The Chick-fil-a-Bowl

Football right up till the end of the year

The Chick-fil-A Bowl will feature two young teams with similar records. We offer detailed information on this New Year's Eve battle below.

Virginia is 8-4 and hasn’t been to a Bowl Game in three years. Their last appearance was in 2007, which was also their last winning season. Needless to say, they’re looking to prove that they’re back on top in a national spotlight game. Their goal is to lift the profile of the program with a win over Auburn. What stands out most about Virginia is their run defense. They don’t allow many yards or TDs on the ground. The problem is that the offense is average at best. Michael Rocco has given them a spark under center, but he hasn’t been outstanding. So far, he sports a 125.7 QB Rating, a 60.3% completion percentage and he has thrown 11 TDs and 11 picks. The running game is also average. Virginia likes to share carries at RB in an effort to keep everyone fresh, but the results from their top two RBs are nearly identical. Perry Jones and Kevin Parks both average around 5 yards per carry and don’t score many TDs. Their biggest offensive threat is Kevin Burd, who has 60 receptions and 810 yards yet only 1 TD. As far as special teams go, they don’t have any kick returns or punt returns for touchdowns. As you can see, if they want to beat Auburn, their defense better shut it down because it’s not likely that the offense will put up strong numbers.

Auburn has a much better rushing attack, but they’re also young and they also have their problems. It has been quite a fall from grace for Auburn after winning the National Championship last year. Their win/loss record is only 7-5, which is poor for a program like Auburn. Their biggest problem is their passing offense, which only averages an anemic 153 yards per game. QB Clint Moseley has helped a little since being inserted as the starter, but once again, his numbers aren’t outstanding. He has a 136.7 QB Rating, a 62.5% completion percentage and he has thrown 5 TDs versus 3 picks. He doesn’t take as many chances as Rocco, but he doesn’t need to because he has Michael Dyer at RB. Dyer has 1,242 rushing yards, a 5.1-yard average and 10 TDs. He definitely has a nose for the end zone. The receiving core is average, but that’s okay because their focus is to run and stop opposing offenses. DE Corey Lemonier has 9.5 sacks and might give Rocco a difficult time. He’ll be especially motivated since he will be showcasing his skills for the NFL. Another important factor in this game is Auburn’s special teams, which is well above average. They cover well and they have 2 kick returns for TDs. Returner Tre Mason also averages an impressive 26.4 yards per return.

This should be a low-scoring game in which the team that commits fewer mistakes and establishes better field position wins.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl Overview

The Chick-Fil-A Bowl has been played in Atlanta since 1968. The Georgia Lions Club started the game but the Chamber of Commerce took it over soon after as a result of poor revenue and attendance. Since 1991 the Georgia Dome has hosted the contest. Prior to that, the game was played at Atlanta-Fulton County stadium from 1971 through 1991, and before that on the campus of Georgia Tech.

From 1968 through 1997 the game was known as the Peach Bowl. From 1998 until 2005 it was called the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl and since that time has been known as the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Beginning in 1993, the Chick-Fil-A Bowl has pitted a team from the Southeastern Conference against a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The selection order has varied, but they usually get the 2nd or 3rd ACC team against the 4th or 5th SEC team. Atlanta is a key city to both conferences. The SEC Championship Game is played in Atlanta, and the city is also home to Georgia Tech, one of the twelve universities in the ACC.

The Chick-Fil-A Bowl ranks among the top bowl games in charitable contributions. It has donated almost $3.5 million in scholarships and contributions in the past six seasons. The game is also one of three bowl games that have an NCAA grant for the Youth Football Program. There is also a charity golf event that features NCAA coaches as well as other celebrities and noted figures.

The event is a competition for a large amount of scholarship money. The Chick-Fil-A Bowl also has a payout of $78 million. It is the highest attended non-BCS bowl game, and the 2006 game between Georgia and Virginia Tech hold the record for Georgia Dome attendance. This includes SEC Championship Games and Atlanta Falcons NFL games.

Clemson and North Carolina State have the most appearances in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, with seven each. Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, and North Carolina have appeared five times each. LSU has won all five of their appearances in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, the most victories among any team. Each year an offensive and defensive player is awarded an MVP award. From 1989 through 1998, two players from each team received MVP awards. In the sportsbook we offer all types of props on the bowl games including awards like MVP. Don't forget this is also excellent timing to get you sports wagers in for the NFL MVP as well.

The 2005 Chick-Fil-A Bowl saw its first game between Top 10 ranked teams. LSU crushed Miami however, taking a 40-3 victory.

The Chick-Fil-A Bowl has posted thirteen consecutive sellouts. That is the longest streak behind the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. In 2008, Chick-Fil-A began sponsoring a season opening game at the Georgia Dome between teams from the ACC and SEC. This has become one of the marquee games of the opening week of the college football season.

The Chick-Fil-A Bowl has garnered two of the six highest ratings on ESPN for bowl games. It is the cornerstone of the network's Bowl Week and is generally regarded as the best among the games played prior to New Year's Day and the Rose Bowl

Once the two college teams are determined for the matchup we'll have many Chick-fil-A Bowl odds in our college football betting lines. Our Chick-fil-A Bowl betting options include wagers on all aspects of the game and we will also be releasing a NCAA Bowl preview guide.