in a matchup against a Southeastern Conference opponent is as risky as picking up a hitchhiker. But I suspect this wager is worth the potential reward.

"Historians may side with Georgia and its SEC pedigree, but Michigan State's upperclassmen, especially Cousins, have made it a goal to finally win a bowl," said handicapper Andy Iskoe (TheLogicalApproach.com).

The Spartans are 0-4 in bowls under coach Mark Dantonio, and they were blasted and embarrassed by Alabama in last year's Capital One Bowl. It's an ugly trend that can be turned into a positive.

"That loss is very much on the minds of the Spartans as the team prepares for this game," Iskoe said.

Cousins, starting his 39th and final college football game, represents something the Bulldogs have not seen much of this season. He's a legitimate quarterback. Cousins has passed for 3,016 yards and 24 touchdowns with just seven interceptions.

The last time Georgia faced a passer this good, it was in the season opener against Boise State, and Kellen Moore connected on 28 of 34 throws in the Broncos' 35-21 victory.

After that lopsided loss, Bulldogs coach Mark Richt was put on the hot seat and given little chance to survive. But Richt is the SEC's version of Norv Turner. When the situation looks hopeless, his team puts together a winning steak.

Georgia bounced back from an 0-2 start to win 10 in a row against opponents and quarterbacks that were mostly mediocre. Richt is not heading to the unemployment line. (Turner, however, has only three days left as an NFL head coach before resurfacing as an offensive coordinator.)

Michigan State ranks 12th in the nation in rushing defense and 11th in passing defense, so it has what's needed to control Bulldogs sophomore Aaron Murray, the best passer in the SEC.

Dantonio was so disappointed by the Spartans' 42-39 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 3, he was a no-show for the bowl news conference the next day. Yet, I'll bet his team shows up for the game, so I'll take the 3½ points and plan to see a fired-up underdog.

"This is one of the more attractive matchups of the bowl season," Iskoe said. "Georgia may enjoy a slight site edge, but the other intangibles seem to favor Michigan State. In competitively priced games between evenly matched foes, the preference is to back the underdog."

Cousins is the Big Ten's second-best quarterback, behind Russell Wilson of Wisconsin. I'll side with both as underdogs, and also take 6 points with the Badgers against Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

Wilson has passed for 31 touchdowns while getting picked off only three times. Big Ten teams are always knocked for being slow, but the Badgers are atypical of the stereotype with Wilson and bullet-fast running back Montee Ball, who is one touchdown away from tying Barry Sanders' NCAA season record of 39.

After Notre Dame's blown cover and after Washington's blown cover, I'm 5-9 on the bowl plays made in this column two weeks ago, still trying to recover from an 0-4 start that triggered an avalanche of sarcastic emails.

To this point, I've made two big bets, winning one (Boise State) and losing the other (Western Michigan).

Life is full of mysteries. How is it possible Toby Keith and Katy Perry are popular singers? Will the Mayan calendar correctly predict an apocalypse or is it an idiotic theory? What was going on in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl?

Why am I siding with so many Big Ten teams? I'm also on Iowa (+14), Northwestern (+10) and Michigan (-2). Ten of the conference's 12 teams reached bowls, seven as underdogs. Some of the matchups look favorable for upsets or at least covers.

Michigan State and Wisconsin top the list.

If I'm wrong, send the sarcastic emails to the address below.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts the "Las Vegas Sportsline" weeknights at midnight on KDWN-AM (720) and thelasvegassportsline.com.